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Exxon Valdez Penalty Monies Will Restore Cape May Habitats

Release Date: 09/15/1997
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(#97118) Cape May, N.J. -- A portion of the penalties paid by Exxon for the 1989 oil spill that polluted Alaska's Prince William Sound will be used to enhance the migratory bird habitat on the Cape May Peninsula, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. EPA Region 2 Administrator, Jeanne M. Fox presented New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Commissioner Robert C. Shinn with a $40,000 check today in Cape May to help fund a NJDEP and NJ Adudubon Society habitat restoration project.

"These areas are critical for the survival of birds and other wildlife. In New Jersey, millions of birds, some of them endangered and threatened species, depend on Cape May to survive; whether they are permanent residents, or are just stopping by during their migration," said Jeanne M. Fox, EPA Region 2 Administrator. "By awarding today's grant, EPA has helped turn one of the greatest environmental travesties in U.S. history into a success story for Cape May, New Jersey."

According to Commissioner Shinn, habitat acreage on the Cape has been steadily declining. He said about 40 percent has been lost over the last two decades. "At this rate, habitat will be lost forever, devastating both the environment and the economy. We must act now to protect our natural treasures," Shinn said noting that a large portion of the peninsula's economy comes from eco-tourism, especially during the spectacular spring and fall bird migrations.

The migratory bird habitat restoration project funded today will include a Backyard Sanctuary Program to re-landscape and restore private property where habitat destruction has occurred. The project will also restore high quality habitat at Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area by creating a self-sustaining wildflower meadow. This meadow will provide a foraging habitat for insect and seed-eating migratory birds and butterflies. The grant awarded today is part of a $4.5 million fund established in the Exxon Valdez settlement to support natural resource restoration projects across the United States.

On March 24, 1989, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez struck Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska, spilling more than 11 million gallons of crude oil. The spill was the largest in U.S. history and it resulted in the nation's largest environmental settlement, with Exxon paying nearly $1 billion. In the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez incident, Congress passed the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, which required the Coast Guard to strengthen its regulation of the transportation and storage of petroleum products.

For more information contact:

Mary Mears, Press Office
EPA Region 2
290 Broadway
NY, NY 10007-1866
Voice: 212-637-3669 FAX: 212-637-5046 E-Mail: mears.mary@epamail.epa.gov