Latest Mississippi River Delta news: Sept. 16, 2013

Maneuvering for Levee Board seats begins amid lawsuit controversy
By Jeff Adelson, The Advocate (Baton Rouge). Sept. 16, 2013.
“Faced with what was described as a narrow field and one controversial recommendation, the committee that will nominate members to the East Bank levee board put out a call for more applicants Friday at its first meeting of the year…” (read more).

Levee board suit supporters are likely to lose seats
By Jeff Adelson, The Advocate (Baton Rouge). Sept. 16, 2013.
“A nominating process that is likely to end with the ouster of two prominent supporters of a local levee board’s suit against almost 100 oil and gas companies will get underway Friday as a committee of engineers, academics and policy experts begins poring over a half-dozen applications from those seeking seats on the board…” (read more).

Halliburton, prosecutors urge judge to accept company’s guilty plea for destroying evidence
By Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press. Sept. 13, 2013.
“NEW ORLEANS — Halliburton Energy Services and Justice Department prosecutors have urged a federal judge to approve a plea deal that calls for the Houston-based company to pay a $200,000 fine for destroying evidence after BP’s 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico…” (read more).

5 challengers vie for 3 seats on the East Bank levee authority
By Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). Sept. 13, 2013.
“The president and vice president of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East have garnered two challengers each for their seats in the aftermath of the authority’s controversial lawsuit against oil, gas and pipeline companies…” (read more).

Jindal won’t reappoint 2 levee officials who support lawsuit against oil companies
By Mark Schleifstein and Manuel Torres, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). Sept. 13, 2013.
“Gov. Bobby Jindal won’t reappoint two regional levee officials who supported a lawsuit seeking damages from oil and gas companies, even if an independent committee that began meeting Friday re-nominates them, Jindal’s top coastal aide said…” (read more).

Gulf oil spill: BP seeks cuts in settlement program’s budget
By Associated Press. Sept. 12, 2013.
“NEW ORLEANS (AP) — BP has urged a federal judge to reject a $111 million budget request by the court-supervised administrator of the company’s multibillion-dollar settlement with Gulf Coast businesses and residents following its 2010 Gulf oil spill…” (read more).

BP in hot water for ads that ran on 9/11
By Harry R. Weber, Houston Chronicle. Sept. 12, 2013.
“BP is taking heat for running full-page ads in New York and Washington newspapers on the 12th anniversary of 9/11 touting an investigator’s finding of misconduct by some people involved in processing claims under last year’s multibillion-dollar Gulf of Mexico oil spill settlement…” (read more).

Louisiana Senator Wants to Shut Down Nation’s Oil Supply Until Congress Funds Levee Project
By Erika Eichelberger, Mother Jones. Sept. 12, 2013.
“Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) said Wednesday that Louisiana ought to shut down all of the oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico until the House of Representatives agrees to fund a much-needed levee project in her state designed to protect against Katrina-type storms…” (read more).