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• Board: BP missed the big hazard issues in spill

  July 24, 2012 7:26 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - BP focused too much on the little details of personal worker safety instead of the big systemic hazards that led to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill and wasn't as strict on overall safety when drilling rigs involved other companies that they hired, a government safety... more »

• DEQ investigates benzene spill at ExxonMobil BR

  June 22, 2012 9:22 AM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - ExxonMobil says the benzene release June 14 at its chemical plant in Baton Rouge was far bigger than the 10 pounds reported then, and could be as much as 28,700 pounds. That estimate is in a required report to the state Department of Environmental Quality... more »

• Scientists: Fish are sick where BP's oil spill hit

  April 19, 2012 7:40 AM

  BARATARIA BAY, La. (AP) - Two years after the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill, scientists say they're finding trouble with sick fish that dwell along offshore reefs and in the deep waters - especially in places where the oil spill hit the hardest. The scientists are unsure what's causing... more »

• Crews clean up spill near Head of Passes

  April 4, 2012 9:54 AM

  BULL BAY, La. (AP) - The Coast Guard says crews are cleaning up a spill of about 630 gallons of oil that came from a production facility in Bull Bay near the Head of Passes of the Mississippi River. The Coast Guard says the spill was from a Gulf Production... more »

• Senate approves states receiving Gulf spill fines

  March 9, 2012 6:20 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate has approved using the bulk of water pollution fines stemming from the 2010 Gulf oil spill to pay for restoration in five Gulf states. The BP oil company could be fined $5.4 billion to $21.1 billion under the Clean Water Act, depending on whether it's... more »

• BP Begins to Put Spill Behind it with Settlement

  March 3, 2012 1:20 PM

  NEW YORK (AP) - BP's settlement deal with thousands of victims of the 2010 Gulf oil spill is a major step toward putting the worst oil spill in U.S. history behind it. BP says it will not have to increase the $37.2 billion it has set aside to pay for... more »

• People Close to Case: Gulf Oil Spill Trial Delayed

  February 26, 2012 3:28 PM

  A federal trial over the nation's worst offshore oil disaster has been delayed for a week to allow more time for settlement talks, according to two people close to the case. The two people told The Associated Press the decision was made Sunday during a conference call between parties in... more »

• Oil spill brings attention to delicate Gulf coast

  January 30, 2012 9:35 AM

  TIVOLI, Texas (AP) - It took BP PLC's well blowing out in the Gulf of Mexico for the nation to turn its attention to the slow, methodical ruin of the ecosystem that had been happening for years. Last month, more than a year and a half after the oil spill... more »

• Chemical Spill on Pine Prairie Highway

  December 4, 2011 9:01 PM

  A portion of Highway 13 shut down after 18 wheeler flipped around 2am Saturday morning. The accident caused asphalt and diesel to spill on the roadway. Officials say the mess stretched about two blocks. The driver of the truck is okay. Pine Prairie Mayor, Terry Savant says the driver told... more »

• Gulf Oil Spill Documentary to Screen in N.O.

  October 14, 2011 6:21 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A documentary about the Gulf oil spill is getting its North American premiere at a New Orleans movie theater. "The Big Fix," which was screened in May at the Cannes Film Festival in France, was scheduled Friday night at the Prytania Theater as part of the... more »

• Crews work to contain Barataria spill

  September 19, 2011 10:35 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A week after it was first reported, the Coast Guard says crews continue to clean up an oil leak from an abandoned well in Bayou Dupont in the Barataria basin. The Coast Guard says more than 2,000 gallons of oil have been recovered. They say a... more »

• St. Martin Parish Oil Spill

  August 7, 2011 11:24 PM

  KATC has learned about an oil spill being cleaned up in Saint Martin Parish. About 250 barrels of oil were spilled into the Penatec Canal in the Catahoula area last week. The company responsible, WLE incorporated says they've had about 70 to 80 people working on site every... more »

