The House of Representatives today passed H.R. 4348, the Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2012, which included provisions of the RESTORE Act. Congressmen Jeff Miller (R-FL-01), along with Steve Scalise (R-LA-01), Jo Bonner (R-AL-01) Steve Palazzo (R-MS-04), Jeff Landry (R-LA-03), Pete Olson (R-TX-22),Cedric Richmond (D-LA 02) and Steve Southerland, II (R-FL-02), introduced the RESTORE Act (H.R. 3096) that would require a portion of the fines paid by BP and other responsible parties for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill be set aside for use along the affected shores of the Gulf Coast.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted this afternoon on the transportation bill which included language requiring that 80 percent of civil fines from the 2010 oil spill be reserved to help Gulf states rebound from the disaster.
“Nearly two years after the accident, the Gulf Coast continues to feel the economic impacts of the Gulf oil spill, and BP must be held accountable,†Miller said. “Florida businesses are struggling, the real estate market has yet to recover, and individuals are still looking for work. This language will ensure the fines paid by BP for their mistake would be returned to our area and promote the economies of the local communities still reeling from last year’s disaster.â€
The passage of this bill is the next step in the process to restore the Gulf Coast from the damages we suffered as a result of the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Under the Clean Water Act, BP is expected to pay between $5 billion and $21 billion in fines, based on estimates of the flow of oil from the Macondo well.