Audit finds legislature spends majority of Gulf Coast Restoration Fund without board recommendation
JACKSON, Miss. — An audit released by State Auditor Shad White says 62 percent of Gulf Coast Restoration Fund awards made by the Legislature went to projects that were not recommended by the GCRF Advisory Board or the Mississippi Development Authority.
The audit, posted on the auditor’s website, examines how money intended to help Mississippi’s coastal communities recover from the 2010 BP oil spill has been allocated. The GCRF was created after the spill, which the audit notes was the largest in U.S. history and released more than 205 million gallons of oil into the Gulf.
“This money paid to Mississippi as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is critical for the future of the coast,” White said. “These projects should be high-impact and have clear performance metrics attached. My concern is that, under the legislature’s current method for selecting projects, politicians may fund projects that don’t meet those criteria.”
The audit says the Mississippi Development Authority, working with the GCRF Advisory Board, solicits community recommendations and identifies projects with performance metrics, timelines and required matching funds. But the report notes the Legislature retains legal authority to fund projects outside those recommendations.
Mississippi began receiving BP settlement funds for the GCRF in 2018. From 2018 to 2033 the fund is scheduled to receive more than half a billion dollars for projects aimed at boosting the coast’s economy. The audit includes an appendix listing projects funded so far and the full report is available on the auditor’s website. This is a developing story and will be updated as more details emerge.