• US Officials Conducting Dead Bird Study in Gulf

  August 7, 2011 2:29 PM

  MOBILE, Ala. (AP) - A new study being conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service aims to determine how many birds may have died during the Gulf oil spill last year. The Press-Register in Mobile (http://bit.ly/qD83rW ) reports that in the "Carcass Drift Study" funded by BP PLC, researchers... more »

• Crowley Oil Spill Update

  June 18, 2011 11:11 PM

  An update on that oil spill in Crowley we told you about last month. According to the Department of Environmental Quality, some eight thousand gallons of oil have been picked up since a leak at an oil storage tank. The D.E.Q also reports that there are no longer... more »

• Cleanup Begins on Crowley Oil Spill

  May 30, 2011 8:26 PM

  In Acadia Parish, crews are cleaning up an oil spill in Crowley. The oil started spilling Saturday from a storage tank near the intersection of West Mill Street and South Western Avenue. Oil has already made its way through drainage canals and into Bayou Blanc. Contractors were hired... more »

• Oil Spill Seeping into Crowley Waterways 10PM

  May 30, 2011 12:02 AM

  In Acadia Parish, crews are working to clean up an oil spill in Crowley. The oil began spilling Saturday from an oil storage tank near the intersection of West Mill Street and South Western Avenue, and that oil has made it's way into nearby Bayou Blanc. "We are... more »

• Oil Spill Seeping into Crowley Waterways

  May 29, 2011 7:03 PM

  In Acadia Parish, crews are working to cleanup an oil spill in Crowley. The oil began spilling yesterday from an oil storage tank near the intersection of Standard Mill Road and Highway 13. That oil has made it's way through drainage canals and into nearby Bayou Blanc. Area... more »

• Blowout Could Spill 58 Million Gallons in Arctic

  April 28, 2011 8:22 AM

  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The federal agency overseeing offshore drilling in Alaska says the worst-case scenario for a blowout in the Chukchi Sea lease could result in a spill of more than 58 million gallons of oil into Arctic waters. That's about a quarter of the Deepwater Horizon spill, which... more »

• Scientists Fret Over BP Funds for Gulf Research

  April 24, 2011 1:51 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Scientists say it is taking far too long to dole out millions of dollars in BP funds for badly needed Gulf oil spill research, and it could be too late to assess the crude's impact on pelicans, shrimp and other species by the time studies begin.... more »

• Along Gulf, Spill Still Defines State of Mind

  April 16, 2011 3:23 PM

  ALONG THE GULF COAST (AP) - In the small brick church across the road from the chocolate waters of Bayou Lafourche, the Rev. Joseph Anthony Pereira unbuttons his collar as the last parishioners pull out of the lot. Tonight, nearly a year after the BP oil spill began, he's asked... more »

• Oyster leaders Meeting to Discuss BP Spill

  April 15, 2011 6:07 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Nearly a year after the BP oil spill, leaders of the oyster industry are getting together in New Orleans to discuss the continuing effects. Oyster industry representatives will be joined by Randy Pausina, the assistant secretary of the state wildlife department, and Garrett Graves, chairman of... more »

• Federal Government Bills BP for $62 Million

  March 13, 2011 10:29 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The Obama administration has billed BP PLC. for $62 million spent responding to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The federal government sent the bill Friday. It was the 10th bill sent to BP and other companies considered responsible parties. BP is required to pay for... more »

• Casino workers may get oil spill funds

  March 4, 2011 8:08 PM

  JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The group charged with administrating BP's $20 billion Gulf oil spill fund says it will start processing claims from casino workers next week. Kenneth Feinberg, the Washington lawyer who oversees the fund, said Friday through a spokeswoman that the Gulf Coast Claims Facility will begin processing... more »

• State of Gulf Seafood After Spill: Road to Recovery

  March 1, 2011 11:39 PM

  To conclude the KATC special series on the state of gulf seafood after the BP oil spill, Maddie Garrett takes a look at the survival of an industry that so many in south Louisiana depend on. The message from those on the boats and in the restaurants is that... more »

