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STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
Phil Bryant, GOVERNOR
MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Trudy D. Fisher, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Robbie Wilbur
July 11, 2013 601/961-5277
Mississippi Asking for Public Input on Types of Early Restoration Needed in
Gulf
(JACKSON, Miss.) -- This Tuesday, July 16, in Long Beach, the Mississippi
Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) is asking citizens to provide
thoughts on the types of early restoration they would like to see
implemented as part of the ongoing Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource
Damage Assessment (NRDA).
"Making the Gulf whole following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and
providing citizens the opportunity to participate in restoration are our
primary objectives," said MDEQ Executive Director Trudy D. Fisher. "I
encourage the public to attend this meeting and provide any information
they think the Trustees should consider as the scoping process for early
restoration begins."
The Mississippi meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. in the
University of Southern Mississippi FEC Auditorium located at 730 East Beach
Boulevard in Long Beach.
All public comments will be taken into consideration as the Deepwater
Horizon NRDA Trustees begin preparing a Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement (PEIS) for early restoration. The PEIS will include an evaluation
of the potential effects of early restoration types—and specific
projects—proposed as part of future early restoration phases. Cumulative
impacts of early restoration will also be considered.
Development of the early restoration PEIS began with a public scoping
period, which is from June 4 to August 2, 2013. Meetings, identical to the
one in Mississippi, are being held across the Gulf Coast states and in
Washington, D.C., to gather input on the scope, content, and any
significant issues that should be considered.
Fisher said, "At the meeting, citizens will be provided with a brief
overview of early restoration and the PEIS purpose and need. Following
this, the most important portion of the meeting will begin – hearing
citizens' concerns and thoughts of how early restoration should move
forward."
The public is invited to make comments in writing or verbally during the
meeting. Comments may also be mailed to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.
O. Box 2099, Fairhope, AL, 36533, emailed to
earlyrestorationcomments@fws.gov or electronically filed by visiting
www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov. The deadline for all comments is August
2, 2013.
# # #
Mr. Robbie Wilbur
Communications Director
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
Post Office Box 2261
Jackson, Mississippi 39225
601/961-5277
601/421-5699 (c)
601/961-5715 (f)
rwilbur@deq.state.ms.us
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