Oil spill contractor with immigration, labor woes was involved in Florida cleanup, CEO says

Hallmark Industrial Services, a company dogged by allegations of immigration and worker safety wrongdoing, had been working on oil spill cleanup operations in Florida, its CEO said in an interview with our sister site, The Michigan Messenger.

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Spill recovery task force voices frustration with Feinberg’s claims process

By Travis Pillow 9/2/10

Kenneth Feinberg took charge of oil spill claims last week, promising a simple, streamlined, “claimant-friendly” process.

At its Wednesday meeting, Florida’s Gulf Oil Spill Economic Recovery Task Force discussed ways to ensure those promises are kept, after hearing complaints about the difficulty of filing claims and concerns that Feinberg’s process might not be friendly enough to Florida claimants.

The panel “had a very open discussion with Mr. Feinberg” at an earlier meeting and “we felt pretty good after that,” said task force chairman Chris Hart. At yesterday’s meeting (at which Feinberg wasn’t present), the good feelings began to turn. Some members said they almost longed for BP.

FDEP workshop suggests the agency will recommend ineffective water quality standards

By Virginia Chamlee 9/1/10

In the wake of a rash of fish and bird deaths likely due to toxic blue-green algal blooms in the St. Johns River, there are renewed calls for standards that dictate how much nutrient runoff citizens and businesses can dump into Florida’s fresh water. The recent gulf oil spill brought to light the fragility and importance of waters on the state’s economy and ecology, but the ocean isn’t our only at-risk body of water.

The St. Johns has long suffered the effects of nutrient pollution, but the past several months have been undoubtedly worse than usual. Those fish and bird deaths, plus the sudden appearance of a bizarre foam, are just a few of the symptoms of nutrient overload, and it is becoming apparent that the agencies governing Florida’s water bodies need to accelerate the adoption of a stringent set of rules to protect them.

Will leaked docs showing Rays’ profit affect the team’s fight for a new stadium?

By Robert Napper 8/31/10

Leaked financial documents show that the Tampa Rays Rays turned a profit during their last-place campaign in 2007 and their unlikely run to the World Series in 2008 — revelations that come at a problematic time for the team. The Rays have entered into a political fight with the City of St. Petersburg after announcing in June that the team’s ballpark, Tropicana Field, is not financially viable and that the team must move.

At Orlando ‘unity’ event, Scott embraces state GOP machine he previously scorned

By Travis Pillow 8/31/10

They may have been “crying into their cocktails” on election night as a late surge by their favored candidate fell short, but less than a week later, Bill McCollum supporters are happily singing for Scott.

Alex Sink to audit Tallahassee’s $48 million ‘Taj Mahal’ courthouse

By Brett Ader 8/31/10

Florida CFO and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink announced plans yesterday to audit the finances of the new First District Court of Appeals, currently in the final stages of construction about six miles from downtown Tallahassee in Southwood.

BP data reveals high stakes for Florida in oil spill claims process

By Travis Pillow 8/30/10

A week ago today, Kenneth Feinberg began administering the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, which he has said will be an improvement over BP’s process and more generous than the treatment claimants can expect in court. Data released last week by BP shows that Feinberg’s decisions about how to disburse compensation could impact Florida more than any other gulf state.

At D.C. rally, ideological divides apparent between tea party grassroots and organizers

By Patrick Caldwell 8/30/10

Glenn Beck hosts a Christian revival, while Americans for Prosperity rallies to elect free-market conservatives.

Meek won his primary, but still struggles to rally Democrats

By Jesse Zwick 8/27/10

Days before Florida’s primary, President Obama finally did what Rep. Kendrick Meek’s supporters had been begging him to do for some time: He showed up in the Sunshine State and referred to Meek as “the next senator from the state of Florida.”

But the in-person endorsement came with a caveat.

