Nearly two years after 4 million barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf, Washington, D.C., policy-makers are still wrangling over how to handle a projected $20 billion fine.
"Negotiations are going slowly without much breakthrough," said Jay Liles, a policy consultant to the Florida Wildlife Federation and a participant in the talks.
"We're hoping the pace picks up, because every day that goes by, people say, we'll just wait until after the election," he told Sunshine State News Friday after another negotiating session at the capital.
Liles knows a little bit about electoral implications. He is one of a handful of Democrats vying to oust Rep. Steve Southerland, R-Tallahassee, in November.
But putting politics aside -- as if that were possible in Washington -- Liles believes that Congress must get together to hash out the Restore Act once and for all.
Competing House and Senate bills have different approaches to dealing with the $20 billion fine. While the Democratic-controlled Senate voted in bipartisan fashion to distribute the money to the states (interest excluded), the GOP-run House essentially "parks" the money, deferring any specific allocation decisions.
Included in the House's overall transportation bill, the BP settlement could be delayed again when the measure comes up for an extension at the end of June.
"States need the transportation bill and the Gulf needs the money. Another extension gives no clarity to contractors," Liles asserts.
Meantime, settlement negotiations are ongoing between BP and the Department of Justice. While no one knows exactly how those talks are progressing, Liles said Congress is in a position to help.
"If a bill is passed, it would show urgency for resolution. Passage and a settlement go together," he said.
The BP-Deepwater Horizon oil spill was roughly 15 times bigger than the Exxon Valdez crack-up in Alaska. And the five Gulf states are anxious to receive their share of the funds to assist in environmental and economic recovery.
Under a state law crafted by state Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, 75 percent of Florida's proceeds would go to the coastal counties most affected -- from Wakulla to Escambia. The remaining 25 percent would go to other nearby counties.
Federal rules stipulate that funded projects would be split evenly between economic recovery and ecological restoration.
For example, stormwater improvements would qualify. So would land acquisition for environmental recharge. So would "buffer" zones advocated by the military.
It's unclear at this point exactly how much Florida might get from the $20 billion payout. Some put the number as high as $11 billion, since the Sunshine State has the largest population and longest stretch of shoreline.
But Louisiana can make a strong case that it was the hardest hit.
Whenever it finally comes through, the BP payout will be the largest appropriation ever made for U.S. environmental restoration. Liles says BP has consistently indicated its willingness to pay the fine, in addition to billions more the company already shelled out.
The hang-up, as usual, is in Washington. And it's a little more than five months to Election Day.
Contact Kenric Ward at kward@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 802-5341.
