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• 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• Group: Dolphin, turtle deaths a sign of sick Gulf

  April 2, 2013 1:44 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A prominent environmental group says continuing deaths of dolphins and sea turtles are a sign that the Gulf of Mexico is still feeling effects from the 2010 oil spill. National Wildlife Federation scientist Doug Inkley said Tuesday the deaths - especially in dolphins, which are at the... 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 »

• Oil platform owner sued over deadly blast in Gulf

  March 26, 2013 2:08 PM

  NEW ORLEANS- Relatives of two victims of a deadly explosion on an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico are suing the platform's owner and operator. A federal lawsuit filed Monday by Ellroy Corporal's widow accuses Houston-based Black Elk Energy Offshore Operations LLC of negligently exposing workers to dangerous conditions.... more »

• Plantiffs rest in trial over 2010 Gulf oil spill

  March 20, 2013 2:17 PM

  NEW ORLEANS- Plaintiffs' attorneys have rested their case at a trial over the deadly Deepwater Horizon rig explosion and massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. A federal judge heard testimony by more than a dozen witnesses called by the Justice Department and private attorneys for Gulf Coast... more »

• Defense starts for companies in Gulf spill trial

  March 18, 2013 10:16 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - The owner of the drilling rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 has started to present its defense at a trial designed to determine the causes of the deadly disaster and assign fault to the companies involved. Transocean Ltd. called its first witness Monday... more »

• Halliburton exec testifies at Gulf spill trial

  March 11, 2013 3:41 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - An executive from the company that was BP's cement contractor on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig says he learned of some "irregularities" in tests that the contractor's employees performed after the massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Timothy Probert, a Halliburton president who served... 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 »

• 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 »

• USCG: Oil-water mix leaking after vessel hit wellhead

  February 27, 2013 10:26 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A crewboat struck an inactive wellhead in the Gulf of Mexico overnight, causing it to spew a mixture of oil and water according to the U. S. Coast Guard. They reported the vessel hit the wellhead, which is owned by Swift Energy, around 8 p.m. Tuesday.... 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 »

• Judge approves Transocean's $1B spill settlement

  February 19, 2013 10:41 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge today approved Transocean Ltd.'s agreement with the Justice Department to pay $1 billion in civil penalties for its role in the massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier said in his ruling Tuesday that he found... more »

• Cruise ship passengers arrive at New Orleans hotel

  February 15, 2013 7:46 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - Passengers from a disabled cruise ship have arrived at a hotel in New Orleans after a days-long odyssey in the Gulf of Mexico that was marked by overflowing toilets, food shortages and foul odors. Buses arrived at the Hilton in New Orleans early today and were greeted... more »

• Houston company sued over oil discharged in Gulf

  February 11, 2013 5:14 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - The Justice Department filed suit against a Houston-based company it accused of illegally dumping oil from a Gulf of Mexico platform. The federal suit filed Monday in New Orleans against ATP Oil & Gas Corp. says an Interior Department inspection last year uncovered violations of the Clean... 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 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• Transocean spill settlement heads to court

  January 9, 2013 7:38 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - Transocean Ltd. is scheduled to make an initial court appearance in New Orleans Wednesday for its plea agreement with the Justice Department over the company's role in the massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Transocean has agreed to pay $400 million in criminal... more »

• La. to see millions from Transocean settlement

  January 3, 2013 3:47 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Louisiana lawmakers trumpeted the fact that the state will see hundreds of millions of dollars as part of the federal government's $1.4 billion settlement with Transocean today over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The final terms of the settlement require Transocean, which owned the drilling rig... more »

• Feds nearing deal with Transocean over Gulf spill

  January 3, 2013 11:06 AM

  NEW ORLEANS- The Justice Department is nearing a $1.4 billion settlement with Transocean Ltd., the owner of the drilling rig that sank after an explosion killed 11 workers and spawned the massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Two people with knowledge of the negotiations say Switzerland-based Transocean... 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 »

