Deepwater Horizon Trustees Announce Agreement in Principle for Next 10 Early Restoration Projects

Proposal includes Texas projects to benefit sea turtles, restore bird islands

GULF COAST (April 20, 2015) — The Deepwater Horizon oil spill Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustees (Trustees) today announced another milestone in Gulf of Mexico early restoration.

The Trustees and BP have identified approximately $134 million in proposed early restoration projects for inclusion in a draft Phase IV Early Restoration Plan. Two of the projects would enhance bird nesting habitat, one project would provide protection to sea turtles and enhance sea turtle nesting, four projects would improve nearshore and reef habitats, two projects would increase recreation opportunities on federal lands, and one project would restore fish. The project names are listed here with additional information provided at the end of this document:

Osprey Restoration in Coastal Alabama – Baldwin and Mobile Counties, Alabama
Point aux Pins Living Shoreline – Mobile County, Alabama
Shell Belt and Coden Belt Roads Living Shoreline – Mobile County, Alabama
Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge Trail Enhancement – Alabama
Seagrass Recovery Project at Gulf Islands National Seashore – Florida District
Bike and Pedestrian Use Enhancements at Davis Bayou, Gulf Islands National Seashore – Mississippi District
Restoring Living Shorelines and Reefs in Mississippi Estuaries – Coastal Mississippi
Texas Bird Rookery Islands Project – Galveston Bay and East Matagorda Bay, Texas
Sea Turtle Early Restoration Project – Gulf of Mexico
Pelagic Longline Bycatch Reduction Project – Gulf of Mexico

Early restoration allows the Trustees to jump-start restoration using up to $1 billion BP has agreed to make available for projects jointly agreed to by BP and the Trustees. In return, BP’s liability is reduced.

The Trustees anticipate including these 10 projects in a draft Phase IV Early Restoration Plan that will be made available for public review and comment. Thus far, the Trustees have approved three phases of early restoration, with a combined total of 54 projects and an estimated cost of $698 million. If the latest round of identified projects are approved and funded, approximately $832 million of the $1 billion will be obligated.

More information about the first three phases of early restoration can be found at www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov.

Notification about a draft plan, the public comment period, and public meeting dates and locations will also be posted when the information becomes available.

Early restoration is not intended to provide the full extent of restoration needed to satisfy the Trustees’ claims against BP. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill Natural Resource Damage Assessment and restoration will continue until the public is fully compensated for the natural resources and services that were lost as a result of the spill.

Blog