Latest news: November 9, 2011

Evidence shows Gulf oil spill caused widespread ecological damage

By Kate Spinner, Herald-Tribune (Sarasota, Fl.). Nov. 7, 2011.

“Evidence is mounting that the BP Deepwater Horizon oil disaster caused wide-ranging ecological damage in the northern Gulf of Mexico…”

Feds hope to overturn ruling that blamed Army Corps for massive flooding by Katrina

By Associated Press. Nov. 9, 2011.

“NEW ORLEANS — The federal government is seeking to overturn a 2009 ruling that found the Army Corps of Engineers responsible for massive flooding after Hurricane Katrina because it failed to properly maintain a navigation channel…”

Feds ignore Gulf of Mexico oil spill in study of risks associated with oil exploration

By Ben Raines, Press-Register (Mobile, Al.). Nov. 9, 2011.

“MOBILE, Alabama — Federal officials chose to exclude the Deepwater Horizon spill from an economic analysis of the risks associated with oil exploration in the Gulf of Mexico, according to a draft document made public Tuesday…”

Oil cleanup ends on Gulf Coast Shores; restoration begins

By Cain Burdeau and Dina Cappiello, Associated Press. Nov. 8, 2011.

“NEW ORLEANS — BP will no longer be responsible to clean up oil that winds up on shores of the Gulf Coast unless officials can prove it comes from the company’s well that blew out in 2010, causing the worst offshore spill in U.S. history, according to a plan approved by the Coast Guard and obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday…”

NRDA: Environmentalists worry that spill recovery money will be squandered

By George Altman, Press-Register (Mobile, Al.). Nov. 5, 2011.

“BALTIMORE — Environmental advocates worried Friday that without public oversight and participation, the billions of recovery dollars that could be headed to the Gulf Coast as a result of last year’s oil spill will be squandered, and Gulf ecosystems will continue to suffer…”

NRDA recipe doesn’t call for pork (editorial)

By Press-Register Editorial Board (Mobile, Al.). Nov. 9, 2011.

“MOBILE Baykeeper director Casi Callaway and other representatives of environmental groups make a strong point in calling for more transparency in allocating the billions of dollars expected for coastal recovery from the BP oil spill. However, “the largest pork barrel project we’ve seen in our nation,” as one of her colleagues termed it, does not necessarily follow…”

Southeast Louisiana duck population viewed as ‘average’ as new season begins

By Bob Marshall, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, La.). Nov. 6, 2011.

“After flying the annual November coastal aerial waterfowl survey across southeast Louisiana on Friday, the state’s waterfowl biologist had this judgment on the number of ducks on hand as opening day approached: Average … probably…”

Terrebonne Parish launches tourism campaign

By Nikki Buskey, Daily Comet (Lafourche Parish, La.). Nov. 7, 2011.

“Terrebonne has launched a new $2.16 million tourism campaign aimed at drawing more visitors to the parish after the BP oil spill…”

U.S. to Open New Areas to Offshore Drilling

By John M. Broder, New York Times (New York, Ny.). Nov. 8, 2011.

“WASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Tuesday announced its proposed five-year plan for offshore oil drilling, which calls for opening new areas in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska but bars development along the East and West Coasts…”