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Republican Governors Association funds anti-Sink ads

By Luke Johnson 9/3/10 11:12 AM

The Republican Governors Association has contributed $2 million to the Republican Party of Florida, $1.3 million of which was spent immediately on an attack ad linking Democratic candidate for governor Alex Sink to President Obama, reports The Fix blog of The Washington Post. The RGA had already spent $2 million on anti-Sink ads earlier this month.

RPOF only had $468,500 cash on-hand as of July 31, so the RGA infusion was much needed. RPOF’s former chair, Jim Greer, was indicted for funneling party funds into a front corporation that he funneled into his own personal checking account. Under his tenure, party officials also spent donor money lavishly using the party-issued American Express cards.

Here’s the ad, which links Sink to President Obama:

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New SFWMD water conservation campaign: Will it change anything?

By Virginia Chamlee 9/3/10 9:07 AM

The South Florida Water Management District and Lee County last week announced plans for a “water conservation campaign,” the latest in a host of state efforts to promote conservation.

The SFWMD is headquartered in Palm Beach, but has several field offices around the state, including one in Orlando, only minutes from the newly minted Yankee Lake water withdrawal facility. The facility has been a point of contention for several area environmental groups who say that the project will disrupt the ecology of the already-suffering St. Johns River and that the water withdrawn will only be used for home irrigation purposes.

Though this latest attempt to draw attention to water conservation practices is a novel one, it seems unlikely to lead to any real change.

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Grayson tries to fundraise off the ‘Kochtopus’

By Luke Johnson 9/2/10 4:46 PM

Congressman Alan Grayson, D-Orlando, sent out a fundraising email to supporters attacking New York billionaire David Koch, who Jane Mayer of the New Yorker recently profiled as a major donor to conservative causes.

The neologism for all of his ideological groups is known as the “kochtopus.” Americans for Prosperity, a conservative group founded by Koch, is spending $1.4 million to run an ad in several states, including Florida, in Grayson’s district. The email reads:

Mariner Energy responds to Vermilion 380 explosion

By Andrew Restuccia 9/2/10 1:47 PM

In a statement on its website, Mariner Energy, the owner of the rig that exploded in the gulf, says:

Mariner Energy, Inc. (NYSE: ME) confirms that a fire has occurred at a production platform located on Vermilion Block 380, approximately 100 miles from the Louisiana coast. All 13 members of the crew have been evacuated and safely accounted for. No injuries have been reported. In an initial flyover, no hydrocarbon spill was reported.

Mariner has notified and is working with regulatory authorities in response to this incident. The cause is not known, and an investigation will be undertaken. During the last week of August 2010, production from this facility averaged approximately 9.2 million cubic feet of natural gas per day and 1,400 barrels of oil and condensate. Updated information will be provided as available.

Stats on Mariner Energy’s Vermilion Oil Rig 380

By Andrew Restuccia 9/2/10 1:33 PM

In its 2008 annual report, Mariner Energy paints a detailed picture of Vermilion Oil Rig 380, its shallow water rig that exploded off the coast of Louisiana today.

According to the report:

Oil spill roundup: Thurs., Sept. 2

By Travis Pillow 9/2/10 1:15 PM

+ Another oil rig has exploded in the Gulf of Mexico.

+ There will be no special session to deal with Florida’s response to the oil spill in September, because the legislative leadership thinks it isn’t necessary (more after the jump).

+ Florida’s oil spill recovery commission questioned the fairness of Kenneth Feinberg’s oil spill claims process after hearing from state Attorney General Bill McCollum.

+ The current compensation regime is “wrong for Florida,” The Palm Beach Post argues in an editorial.

+ BP and Feinberg both say they’re willing to meet with McCollum to discuss his concerns about the claims process, but U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder still hasn’t responded (more after the jump).

+ More than 5,000 workers took part in “pro-energy” rallies in Texas against additional regulations on oil drilling. Environmentalists said the protests were put on by “AstroTurf” groups that ignored the job-creating potential of alternative energy.

+ BP’s advertising spending tripled in the wake of the spill.