Last week, the Dredging Contractors of America (DCA), the national nonprofit trade association for the dredging industry, sent a letter to House leadership in support of the RESTORE Act – legislation that would ensure that oil spill fines are used for gulf restoration.
“ The RESTORE Act appropriately allocates 80 percent of the Clean Water Act penalties, as a result of the BP oil spill, to the five Gulf Coast states, and establishes an effective management and financing framework for the economic and ecological recovery for years to come, ” says DCA executive director Barry W. Holliday in the letter. “ DCA believes that this bill seeks to balance the ecological and economic interests of a comprehensive restoration plan.”
“We urge you to pass the Transportation Bill that includes the RESTORE Act to ensure that the BP oil spill penalties can be used for ecosystem and economic recovery in those states and communities directly harmed by the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history,” concludes the letter.
The Dredging Contractors of America has been representing the interests of the U.S. dredging and marine construction industry for over 30 years. Its membership includes 11 large dredging companies, 17 small companies and three associate members nationwide. Member companies work on the Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, the Great Lakes, inland rivers, Alaska and Hawaii. Their mission is “ to improve the quality and responsiveness of dredging service delivery to the Nation, ensuring that America’s ports, waterways, wetlands and beaches are efficiently constructed and maintained in an environmentally sustainable manner using innovative methods and American ingenuity.”
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Dredging Today Staff, March 30, 2012; Image: mississippiriverdelta