• Scientist Questions Safety of Gulf Seafood

  February 28, 2011 1:04 AM

  Fishermen and restaurants are still struggling to rebound from last year's gulf oil spill. But is the seafood they harvest and sell really safe too eat? KATC's Maddie Garrett set out to find the answers from two of the leading experts in Louisiana's seafood industry and environmental sciences. "What... more »

• New Crude Disaster Relief Program

  February 7, 2011 8:21 PM

  Daniel Edgar is the owner of St.Mary Seafood. He says since the oil spill, business has been slow. "It was chaos, so many of our customers were looking for a new market because they didn't think Louisiana seafood would be any good," said Edgar. Stan McGee with Acadiana Regional Development... more »

• Feds reopen shrimping grounds in Gulf of Mexico

  February 1, 2011 9:40 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A 4,200-square-mile area of the Gulf of Mexico near BP's blown out well will reopen to deep water shrimping after federal scientists found the fishing grounds free of oil. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says it will reopen the area in federal waters off Louisiana,... more »

• Potential scams top 7,000 in BP spill compensation

  January 27, 2011 8:29 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The $20 billion fund responsible for compensating victims of BP's Gulf of Mexico oil spill has received more than 7,000 potentially fraudulent claims, many of which have been referred to the Justice Department for criminal investigations, the fund's administrator told a Senate panel on Thursday. Attorney... more »

• A Push for Tougher Offshore Drilling Regulations

  January 12, 2011 7:00 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Democrats in Congress are pledging to push for tougher regulation of offshore drilling and to make oil companies more financially responsible for spills. A recent report from a presidential panel provides an opening for Democrats to rekindle legislative efforts that failed after last year's oil spill. more »

• Feds Push Back in Flap Over Blowout Preventer Test

  January 9, 2011 12:33 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Federal investigators are pushing back against criticism they aren't doing enough to keep companies involved in the Gulf oil spill away from any hands-on role in the forensic analysis of a key piece of equipment that failed to keep crude from entering the sea. Rep. Edward... more »

• Breton Refuge Reopened After Gulf Oil Spill

  January 8, 2011 11:08 AM

  BRETON NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, La. (AP) - After months of being closed to the public due to the BP oil spill, the Breton National Wildlife Refuge is open again. The refuge encompasses areas at the mouth of the Mississippi River and a chain of barrier islands in Chandeleur Sound. The... more »

• Cleanup of Oil-Tainted Gulf Coast Nears End

  December 30, 2010 9:56 PM

  EAST GRAND TERRE ISLAND, La. (AP) - Dig 2 feet into the sand on this wind-swept beach and up comes the foul smell of oil. The unmistakable whiff of crude eight months after the BP spill is one of the last in-your-face reminders of the long, tainted summer on the... more »

• Rig owner refuses to honor oil spill subpoenas

  December 29, 2010 8:11 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The owner of the rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico is refusing to honor subpoenas from a federal board that has challenged the company's involvement in monitoring the testing of a key piece of equipment that failed to stop the oil spill disaster. Transocean... more »

• Lawyers to Staff Oil Spill Claims Offices

  December 28, 2010 10:43 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The group administering BP's compensation fund for victims of the Gulf oil spill has hired several law firms and a claims administration company to help people applying for shares of the $20 billion fund. The Gulf Coast Claims Facility announced Tuesday that the lawyers will be... more »

• 7 Accused of Oil Spill Damage Fraud

  December 11, 2010 10:55 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Federal authorities say seven people have now been indicted for allegedly filing fraudulent damage claims for money following the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The charges involve two in Texas and North Carolina, four charged in Alabama, Michigan and Mississippi, and one in... more »

• BP Claims Fund to Offer Additional Payment

  December 11, 2010 10:49 PM

  OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (AP) - The administrator of the $20 billion BP PLC fund doling out money to Gulf oil spill victims says the program will be offering claimants an additional payment. The Gulf Coast Claims Facility, which took over the process from BP this summer, would not provide further... more »

