DOJ Can’t Lose Sight of Louisiana Coast, Says Senator (USA)

U.S. Sen. David Vitter made the following statement in response to developments in the settlements with BP and the U.S. Department of Justice. A settlement was reached with DOJ this morning assessing criminal charges against BP.

“With these unprecedented criminal penalties assessed, I urge the Obama administration to be equally aggressive in securing civil monies that can help save our Louisiana coast through the Restore Act and NRDA. I certainly hope they didn’t trade any of those monies away just to nail this criminal scalp to the wall,” Vitter said.

Vitter is an original co-sponsor of the Restore Act and wrote a bill in 2011 that would expedite payments through the Natural Resources Damage Assessment payment process so that work to repair and restore fisheries, oyster beds and marshland could start immediately. Vitter’s bill was said to have played a key role in state negotiations with BP.

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Press Release, November 16, 2012