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• 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• Plan July 6 to outline spending of BP spill fines

  February 4, 2013 10:16 AM

  HOUMA - The committee set up to manage most environmental fines going to the states affected by the BP oil spill of 2010 says it will release its plan July 6. The Courier reports that a seven-page document released last week by the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council includes a... 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• Judge delays start of BP spill trial

  October 26, 2012 10:47 AM

  NEW ORLEANS- A federal judge - citing the distractions of Mardi Gras and the Super Bowl - has postponed the trial designed to identify causes of the BP well blowout that spawned the massive 2010 Gulf of Mexico. The trial had been scheduled to start Jan. 14, but U.S. District... 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• Attorney asks judge to make BP employee testify

  February 12, 2012 4:14 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Lawyers for the owners of the drilling rig that exploded at the start of the 2010 oil spill are asking a federal judge to make a key witness talk to them before their trial. Attorneys for Transocean want to interview Donald Vidrine, who was BP's well site... more »

• La., Ala. can seek punitive oil spill damages

  November 15, 2011 11:16 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge says Alabama and Louisiana can pursue punitive damages against BP and other companies involved in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster that killed 11 and spewed millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier (BAHR' bee aye)... more »

• Post-oil spill tests may delay oyster season in La

  October 7, 2011 4:37 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Louisiana may delay the start of the oyster season on most public seed grounds while scientists collect oysters and sediment to check for any damage from last year's BP PLC oil spill. Harry Blanchet, a biologist with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, had said... more »

• Study: BP oil spill hurt common La. marsh fish

  September 27, 2011 3:00 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Contrary to public perception that last summer's BP oil spill did little damage to marine life in Louisiana, a new study says a common fish in the marshes was hurt severely by the spill and now is turning up deformed and may be unable to reproduce properly.... more »

• New evidence cites more BP oil spill mistakes

  September 13, 2011 4:56 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Interviews and documents obtained by The Associated Press show a BP scientist identified a previously unreported deposit of flammable gas that could have played a role in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. But the oil giant failed to divulge the finding to government investigators for at... more »

• Oil spill fund wants Miss. case in federal court

  August 15, 2011 5:18 PM

  JACKSON, Miss. - The administrator of BP's $20 billion oil spill fund wants a federal court to preside over a Mississippi lawsuit, instead of the state court where the suit was filed. Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood has said Washington lawyer Kenneth Feinberg isn't properly handling the fund for... more »

• Oil still problem on Mississippi islands

  August 10, 2011 12:40 PM

  OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. - Mats of oil are still in evidence along Horn Island's west end, more than a year after the BP oil disaster. BP spokesman Ray Melick tells The SunHerald that the company is gearing up to return to Horn Island with sand-cleaning crews as soon as... more »

• La. seeks over half billion in BP-funded projects

  July 11, 2011 4:55 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal says the state will seek approval for more than a half billion dollars in projects to restore coastal areas and fisheries affected by last year's huge BP oil spill. The money would come from $1 billion that BP agreed to spend in... more »

• Websites told to remove Hayward deposition video

  July 6, 2011 10:33 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A judge has ordered that video clips of a deposition former BP chief Tony Hayward gave last month in ongoing Gulf of Mexico oil spill litigation be removed from the sites of News Corp. online newspaper The Daily and Google Inc.'s YouTube. U.S. Magistrate Judge Sally... more »

• Transocean: BP decisions led to Gulf disaster

  June 22, 2011 7:02 AM

  ATLANTA- An internal investigation by the owner of the rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico last year largely blames oil giant BP for the disaster. The Transocean report released Wednesday says the April 20, 2010, Deepwater Horizon explosion and resulting oil spill was the result of a succession... more »

• Nungesser to make political announcement today

  June 20, 2011 4:12 AM

  BELLE CHASSE- Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser is expected to officially announce his run for lieutenant governor today. Nungesser considered running for the position last fall in the special election won by Jay Dardenne but decided to make another run for parish president. He won the seat with 71-percent... more »

• La. lawmakers ask Feinberg to keep offices open

  May 25, 2011 3:22 AM

  BATON ROUGE- Louisiana legislative leaders are asking Ken Feinberg, who is overseeing the payments from a $20 billion compensation fund for victims of the oil spill, to keep open three claims offices he plans to close next week. Senate President Joel Chaisson and House Speaker Jim Tucker sent letters to... more »

• Seafood prices higher, one year after spill

  April 20, 2011 6:22 PM

  BATON ROUGE- One year after the oil spill, many seafood restaurants are still experiencing the effects of the Gulf disaster, but the biggest drawback is beginning to wane. Originally restaurants were worried about the perception of Gulf food, but recently more people are eating seafood without caution. "The perception... more »

