Louisiana coastal board seeks $39M for 4 projects - FOX 8 WVUE New Orleans News, Weather, Sports, Social

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority wants to spend $39.4 million from fines related to the BP oil spill on four coastal restoration projects.

NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune reports (http://bit.ly/1CFGgZk ) the authority made the request Wednesday to the U.S. Department of Treasury.

The money comes from fines levied on Transocean, the owner of the Deepwater Horizon drillship that exploded and sank during the April 2010 disaster, in an earlier settlement with the Justice Department of criminal and civil claims.

The money is funneled to Louisiana through the federal Restore Act trust fund, which receives 80 percent of Clean Water Act fines resulting from the BP spill.

If approved, the money would be spent on projects including the Houma Navigation Canal Lock Complex and along the Calcasieu Ship Channel.

Information from: The Times-Picayune, http://www.nola.com

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