Latest news: July 27, 2012

Protecting Louisiana
By U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy, The Daily Comet (Lafourche Parish, La.). July 26, 2012.
“We know the Gulf Coast is one of America’s most important assets.

The energy, shipping, chemical, fishing and tourism industries on the coast generate economic activity that creates jobs throughout America…” (Read more)

Spillways can divert sand from river to rebuild wetlands
By Engineering at Illinois. July 26, 2012.
“In the spring and summer of 2011, high floodwaters on the Mississippi prompted the corps to open the Bonnet Carre spillway. The spillway had been built to divert water from urban New Orleans after flooding in 1927. A team of civil engineers and geologists from the University of Illinois, in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, saw in the spillway opening a chance to study how much sand flowed from the river into the spillway wetlands…” (Read more)

Legislative committees to hold hearing on Gulf oil spill settlement
By Ed Anderson, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, La.). July 26, 2012.
“BATON ROUGE — Two legislative committees looking at the settlement and claims resulting from the BP Gulf oil spill disaster two years ago will hold hearings Aug. 3 at noon to get input from businesses and individuals affected by the federal court ruling which may cost the oil giant $7.8 billion…” (Read more)

New appointee to Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority
By KATC News (Lafayette, La.). July 26, 2012.
“In a major victory for Senate District 21 and the surrounding areas, Governor Bobby Jindal announced St. Mary Levee District President William H. “Bill” Hidalgo as a new appointee to the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) Board…” (Read more)

Lake Pontchartrain shoreline to be armored in St. Charles
By Matt Scallan, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, La.). July 25, 2012.
“St. Charles Parish’s decades-long effort to armor the LaBranche Wetlands from Lake Pontchartrain will get a significant boost with the award of $4.6 million funded by offshore oil royalties, Parish President V.J. St. Pierre, Jr. announced this week…” (Read more)

Bills undoing offshore drilling plan win support
By Jordan Blum, The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.). July 26, 2012.
“WASHINGTON — The House and most of the Louisiana congressional delegation voted Wednesday to undo President Barack Obama’s offshore drilling plan through 2017 and instead open up drilling along the nation’s Atlantic and Pacific coasts…” (Read more)