• BP sues maker of blowout preventer

  April 20, 2011 4:52 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - BP is suing the maker of the device that failed to stop last year's calamitous Gulf oil spill, alleging negligence that the oil giant says helped cause the disaster. The British company says in papers filed in federal court in New Orleans on Wednesday that Cameron... more »

• Fla. will skip oil spill lawsuit against rig owner

  April 19, 2011 11:36 AM

  PANAMA CITY, Fla. - Florida won't join a lawsuit against the owner of the Deepwater Horizon rig that exploded a year ago, causing the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Wednesday is the deadline for joining a federal lawsuit against Transocean in New Orleans. The state... more »

• Report: Effects of spill will unfold over years

  April 12, 2011 5:35 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A new report by a prominent environmental group says the effects of the BP oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico and the animals that live in it will take place over years, if not decades. The National Wildlife Federation says it is much too soon... more »

• Governments ran up questionable bills

  April 12, 2011 11:32 AM

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• Landry: "Coast Guard won't let up" on cleanup job

  April 1, 2011 11:46 AM

  NEW ORLEANS- The commander of the New Orleans-based Coast Guard District says the BP oil spill sparked an "evolution of crisis response." Rear Adm. Mary Landry told an advocacy group the Coast Guard won't let up on cleanup efforts along the coast. Landry served as Federal On Scene... more »

• Judge: Lawyers suing BP can see engineer's emails

  March 28, 2011 3:42 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Lead attorneys for people suing BP over last year's oil spill can view emails exchanged between a key engineer for the oil giant and his wife, a federal magistrate judge ruled Monday. Judge Sally Shushan said the marital privilege doctrine does not protect the emails Brian... more »

• Probe: Pipe piece caused blowout preventer failure

  March 23, 2011 11:19 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal probe has found that a trapped piece of drill pipe prevented a key failsafe device from properly sealing off the blown oil well that caused last year's massive Gulf oil spill, according to a report released Wednesday. The 551-page report said the device, known... more »

• Federal government bills BP for $62 million

  March 12, 2011 9:57 AM

  NEW ORLEANS- The Obama administration has billed BP PLC. for $62 million spent responding to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The federal government sent the bill Friday. It was the 10th bill sent to BP and other companies considered responsible parties. BP is required to pay for... more »

• BP Dollars split among Louisiana parishes

  March 10, 2011 9:30 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Every parish knows how much gets handed out to boost tourism. But before it's spent the state wants an outline of where it's going. While the larger parishes haven't decided how they'll spend the money, many smaller parishes have already submitted their plans. In West Baton... more »

• Scientist: Baby dolphin deaths not unprecedented

  February 24, 2011 12:58 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal scientist says a surge of baby bottlenosed dolphin deaths has a precedent four years ago in Texas. In March 2007, 68 dolphins washed up in Galveston and Jefferson counties. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientist Blair Mase says those included an unusual number... more »

• BP calls oil spill claims formula too generous

  February 17, 2011 2:37 PM

  NEW ORLEANS- The administrator of the $20 billion fund for Gulf oil spill victims, under fire for red tape and delays, has been told by BP that his formula for determining final payments is actually too generous. A document purporting to be from a major business was posted on... more »

• Companies say they are owed millions for BP work

  February 8, 2011 3:52 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Several companies hired to help BP respond to the massive oil spill claim the company or one of its subcontractors owes them millions of dollars for their work. Ricky Myers, who owns Rhino Construction in Bay St. Louis, Miss., said Tuesday that BP contractor O'Brien's Response Management... more »

• Judge asked to intervene in BP claims process

  February 1, 2011 4:48 PM

  BATON ROUGE – Louisiana’s governor and attorney general want a judge to step in and oversee communications between people claiming a portion of BP’s oil spill compensation fund and the fund’s administrator, Ken Feinberg. Attorney General Buddy Caldwell filed the motion in federal court in New Orleans today. It asks... more »

• Ministers complain about slow payments

  January 24, 2011 4:09 PM

  METAIRIE - Sometimes chanting "Write the check," about 40 black ministers and protesters gathered at a suburban New Orleans church, demanding faster action from the BP claims process. Ministers said failure to pay fishermen and others affected by the BP oil spill has led to widespread suffering, as well as... more »

