Three years. Three years of dead dolphins, oiled wetlands, and sickness. Three years of BP’s misleading PR. Three years of fighting to hold BP accountable. Today marks three years of BP’s oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.Three years after it began, BP’s oil drilling disaster continues to impact the Gulf’s residents and ecosystems. Three years later, the Gulf is still waiting for restoration.But the future looks bright. A highlight of these tough three years was the passage of the RESTORE Act, and soon billions of dollars in BP fines will be flowing to the Gulf. These funds are a once in a lifetime opportunity to build a stronger, and more resilient Gulf for future generations. We must seize this opportunity.Take action now to tell the members of the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council to use RESTORE dollars to secure a healthy Gulf.Unfortunately, some state and local officials are already plotting about how they can grab these funds for environmentally destructive projects, including a highway expansion and the construction of a huge chemical plant! Take action now to tell the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council to not let RESTORE dollars be hijacked for damaging projects that only benefit politically connected insiders.On GRN and a diverse coalition of over 50 organizations joined together to release the Gulf Future Guidance for Sustainable Restoration to guide the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council as it plans for RESTORE dollars. Once BP’s fines start coming to the Gulf, they should be spent on restoring and improving the long-term health of the region’s natural resources, not the same old economic development schemes that threaten our Gulf. The Gulf Future Guidance for Sustainable Restoration is our roadmap for achieving this goal, and we need your help to make sure the Council listens – click here to send them your message.Aaron Viles is GRN’s Deputy Director.
