DWH NRDA Restoration - Louisiana - Supplemental Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for the Lake Charles Science Center and Educational Complex

Federal Agencies - other than NPS » DWH NRDA Restoration - Louisiana - Supplemental Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for the Lake Charles Science Center and Educational Complex » Document List

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill was the largest maritime oil spill in U.S. history. It resulted in the discharge of millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Under the Oil Pollution Act (OPA), each party responsible for a vessel or facility from which oil is discharged, or which poses the substantial threat of a discharge, is liable for, among other things, removal costs and damages for injury to, destruction of, loss, or loss of use of natural resources, including the reasonable cost of assessing the damage. Pursuant to OPA, federal and state natural resource trustees, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and trustee agencies from the states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, were charged with assessing and restoring for injuries to affected Gulf resources.

Under a global settlement reached on April 4, 2016, the Trustees released the Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan/Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PDARP/PEIS). The settlement agreement includes a funding schedule that will extend through 2031. During this timeframe the trustees will provide many opportunities for public participation, including the opportunity to submit project ideas and proposals and to comment on draft restoration plans

Consistent with the PDARP/PEIS, the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group (TIG) prepared the December 2017 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group Draft Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment #2: Provide and Enhance Recreational Opportunities. On July 20, 2018 the final plan was approved. The Louisiana TIG is now considering modifications to the original Lake Charles Science Center and Educational Complex (SCEC) described in the final restoration plan. The modifications being considered include co-locating within one building, the Lake Charles SCEC and the Lake Charles Children's Museum. The modification under consideration are consistent with the restoration alternatives selected in the PDARP/PEIS.

Contact Information

Louisiana - Joann Hicks, 225-342-5477
EPA - Tim Landers, 202-566-2231