Over the next year to 18 months, the Water Institute of the Gulf will begin doling out $4 million it has received from the Office of Gulf Coast Restoration to researchers helping implement the state’s Coastal Master Plan.
The Water Institute still must work out details with state officials to receive the money, which is part of the Clean Water Act fines Transocean paid for its role in the 2010 BP Oil Spill, Water Institute spokesman Nick Speyrer says. Once the funds are received, Water Institute officials will work as quickly they can to get the money into the hands of researchers after receiving proposals for coastal restoration projects.
The Water Institute is overseeing the funding because it has been named the state’s Center of Excellence, which means it focuses its efforts on coastal restoration, wildlife ecosystem research and economic development in the Gulf of Mexico as required by the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities and Revived Economies of the Gulf States Act, or the RESTORE Act.
“The Center of Excellence designation and initial $4 million in research and development funding will provide key resources to help guide our oil spill and other investments to advance the Louisiana Coastal Master Plan and resilience of our communities and ecosystem,” Republican U.S. Rep. Garret Graves says in a prepared statement issued this morning, adding the institute will “help ensure decisions are based upon the best science rather than politics.”
Speyrer says Water Institute officials are still waiting to receive the $22 million awarded as part of BP’s $6.8 billion settlement with Louisiana.
—Ryan Broussard
