Hurricane Ian moving through Central Florida as tropical storm
Hurricane Ian is producing “catastrophic flooding” across Central Florida as it churns slowly northward, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported at 7:00 a.m. CDT. Hurricane Ian came ashore along the southwestern Florida coast around 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The storm weakened overnight as it made its way overland and has been downgraded to a tropical storm. At 7:00 a.m. CDT, the center of Tropical Storm Ian was about 40 miles east of Orlando, Florida. Ian is moving toward the northeast near 8 mph. A turn toward the north-northeast is expected later today, followed by a turn toward the north and north-northwest with an increase in forward speed Friday and Friday night. On the forecast track, the center of Ian is expected to move off the east-central coast of Florida soon and then approach the coast of South Carolina on Friday. The center will move farther inland across the Carolinas Friday night and Saturday. Maximum sustained winds remain near 65 mph with higher gusts. Some re-intensification is forecast when it moves back across water, and Ian could be near hurricane strength when it approaches the coast of South Carolina on Friday. Weakening is expected Friday night and Saturday after Ian moves inland. Ian remains a powerful storm system with tropical-storm-force winds extending up to 415 miles from the center. Daytona Beach International Airport, far from the storm center, recently reported a sustained wind of 60 mph and a gust to 70 mph. The combination of storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle and can vary significantly over short distances. Tropical storm conditions are occurring in parts of the warning area on the east and west coasts of Florida and should spread northward along Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina coasts today through Friday. Hurricane conditions are possible within the Hurricane Watch area in northeastern Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina through Friday. Widespread, life-threatening, catastrophic flash and urban flooding is occurring, with major to record flooding along rivers continuing across central Florida. Storm swells will increase along the coasts of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina today. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and dangerous rip currents on the Atlantic Coast. Governor Kay Ivey has pledged to provide support for the cleanup to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Thousands of Floridians have evacuated to Alabama, and the state is opening shelters. Over a million homes in Florida are without power. Damage assessments will get underway later today when conditions improve. Residents and others are warned not to get out due to the risk of downed powerlines and still-rising floodwaters. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Bradley Bryne reveals positive red snapper development
After years of dealing with frustrating federal red snapper regulations, good news may be on the way for the Alabama’s red snapper fishermen and coastal communities. On Friday, Alabama 1st District U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne on Friday announced the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has proposed a new rule to increase the annual catch limits (ACLs) and annual catch targets (ACTs) for red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico based on a recent stock assessments. Under the proposed rule, the total catch limit for recreational Red Snapper fishing in the Gulf of Mexico would increase from 6.7 million pounds to 7.4 million pounds, a 10.45 percent increase. “This increase from NOAA shows exactly what those of us on the Gulf Coast have known for years: the health of the Red Snapper fishery is incredibly strong,” said Byrne. “These latest numbers will further drive us to continue fighting for greater state control over the Red Snapper fishery and a full and adequate Red Snapper fishing season.” In 2017, Byrne worked with Senator Richard Shelby and other Gulf Coast congressmen to secure a full Red Snapper season for Alabama’s recreational fishermen. A full 47 day season was approved by the the National Marine Fisheries Service in April 2018. Through Jan. 3 2019, the NOAA Fisheries is requesting public comment on the proposed rule. Comments may be submitted online or by mail to Peter Hood, Southeast Regional Office, NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
New $6M water research grant could protect lives, property of Alabamians
Alabamians lives and property may soon be better protected thanks to a new federal grant to help improve the nation’s water prediction capabilities and forecasts. Alabama U.S. Senator Richard Shelby on Tuesday announced that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has granted $6 million for water prediction research efforts at the University of Alabama (UA) in partnership with the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). “This is excellent news for the University of Alabama, our state, and the nation,” said Shelby. “The research made possible by this $6 million grant will drive scientific advances to help improve the nation’s water prediction capabilities and forecasts. I am proud to have helped secure this funding that will better protect the lives and property of all Americans.” This funding will support the efforts of UA, UCAR, and NOAA researchers to develop 21st century radar technologies aimed at improving measurements of snow and soil moisture. These improved observations will have the opportunity to advance the predictive and prognostic ability of future versions of the National Water Model, the nation’s first-ever continental-scale hydrologic prediction system operated at the National Water Center in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Scientists at the National Water Center will utilize the data produced by the radars to strengthen research and grow the nation’s water prediction capabilities. “This award further demonstrates the University’s commitment to cultivating a research culture that will have a far-reaching impact,” said Dr. Stuart Bell, University of Alabama President. “We are very pleased to see our research efforts making a significant difference for water resources and for the nation at large.” The university will receive $5 million of the funding while UCAR will receive $1 million to support administration and management of the grant.
