Latest news: November 3, 2011

Gulf spill still affecting environment, industries

By Nikki Buskey, Houma Courier (Terrebonne Parish, La.). November 2, 2011.

“The local environment and industries like tourism and seafood are still recovering from last year’s BP oil spill, which released as much as 4.8 million barrels of oil after the Deepwater Horizon platform exploded, killing 11 men and creating a months-long gusher of oil from the bottom of the Gulf…”

Bayou residents worry about future protection

By Nikki Buskey, Houma Courier (Terrebonne Parish, La.). November 3, 2011.

“Bayou residents are worried that the state, in the midst of overhauling its master plan for coastal protection and restoration, may write off smaller coastal communities in peril due to coastal-land loss…”

Scientists urge La. to protect netted sea turtles

By Cain Burdeau, Associated Press. November 2, 2011.

“NEW ORLEANS — Dozens of scientists asked Gov. Bobby Jindal on Wednesday to scrap a 1987 law that bars state marine agents from enforcing federal rules requiring shrimpers to have special devices on their trawl nets that allow ensnared sea turtles to swim to safety…”

Shipbuilding sails beyond drilling ban

By Cara Bayles, Houma Courier (Terrebonne Parish, La.). November 2, 2011.

“After a six-month moratorium on offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico last year and the oil-and-gas industry bemoaning what it says is a glacial pace of permitting once it was lifted, many local officials and companies worried various industries tied to the oilfield would also suffer. Among them were the area’s shipbuilders…”

Oil and gas brings dollars, but also damage

By Robert Zullo, Daily Comet (Lafourche Parish, La.). November 2, 2011.

“The year before the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, the extraction, refining and pipeline industries supported 310,217 jobs, generated more than $16 billion in household earnings and more than $77 billion in sales for businesses in Louisiana, according to report released last month by a state economist…”

Baltimore scientists find low but possibly harmful Gulf contamination

By Timothy B. Wheeler, Baltimore Sun (Baltimore, Md.). November 2, 2011.

“Scientists from the National Aquarium and the Johns Hopkins University say they’ve found low but potentially harmful levels of toxic oil contaminants in the Gulf of Mexico months after the Deepwater Horizon well blowout was capped…”

Common Sense for Real Economic Stimulus

By U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Longview News-Journal (Longview, Tx.). November 3, 2011.

“One year ago, the Obama Administration officially lifted its moratorium on offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Nevertheless, an ongoing, heavy-handed regulatory environment has created a de facto drilling moratorium (a “permitorium”) that is jeopardizing domestic energy production, hundreds of thousands of jobs, and a national economic recovery…”

Opinion: Jobs and tax revenue lost as permitting delays continue

By Lori LeBlanc (Gulf Economic Survival Team), Houma Courier (Terrebonne Parish, La.). November 2, 2011.

“It’s been more than a year now since the moratorium on deepwater drilling was lifted, and federal permitting for drilling in the Gulf of Mexico continues to greatly lag behind America’s demand and capacity for domestic energy development. Unfortunately, Americans are losing out on important job opportunities and tax revenue that a more robust permitting process would create…”

Opinion: Port Fourchon plays a critical role

By Chett Chiasson, Daily Comet (Lafourche Parish, La.). November 2, 2011.

“Ask anyone on the bayou if they know about Port Fourchon, and you’ll no doubt get a yes. “That’s where my daddy works.” “That’s where we launch our boat.” “That’s where oil comes from.” But when you ask the average person how Port Fourchon works or what the Greater Lafourche Port Commission does, the answer is not so clear…”

Transocean posts 3Q loss, shares tumble

By The Associated Press. November 2, 2011.

“Offshore drilling contractor Transocean Ltd. reported a loss on Wednesday, its results pulled down by more than $80 million in impairment charges, a foreign exchange loss, acquisition costs and other special items. The losses included $6 million for legal expenses and costs related to last year’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill…”