The group helped push the Restore Act through Congress and into law following the Macondo tragedy as a way to ensure that the coastal states most impacted by the spill would get a proportional chunk of the fine money levied against BP.
While the specifics of the negotiations are still under wraps, it is understood that the Justice Department is looking to maximise penalties to be paid under Natural Resource Damage Assessments, and minimise those paid under the Clean Water Act.
