WASHINGTON — Northwest Florida’s U.S. representatives were among those who announced Wednesday they have signed on as sponsors to a House version of the RESTORE the Gulf Coast Act.
The bill, while similar to one moving through the Senate, would allow more freedom to five Gulf Coast states affected by last year’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill to spend millions of dollars in BP fines headed their way, said Rep. Jeff Miller.
“It would give local governments more say in how and where the money is spent,” said Miller, the Republican from Chumuckla who represents Florida’s 1st Congressional District. “We believe that way the money will be spent more efficiently on more appropriate projects.”
Specifically, Miller said the House bill, unveiled at a news conference in Washington on Wednesday, is designed to limit the power of the federal government to dictate how the BP dollars are spent.
“It has provisions that provide more flexibility to spend the money on economic development instead of restricting it to environmental projects,” Miller said. “The biggest objection (to the Senate bill) for the House sponsors is that there’s not enough to be done to help the economy.”
The RESTORE the Gulf Coast Act bills in both chambers call for 80 percent of BP’s fines collected under the Clean Water Act to be dedicated to the restoration of the Gulf Coast ecosystem and the economies of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.
Rep. Steve Southerland, who represents Florida’s 2nd District, said the House’s version of the RESTORE Act could help soften the “historic environmental and economic” blow to the Gulf region.
“It is my hope that we can help accelerate the recovery of our coastal communities by directing Clean Water Act funds directly to the areas most critically impacted by the accident,” said Southerland, R-Panama City.
Southerland said the bill will not only address the environmental impact to the region, but also the economic impact to the counties along the Gulf directly impacted by the Deepwater Horizon spill in April 2010.
“Some of the funds will go to find out what impact the spill had on our fisheries,” he said.
35 percent
Under provisions of the House bill, 35 percent of the funds would be divided among the five Gulf states.
The bill also would make 30 percent of the money received available for “development and implementation of a comprehensive restoration plan,” according to a news release issued Wednesday.
The bill envisions the plan to be formulated and money allocated by a council composed of federal and state officials.
It calls for another 30 percent of funds to be allocated through an “impact driven formula” and disbursed “according to plans submitted by the Gulf Coast states and approved by the council.”
The final 5 percent of the funds would go toward establishing an endowment and centers of excellence to advance science and technology in the Gulf region.
Miller said last week that he wasn’t sure the Senate bill, which has passed out of one committee, would get anywhere in a chamber clogged by partisan politics. He repeated that opinion Wednesday.
“I don’t know if they could pass a resolution on Mother’s Day right now,” he said.
Miller said the House version “has a better chance of passing the House than the Senate bill would” because of the economic provisions included.
Under legislation sponsored by state Sen. Don Gaetz, 75 percent of whatever of BP’s fines that make it to Florida will go Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf, Wakulla and Franklin counties.
It will be divided among the counties using a formula established by a recently formed regional coalition.