2/19/13
Oil Spill
Public comments sought Tuesday evening on 'Path Forward to Restoring the
Gulf Coast'
By Gareth Clary | GulfLive.com
updated February 18, 2013 at 7:56 AM
BILOXI, Mississippi -- Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
Executive Director Trudy Fisher, along with members of the Gulf Coast
Ecosystem Restoration Council, will be listening to public comments Tuesday
evening on the council's recently-released "Path Forward to Restoring the
Gulf Coast."
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/02/public_comments_sought_tuesday.html
Gulf Coast State College to host Ecosystem Restoration Meeting
WMBB
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Florida Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Commission will host two public meetings this month
as well as a webinar to gather input on the Gulf Coast Ecosystem
Restoration Council's Path Forward document and Florida's projects to be
submitted to the Council for consideration.
http://www.wmbb.com/story/21235076/gulf-coast-state-college-to-host-ecosystem-restoration
BP Faces New Bout of Spill Liability
Wall Street Journal
By TOM FOWLER
BP PLC already has agreed to pay more than $30 billion in fines,
settlements and cleanup costs for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and
oil spill. Now it is placing a big bet that by going to trial next week,
it can hold down the cost of one of its last major potential liabilities
for the disaster.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323764804578312363372704012.html
BP to "vigorously" defend itself in Deepwater Horizon case
By Associated Press,
LONDON — BP acknowledged Tuesday it had failed to reach a settlement in
advance of next week's civil trial on the Deepwater Horizon accident and is
ready to defend itself vigorously against allegations of gross negligence
in the U.S.'s biggest environmental disaster.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/bp-to-vigorously-defend-itself-in-deepwater-horizon-case/2013/02/19/26d4cb34-7a88-11e2-9c27-fdd594ea6286_story.html
BP declares it is ready to defend itself in Gulf oil spill trial
Houston Chronicle
BP is launching an all-out public relations offensive as it prepares to
defend itself next week at a civil trial in a federal court in New Orleans
that could ultimately result in the company having to pay billions of
dollars more in connection with the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2013/02/19/bp-declares-it-is-ready-to-defend-itself-in-gulf-oil-spill-trial/
BP attorney argues company was not grossly negligent, won't see maximum
fines
By Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
updated February 18, 2013 at 10:07 PM
With the start of the civil trial against global oil giant BP only a week
away, the company's senior trial lawyer said Monday that he doesn't expect
his client to be declared grossly negligent for the 2010 Gulf oil spill, a
finding that would result in a four-fold increase in the fines BP would
have to pay.
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2013/02/bp_attorney_argues_company_was.html
State News
City Council meets in special called meeting to discuss disaster cleanup
Hattiesburg American
The Hattiesburg City Council held a special called meeting Monday to
discuss cleanup and response efforts in the wake of the Feb. 10 tornado.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20130219/NEWS01/130218006/City-Council-meets-special-called-meeting-discuss-disaster-cleanup
MDEQ issues Jackson water advisories over sewage overflow concerns
Clarion Ledger
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has issued three water
advisories for Jackson this afternoon. The advisories were issued because
of sewage overflows in some manholes, according to the department's
spokesman.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20130213/NEWS/302130071/MDEQ-issues-Jackson-water-advisories-over-sewage-overflow-concerns
Asper: DMR director search will last at least a month
Another name tossed around as possible candidate
By MICHAEL NEWSOM — mmnewsom@sunherald.com
GULFPORT -- It appears the search for a new head of the Mississippi
Department of Marine Resources is slowing down, and another possible
candidate for the job has emerged in the last few days.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/02/15/4472081/asper-dmr-director-search-will.html
Guice: $2M still unaccounted for at DMR
WLOX
The interim director of the Department of Marine Resource is trying to
solve a mystery. How did the agency spend $4 million in state money over
the past decade?
http://www.wlox.com/story/21236323/guice-2m-still-unaccounted-for-at-dmr
Coast Guard lacks assets to respond to emergency on river
by Associated Press
Published: February 19,2013
VICKSBURG — After a two-barge tow carrying 1.5 million gallons of oil hit
the U.S. Highway 80 bridge in the early morning hours of Jan. 27, Coast
Guard officials had to rely on a Vicksburg industry to respond.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2013/02/19/coast-guard-lacks-assets-to-respond-to-emergency-on-river/
Volunteers needed to clean up derelict crab traps from Mississippi waters
By Mississippi Press Staff
updated February 18, 2013 at 2:11 PM
BILOXI, Mississippi --The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR)
has set dates for removal of crab traps from Mississippi waters.
Volunteers are needed to help with the derelict crab trap removal program
cleanup to be held Feb. 21-23.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-living/2013/02/volunteers_needed_to_cleanup_d.html#incart_river
National News
Petition seeks new EPA pathway to require greenhouse gas curbs
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 02/19/13 06:42 AM ET
An environmental group affiliated with New York University's law school is
petitioning the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to wield a
seldom-used section of the Clean Air Act to require greenhouse gas
emissions curbs.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/283689-petition-seeks-new-epa-pathway-to-require-greenhouse-gas-curbs
