"As Congress continues to debate whether to send penalties paid by oil giant BP PLC for the Deepwater Horizon disaster to Gulf Coast states, the Justice Department is positioned to have a major say in steering cash to restoration efforts."

"It all depends on whether DOJ lawyers can secure a settlement with BP over the April 20, 2010, explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. If a deal is struck -- which most legal experts predict -- the Obama administration is likely to push hard for what is known as a supplemental environmental project.

Lawyers familiar with environmental litigation say supplemental environmental projects -- or SEPs -- have been part of settlements for years and are a way for the government to ask companies to undertake some mitigation measures. In return, the company might face a less stiff financial penalty."

Lawrence Hurley and Paul Quinlan report for Greenwire February 23, 2012. [2]