11/28/12
Oil Spill
BP enters plea in Gulf of Mexico oil spill case
Press Register
NEW ORLEANS - BP today responded to federal charges stemming from its role
in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon catastrophe, entering a not-guilty plea in
federal court in New Orleans that is part of its $4.5 billion criminal
settlement with the U.S. government.
http://blog.al.com/live/2012/11/bp_enters_plea_in_gulf_of_mexi.html#incart_river
3 BP employees to be arraigned in oil spill probe
AP
By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN — Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS — Two BP rig supervisors and a former BP executive were
scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday on criminal charges stemming from the
deadly Deepwater Horizon rig explosion and the company's response to the
massive 2010 spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/11/27/4325942/bp-arraigned-in-oil-spill-case.html
In BP oil spill, two drilling veterans scapegoated, attorneys say
Washington Post
By Joel Achenbach, Published: November 27
Few Americans have ever heard of Robert Kaluza and Donald Vidrine. They
have spent much of their lives offshore, drilling holes in the seafloor for
the oil giant BP. Over many decades in the business, each rose to the rank
of well site leader, a job commonly known on a rig as "the company man."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/in-bp-oil-spill-two-drilling-veterans-scapegoated-lawyers-claim/2012/11/27/d1c79ec2-3744-11e2-b01f-5f55b193f58f_story.html
BP suspended from new US government contracts following Gulf spill
settlement, EPA says
By Associated Press,
WASHINGTON — BP is being temporarily suspended from new contracts with the
U.S. government, the Environmental Protection Agency says.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/bp-suspended-from-new-us-government-contracts-following-gulf-spill-settlement-epa-says/2012/11/28/7a766a4a-3965-11e2-9258-ac7c78d5c680_story.html
Not enough eligible businesses are filing for BP oil spill settlements
MBJ
by Becky Gillette
Published: November 23,2012
Billions of dollars have been set aside by oil giant BP Oil to compensate
businesses damaged by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of
Mexico. You don't have to be in the seafood business or even a business on
the Coast to qualify.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2012/11/23/deepwater-horizon/
Alabama Restaurant and Hospitality Alliance to receive BP tourism grant
funds Wednesday
Press Register
MOBILE, Alabama – The Alabama Restaurant and Hospitality Alliance has been
awarded more than $250,000 in grant funding from BP to promote its "Summers
Last Longer" program.
http://blog.al.com/live/2012/11/alabama_restaurant_and_hospita.html
Nonprofits to receive ceremonial grant checks from Deepwater Horizon
Pensacola News Journal
Patrick A. Juneau, the Deepwater Horizon claims administrator, will be in
Pensacola today presenting $7 million worth of ceremonial checks to 16
nonprofits.
http://www.pnj.com/article/20121127/NEWS01/121127003/Nonprofits-receive-ceremonial-grant-checks-from-Deepwater-Horizon
State News
NOAA withdraws plans to require turtle excluder devices
AP
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- New regulations that would have forced shrimpers
in the bays and marshes of the Gulf of Mexico to install devices on their
nets to save endangeredsea turtles were scrapped Tuesday by federal
officials.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/11/noaa_withdraws_plans_to_requir.html#incart_river
Mississippi port project draws criticism — and hope
USA Today
10:18AM EST November 25. 2012 - GULFPORT, Miss. — It was billed as the
"Port of the Future" — a half-billion-dollar expansion of this city's port
that would draw massive Asia-bound container ships, generate thousands of
high-paying jobs, and ignite the area's economy.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/11/25/gulfport-mississippi-disaster-recovery-money/1720221/
Bennie Turner, state senator from West Point, dies at 64
Clarion Ledger
State. Sen. Bennie Turner, D-West Point, died today, Senate officials said.
