Gulf Restoration Groups Call on Oil Spill Trustees to Run Open Process

(New Orleans – February 23, 2016) Gulf restoration advocates are calling on federal agencies to increase transparency and public feedback opportunities as the agencies implement a $7-billion restoration program over the next 15 years. These renewed calls for openness come in response to the release of the Final Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan, which describes how the BP Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustees will plan for, administer and implement restoration efforts.

Groups, including Environmental Defense Fund, National Wildlife Federation, National Audubon Society, Ocean Conservancy and The Nature Conservancy, issued the following statement:

“The Trustees are about to embark on the biggest restoration program in American history. The choices they make now will have repercussions for Gulf ecosystems and communities over the next decade and a half – and potentially for generations to follow. 

“As the Trustees develop their Standard Operating Procedures, a key element in the design of this program, we hope they will outline additional opportunities for the public to provide meaningful feedback throughout the restoration process. A lot can change in 5, 10 and 15 years, and the people who live and work in the Gulf should have regular opportunities to engage in this process.

“The Trustees have done a tremendous amount of work, and we’re grateful for their efforts. We were pleased to see the Trustees commit to several measures for coordination across state lines and across funding streams – which will enable more successful restoration.

“We look forward to working with the Trustees to make sure the important work of Gulf restoration gets done right.”