The 18 coastal counties eligible for RESTORE funds related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.
The Coastal Bend is in line to receive up to $26.3 million in grant funds from fines collected after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.The money is part of the RESTORE Bucket 1 grant program, which covers the entire Gulf Coast.
The $26.3 million is slated for projects within the district of State Rep. Todd Hunter (R-Corpus Christi). The list was developed as part of a competitive process that included 200 project applications.
RESTORE is an acronym for the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies bill, which was approved as the RESTORE Gulf Coast States Act of 2012. The RESTORE Act dedicates 80 percent of any civll and administrative penalties paid under the Clean Water Act by responsible parties in connection with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Texas is expected to receive at least $550 million in RESTORE funds through 2033.
Nueces County projects due to benefit include:
• Texas State Aquarium expansion — $5.1 million
• Shamrock Island Restoration — $1.5 million
• Removal of unauthorized oil and gas well stubs and associated material — $6.9 million
• Padre Balli and Magee Beach parks improvements — $7.5 million
Three other projects in Hunter’s district to be included are:
• Bay Shore Drive erosion mitigation and shoreline stabilization — $2.4 million
• Texas Reef Initiative — $2.3 million
• Port Lavaca shoreline cleanup and sediment — $500,000
Money has also been slated for projects in Brazoria, Matagorda, Jefferson, Galveston and Cameron counties among others along the coast. A total of $66 million is currently available for Texas Bucket 1 RESTORE grants.
The project list will be included in the draft Texas Multi-Implementation Plan soon to be posted for public comment in the Texas Register, TECQ Commissioner Toby Baker wrote in a letter to Hunter. The list can be reviewed at restorethetexascoast.org as well.
A 45-day comment period will be set aside for public input from constituents in Hunter’s district.
