Latest Mississippi River Delta News: April 12, 2013

04.12.2013 | In Latest News, Uncategorized

Electrical engineer says dead battery, miswired switch caused BP Macondo well blowout preventer to fail
By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). April 11, 2013.
“A New Orleans electrical engineer testified Thursday that a miswired solenoid switch and a dead battery resulted in the pods not being able to cause shears to cut off the flow of gas on the day BP’s Macondo well blew out, resulting in the explosion and fire aboard the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig…” (Read more)

Gulf Coast oil spill trial: Ex-BP engineer calls prosecutors’ allegations ‘farcical’
By Michael Kunzelman, The Associated Press. April 11, 2013.
“NEW ORLEANS — A former BP engineer charged with deleting text messages about the company’s response to its 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico claims federal prosecutors have tacked on “farcical” allegations that he also deleted dozens of voicemails to stymie a grand jury probe of the disaster…” (Read more)

Did we learn anything from the BP disaster?
By Frances Coleman, The Press-Register (Mobile, Ala.). April 11, 2013.
“Can it really be almost three years since BP’s oil well exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 men and causing the worst offshore oil spill in the history of our nation…” (Read more)

Busy 2013 hurricane season predicted by Colorado State meteorologists
By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune. April 11, 2013.
“The 2013 Atlantic hurricane season is likely to be more active than usual, with 18 named storms, nine hurricanes and four major hurricanes, according to the annual spring forecast of Colorado State University meteorologists Philip Klotzbach and William Gray…” (Read more)

Former T-P Pulitzer winner Bob Marshall wins Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism
The Times-Picayune. April 11, 2013.
“Pulitzer Prize-winning outdoors writer Bob Marshall, a veteran of four decades with the New Orleans Times-Picayune, has won the 2013 Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association…” (Read more)