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• Judge tosses ex-BP executive's obstruction charge

  May 20, 2013 4:32 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge has dismissed one of the two counts in the indictment of a former BP executive who was charged with concealing information from Congress about the amount of oil leaking in 2010 from the company's blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico. U.S. District Judge... more »

• Judge delays ex-BP engineer's trial

  May 17, 2013 3:48 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge has agreed to postpone the trial of a former BP engineer charged with deleting text messages about the company's response to its 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Kurt Mix's trial was scheduled to start June 10, but U.S. District Judge Stanwood... more »

• Ex-BP engineer claims feds withheld evidence

  May 14, 2013 4:35 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A former BP engineer charged with deleting text messages about the company's response to its 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico claims that Justice Department prosecutors withheld evidence and should be sanctioned. U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval Jr. didn't immediately rule Tuesday on whether sanctions... more »

• Ex-BP executive's trial delayed

  May 9, 2013 11:32 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge has agreed to postpone the trial of a former BP executive. David Rainey is charged with concealing information from Congress about the amount of oil that was leaking from the company's blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Rainey's trial was scheduled... more »

• Bryant: $69M more from BP for Gulf restoration

  May 2, 2013 3:14 PM

  JACKSON, Miss. - BP PLC has agreed to pay $69 million more for restoration projects for the Mississippi Gulf Coast following, says Gov. Phil Bryant. The money is part of $1 billion the oil giant agreed two years ago to pay for early restoration work after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon... more »

• BP agrees to pay $340 million for restoration projects

  April 30, 2013 3:02 PM

  LAFITTE - Governor Bobby Jindal announced today that BP agreed to fund approximately $340 million in restoration projects for Louisiana. It's part of the $1 billion that BP agreed to invest for early restoration of natural resources damaged by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The restoration will include... more »

• Oil spill judge: What is gross negligence?

  April 24, 2013 6:50 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - The judge who will allocate responsibility for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill has told lawyers to give him their views about whether a series of negligent acts can add up to gross negligence. The Justice Department and private plaintiffs' attorneys contend that BP PLC acted... more »

• Haliburton seeking settlement over Gulf oil spill

  April 22, 2013 10:14 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - BP's cement contractor on the drilling rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 says it is trying to negotiate a settlement over its role in the disaster. Halliburton Chief Financial Officer Mark McCollum said Monday that talks are at an "advanced stage." The... more »

• Testimony ends for 1st phase of BP spill trial

  April 17, 2013 6:00 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Testimony has concluded for the first phase of a high-stakes trial over the deadly 2010 rig explosion that led to the nation's worst offshore oil spill. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier didn't rule Wednesday on any claims in the litigation after BP PLC wrapped up its defense.... more »

• BP manager testifies at trial over Gulf oil spill

  April 15, 2013 9:15 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A BP team leader who supervised managers on the rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 says he was frustrated by last-minute changes to the drilling project but didn't have any safety concerns before the deadly blast. John Guide was the first witness to... more »

• BP calls 1st witness at trial over Gulf spill

  April 8, 2013 10:20 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - BP's first witness at a trial over the deadly Deepwater Horizon disaster says the company safely drilled its Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico before an April 2010 blowout triggered the nation's worst offshore oil spill. Retired LSU petroleum engineering professor Adam "Ted" Bourgoyne Jr. is... more »

• BP to call 1st witness at trial over Gulf spill

  April 8, 2013 6:34 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - BP is scheduled to call its first witness Monday at a trial designed to determine causes of its April 2010 well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico and assign fault to the companies involved in the deadly disaster. Halliburton, BP PLC's cement contractor on the Deepwater Horizon... more »

• BP appeals ruling in Gulf spill settlement

  April 4, 2013 9:47 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - BP has appealed a federal judge's interpretation of settlement terms governing payouts to businesses that claim the company's massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico cost them money. BP has asked the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review last month's ruling by District... more »

• BP plans to begin its trial defense Monday

  April 3, 2013 2:41 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - BP plans to call its first witness Monday at a trial designed to identify causes of its April 2010 well blowout and assign fault to the companies involved in the deadly disaster. A federal judge heard testimony Wednesday by two expert witnesses for Halliburton, BP's cement contractor... more »

