Latest news: May 31, 2012
Congressman Steve Scalise opposes amendment allowing state lawmakers to redirect oil spill fines
By Jeff Adelson, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). May 30, 2012.
“U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Metairie, is calling on state lawmakers to abandon a proposal that could allow the Legislature to redirect fines from the Deepwater Horizon disaster to projects unrelated to coastal restoration…” (Read more)
Oversight of BP fine money sparks concern in Legislature
By Jeremy Alford, The Houma (La.) Courier. May 30, 2012.
“BATON ROUGE — A proposed constitutional amendment that would link any fines resulting from the BP oil spill to coastal-protection projects was changed by a Senate committee Tuesday, prompting concern by special-interest groups about the impact on negotiations under way in Congress…” (Read more)
Dire consequences if coastal restoration is delayed: An editorial
Editorial, The Times-Picayune. May 31, 2012.
“Scientists and public officials in Louisiana and other parts of the Gulf Coast have been sounding the alarm about coastal erosion for decades, urging Congress to dedicate the tens of billions of dollars needed to restore and protect Louisiana’s wetlands…” (Read more)
Gulf Coast coalition urges Congress to pass RESTORE Act
By Ellen Mitchell, The Press-Register (Mobile, Ala.). May 30, 2012.
“A coalition of more than 100 leaders of Gulf Coast cities, municipalities, economic development organizations and chambers of commerce have sent a joint letter to Congress, urging them to pass the RESTORE Act, federal legislation that would give billions of dollars in fines from the 2010 BP oil spill to Gulf Coast states affected by the catastrophe…” (Read more)
Restore Act supporters coordinate Capitol Hill lobbying effort
By Bruce Alpert, The Times-Picayune. May 30, 2012.
“Washington — This time there were no blue umbrellas, no Capitol rallies and no visits with congressional leaders. Women of the Storm, a group formed after Hurricane Katrina to advocate for post-storm assistance from the federal government, had a “virtual” lobbying effort Wednesday: using cell phones, social networks and email to reach the congressional members deciding whether to include the Restore Act in a pending transportation bill…” (Read more)
Why Louisiana Is Sinking
By Rebecca Jacobson, PBS NewsHour. May 30, 2012.
“On the NewsHour this week, we will be covering how rising sea levels are threatening people who live on the fragile Louisiana Delta. Hari Sreenivasan spoke with Torbjörn Törnqvist, a coastal geoscientist at Tulane University who studies the evolution of low-lying coastal wetlands, about the dilemma in Louisiana…” (Read more)
Tame invasive tiger shrimp: An editorial
Editorial, The Times-Picayune. May 30, 2012.
“A shrimp that can grow to a foot in length and a pound in weight hardly deserves the name, but the main problem with the tiger shrimp isn’t that it’s an oxymoron. It’s that the species poses a threat to native Gulf shrimp…” (Read more)
Louisiana dredging firm could help rebuild coast, but nobody’s asking
By John Snell, WVUE-TV. May 30, 2012.
“Reserve, LA– In a manufacturing yard just off Airline Highway, Bob Wetta shows off his company’s latest creation, a dredge called the “Moray” destined for duty at an environmental in Syracuse, New York…” (Read more)