• E-mails Show Struggle to Guess Size of Gulf Spill

  November 25, 2010 9:52 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A review of thousands of government e-mails from last summer shows that the Obama administration struggled behind the scenes to determine just how much oil was leaking into the Gulf of Mexico from a broken BP well. The e-mails, obtained by The Associated Press through a Freedom... more »

• LDWF to Duck Hunters: Watch for Spill Cleanup

  November 11, 2010 6:50 AM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Louisiana's Department of Wildlife and Fisheries warns duck hunters to watch out for oil spill cleanup work. Duck season runs Nov. 13 through Jan. 30. The department says the Coast Guard and spill response workers will start work late this weekend to reduce crowding at... more »

• Spill panel says management culture to blame

  November 9, 2010 9:40 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - It wasn't just the botched technical decisions. BP and other companies' management, communication and overconfidence in dealing with risk led to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, investigators for the presidential commission said Tuesday. The commission's chief engineer, Richard Sears, outlined seven managerial findings, including muddled lines... more »

• Spill panel: No evidence of saving $ over safety

  November 8, 2010 10:22 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The BP oil rig explosion and spill wasn't about anyone purposely trading money for safety, investigators on a special presidential commission said Monday. Instead it was more about seemingly acceptable risks adding up to disaster. Investigators at the commission's hearing outlined more than a dozen decisions that... more »

• BP Funding Millions for Oil Spill Recovery

  November 1, 2010 12:23 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Gov. Bobby Jindal is announcing millions of dollars worth of commitments from BP to help the state recover from the Gulf oil spill and protect the eroding coast. The governor, at a news conference Monday, said BP has agreed to pay $48 million for Louisiana seafood... more »

• Fuel spill closes Sabine-Neches Waterway 10 hours

  October 28, 2010 10:13 PM

  PORT ARTHUR, Texas (AP) - The Coast Guard has reopened the Sabine-Neches Waterway, about 10 hours after a fuel spill from a tugboat accident closed it to marine traffic south of the Intracoastal Waterway. Coast Guard Petty Officer Nathan Rau says the channel reopened about 11:30 a.m. Thursday. He said... more »

• EPA names director for Oil Spill Restoration Panel

  October 26, 2010 10:24 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A Florida native and consultant on environmental and land issues has been given the job of executive director for a panel set up to handle ecosystem restoration from the BP oil spill. John Hankinson Jr. will handle the daily affairs of the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration... more »

• Feds: First request in for drilling after BP spill

  October 22, 2010 6:01 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - An unspecified company has filed the first request to drill for oil and gas in the deep water of the Gulf of Mexico since exploration there was temporarily halted after the massive BP oil spill. The application, announced Friday by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, was... more »

• Gulf Corals in Oil Spill Zone Appear Healthy

  October 22, 2010 12:12 PM

  ON THE FLOOR OF THE GULF OF MEXICO (AP) - Just 20 miles north of where BP's blown-out well spewed millions of gallons of oil into the sea, life appears bountiful despite initial fears that crude could have wiped out many of these delicate deepwater habitats. Plankton, tiny suspended particles... more »

• Birds Along LA's Shores Doing Surprisingly Well After Oil Spill

  October 13, 2010 5:31 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The National Audubon Society says it has surveyed bird populations along Louisiana's oil-tainted shores and found them doing surprisingly well nearly six months after the BP oil spill. But the bird society also cautioned that oil continues to ooze out of the ground in many... more »

• Studying Whether Oil Spill Affected Atlantic Bluefin Tuna

  October 11, 2010 2:21 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The National Marine Fisheries Service will study whether the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has depleted the population of Atlantic bluefin tuna to the point that the food fish should be placed on the endangered species list. The fisheries service will make a recommendation by... more »

• Cyclist Raising Money for Spill Killed in Crash

  October 8, 2010 8:55 AM

  GULF BREEZE, Fla. (AP) - A Florida man on a cross-country bicycle ride to raise awareness and money for victims of this year's massive Gulf oil spill was struck and killed by a passing vehicle just days before finishing the journey. Roger Grooters began his ride across America Sept. 10... more »