• Drilling chief wants higher fines for offenses

  January 13, 2011 12:47 PM

  WASHINGTON - The nation's top offshore drilling regulator says his agency is considering ways to increase civil penalties for companies that violate drilling rules. Current rules allow fines of up to $35,000 per incident per day. Michael Bromwich, director of the Interior Department's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management,... more »

• Breton refuge reopened after Gulf oil spill

  January 8, 2011 10:28 AM

  BRETON NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, La. - After months of being closed to the public due to the BP oil spill, the Breton National Wildlife Refuge is open again. The refuge encompasses areas at the mouth of the Mississippi River and a chain of barrier islands in Chandeleur Sound. The U.S.... more »

• A gloomy Christmas for Gulf oil spill victims

  December 23, 2010 2:46 PM

  PORT SULPHUR- The aftermath of the BP oil spill could mean a gloomy Christmas for many along the Gulf Coast. It's been more than five months since the deep-sea well was finally capped after spewing millions of gallons of crude into the Gulf. For those who were just getting... more »

• Fellow actor sues Kevin Costner over BP cleanup deal

  December 23, 2010 2:36 PM

  NEW ORLEANS- Actor Stephen Baldwin is suing fellow movie star Kevin Costner over their investments in a device that BP used to try to clean up the massive Gulf oil spill. Baldwin filed a lawsuit Wednesday and a friend says Costner and a business partner cut them out of... more »

• LDWF gets $2.56M from BP for lost license fees

  December 21, 2010 2:50 PM

  BATON ROUGE – State wildlife officials have finalized plans for BP to pay $2.56 million to cover the money lost from the decline in fishing licenses and oyster tags after the Gulf oil spill. The agreement was finalized Monday after discussions between BP officials, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and... more »

• Justice Department sues BP, others over Gulf oil spill

  December 15, 2010 1:14 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Justice Department has sued BP Exploration and Production Inc. and eight other companies in the Gulf oil spill disaster in an effort to recover billions of dollars from the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history. The Obama administration's lawsuit asks that eight companies be held liable... more »

• DHH reopens two coastal areas for oyster harvesting

  December 6, 2010 4:59 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The state Department of Health and Hospitals has cleared two more sections of the state's coastline for oyster harvesting, after they were closed due to the BP oil spill. Harvest areas 9 and 10, which are west of the Mississippi River in Plaquemines Parish, were originally... more »

• Obama: No offshore driling in East Coast waters

  December 1, 2010 11:13 AM

  WASHINGTON - In a reversal, the Obama administration says it will not pursue offshore drilling in East Coast waters, including the eastern Gulf of Mexico. A senior administration official told The Associated Press on Wednesday that because of the BP oil spill, the Interior Department will not propose any new... more »

• BP spill not only problem for oyster industry

  November 17, 2010 5:27 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - State officials have gotten a fresh reminder that many Louisiana oyster growers had problems even before the BP oil spill. A governor's advisory board on the state oyster industry heard concerns from oyster growers and processors about productive grounds that were lost due to state coastal restoration... more »

• More La. waters opened to commercial crabbing

  November 8, 2010 5:35 PM

  BATON ROUGE – State officials opened parts of Mississippi River Delta to commercial crabbing today, after crabs in the area were tested and found safe to eat. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries ordered the reopening of waters along the Delta that had previously been closed due to the... more »

• Gulf restoration task force to begin meeting

  November 4, 2010 5:28 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - President Barack Obama's task force on the restoration of the Gulf Coast is set to begin meeting to look at how the region can be fixed after the BP oil spill. The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force will have its first public meeting in Pensacola, Fla.,... more »

• Gov. Jindal announces $78 million in BP funding

  November 1, 2010 11:08 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - Gov. Bobby Jindal says BP has agreed to spend $48 million for Louisiana seafood safety and promotion programs. Jindal, during a news conference Monday, also said the oil giant has agreed to give $30 million to the state department of Culture Recreation and Tourism to promote... more »

• Chefs plan night to support Gulf seafood

  October 27, 2010 12:34 PM

  More than 150 chefs from around the nation are planning to show their support for Gulf of Mexico seafood by cooking and serving it in what's been dubbed "America's Night Out for Gulf Seafood." The Dec. 1 event will see prominent chefs serving seafood to diners, friends and family,... more »

• EPA names director for oil spill restoration panel

  October 26, 2010 4:44 AM

  A Florida native and consultant on environmental and land issues has been given the job of executive director for a panel set up to handle ecosystem restoration from the BP oil spill. John Hankinson Jr. will handle the daily affairs of the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force, a panel... more »

