The RESTORE Act

In July 2011, a bipartisan coalition of nine gulf senators introduced a piece of legislation called the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities and Revived Economy of the Gulf Coast Act of 2011, or the RESTORE Act . The legislation seeks to ensure that at least 80% of the penalties paid by BP and others responsible for the oil spill are returned to the Gulf to be used for restoring the region’s communities, economies and environments instead of going to unrelated federal spending.

Two official reports on the spill – one conducted by Navy Secretary and former Mississippi Governor Ray Mabus and another from the bipartisan National Commission on the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling – recommended that CWA penalties be dedicated to Gulf Coast restoration.

In addition, a recent study conducted by Duke University showed that funds from the BP oil disaster could provide a long-term investment in ecosystem restoration and create jobs that would benefit at least 140 businesses across 37 states. Read the full report.

The RESTORE Act creates an essential framework to manage and finance the Gulf Coast recovery. Using 80 percent of the CWA penalties from the Gulf oil disaster, the RESTORE Act establishes a trust account to restore both the economic and environmental health of the Gulf Coast.

For more information on the RESTORE Act, click here.

What you can do

In a historic bipartisan action, the RESTORE Act recently passed the Senate by a 76-22 margin. If you like, you can still thank your Senators for their support. Though the bill is through the Senate, the work is not over. To pass, the RESTORE Act must make it through both the House version of the transportation bill and a conference committee. Your help will still be needed. Stay tuned for future action.

Write a Letter

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