The recent judgment announced in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill has some research-related set-asides, as ScienceInsider notes. Specifically, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation expects to receive nearly $2.4 billion of the $4 billion fine, which they intend to use in various ecological restoration projects. The Foundation was created by Congress in the 1980s for this kind of work, but the part of the settlement they expect to receive dwarfs the roughly $23 million the Foundation spent on Gulf restoration projects since the 2010 spill, and the $128 million spent on Gulf restoration projects since the early 1990s. Those wishing to dive into the specifics of the plea agreement relevant to the Foundation’s share of the settlement can read them here. The funds are designated for projects in those states most affected by the spill.
Another chunk of the $4 billion settlement is directed to the National Academies in order to establish a long-term research program focused on human health and environmental protection in the Gulf of Mexico. The Academies will administer a $350 million fund to conduct studies, programs and other activities
“to advance scientific and technical understanding to enhance the protection of human health and environmental resources in the Gulf Coast region including issues concerning the safety of offshore oil drilling and hydrocarbon production and transportation in the Gulf of Mexico and on the United States’ outer continental shelf. The program will also aim to contribute to the development of advanced environmental monitoring systems.”
While not explicitly stated in the press release, it seems likely that the program activities will be conducted by relevant units of the Academies, building on the five reports the Academies have released to date on various aspects of the oil spill. The plan is for these activities to take place over a 30 year period. This the four-year length of the National Institutes of Health long term study on the spill seem positively speedy.
This is not the extent of the research and restoration that BP funds are supporting. The Gulf of Mexico Research Institute has been promised $500 million, and civil fines due to violations of the Clean Water Act should funnel several billion dollars to research and restoration projects. This is above and beyond the $4 billion recently announced.
Of course, there was an incredible cost – in lives, property and other losses – that prompted this research money. It would seem that’s the most effective motivator for long-term study of drastic changes to ecosystems. Of course, it helps to have a culpable party to foot the bill. Don’t expect similar things to come from the aftermath of storms like Katrina or Sandy.
Pasco Phronesis 