• BP sued over spill's toll on wildlife

  October 20, 2010 12:45 PM

  Several environmental groups are suing BP PLC for the oil spill's toll on endangered species of wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico's ecosystem. The federal suit filed Wednesday in New Orleans by Defenders of Wildlife, Gulf Restoration Network Inc. and Save the Manatee Club Inc. accuses BP of violating... more »

• Peregrine falcons checked for Gulf oil taint

  October 19, 2010 5:51 AM

  Scientists studying the aftermath of BP's oil spill are looking at whether the pollution is a renewed threat to Peregrine falcons, which rebounded from the brink of extinction a generation ago. The research may also help determine the health of species lower down the food chain in the Gulf of... more »

• DHH reopens 2 oyster harvest areas

  October 19, 2010 5:31 AM

  Two of the first oyster harvest areas closed after the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico will reopen at daybreak today. Oyster harvesting areas 12 and 13 are two of the largest and most productive along the coast, located west of the Mississippi River. Harvest Area 12 is... more »

• Fishing resumes in more areas closed by oil spill

  October 14, 2010 9:07 AM

  The state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries opened all fishing in portions of state waters within the Barataria Basin previously closed due to the BP oil spill. Fishing will reopen immediately to the harvest of finfish, crabs and shrimp in portions of state waters between Southwest Pass of the Mississippi... more »

• BP mum on future plans in Gulf

  October 13, 2010 11:48 AM

  BP wouldn't say Wednesday whether it will seek new permits to drill in the deep-water Gulf of Mexico now that the moratorium imposed after its massive spill has been lifted. Other oil companies, such as Royal Dutch Shell, have made clear their intentions to begin drilling as soon as the... more »

• Nungesser: Fight continues with BP, Coast Guard

  October 11, 2010 5:33 PM

  Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser said local officials continue to regularly fight with U.S. Coast Guard officials and BP representatives about the response to the Gulf oil spill. Nungesser said oil continues to appear in the marshland and on the shores of his parish. However, Nungesser said Monday he's concerned... more »

• Helpline set up for folks stressed by Gulf spill

  October 7, 2010 7:04 AM

  A toll-free helpline has been set up for people who need help from behavioral healthcare professionals in the wake of the BP oil spill. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has set up the oil spill distress line, using BP funds. The number to call is: 1-800-985-5990. HHS... more »

• BP suit stays in federal court

  October 6, 2010 3:03 PM

  A lawsuit that several Louisiana district attorneys filed against BP PLC over the Gulf oil spill is staying in federal court. The district attorneys for Terrebonne, St. Tammany and St. Mary parishes wanted their lawsuit transferred to state court, but U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier rejected that request Wednesday. Barbier... more »

• Panel: Low-balling oil spill number akin to Custer

  September 27, 2010 1:19 PM

  The head of a White House-appointed panel examining the BP oil spill compared the federal government's underestimate of the spill's size to Gen. George Custer's fatal lowballing the number of Indians at Little Big Horn. The two co-chairmen of the national oil spill commission on Monday said early government... more »

• Allen: Third party needed in oil spill response

  September 27, 2010 9:43 AM

  The federal official running the BP oil spill response is proposing a third party to represent polluters to correct the perception that the company is in charge of cleaning up its own mess. Incident Commander Thad Allen told the national oil spill commission that BP in no way tried to... more »

• BP says company's oil spill study had limitations

  September 26, 2010 10:55 AM

  BP's lead investigator into the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has told an independent panel of experts that the company's internal probe has limitations. Mark Bly, head of safety and operations for BP PLC, says a lack of physical evidence and interviews with employees from other companies limited BP's study.... more »

• Gulf coast eyes tourism boost from fall fishing

  September 22, 2010 12:49 PM

  The tourism industry along the northern Gulf Coast has a new bet for surviving the winter: Red snapper. The federal government has approved an unusual autumn fishing season for the popular fish, which is a favorite prey for anglers who missed nearly an entire summer of saltwater fishing because... more »

• Blown-out BP well finally killed at bottom of Gulf

  September 19, 2010 11:27 AM

  The well is dead - finally. A permanent cement plug sealed BP's well nearly 2.5 miles below the sea floor in the Gulf of Mexico, five agonizing months after an explosion sank a drilling rig and led to the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history. Retired Coast Guard Adm.... more »

• Test will tell if BP oil well can be declared dead

  September 19, 2010 9:26 AM

  Depending on the results of an overnight pressure test, government officials were expected to announce Sunday that the blown-out BP well in the Gulf of Mexico was dead, five months after an explosion killed 11 workers, sank a drilling rig and led to the worst offshore oil spill in U.S.... more »

