Wicker: Mississippi Committed to Full Recovery After Deepwater Horizon Spill
Miss. Senator Leads Senate Hearing to Review Progress of Gulf Coast Restoration
June 6, 2013
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) today served as the leading Republican during a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Subcommittee hearing to review the progress of Gulf Coast restoration efforts following the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010.
“Mississippi is committed to making a full recovery, and we are taking aggressive steps to protect the future livelihood of Gulf Coast residents,” Wicker said. “Our state has made enormous strides in organizing efforts to protect the environment, help spur needed job creation, and increase vital economic opportunities.
“The 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill was the largest in U.S. history, and the full extent of environmental damage will not be established for years to come. Federal, state, local, and private entities have worked well together to spearhead recovery efforts. The result has been an unprecedented allocation of funds that will be available to assist in the revitalization of the region’s environment and economy.”
In 2011, Senator Wicker co-sponsored the “Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act” (RESTORE Act), which dedicated 80 percent of all “Clean Water Act” penalties paid by those responsible for the 2010 gulf oil disaster to Gulf Coast restoration. The remaining 20 percent of the fines are directed to the federal Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund.
“The ability of local leaders and coastal residents to play a powerful role in the recovery of their communities is central to the mission of the RESTORE Act,” Wicker continued. “A successful recovery also depends on coordination and communication. I believe today’s hearing helped a great deal by reviewing the progress of the Gulf Coast recovery and the challenges we face ahead.”
Ms. Trudy Fisher, director of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, also testified at today’s hearing. Ms. Fisher has served as the agency’s director since 2007 and is tasked with leading Mississippi’s recovery from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
“Mississippi is committed to making a full recovery, and we are taking aggressive steps to protect the future livelihood of Gulf Coast residents,” Wicker said. “Our state has made enormous strides in organizing efforts to protect the environment, help spur needed job creation, and increase vital economic opportunities.
“The 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill was the largest in U.S. history, and the full extent of environmental damage will not be established for years to come. Federal, state, local, and private entities have worked well together to spearhead recovery efforts. The result has been an unprecedented allocation of funds that will be available to assist in the revitalization of the region’s environment and economy.”
In 2011, Senator Wicker co-sponsored the “Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act” (RESTORE Act), which dedicated 80 percent of all “Clean Water Act” penalties paid by those responsible for the 2010 gulf oil disaster to Gulf Coast restoration. The remaining 20 percent of the fines are directed to the federal Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund.
“The ability of local leaders and coastal residents to play a powerful role in the recovery of their communities is central to the mission of the RESTORE Act,” Wicker continued. “A successful recovery also depends on coordination and communication. I believe today’s hearing helped a great deal by reviewing the progress of the Gulf Coast recovery and the challenges we face ahead.”
Ms. Trudy Fisher, director of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, also testified at today’s hearing. Ms. Fisher has served as the agency’s director since 2007 and is tasked with leading Mississippi’s recovery from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