• Source of persistent Gulf sheen remains a mystery

  December 18, 2012 4:19 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Officials say underwater inspections at the site of BP's Deepwater Horizon rig disaster have failed to identify the source of a persistent sheen on the surface of the Gulf of Mexico. The Coast Guard said Tuesday that the recent inspections confirmed BP's Macondo well, which blew out... more »

• Body identified as missing oil platform worker

  November 28, 2012 4:43 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A body found Monday in the Gulf of Mexico near Grand Isle has been identified as a Filipino worker missing since a Nov. 16 oil platform fire. Lafourche Parish Coroner Dr. John King says the body is 28-year-old Jerome Malagapo. Malagapo had been working for Grand Isle... 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 »

• Gulf oil tracts up for bid

  November 28, 2012 8:58 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - The government will auction off leases Wednesday on about 20 million acres of ocean bottom available for oil and gas production in the western Gulf of Mexico. The tracts range from 9 to up to 250 miles offshore. The last sale of western Gulf lease... more »

• Officials trying to identify body pulled from Gulf

  November 27, 2012 5:26 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - The Jefferson Parish coroner's office is trying to determine whether the decomposed body of a man recovered from the Gulf of Mexico is a worker missing since a fire erupted on an offshore oil platform on Nov. 16. The Coast Guard says the body was spotted Monday... 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 »

• Turtle protection device plans shelved by NOAA

  November 27, 2012 2:51 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Federal officials are scrapping a proposed rule that would have forced shrimpers to install devices on their nets to save endangered sea turtles. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Tuesday that it is withdrawing plans to require "turtle excluder devices" for small fishing operations that... 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 »

• Worker injured in platform fire dies

  November 23, 2012 11:56 AM

  BATON ROUGE - One of four Filipino workers injured in an explosion and fire on a Gulf oil platform died today, according to the Phillippine Embassy. Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr., said in a press release that Avelino Tajonera passed away early this morning. He said Tajonera's wife... 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• Coast Guard searching Gulf for missing crewman

  October 17, 2012 3:03 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard is searching for a missing 26-year-old Turkish crewmember approximately 230 miles south of New Orleans in the Gulf of Mexico. Officials say the second mate was last seen walking the deck of the Aqua, a Maltese-flagged 816-foot tanker vessel, Tuesday night wearing a green... 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 »

• 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 »

• Coast Guard suspends search for missing kayaker

  September 14, 2012 5:04 PM

  GRAND ISLE - The Coast Guard suspended the search today for a kayaker who didn't return from a fishing trip in the Gulf of Mexico near Grand Isle. Lt. Matt Kor said Eric Richards, 32, of Prairieville left on the trip Monday morning. They were notified Tuesday night he... more »

• Coast Guard searches for missing kayaker in Gulf

  September 12, 2012 12:41 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard is searching for a missing kayaker in a more than 600-square-mile area of the Gulf of Mexico near Grand Isle. Eric Richards, 32, of Prarieville went fishing Monday and was reported missing about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday. The Coast Guard says that after Richards didn't... more »

• Transocean, feds considered $1.5B settlement

  September 10, 2012 1:06 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Transocean Ltd. and the Justice Department have discussed a $1.5 billion settlement that would resolve federal claims over the company's role in the 2010 rig explosion that led to the nation's worst offshore oil spill. But Switzerland-based Transocean Ltd. said in a regulatory filing Monday that several... more »

• Less chance of Isaac remnant spawning new storm

  September 7, 2012 9:05 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - Weather forecasters are reducing the likelihood that a tropical weather system will develop from a remnant of Hurricane Isaac that drifted south and into the Gulf of Mexico. The National Weather Service on Friday reduced the probability of development to 20 percent. It had been 40... more »

• Remnant of Isaac lurks in Gulf

  September 6, 2012 2:25 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - If a remnant of Hurricane Isaac becomes a tropical system in the Gulf of Mexico - which forecasters say could happen - it would be a rare event. In 2005, a remnant from a tropical depression that dissipated near Puerto Rico eventually became part of a new... more »