• La. man gets prison for plot to defraud BP

  April 3, 2013 10:16 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A Covington businessman has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for a plot in which he fraudulently billed BP for roughly $1.4 million for use of a helicopter after the company's huge 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Bay Ingram, who owned Southeast Recovery... more »

• Oil spill trial to resume today

  April 2, 2013 8:51 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - Legal proceedings in the 2010 deadly Deepwater Horizon disaster is scheduled to resume Tuesday with testimony expected from a Halliburton employee who was on the rig when it exploded. Jesse Gagliano worked on the failed cement job that led to BP's well blowout. He was interviewed by... more »

• Rig owner's CEO testifies at Gulf oil spill trial

  March 19, 2013 9:19 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - The chief executive of the company that owned the drilling rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 says its employees "should have done more" to avert the disaster that killed 11 workers and caused the nation's worst offshore oil spill. Transocean president and CEO... more »

• BP contractor finds cement samples midtrial

  March 14, 2013 12:12 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A lawyer for the cement contractor on the Deepwater Horizon drilling project says the company has found cement samples possibly associated with BP's Macondo well that weren't turned over to the Justice Department for testing. Halliburton lawyer Donald Godwin told U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier on Thursday... more »

• BP: costs rising from spill settlement

  March 8, 2013 11:09 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - BP is warning investors that the price tag will be higher than initially estimated for its multibillion-dollar settlement with businesses and residents who claim the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico cost them money. The oil giant estimated last year it would spend roughly $7.8... more »

• Lafourche president awaits ethics ruling

  March 8, 2013 11:01 AM

  BATON ROUG - Lafourche Parish President Charlotte Randolph is awaiting a state ethics panel's decision regarding the renting of her Grand Isle camp to BP after the 2010 oil spill. The Daily Comet reports (http://bit.ly/YHJzHh ) that Randolph and her husband, George, defended their motives Thursday at an ethics hearing.... more »

• Ex-BP rig supervisor testifies at Gulf spill trial

  March 6, 2013 10:13 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A retired BP employee who supervised drilling operations on the rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico says he never felt pressure to sacrifice safety to save money, even though the project was behind schedule and over budget. Former BP PLC well site leader Ronnie Sepulvado... more »

• BP exec back on the stand in oil spill trial

  February 28, 2013 10:26 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A BP executive who led the company's internal probe of the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico says his investigators didn't explore whether top BP managers had a role in causing the disaster because they didn't have access to employees and records from contractors. Mark... more »

• Expert: BP withheld crucial information from gov't

  February 27, 2013 2:53 PM

  NEW ORLEANS- A well design expert testifying for the federal government accused BP of withholding critical information from industry regulators before a blowout triggered a deadly explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in 2010. Alan Huffman is a geophysicist who has worked for Conoco and Exxon. He testified... more »

• BP executive testifies at Gulf oil spill trial

  February 26, 2013 6:41 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - The first BP executive to testify at a trial spawned by the massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has taken the stand. Lamar McKay was president of BP America at the time of the disaster. He is the trial's second witness and is expected... more »

• Expert testifies BP cuts led to Gulf oil disaster

  February 26, 2013 10:30 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - The first testimony in the civil trial over the Gulf oil spill came from an expert who said he found evidence the company's penchant for cutting costs led to the disaster. Robert Bea, a University of California Berkeley engineering professor, said BP PLC did not put... more »

• Trial set to open for Gulf oil spill litigation

  February 25, 2013 7:17 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - The high-stakes Gulf oil spill trial has started with a lawyer criticizing BP by saying company executives put enormous pressure on drilling managers to cut costs and rush the job. Jim Roy is an attorney for individuals and businesses affected by the spill. He says BP repeatedly... more »

• Next in BP spill saga: civil trial worth billions

  January 30, 2013 6:38 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - Now that the U.S. Justice Department's criminal probe of BP PLC is resolved, the company faces billions of dollars more in civil penalties for its role in the 2010 massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. On Tuesday, a federal judge agreed to let the London-based... more »

• Judge OKs $4B BP oil spill criminal settlement

  January 29, 2013 12:23 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge has approved an agreement for BP PLC to plead guilty to manslaughter and other charges and pay a record $4 billion in criminal penalties for the company's role in the massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. BP agreed in November to... more »

