Latest news: February 6, 2012
Paradise withering
By Kerry Luft, Chicago Tribune. February 4, 2012.
“BURAS, La. — First came the hurricane, which poured 24 feet of water into his fishing and hunting lodge and knocked out utilities for 8 1/2 months…”
It’s time to bring in the cavalry for rescue of the wetlands
By Bob Marshall, Times-Picayune. February 5, 2012.
“Every hunting season, I’m reminded why the pioneers of America’s environmental movement — legends like Theodore Roosevelt, Aldo Leopold and Gifford Pinchot — were hunters and anglers: People whom hunt and fish are among the few humans who are active participants rather than spectators in their ecosystem — today more than ever…”
Latest Effect of Gulf Spill: Waves of Cash to Aid Coast
By Kate Galbraith, New York Times. February 2, 2012.
“SOUTH PADRE ISLAND — Sand dunes rise above a windy, desolate stretch of beach, miles beyond where most tourists venture…”
Editorial: Pass the RESTORE Act now
By Editorial page staff, Pensacola News Journal. February 5, 2012.
“Reports that BP and the U.S. Justice Department could soon reach a settlement to cover all charges, including fines, related to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has raised concerns. The worry is that it could send the money to the Treasury, not to the affected Gulf Coast states for economic and environmental recovery…”
Critics of restoration projects financed by BP money say there should be more public input
By Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, Times-Picayune. February 2, 2012.
“There should be more opportunities for the public to participate in assessing the damage to natural resources caused by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, residents of St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes and representatives of several environmental groups said during public hearings Wednesday and Thursday. Restoration projects also should be approved more quickly, so oil spill damage can be reversed, several officials said…”
Consider the needs of coastal communities: A guest column by P.J. Hahn
Times-Picayune. February 3, 2012.
“Current and historical land loss in coastal Louisiana confirms that Louisiana is in a crisis for which emergency action must be taken. The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority’s 2012 Coastal Master Plan is one of the many proactive steps the state of Louisiana has taken since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to organize and focus our efforts on a crisis of national significance. This proposed plan, however, inadequately addresses the local coastal communities’ needs and cries for help. Case in point, the state’s insistence on large-scale diversions in Plaquemines Parish…”
Congress must pass RESTORE Act before BP settlement talks end
Letters to the Editor, Sun Herald (Biloxi, Miss.). February 4, 2012.
“Reuters recently reported that BP is likely to agree to pay $20 billion-$25 billion to settle with the Justice Department on all charges related to BP’s unprecedented Gulf oil spill before the scheduled start of legal hearings in New Orleans on Feb. 27…”
RESTORE Act faces costly deadline for Coast
By Editorial page staff, Sun Herald (Biloxi, Miss.). February 4, 2012.
“As a Letter to the Editor today makes clear, Congress should move quickly to pass the RESTORE Act…”
Gulf oil spill’s ‘trial of the century’ could end before it begins
By David Hammer, Times-Picayune. February 5, 2012.
“Some leading analysts and legal observers believe the highly anticipated “trial of the century” over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, set to begin in three weeks, will end before it starts…”
A little piece of Louisiana paradise is running out of time
By John Snell, WVUE-TV. February 2, 2012.
“Barataria Bay, La. — Kerry Cosse steers a Plaquemines Parish Port boat in open water, which confuses his GPS device.
“According to their map, this was land,” Cosse said…”
Lawsuit Seeks Info, Damages in 7-Year Oil Spill
By Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press. February 2, 2012.
“An environmental watchdog group filed a lawsuit Thursday against the company it blames for an oil spill 11 miles off the coast of Louisiana, claiming oil has been flowing into the Gulf of Mexico for more than seven years with few details about what’s being done to stop it…