WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., and Congressman Steven Palazzo, R-Miss., today announced a $11,202,349 grant to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) to fund the Mississippi Gulf Coast Water Quality Improvement Program, which will support construction of water quality improvement projects.

“This RESTORE Act funding will directly support priorities to improve water quality on the Mississippi Gulf Coast,” Wicker said. “It is clear these BP settlement funds are being used exactly how they should be – to restore our communities and protect our citizens.”

“Upgrading and replacing deficient wastewater systems will help improve service to customers and protect the Gulf, both of which are important for future growth on the coast,” Hyde-Smith said.  “It is good to see this portion of Mississippi’s allocation from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement being used for such projects on the Gulf Coast.”

“This grant uses RESTORE Act funds for the Mississippi Gulf Coast Water Quality Improvement Program and provides local municipalities the opportunity to address their water and wastewater infrastructure needs. It allows our coastal communities to manage and mitigate their drainage systems to improve the life of their infrastructure and minimize the risk of flooding.”

MDEQ will select the construction projects for development.

Wicker and Palazzo sponsored the RESTORE Act, which provided Gulf Coast states—Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Texas—with 80 percent of the Clean Water Act fines related to the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill.