Latest news: April 23, 2012

04.23.2012 | In Latest News, Uncategorized

RESTORE Act closer to becoming law
By Deborah Barfield Berry, Gannet. April 20, 2012.
“WASHINGTON — Two years after the BP oil spill devastated livelihoods, fragile ecosystems and local economies along the Gulf Coast, supporters say Congress is close to passing a measure that could send billions to the region for restoration efforts…” (Read more)

Restore Act may be threatened by amendments
By Bruce Alpert and Jonathan Tilove, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). April 21, 2012.
“Some environmental groups are criticizing House Republicans for adding amendments to a transportation bill that would force approval of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline and block new federal coal-ash regulations. The “poison pill” amendments, the group says, threaten passage of not only a bill providing funding for key transportation projects but also jeopardizes congressional action on legislation to send 80 percent of Clean Water Act fines from the 2010 BP oil spill to the five Gulf states, including Louisiana…” (Read more)

Two Years After BP Oil Spill, Marine Life in the Gulf of Mexico Still Reels
By Mike Magner, National Journal. April 21, 2012.
“Last Christmas, BP launched a new national ad campaign to tout its progress in cleaning up the Gulf of Mexico 20 months after its deepwater well exploded on April 20, 2010, causing the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history…” (Read more)

Spilled BP oil lingers on Louisiana coast
By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune. April 20, 2012.
“When a team of scientists from the National Wildlife Federation recently visited a marshy patch along the northern edge of Bay Jimmy in Plaquemines Parish, high winds forced them to beach their boat on the isle’s protected side and walk across cordgrass to the Gulf-facing shoreline in search of oil. They didn’t have to search long…” (Read more)

Two-Year Anniversary of BP Oil Spill (video)
Louisiana Public Broadcasting. April 20, 2012.
“Throughout the month, LPB has offered in-depth reports as we reach the two-year anniversary of the BP Oil Spill on April 20th. State officials say there are still one million barrels of oil still lurking in the Gulf and a new report from the National Wildlife Federation says bottlenose dolphins, bluefin tuna, brown pelicans and deepwater corals have been affected by the residual oil…” (Read more)

Coastal zone changes await debate
By Jeremy Alford, The Daily Comet (Lafourche Parish, La.). April 21, 2012.
“BATON ROUGE ­— The House of Representatives will vote on a legislative package in coming days that would refine the boundaries of Louisiana’s coastal zone and restructure the region’s engineering protocols…” (Read more)

Gulf Coast seafood healthy despite reports to contrary (op-ed)
By Mike Voisin for the (Pascagoula) Mississippi Press. April 21, 2012.
“Much has been reported about the Gulf’s physical and economic health since the Deepwater Horizon spill two years ago. Just this week, a report from the Arabic news network Al Jazeera dredged up a raft of questions about “deformities” of Gulf seafood…” (Read more)

Two Years Later: New Partnership for People and Nature in the Gulf
By Mark Tercek, CEO, The Nature Conservancy, for the Huffington Post. April 20, 2012.
“In May 2010, I flew over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. As we made our way over the Gulf, we saw the slick spreading like fingers toward the coast. We also saw shrimp boats pressed into service as oil skimmers, and met people whose livelihoods depended on healthy Gulf lands and waters…” (Read more)