Latest Mississippi River Delta News: February 22, 2013

02.22.2013 | In Latest News, Uncategorized

BP’s track record is vital in deciding penalties: Editorial
By The Editorial Board, The Times-Picayune. Feb. 21, 2013.
“BP’s general counsel said this week that he’s confident that the company will escape the harshest level of civil penalties for the massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It’s not surprising that he would argue against the notion that the oil giant was grossly negligent for the spill, which poured 4.1 million barrels of oil into the Gulf. The company hopes to keep its liability from being quadrupled under the Clean Water Act, which is what a finding of gross negligence would trigger. The difference is huge: $4.5 billion for simple negligence or more than $17 billion for gross negligence…” (read more)

BP should pay $25bn on top of likely fines for Gulf spill, activists say
By The Guardian. Feb. 21, 2013.
“BP should be on the hook for an additional $25bn to restore environmental damage from the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster, even if the company is hit with a record-breaking $17.6bn in fines at a civil trial next week, campaign groups said on Thursday…” (read more)

Environmental groups, businesses send Gov. Bobby Jindal letter about oil spill fine spending
By Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, The Times-Picayune. Feb. 21, 2013.
“More than 120 Gulf of Mexico environmental groups and business owners, many from Louisiana, signed letters sent to Gov. Bobby Jindal and the four other Gulf state governors this week emphasizing how 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill fine dollars could drive private sector job growth. The letters urged the governors to support the use of RESTORE Act funds for large-scale environmental restoration that would create jobs and asked for state investment in worker training initiatives tailored to such jobs…” (read more)

Lawmaker wants BP fine restrictions
By Jeremy Alford, The (Houma) Courier. Feb. 20, 2013.
“BATON ROUGE — An Iberia Parish lawmaker wants the Legislature to approve a constitutional amendment this spring limiting the use of any fines resulting from the 2010 BP oil spill to coastal protection and restoration projects…” (read more)

Federal judge rules some parts of BP criminal guilty plea, indictments of BP workers, can’t be used in civil trial
By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune. Feb. 21, 2013.
“Four days before a civil trial over BP’s liability for the Macondo oil spill and the sinking of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, a federal judge has partially granted BP’s request to exclude from the trial some information submitted to another judge supporting its guilty plea and $4 billion fine relating to violation environmental laws resulting from the accident and spill. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier also agreed to prohibit the use of criminal indictments filed last year against three BP employees involving their roles in the accident…” (read more)

U.S. Gulf Coast oil spillers about to face day in court
By Kristen Hays and Braden Reddall, Reuters. Feb. 22, 2013.
“(Reuters) – Nearly three years after a deepwater well rupture killed 11 men, sank a rig and spewed 4 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, BP and the other companies involved are scheduled to face their judge in court…” (read more)

Holding BP accountable: EDF, Audubon and NWF say oil giant owes Gulf $43 billion
By Laurie Wiegler, Examiner.com. Feb. 21, 2013.
“In a conference call this morning, Audubon, the Environmental Defense Fund and the National Wildlife Federation urged reporters to make sure BP is held accountable for the country’s worst recorded environmental disaster…” (read more)

BP Oil Disaster Trial Looms
By Lawayne Childrey, Mississippi Public Broadcasting. Feb. 21, 2013.
“Conservation groups are urging the U.S. Justice Department to stand its ground when it comes to any possible settlement agreement with oil giant BP. MPB’s Lawayne Childrey reports how those representing Mississippi and the four other Gulf coast states are calling for the toughest of penalties…” (read more)

Civil Trial Begins Monday for BP’s Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
By Texas Public News Service. Feb. 22. 2013.
“AUSTIN, Texas – There is a renewed call to make sure BP is held accountable, as the civil trial for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster nears.

Court proceedings are set to start Monday in New Orleans, but it is possible that the trial will be averted with a settlement between BP and the U.S. Department of Justice…” (read more)

2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill fine restoration projects discussed
By Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, The Times-Picayune. Feb. 20, 2013.
“As a complex civil trial on the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill is set to begin next week, state and federal officials along with local residents and stakeholders discussed how already-received oil spill fine money, and the billions yet to come, could best be used to restore and protect the Gulf of Mexico and its coastal communities. Generally, the public on Wednesday evening (Feb. 20) attempted to convey a sense of urgency and emphasized the money’s unprecedented potential…” (read more)

BP Oil Disaster Trial Set for Monday
By Florida Public News Service. Feb. 22, 2013.
“NEW ORLEANS – Billions of dollars and the health of Florida’s Gulf Coast are on the line as the civil trial against BP begins on Monday in New Orleans…” (read more)

Opinion: Sportsmen must act to save Louisiana wetlands
By Gordon Brillon, The LSU Daily Reveille. Feb. 20, 2013.
“I’m no hunter, nor much of a fisherman, but it didn’t take long for me to figure out how central those activities are to Louisiana’s identity.

You don’t put something on your license plate if you don’t think it’s important…” (read more)