Latest Mississippi River Delta News: Dec. 19, 2013
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Drilling Deeper in the Gulf By Amanda Mascarelli, Audubon Magazine. Dec. 18, 2013. “In the inky black waters nearly a mile below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, Erik Cordes came upon a disturbing scene. Sea fans, waving in the darkness, were coated in a sticky black substance. Corals were unusually pale, with tissue falling off the skeleton…” (read more) More massive tar mats from BP oil spill discovered on Louisiana beaches By Bob Marshall, The Lens (New Orleans, …
New Evidence of BP Oil Spill Effects Revealed Today
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 New Evidence of BP Oil Spill Effects Revealed Today Millions of Pounds of Oily Material Cleaned Up in Recent Weeks, New Study Links Oil to Dolphin Deaths (New Orleans, LA—December 18, 2013) Today, two new developments linked BP oil from the 2010 Gulf oil disaster to ongoing wildlife, habitat and economic impacts in Louisiana. …
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 …
Latest Mississippi River Delta News: Dec. 18, 2013
Study: Dolphins suffering from lung disease due to Gulf oil spill By Cameron McWhirter and Tom Fowler, The Wall Street Journal. Dec. 18, 2013. “Dolphins in an area hard hit by the 2010 BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill are suffering from lung diseases and other abnormalities that are “consistent with petroleum hydrocarbon exposure and toxicity,” according to a new federal-backed scientific study released Wednesday…” (read more) Half of bottlenose dolphins in Barataria Bay were seriously ill or dying in …
Plaquemines Parish Fair and Orange Festival celebrates its 66th year
By Philip Russo, Plaquemines Parish Outreach Coordinator, Mississippi River Delta Restoration Campaign During the first weekend in December, local residents and tourists alike celebrated the bounty of Plaquemines Parish’s cultural and economic successes at the 67th annual Plaquemines Parish Fair and Orange Festival in Buras. Huddled between the protective Mississippi River levee and the elegantly decayed Fort Jackson, the festival was not entirely spared the blustery and frosty weather that is typical of early December. Yet despite the weather, fairgoers celebrated …
Latest Mississippi River Delta News: Dec. 17, 2013
Nature has a role to play in coastal protection By Steve Cochran, Letter to the Editor, The Washington Post. Dec. 15, 2013. “Regarding the Dec. 9 news article “Study says U.S. can’t keep up with loss of its wetlands”: Last year, as part of ongoing efforts to reverse losses in the Mississippi River Delta, Louisiana’s governor proposed and its state legislature passed a Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast…” (read more) Less is more when restoring wetlands By John Carey, …
New study looks at groundwater transport flows and their effects on estuaries in the Mississippi River Delta
By Alisha A. Renfro, Coastal Scientist, National Wildlife Federation Estuaries are some of the productive – and in many ways, some of the most complex – ecosystems in the world. The abundance and distribution of fish and wildlife within an estuary largely depends on the amount, location and frequency of freshwater inflow. The construction of flood control levees along the lower Mississippi River has severely constricted the surface freshwater flow into the surrounding basins. However, a new study published in …
Latest Mississippi River Delta News: Dec. 13, 2013
Design competition solicits ideas for Louisiana’s waterways By Diane Mack and BobMarshall, WWNO (New Orleans, La.). Dec. 13, 2013. “An international design competition is offering $400,000 for ideas about how to improve Louisiana’s waterways. The Changing Course” design contest is reviewing proposals from around the world to rebuild the sinking basins south of New Orleans, while at the same time maintaining enough water for navigation and commerce…” (read more) Ex-BP engineer on trial in oil spill case unlikely to testify …
Internship: Communications Intern, Mississippi River Delta, Environmental Defense Fund
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Tagged EconomicsLatest Mississippi River Delta News: Dec. 12, 2013
Changing Course design competition picks world’s best brains on how to restore Louisiana coast By Bob Marshall, The Lens (New Orleans, La.). Dec. 11, 2013. “If you’re developing one of the largest river management projects in the world — an initiative with social, economic and political challenges — where do you look for help?…” (read more) Sand from Ship Shoal used to build barrier project south of Port Fourchon (+Video) By Amy Wold, The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.). Dec. 12, …
Latest Mississippi River Delta News: Dec. 11, 2013
Obama administration issues OK for Morganza to the Gulf hurricane protection, but project still faces hurdles By Bruse Alpert, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, La.). Dec. 10, 2013. “Jo-Ellen Darcy, the civilian head of the Army Corps of Engineers, on Tuesday issued a “record of decision,” signaling the Obama administration’s clearance for the $10.3 billion Morganza to the Gulf hurricane protection project…” (read more) Morganza project still under consideration in Congress By Jordan Blum and Amy Wold, The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.). Dec. …
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 …
Latest Mississippi River Delta News: Dec. 10, 2013
Inside Report: Finding the lost Bayou Bienvenu [sic] Wetland Triangle By Amy Wold, The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.). Dec. 10, 2013. “…The signs are a project from the Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development, the Environmental Defense Fund, the National Wildlife Federation, the National Audubon Society, the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, all joined by universities and other organizations over the years in studying and working on wetland restoration and awareness…” (read more) Study says U.S. can’t …
Latest Mississippi River Delta News: Dec. 9, 2013
Gulf gets more restoration projects from BP fund By Janet McConnaughey and Jeff Amy, Associated Press. Dec. 6, 2013. “Restoring the oil-stained Gulf of Mexico coastline is critical to the Obama administration’s fight against climate change, U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said Friday…” (read more) New report sheds light on damage from BP oil spill By Al Jazeera and Associated Press. Dec. 7, 2013. “A new federal proposal on remedies to damage stemming from the 2010 BP oil spill shed light on the environmental …
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 …