For Immediate Release
April 16, 2024
Contact: Pat Conzemius, President & CEO
[email protected]
White Bear Lake, MN – The 14th anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill coincides with major accomplishments of $1 billion in restoration projects funded by the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (RESTORE Council). For perspective, the Deepwater Horizon Halftime Report spotlights winning projects but also gaps in funding to coastal states and affected communities.
The Halftime Report is an oil spill restoration report that provides detail on 223 grants, $5 million or larger, that account for almost 90% of all restoration grants. Produced by TRPR, a Washington D.C. consulting firm, the report asks a series of pointed questions about restoration performance including how Congress and state lawmakers funded understaffed natural resource agencies dealing with a sudden
surge in restoration activity.
Media coverage of the Halftime Report reveals large losses in purchasing power when grants and projects are delayed. Due to inflation, several vital construction project costs rose 75% from the point of U.S. Treasury approval to the delivery of funds.
Report author Tim Richardson says, “The nation’s largest-ever deployment of environmental fine spending has achieved exciting results that are largely unreported in mainstream media, but there are also examples of unforced errors in the rollout of vitally needed dollars.” The Halftime Report highlights both types of outcomes.