Alabama red snapper season closes Sunday, 6 weeks early
After its first season of self-managing red snapper fishing, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) is bringing the season to an end six weeks earlier than expected. The Marine Resources Division (MRD) of the ADCNR made the announcement last week that the season to harvest red snapper by private anglers and state-licensed commercial party boats will come to an end on 11:59 p.m. Sunday, July 22, 2018 due to the fact the quota of 984,291 pounds issued under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries’ Alabama Recreational Red Snapper Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) is expected to be met by the closure date. The season was originally scheduled to run through Labor Day, September 3. “Alabama anglers fished extremely hard on the good weather days during the season,” said Marine Resources Director Scott Bannon. “That level of effort, coupled with larger average-sized fish harvested this year as compared to last year, resulted in a daily harvest rate two times higher than 2017, which prompted an earlier than anticipated closure. “The purpose of the EFP was to demonstrate Alabama’s ability to establish a season and monitor landings within a fixed quota and I think we have shown we can do that,” said Bannon. The state-managed season was made possible through language authored by U.S. Senator Richard Shelby in the FY2017 Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill that directed the NOAA Fisheries to develop the fishery management pilot program allowing states to direct reef fish management activities. Anglers are reminded of the following: Possession of red snapper in Alabama waters while state waters are closed is prohibited regardless of where the fish were harvested. Alabama anglers may fish in federal waters off the coast of Alabama (outside of 9 nm) and land in a state that is open to the landing of red snapper, but they must adhere to the open state’s rules and not transit in Alabama state waters with red snapper on board. The season for federally-permitted charter for-hire vessels will close at 12:01 a.m. July 22. In-season landings estimates were calculated through the use of Snapper Check, the program established in 2014 to collect mandatory trip reports from anglers, and this monitoring tool was a key component of the EFP. MRD staff will review the complete 2018 season effort and landings data to develop a plan for the 2019 season. Summary data from the season and information about the EFP can been found online here.
Alabama will manage 47-day recreational red snapper seasons for 2018, 2019
After years of fighting frustrating federal red snapper regulations, the National Marine Fisheries Service has granted the State of Alabama’s request to manage its red snapper season for 2018 and 2019. Following a 30-day comment period, the Department of Commerce formally approved of Alabama’s request for an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP), allowing the state to manage its own fishing season. Following the approval, Gov. Kay Ivey announced that she set the recreational red snapper season to 47 days in both 2018 and 2019. “I am very pleased that the U.S. Department of Commerce, through the National Marine Fisheries Service, has granted Alabama an Exempted Fishing Permit for the next two red snapper seasons,” Ivey commented. “Following the directives from President Trump to cut down on federal regulations, this decision empowers Alabama to manage our resources instead of bureaucrats in Washington. Due to this exemption, I have instructed the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to set the 2018 season to 47 days. This season will allow recreational anglers five more days to fish for red snapper compared to last year. I am proud we have been able to expand the red snapper season, which is a critical part of Alabama’s recreation and tourism industry.” The EFPs were made possible through language authored by U.S. Senator Richard Shelby in the FY2017 Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill that directed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service to develop the fishery management pilot program allowing states to direct reef fish management activities. “This announcement is excellent news for the recreational fisherman in Alabama. After authoring the provision allowing NOAA to approve the pilot programs, our Gulf states will take the lead in managing recreational fishing of red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico,” said Shelby. “I am confident that Alabama’s state-led pilot program will provide our recreational fisherman with much-needed, long-overdue relief and result in more days on the water,” said Senator Shelby. The 2018 Red Snapper season in Alabama will run from June 1 through September 3, with Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays open to fishing. The entire week of the Fourth of July (June 30 through July 8) will also be open for red snapper fishing. Red snapper landings will also be allowed July 2-5 and Labor Day. The bag limit will remain two per person with a 16-inch minimum length. Alabama 1st District U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne also praised the announcement. “A 47 day Red Snapper season is a huge development for our local fishermen and Alabama’s coastal communities,” said Bryne. “This is how government should work: take power from Washington and return it to the people who best understand the issue. Under this proposal, our fishermen will have adequate time to enjoy a Gulf Coast tradition while our coastal communities will benefit from increased revenue. It is a win-win situation for coastal Alabama. “The red snapper fishery means so much to the coastal culture and economy of Alabama. I appreciate the work of Senator Shelby and Congressman Byrne on this vital issue,” added Ivey. The entire state of Alabama is also indebted to Conservation and Natural Resources Commissioner Chris Blankenship, as this exemption would not have