New study examines oil and gas production’s increased effects on Louisiana coastal land loss
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By Alisha A. Renfro, Ph.D., National Wildlife Federation The Mississippi River Delta is experiencing the highest relative sea-level rise in the U.S. due to the combination of global sea-level rise and local subsidence (sinking land). High subsidence is typical of river deltas where rapid sediment accumulation also traps a great deal of water. Over time, as layers of new sediment are deposited, water is squeezed out of the underlying deposits, causing compaction and the land surface to sink. Subsidence rates …
Tagged ReportsLatest news: January 10, 2012
Study: Bacteria, currents eased oil spill By United Press International. January 9, 2012. “WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 (UPI) — Ravenous bacteria helped rapidly cleanse the Gulf of Mexico of much of the oil and gas released in the Deepwater Horizon disaster of 2010, researchers say…” Chemical measurements confirm official estimate of Gulf oil spill rate By the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. January 9, 2012. “By combining detailed chemical measurements in the deep ocean, in the oil slick, and in the …
A new year brings new opportunities for RESTORE Act
By Whit Remer, Environmental Defense Fund There is one unanswered wish many residents along the Gulf Coast are still hoping for this New Year: passage of the RESTORE Act. As Congress wrapped up 2011, there was talk all along the Gulf Coast and Washington, D.C. about the bill. And the buzz is resounding. Thanks to the efforts of citizens and organizations working to restore the Gulf Coast, members of Congress from across the region are returning to Washington determined to …
Latest news: January 9, 2012
After Oil Spill, Don’t Shortchange Gulf By Martha Collins, Pew Environment Group, for Care2. January 6, 2012. “The network TV news crews may have long since left, but the work of repairing the environmental and economic damage from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disasterin the Gulf of Mexico is far from complete. During the course of the spill, roughly 4.9 million barrels of crude flowed into the gulf — an amount of oil that, by some estimates, could have heated just …
Latest news: January 6, 2012
Washington Insider – Gulf Coast Restoration The Maritime Executive. January 5, 2012. “Amid the bipartisan mantra in Washington for long-term cuts in federal spending, a potential major new program has surfaced on Capitol Hill. A bipartisan coalition of Gulf Coast legislators recently announced agreement on what could be a massive new federal spending program to restore the ecology of the Gulf of Mexico and boost the Gulf Coast region’s economy…” Louisiana businesses slapped with $2.5 million in pollution penalties By …
Latest news: January 5, 2012
BP oil spill payments resume after fee wrinkle By David Hammer and Rebecca Mowbray, The Times-Picayune. January 4, 2012. “The Gulf Coast Claims Facility resumed paying oil spill damage claims Wednesday afternoon after U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier amended an order requiring it to set aside 6 percent of the money to fund the work of plaintiff attorneys on the oil spill litigation…”
CRCL volunteers plant more than 700 cypress trees at Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
This story was originally posted on the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana’s Coast Currents blog. Following Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve’s western border is the long, narrow Bayou Segnette Waterway, an unnaturally-straight man-made canal with an equally unnatural problem: invasion from the Chinese tallow tree. Chinese tallow is a beautiful ornamental tree that actually has many uses. Originally brought to the United States in the 1700’s as a resource for soap making and other cottage industries, the tree …
Latest news: January 4, 2012
Kenneth Feinberg freezes payments from BP oil spill fund By Rebecca Mowbray, The Times-Picayune. January 4, 2012. “The Gulf Coast Claims Facility has halted all payments for oil spill damage in the wake of a ruling by U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier last week that 6 percent of all settlements reached after Nov. 7 be set aside to finance the work of plaintiff attorneys in the oil spill litigation in New Orleans. The move means that thousands of people and …
Latest news: January 3, 2012
RESTORE Act is unfinished business for the Gulf Coast (editorial) By Press-Register Editorial Board, Mobile Press-Register. January 1, 2012. “IN THE category of Unfinished Business of 2011, one matter stands out among the rest: Congress has yet to give final approval to the RESTORE Act, which would direct 80 percent of the BP fines under the Clean Water Act to the Gulf Coast…” Our Opinion: Spend it here By Tallahassee Democrat Editorial Board, The Tallahassee Democrat. January 1, 2012. “When …
Latest news: December 30, 2011
Corps to get $802M for repairs on Mississippi By Cain Burdeau, Associated Press. Dec. 29, 2011. “NEW ORLEANS— The Army Corps of Engineers said on Thursday it’s getting $802 million to repair levees damaged by the historic flooding on the Mississippi River this year — work considered urgent before the next spring flood season starts…” Friday’s letters: The gulf needs the Restore Act Letter to the Editor by Dr. William Hogarth, Tampa Bay Times. Dec. 30, 2011. “We recently read …
Latest news: December 29, 2011
A Year of Coastal Questions By Gambit (New Orleans, La.). Dec. 27, 2011. “The future of the Gulf Coast following the BP oil disaster is in the hands of congress, but will there be any help in 2012? This year, both chambers of Congress successfully drafted near-identical bills that dictate where fines against BP will go. They argue the bulk of the fines, which BP will pay for numerous Clean Water Act violations, should go to the Gulf states…” Plan …
Grand Isle Christmas Bird Count keeps watchful eye on bird populations
Below is an excerpt from an account of the Grand Isle Christmas Bird Count, which took place Dec. 21, 2011. Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count is the longest-running citizen science effort of its kind in the world. Nearly 30 counts occur in Louisiana each season. Read the full account on the Audubon magazine blog. “Grand Isle: the only inhabited barrier island in Louisiana. A narrow wisp of sand marking the gulf-most extent of an old and withered Mississippi River Delta lobe. …
Meet Elizabeth Skree
Liz Skree is the communications manager for the Mississippi River Delta Restoration project at Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). Working as part of the broader Restore the Mississippi River Delta Campaign, Liz manages Delta Dispatches, the campaign’s blog and e-newsletter publication about national and local efforts to restore the Mississippi River Delta. Liz also manages EDF’s Restoration and Resilience blog, social media strategy and web presence. She is based in Washington, DC. Prior to coming to EDF, Liz worked as a …
Latest news: December 23, 2011
Gulf of Mexico needs bipartisan help By Tampa Tribune Editorial Staff, The Tampa Tribune. December 23, 2011. “The Restore Act is the rare piece of congressional legislation that is receiving bipartisan support during these political divisive days — with good reason…” Restore Act: Gulf’s Crime Victim Compensation By Debbie Williams, WKRG-TV. December 22, 2011. “GULF SHORES, Alabama — Consider the Deepwater Horizon disaster a crime. The victim: the Gulf of Mexico, it’s back bays and estuaries, beaches, businesses and an …
Latest news: December 22, 2011
Firm hired to evaluate Ken Feinberg’s oil spill claims process By David Hammer, The Times-Picayune. December 21, 2011. ” The U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday selected a New York consulting and investigations firm to evaluate Kenneth Feinberg’s oil spill claims process. Assistant U.S. Attorney General Thomas Perrelli sent a letter Wednesday to BDO Consulting’s offices in New York and Houston urging the firm to immediately begin its review and report its findings by March…” Auditor to look at oil spill …