According to the Associated Press, the Department of Agriculture has committed $50 million to help restore seven river basins from Florida to Texas that were ecologically impacted in part due to the BP oil spill in April 2010. The announcement came as part of the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force issued its final report on the condition and steps still needing to be taken regarding the Gulf region.
The task force included plans for restoring ecosystems, watersheds and wetlands, as well as continuing to clean up polluted bodies of water. The USDA's funding, which establishes the Gulf of Mexico Initiative, requires matching funds from states, local organizations and nonprofits. Here are some facts about efforts and funding for restoration in the Gulf region:
* Through an executive order, President Barack Obama established the task force on Oct. 5, 2010, as a way to address the ecological damages to the Gulf as a result of the BP oil spill several months prior.
* The task force is comprised of officials from numerous federal departments, including the USDA, the EPA, and the Council on Environmental Quality, and its goals include integrating federal restoration efforts with local efforts.
* Several private organizations and groups such as the National Wildlife Federation, Ocean Conservancy and EarthShare have also established their own funds and efforts for ecosystem restoration in the impacted area.
* In April, the New York Times reported that BP agreed to pay out $1 billion for early restoration projects and that the funding does not exempt the oil giant from paying for additional environmental damages.
* Of the $1 billion, Alabama, Florida, Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana would each get $100 million, as would the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Department of the Interior.
* The proposed RESTORE Act would establish the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund and dedicate 80 percent of Clean Water Act violation fines paid by the responsible parties to the fund, according to a press release from the office of Rep. Jeff Miller.
* The trust fund would allot resources to the Gulf Coast States for restoring and conserving the Gulf Coast and help finance scientific development to better aid restoration efforts.
* The Associated Press added that in early November, BP was close to ending its projects dedicated to oil cleanup with about 90 percent of oil cleaned up and instead moving towards restoration.
* BP's restoration would include removing and replacing contaminated sand, planting new plantlife, and establishing new marshes.
Rachel Bogart provides an in-depth look at current environmental issues and local Chicago news stories. As a college student from the Chicago suburbs pursuing two science degrees, she applies her knowledge and passion to both topics to garner further public awareness.
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