Feinberg and Landrieu hold town halls to explain new victims claims process
On August 18th, approximately 500 individuals crowded the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner, Louisiana, to hear from Kenneth Feinberg and Mary Landrieu (D-La). The two speakers explained the new Gulf Coast Claims Facility, highlighted its independence, and assured the audience of their concern for victims of the oil spill.
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Interview excerpts regarding the Gulf drilling moratorium
In the process of covering the array of protests, town hall meetings, and study announcements surrounding the oil spill, I have had the opportunity to interview a diverse group of individuals. The primary point of concern has been the ongoing moratorium on deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, and I have sought to clarify why people support or oppose the moratorium and how they respond to the concerns of those with opposing views.
Disputes remain over toxicity of Corexit; EPA approval process too long for alternative
Since July 15th, BP has ceased all use of dispersants in the clean-up of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Although not widely publicized, BP’s decision was made in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Coast Guard and came after three months use and 1.8 million gallons of the dispersant Corexit. Continue reading…
Rally for Economic Survival signals widespread hostility to moratorium on Gulf drilling
On Wednesday 11,000 people gathered in Lafayette to send a resounding message to Washington. The Rally for Economic Survival’s byline was “Lift the moratorium!” and Governor Bobby Jindal summed up the sentiment in the crowd: “We don’t want more BP compensation checks; we don’t want unemployment checks; we want to get back to work.”
Author estimates economic after-effects could be worse than that of the oil spill
On Monday in New Orleans, Dr. Joseph Mason of Louisiana State University presented a sobering assessment of the economic impact of a six-month drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico. His report, commissioned by the American Energy Alliance (AEA), forecasts that over the coming year the moratorium would result in Gulf states losing 8,000 jobs, $500 million worth of wages, and economic activity would contract by $2.1 billion.
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