WASHINGTON, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama signed an executive order Tuesday creating the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force.
The task force, which will oversee U.S. efforts to restore the Gulf of Mexico following the 200 million gallon BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, will be ramrodded by EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson.
"The president has made clear that he wants restoration plans to come from the Gulf Coast, and not be imposed on the gulf residents by Washington," Jackson said in a release. "We're counting on the people who know these areas best -- the people who call the gulf home -- to shape our work."
The task force will coordinate efforts to implement restoration programs and projects in the region. It also will work with the Department of Health and Human Services on public health issues and with other federal agencies on ways to enhance economic benefits arising from ecosystem restoration in the region.
The task force will include five state representatives, appointed by the president upon recommendation of the governors of each gulf state, along with one senior official each from various federal departments and agencies, including the departments of Defense, Justice, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, and Transportation. The task force may also include representatives from affected Native American tribes.
