1.29.13
Oil Spill
Governor Bryant releases final report from"Go Coast 2020
WLOX
Governor Phil Bryant calls it "our playbook for the future." That's how the
governor describes the final report released Monday from the Go Coast 2020
group.
http://www.wlox.com/story/20746406/gocoast-2020s-final-report-released-by-gov-bryant
GoCoast 2020 Commission releases final report (updated)
By Mississippi Press Staff
updated January 28, 2013 at 1:13 PM
BILOXI, Mississippi -- Gov. Phil Bryant's plan for restoring Mississippi's
coastal areas with funds from the BP oil spill focuses on workforce
training and programs to bring more high-tech communications and better
transportation services to the region.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/01/gocoast_2020_commission_releas.html#incart_river
GoCoast 2020 report shows how RESTORE Act money should be spent
Sun Herald
By MARY PEREZ — meperez@sunherald.com
BILOXI -- Gov. Phil Bryant said Mississippi has its play book ready to go
when the RESTORE Act money starts flowing to the state.
He and Trudy Fisher, executive director of the Mississippi Department of
Environmental Quality, presented the final report of the GoCoast 2020
Commission today at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum Convention Center.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/01/28/4432273/gocoast-2020-final-report-to-be.html
Bryant releases plan to spend oil spill money
by The Associated Press
01.28.13 - 01:35 pm
BILOXI — Gov. Phil Bryant's plan for restoring Mississippi's coastal areas
with funds from the BP oil spill focuses on workforce training and programs
to bring more high-tech communications and better transportation services
to the region.
http://djournal.com/view/full_story/21546538/article-Bryant-releases-plan-to-spend-oil-spill-money?instance=secondary_stories_left_column
SUN HERALD | Editorial: GoCoast 2020 plan is still a work in progress
Published: January 28, 2013
Gov. Phil Bryant came to the Coast on Monday to release the "final report"
of the GoCoast 2020 Commission, which he put together last year to advise
him on the allocation of money Mississippi may receive under the RESTORE
Act.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/01/28/4433248/sun-herald-editorial-gocoast-2020.html
Judge to rule on BP's plea deal over Gulf spill today
By The Associated Press
updated January 29, 2013 at 2:48 AM
NEW ORLEANS — A federal judge will decide whether to approve an agreement
for BP PLC to plead guilty to manslaughter and other charges and pay a
record $4 billion in criminal penalties for the company's role in the 2010
oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
http://blog.al.com/live/2013/01/judge_to_rule_on_bps_plea_deal.html#incart_river
BP guilty plea for Gulf oil spill to be considered by federal judge on
Tuesday
By Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
updated January 28, 2013 at 5:47 PM
U.S. District Judge Sarah Vance will hold a hearing Tuesday on whether to
accept a guilty plea agreement by BP that requires the company to pay $4
billion in fines and other payments to settle criminal charges -- including
felony manslaughter -- stemming from the disastrous 2010 Gulf oil spill and
the and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig.
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2013/01/bp_guilty_plea_for_deepwater_h.html
Study: "Dirty bathtub" buried oil from BP spill
CBS
The Deepwater Horizon disaster of 2010 was the largest oil spill in U.S.
history. Nearly three years after oil began gushing from the sea floor of
the Gulf of Mexico, a large percent of the crude remains unaccounted for.
New research suggests that as much as one-third of the oil released is
still in the Gulf and is mixed with deep ocean sediments through a
phenomenon known as the "dirty bathtub."
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57566171/study-dirty-bathtub-buried-oil-from-bp-spill/
BP grants bolster plans for artificial reef project off Collier coast
· By KELLY FARRELL
· Posted January 28, 2013 at 5:20 a.m
Naples Daily News
NAPLES — BP has awarded $1.3 million in grants toward plans to create
artificial reefs along the Collier County coast.
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2013/jan/28/bp-grants-plans-artificial-reef-collier-coastline/
State News
Bryant considers ending DMR governing board
Sun Herald
By MICHAEL NEWSOM — mmnewsom@sunherald.com
BILOXI -- Gov. Phil Bryant wants to study doing away with the Mississippi
Commission on Marine Resources and have the head of the Department of
Marine Resources report directly to him.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/01/28/4433549/bryant-considers-ending-dmr-governing.html
Marine Resources chairman: Keeping an open mind on new executive director
WLOX
BILOXI, MS (WLOX) -
The state senator who chairs the "Marine Resources" committee says he's
keeping an open mind about who he'd like to see chosen as the new executive
director of the Department of Marine Resources (DMR).
http://www.wlox.com/story/20756427/marine-resources-chairman-keeping-an-open-mind-on-new-executive-director
Oil barge leak halts ships near Vicksburg
Clarion Ledger
The railroad bridge hit by an oil barge early Sunday morning has been
cleared for traffic as cleanup crews try to contain an undetermined amount
of oil that has leaked into the Mississippi River near Vicksburg.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20130129/NEWS01/301290028/Oil-barge-leak-halts-ships-near-Vicksburg
Press Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 28, 2013
CONTACT:
Mick Bullock 601-576-2811, mick.bullock@governor.ms.gov
Nicole Roberts 601-576-2802, nicole.roberts@governor.ms.gov
www.governorbryant.com
Robbie Wilbur, MS Dept. of Environmental Quality, 601-961-5277,
Robbie_wilbur@deq.state.ms.us
RESOURCE:
GoCoast final report: http://www.gocoast2020.com/
GOVERNOR PHIL BRYANT ANNOUNCES GOCOAST 2020's FINAL REPORT
Biloxi — Governor Phil Bryant announced the GoCoast 2020 Commission's final
report which is a compilation of work done by the group over the past five
months.
