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• 200 gallons of gas spilled in Bossier Parish

  June 18, 2013 2:22 PM

  BENTON- Hazardous materials crews are on the scene of a gas spill in Bossier Parish. Lt. Bill Davis of the Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office says it happened just before noon at an Exxon gas station on Highway 3 at Highway 162. KTBS-TV reports a motorist apparently hit a hose attached... more »

• Constitutional limits on oil spill money fails

  June 17, 2013 2:52 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Attempts to limit Gulf Coast oil spill penalty money to coastal restoration in the Louisiana Constitution failed to gain legislative passage for a second year in a row. Disagreements continue over just how tightly the dollars should be restricted. Rep. Simone Champagne of Erath says she wants... more »

• Cleanup work after BP oil spill ending in 3 states

  June 10, 2013 2:36 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - BP PLC says cleanup work is ending in three of the states affected by the company's massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The London-based oil giant said Monday that the Coast Guard is concluding "active cleanup operations" in Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, but the... more »

• 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 »

• OSHA impersonator gets 57 months in oil spill scam

  May 17, 2013 4:21 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A woman has been sentenced to 57 months in prison for bilking Gulf Coast residents by posing as a federal safety official after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The U.S. Justice Department said Friday that 47-year-old Connie Knight, formerly of Belle Chasse, had claimed to be... 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• Ark. AG plans to open investigation into oil spill

  April 2, 2013 10:24 AM

  LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel is going to open an investigation into the cause and impact of last week's ExxonMobil pipeline rupture. McDaniel's office said Tuesday that ExxonMobil has been asked to preserve all documents and information related to Friday's oil spill and ongoing cleanup efforts... 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 »

• Cement truck spill closes highway

  March 15, 2013 4:09 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A cement truck spill closed a busy Baton Rouge highway this afternoon, according to city police. Cpl. L'Jean McKneely said the truck spilled cement on Jefferson Highway near Corporate Boulevard this afternoon. The road re-opened just after 4:30 p.m., after the hardened cement was cleared... 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 »

• Coast Guard: No oil found after reports of inland spill

  March 11, 2013 11:47 AM

  PLAQUEMINE - The Coast Guard said they found no oil at the site of a reported spill near Plaquemine. Commander Quincy Davis said they were told Saturday an oil spill was spotted about 10 miles south of the Port Allen Locks. He also said the person who reported it... 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 »

• Judge watches videotape of ex-BP CEO's testimony

  February 27, 2013 10:42 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - The judge in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill trial has watched videotaped testimony from former BP chief executive Tony Hayward. Hayward was head of the London-based oil giant in 2010 when there was an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig. Eleven workers were killed and... 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 »

• Oil sheen spotted after barge collision on Miss. River

  February 15, 2013 10:48 AM

  BATON ROUGE- The Coast Guard says a collision between two barges spilled less than 400 gallons of oil into the Mississippi River at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge. No injuries were reported after one of the barges struck another that was offloading fuel at a transfer station Thursday night.... more »

• Barge hits Miss. River bridge: Oil cleanup ongoing

  January 28, 2013 8:49 AM

  JACKSON, Miss.- The Coast Guard says a normally bustling stretch of the Mississippi River remains closed to barge and ship traffic as cleanup crews with booms work to remove an oily sheen near Vicksburg after a barge with 80,000 gallons of oil hit a railroad bridge last weekend. Coast Guard... more »

• Bayou Sorrel oil spill bigger than original estimate Play Video

  January 23, 2013 6:19 PM

  BAYOU SORREL - On January 3, 2013, a pipeline burst spilling over 100 barrels of crude oil into the Frog Lake area of Bayou Sorrel. Firefighters and Hazmat crews initiated a controlled burn last Saturday, which was unsuccessful. After a helicopter flyover this morning, the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed... 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• Feds say delay worsened 2011 oil spill

  January 2, 2013 1:07 PM

  BILLINGS, Mont. - Federal investigators say Exxon Mobil Corp.'s delayed response to a pipeline break beneath Montana's Yellowstone River made the spill far worse than it otherwise would have been. Department of Transportation investigators say the volume of the 1,500-barrel spill could have been cut by about two-thirds if pipeline... more »

• No oil spill seen at Shell drill ship in Alaska

  January 1, 2013 11:26 AM

  ANCHORAGE, Alaska - An overnight Coast Guard flight over an Alaska drilling rig that ran aground in shallow water on New Year's Eve found no signs of a fuel spill. But officials at a unified command center run by the Coast Guard, Royal Dutch Shell PLC, state responders and others... 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• Road re-opened after fire, oil spill

  November 23, 2012 11:32 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A fire destroyed a bus maintenance building this morning and spilled oil into the nearby streets, according the Baton Rouge Fire Department. The building at 7106 Greenwell Springs Road and equipment inside were a total loss, according to Curt Monte with BRFD. The fire was... 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 »

• AG Holder: Investigation of BP spill to continue

  November 15, 2012 2:21 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder says the BP settlement is the just the latest step in ongoing efforts to seek justice for the massive 2010 Gulf oil spill. Holder said at a news conference that the settlement announced Thursday isn't the end of federal authorities' efforts and... 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• ExxonMobil reports minor oil spill in Miss. River

  September 5, 2012 11:14 AM

  BATON ROUGE -A minor crude oil spill was reported this morning by the ExxonMobil Baton Rouge Refinery. Lana Sonnier Venable, ExxonMobil spokeswoman for Baton Rouge, said the spill in the river at its Mississippi River docks is less than five barrels of crude oil and was stopped immediately after... 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 »