happened without his leadership and his tireless advocacy for Alabama. I am proud of the work Commissioner Blankenship is doing, and I am honored to have him as a part of my cabinet.” Under the pilot program, private recreational anglers will each be responsible for monitoring landings so they do not exceed their portion. Alabama will use Snapper Check to monitor its landings and determine if: the season will close as anticipated; the season will close earlier than anticipated due to daily landings exceeding forecasted totals; or the original season length should be increased if daily landings do not meet anticipated levels (i.e. due to smaller fish size or inclement weather). “The red snapper management granted by the EFP will allow Alabama to use the information from the Alabama Snapper Check Program, as well as the terabytes of fisheries data we have collected on the red snapper population in the Alabama Artificial Reef Zones, to show we can sustainably manage this fishery,” explained Chris Blankenship, Commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The federal charter season for red snapper is not included in Alabama’s new permit and is expected to be announced by NOAA Fisheries sometime in April 2018. The federal charter season for red snapper is expected to be longer than the federal charter season in 2017.
Alabama submits request to NOAA to manage Red Snapper seasons
Recreational fishermen across the Gulf of Mexico and the East Coast, rejoice — the days of federal mismanagement of red snapper fishing may soon be over. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources on Wednesday announced the Gulf States — Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas — have banded together to submit proposals for an alternative style of red snapper management for private and state charter vessel anglers during 2018 and 2019. If approved by NOAA Fisheries, each state would have the ability to establish fishing season start and end dates in federal waters off their respective state’s coast. Under the proposals, each state has requested a portion of the total allowable catch for private recreational anglers in the Gulf and they would each be responsible for monitoring landings so they do not exceed their portion. Alabama will use Snapper Check to monitor its landings and determine if: the season will close as anticipated; the season will close earlier than anticipated due to daily landings exceeding forecasted totals; or the original season length should be increased if daily landings do not meet anticipated levels (i.e. due to smaller fish size or inclement weather). Alabama’s proposal has state and federal waters opening for weekends only (Friday–Sunday) from June 1 through September 3 (Labor Day). The season would also include the entire week of Independence Day, June 30- July 8. These specific proposals are referred to as Exempted Fishing Permits. They will be reviewed by NOAA Fisheries and state representatives on Wednesday, Jan. 31 during the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting in New Orleans. Alabama State Auditor Jim Zeigler belives the new proposal is better than last year’s. “While we are not quite there yet, this plan is light years better than the short seasons we suffered. My ultimate goal is to end federal regulation and allow Alabama to regulate our own fisheries,” said Zeigler, an angler himself, living in Mobile, Ala. The season for anglers planning on fishing from a federally-permitted charter vessel this year will begin June 1 and end sometime in late July. The season will be announced by NOAA Fisheries in the coming months.
Conservation groups sue feds to protect Red Snapper, promote reform
Two environmental groups are suing the Trump administration for extending the red snapper season in federal and state waters within the Gulf of Mexico this year. The Environmental Defense Fund and Ocean Conservancy filed a lawsuit on Monday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against a U.S. Department of Commerce June decision that allowed recreational anglers to fish for red snapper in federal and state waters for 39 weekend days Friday through Labor Day. According to the groups, the decision “puts red snapper recovery at risk, jeopardizing fishing businesses and recreational fishing for the species. It also violates several provisions of federal law.” “The way we manage recreational red snapper fishing stinks, and saltwater anglers like me are demanding change,” said Robert Jones, Director of Environmental Defense Fund’s Gulf of Mexico Oceans Program. “The recovery of the species is an incredible opportunity. I was recently offshore from Galveston and the water is teeming with red snapper. But instead of anglers and recreational fishing businesses reaping the benefits, we are stuck in a downward spiral of failure. This lawsuit is about catalyzing change.” Jones continued, “Year-round state-water seasons combined with minuscule federal seasons suffocate our access to the best offshore fishing grounds. And I sure as heck don’t want to return to the days when my dad and I could barely find a red snapper due to decades of overfishing. What we demand is innovative, solutions-oriented reform that harnesses new approaches like Louisiana’s LA Creel program, gives us flexible access, and ensures that future generations of Americans can enjoy the thrill of catching red snapper.” The extended season came after the NOAA Fisheries in May approved a recreational season of three days — June 1-3, which fishing enthusiasts decried as being far too short. Alabama lawmakers quickly took action reaching out to federal officials to lengthen the season, which was the shortest ever in the Gulf of Mexico. After extensive debate on both the Gulf Coast and Capitol Hill, the Department of Commerce approved the extended season. According to the lawsuit, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and two federal agencies — the National Marine Fisheries Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — were listed as the defendants.