• Judge to rule on BP's plea deal over Gulf spill

  January 29, 2013 6:28 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge will decide whether to approve an agreement for BP PLC to plead guilty to manslaughter and other charges and pay a record $4 billion in criminal penalties for the company's role in the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. U.S. District Judge... more »

• State Dept: Americans still hostage in Algeria

  January 18, 2013 12:37 PM

  WASHINGTON - A U.S. official says Americans are still held hostage in Algeria on the third day of a standoff with militants at a natural gas complex in the Sahara. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland says the U.S. is working with Algeria and other governments to try to secure their... more »

• Algeria: Army rescues hostages, toll unclear

  January 17, 2013 3:32 PM

  ALGIERS, Algeria - Algerian special forces launched a rescue operation Thursday at a natural gas plant in the Sahara Desert and freed foreign hostages held by al-Qaida-linked militants, but estimates for the number of dead varied wildly from four to dozens. Militants claiming revenge for France's intervention against rebels in... more »

• Blast victims' relatives weigh in on BP plea deal

  January 16, 2013 10:17 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - Relatives of workers killed in the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion are sharing their stories with the judge who will decide whether to accept a plea deal that calls for BP PLC to pay a record $4.5 billion in penalties for the 2010 disaster. Wednesday is the deadline... more »

• Federal judge delays ex-BP engineer's trial

  January 14, 2013 4:20 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge has agreed to postpone the trial of a former BP engineer charged with deleting text messages about the company's response to the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Kurt Mix's trial was scheduled to start Feb. 25, but U.S. District Judge Stanwood... more »

• La. AG's oil spill tab nears $24M

  January 14, 2013 2:48 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's attorney general has spent nearly $24 million building the state's legal case against BP over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. And records show much of the money has gone to outside law firms that have contributed to his campaigns. The $15.4 million that Attorney... more »

• BP: Government overestimated size of spill

  January 11, 2013 3:24 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - BP has urged a federal judge to rule the company can't be penalized for millions of gallons of oil that spewed from its blown-out well but was captured before it could spill into the Gulf of Mexico. A court filing Friday by BP says the federal government... more »

• BP settlement payments exceed $1B mark

  January 10, 2013 7:33 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - Businesses and individuals who claim BP's oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico cost them money have been paid more than $1 billion through the company's class-action settlement with private plaintiffs' attorneys. Court-supervised claims administrator Patrick Juneau says payments hit the $1 billion mark before the... more »

• Transocean's $1.4B oil spill deal will help Gulf

  January 4, 2013 7:14 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A $1.4 billion settlement between the Justice Department and Deepwater Horizon rig owner Transocean Ltd. will pump hundreds of millions of dollars into projects designed to help the Gulf Coast recover from the nation's largest offshore oil spill. U.S. Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana said... more »

• BP worker loses appeal over court-ordered exam

  January 3, 2013 2:48 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal appeals court has refused to overturn a ruling that a BP rig supervisor must submit to a medical exam to determine if he is fit to be questioned under oath for civil litigation spawned by the company's Gulf oil spill. A three-judge panel from the... more »

• Judge approves settlement in BP class action suit

  December 22, 2012 9:50 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge has given final approval to BP's settlement with businesses and individuals who lost money because of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. BP PLC estimates it will pay $7.8 billion to cover economic and medical claims from more than 100,000 businesses and individuals.... more »

• Judge sets date to rule on BP plea deal over spill

  December 11, 2012 4:48 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge says she will decide next month whether to accept a plea deal that calls for BP PLC to pay a record $4.5 billion in penalties for its role in a deadly 2010 rig explosion and the massive oil spill it triggered in the Gulf... more »

• Ex-BP executive seeks trial delay in spill case

  December 7, 2012 8:56 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A former BP executive is asking a federal judge to postpone his trial on charges he concealed information from Congress about the amount of oil that was spewing from the company's blown-out well in 2010. A trial for David Rainey is scheduled to start Jan. 28.... more »

• New judge assigned to case against BP supervisors

  December 5, 2012 3:07 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A new judge has been assigned to the case against two BP supervisors charged in the deaths of 11 workers aboard the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in 2010. The case had been assigned to U.S. District Judge Ivan Lemelle, who disclosed last month that his wife owns... more »

