Gulf Oil Disaster’s Impacts to Wildlife and Habitat Still Unaddressed Four Years Later
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Erin Greeson, National Audubon Society, 503.913.8978, egreeson@audubon.org Emily Guidry Schatzel, National Wildlife Federation, 225.253.9781, schatzele@nwf.org Elizabeth Skree, Environmental Defense Fund, 202.553.2543, eskree@edf.org Gulf Oil Disaster’s Impacts to Wildlife and Habitat Still Unaddressed Four Years Later Leading Conservation Groups Highlight New Findings, Need for Restoration (New Orleans, LA—April 17, 2014) Four years after the Gulf oil disaster began, killing 11 men and spewing 4.1 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, leading national and local conservation …
Infographic: Four years after the BP oil spill, the Gulf is still hurting
This Sunday, April 20, 2014, marks the 4-year anniversary of the BP oil spill. Four years after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded releasing 4.1 million barrels of oil into the Gulf and killing 11 workers, new research continues to show that the effects of the spill are more far reaching than most had ever imagined. As BP continues to run misleading ads suggesting the Gulf is fine, and as they continue to argue the extent of their liability in …
Of Coast and Culture: Happy Mardi Gras, Y’all!
By Eden Davis and Philip Russo, Mississippi River Delta Restoration Coalition There are many reasons to advocate for coastal restoration in Louisiana, but few arguments are as compelling as preserving the cultural legacy of a state known for its food, music and festivities. That’s why we as part of the Mississippi River Delta Restoration Coalition are doing our best to celebrate tirelessly the cultural apex that is Mardi Gras in New Orleans. We, along with the rest of the community, …
Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative examines oil spill’s effects on environmental and public health
By Estelle Robichaux, Environmental Defense Fund The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) hosted its 2014 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science Conference January 26-29 in Mobile, Ala. GoMRI was created soon after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil disaster when BP committed $500 million over 10 years to fund a broad, independent research program with the purpose of studying the environmental and public health impacts of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The conference drew several …
Media Advisory for Feb. 20: “Bayou Sundance” Documentary to Premiere in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward
Media Advisory for Thursday, February 20, 2014 Contact: Arthur Johnson, The Lower Ninth Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development, 504.421.9643, ajohnson@sustainthenine.org “Bayou Sundance” Documentary to Premiere in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward Provocative film details history of Bayou Bienvenue through eyes of community elders and youth The Bayou Bienvenue Wetland Triangle is a degraded bald cypress swamp just north of the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans. Over the past 50 years, human activity has caused the swamp and …
Conservation Organizations Respond to Senator Mary Landrieu’s Confirmation as Chairwoman of Energy and Natural Resources Committee
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACTS: Elizabeth Skree, Environmental Defense Fund, 202.553.2543, eskree@edf.org Emily Guidry Schatzel, National Wildlife Federation, 225.253.9781, schatzele@nwf.org Erin Greeson, National Audubon Society, 503.913.8978, egreeson@audubon.org Conservation Organizations Respond to Senator Mary Landrieu’s Confirmation as Chairwoman of Energy and Natural Resources Committee Landrieu a champion for Louisiana coastal restoration, Gulf oil spill recovery (Washington, DC—February 11, 2014) Today, the U.S. Senate Democratic Caucus confirmed Senator Mary Landrieu as chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. National and local conservation organizations committed …
A Tale of Two Meetings
By Philip Russo, Mississippi River Delta Restoration Campaign It is hard to say no to a good two-for-one deal. At least, that’s what Louisiana’s Coastal Restoration and Protection Authority (CPRA) had in mind when they planned this week’s public meetings in South Louisiana. At meetings in Belle Chasse (yesterday), Thibodaux (tonight) and Lake Charles (tomorrow evening), CPRA is unveiling and accepting public comments on their Draft Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Plan as well as the Gulf oil spill Draft Natural …
Draft FY2015 Annual Plan, Oil Spill NRDA Public Meetings
By Maura Wood, Partnership Manager, National Wildlife Federation With everyone’s help, we are making great strides toward restoring Louisiana’s coast. Our efforts to attain the resources necessary to meet this great challenge are gaining momentum and projects are moving forward. Next week on January 14, 15, and 16, Louisianans will be able to learn about and comment on the progress being made on coastal restoration at three multi-purpose public hearings being held by Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA). …
Deepwater Horizon Trustees release environmental plans for $627 million in restoration projects
By Whit Remer and Estelle Robichaux, Environmental Defense Fund On December 6, the U.S. Department of Interior, on behalf of the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage (NRDA) Trustees, released a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for approximately $627 million of early restoration projects across the Gulf Coast. While the projects were initially proposed in May, over the past six months, the Trustees have been preparing a PEIS to evaluate the broad impacts of the projects. The PEIS includes $318 …
The Billion Dollar Question: Who pays for MRGO ecosystem restoration?
By Amanda Moore, National Wildlife Federation Last Tuesday, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority authorized the state attorney general to file suit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in an effort to get the federal government to pick up 100 percent of the expense for the federal plan for ecosystem restoration of damage caused by the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO). Since 2008, there has been an ongoing dispute between the state and the Corps involving interpretation of …
Deepwater Horizon Trustees Release Draft Early Restoration Plan
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACTS: Elizabeth Skree, Environmental Defense Fund, 202.553.2543, eskree@edf.org Emily Guidry Schatzel, National Wildlife Federation, 225.253.9781, schatzele@nwf.org Erin Greeson, National Audubon Society, 503.913.8978, egreeson@audubon.org Deepwater Horizon Trustees Release Draft Early Restoration Plan Natural Resource Damage Assessment Process Moves Forward (New Orleans, LA—December 6, 2013) Today, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced that the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Trustees have released their draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) and their draft Restoration Plan for Phase …
Bayou Bienvenue Wetland Triangle signs teach visitors about need for coastal restoration
By Amanda Moore (National Wildlife Federation) and Elizabeth Skree (Environmental Defense Fund) Excitement filled the air last Friday as community members, government officials, students and staff from local and national conservation organizations gathered on the Bayou Bienvenue Wetland Triangle viewing platform in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward to celebrate the unveiling of new educational, interactive signs. These signs help interpret an important story for visitors as they look out over the open water and ghostly remains of a former healthy …
Phase II of BP oil spill trial expected to conclude today
By Whit Remer, Policy Analyst, Environmental Defense Fund Expert testimony on how much oil flowed into the Gulf of Mexico during the 2010 oil disaster is expected to wrap up today in a New Orleans federal courtroom. This testimony is part of the Quantification Segment of the second phase of the BP trial, which began on September 30 and is ending a full week earlier than expected. Phase two is focused on efforts to stop the flow of oil from …
Science plays key role in determining amount of oil spilled during 2010 Gulf disaster
By Alisha Renfro, Coastal Scientist, National Wildlife Federation The unprecedented scale of the 2010 BP oil spill and the further complexity introduced by its deep water location pushed scientists involved in the response effort to apply both old and new research methods to estimate the rate of oil flow from the well and the total volume of oil spilled. Currently in New Orleans, phase II of the BP oil spill trial – which will focus on that very question of how much oil …
Recap: Week Two of Phase II of BP Oil Spill Trial
By Whit Remer, Policy Analyst, Environmental Defense Fund BP and the U.S. Department of Justice sparred in federal court this week over how much oil gushed into the Gulf of Mexico during the 87-day Gulf oil disaster during a part of the trial named the Quantification Segment. Last week, BP defended its multiple engineering attempts to stop the oil leak during the Source Control Segment. Both of these segments make up the second phase of trial, which was originally expected to last …