Latest Mississippi River Delta news: Sept. 3, 2013

09.03.2013 | In Latest News, Uncategorized

BP: Jindal admin ‘misrepresents’ company’s record
By Associated Press. Sept. 2, 2013.
“BP PLC says the Jindal administration has misrepresented its record in the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, including how much it has spent on cleanup…” (read more).

Farmer-fisherman exchange ties both ends of the Mississippi River
By Amy Wold, The Advocate (Baton Rouge). Sept. 2, 2013.
“They may speak differently, dress differently and make their living off the land in different ways, but the Barnyard to Boatyard Conservation Exchange gave farmers in South Dakota and fishermen in south Louisiana a chance to see just how connected they are…” (read more).

5 years later, Hurricane Gustav still not forgotten
By Katie Moore/Eyewitness News, WWL-TV (New Orleans). Sept. 2, 2013.
“Five years ago many in the metro area were still without power after Hurricane Gustav roared across south Louisiana. It was the area’s first real storm test after Hurricane Katrina, and it had many fearing the worst…” (read more).

DNR OKs permit for coal export terminal in Plaquemines Parish
By Amy Wold, The Advocate (Baton Rouge). Sept. 1, 2013.
“The state Department of Natural Resources approved a coastal use permit Friday for a proposed coal export terminal in Plaquemines Parish, a major step forward for a project that has drawn opposition from environmental and coastal groups and area residents…” (read more).

Facing Fire Over Challenge to Louisiana’s Oil Industry
By Campbell Robertson, The New York Times. Aug. 31, 2013.
“BATON ROUGE, La. — State Senator Gerald Long of Louisiana calls it “kind of a gentlemen’s agreement.” For the generations since Mr. Long’s third cousin Huey P. Long was the governor, this state has relied on the oil and gas industry for a considerable part of its revenues and for tens of thousands of jobs…” (read more).

Sandy task force’s vision for storm safety could help here: Editorial
By The Editorial Board, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). Aug. 31, 2013.
“The report released in August by the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force would sound very familiar to any Southeast Louisiana resident who picks it up…” (read more).

Louisiana gives the green light to a publicly opposed coal terminal
By Susan Buchanan, The Louisiana Weekly. Aug. 31, 2013.
“On Friday, Louisiana’s Department of Natural Resources gave RAM Terminals, LLC a Coastal Use Permit to run a coal-export facility in Plaquemines Parish near the community of Ironton. Kentucky-based RAMACO–a coal reserve and infrastructure development group–hopes to complete the Myrtle Grove facility by next year, building it next to a planned, Mississippi River sediment diversion…” (read more).

Flood insurance costs causing drop in St. Charles property values
By Xerxes Wilson, Houma Courier. Aug. 31, 2013.
“Flood insurance reform is starting to drag down property prices in St. Charles Parish…” (read more).

Another try to place levee sites on historic list
By Kevin McGill, Associated Press. Aug. 31, 2013.
“An advocacy group is making a second attempt to place a site where a levee breached during 2005’s Hurricane Katrina on the National Register of Historic Places — this time crafting an application that tries to get around opposition by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which built the ill-fated flood walls…” (read more).

BP’s New Approach to Deepwater Horizon Damages: Start Over
By Tom Fowler, Corporate Intelligence blog, The Wall Street Journal. Aug. 30, 2013.
“Companies don’t typically spend a year crafting a multibillion dollar settlement and then turn around and argue against it. But BP PLC’s oil spill litigation is proving to be anything but typical…” (read more)

Bacteria’s Nitrogen-Rich Diet Helped Clean Up Gulf Of Mexico Oil Spill
By Brett Smith, RedOrbit. Aug. 30, 2013.
“Releasing 210 million gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico, the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill has been described as one of the greatest man-made ecological disasters to ever impact the region…” (read more).

BP finds unlikely ally in fight over spill payments
By Harry R. Weber, FuelFix (Houston). Aug. 30, 2013.
“BP has found an unlikely ally in its fight to cut what it is paying out under last year’s multibillion-dollar class-action Gulf of Mexico oil spill settlement: people who say they aren’t getting enough money…” (read more).

Court reverses decision on BP getting oil spill insurance money
By Associated Press. Aug. 30, 2013.
“NEW ORLEANS — A federal appeals court has withdrawn its earlier ruling that BP is entitled to a portion of $750 million in coverage under a contractor’s insurance policies to help the London-based oil giant pay for costs associated with its massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico…” (read more).

BP expands challenge to Gulf spill settlement while waiting for key appeals court ruling
By Associated Press. Aug. 30, 2013.
“NEW ORLEANS — BP is trying to persuade a federal appeals court that it should throw out a judge’s approval of the company’s multibillion-dollar settlement related to the Gulf oil spill if a separate appeal is unsuccessful…” (read more).

BP asks 5th Circuit to throw out claims settlement unless separate appeal on claims process is granted
By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). Aug. 30, 2013.
“BP asked the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday to throw out a massive settlement of private claims stemming from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill if the appeal judges don’t reverse a lower court’s decision upholding how large business claims are being paid…” (read more).