Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Water and Wildlife Subcommittee, reacted to Attorney General Eric Holder’s announcement of a criminal plea deal and settlement stemming from the 2010 BP Oil Spill with the following comments:

“The explosion of BP’s Deepwater Horizon was one of the worst environmental disasters in our nation’s history. Over 87 days, five million barrels of oil gushed into the Gulf of Mexico.  The tragic event claimed 11 lives and devastated ocean habitats, shorelines, and wildlife.  Today’s criminal settlement is an important step toward righting this historic wrong.  By directing the bulk of the funds to the critical work of the National Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Academy of Sciences, the settlement provides crucial support to ongoing restoration efforts.

“We cannot undo the damage that has been done. But we can employ best practices to ensure an effective and thorough restoration that provides hope for the people living throughout the Gulf region that their environment and way of life will finally be restored.”