8.5.13
Oil Spill
Gov. Bobby Jindal's top coastal official also raises questions about
Halliburton plea deal in Gulf oil spill
Manuel Torres
The Times-Picayune
August 01, 2013 at 8:32 PM
Gov. Bobby Jindal's top coastal restoration official Thursday raised
questions about the $200,000 fine proposed for oil-field giant Halliburton
Energy Services, just hours after U.S. Sen. John McCain said the "paltry"
fine wouldn't deter destruction of evidence, which is the offense
Halliburton is expected to admit in court next month.
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2013/08/gov_bobby_jindal_top_coastal_o.html
BP Says Loss on Spill Claims Appeals Could Scuttle Settlement
Bloomberg
By Margaret Cronin Fisk and Laurel Calkins - Aug 3, 2013
The settlement BP Plc (BP/) reached last year with most private parties
over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill could be scuttled if a U.S. appeals
court doesn't throw out the interpretation of payments being used by the
claims administrator, the company said.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-03/bp-says-loss-on-spill-claims-appeal-could-scuttle-settlement-1-.html
State News
Water hemlock could be behind buffalo fish sickness
by Associated Press
Published: August 4,2013
NEW ORLEANS — Doctors don't know why eating crawfish or buffalo fish
sometimes causes the rare muscle-destroying illness that recently sickened
three members of one Mississippi family. But they believe Haff disease is
caused by eating bottom-feeders that have eaten the roots of a wetland
plant called water hemlock.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2013/08/04/water-hemlock-could-be-behind-buffalo-fish-sickness/
2013 Shrimp Season called average
WLOX
We're about six weeks into the 2013 shrimp season and the word being used
to describe the season so far is average. Shrimpers and others in the
seafood industry say the season is barely providing supply to meet demand.
http://www.wlox.com/story/23023711/2013-shrimp-season-called-average
Jackson County, state match FEMA money for $14M needed dredging for bayous,
channels
Sun Herald
By KAREN NELSON — klnelson@sunherald.com
Hurricane Isaac hit in 2012, but it is going to deliver almost a windfall
of federal funds this year to Jackson County for dredging.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/08/02/4845954/jackson-county-state-match-fema.html
State settles for less than half the money DMR spent on boats
Sun Herald
By MICHAEL NEWSOM — mmnewsom@sunherald.com
State Auditor Stacey Pickering said Friday the state recovering $296,000
from two boats instead of demanding repayment of more than $1 million the
Mississippi Department of Marine Resources spent on them doesn't mean his
investigation of the agency is over.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/08/02/4844639/auditor-settles-for-less-than.html
National News
Train derailment leads to haz-mat situation, evacuations
AWTELL, LA (WAFB) - Emergency crews are on the scene of a train derailment
in St. Landry Parish in which three cars are leaking potentially hazardous
chemicals.
http://www.wlox.com/story/23042516/developing-news-hazmat-crews-on-scene-of-lawtell-train-derailment
Marine Life Reacting Faster to Climate Change Than Land Species
Businessweek
By Alex Morales on August 04, 2013
Species that depend on the sea are reacting more quickly to global warming
than land-based life, according to a study in scientific journal Nature
Climate Change, with implications for fisheries and food supplies.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-08-04/marine-life-reacting-faster-to-climate-change-than-land-species
Accidents show depth of danger in shallow waters
Houston Chronicle
By Jennifer A. Dlouhy and Emily Pickrell
The 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill focused attention on the hazards of
drilling for oil a mile below the surface of the sea, but recent incidents
have brought new attention to dangers that still lurk on the shallow
continental shelf, where companies rely on decades-old pipes and platforms
to tap aging fields.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2013/08/04/accidents-show-depth-of-danger-in-shallow-waters/
EPA: Affirm agency power to regulate farm runoff
Posted: 8:15 pm Sun, August 4, 2013
By Associated Press
ELKINS, W.Va. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wants a judge to
affirm its power to make poultry growers get water pollution permits for
runoff from their operations — even though it's withdrawn the requirement
for a West Virginia farmer who sued.
http://thedailyrecord.com/2013/08/04/epa-affirm-agency-power-to-regulate-farm-runoff/
Senate Proposes Funding Increases for EPA, Interior in Fiscal 2014
Appropriations Bill
Friday, August 2, 2013
Bloomberg
By Patrick Ambrosio
Senate Democrats Aug. 1 released a $30.2 billion draft appropriations bill
that would increase funding for the Environmental Protection Agency by
approximately $105 million, or 1.25 percent, compared to the pre-sequester
fiscal year 2013 enacted level.
http://www.bna.com/senate-proposes-funding-n17179875621/
House panel hits EPA with subpoena over pollution studies
BY MATT CANHAM
THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
UPDATED: AUGUST 2, 2013 10:04PM
Washington • House Republicans say they are tired of asking the
Environmental Protection Agency to provide the underlying data used in
studies tying pollution to serious health problems.
So, they issued a subpoena late Thursday, the first from the Science
Committee in 21 years.
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/56681889-90/data-epa-studies-agency.html.csp
AP Analysis: Charges fly after a flood control board files suit over oil,
gas, pipelines
NEW ORLEANS — In a month full of reminders of the perils and costs of
offshore drilling — among them one leaky well, one full-scale blowout and
spectacular fire and one corporation's acknowledgment that some evidence
pertaining to the 2010 Gulf oil spill was destroyed — July's biggest splash
was made in Civil District Court in New Orleans, where a local flood
control authority, some would argue, went rogue.
http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/32c4b3e1a6444aafa0cf48051d0bcf07/LA--Louisiana-Spotlight/#.Uf-os5LCZcY
House slams door on carbon tax
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 08/02/13 09:52 AM ET
The House approved an amendment to legislation Friday that would prevent
the White House from imposing a carbon tax without congressional approval.
The lower chamber agreed to Rep. Steve Scalise's (R-La.) amendment by a
237-176 vote, with 12 Democrats crossing the aisle to support it.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/315221-house-votes-to-slam-door-on-carbon-tax
Senate confirms EPA, Navy energy nominees
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 08/02/13 10:43 AM ET
The Senate unanimously approved the new head of the Navy's energy program
and a pair of senior level Environmental Protection Agency officials on
Thursday.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/315243-senate-confirms-epa-navy-energy-nominees
Pritzker's new team at Commerce takes shape
Washington Post
By Al Kamen
Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker is putting together her front office
team, which looks to be a combination of veteran Washington hands and
newcomers.http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop
Opinion
SUN HERALD | Editorial: Pickering's $700,000 question
State Auditor Stacey Pickering has a $700,000 question to answer. Why did
he settle a claim for more than $1 million in misappropriated or misspent
public money for less than $300,000?
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/08/03/4845444/sun-herald-editorial-pickerings.html
