OMB has issued guidance to agencies on cooperation regarding Gulf Coast environmental restoration projects, mainly resulting from the 2010 offshore oil spill there.
“Penalties and fines on the companies responsible for the spill have resulted in a large increase in funds available for restoration efforts that will benefit the natural resources, fisheries, habitats, and ecosystems of the Gulf Coast region and the nation,” said memo M-17-01.
The region also has been affected by factors including hurricanes, subsidence, development and other factors, all of which have had an impact on wetlands, barrier islands, fisheries and water quality, it added.
Agencies responsible for permitting and environmental review of restoration projects have coordinated through the Gulf Coast Interagency Environmental Restoration Working Group.
The memo tells agencies to build on that work through steps including: improving on coordination early in the process of developing and permitting restoration projects; collaborating in managing workloads so that high priority projects receive the right levels of attention; and sharing information across agencies and with the Gulf Coast states.
