EPA Announces $53 Million Investment in the Gulf of Mexico through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
GULFPORT, Miss. (May 16, 2022) Today, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe announced a $53 Million investment in the Gulf of Mexico through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). This investment will provide over $10 million in funding per year through 2026, and will support wetland restoration, stormwater treatment and control, nature-based infrastructure, resilient shorelines, and other initiatives critical to creating a healthy and vibrate Gulf of Mexico.
The Gulf of Mexico, by virtue of its geographic location, continues to be plagued by overproduction of nutrients, trash, fecal coliform, and other sources of pollution. Due to these issues, the economic vitality suffers, recreation uses lessen, and marine life declines. With the BIL funding, the Gulf of Mexico Division’s goals are to improve water quality, restore habitats, enhance community resilience, and increase environmental education in underserved communities. State agencies, interstate agencies, federally recognized Indian tribes and tribal organizations, local governments, and institutions of higher learning will be eligible to apply for these BIL funding opportunities offered through the Gulf of Mexico Division.
“I am thrilled to be on the Gulf Coast to see firsthand the positive impacts that Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding will have on the communities who call the Gulf of Mexico home,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “These investments will bring critical health protections, progress on shoreline and wetland restoration, jobs, and economic opportunities to communities who have been overburdened by pollution for far too long. This is exactly what building a better America looks like and I am proud that EPA is investing in our natural resources and the communities they support.”
“The Gulf of Mexico is a national treasure with vast benefits that include creating jobs, cultivating habitats for healthy marine life and to serve as flood buffers, and promoting stewardship in its protection through experiential learning and investigations,” said Marc Wyatt, U.S. EPA Gulf of Mexico Division Director. “Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Gulf of Mexico Division will expand on the great work of restoring the Gulf by soliciting proposals through Request for Applications said Marc Wyatt, Director, Gulf of Mexico Division. The Request for Applications will create a pathway for sustainable projects with proven success.”
The Gulf of Mexico Division, a non-regulatory program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency founded to facilitate collaborative actions to protect, maintain, and restore the health and productivity of the Gulf of Mexico, is the fiscal agent responsible for management and oversight of funds plans to release a Request for Applications to solicit proposals around projects.