• BP official appeals medical exam order

  December 5, 2012 11:31 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A BP PLC employee has asked a federal appeals court to overturn a judge's ruling that he must submit to a medical exam to determine whether he is fit to be questioned under oath in civil litigation spawned by the Deepwater Horizon disaster. A three-judge panel of... more »

• Feds funnel millions into Gulf Coast

  December 5, 2012 7:29 AM

  HOUSTON - A report released to The Associated Press says one federal agency has already committed more than a half-billion dollars to the Gulf Coast in the past two years, nearly one-fifth of it on projects directly linked to recovery from the 2010 oil spill. The U.S. Department of... more »

• 3 BP employees arraigned on Gulf oil spill charges

  November 28, 2012 3:44 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Two BP rig supervisors and a former BP executive have pleaded not guilty to criminal charges in the deadly Deepwater Horizon rig explosion and the company's response to the massive 2010 spill in the Gulf of Mexico. BP well site leaders Robert Kaluza and Donald Vidrine and... more »

• BP arraigned in oil spill case, pleads not guilty

  November 27, 2012 3:21 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A lawyer for BP PLC entered a not-guilty plea for the company as it was arraigned on charges stemming from a deadly 2010 rig explosion and massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The plea Tuesday in federal court was a procedural move paving the... more »

• Judge sets meeting to discuss BP plea deal

  November 26, 2012 11:20 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge has rescheduled a closed-door meeting to discuss BP's agreement to plead guilty to criminal charges stemming from its deadly 2010 rig explosion and response to the massive Gulf oil spill. U.S. District Judge Sarah Vance had planned to meet Thursday in her chambers with... more »

• Oysters available for holiday tables

  November 20, 2012 4:03 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Grocers and a leading oyster processor in Louisiana say supplies for holiday tables appear to be ample this year, but the news is not all good. The state Wildlife and Fisheries Department said late Tuesday that commercial oyster harvests east of the Mississippi River are at historic... more »

• Environmental group says BP penalty isn't enough

  November 15, 2012 4:06 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Lawyers for two BP oil rig workers say the Justice Department is trying to make scapegoats out of them. The two were indicted today on federal charges including manslaughter, in the deaths of 11 workers in the rig explosion that led to the Gulf oil spill two... more »

• BP executive charged with lying to authorities

  November 15, 2012 1:16 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Two men who worked for BP during the 2010 Gulf oil spill disaster have been charged with manslaughter and a third with lying to federal investigators, according to indictments made public Thursday, hours after BP announced it was paying $4.5 billion in a settlement with the U.S.... more »

• BP settles with US for $4.5 billion in Gulf spill

  November 15, 2012 7:36 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder will speak in New Orleans about the government's $4.5 billion settlement with BP over the massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The Department of Justice said Holder and top U.S. officials will hold a news conference at 1:00 p.m.... more »

• Judge asked to extend deadline in BP settlement

  November 14, 2012 2:22 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - BP and a team of plaintiffs' attorneys are urging a federal judge to extend a deadline for businesses and individuals to revoke their requests to opt out of a proposed class-action settlement of economic damage claims spawned by the Gulf oil spill. Potential claimants had until Nov.... more »

• Judge won't dismiss charge faced by ex-BP engineer

  November 8, 2012 2:21 PM

  NEW ORLEANS- A federal judge has refused to throw out one of the two obstruction of justice charges faced by a former BP engineer in connection with the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Kurt Mix is accused of deleting text messages about BP's response to the disaster. Defense lawyers... more »

• Federal judge urged to approve BP settlement

  November 8, 2012 10:49 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - BP PLC and a team of plaintiffs' attorneys are urging a federal judge to give final approval to a proposed class-action settlement of economic damage claims spawned by the massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier is holding a "fairness... more »

• Judge to hold fairness hearing on BP settlement

  November 8, 2012 7:47 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge in New Orleans is set to preside over a fairness hearing for a proposed class-action settlement of economic damage claims spawned by BP's 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. During Thursday's hearing, the London-based oil giant and a team of private... more »

• Recipients picked for BP tourism, seafood grants

  November 7, 2012 3:17 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - More than 100 nonprofit groups and government entities have been picked to get shares of $43.7 million in BP funds to promote the Gulf Coast's tourism and seafood industries following the company's 2010 oil spill. The first round of grants announced Wednesday by court-supervised claims administrator Patrick... more »

