Florida ad highlights Gulf Restoration bill support before Florida debate, primary

Contacts
Kevin Cate, 850-320-7189, kevin@catecomm.com
Sean Crowley, 202-550-6524, scrowley@edf.org

Environmental Defense Action Fund launched a two-day, $30,000 radio ad blitz in Florida today to highlight strong congressional, editorial and voter support across the political spectrum for a multi-billion dollar Gulf Coast restoration bill funded by BP oil spill fines.

Last week, Reuters reported that BP is likely to agree next month to pay $20-$25 billion to settle all charges around the unprecedented Gulf oil spill — including fines for violating the Clean Water Act (CWA) — before the scheduled start of legal hearings in New Orleans on February 27.

“Florida, the Gulf Coast states, and the nation’s economy are still are suffering from the BP oil disaster, so we wanted to highlight this vital issue before the nationally televised presidential debate tonight and the first Gulf state primary on Tuesday,” said Elizabeth Thompson, director of congressional affairs & president of Environmental Defense Action Fund. “All candidates for public office need to know that newspapers and voters in Florida and the Gulf Coast across the political specturm consider support for this Gulf restoration bill an important litmus test to determine which candidates they will support.”

The bipartisan Gulf restoration bill in the Senate and House — the RESTORE the Gulf Coast States Act (S. 1400/H.R. 3096) — would dedicate the CWA fines for the Gulf oil spill to restoring the Gulf Coast ecosystem and economy.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has approved the RESTORE Act. The bill is cosponsored by nine of the 10 Gulf Coast senators, including Florida Senators Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson. In addition, nine Florida newspapers have endorsed the RESTORE Act, including the Bradenton Herald, Ft. Myers News-Press, Gainesville Sun, Miami Herald, Palm Beach Post (twice), St. Petersburg Times, Tampa Bay Tribune (twice), The [Lakeland] Ledger and The Tallahassee Democrat.

The 60-second ads will air a total of 55 times today and Friday on news-talk radio stations in Jacksonville (WOKV-690AM/106.5FM), Tallahassee (WFLA-100.7FM Tallahassee) and Tampa Bay (WFLA-970AM Tampa). See the ad copy is below ore listen to the ad [MP3]

Unbelievable!

Did you know that Florida and other Gulf states will NOT get ANY of the 5 to 20 billion dollars in estimated fines for the BP oil spill, unless Congress takes corrective action?

To right this wrong, Florida Senators Rubio and Nelson have joined over 40 members of Congress to cosponsor the RESTORE Act.

This rare bipartisan bill would ensure that 80 percent of the BP oil spill fines are dedicated to restoring the Gulf Coast’s ecosystem and economy.

One study shows that the RESTORE Act could generate jobs in nearly 100 Gulf Coast businesses.

No wonder nine Florida newspapers have endorsed the RESTORE Act.

In fact, a recent poll shows over 70 percent of Florida Republicans, Tea Party supporters, Independents and Democrats are more likely to support candidates who support the RESTORE Act.

Join them.

Tell candidates: if they want your support, they should publicly support the RESTORE Act.

Paid for by Environmental Defense Action Fund.

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Environmental Defense Action Fund (www.edactionfund.org) is at the forefront of educating legislators about developing new solutions that protect the natural world while growing the economy. Through grassroots and direct lobbying, EDAF amplifies Environmental Defense Fund’s ability to champion laws that are based on science, economic incentives, and, above all, the protection of our environment.