The National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling concluded its final public meeting today, in which staff made recommendations for items to include in the final report in January.The meeting covered a lot of ground over the last two days, but our ears certainly perked up when we heard Fran Ulmer, a former Alaska lieutenant governor, mention a Gulf of Mexico Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council. Check out the end of this article.”I’d like to see the commission recommend citizens advisory councils for both the Arctic and the Gulf of Mexico,” she said. “It’s an important piece,” she said, calling them “something where we could make a recommendation that would have long-lasting effect.”Read more:http://www.adn.com/2010/12/02/1584870/oil-spill-commission-examines.html#ixzz17TDhKdR8She’s absolutely right! The commission should recommend the creation of such an entity, and Congress needs to act to implement the recommendation immediately.In fact, Congress should act on creating a Gulf of Mexico Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council even before the final report comes out.Join the All Hands On Deck Call-In Day for the Gulf next Tuesday to push your Senators to pass legislation directing Clean Water Act fines paid by BP to ecosystem restoration in the Gulf and legislation that creates the Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council.Dan Favre is GRN’s Communications Director
