The passage of the RESTORE Act in 2012 ensured that 80% of BP’s eventual Clean Water Act fines will be dedicated to the restoration of the Gulf coast. While this was a huge victory and presents a major opportunity, there is a still a long road ahead for the restoration of the Gulf. One big step along that road is making sure that the Treasury Department adopts strong rules for overseeing how BP’s fines are spent. Help us tell the Department of Treasury to adopt rules that ensure restoration dollars are spent effectively.Right now, the US Department of Treasury is taking comments on how they will govern the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund. This is a critical opportunity to make sure that all monies delivered to the Gulf are spent appropriately and, more importantly, spent in areas that were truly impacted by BP’s negligence.Many of us remember the inappropriate spending after Hurricane Katrina, like the Gulfport Port project which utilized Katrina HUD monies that were intended to fund low income housing. Setting strong, comprehensive rules on the front end can help keep these types of projects from moving forward. Send a message to Treasury demanding accountability for RESTORE Act funds.Adopting comprehensive rule that favor restoration, transparency, and public participation will help to preserve a region that is vital to the health of the nation. The comment period ends tomorrow, so write the Treasury Department now.
