Latest Mississippi River Delta News: February 28, 2013
BP trial a ‘bloodbath’ that company must stop, say legal experts
By George Talbot, The Press-Register (Mobile, Ala.). February 27, 2013.
“NEW ORLEANS – Legal experts said pressure is growing on BP to settle civil charges brought against the British oil company for its role in the 2010 Gulf oil spill…” (Read more)
Real or Man-made? The Mississippi’s “gift” to Louisiana creates controversy
By John Snell, WVUE-TV. February 27, 2013.
“Plaquemines Parish, La. — The Mississippi River, long held captive within its banks, has broken free in one spot on the east bank of Plaquemines Parish. In the Bohemia Spillway, the river has blown through the river bank and reconnected with an old canal…” (Read more)
Mark Bly, BP Executive, Back On The Witness Stand In Gulf Oil Spill Trial
By Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press. February 28, 2013.
“NEW ORLEANS — Another BP executive was expected on the witness stand Thursday to face more questions from attorneys for the U.S. government, which is trying to prove the oil company is mostly to blame for a deadly explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig that led to a massive oil spill…” (Read more)
Lamar McKay, BP Executive, Testifies In Gulf Spill Trial Along With Former CEO Tony Hayward
By Michael Kunzelman, The Associated Press. February 27, 2013.
“NEW ORLEANS — Once the object of ridicule and focus of outrage after the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, former BP chief executive Tony Hayward made a cameo appearance Wednesday in a trial to decide how much blame the company must shoulder for the disaster…” (Read more)
BP On Trial – Finally
Huffington Post Live. February 27, 2013.
“As a judge assesses the extent to which BP is to blame for the Gulf oil spill, we look at how the area is rebuilding and how damages could be distributed…” (Read more)
BP investigators were never given oil well cement test results, samples by Halliburton
By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). February 27, 2013.
“A BP team investigating the company’s Macondo well blowout that led to the explosion and fire that sank the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in April 2010 never received the results of tests of a light cement used to plug the well from cement contractor Halliburton, a senior BP official leading the investigation said Wednesday…” (Read more)
Dredging Firms: BP Spill/RESTORE Act Funds to Pay for Ecosystems
Dredging Today. February 27, 2013.
“The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council, which includes the governors the five Gulf states and members of the Obama Administration, has the power to direct unprecedented resources from the RESTORE Act, a bill passed Congress in June 2012 to direct civil fines from BP and the responsible parties in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, into restoring one of the most important ecosystems in the country…” (Read more)
Vitter files offshore drilling bill
By Jordan Blum, The Advocate. February 27, 2013.
“WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. David Vitter filed a comprehensive bill Wednesday to increase offshore oil production revenue sharing with Louisiana and other affected states, to expand offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and to expedite other permitting for projects such as the controversial Keystone XL pipeline…” (Read more)
The Louisiana seafood industry’s history, from start in 1700s to present, discussed
By Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, The Times-Picayune. February 27, 2013.
“The Louisiana seafood industry’s history, from its start to its present challenges, was laid out Wednesday (Feb. 27) during the first Louisiana fisheries summit in Houma…” (Read more)
First annual Louisiana commercial fisheries summit starts up in Houma
By Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, The Times-Picayune. February 27, 2013.
“The first annual Louisiana fisheries summit started Wednesday morning at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center. The theme of the summit is “Towards professionalizing the Louisiana commercial fishing industry…” (Read more)