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Loading...BP Pressured For $15 Million To Restore Gulf Oyster Habitats
Louisiana Sens. Mary Landrieu (D) and David Vitter (R), along with the state’s representatives, recently sent a letter to BP President Lamar McKay requesting $15 million to restore critical oyster habitats destroyed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
The state of Louisiana first requested funds for restoration in November 2010, but BP never responded.
Louisiana produces 40 percent of the United States’ domestic oyster supply and is home to more than 1.6 million public, 400,000 private acres of fishing grounds.
“In hopes of mitigating future damages and facilitating the robust recovery of this vital industry, we strongly encourage you to reconsider this $15 million investment opportunity,” the delegation wrote. “Timing will be critical. Unfortunately, due to the direct and indirect impacts of the oil spill, oyster production…continues to trail historic averages.”
And Louisiana isn’t the only place where oyster habitats are suffering.
Over the past few decades, coastal Alabama has lost its marshes, sea grass beds and oyster reef habitats through incompatible development practices, erosion, storm events, and most recently, the impacts of the Gulf oil disaster.
In fact, scientists estimate 10-20 acres of intertidal habitat are lost each year. These challenges make Mobile Bay one of the largest potential areas for outright restoration, replacement and enhancement of lost habitats on the Northern Gulf coast.
Late last month, nearly 550 volunteers from Alabama and beyond donned boots and gloves, and donated their time to do what BP isn’t willing to–kick start a massive oyster restoration effort.
Volunteers from California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Texas, Florida and points in between joined together to place 16,000 bags of oyster shells along the shore – the first step to building 100 miles of oyster reef over the next three to five years in Mobile, AL. The effort was led by the 100-1000: Restore Coastal Alabama partnership.
Related Reading:
Oil Spill Threatens Gulf Oysters, And Seafood Worldwide
Crude Oil Found In Oysters At North Carolina Restaurant (Video)
Tests Confirm Gulf Seafood Contains Toxic Oil
Read more: alabama, bp, environment & wildlife, gulf oil spill, louisiana, oyster reef, restoration, seafood, sustaintmc
Image Credit: Flickr - lsgcp
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+ add your ownBP should pay most of its money to restoring the damage it's done and dedicate the rest if its company history to salvaging and protecting the environment.
All parties involved should shoulder the financial responsibility.
thank you
thank you
thanks for telling the world
They should clean up after themselves. After all, don't we teach our children that? We are hypocrites if we don't follow through
How come Halliburton, who did the damage?
That torture & mass murder as policy criminal republican Dick Cheney reduced or dumped the regulations on oil co activities in the 1st few months of his vice presidency (during which he continued to receive payment from Haliburton via his secret bank account in Lichtenstein as exposed by German investigators).
In the USA BP is blamed for what greedy Haliburton, greedy politicians and greedy citizens irresponsibly caused.
Now they're in denial of the facts.
Just like it is know proven that torture was a policy, directed from the very top, not isolated incidents by mavericks...
yet none of those actually responsible is being held personally accountable.
And so America is doomed!
the government really needs to get on their case for all the damage they have done
Yes they did it they have to pay for it.
Dean is spot on in rethinking all aspects of the project. This may be an opportunity assisted by the business think tank in New Orleans will generate good things for the people of the region and beyond.
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