THE NEWS ROOM

 FOR RELEASE:
 April 12, 2011

THE BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, 
REGULATION AND ENFORCEMENT 

Office of Public Affairs 


BOEMRE Awards $200,000 for Mississippi Schools
Funds will Establish Environmental Program for Elementary School Students

NEW ORLEANS – The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) announced today that it has awarded a $200,000 Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP) grant to the state of Mississippi that will provide funding for an environmental stewardship program for coastal county elementary school students. 

Created by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, CIAP provides funding to the six Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas producing states to conserve and protect the coastal environment. CIAP is an ongoing program with grant funding that is allocated based on the offshore energy revenues collected by the United States. 

“Teaching our young people about responsible stewardship of natural resources is a critical component of our efforts to preserve our fragile coastal ecosystems,” said BOEMRE Director Michael R. Bromwich. “CIAP grants are helping communities to fund important initiatives for environmental protection and conservation.” 

The $200,000 grant will be used to establish an environmental stewardship program in the three Mississippi coastal counties of Hancock, Harrison and Jackson. This initiative, based in Biloxi, will allow elementary school students to be involved in restoration, conservation and stewardship efforts in their local communities.  

CIAP received $250 million in appropriated funds for each of the fiscal years 2007-2010, to be disbursed to six eligible OCS oil and gas producing states: Mississippi, Alabama, Alaska, California, Louisiana and Texas.

Contact: BOEMRE Public Affairs-Gulf