BP Proposed Consent Decree Released: Details of the Deal and Gulf Restoration Planning

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

View the recording below:

On October 5, 2015, the BP Consent Decree was released and opened to the public for comment. The Consent Decree settles most claims against BP arising from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, including Clean Water Act civil penalties (to flow through the RESTORE Act) and Natural Resource Damages (“NRD”). Along with separate agreements with local government entities, these settlements total $20.8 billion.

Also on October 5, the draft Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan (referred to as the “Draft PDARP”) was released, providing a comprehensive plan to restore the Gulf of Mexico region using NRD monies. With the Consent Decree and the Draft PDARP, we now have new information that will shape Gulf restoration for decades to come.

The webinar convened experts to discuss the Consent Decree and NRD. The goal of the webinar was to spark discussion, provide answers to questions, and facilitate productive public participation in this important milestone in Gulf restoration.