Nearly two years ago the people and places of the Gulf of Mexico suffered the greatest oil disaster in American history. Understanding that there would be an equally historic price for BP to pay, GRN has been working hard to bring BP’s Clean Water Act fines back to the Gulf. Now it seems like BP may settle their case out of court, behind closed doors.Even if the process is not inclusive, we still need to ensure that long-term protection and restoration are guaranteed under any settlement agreed to with BP. Join us in asking the White House, the Department of Justice, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of the Interior to hold BP accountable.Please ask them to reject any settlement that fails to: Provide sufficient resources for long term science and monitoring of the Gulf ($5-$10 billion);Allow the U.S. to utilize that science and monitoring to determine whether unanticipated damages have resulted from the BP drilling disaster and if so, reopen the settlement for further compensation;Establish and fund a Gulf Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council to facilitate public engagement with ongoing oil activities in the Gulf; andProvide resources commensurate with Clean Water Act liabilities of $5-$21 billion for Gulf ecosystem enhancement restoration above and beyond Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) settlements.With negotiations reportedly happening now, we must address these concerns before it is too late. Please take action now and share with your friends and family, via facebook, twitter, or old-fashioned e-mail.Aaron Viles is GRN’s Deputy Director. You can follow him on twitter here.
