After discussion, Rep. Israel, the Girl Scouts, families and troop leaders clean up & beautify the beach

Northport, NY – On Saturday, Rep. Steve Israel (D – Huntington) teamed up with Long Island Girl Scouts to talk about the BP oil spill and the importance of protecting our environment. Rep. Israel and the Girl Scouts, joined by their troop leaders and families, cleaned-up and beautified Crab Meadow Beach, picking up trash and planting flowers.

“The BP oil spill taught us all a lesson about how precious our environment is and how much damage can be done if we don’t protect it. I’m proud to team up with the Girl Scouts to talk about the disaster in the Gulf and do our part to keep Long Island’s beaches clean,” said Rep. Israel. “From Crab Meadow Beach we can see where ships pull up to make oil deliveries for Long Island. I’m working every single day in Congress to end our dependence on oil and transition to clean, renewable energy sources. It’s my hope that in the future when Girl Scouts come back to clean up this beach, they won’t see those tankers because we won’t need them.”

“We’re thrilled to be able to join with Congressman Israel to keep Long Island’s beaches clean. It’s a great opportunity for the Girl Scouts to learn about environmental protection from a leader in Congress,” said Jennifer Chupick, Troop Leader of Junior Girl Scout Troop 1667 in Northport, NY.

The event was attended by an estimated 100 Girl Scouts.

Rep. Israel has worked to protect the Long Island environment, most recently securing a record $7 million in federal funding for environmental protection of Long Island Sound for FY2010.

In May, Rep. Israel joined Reps. Tim Bishop and Peter King in writing to the Chairman of BP America to ask that BP develop a response plan should the oil spill affect New York’s shoreline. The Congressmen also asked the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to forecast and model of the possibility of the oil reaching the New York coast.

Rep. Israel is also a cosponsor of the Big Oil Bailout Prevention Act, H.R. 5214, legislation that would raise the liability cap for offshore oil well spills from $75 million to $10 billion. This bill would also eliminate the $1 billion per incident cap on claims against the Oil Spill Liability Trust fund. Rep. Israel also voted in favor of legislation that would permit the Coast Guard to obtain advances from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund to support the federal response to the BP/Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. 

Rep. Israel serves on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water.