Turner, 64, an attorney, served in the seat representing all of Clay and
parts of Lowndes, Oktibbeha and Noxubee counties since 1992. He was current
chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee, vice chairman of judiciary, and
former chairman of judiciary.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20121128/NEWS/311280046/Bennie-Turner-state-senator-from-West-Point-dies-64
Parker wins DeSoto Senate seat while Kinkade captures DeSoto vote in House
race
Commercial Appeal
By Ron Maxey
Originally published 09:32 p.m., November 27, 2012
Updated 12:08 a.m., November 28, 2012
Olive Branch optometrist David Parker retained his base of support from the
Nov. 6 election and built on it to defeat Pat Nelson Tuesday in a runoff
for the state Senate District 19 seat, while Bill Kinkade won DeSoto County
and appeared headed to a districtwide victory over Jeremy Bryan for the
state House District 52 seat.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/nov/27/parker-wins-desoto-senate-seat-while-kinkade-in/?print=1
National News
Group to sue EPA to force U.S. carbon rules for transport
Tue, Nov 27 2012
Reuters
By Valerie Volcovici
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A policy reform group plans to issue a notice on
Wednesday informing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that it will
file a lawsuit to force the agency to use federal rules to cap and charge
for carbon emissions from the transportation sector.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/28/us-epa-carbon-idUSBRE8AR00020121128
Obama quietly signs bill shielding airlines from carbon fees in Europe
The Hill
By Keith Laing - 11/27/12 02:02 PM ET
President Obama has signed into law a bill that requires U.S. airlines be
excluded from European carbon emissions fees.
http://thehill.com/blogs/transportation-report/aviation/269603-obama-quietly-signs-airline-emission-trading-ban-
Energy officials see little hope for climate talks
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 11/27/12 01:39 PM ET
Top International Energy Agency (IEA) officials offered a bleak assessment
Tuesday of the prospects for global progress on preventing big temperature
increases.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/269599-energy-agency-sees-glass-half-empty-on-climate-change
Oil-and-gas lobby: Repeal of biofuel rule a top priority in next Congress
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 11/27/12 12:47 PM ET
A top oil-and-gas lobby is changing strategy and will press Congress to
repeal a biofuel production mandate instead of pushing for piecemeal
changes to the rule.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/269579-api-to-make-biofuel-rule-repeal-a-top-priority-next-congress
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| Group: U.S. needs National Energy Strategy Council |
| Politico |
| By: Darren Goode |
| November 28, 2012 04:37 AM EST |
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| The White House and Congress should create a National Energy Strategy Council |
| to produce new policy and coordinate the activities of federal agencies, |
| according to a broad coalition of former senators and federal, industry, |
| environmental and labor officials that is unveiling a blueprint Tuesday |
| morning. |
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http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/84290.html?hp=l13
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| Duck stamp debate is latest dysfunction |
| Politico |
| By: David Rogers |
| November 27, 2012 11:49 PM EST |
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| |
| Tony Motley, a former U.S. ambassador to Brazil and great pal of the late |
| Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, often joked of writing a Washington novel someday with |
| the title "Beyond the Merits." |
| |
| |
| But who could have guessed the Senate would beat him to the punch, penning the |
| first chapter itself Monday night when the "world's greatest deliberative body" |
| derailed a popular sportsmen's bill because of a fight over how to count a |
| proposed $10 increase in the price of duck stamps? |
| |
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http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/84305.html?hp=r1
Press Releases
BP Temporarily Suspended from New Contracts with the Federal Government
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced
that it has temporarily suspended BP Exploration and Production, Inc., BP
PLC and named affiliated companies (BP) from new contracts with the federal
government. EPA is taking this action due to BP's lack of business
integrity as demonstrated by the company's conduct with regard to the
Deepwater Horizon blowout, explosion, oil spill, and response, as reflected
by the filing of a criminal information. On November 15, 2012, BP agreed to
plead guilty to eleven counts of Misconduct or Neglect of Ship Officers,
one count of Obstruction of Congress, one misdemeanor count of a violation
of the Clean Water Act, and one misdemeanor count of a violation of the
Migratory Bird Treaty Act, all arising from its conduct leading to the 2010
Deepwater Horizon disaster that killed 11 people and caused the largest
environmental disaster in U.S. history.
For the Deepwater Horizon investigation, EPA was designated as the lead
agency for suspension and debarment actions. Federal executive branch
agencies take these actions to ensure the integrity of Federal programs by
conducting business only with responsible individuals or companies.
Suspensions are a standard practice when a responsibility question is
raised by action in a criminal case.
The BP suspension will temporarily prevent the company and the named
affiliates from getting new federal government contracts, grants or other
covered transactions until the company can provide sufficient evidence to
EPA demonstrating that it meets Federal business standards. The suspension
does not affect existing agreements BP may have with the government.
