EPA Gulf of Mexico Program Presentation 

Our presenter for this month’s Lunch and Learn will be Ben Scaggs, the Director of the Gulf of Mexico Program (GOMP) Office at Stennis Space Center. The Gulf of Mexico Program was initiated in 1988 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a non-regulatory program.  Founded on the threefold principles of partnership, science-based information, and citizen involvement, the GOMP joined the Great Lakes and Chesapeake Bay Programs as flagships of the nation's efforts to apply an adaptive management approach to large coastal freshwater and marine ecosystems. The mission of the Program is to facilitate collaborative actions to protect, maintain, and restore the health and productivity of the Gulf of Mexico in ways consistent with the economic well-being of the Region.

The GOMP is a founding member of the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, which has identified issues that are regionally significant and can be effectively addressed through increased collaboration at various levels. The leadership of the Gulf of Mexico Program, which includes business and industry, agriculture, and environmental interests, citizens, and local, State, and federal agencies, have adopted the following principles:

• Protect, restore, and maintain the Gulf in ways consistent with the economic well-being of the region
• Commit to voluntary, non-regulatory solutions
• Take action based on sound scientific and technical information working with partners and the public
• Identify priority areas and actions through State and coastal community leadership
• Provide federal leadership in research, monitoring, scientific analysis, and financial resources to support State and community action

Mr. Scaggs will speak about the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council and its work through the RESTORE Act to assist with recovery of peoples and businesses after Deep Water Horizon oil spill.