Bradley Byrne: A red snapper victory
We recently had a major victory for our area’s Red Snapper fishermen and the coastal communities, which benefit from a longer Red Snapper season. Last Wednesday, the federal Department of Commerce announced an emergency extension of the 2017 Red Snapper season for recreational fishermen. As you probably remember, it was announced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration earlier this year that the Red Snapper season would be just three days, the shortest season ever. Under the emergency extension, the season for recreational fishermen now includes Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays between now and Labor Day. The season will also include July 3rd and 4th and Labor Day. This adds up to an overall extension of 39 days. As soon as the three day season was announced, my staff and I went to work to on an extension. We partnered with other Gulf Coast congressmen in sending a letter to the Department of Commerce requesting an extension, and then worked with the Department and the Gulf states to iron out the details. Many people helped make this extension possible, and they deserve to be acknowledged. I appreciate President Donald Trump and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross for paying attention to our concerns and working to address this issue. The staff at the Department of Commerce was easy to work with as we put this extension together. I also cannot say enough about the help from Chris Blankenship, the acting commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Chris has always been a joy to work with on Red Snapper issues, and he played a critical role in helping get the other Gulf states on board with this agreement. I also want to thank the local and state officials, as well as the grassroots supporters and fishermen, who helped bring attention to this issue. I firmly believe your efforts made a difference. One of the other people who played a critical role in making this agreement a reality was House Majority Whip Steve Scalise from Louisiana. Congressman Scalise expected to make news on Wednesday morning talking about the Red Snapper news, but he unfortunately made national headlines for a different reason. He was one of the individuals tragically shot during a practice for the Congressional Baseball Game. Steve Scalise is a wonderful man, a personal friend, and a true advocate for the Gulf Coast. I hope you will join me in continuing to pray for Steve and his family as he goes through the recovery process. Ultimately, it was a total team effort to make this emergency extension a reality. This is a real victory for all our recreational fishermen as well as our coastal communities. All this said, the extension only applies to the 2017 season. We must continue our efforts to find a permanent legislative solution that gives more authority over setting Red Snapper seasons to the five Gulf states. Discussions are ongoing between my office and other Gulf Coast congressmen in the House on legislation to address the issue, but we also need a willing partner in the Senate to help push our Red Snapper reforms in that body. As I have said before, I am not giving up on this issue until we get a solution. Not only is it critically important to our fishermen and the economies in our coastal communities, but it is also a shining example of the kind of government overreach and incompetence that has become all too common in today’s federal government. I encourage all our fishermen to enjoy the extended 2017 Red Snapper season, but to join me in not letting up the pressure as we work toward a permanent solution. • • • Bradley Byrne is a member of U.S. Congress representing Alabama’s 1st Congressional District.
Bradley Byrne: Fight continues for longer red snapper season
We are blessed to live in a part of the world known for our beautiful scenery, abundant natural resources, and marvelous waterways. It is easy to see why my family has not left Southwest Alabama since my great, great, great grandfather settled here in the 1780s. A critical part of our local culture is the Gulf of Mexico, including a wide range of fish that call the Gulf home. Like so many others, my family has gone fishing in the Gulf for as long as I can remember. Given how important fishing is to so many, I was incredibly frustrated to learn that this year’s Red Snapper season in federal waters will only be three days. That is simply not acceptable and a further indication of how poorly the federal government is managing the Red Snapper fishery. During a recent House Oversight Committee hearing on Red Snapper, I pointed out that preliminary estimates done by the state for 2016 show a total of approximately 821 thousand pounds of Red Snapper caught in waters off of the Alabama coast. Federal estimates for the same time show approximately 2 million pounds accounted for. Mississippi’s data shows the opposite problem. According to data from Mississippi’s Tails n’ Scales Program, almost 40,000 pounds were accounted for, yet federal data claims there were zero pounds. The system is completely broken. Since being elected to Congress, I have made Red Snapper a top priority. We passed a bill out of the House in 2015 that would have repealed the quota system and given the Gulf states control over the data collection and stock assessments. I personally wrote and championed these provisions with the support of other Gulf Coast colleagues. While we succeeded in getting the bill out of the House, I was very disappointed the Senate failed to even take up the bill. I want to be clear: Red Snapper is not an issue that just comes up once a year in my office. In fact, we work year round to increase awareness, build support, and push for a permanent solution. We are utilizing a strategy focused on both an administrative and legislative solution. First, I am hopeful that under President Donald Trump we can get some relief. President Trump is a big believer in rolling back regulations and getting the government out of the way. There is no better example of big government micromanagement and failure than the Red Snapper issue. With a new director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which oversees the National Marine Fisheries Service, I hope we can get back to longer seasons, more local data, and a balanced system that actually works. Second, I am going to continue working with my Gulf Coast colleagues on legislation to fix the system and get us longer seasons for recreational fishermen. Discussions are actively ongoing about a legislative solution that tackles this issue head on and gives more control to the individual Gulf states. We did receive a bit of good news. With the help of Senator Richard Shelby, we were able to secure a permanent expansion of state waters out to nine miles Gulf-wide. In the past, some Gulf states had state waters out to nine miles while others, like Alabama, only had three miles of state waters. Permanently expanding the state waters to nine miles for Red Snapper will provide parity among the Gulf states and give important certainty to our fishermen as they work to further build up the artificial reef system in state waters. The fight for a longer Red Snapper season continues, and I am more emboldened than ever before to get us a solution. • • • Bradley Byrne is a member of U.S. Congress representing Alabama’s 1st Congressional District.
Richard Shelby praises NOAA announcement of red snapper assessment
Last month Alabama wildlife officials came out saying the federal government is still overestimating the amount of red snapper caught in the Gulf of Mexico. According to a report from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the federal government is “significantly overestimating” the harvest of red snapper by fishermen in Alabama. In 2016, Alabama Wildlife Officials projected 1.5 million pounds of red snapper were caught between charter boats and recreational fishermen, whereas the government said 2.7 million pounds of snapper were landed in Alabama the same year. Thus, the annual catch season was limited to only nine days in July, dramatically impacting fishermen. On Tuesday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced it is providing $9.5 million for an independent and external assessment to determine which figures are accurate and the total abundance of red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico. Alabama’s senior U.S. Senator Richard Shelby, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS), calls the announcement a “critical step” toward fishing reform. “Today’s announcement by NOAA is a critical step towards much-needed reform to the way fish are counted in the Gulf of Mexico,” said Shelby. “These efforts will help ensure that NOAA counts red snapper where they actually live – on reefs.” In the fiscal year 2016 CJS Appropriations bill, Shelby included both funding and guidance for an assessment of red snapper Gulf-wide. This evaluation includes an examination of the population of red snapper on reefs and the new technologies available to more accurately count the fish. Results from this independent study will be compared to NOAA’s internal estimates and will be used in future Gulf fisheries management decisions. “I’m pleased that this assessment will provide an independent check on NOAA’s internal counts for red snapper in the Gulf, which is long overdue,” added Shelby. “My goal has always been, and will continue to be, to get our Gulf fishermen more days out on the water.” Fishing for red snapper: B-Roll: Red Snapper – Gulf of Mexico, Recreational Fishing from NOAA Fisheries on Vimeo.
