Latest news: March 7, 2012

Push to give Gulf states 80 percent of BP oil spill fines hits stumbling block
By Bruce Alpert, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, La.). March 6, 2012.
“Senate Republicans blocked progress Tuesday on a $109 billion transportation bill, leaving unsettled whether Sen. Mary Landrieu will get a vote on her amendment to give the Gulf states 80 percent of any Clean Water Act fines assessed in the 2010 BP oil spill. Landrieu, D-La., is trying to add her bill, The Restore the Gulf Coast Act to a $109 billion transportation bill pending in the Senate…” (Read more)

Money for something: BP’s latest settlement is another step in right direction
Editorial. The Anniston Star (Anniston, Ala.). March 7, 2012.
“BP and lawyers for the plaintiffs in the case involving the Deepwater Horizon disaster reached a settlement Friday. Under the terms of the agreement, BP would pay $7.8 billion to those suing the company. That’s in addition to the nearly $8 billion the company has already paid under the current claims process and the $14 billion it spent responding to the spill…” (Read more)

Ducks Unlimited, partners brief Congress, urge coastal restoration
Hunting Life. March 5, 2012.
“WASHINGTON – March 5, 2012 – It’s been nearly two years since the nation witnessed the largest oil spill in U.S. history. In that time, Congress still has not passed legislation to direct oil spill penalty funds to the Gulf Coast and its multi-billion-dollar natural-resources-based economy…” (Read more)

Gulf Sportsmen See Hope as RESTORE Act Deadline Draws Near
By Bob Marshall, Field and Stream. March 6, 2012.
“The sportsmen’s community joined green groups in a full-court congressional press this week pushing for passage of the RESTORE Act before BP reaches an out-of-court settlement with the federal government over penalties due for violations of the Clean Water Act during its Deepwater Horizon spil…” (Read more, click and scroll)

Much of Gulf Coast prepping for future flooding/storm surge
By David Ball, The Record Newspapers (Orange County, Texas.). March 6, 2012.
“Our neighbors to the east, the State of Louisiana, has had some unpleasant experiences with hurricanes as has Texas.

The state government of Louisiana, however, is moving to do something about it so future hurricanes maybe won’t be as devastating as prior ones…” (Read more)