Audit: 62% of Gulf Coast Restoration Funds Spent Without Agency Recommendations

State Auditor Shad White released an audit of the Gulf Coast Restoration Fund that found 62% of funds awarded by the Legislature went to projects without the recommendation of the GCRF Advisory Board or the Mississippi Development Authority, the audit said.

“This money paid to Mississippi as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is critical for the future of the coast,” White said. “These projects should be high-impact and have clear performance metrics attached. My concern is that, under the legislature’s current method for selecting projects, politicians may fund projects that don’t meet those criteria.”

The audit said the GCRF was created to help Mississippi’s coastal communities recover after the 2010 BP oil spill. The audit said the spill released over 205 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of America. It said the MDA, working with the GCRF Advisory Board, administers GCRF funds and provides recommendations to the Legislature on projects that include performance metrics, timelines and proof of required matching funds.

White noted the Legislature has legal authority to ignore MDA recommendations. “I worry that, in the future, projects may be funded just because a politician likes the project, not because the project is well-designed and meets a vital need,” he said.

The audit said Mississippi began receiving BP settlement funds for the GCRF in 2018 and that from 2018 to 2033 the fund will receive more than a half-billion dollars for projects intended to boost the coast’s economy. Analysts at the State Auditor’s Office compiled a full list of projects funded with GCRF dollars, the audit said, and the full report is available on the auditor’s website under the “Reports” tab by searching “Gulf Coast Restoration Fund.”

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