GOMURC member consortia on Facebook– Alabama at https://www.facebook.com/disealab, Florida at https://www.facebook.com/floridainstituteofoceanography
Posts by Andy Shepard
BP settlement
State and local government claims against BP reported this week with BP financial report total $34B– http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/05/us-bp-spill-claims-idUSBRE91419T20130205. Federal trial still set for Feb 25, 2013, although parties still negotiating– http://www.nbcnews.com/id/50698646/ns/business-oil_and_energy/.
Legislation
S96, Rigs to Reefs Habitat Protection Act, introduced by Sen. Vitter (AL) to authorize the use of certain offshore oil and gas platforms in the Gulf of Mexico for artificial reefs, and for other purposes– http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-113s96is/pdf/BILLS-113s96is.pdf.
Florida strategy
Florida Ocean and Coastal Council put out its research plan for 2013-2014 last week– posted at http://www.floridaoceanscouncil.org/reports/Research_Plan_FY13-14.pdf.
BP settlement
Judge signs off on $4B BP plea agreement– http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2013/January/13-ag-123.html. Copy of agreement is at http://www.justice.gov/criminal/vns/docs/2012/11/2012-11-15-BP-Guilty-Plea-Agreement.pdf
State restoration strategy
Governor of MS releases GoCoast 2020 plan– http://www.gocoast2020.com/wp-content/uploads/finalreport.pdf. Work of GoCoast Commission assigned by Governor Bryant to plan for state’s RESTORE Act programs.
Climate publication
NRC report reviews inter-agency ocean acidification plan, REVIEW OF THE FEDERAL OCEAN ACIDIFICATION, RESEARCH AND MONITORING PLAN, available at http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=17018&utm_medium=etmail&utm_source=The%20National%20Academies%20Press&utm_campaign=NAP+mail+new+01.15.13&utm_content=&utm_term=
Spill settlement
DoJ press release (and links to related documents) regarding settlement with Transocean at http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2013/January/13-ag-004.html. Environmental Law Inst. summary of Transocean DWH Oil Spill settlement is at http://eli-ocean.org/gulf/files/Transocean-Settlement.pdf
BP settlement
Judge Barbier approves $7.8B settlement for BP class action suit– http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2012/12/26/275231.htm
Ocean economy
NOAA Coastal Services Center’s ENOW database on Ocean Economy data– http://www.csc.noaa.gov/ENOWDataWizard/#