Oxfam America and Gulf Coast Organizations Call on Secretary Mabus to Focus Recovery Plans on Community Resiliency

BILOXI, Miss., Aug. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, the administration's point-person on long-term Gulf Coast recovery after the oil spill, must ensure community voices are heard loud and clear and take specific steps to ensure an equitable and full recovery, several leading Gulf Coast community organizations said on Thursday.

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Mabus, who is currently holding a series of town hall meetings across the region, is hearing from those who, in addition to the families of the 11 workers who lost their lives in the BP oil rig explosion April 20, continue to be affected by the disaster. Even as the oil well is capped and the oil itself disappears from the water's surface, communities are reeling from the impacts on both the environment and economies of the Gulf.

Representatives from various coastal community groups, including Bayou Interfaith Shared Community Organizing (BISCO), STEPS, and TRAC, along with Oxfam America will attend the town hall meetings to ensure that communities are fully represented in the recovery process.  

Groups that have worked on vital Gulf issues such as livelihoods, mental health, housing and economic development since well before Hurricane Katrina are recommending a Gulf Coast recovery plan that values community voice, protects the environment and promotes economic welfare. This plan must include:

• A resilience strategy that includes ecosystem restoration, flood protection and the promotion of renewable energy and efficiency;
• The creation of new livelihood opportunities and industries;
• Targeted funding that ensures the most socially-vulnerable Gulf communities are well positioned to recover;
• The prioritization of local hiring for all projects related to restoration and clean up of the spill; and,
• A governance structure that allows coastal community representation to be part of the decision making process.

Oxfam America has been working with local organizations to help their communities recover since the first days of the spill. The environmental and economic effects of this disaster will be felt for years to come. Community voice that reflects the needs of those who have spent their lives in the region, and whose livelihoods depend on the Gulf is critical to a full and equitable recovery.

Representatives from various community organizations responding to the spill are available for comment on the disaster and ongoing recovery.

Oxfam America is an international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and injustice. Together with individuals and local groups in more than 90 countries, Oxfam saves lives, helps people overcome poverty, and fights for social justice.

SOURCE Oxfam America