In August, 2012, Gov. Bryant announced the creation of GoCoast 2020 to
serve as the official advisory body for the allocation of funds received by
the State of Mississippi under the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability,
Tourist Opportunity, and Revived Economies of the Gulf States Act of 2011
(RESTORE).
Joined by the Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of
Environmental Quality (MDEQ), Trudy Fisher, who had a leadership role in
the GoCoast 2020 Commission, Gov. Bryant highlighted the work of the
GoCoast 2020 Commission.
"When we launched GoCoast 2020 last August, we all knew this would be a
major undertaking that would require a lot of time, energy and a sincere
spirit of cooperation among everyone involved," Gov. Bryant said. "While we
still don't have all of the details or final federal regulations of how the
Mississippi Plan will need to be formulated for RESTORE, we are ahead of
the game and will be ready day one. That's why I'm so grateful and
appreciative of all of the time and work put into this GoCoast 2020 Final
Report by so many people on the Coast."
The RESTORE Act directs that 80 percent of certain penalties assessed as a
result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill be directed to the five Gulf
Coast states impacted by the spill. GoCoast 2020 was established to set a
foundation and road map of priorities for Mississippi so the state will be
better prepared as the final federal guidelines and regulations are set
forth under RESTORE.
Created by an Executive Order from Gov. Bryant, GoCoast 2020 was comprised
of more than one hundred twenty business and community leaders, elected
officials and citizens from across the three Mississippi Gulf Coast
counties.
Gov. Bryant talked about the strong spirit of cooperation that went into
the GoCoast 2020 effort saying, "I thank you for working together, for
dreaming big and for creating a vision for the Mississippi Gulf Coast for
many future generations to come. As tragic as the oil spill was, if we
continue working together, we are going to turn it into a springboard which
will catapult the Mississippi Gulf Coast forward."
"This report is the result of focused conversations examining overarching
goals and priorities to make the Coast better than it has ever been," MDEQ
Executive Director, Trudy Fisher said. "We have been handed an
unprecedented opportunity to improve not only the environment and our
natural resources but the lives of all residents on the Coast. Through the
foresight of Governor Bryant, it's a chance for us to lay a foundation for
what will eventually be the "Mississippi Plan" for the RESTORE Act. This
GoCoast 2020 Final Report clearly demonstrates that Mississippi is the
leader in preparing for the use of RESTORE funds when they are available."
As a Coast-driven process with the goal of including a broad representation
of input into the Final Report, the GoCoast 2020 Commission relied on
involvement from a wide range of people and expertise. Several hundred
citizens attended and participated in the three listening sessions that
were held in each of the three coastal counties in October, 2012. Through
several months of meetings, workshops, public listening sessions, and
extensive research, GoCoast 2020 focused on eight key areas related to the
activities specified in the RESTORE Act. The purposes of this activity were
to chart a vision and to provide a framework of recommendations that will
protect the environment as the foundation of the coastal lifeblood, improve
the job creation climate to increase economic opportunities, and enhance
the unique quality of life for Mississippi's coastal residents in the near
term and for generations to come.
GoCoast 2020's eight key areas of focus were:
• Eco-restoration
• Economic development
• Seafood
• Infrastructure
• Tourism
• Workforce development
• Small business
• Research and education
The GoCoast 2020 Commission's eight committees, called GoTeams, all
identified several common threads that should be followed as the
Mississippi Gulf Coast prepares for the implementation of the RESTORE Act.
First and foremost, each GoTeam focused on the need for any project
considered in the future under RESTORE to have as positive an impact as
possible on the entire Coastal region, not just one single area.
Among the other shared goals of each GoTeam included the need for the
long-term sustainability of any projects that are ultimately undertaken as
a result of RESTORE. That includes financial stability so that there is a
strong foundation in place for the Coast's continued growth in the future.
The GoCoast 2020 Final Report can be viewed in its entirety at
www.GoCoast2020.com.
###
Quotes from GoCoast Members
"Being cohesive and having a regional approach to economic development is
absolutely the way to go for the future of the Gulf Coast."
- Ed Day, Co-chair of the GoCoast 2020 Economic Development Committee
"GoCoast 2020 has been a great opportunity for the people of South
Mississippi to give their input into what's important to us here on the
Gulf Coast. We've learned a lot over the past 6 or 7 years since Katrina as
to how to best redevelop our communities. This is a great opportunity for
us to give our own personal and professional opinions as to how we can best
move our state forward."
- Representative Scott Delano, Member of the GoCoast 2020 Economic
Development Committee
"Getting the group of volunteers together and working daily throughout the
last several months took leadership and patience from the Governor and
Trudy Fisher. The end product is the assemblage of good ideas with the
expectation that their implementation will result in continuously
increasing value for years to come."
- John Hairston, Co-chair of the GoCoast 2020 Tourism Committee