• Nuclear agency keeping close eye on Isaac

  August 28, 2012 6:28 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says it is monitoring Hurricane Isaac as it approaches the Gulf Coast. Nuclear power plants in the Southeast have taken precautions such as tying down loose equipment, removing debris that could become airborne in winds of 75 mph or more and topping off... more »

• Isaac gaining strength in the Gulf of Mexico

  August 27, 2012 4:20 PM

  MIAMI - Tropical Storm Isaac is gaining strength as it gets closer to predicted landfall along the northern Gulf Coast. At 5 p.m. Monday, the National Hurricane Center reported that Isaac's top sustained winds had reached 70 mph (113 kph). A tropical system becomes a Category 1 hurricane once winds... more »

• Isaac could pack watery double punch for Gulf Coast

  August 27, 2012 11:06 AM

  KEY WEST - Isaac could pack a watery double punch for the Gulf Coast. The National Weather Service warns if it hits during high tide, Isaac could push floodwaters as deep as 12 feet onto shore in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and up to 6 feet in the Florida Panhandle.... more »

• Rigs, platforms evacuate Gulf ahead of Isaac

  August 26, 2012 5:10 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - The federal government says oil and gas operators are evacuating offshore platforms and rigs that could wind up in Tropical Storm Isaac's path through the Gulf of Mexico. Isaac is expected to become a Category 2 hurricane before making landfall late Tuesday or early Wednesday. The bureau... more »

• Tropical Storm Isaac expected to become hurricane

  August 23, 2012 2:46 PM

  SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Forecasters say there's still a lot of uncertainty about the path that Tropical Storm Isaac will take. It's expected to head toward Florida as a hurricane by Monday, but the National Hurricane Center says some forecast models show it could go further west into the... more »

• TS Helene re-forms in Gulf of Mexico

  August 17, 2012 5:06 PM

  GULF OF MEXICO - The Mexican government issued a tropical storm warning for the coast of Mexico after Air Force hurricane hunters determined that Tropical Storm Helene reformed in the Bay of Campeche today. The storm is headed for the Mexican coast and could be pushed along the coast... more »

• System for stopping an oil spill tested in Gulf

  July 25, 2012 8:06 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A consortium set up after the 2010 BP spill to develop methods for containing deep-sea spills is conducting a test of its state-of-the-art equipment with federal regulators looking on. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said the drill began Tuesday morning. The Houston-based Marine... more »

• System for stopping an oil spill tested in Gulf

  July 24, 2012 2:29 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A consortium set up after the 2010 BP spill to develop methods for containing deep-sea spills is conducting a test of its state-of-the-art equipment with federal regulators looking on. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said the drill began Tuesday morning. The Houston-based Marine Well Containment... more »

• New report ties cold Gulf water, dolphin deaths

  July 18, 2012 4:25 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Researchers say snowmelt that chilled coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico may have contributed to baby dolphin deaths in the winter of 2011. A new research paper says 86 baby dolphins are known to have been aborted or died shortly after birth during the period. Researcher... 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 »

• 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 »

• Debby's slow march through Gulf drenches Florida

  June 25, 2012 7:35 AM

  MIAMI - The National Hurricane Center is changing the tropical storm warning area along the Gulf coast as Debby meanders near Florida. Debby is drenching the state with rain and has caused flooding. The tropical storm warning area shifted farther south Monday to encompass much of Florida's Gulf coast. Debby... more »

• The heat remains, all eyes on the Gulf

  June 22, 2012 9:01 AM

  The forecast will remain warm and dry for the next seven days as South Louisiana's weather pattern will continue to be dominated by a large high pressure system centered just off the east coast. This area of high pressure will serve to push temperatures into the low 90s as... more »