Alabama politicians lament 9 day Red Snapper season: It’s a ‘disgrace’
Congressman Bradley Byrne, Republican of the state’s first district, which encompasses Alabama’s two gulf counties, and State Auditor Jim Zeigler both spoke out Wednesday against the continuation of a federally-imposed nine day Red Snapper season. “A nine day Red Snapper season is a disgrace for Alabama’s fishermen,” wrote Byrne in a press release Wednesday. “This type of ‘derby-style’ season poses serious challenges and puts the safety of our fishermen at risk. There are plenty of Red Snapper in the Gulf, but the federal government continues to do a terrible job of counting the number of fish, as well as the number caught each year. The season, which will run this year from June 1st-June 10th is decided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The administration makes the determination yearly based on “scientific studies of the Gulf and past catches of red snapper.” For-hire charter fishing boats will have a longer season, lasting 46 days from June 1st to July 17th. Byrne has long argued the determination of the prized fish’s season should be taken out of the hands of the federal government, and instead given to research institutions to decide, saying federal regulators consistently underestimate the amount of red snapper in the Gulf and overestimate the number caught each year. Zeigler echoed these concerns, calling the short season “unacceptable.” “These federal limits are totally unacceptable,” said the State Auditor. “They are based on bad science and improper counting of the snapper fishery. We need to get Alabama out from under federal regulation and have state conservation handle our fishery. Can you imagine paying for a boat to go snapper fishing and only being able to use it for nine days?” In 2015 the U.S. House passed legislation, championed by Byrne, which would have extended state water boundaries for each Gulf state to nine nautical miles from the coast and removed data collection and stock assessments from federal control, but it was never taken up the the Senate. “The House has passed reform legislation that would give us a real season again,” Byrne concluded, “and it is past time for the Senate to act on our legislation and bring relief to our fishermen.”
Bradley Byrne: BP settlement a missed opportunity
Whether you are from Brewton, Frisco City, or Robertsdale, you probably remember the summer of 2010 and the BP oil spill. The scenes on our Alabama beaches were heartbreaking as oil glistened in the water and tarballs washed ashore. From the waitress at the restaurant in Atmore to the gas station owner in Loxley, families and small businesses from throughout Southwest Alabama were negatively impacted by the lack of tourism. Many parts of our area are still dealing with economic and environmental challenges brought on by the oil spill. That’s why I was cautiously optimistic when I learned the Department of Justice and the five Gulf States had reached a settlement agreement with BP to cover penalties and damages associated with the oil spill. The total settlement was worth $18.7 billion, making it the largest settlement ever between the United States and a single company. Unfortunately, as my staff and I began to look into the details of the settlement, we realized that Alabama’s coastal communities were getting a bad deal. Only around $1.8 billion of the total settlement would be directly spent in Alabama. Even worse, over half of the money is slated to go directly into the state’s General Fund instead of flowing to our coastal areas. Now I understand that the State of Alabama is currently in the midst of a budget crunch, but I do not believe money from a natural disaster on the Gulf Coast should be used to fix a man-made “disaster” in Montgomery. That money should be allocated for projects which meet the needs of Coastal Alabama. Just as bad, too much of the total settlement money is going to be under the control of federal regulators in Washington, like NOAA – the same federal agency that is responsible for our drastically shortened Red Snapper season. I certainly don’t trust NOAA and other agencies from the Obama administration with the settlement money. Here’s why this is so frustrating. In 2012, Congress, led by Gulf Coast congressmen like Alabama’s own Jo Bonner, passed the RESTORE Act. This landmark legislation created a clear framework to ensure that money from any BP settlement would flow directly to communities on the Gulf Coast. The RESTORE Act specifically guaranteed local decision makers would control how the money was spent. The bill created the RESTORE Act Council, including local officials from Baldwin and Mobile counties, which would allocate the funds toward projects of particular need. Sadly, instead of directing money toward the RESTORE Act process, the settlement puts money toward the Natural Resources Damages Assessment (NRDA) program. This program is governed by a board of trustees that includes too much influence from the federal government and not enough input from the people on the Gulf Coast who were actually living this nightmare. I am also very frustrated by the level of secrecy surrounding the settlement. BP, the Justice Department, and the Gulf states all agreed to put the settlement under a confidentiality order, which prevents the details of the settlement from being made public. A document meant to remedy the needs of the public should be available in its entirety for the public to consume and debate. At the end of the day, communities on the Gulf Coast are the ones who were directly hit by the oil spill, and it is a mistake to hand control of the settlement money over to the state and federal governments instead of to our local coastal communities. This settlement was a major opportunity to bring some much needed closure to our area, but sadly it seems like that opportunity was missed. The families and small businesses in Southwest Alabama deserve better. Bradley Byrne is a member of the U.S. Congress representing Alabama’s 1st Congressional District.