• Thousands opting out of BP spill settlement

  November 1, 2012 10:03 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - The architects of a proposed class-action settlement of claims spawned by the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico are confident it won't be derailed by thousands of businesses and individuals opting out of the deal. Thursday is the deadline for claimants to postmark written... more »

• La. AG seeks trial for state claims over BP spill

  October 25, 2012 4:02 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Louisiana Attorney General James "Buddy" Caldwell's office is asking a federal judge to set a trial date for some of the state's economic loss claims against BP PLC stemming from the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. In a court filing Wednesday, Caldwell's office claims... more »

• BP: Source of sheen from equipment

  October 18, 2012 3:25 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - BP PLC says a sheen on the Gulf of Mexico appears to have come from oil seeping out of a piece of discarded equipment used to contain its massive 2010 oil spill. On Thursday, the company said underwater surveys determined oil probably leaked from an 86-ton steel... more »

• Crews plan visit to rig wreckage, find source of "new oil"

  October 12, 2012 10:09 PM

  NEW ORLEANS- Crews will use remotely operated vehicles to get a look at the Deepwater Horizon wreckage, and hopefully pinpoint the source of a new oil sheen in the Gulf of Mexico. This week, the sheen was connected to the BP spill in 2010. The ROV is expected to... more »

• Sheen at Deepwater Horizon disaster site is BP oil

  October 11, 2012 8:56 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard says an oil sheen near the site of the massive BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico matches oil from the 2010 disaster. The Coast Guard says its tests established the oil came from the BP well. It could be left over from... more »

• Judge tosses BP fuel dealers' brand-name claims

  October 2, 2012 2:53 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge has dismissed claims by BP fuel dealers that the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico diminished the value of the oil giant's brand and cost them business. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier's ruling Tuesday says the dealers' claims against BP PLC... more »

• Politicians blast BP, Coast Guard over spill

  October 2, 2012 1:26 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - BP PLC and the Coast Guard were excoriated Tuesday by Louisiana's Republican U.S. senator who charged the oil giant was trying to "run away from its full cleanup responsibilities" two years after the nation's worst offshore oil spill and that federal regulators are "too cozy" with BP.... more »

• After Isaac, oyster harvest struggles

  September 28, 2012 9:00 AM

  HOUMA - Hurricane Isaac wiped out many adult oysters in Louisiana waters, another blow to an industry that has been struggling in the wake of BP PLC's 2010 massive oil spill. But in a twist, the storm's raging waters also may have helped set the stage for better crops in... more »

• Study: Virtually all Ala. tar balls from BP spill

  September 20, 2012 3:59 PM

  AUBURN, Ala. - A new chemical analysis shows that virtually all the tar balls now washing on to the Alabama coast are directly linked to the BP oil spill more than two years ago. The report released Thursday by Auburn University says that tar balls caused by the spill are... more »

• Sen. Vitter labeled "most corrupt" for blocking pay raise after oil spill

  September 12, 2012 9:45 PM

  WASHINGTON, D.C.- Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington named Louisiana Senator David Vitter one of the "most corrupt." The organization names 20 members of Congress and says "most members on CREW's list violated the law and all flagrantly ignored the rules. For the majority, there have been few... more »

• BP says old oil from spill exposed by Isaac

  September 5, 2012 3:41 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - BP says Hurricane Isaac's scouring waves exposed deposits of buried tar on the Louisiana coast that were left over from its massive oil spill in 2010. Louisiana officials closed a stretch of beach near Fourchon on Tuesday after scouts said they found large tar mats. BP acknowledged... more »

• Feds vow to prove gross negligence by BP

  September 5, 2012 10:07 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - The Justice Department is urging a federal judge to ignore BP's assertion that the Gulf Coast's natural resources are making a "robust recovery" from its massive 2010 oil spill. In a strongly worded court filing, government lawyers also renewed their vow to prove BP engaged in... more »

• Old oil washes up in La. after Hurricane Isaac

  September 5, 2012 8:18 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - Old oil has washed up on some Louisiana beaches after Hurricane Isaac and officials are testing whether it's left over from BP's Deepwater Horizon spill in 2010. Officials late Tuesday restricted fishing in waters extending a mile off a roughly 13-mile stretch of coastline. The... more »

