Environment

By Eileen Fleming

By Eileen Fleming

By Eileen Fleming

By Eileen Fleming

By Eileen Fleming

New Orleans, La. – Protesters held banners that read, "The oil is still here, and so are we." Tar balls were dropped in front of the building's revolving doors. Some demonstrators were covered in brown paint, representing the oil they say is still polluting the Gulf. One was Lisa Watson of Pensacola, Florida.

"Huge tar mats are washing up with every thunderstorm, with every storm. Tropical Storm Don that went through the Gulf washed up giant, giant tar mats."

By Eileen Fleming

By Eileen Fleming

New Orleans, La. – Democratic Senator Landrieu held a news conference on Capitol Hill with Republican colleagues who supported the bill. Nine of the ten senators from Gulf states affected by the spill are co-signers. Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas has not joined in the effort. But Landrieu says a healthy Gulf of Mexico is essential to the nation, which gets 30 percent of its commercial fish supply from the region.

By Eileen Fleming

New Orleans, La. – Louisiana Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu and Alabama Republican Senator Richard Shelby have introduced legislation designed to keep 80 percent of BP fines for Clean Water Act violations in the Gulf region. Without that designation the funds would be sent to the federal treasury. Landrieu says restoring the Gulf is a national issue.

By Eileen Fleming

By Eileen Fleming

New Orleans, La. – Governor Jindal says the projects include restoring oyster habitats, fisheries and barrier islands. The money will come from $1 billion BP offered in April as part of the Natural Resources Damage Assessment process that will take years to complete. He says Louisiana deserves most of the money.