• Report: Southeast, Gulf need deeper port harbors

  June 21, 2012 2:32 PM

  SAVANNAH, Ga. - A federal agency says seaports in the Southeast region need the most help getting ready to trade with supersized cargo ships expected to arrive soon through an expanded Panama Canal. A report to Congress released Thursday by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says ports on the... 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 »

• Mississippi mud may be used to stave off erosion

  June 19, 2012 5:12 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - There's mud - lots of it - flowing down the Mississippi River and getting washed out into the Gulf of Mexico every day. Now, in an effort to help stave off the catastrophic loss of the mighty river's threatened delta, the Army Corps of Engineers says it... 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 »

• 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 »

• Gulfport man gets 12.5 years for oil spill fraud

  June 7, 2012 5:09 PM

  GULFPORT, Miss. - A Gulfport man, identified as the mastermind of a family scheme to illegally obtain about $100,000 in oil spill recovery money, has been sentenced to more than 12 years in prison. The Sun Herald reports U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden sentenced 50-year-old Bobby Earl Keys to 12½... more »

• Judge outlines new plan for Gulf oil spill trial

  May 31, 2012 10:16 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge has outlined a new structure for a trial of Gulf oil spill claims that wouldn't be resolved by a proposed class-action settlement between BP PLC and a team of plaintiffs' attorneys. In an order Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier said the trial scheduled... more »

• One injured in Gulf platform fire

  May 29, 2012 5:32 PM

  VENICE- Coast Guard crews from South Louisiana are working a platform fire about 20 miles off Louisiana's shoreline. One tank caught fire this morning on a platform owned by Energy XXI. Seven people were on the platform when the fire started; all were evacuated but one person was injured.... 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 »

• Coast Guard responds to downed helicopter in Gulf

  May 28, 2012 5:07 PM

  GRAND ISLE - A Coast Guard spokesperson confirmed to News 2 a helicopter crashed into the Gulf of Mexico earlier this afternoon. Petty Officer Steve Lehman said at 4:13 p.m. they received a report of a downed PHI helicopter with only one person on board. Lehman said the... more »

• Shipwreck discovered off Louisiana's coast Play Video

  May 18, 2012 5:55 PM

  METAIRIE - There is buried treasure off the coast of Louisiana, but the scientists who explored it will not say exactly where it is: they do not want to risk anyone trying to loot the sunken ship, though it would be very difficult to do so. Scientists with the... more »

• Shipwreck discovered off Gulf of Mexico

  May 18, 2012 11:14 AM

  NEW ORLEANS- Gin bottles, cannons, muskets and ceramic dinnerware, some 200 years old, have been discovered at a shipwreck site in little-chartered waters off the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Scientists say the site, about 200 miles off the coast and about 4,000 feet deep, is one of... 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 »

• 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 »

• Gulf residents to get extra $64M for spill claims

  April 20, 2012 7:28 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - The Justice Department says more than $64 million will be paid to about 7,300 people and businesses whose claims with BP's $20 billion compensation fund were shortchanged or wrongfully denied after the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The department recently announced that an independent... 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 »

• Studies start to look at tiny victims of oil spill

  March 22, 2012 11:58 AM

  NEW ORLEANS- Nearly two years after oil from BP's busted well in the Gulf of Mexico fouled coastal marshes, scientists are studying the impact on some of the area's tiniest residents: bugs. It's an important effort because insects and spiders are a food source for larger animals, and also because... more »

• Gulf oil spill response consortium better equipped

  March 2, 2012 11:05 AM

  NEW ORLEANS- A consortium set up by major oil companies to clean up offshore oil spills by quickly marshaling boom and skimmers says it has expanded its resources. The Times-Picayune reports that the Marine Spill Response Corp. now has seven response vessels and that it has bought more than 21,000... more »

• Laura Bush gives final grants for Gulf libraries

  March 1, 2012 6:44 AM

  CHALMETTE - Former First Lady Laura Bush visits Chalmette to announce the recipients of her foundation's final grants to help hurricane-affected school libraries rebuild their collections. Bush will unveil the 12 recipients of the Laura W. Bush Foundation for America's Libraries during Thursday's event at Chalmette High School, the first... more »

