To Congress: Use BP Clean Water Act Fines to Restore Gulf

oil spill Gulf of Mexico

Did you hear about the big BP oil spill in the Gulf that happened this summer? Of course you did, but how much have you heard about the Gulf coast restoration efforts? Probably not a lot.

One big issue concerning this matter is whether or not to use Clean Water Act fines BP has to pay for actual Gulf restoration work (rather than just letting the money get put into the federal treasury). President Obama has requested that Congress dedicate this money (or at least a significant portion of it) to a Gulf Coast Recovery Fund. The House passed legislation dedicating a portion of these fines for such a purpose, but the Senate let the topic sit idle before breaking for recess. Now that the Senate is getting back to work, you can help make this a priority by urging your Senators to pass this or similar legislation as well.

It’s a simple matter — BP caused great harm to the Gulf of Mexico; it has to pay Clean Water Act fines for doing so; and that money should go towards restoring the Gulf.

Contact your Senators today by signing an online petition on this matter via the Environmental Defense Fund.

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Photo Credit: kk+ via flickr (CC license)

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