Latest Mississippi River Delta News: February 19, 2013

02.19.2013 | In Latest News, Uncategorized

Keeping guard over Restore Act money: Editorial
The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). February 16, 2013.
“Despite the dire state of Louisiana’s coast, some legislators last spring made an attempt to co-opt Deepwater Horizon oil spill fines for other items in the state budget. They didn’t prevail. But the Legislature also refused to give the restoration money constitutional protection and left itself the power to raid it in the future…” (Read more)

BP claims U.S. accepts its “collected” spill barrels
Reuters. February 19, 2013.
“LONDON (Reuters) – BP said the U.S. Department of Justice has backed its claim that oil it recovered at the 2010 spill site should be excluded from certain penalties it could face, potentially cutting its final fine by as much as $3.5 billion…” (Read more)

BP attorney argues company was not grossly negligent, won’t see maximum fines
By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune. February 18, 2013.
“With the start of the civil trial against global oil giant BP only a week away, the company’s senior trial lawyer said Monday that he doesn’t expect his client to be declared grossly negligent for the 2010 Gulf oil spill, a finding that would result in a four-fold increase in the fines BP would have to pay…” (Read more)

BP challenges ‘excessive’ spill claims
By Zack Coleman, The Hill. February 19, 2013.
“BP announced Tuesday that it would defend itself in court against “excessive” claims for civilian penalties and federal gross negligence charges regarding its role in the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill…” (Read more)

Environmental groups deliver more than 133,000 petitions to Justice Department demanding BP be held accountable for Gulf oil spill
By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune. February 15, 2013.
“A coalition of national and Louisiana environmental groups delivered 133,501 petitions to the Justice Department office in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday demanding that federal attorneys “hold BP accountable to the fullest extent of the law” for its role in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill…” (Read more)

Environmental issues focus of Tulane law symposium
By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune. February 18, 2013.
“The hottest environmental issues in Louisiana and the nation, including the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the Bayou Corne salt dome sinkhole, the use of fracking horizontal drilling technology to recover natural gas, and mankind’s overwhelming effects on the environment worldwide, are among the topics to be discussed this Friday and Saturday during the 18th annual Tulane Summit on Environmental Law & Policy…” (Read more)