• BP, plaintiffs focus on Gulf oil spill settlement

  February 27, 2012 5:29 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - It was supposed to be the week when BP PLC and other companies went on trial for the nation's worst offshore oil spill. Instead, oil giant BP is getting another week to try to hash out a settlement with a committee overseeing scores of lawsuits arising from... more »

• UGA scientists to study effects of Gulf oil spill

  February 21, 2012 6:42 AM

  ATHENS, Ga. - Three University of Georgia scientists have received a three-year grant to study the effects of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. University of Georgia marine scientist Samantha Joye and UGA colleagues Patricia Medeiros and Christof Meile have received a $1.3 million... more »

• House sets aside Gulf oil spill fines for coast

  February 17, 2012 5:45 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - The U.S. House has approved setting aside 80 percent of fines from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill for environmental restoration work on the Gulf Coast. Late Thursday, the House voted to add an amendment setting aside 80 percent of the fines to the Gulf Coast.... more »

• U.S. urges for openess at Gulf oil spill trial

  February 10, 2012 3:04 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - The federal government's lead lawyer in an upcoming trial over fault in the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill is urging judges to make sensitive business documents and testimony public. Mike Underhill, a U.S. Justice Department lawyer, made his comments Friday at a pre-trial hearing before U.S.... more »

• Company sued over 2004 oil spill in Gulf of Mexico

  February 2, 2012 2:14 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - An environmental watchdog group is suing the company it blames for an oil spill 11 miles off the coast of Louisiana that allegedly has been flowing into the Gulf of Mexico for more than seven years. In a federal lawsuit filed Thursday in New Orleans, the Waterkeeper... more »

• BP, 2 others face more citations in Gulf spill

  November 28, 2011 1:55 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Obama administration says BP and two other companies are likely to face new citations for alleged safety and environmental violations stemming from last year's Gulf oil spill. Michael Bromwich, head of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, says the upcoming notices stem from reviews that... more »

• BP loses 2 big Gulf oil spill rulings

  November 15, 2011 1:58 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - BP has lost two big rulings in its fight to shield itself from potentially having to pay billions of dollars more in damages related to the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history. A federal judge ruled Tuesday that BP PLC is not entitled to coverage... more »

• Transocean claims indemnity under BP contract

  November 1, 2011 5:34 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Transocean, the company that owned the drilling rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico last year, argued in court documents filed Tuesday that its contract with BP shields it from having to pay for the largest offshore spill in the nation's history. In court documents... more »

• Bacteria may have caused dolphin abortions, deaths

  October 27, 2011 5:17 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Dolphin experts say common bacteria known to cause abortions in marine mammals killed some of the hundreds of dolphins that have washed ashore in the northern Gulf of Mexico since February 2010. More than 100 of the dead dolphins were babies or fetuses. But Teri Rowles... more »

• BP step closer to drilling new Gulf wells

  October 21, 2011 2:39 PM

  BP is a step closer to being allowed to drill new deepwater wells in the Gulf of Mexico. The agency that regulates offshore drilling said Friday it has approved a supplemental exploration plan submitted by BP. The British firm still must obtain permits to be able to start... more »

• BP, 2 other companies cited over Gulf oil spill

  October 12, 2011 5:20 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Federal regulators have cited oil company BP PLC and two other companies - Transocean Ltd. and Halliburton - for alleged safety and environmental violations stemming from last year's rig explosion and massive oil spill in the Gulf. The companies have 60 days to appeal Wednesday's citations... more »

• BP applies for first gulf drilling permit since explosion

  September 26, 2011 5:49 PM

  BATON ROUGE- BP has applied for its first Gulf of Mexico drilling permit in the Gulf of Mexico since the Deepwater Horizon explosion and spill. It was filed last week, one week after BP was cited in a federal report for several violations related to the disaster. Some... more »