Press Releases

U.S. Congressman Garret Graves (South Louisiana) released the following statement today regarding the RESTORE Council's approval of $130 million of Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement dollars for the River Reintroduction into the Maurepas Swamp Project.

"The RESTORE Council's approval of these dollars is good news for the Maurepas Project and a big deal for our fight to reverse the coastal crisis – but it's a long time coming. The reality is that we have been robbed by other states in regard to funding under RESTORE Act, and the Council has used distorted formulas to the benefit of other states with significantly less impact compared to Louisiana; we should have gotten these and other funds long ago. I'm hopeful that today's announcement is a sign that the RESTORE Council is finally beginning to right their wrongs," Graves said.

The Maurepas Swamp Project, administered by Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), will divert fresh water, sediment and nutrients from the Mississippi River to help replenish 45,000 acres of the Maurepas Swamp. Graves is working with the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority to direct other federal funds to complete the $200 million project.

Graves, who formerly chaired Louisiana's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, was Louisiana's lead trustee for the Natural Resources Damage Assessment process following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster and instrumental in the negotiations that made this funding possible.

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