PRESS
RELEASE: July 2, 2015
DEP AND FWC LOOK FORWARD TO FUTURE RESTORATION FOR FLORIDA’S GULF COAST
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. –
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission are the lead state agencies working towards restoring
the environment and recreational opportunities that were damaged in the state
of Florida due to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. As a part of the agreement
in principle announced today, BP will pay $18.732 billion which is broken down
between Clean Water Act penalties, natural resource damage claims, and economic
claims across the Gulf States. The state of Florida will receive at least a
total of $3.25 billion.
“This agreement in principle will help Florida’s
communities to recover from the economic and environmental damages suffered
after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. We look forward to working with Governor
Scott, Attorney General Bondi, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and
local communities to continue to implement environmental and recreational
restoration projects and ensure that our Gulf coast remains that best place to
live, work and visit.”
–DEP Secretary Jon Steverson
“We are pleased with this progress toward ultimate
resolution with BP. The Commission looks forward to the day the settlement
funds can be put into restoring key habitats for fish and wildlife and help
support the economies of coastal communities that are so closely tied to these
resources.”
–Brian Yablonski, Chairman, Florida Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Commission
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