Latest Mississippi River Delta News: Feb. 10, 2014

Tracking spending of BP spill money, restoration projects, green building should be focus of 2014 stories, readers say
By The Times-Picayune. Feb. 7, 2014.
“Keeping track of the billions of dollars to be spent on natural resources restoration projects in Louisiana and other Gulf Coast states in the aftermath of the BP oil spillwas the top issue raised during an impromptu roundtable of environmental leaders in New Orleans this week…” (read more)

Scientific Spill Studies, Funded by BP, Start to Yield Results
By Susan Buchanan, The Huffington Post. Feb. 8, 2014.
“(This article is published in “The Louisiana Weekly” in the Feb. 10, 2014 edition.) Scientists gathered in Alabama last month said their current research on impacts of the 2010 BP spill will help authorities deal with future disasters…” (read more)

Bounty on nutria helps reduce wetland damage in La.
By Mark Schelifstein, The Times-Picayune. Feb. 9, 2014.
“Bounty hunters have made significant progress in getting rid of one of the biggest culprits blamed for Louisiana’s rapidly eroding coastline…” (read more)

Louisiana Invests in Levees to Protect Its Future: Muni Deals
By Romy Varghese, Bloomberg. Feb. 9, 2014.
“Louisiana, which continues to recover almost nine years after Hurricane Katrina, the most expensive U.S. storm…” (read more)

America’s Wetland action heroes introduced in fight against coastal erosion
By The Plaquemine Post South (Plaquemine, La.). Feb. 9, 2014.
“Sporting muscles, capes and charm, a new lineup of the popular America’s Wetland Action Heroes, The Estuarians, debuted Monday to lead the charge to save coastal Louisiana with the rallying cry of Game on…” (read more)

Louisiana to sell $500 mln in bonds; assures on oil spill costs
By Reuters. Feb. 7, 2014.
“New municipal bond issuance is set to fall to around $3.3 billion next week, with the state of Louisiana issuing an assurance on costs related to the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico…” (read more)

Oil industry, ‘Green Army’ at odds
By Lynda Edwards, The Advertiser (Lafayette, La.). Feb. 8, 2014.
“The $60 billion Louisiana oil and gas industry and the “Green Army” of environmentalists both rallied their troops a few days ago…” (read more)

Levee-board reformers worry that Jindal bringing politics back into process
By Bob Marshall, The Lens. Feb. 7, 2014.
“Last month, Jay Lapeyre, the leader of the nominating committee for the local flood authority, received a letter from Garret Graves, head of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s coastal office…” (read more)

State Democrats back levee board suits
By Mark Ballard, The Advocate. Feb. 9, 2014.
“The Louisiana Democratic Party on Saturday endorsed lawsuits demanding oil and gas companies pay for damages to the state’s marshes…” (read more)

Oyster lease bid plan unpopular with Louisiana’s oyster industry
By Amy Wold, The Advocate. Feb. 10, 2014.
“A draft of proposed legislation to lift the moratorium on new oyster leases in Louisiana doesn’t even have a sponsor yet, but two provisions in it are raising the ire of the oyster industry…” (read more)

Dardenne has $1.2 million for possible governor’s race
By The Advocate. Feb. 9, 2014.
“Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne announced Friday that he has $1.2 million on hand for a possible gubernatorial run…” (read more)