Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, normally not a favorite of environmental organizations, will accept an award tonight from the National Wildlife Federation for his work on the RESTORE Act, which would direct the fines from the 2010 oil spill to coastal restoration and economic development projects along the Gulf of Mexico.
"I am truly honored to have been chosen as the recipient of such an important award," Shelby said in a press release. "Caring for our coastal communities is not only essential to the well-being of the Gulf Coast states, but also to that of the entire country."
Shelby will receive the NWF's 2012 National Conservation Achievement Award in Legislation. It is also for his work to reform the National Flood Insurance Program.
"Senator Shelby has worked diligently to protect America's great waters, coastal areas and floodplains through national policy that will preserve these regions for our children's future," said Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation.
The NWF said the flood insurance program needed reform because it created incentives to develop environmentally sensitive areas.
The RESTORE Act has passed the Senate but it only becomes law if House and Senate negotiators include it in the final version of the transportation bill. It could steer billions of dollars to five states, including Alabama, affected by the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
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