The Governor has recently announced plans to begin some of the projects that will restore environmental health to the Gulf coast. Some of those projects include replacing sewers and storm drains that currently contribute to beach closures and buying property around some of the bayous so that it can be used for conservation and public use.
The list of projects that will eventually be completed using oil spill recovery money is much longer than that, and the projects on the list are intended to restore both the environmental and the economic health of the area. State officials developed ideas for some of the projects from public input about what types of projects residents thought would be effective. Water quality improvements, economic improvements, coastal habitat protection and restoration, and protection of marine resources are the broad categories of projects that people believe will benefit the area the most.
Specific details and projected costs of some projects have already been released. For example, the state plans to buy a private oyster hatchery near Perkinston so that the University of Southern Mississippi can upgrade the facilities and take over the operation of the hatchery. The Coast Coliseum and Convention Center will receive funds for expansion, although it is not yet clear what form that expansion will take.
A few of the projects that are going to be funded with oil spill recovery money are designed to provide much-needed oversight and will ensure that other restoration projects to determine their effectiveness. For example, the National Oceans and Applications Research Center, which is a private nonprofit that the state has chartered for scientific research and collaboration in the Gulf of Mexico, will monitor Gulf ecosystems to see what impacts various restoration projects will have on the health of marine systems.
Marine life and shore birds are vital to the health of the Gulf, and tourists and area residents alike enjoy seeing dolphins, sea turtles, and other easily recognizable and charismatic signs of a healthy ecosystem. A marine life conservation program will receive funding to do work that involves the conservation, rehabilitation, recovery, and monitoring of sea turtle and dolphin populations. Funds have been allocated to programs that will monitor the health of coastal birds, protect their habitat, and increase their populations.
Barrett Law PLLC: BP Oil Spill Attorneys in Mississippi
The BP oil spill caused a lot of environmental and economic damage to Mississippi’s Gulf Coast. Although the environment is beginning to be restored and economic activities are starting to recover, many businesses are still suffering from the damage that they have experienced. If you experienced economic damage as the result of the BP oil spill, the Mississippi BP Oil Spill Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC are here to assist you. Our experienced Mississippi BP Oil Spill attorneys have helped many oil spill victims, and we might be able to help you. Call Barrett Law PLLC today at 1 (800) 707-9577, to set up a free, initial consultation.
