Christopher Mann, director of the Pew Environment Group's Campaign for Healthy Oceans, issued the following statement today in response to U.S. Senate passage of legislation that would help fund environmental restoration projects in the Gulf of Mexico in the wake of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
“This legislation is a big win for the Gulf of Mexico and America's coasts and oceans. While the House already agreed to make funds from Clean Water Act fines—levied because of the oil spill—available to the Gulf states, the Senate has taken an important additional step. The provision included in the bill passed today ensures that this money will be spent primarily to restore the Gulf of Mexico's fragile ecosystem and the coastal communities that depend on it. It also creates a dedicated funding source for ocean and coastal conservation nationwide, which fulfills a key recommendation of both the Pew Oceans Commission and the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy.”