• Study: Dispersants may have hurt Gulf food chain

  July 31, 2012 4:45 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A study on possible effects of the 2010 BP oil spill indicates dispersants may have killed plankton - some of the ocean's tiniest plants and creatures - and disrupted the food chain in the Gulf of Mexico, one of the nation's richest seafood grounds. Scientists say the... more »

• Coalition offers vision for Gulf restoration

  July 18, 2012 6:56 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - More than two years after the catastrophic BP oil spill, environmental groups say billions of dollars BP is expected to spend on restoration should go toward buying tens of thousands of acres of coastal land for conservation, rebuilding Louisiana's eroding wetlands and creating nearly 200 miles of... more »

• Oil dispersant maker asks judge to toss claims

  July 13, 2012 12:00 PM

  NEW ORLEANS- The manufacturer of a chemical dispersant used to fight the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has asked a federal judge to dismiss claims over the government's use of its product. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier didn't immediately rule Friday after hearing Illinois-based Nalco Co.'s... more »

• Ex-BP engineer: Most deleted texts were routine

  July 2, 2012 4:57 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Lawyers for a former BP engineer are pressing federal prosecutors to explain how their client impeded a grand jury probe by deleting text messages about the company's response to the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. In a court filing Monday, Kurt Mix's attorneys also... more »

• Congress OK's spending BP fines on Gulf

  June 29, 2012 3:53 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Congress has voted to set aside 80 percent of water pollution fines BP PLC is expected to pay for its 2010 oil spill and spend that money on ecosystem and economic restoration in five Gulf states. The House and Senate included the provision in a transportation bill... more »

• BP, EEOC reach $5.4M deal over gender bias claims

  June 29, 2012 10:43 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - BP and its contractors have agreed to pay up to $5.4 million to resolve complaints that some women weren't considered for temporary jobs responding to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill because of their gender. The agreement announced late Thursday ends an investigation by the Equal... more »

• Va. inventor claims design for BP well cap stolen

  June 20, 2012 5:27 PM

  ATLANTA - An inventor claims his design was the basis for the cap used to choke off the flow of oil to the Gulf of Mexico nearly three months after BP's undersea well blew in 2010. And he says it was stolen. Charles Adams of Radford, Va., filed a federal... more »

• Judge caps contingency fees in BP settlement

  June 15, 2012 5:08 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge has imposed a 25 percent cap on contingency fees for attorneys whose clients resolve their claims against BP over the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico through a multibillion-dollar settlement agreement. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier's ruling Friday says lawyers who believe... more »

• Jury sides with Costner in BP spill lawsuit

  June 15, 2012 2:21 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - Kevin Costner says his reputation was at stake as he defended himself against accusations that he cheated fellow actor Stephen Baldwin out of millions of dollars in a lucrative BP contract for oil-cleaning machines after the 2010 spill. Baldwin and a friend were seeking $17 million in... more »

• More dolphins turn up stranded in Texas

  June 12, 2012 9:24 AM

  GALVESTON, Texas - More than 120 dolphins have turned up stranded in Texas since last fall and researchers are trying to figure out why. Experts are looking at the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. They're also looking at an algae bloom or other possible... more »

• Costner downplays Baldwin's role in BP deal

  June 8, 2012 12:37 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Kevin Costner says he never saw fellow actor Stephen Baldwin contribute anything to their company's effort to sell oil cleanup devices to BP in the aftermath of the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Testifying Friday at the trial for Baldwin's lawsuit against him over... more »

• Study: Job growth if BP fines used for coast

  June 6, 2012 2:42 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A study commissioned by two non-profit groups says thousands of jobs would be created along the Gulf Coast if money from BP oil spill penalties and other sources is dedicated to coastal restoration. The report by the research firm Mather Economics comes as Gulf interests press Congress... more »

• Trial opens for suit against Costner over BP deal

  June 4, 2012 10:48 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - Jury selection has begun in a legal fight between two Hollywood stars over investments in a device used to try to clean up BP's 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. In his lawsuit, actor Stephen Baldwin claims Kevin Costner and a business partner duped Baldwin... more »

