Senate approves BP account for Coast
The state Senate unanimously passed a bill to create a special account for BP oil disaster settlement money to ensure it is spent on the Coast, not inland.
Sen. Brice Wiggins, R-Pascagoula, authored Senate Bill 2634 to create the Gulf Coast New Restoration Reserve fund, with others in the Coast delegation signing on as co-authors. The bill now heads to the House, where some lawmakers have said the money should be distributed statewide, not just on the Coast.
Mississippi is set to receive $1.5 billion from BP over 17 years, with $750 million going to environmental restoration and other projects on the Coast. The other $750 million in economic damages will be paid to the state through 2033 and spent by the Legislature.
Clarion Ledger
2/7/17
Magnolia Tribune
