"We're excited to be able to go beyond simply achieving sustainability with 1Q, to helping restore the environment where it's needed the most, " says Laituri.
She said the project covers 18 miles of tunnels and 24 miles of bridges through the mountains, as well as provisions to restore the environment, such as reforestation.
Under the terms of the RESTORE Act -- passed last year with historic bipartisan support -- 80% of Clean Water Act civil penalties will go back to restore the environment and economies of the Gulf Coast states.
We have been bold or deliberate as circumstances demanded, but our objective remains constant: to restore a more stable financial and economic environment in which opportunity can again flourish and in which Americans' hard work and creativity can receive their proper rewards.
These call for a step change in efforts to halt the loss of biodiversity and restore the essential services that a healthy natural environment provides.