8.13.2013
Oil Spill
Sequester hits Restore Act funding for Louisiana other Gulf states
Bruce Alpert
Times-Picayune
August 13, 2013 at 4:05 AM
WASHINGTON - The automatic budget reductions known as sequestration are
cutting into the funding available for coastal restoration and economic
recovery under the Restore Act, the 2012 legislation that funnels 80
percent of fines from the 2010 BP oil spill to the five Gulf States.
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/08/sequester_hits_restore_act_fun.html
Sequester limits coastal restoration payouts
Baton Rouge Advocate
by Jordan Blum
WASHINGTON — The ongoing federal budget stalemate that led to the so-called
"sequester" also could affect more than $1 billion in anticipated coastal
restoration funds for Louisiana and other Gulf Coast states.
http://theadvocate.com/news/6764121-123/sequester-limits-coastal-restoration-payouts
BP sues US government over suspension from new federal contracts
Houston Chronicle
British oil giant BP sued the U.S. government on Monday over its decision
to bar the company from new federal contracts to supply fuel and other
services following the company's agreement to plead guilty to manslaughter
and obstruction charges in connection with the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil
spill disaster.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2013/08/12/bp-sues-us-government-over-epa-suspension-from-new-federal-contracts/?cmpid=hpbn
Gulf oil spill claims administrator must respond to BP request to halt
claims payments
Mark Schleifstein
The Times-Picayune
August 12, 2013 at 6:33 PM
U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier on Monday ordered the administrator of the
court-supervised settlement of private claims against BP stemming from the
2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster to respond by Aug. 26 to BP's request for
an injunction temporarily halting millions of dollars in claims payments
until an investigation into possible wrongdoing in the program is
completed.
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2013/08/judge_orders_claims_administra.html
BP orchestrates media blitz to sway public opinion
WWL
NEW ORLEANS -- With its efforts to rein in a costly oil spill damage
settlement going nowhere, BP has unleashed a media blitz to try to turn the
tide in the court of public opinion.
http://www.wwltv.com/news/local/BP-launches-media-blitz-to-sway-public-opinion-219351031.html
State
Air quality affects DeSoto's future
DeSoto Times
By ROBERT LEE LONG
Published: Tuesday, August 13, 2013 1:05 AM CDT
DeSoto County's future could very well depend upon the air its citizens
breathe and the ability to meet new standards set forth by the
Environmental Protection Agency could determine job growth and economic
viability.
http://www.desototimes.com/articles/2013/08/13/news/doc52097426d179e367797917.txt
Beach visitors: One warning sign not nearly enough
WLOX
The waters off four beach locations in Harrison and Jackson counties have
been closed by the state because of high bacteria levels in the water,
levels that could be potentially harmful. The warnings were issued on
Friday and Saturday.
http://www.wlox.com/story/23113175/beach-visitors-one-warning-sign-not-nearly-enough
Invasive stem maggots threaten state's pasturelands
by MBJ Staff
Published: August 12,2013
ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — Forage producers and their livestock are not the only
ones admiring the plentiful bermudagrass fields and pastures across the
state this year.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2013/08/12/invasive-stem-maggots-threaten-states-pasturelands/
Regional
NOAA declares fishery disaster for Apalachicola oysters
Press-Register
Dennis Pillion
August 12, 2013 at 5:57 PM
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today declared a commercial
fishery failure of the oysters in Apalachicola Bay, paving the way for
federal assistance to oyster fishers. West Florida oyster harvests are down
almost 60 percent from last year, according to a news release from the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which blamed excessive
drought conditions in Apalachicola Bay for the decline..
The flow of fresh water from the Apalachicola River has decreased in recent
years due to Georgia's heavy use of Lake Lanier as a reservoir for the
Atlanta metro area.
http://blog.al.com/gulf-coast/2013/08/noaa_declares_fishery_disaster.html#incart_river
National
Electric co-ops come out swinging against Obama greenhouse gas plan
The Hill
By Julian Hattem - 08/12/13 11:12 AM ET
A national association of electric companies is opposing President Obama's
plan to institute new regulations on greenhouse gas emissions from power
plants.
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association took its first step on
Monday to denounce the proposal, which it says will increase electricity
prices and hurt the economy.
http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/pending-regs/316605-electric-co-ops-come-out-swinging-against-obama-greenhouse-gas-plan
