This piece was written by David Helvarg, the executive director of Blue Frontier, and was originally printed as an Op-Ed in the LA Times. Blue Frontier is an ocean and conservation policy group.Memorial Day marks the beginning of high beach season, but there are miles of coastline near Santa Barbara that will be out of …
Lesson of Santa Barbara oil spill: Leave petroleum in the ground Read More »
How can Louisiana fund the integrity of its Oyster reefs? Public monies from polluters may provide a big boost, but it seems that the powers that be leave money from enforcement of coastal permits on the table. The Louisiana Legislative Auditor released a report on subsidies to oil and gas, and this time, it’s the …
When the news broke on another tanker allision and spill on the Mississippi River 4 PM we at GRN thought it was worth keeping an eye on. After an after-hours bike ride to the berth of the Creole Queen near Spanish Plaza presented me with a tar smell, probably from crude oil that had escaped …
Oil on Freetown: checking up on the Bravo tanker spill Read More »
When I joined GRN nearly two years ago, the dolphins of the northern Gulf were already 41 months into what National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calls an “Unusual Mortality Event” in a classic government euphemism. Dolphins, a top predator, were dying in alarming numbers. While the UME began before the BP drilling disaster, the millions …
This guest blog was written by Christina Carlson, Policy Research Assistant with the Union of Concerned Scientists. Ten miles outside New Orleans stands a two-million barrels per day oil refinery, surrounded by community streets in Meraux, Louisiana. When Hurricane Katrina made landfall, the Meraux oil refinery flooded. Damaged tanks spilled 25,000 barrels of oil, covering …
Stormy Seas, Rising Risks: Why Corporate Disclosure Matters Read More »
On February 13, a federal judge threw out the lawsuit the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority – East (SLFPA) brought against 90 oil and gas companies, ruling the SLFPA does not have the right to bring suit against them, and had failed to make a valid claim under law. Luckily, the fight is not over. …
Oil and Gas Accountability Lawsuit Lives Another Day Read More »
Four and a half years. That’s how long it’s been since Gulf Restoration Network, our partners and the public called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to do a better job overseeing the use of dispersants. The EPA has finally heard our calls, recently releasing a proposal to strengthen the testing of dispersants before they …
Oceanographer Jeff Chanton and his team at Florida State University recently conducted a study that found that 6-10 million gallons of oil from the BP disaster are coating the sea floor. From a sample area of 9,266 square miles, Chanton and his nine-member research team took 62 sediment cores and tested them for oil by …
Update – 1/16/15: Just a couple of hours after posting this blog, some big news broke on the BP trial. Judge Barbier issued his ruling on Phase 2 of the trial, which concluded back in October 2013 and was focused on the amount of oil spilled into the Gulf and the response and recovery to …
Yesterday, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) used its administrative authority to raise the liability cap for offshore oil spill related damages from $75 million to $134 million. This increase, which was based on the pace of inflation, was the maximum amount allowed under the law.By using its legal power to raise the liability …
Feds Raise Limits on Liability for Offshore Oil Spills Read More »