Latest news: March 15, 2012
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Senate passes $109 billion transportation bill, including BP fines provision By Bruce Alpert, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, La.). March 14, 2012. “In a rare act of bipartisanship, the Senate on Wednesday voted 74-22 for a $109 billion transportation bill that directs 80 percent of Clean Water Act fines assessed in the 2010 BP oil spill to the five Gulf states harmed by the disaster. The fines are expected to be in the billions of dollars…” (Read more) Senate passes RESTORE …
NGOs urge federal government to restore coast damaged by Mississippi River Gulf Outlet
(March 7, 2012 — New Orleans) On March 2, the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the November 2009 landmark decision that found the Army Corps liable for catastrophic flooding in the Lower Ninth Ward and St. Bernard Parish during Hurricane Katrina due to the grossly negligent management of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO). In 2009, Judge Stanwood Duval ruled that the dangerous condition of the shipping channel was clearly acknowledged by the Corps for decades, but the Corps …
Groups hail Senate passage of transportation bill with gulf restoration amendment
Vote follows recent House approval of efforts to dedicate oil spill fines to gulf restoration (Washington, D.C.—March 14, 2012) A coalition of six Gulf Coast restoration advocacy groups praised the Senate today for passing the Surface Transportation bill with an amendment that would dedicate 80 percent of the Clean Water Act fines from BP and the other parties responsible for the Gulf oil spill to restoring the Gulf Coast. The current transportation bill expires on March 31. The amendment, called …
Latest news: March 14, 2012
Mississippi River creates its own diversion at Bohemia By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, La.). March 13, 2012. “The Mississippi River has broken through its eastern bank at the Bohemia Spillway, creating a natural diversion of freshwater and sediment that officials with the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation would like to see continue…” (Read more) Fueling a New Future for the Gulf Coast By Kiley Kroh and Kate Gordon, Center for American Progress. March 13, 2012. “The Senate Is Poised …
A call to keep RESTORE Act moving
By Whit Remer, Environmental Defense Fund Last week was a huge win for the gulf. On Thursday, the Senate passed the Nelson-Shelby-Landrieu RESTORE Act amendment to the surface transportation bill by an impressive bipartisan vote of 76-22. The amendment would ensure 80 percent of Clean Water Act fines from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill are dedicated to gulf restoration. The Senate is expected to hold a final vote to pass the transportation bill in the next day or two. For the …
Latest news: March 13, 2012
How Spill Settlement Money from BP May Save the Gulf Coast By Bryan Walsh, Time Magazine. March 13, 2012. “I was sitting shotgun in a speedboat chugging along veiny canals that cut through southern Louisiana’s coastline, during the Gulf oil spill in the summer of 2010. There was plenty to see that was out of the ordinary during that tragic summer, but I noticed something else a bit worrisome. According to the pilot’s GPS device, our boat — skimming at …
Latest news: March 12, 2012
Louisiana’s ambitious coastal vision By Neela Banerjee, The Los Angeles Times. March 11, 2012. “Reporting from Venice, La.— On an unseasonably warm winter morning, Earl Armstrong Jr. eases his airboat out of the slip, past a fishing crew hacking up a shark on the pier and a canal strung with hunting camps on stilts, into the broad waters of West Bay…” (Read more) Big win for the coast: An editorial Editorial. The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, La.). March 11, 2012. “Legislation …
Latest news: March 9, 2012
Senate approves amendment giving Gulf states 80 percent of BP spill fines By Bruce Alpert, The Times-Picayune. March 8, 2012. “In a major boost for Louisiana’s coastal restoration efforts, the Senate voted 76-22 Thursday to direct 80 percent of any Clean Water Act fines assessed in the 2010 BP oil spill to the five Gulf states. The fines are expected to be in the billions of dollars…” (Read more) RESTORE Act passed Senate due to compromise, turning Marco Rubio against …
Gulf groups hail Senate passage of gulf restoration amendment
Vote follows recent House approval of similar amendment News Release (Washington, D.C.—March 8, 2012) A coalition of six Gulf Coast restoration advocacy groups praised the Senate today for its strong bipartisan approval of legislation that would dedicate 80 percent of the Clean Water Act (CWA) fines for the gulf oil disaster to restoring the gulf ecosystem and economy. The RESTORE the Gulf Coast States Act was originally introduced by nine of the 10 gulf state senators, including Senators Mary Landrieu (D-La), Bill …
Call your senators now and ask them to pass the RESTORE Act amendment today!
The Senate will be voting on the RESTORE Act amendment early this afternoon. Please call your senators NOW and tell them to vote Yes on the RESTORE Act amendment! It’s easy: Call the Senate switchboard at 202-224-3121 and tell them you’d like to speak with your senators. Here is a sample script: “Hi, my name is _______ and I’m calling to urge the senator to vote Yes on Senate amendment 1822, the Nelson-Shelby-Landrieu RESTORE Act amendment. The damage from the …
Senate will vote on RESTORE Act amendment today
By Elizabeth Skree, Environmental Defense Fund It’s an important day for recovery in the Gulf Coast. Nearly two years after the BP oil disaster, the communities, economies and environment of the gulf are still struggling to recover. Today, Congress has the opportunity to take a crucial step towards making the gulf whole again: by voting yes on the Nelson-Shelby-Landrieu RESTORE Act amendment to S. 1813, the Surface Transportation bill. The RESTORE Act amendment has been paired with an additional $1.4 …
Latest news: March 8, 2012
Keep the Restore the Gulf Act moving in Congress Editorial, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, La.). March 8, 2012. “Gulf Coast states should be able to count on getting an 80 percent share of Clean Water fines that will be assessed for the BP oil spill, but legislation directing that money to Louisiana and its neighbors is having to overcome roadblocks…” (Read more) Settlement for the Gulf Editorial, The New York Times. March 7, 2012. “The proposed multibillion-dollar settlement between BP …
Latest news: March 7, 2012
Push to give Gulf states 80 percent of BP oil spill fines hits stumbling block By Bruce Alpert, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, La.). March 6, 2012. “Senate Republicans blocked progress Tuesday on a $109 billion transportation bill, leaving unsettled whether Sen. Mary Landrieu will get a vote on her amendment to give the Gulf states 80 percent of any Clean Water Act fines assessed in the 2010 BP oil spill. Landrieu, D-La., is trying to add her bill, The Restore …
Latest news: March 6, 2012
$7.8 Billion BP Settlement Would Shut Down GCCF By Debbie Williams, WKRG-TV “BON SECOUR, Alabama — BP has agreed to pay 7.8 billion dollars to settle a class action lawsuit involving individuals and businesses damaged by the worst oil spill disaster in U.S. history. One one of those individuals is Tracy Redding. “In the end do I think we will end up closer to whole than we are, probably. But there is still so many unanswered questions…” (Read more) BP …
Latest news: March 5, 2012
Accord Reached Settling Lawsuit Over BP Oil Spill By John Schwartz, New York Times. March 2, 2012 “BP and the lawyers for plaintiffs in the trial over the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico have agreed to settle their case…” (Read more) BP Deal Opens a New Phase, but Case Is Far From Closed By John Schwartz, New York Times. March 3, 2012. “Now it gets complicated. The late-night announcement on Friday of a proposed $7.8 billion deal …