Latest Mississippi River Delta news: Aug. 28, 2013

08.28.2013 | In Latest News, Uncategorized

Gulf council expected to approve initial restoration plan on Wednesday
By Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). Aug. 27, 2013.
“An initial comprehensive plan for restoring the Gulf Coast’s ecosystem and economy is set to face a vote Wednesday in New Orleans by a federal-state council overseeing the spending of likely billions of dollars in Clean Water Act fines from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill…” (read more).

A step forward in Gulf recovery
Opinion by Bethany Kraft, Ocean Conservancy. Houston Chronicle. Aug. 26, 2013.
“For the millions of people who call the Texas coast home, it’s clear that the health of our economy is tied to the quality of our natural resources. Though oil from the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster didn’t reach Texas shores, the state’s importance as an economic driver in the region underscored the necessity of taking a comprehensive approach to restoration – from our coastal areas to the offshore, marine environment…” (read more).

BP, Anadarko tell appeals court they shouldn’t be fined for Deepwater Horizon oil spill
By Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). Aug. 27, 2013.
“BP and Anadarko Petroleum Corp., which held a 25 percent interest in BP’s ill-fated Macondo oil and gas well, told the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals last week that they should not be fined under the Clean Water Act for the oil spill resulting from the Deepwater Horizon explosion and sinking…” (read more).

Katrina Pain Index 2013: New Orleans Eight Years Later
By Bill Quigley, Huffington Post. Aug. 27, 2013.
“Eight years after Katrina, nearly a 100,000 people never got back to New Orleans, the city remains incredibly poor, jobs and income vary dramatically by race, rents are up, public transportation is down, traditional public housing is gone, life expectancy differs dramatically by race and place, and most public education has been converted into charter schools…” (read more).

St. John Parish bounces back from Hurricane Isaac
By Littice Bacon-Blood, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). Aug. 27, 2013.
“The deer might have been the first indication that trouble was on its way to LaPlace. As the thunderous, rainy night of Aug. 28, 2012, gave way to dawn, the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office was fielding reports of wildlife on patios in the River Forest subdivision…” (read more).

State pressing for larger share of Hurricane Isaac restoration money
By Jordan Blum, The Advocate (Baton Rouge). Aug. 27, 2013.
“WASHINGTON — Hurricane Isaac made landfall in Louisiana one year ago Wednesday, but state officials are still pressing for the federal government to cover a larger percentage of the recovery costs…” (read more).

Ex-BP engineer charged with deleting texts after Gulf oil spill seeks dismissal of indictment
By Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press. Aug. 27, 2013.
“NEW ORLEANS — A former BP engineer claims newly disclosed transcripts show “serious, recurring defects” in the grand jury proceedings that led to his indictment on charges he deleted text messages and voicemails about the company’s response to its 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico…” (read more).

Federal judge asked to order BP oil spill claims administrator to set payment rules for oil and gas service companies also hurt by federal drilling moratoria
By Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). Aug. 28, 2013.
“Lawyers representing private claimants in the settlement with BP of economic claims stemming from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill signaled late Tuesday that another disagreement has arisen between the two sides, this time over the payment of claims for oil and gas companies that also were hurt by federal moratoria on drilling in the Gulf of Mexico in the aftermath of the spill…” (read more).

BP Misconduct Claims on Payments Unfounded, Claims Chief Says
By Margaret Cronin Fisk and Laurel Brubaker Calkins, Bloomberg Businessweek. Aug. 27, 2013.
“BP Plc (BP/)’s allegations of misconduct in the program set up to pay claims in the settlement over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill were called unfounded by the administrator of the program…” (read more).

A renewed call to place breach sites on register
By The Associated Press. Aug. 27, 2013.
“NEW ORLEANS — An advocacy group is renewing an effort to have a site where a levee failed during Hurricane Katrina placed on the National Register of Historic Places…” (read more).