• Cement flows for permanent plug of BP's Gulf well

  September 18, 2010 9:47 AM

  Crews are pumping cement into BP's blown-out oil well thousands of feet below the sea bottom, working to permanently seal the runaway well. Engineers initially had planned to pump in mud before the cement, but a BP spokesman said that would not be necessary. There was no pressure building inside... more »

• Oil industry: Nix higher offshore inspection fees

  September 14, 2010 12:34 PM

  The oil and gas industry says an Obama administration plan to double fees charged for inspections of offshore operations could cost jobs. American Petroleum Institute president Jack Gerard says the industry recognizes the need for improved inspections and oversight following the BP oil spill. But he says doubling... more »

• BP Investigator: 8 failures led to disaster

  September 8, 2010 8:41 AM

  The lead BP PLC investigator is saying that eight separate failures had to occur for the company's deepwater well to unleash the largest offshore oil spill in history. At a briefing in Washington Wednesday on BP's internal investigation the chief investigator Mark Bly told a room of reporters that... more »

• NFL auction to help Gulf Coast

  September 1, 2010 12:33 PM

  The NFL is hosting an online auction of signed memorabilia through the first week of the regular season to support the New Orleans Saints' Gulf Coast Renewal Fund. The charity auction on the league's website is among festivities planned around the opening of the regular season on Sept. 9,... more »

• Obama to commemorate Katrina on 5th anniversary

  August 27, 2010 12:40 PM

  President Barack Obama will use the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina to reaffirm his commitment to the Gulf Coast amid lingering questions over his administration's response to the BP oil spill. Obama ends his Martha's Vineyard vacation Sunday and heads to New Orleans, five years to the day from... more »

• Former offshore drilling chief expresses regret

  August 25, 2010 2:17 PM

  The head of the agency overseeing offshore drilling at the time of the BP oil spill says she deeply regrets that the accident occurred when she was in charge. The comments Wednesday at a hearing of the presidential commission investigating the spill are the first from Elizabeth Birnbaum since she... more »

• Scientists map invisible oil plume deep in gulf

  August 19, 2010 1:19 PM

  Scientists are reporting the first conclusive evidence of a deep underwater oil plume from the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico. But don't go looking for it. It's invisible. A team from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts mapped a 22-mile-long mist of oil with special... more »

• BP accused of withholding spill data

  August 19, 2010 11:37 AM

  The owner of the Deepwater Horizon rig is accusing BP of withholding critical evidence needed to identify the cause of the worst maritime oil spill in history. In a sternly worded letter obtained by The Associated Press, Transocean says that lack of information is preventing the company from informing... more »

• La. shrimpers worry about prices for new season

  August 16, 2010 5:12 AM

  Today is the opening of a new commercial season for Louisiana shrimpers. There is uncertainty over low prices, whether consumers will buy their catch and if any danger still exists from the massive BP oil spill. Harlon Pearce, chairman of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, was optimistic that... more »

• Miss. waters reopen for shrimping and fin-fishing

  August 6, 2010 4:02 PM

  Authorities are reopening all of Mississippi's territorial waters in the Gulf of Mexico for all commercial and recreational shrimping and fin-fishing. The order takes effect at 5 p.m. Friday and includes waters south of the barrier islands, which are about 12 miles off the coastline. Some shrimping and fishing had... more »

• Allen: The job is not finished on Gulf oil spill

  August 4, 2010 8:50 AM

  The government's point man on the oil spill response says engineers will still try to firm up the now-plugged Gulf leak through a relief well. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen told WWL-TV in New Orleans on Wednesday that pumping mud down the throat of the blown-out well quelled... more »

• New homes For animals of oil spill

  August 2, 2010 11:21 AM

  About 50 dogs, some of them abandoned by owners after the BP oil spill are on their way to new homes in Virginia, courtesy of an animal welfare group and actress Pamela Anderson. Anderson serves as the honorary chairman of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. She was... more »

• NC expert: Gulf oil unlikely to reach East Coast

  July 29, 2010 10:16 AM

  An expert on marine sciences and coastal circulation says it's unlikely oil from BP's massive spill in the Gulf of Mexico will reach the East Coast. Roy He of North Carolina State University said Thursday the chances are low in part because the well is capped for now. BP... more »

• Feds, farmers create habitats for migrating birds

  July 29, 2010 4:51 AM

  The government is doling out $20 million to farmers in eight states to create habitats for migratory birds whose usual Gulf wintering spots may be covered in oil. The farmers are being paid to keep their rice, crawfish and soybean fields flooded for months longer than usual. Biologists with the... more »