BP Oil Spill: Fines From Clean Water Act Will Go To Restoration

March 12, 2012

The Senate approved Thursday using the bulk of water pollution fines stemming from the 2010 Gulf oil spill to pay for restoration in five Gulf states, a move hailed by environmental groups and state officials.
 
The money is tied to a transportation bill that the Senate still must pass.
 
BP PLC could be fined between $5.4 billion to $21.1 billion under the Clean Water Act, depending on whether the company is found grossly negligent.

Read more

Oil spill response system tested in Honolulu Harbor

March 2, 2012

HONOLULU – Crewmembers aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Kukui and members of the District Response Advisory Team conducted an exercise in Honolulu Harbor to test the cutter's Spilled Oil Recovery System, Thursday.

The annual exercise is conducted to test both the equipment and the crewmembers response in the event of an oil spill. The goal of the training is to ensure the crew’s efficiency in using and deploying the equipment in order to minimize response time.

Read more

MSRC Completes Gulf of Mexico Expansion

March 3, 2012

The Marine Spill Response Corporation reports that it has completed its Gulf of Mexico expansion program known as Deep Blue. The new response capabilities created under this program are now ready to respond to an oil spill incident, if and when necessary.
 
The key objectives of this expansion program include:

Increasing the effectiveness of mechanical recovery by:

 •Expanding the number of dedicated oil spill response and recovery platforms in the Gulf of Mexico
 •Increasing the ability to utilize commercial Platform Supply Vessels (PSVs) and Multi-Purpose Support Vessels (MPSVs) to reinforce MSRC's existing dedicated platforms
 •Enhancing the ability to find and encounter oil on the water's surface
 
Increasing the effectiveness of other key response tools, including:

 •Expanding dispersant capability
 •Expanding controlled burning capability

Read More

Small Town Gets Court To Ban Fracking

March 1, 2012

Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," has been linked to everything from polluted water to earthquakes but the rush toward developing the practice hasn't slowed much.

Although, residents of small towns across New York state have something to be hopeful for. They were successful in banning the practice, for now.

Could this be how the controversy is resolved?

This week, a New York state judge ruled that the town of Dryden, N.Y., could prohibit fracking as part of its zoning ordinance. It's one of 30 towns throughout central and southern New York that have taken the step. State environmental officials in New York placed a moratorium on fracking while they come up with new regulations to cover oil and gas drilling in the underground geological deposits.

Read more.