Latest Mississippi River Delta News: April 25, 2013

What BP Doesn’t Want You to Know About the 2010 Gulf Spill
By Mark Hertsgaard, The Daily Best. April 22, 2013.
“”It’s as safe as Dawn dishwashing liquid.” That’s what Jamie Griffin says the BP man told her about the smelly, rainbow-streaked gunk coating the floor of the “floating hotel” where Griffin was feeding hundreds of cleanup workers during the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico…” (Read more)

Buzzing of insects falls silent in oiled coastal marshes
By Amy Wold, The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.). April 23, 2013.
“Louisiana’s coastal marshes can be noisy places with insects buzzing and chirping constantly, but that’s no longer the case in some places…” (Read more)

Gulf oil spill judge poses questions on gross negligence issue
By Harry R. Weber, FuelFix, April 24, 2013.
“The federal judge who must decide whether BP and its partners were grossly negligent in connection with the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill is offering some clues as to how he will formulate his decision…” (Read more)

Meetings set to make sure recreational fishing gets big chunk of BP fines
By Todd Masson, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). April 25, 2013.
“The money that will eventually be coming into Louisiana through fines levied on BP and other companies for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill will quite possibly make fishing better in the state, according to Chris Macaluso with the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership…” (Read more)

Baucus’ retirement could put Louisiana Democrat in charge of energy panel
By Jennifer A. Dlouhy, April 25, 2013.
“U.S. Sen. Max Baucus’ decision to retire sets in motion a chain of events that could end with Sen. Mary Landrieu taking the helm of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, putting the Louisiana Democrat in the driver’s seat for big debates on offshore drilling and natural gas production…” (Read more)

Louisiana bill reducing buffer zone for Orleans Parish levees indefinitely deferred
By Sheila V. Kumar, The Times-Picayune. April 23, 2013.
“Legislation to decrease the state-mandated buffer zone along levees and floodwalls on the Orleans Avenue, London Avenue and 17th Street drainage canals from 15 feet to 6 feet was voluntarily deferred by a House panel Tuesday after a compromise was tentatively reached that will not require a state law…” (Read more)

Fairhope seeking RESTORE Act money to settle ongoing lawsuit
By Gabriel Tynes, Lagniappe (Mobile, Ala.). April 17, 2013.
“For 10, 20, 30 and now more than 40 years, the land has been in limbo. It’s the gateway to Fairhope and for two generations the family that owns it has advocated for its development…” (Read more)

Planned Gulf lease sale to open 21 million acres for oil, gas drilling
By Richard Thompson, The Times-Picayune. April 24, 2013.
“Federal regulators plan to put more than 21 million acres in the western Gulf of Mexico up for bid to offshore energy producers in August, the Obama administration said Wednesday…” (Read more)