Conservation Groups Praise White House for Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Executive Order
(Washington, D.C. — September 10, 2012) Today, local
and national conservation organizations thanked President Obama for issuing an executive
order reinforcing the White House’s commitment to Gulf Coast restoration in
the wake of the 2010 gulf oil disaster. The order was issued two months after
the President signed the RESTORE Act into law, which will direct 80 percent of
the Clean Water Act penalties paid by BP and others responsible for the 2010
gulf oil disaster to the Gulf Coast states to use for restoration.
“We thank the President and White House for their continued
commitment to the Gulf Coast and look forward to working with them on a comprehensive
restoration plan,” said a joint statement by Environmental
Defense Fund, National Audubon Society,
National Wildlife Federation, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation. “More
than two years after the oil spill, the gulf is still reeling from environmental
and economic impacts. This executive order takes important steps forward to
ensure that government agencies and officials are working closely together to
keep restoration progressing.”
The order falls on the heels of a court document filed last
week by the Department of Justice which elaborated on BP’s alleged gross
negligence for its role in the 2010 gulf oil disaster. The filing suggests that
the U.S. government is planning to take a hard stance against BP and to not let
them off the hook for their carelessness.
“Through today’s executive order and the Department of
Justice’s recent assertion that BP was ‘grossly negligent’ in the 2010 gulf oil
disaster, the federal government is showing a true prioritization of gulf
restoration,” the groups continued. “The people, economies and ecosystems all
along the gulf need BP to be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.
The sooner BP pays its fines, the sooner gulf restoration can become a
reality.”
Today’s executive order terminates the Gulf Coast Ecosystem
Restoration Task Force that was established in 2010 and transitions its tasks
to the recently created Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council. The Task
Force was comprised of representatives from the five gulf states, 11 federal
agencies and White House officials and was charged with developing a long-term
restoration strategy for the Gulf Coast. In July 2012, the President signed
into law the RESTORE Act, which established the new Gulf Coast Ecosystem
Restoration Council, which will build on the work begun by the Task Force.
The executive order also stresses the importance of
coordination among members of the Gulf Restoration Council, Natural Resource Damage
Assessment (NRDA) trustees and other federal entities involved in Gulf Coast
restoration. The order states that these entities “shall work closely with one
another to advance their common goals, reduce duplication, and maximize
consistency among their efforts.” The groups recognize that improving
efficiency among the federal agencies is vital to gulf restoration.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa
Jackson and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack were named in
the order as additional trustees for the gulf oil spill’s NRDA process. NRDA
trustees are charged with addressing ecosystem injury in the gulf resulting
from the 2010 oil spill, as well as selecting restoration projects for the
region.
“We now look to BP to stop stalling, pay its fines and make
the gulf whole,” the groups concluded.
One of the world’s leading international nonprofit organizations, Environmental Defense Fund (edf.org) creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. To do so, EDF links science, economics, law, and innovative private-sector partnerships. With more than 3 million members and offices in the United States, China, Mexico, Indonesia and the European Union, EDF’s scientists, economists, attorneys and policy experts are working in 28 countries to turn our solutions into action. Connect with us on Twitter @EnvDefenseFund
Media Contact
Emily Guidry Schatzel
National Wildlife Federation
225.253.9781
Brian Moore
National Audubon Society
202.386.1516
Elizabeth Skree
Environmental Defense Fund
202.553.2543
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