The Florida Department of Agriculture will ask lawmakers to approve the use of the final $1.5 million (€1.1 million) from BP to continue a seafood testing program through October of next year.
The 2010 agreement – which expires in October of 2013 – provided a total of $10 million (€7.6 million) for the program to test seafood for ill effects of the 2010 BP oil spill. Just over $3.3 million (€2.5 million) has been spent, and another $5.1 million (€3.9 million) is budgeted for the current year.
State agencies had until Monday to submit proposed budgets for the coming year, and the Agriculture agency included the spending authority for the final installment of the BP money in its proposal.
The agency’s testing program checks seafood for hydrocarbons, dispersants and heavy metals, and anticipates taking 80 samples of shellfish and finfish per month.
“Failure to adequately fund this work will result in decreased consumer confidence in purchasing and eating Florida gulf seafood, lack of scientific evidence that can be shared with the public and other entities to confirm that Florida gulf seafood is safe to consume, and potentially place the consumer at risk for the consumption of Florida gulf seafood that has not been consistently tested,” the agency said.