Latest Mississippi River Delta news: July 29, 2013

07.29.2013 | In Latest News, Uncategorized

BP mounts heavy media campaign as judge weighs spill case
By Harry R. Weber, FuelFix. July 29, 2013.
“BP’s unrelenting attacks against how the Gulf oil spill civil settlement it agreed to is being handled aims to win over the public, but the strategy risks antagonizing a key constituent who is following every word — the federal judge overseeing the case…” (read more)

With levee authority lawsuit, state can’t keep ignoring petroleum-related damage to marshes: Len Bahr
By Contributing Op-Ed columnist, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). July 29, 2013.
“In July 1973 I was hired fresh out of grad school to join an LSU research team studying oil production impacts on the Louisiana coast. We attempted to quantify the ecological damage caused by a new oil pipeline that came ashore onto the deteriorating delta coast near Fourchon. The research effort was a bust in that so many pipelines already crossed the coast in that vicinity as to mask the impacts of any single project…” (read more)

Louisiana politics challenges historic lawsuit against oil companies: John Maginnis
By John Maginnis, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). July 29, 2013.
“Louisiana politicians, beware, this is what happens when you establish in the Constitution an independent and apolitical board of experts empowered to take legal action to protect the lives and property within its jurisdiction, namely, the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East…” (read more)

Companies work on relief well off Louisiana coast
By The Associated Press. July 29, 2013.
“NEW ORLEANS — The area where a natural gas well blew wild and caught fire last week was active Sunday, and federal officials said natural gas detectors and automatic, high-capacity water hoses were being installed on the burned rig…” (read more)

David Vitter, Mary Landrieu want Fugate promotion delayed until flood insurance premiums stabilize
By Bruce Alpert, NOLA.com | Times-Picayune (New Orleans). July 29, 2013.
“WASHINGTON — Louisiana’s two U.S. senators Monday urged President Barack Obama to delay promoting FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate to secretary of the Department of Homeland Security until his agency helps address big increases in flood insurance premiums based on the agency’s new flood maps…” (read more)

Gauging health of Louisiana fisheries is a complex task
By Amy Wold, The (Baton Rouge) Advocate. July 28, 2013.
“A few months ago, John Lopez was looking for blue crabs for a boil he was planning at the New Canal Lighthouse in New Orleans, but the pickings were scarce…” (read more)

Jindal lashes out against coastal erosion suit
By Jeff Adelson, The (Baton Rouge)Advocate. July 28, 2013.
“With the ink barely dry on a massive lawsuit accusing nearly 100 energy companies of devastating Louisiana’s coast and increasing the risk of catastrophic damage during a hurricane, political maneuvering over the case has already begun…” (read more)

Coastal states criticize Obama administration’s lack of support for ‘FAIR’ revenue-sharing bill
By Deborah Barfield Barry, Gannett Washington Bureau. July 28, 2013.
“WASHINGTON — Sens. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska slammed the Obama administration earlier this week for opposing their bipartisan legislation that would steer more royalties from energy production on federal lands to coastal states…” (read more)

Louisiana coastal erosion lawsuit: attorneys explain its chances and potential pitfalls
By Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). July 27, 2013.
“The Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East’s jaw-dropping lawsuit this week against a host of oil, gas and pipeline companies is creative and ambitious, some local attorneys with knowledge of coastal issues said. But because the suit is so broad and unique, and so lacks precedent, they said, its outcome remains far from certain…” (read more)

Meet with us about oil, gas, pipeline lawsuit on Aug. 15, East Bank levee authority leader tells state
By Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). July 27, 2013.
“The vice president of the East Bank levee authority, who came up with the idea to file suit against oil, gas and pipeline companies to require them to repair wetland damage that increases the risk of hurricane storm surges overtopping area levees and compensate the authority for damage that can’t be repaired, offered to discuss the suit with the head of the state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority during the levee authority’s Aug. 15 meeting…” (read more)

With lawsuit against oil companies, levee authority is doing its job: Mark Davis
By Contributing Op-Ed columnist, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). July 26, 2013.
“The Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East has a big job to do. That job is not to please governors or lawyers. It is not to coddle or persecute any industry. It is not to cozy up to or condemn the federal government. Their job is to keep this community safe from storms, and that is a very hard and expensive job. Since its creation out of the shameful wreckage of our pre-Katrina flood protection system, the authority has been notable for its efforts to in fact do that job. It has been one of the civic bright spots that helped spur local and national confidence in our future…” (read more)

Halliburton to be arraigned on misdemeanor charge of computer fraud on Wednesday
By Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). July 26, 2013.
“Halliburton Energy Services Inc. is set to be arraigned in federal court in New Orleans Wednesday on a single misdemeanor charge of computer fraud involving employees erasing results of two sets of computer model tests after the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster…” (read more)

State coastal authority requests meeting with East Bank levee authority over oil, gas, pipeline suit
By Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). July 26, 2013.
“The state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority has requested to meet with East Bank levee authority President Tim Doody to discuss why the state thinks the authority filed an improper lawsuit against oil and gas companies this week. The suit demanded that 97 firms repair damage to coastal wetlands and pay for damages that can’t be repaired…” (read more)

Halliburton could have incentive to settle civil claims related to 2010 BP oil spill
By The Associated Press. July 26, 2013.
“Halliburton has resolved a Justice Department criminal probe of its role in the Gulf oil spill by agreeing to pay a $200,000 fine and admitting it destroyed evidence, but the company still has a powerful incentive to cut another deal with businesses and residents…” (read more)