GULF OIL DISASTER
BP ends deep-cleaning operation; mayor relieved, activist skeptical
Gulf Spill Rig Owner: Well Done, Execs! (NWF blog)
"Transocean, the company that owned the Deepwater Horizon oil rig at the center of last summer's Gulf oil spill, is giving bonuses to its executives for outstanding achievements in safety."
MORE DRILLING?
BP Seeks to Resume Drilling in Gulf of Mexico
"But granting permission to BP would be more controversial because the British oil company is still paying for costs related to the oil spill, the cleanup and the continuing civil and criminal investigations into the accident. BP so far has set aside more than $40 billion to cover those costs.
The administration has pressed BP to ensure that victims of the spill are compensated, but the company has said publicly it needs to resume drilling in the gulf in order to have the financial resources to pay the claims submitted by federal and state officials, and individuals and businesses."
Logic, not hype, on offshore drilling
"It's no wonder that a guy from the West Coast would want to get things started by drilling off Virginia Beach. It's what the oil companies want. But given last year's disaster, and the horrendous deal this represents for the commonwealth, Virginians should be skeptical of such illusory treasures - and any politician who promises them."
EARTH DAY AND THE SPILL ANNIVERSARY
Will Earth day be overshadowed by another environmental disaster?
"A year ago, the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history began on April 20 -- which, ironically, also marked Earth Day. The catastrophe started with a massive explosion on an offshore oil drilling rig that killed 11 workers and sparked a huge fire that eventually sank the rig. More than 200 million gallons of crude oil gushed into the Gulf of Mexico over the next five months, killing thousands of marine animals and affecting thousands of people in the fishing industry -- already struggling in the economic downturn. The exact toll on the Gulf's ecosystem is still as murky as the ocean waters affected by the disaster."
