Praise for Quick Release Restoration Plan
A joint statement by Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, The Nature Conservancy, Ocean Conservancy and Oxfam America appreciated the trustees recognise the urgent need for a comprehensive strategy that puts BP's USD1 billion down payment on the Natural Resource Damage Assessment to work quickly restoring Gulf ecosystems and communities that were impacted by the oil disaster.
The Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustees are a group of state and federal leaders charged with restoring natural resources damaged by the Gulf oil spill. The draft plan is the first in an anticipated series designed to begin long-term restoration efforts. The trustees will hold public meetings in January and February 2012 throughout Gulf Coast communities and in Washington, D.C., to solicit public input on the Draft Phase I Early Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment. The comment period will extend through 14th February 2012.
While the NRDA process seeks to address the direct damages caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the RESTORE Act, which has been moving in both chambers of Congress, seeks to dedicate fines paid by those responsible for last year's oil spill to support the long term restoration needs of the Gulf from decades of natural and manmade disasters.