• Police identify, cite drivers in I-10 wreck Play Video

  August 24, 2012 4:39 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Police identified and issued citations to two drivers in the crash which caused a chemical spill and closed I-10 in Baton Rouge earlier this week. Cpl. L'Jean McKneely said two wrecks caused the pile-up and spill around 3:45 a.m. Wednesday on I-10 East near the I-10/12... more »

• LSP: Keeping hazardous loads off interstates not an option Play Video

  August 23, 2012 5:54 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A chemical spill which shut down a portion of I-10 in Baton Rouge all day Wednesday caused some people to question whether dangerous materials should be hauled through the capital city. However, authorities say big rigs transport hazardous materials through Louisiana every day, and keeping them... more »

• Traffic signals slowly returning to normal

  August 23, 2012 10:12 AM

  BATON ROUGE - State traffic engineers said they are working to return traffic signals in Baton Rouge back to their normal settings after a chemical spill on the interstate caused traffic jams yesterday. The lights along major arteries such as Airline Highway were switched to allow traffic going certain... more »

• Burning event set for midnight, drivers should plan for I-10 to be closed

  August 22, 2012 10:49 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Emergency crews are planning a burn off of chemicals inside an overturned tanker truck on I-10 to start about midnight. There's no word on if I-10 will be reopen for the morning drive. Drivers should plan on it being closed. But, monitor WBRZ.com and 2une-In for updates.... more »

• Shelter open for people evacuated from Baton Rouge neighborhood

  August 22, 2012 10:37 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The Red Cross opened a shelter for the people evacuated from an area around a hazardous materials crash on I-10. Overnight, crews will burn the chemicals inside a tanker that overturned earlier Wednesday. The shelter is open at the Nairn Park Gymnasium located at 2800 Nairn... more »

• Small evacuation, controlled burn may take place for spill Play Video

  August 22, 2012 5:54 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Authories said Hazmat teams may use a controlled burn tonight to clear spilled butane from a closed portion of I-10, which would require a small number of people near the site to be evacuated. At a press conference in the Mayor's Office of Homeland Security and... more »

• Police release details about wreck which closed I-10

  August 22, 2012 5:32 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Police said the wreck and chemical spill which shut down I-10 in Baton Rouge all day today actually stemmed from two wrecks early this morning. Cpl. L'Jean McKneely said two separate crashes happened on I-10 East just east of the I-10/12 split. He said two people... more »

• EBR Schools adding buses to deal with traffic jams

  August 22, 2012 1:08 PM

  BATON ROUGE- More school buses will be on the streets when the school day ends Wednesday. About 20 buses will be added to regular routes since the accident on I-10 has gridlocked city streets. "The East Baton Rouge Parish School System has experienced service delays with many of... more »

• LSP: I-10 closure to last through the night Play Video

  August 22, 2012 10:22 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana State Police said a wreck and chemical spill which closed I-10 in Baton Rouge will likely keep the interstate closed through the night. Trooper Russell Graham said Hazmat crews are working to make the scene safe, after a tanker full of iso-butane wrecked and spilled... 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 »

• 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 »

• DEQ demands timeline on benzene spill

  July 24, 2012 8:41 AM

  BATON ROUGE - State officials want to know exactly when ExxonMobil Chemical Plant staff knew that the amount of released naphtha, which includes benzene, was much higher than originally reported in the wake of a June 14 spill at the Baton Rouge facility. The Department of Environmental Quality issued a... 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 »

• New oil spill claims administrator meets with lawmakers Play Video

  June 28, 2012 5:54 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The new court appointed claims administrator for the BP oil spill made a stop at the State Capitol today. Pat Juneau of Lafayette replaced Kenneth Feinberg earlier this year. Today, he highlighted the work being done at more than a dozen claims centers, including one in... more »

• DEQ investigates chemical spill

  June 22, 2012 9:56 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The Department of Environmental Quality is investigating a spill that happened at the ExxonMobil Chemical Plant. A report from the plant earlier this wekk said the spill on June 14 turned out to be much larger than initially reported, which prompted the investigation. News 2's... 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 »

• Sentencing in oil spill fraud case postponed

  June 13, 2012 6:34 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge has agreed to postpone a sentencing hearing for a woman who pleaded guilty to submitting a fraudulent claim for money from BP's oil spill compensation fund. Rokeisha Barrios was scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday, but U.S. District Judge Sarah Vance agreed to delay the... 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 »

• Residents, businesses benefit from ExxonMobil oil spill

  June 5, 2012 5:54 PM

  LIVONIA- After an estimated 80,000 gallons of oil were cleaned up in Pointe Coupee Parish, residents and businesses are seeing a big benefit from ExxonMobil's cleanup effort. "I'm well pleased with Exxon and all their employees," said Melva Williams, who lives near the spill site, "If I had another... more »

• Pointe Coupee oil spill cleanup wrapping up

  June 5, 2012 10:40 AM

  TOLBERT- Cleanup efforts have completed at an oil spill site in Pointe Coupee Parish and now ExxonMobil is shifting to reclamation and remediation work. ExxonMobil says they've done everything they can to ensure a successful cleanup at the site where more than 80,000 gallons of oil reportedly spilled from... 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 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 »

• 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 »

• Man accused of defrauding spill victims' fund

  May 15, 2012 7:32 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - Federal prosecutors say a 41-year-old businessman who moved to New Orleans from Georgia after the catastrophic BP oil spill in 2010 has been charged with defrauding a compensation fund set up for victims. The Justice Department says Dwayne Smith was charged last week on one count of... 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• 1st person arrested in BP oil spill makes bail

  April 24, 2012 3:00 PM

  HOUSTON- The first person arrested in the BP oil spill is being released on $100,000 bail. The former BP engineer, Kurt Mix, is accused of deleting more than 300 text messages about the amount of oil flowing from the blown-out well and the company's failed attempts to plug the... 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 »

• 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 »