So as readers of this site may or may not know — probably not — I’ve spent the past couple of years writing for Yahoo! News, the last year of which I spent a considerable amount of time writing about last summer’s BP oil disaster and its ongoing fallout. So, in that capacity, I’ve taken BP to the woodshed a time or two — well, as much as one can take them to the woodshed while writing for Yahoo! anyway. There was more than one time where I desperately wanted to write, “OMG these people are so f*cking evil,” but just couldn’t do that there.
Anyway, I filed my last BP oil spill piece for them, which ran yesterday, and was actually looking forward to not even thinking about the whole thing for at least a few days (Sh*t got so depressing at times). But then BP went and did something today that I’m extraordinarily pleased about, and felt compelled to tip my cap to them, which is to provide $1 billion for coastal restoration work on the Gulf Coast.
Reports Nola.com:
The money will go to the Natural Resource Trustees for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which includes the states of Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi and Texas, the Department of the Interior and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The trustees will use the money to fund projects such as rebuilding coastal marshes, replenishment of damaged beaches, conservation of sensitive areas for ocean habitat for injured wildlife, and restoration of barrier islands and wetlands that provide natural protection from storms.
Louisiana and other states will each be given $100 million. NOAA and the Interior Department also will be given an initial $100 million. The remaining $300 million will be divided between NOAA and Interior to be used for projects selected by them from proposals submitted by the states.
The first $500 million will be forwarded within 45 days, with a second $500 million provided in six months.
I can’t begin to express how desperately this is needed. My fingers are crossed that the geniuses in Washington finally step up to the plate and follow suit.
(Tarball on a Louisiana beach the size of my size 14 foot via me)