Latest Mississippi River Delta News: March 8, 2013

BP oil spill trial: Blowout preventer on Macondo well had dead battery, miswired solenoid, expert testifies
By Mark Schleifstein and Richard Thompson, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). March 8, 2013.
“The blowout preventer used on the BP Macondo well contained a dead battery and a miswired solenoid, a fatal combination that resulted in the complex piece of machinery failing to stop the flow of oil and gas that triggered the explosion and fire on April 20, 2010…” (Read more)

BP ‘Played it Fast and Loose,’ Expert Testifies at Trial
By Sabrina Canfield, Courthouse News Service. March 8, 2013.
“NEW ORLEANS (CN) – An expert testified for the Department of Justice on Thursday that the cementing of the Macondo oil well showed at least nine “risks” that combined to create the Deepwater Horizon disaster…” (Read more)

Louisiana seafood industry’s economic impact compared to other states
By Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, The Times-Picayune. March 7, 2013.
“Louisiana seafood ranked 10th in the U.S. in terms of total economic impact generated from seafood sales in 2011, according to a National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service report released on Thursday (March 7). Economic impact includes variables such as employment, labor income and sales – including imported seafood sales – not only for commercial fishers but also for processors, suppliers, grocers and restaurants…” (Read more)

USM to lead RESTORE research consortium with Jackson State and Mississippi State
The Mississippi Press. March 7, 2013.
“LONG BEACH, Mississippi — Gov. Phil Bryant today named the Center for Gulf Studies, a research consortium led by the University of Southern Mississippi, as the RESTORE Research Center of Excellence for the state of Mississippi, according to a news release…” (Read more)