A briefing to discuss efforts to restore ecological and economic vitality to the Gulf of Mexico will be held on Wed., Nov. 16, and will feature a host of panelists and lawmakers from all the states affected by last year’s massive BP oil spill.
According to a plan approved by the Coast Guard and obtained by the Associated Press, BP will no longer be responsible for the cleanup of any oil washing up on Gulf of Mexico shores, unless officials can prove it came from the BP well that blew out in 2010, killing 11 workers and sending more than 20 million gallons of oil into the gulf.
Several reports out today detail the bacterial infection behind a string of dolphin deaths that have occurred since last year’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Brucellosis, a bacterial infection, has been identified in at least five of 21 tests of stranded dolphins.
The Obama administration has approved BP’s first plan to drill for oil in the gulf since last year’s Deepwater Horizon disaster, which left 11 dead and damaged the gulf ecosystem and the economies of the states that border it. Representatives for the Gulf Restoration Network say the decision is “problematic,” considering the fact that comprehensive safety legislation has yet to be passed through Congress.
Despite recent reports suggesting the FDA’s screening process for gulf seafood contaminants leaves room for improvement, state officials remain confident in the product’s safety.
Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., will accept an award for his conservation efforts at an assembly this Friday in Lake Mary.
The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force yesterday released its comprehensive preliminary strategy for long-term restoration. The strategy, which will be presented to President Obama at the end of a period of public review and feedback, aims to address long-standing issues contributing to the decline of the gulf ecosystem.
Sightings of a very large sheen of oil in the Gulf of Mexico have had coastal residents and fishermen worried for over a month. But in a statement issued yesterday, the Coast Guard says the sheen is not from BP’s now-capped Macondo well, which caused harm to both Florida’s environment and economy last year.
Tar balls recently washed up on the Alabama shoreline have now been linked to BP, according to preliminary tests performed by Auburn University.
Though BP has continued to deny that any of its gulf wells are leaking oil, a large-scale oil slick reported in the area is worrying Gulf Coast watchdogs. Concerns abound that the oil could spell trouble for area fisheries, especially since reports of dead dolphins have persisted in recent days.
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