The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator, Andrew Wheeler, concluded yesterday his swing through the Bayou State where he addressed regional economic leaders and toured a coastal restoration site in Luling, Louisiana.
“Coastal restoration is vital to the preservation of the environmental and economic health of the Gulf Coast,” said EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler . “ Today, w e saw firsthand the impact of erosion on Louisiana’s coast and the potential solutions that are possible when EPA, the RESTORE Council, NGOs, and the private sector all work together. These important restoration projects can help replenish wildlife and mitigate coastal erosion.”
Acting Administrator Wheeler was joined by Regional Administrators Trey Glenn and Anne Idsal from Region 4 and Region 6, RESTORE Council Executive Director Ben Scaggs, National Wildlife Federation Gulf Restoration Director David Muth, Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Johnny Bradberry, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Chuck Carr Brown, and Restore or Retreat Executive Director Simone Maloz at Davis Pond in Luling, Louisiana.
“These kinds of projects will restore and improve water quality in Louisiana and throughout the Gulf Coast region, benefiting the Region 4 states of Alabama, Florida and Mississippi, ” added Region 4 Administrator Trey Glenn.
“ We are thankful that Acting Administrator Wheeler has come to learn more about the Mississippi River Delta, which feeds and fuels the nation and plays a central role in the overall strength of the ecology and economy of the Gulf Coast,” said National Wildlife Federation Gulf Restoration Director David Muth . “ We look forward to working closely with him and the Restore Council on the ongoing restoration efforts in the Gulf.”
Earlier this week, Acting Administrator Wheeler also spoke to the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry touting the Agency’s contribution to President Trump’s push for regulatory certainty.