EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson Visits New Orleans on Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Progress

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson spent her day in her hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana, surveying the progress of ecosystem restoration efforts and discussing her work to preserve and restore the Gulf Coast with community members and local conservation groups. On the one-year anniversary of the BP oil spill, Jackson visited marshes and wetlands along the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts, where she joined community members for a tour of a successful marsh restoration project at Bayou Dupont. The project involved the dredging of 2.7 million cubic yards of sediment to create hundreds of acres of new land that can help absorb potential storm surges and serve as the foundation for thriving ecosystems.

Key Takeaways:

• EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson visited her hometown of New Orleans to survey ecosystem restoration progress and discuss her work to preserve and restore the Gulf Coast.
• The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force, chaired by Administrator Jackson, works to integrate federal restoration efforts with those of local stakeholders and state and tribal governments.
• The task force was created through an executive order issued by President Obama in October 2010 to rebuild the Gulf Coast region, restore its fragile wetlands, and re-envision a better future for Gulf communities.
• A successful marsh restoration project at Bayou Dupont was showcased, which involved the dredging of 2.7 million cubic yards of sediment to create hundreds of acres of new land.
• EPA announced the award of grant funding to local organizations supporting health and environmental education and outreach to communities affected by the oil spill.
• The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force aims to rebuild the region, restore its wetlands, and create a better future for Gulf communities.

Statistics:

• 2.7 million cubic yards: the amount of sediment dredged from a sandbar on the Mississippi River to create hundreds of acres of new land for the Bayou Dupont marsh restoration project.
• 11 lives: the number of people who lost their lives in the BP oil spill disaster.
• 2010: the year when President Obama issued an executive order to create the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force.

Sources:

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (no date provided)
• "EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson Visits New Orleans on Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Progress" (no date provided)