• Judge eases ex-BP engineer's travel limits

  May 29, 2012 3:35 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal magistrate has agreed to ease the travel restrictions he imposed on a former BP engineer charged with deleting text messages about the company's response to the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. U.S. Magistrate Daniel Knowles III ruled Tuesday that 50-year-old Kurt Mix,... more »

• Date pushed back for start of BP spill trial

  May 4, 2012 7:36 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge has pushed back the start of a civil trial for claims against BP PLC and other companies involved in the 2010 Gulf oil spill. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier on Thursday set a date of Jan. 14, 2013. Trial had been scheduled to start... more »

• Federal protection for dwarf seahorse

  May 3, 2012 4:41 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - The government will study whether the inch-long dwarf seahorse should have federal protection. The seahorse, the smallest of four species found in U.S. waters, lives only in seagrass beds in the Gulf of Mexico. Center for Biological Diversity conservation biologist Tierra Curry says the beds have declined... more »

• BP civil claims trial pushed back

  May 3, 2012 4:10 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge has pushed back the start of a civil trial for claims against BP PLC and other companies involved in the 2010 Gulf oil spill. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier on Thursday set a date of Jan. 14, 2013. The trial had been scheduled... more »

• Ex-BP engineer pleads not guilty in spill probe

  May 3, 2012 2:45 PM

  NEW ORLEANS- Federal prosecutors say a former BP engineer was arrested last week because they feared he would leave the country for a job in Australia and not return. The engineer pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges he deleted text messages to a supervisor and a contractor to prevent them... more »

• Hundreds flock to Bicenntenial event Play Video

  April 28, 2012 5:50 PM

  BATON ROUGE- In case you haven't heard, Louisiana is turning 200. And that means plenty of people, including tourists joining in on the celebration. And those visitors are crucial for our economy. Marjorie Buffington and her husband Scott say making the trip to Louisiana from Mississippi is always worth... more »

• BP station owners want settlement money

  April 27, 2012 5:53 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Owners of service stations that sell BP-brand fuel argue they have been unfairly excluded from the proposed class-action settlement of economic damage claims spawned by the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. In a court filing Friday, lawyers for two Georgia-based companies that sell fuel... more »

• Halliburton objects to Gulf spill settlement

  April 24, 2012 10:02 PM

  Cement contractor Halliburton is objecting to a proposed $7.8 billion settlement between BP and a plaintiffs group representing more than 100,000 victims of the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Halliburton said in a filing in federal court in New Orleans late Tuesday the settlement improperly seeks to... more »

• Shrimp processors object to BP settlement terms

  April 23, 2012 12:48 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A group of Gulf Coast shrimp processors is asking a federal judge to hold off on preliminarily approval of portions of BP's proposed class-action settlement of economic damage claims spawned by the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The deal calls for BP to... more »

• Family of Deepwater Horizon victim reflects on loss two years later

  April 20, 2012 9:54 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Two years without Gordon Jones is still a hard reality for his father Keith. "I feel angry, disappointed, I feel cheated," he said. Gordon, 28-years-old when he died, had a wife, 2-year-old son Stafford, and baby boy Max on the way, he would never meet. But... more »

• Scientists: Fish are sick where BP's oil spill hit

  April 19, 2012 7:34 AM

  BARATARIA BAY - Two years after the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill, scientists say they're finding trouble with sick fish that dwell along offshore reefs and in the deep waters - especially in places where the oil spill hit the hardest. The scientists are unsure what's causing a small... more »

• Congress punts on setting aside BP fines for Gulf

  March 30, 2012 7:23 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - Congress has passed a stopgap three-month transportation bill that does not include a provision to send 80 percent of Clean Water Act fines from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill to Gulf states. The bill was passed Thursday after heated partisan debate. A Senate version of... more »

• 5,000 new claims filed after BP settlement

  March 23, 2012 10:20 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - More than 1,000 claimants have received around $27 million in the two weeks since a court-supervised administrator took over the processing of claims spawned by the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico from BP PLC's $20 billion compensation fund. A statement Friday by Patrick Juneau,... more »

• Filing of settlement expected by April 16

  March 17, 2012 10:40 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - Attorneys in the proposed multibillion dollar settlement of lawsuits against BP over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster expect to present a federal judge with the details of the proposal by April 16. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier must sign off on the agreement before it can be... more »