The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico seems like old news these days, what with the news from Japan, but those in the Gulf region are of course still dealing with the aftereffects.
You may remember that a task force was set up, through an executive order last October, to develop a restoration strategy for the Gulf states; its mission is to come up with an agenda by October 2011. This week the US EPA announced that call lines have been set up for people in those states—Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas—to ask questions, make suggestions, and generally give their input on the restoration strategy. This is somewhat similar to the “listening sessions” EPA uses to get input on other matters. In this case, those working the call lines include not only EPA staff but also representatives from the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Interior, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Are you in one of those states, and if so, are you planning to contact the task force? Or, if you’re outside the Gulf region but have an opinion on what the priorities for the restoration plan should be, leave a comment below.
The toll-free number for those in the five Gulf Coast states is 1-855-427-9263. You can also get automatic updates from the task force by emailing GulfCoastTaskForce@epa.gov, and you can find information online at www.restorethegulf.gov/task-force.