Latest Mississippi River Delta News: July 18, 2013
State says Coast Guard won’t make BP clean up oil from Grand Terre’s Fort Livingston
By Mark Schleifstein. The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, La.). July 18, 2013.
“Frustrations with the dwindling response of BP and the U.S. Coast Guard to environmental and safety complaints about the removal of oil and cleanup equipment used during BP’s Gulf oil spill in April 2010 bubbled to the surface again at Wednesday’s monthly meeting…” (Read more).
La. seeks $68 million for coastal restoration
By Amy Wold. The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.). July 17, 2013.
“SLIDELL — The state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority board Wednesday approved sending a state proposal request for $68 million for barrier island restoration and river diversion work to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation…” (Read more).
BP agreed to Deepwater Horizon settlement terms
Opinion piece by James Parkerson Roy & Stephen J. Herman. The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, La.). July 18, 2013.
“For eighth months, we worked with BP, a host of accountants and other experts to develop a settlement agreement that would fairly and transparently compensate families and businesses that might have been directly or indirectly harmed by the spill…” (Read more).
Our View: The coast is our problem
By The News Star Editorial Board (Monroe, La.). July 17, 2013.
“In northeastern Louisiana, we have the benefit of levees that assure us the Ouachita and Mississippi rivers won’t suddenly change course and eat our homes and businesses. That is not the case in the coastal parishes of Louisiana, where erosion has claimed entire communities…” (Read more).
Debate rages on over river diversion project
By Don Dubuc. WWLTV (New Orleans, La.). July 17, 2013.
“VIOLET, La. — Just when everyone thought the long-awaited state 2012 coastal master plan was good to go, controversy over one of the main aspects of the project has threatened further delay. The debate over whether diverting massive amounts of freshwater…” (Read more).
Fragile Reefs, Dunes Protect Millions on U.S. Coasts
By Terrell Johnson. Wunderground Blog. July 17, 2013.
“All along the U.S. coastline, millions of people and billions of dollars’ worth of real estate rely on nature’s defenses — like coral reefs, coastal forests and beach dunes — for protection against the impacts of extreme weather and rising seas…” (Read more).
BP Bid for Spill Payment Freeze Gets Friday Court Hearing
By Margaret Cronin Fisk & Edvard Pettersson. Bloomberg News. July 17, 2013.
“BP Plc (BP/)’s request to temporarily halt payments from the court-supervised settlement program set up after the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill will be considered at a hearing this week. BP yesterday asked U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier to suspend payments…” (Read more).