• Oil spill response at issue in La.'s Senate race

  October 7, 2010 9:23 PM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - The latest point of attack from Democratic candidate Charlie Melancon in Louisiana's Senate race charges Republican U.S. Sen. David Vitter with trying to protect companies like BP from financial liability in a massive oil spill. Melancon's campaign launched a statewide TV ad this week saying... more »

• White House Says it Didn't Withhold Oil Spill Info

  October 7, 2010 11:53 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House is pushing back against accusations that the administration blocked government scientists from telling the public just how bad the BP oil spill could become. Press secretary Robert Gibbs says the White House never tried to withhold "the most accurate and timely information" on the... more »

• Panel: Government Thwarted Worst-Case Scenario on Spill

  October 6, 2010 11:55 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House blocked efforts by federal scientists to tell the public just how bad the Gulf oil spill could have been. That finding comes from a panel appointed by President Barack Obama to investigate the worst offshore oil spill in history. In documents released Wednesday, the... more »

• Geographic Proximity no Longer Plays a Role in Oil Spill Claims

  October 4, 2010 12:09 PM

  OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (AP) - The administrator of the fund doling out money to Gulf of Mexico oil spill victims says geographic proximity to oil-impacted areas will no longer play a role in whether people and businesses are compensated. Attorney Kenneth Feinberg, who is overseeing the Gulf Coast Claims Facility,... more »

• US Investigative Panel meets for 5th Time on Spill

  October 4, 2010 5:46 AM

  METAIRIE, La. (AP) - Federal investigators will be looking for key information about pressure tests, decision making and BP's safety culture when the next round of hearings begins Monday to determine the cause of the Gulf of Mexico rig explosion and oil spill. The weeklong hearings near New Orleans will... more »

• Next Phase of Gulf Spill Damage Assessment Starts

  September 30, 2010 6:58 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Federal and state government agencies and BP have entered a new and important phase in determining how much damage has been done to the ecosystem by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. On Wednesday, the government and BP said they had started to determine how much... more »

• Researchers High in Demand Due to BP Oil Spill

  September 29, 2010 3:33 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Once a backwater in the world of oceanographic research, the Gulf of Mexico has suddenly become the site of a scientific gold rush, all because of the BP oil spill. The environmental disaster represents a once-in-a-generation research opportunity that has oceanographers salivating. There's big money -... more »

• Panel Probes Decisions Made After Gulf Spill

  September 27, 2010 6:48 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A panel that President Barack Obama appointed to investigate the Gulf oil spill will begin Monday to scrutinize how his administration reacted to the disaster. The two-day meeting of the presidential oil spill commission will look at the controversial use of chemical dispersants, a moratorium on deep-water... more »

• Birds released on Island Cleaned of Oil

  September 23, 2010 10:01 AM

  RACCOON ISLAND, La. - Two months after hundreds of oiled pelicans were discovered on Raccoon Island, brown pelicans cleaned of oil have been released on the island - also cleaned of oil. The release of four brown pelicans and another 11 birds onto Raccoon Island on Tuesday was the first... more »

• Experts Craft Study of BP Oil Spill Health Effects

  September 22, 2010 11:45 AM

  TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Doctors, scientists and public health experts began sketching the outlines Wednesday of a large-scale study of the health effects of the BP oil spill on cleanup workers and the public, hoping to include thousands of people in a review funded by BP. The federal Department of... more »

• Recreational Red Snapper Season OK'd for Gulf

  September 22, 2010 10:00 AM

  MOBILE, Ala. - Federal fisheries managers have approved a weekend recreational red snapper season for the Gulf of Mexico in October and November. The National Marine Fisheries Service set the season on Tuesday. It will run Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Oct. 1 until Nov. 22. Officials say the daily... more »

• Wages Earned By Spill Cleanup Will Not Be Subtracted From Claims

  September 21, 2010 4:48 PM

  The administrator of the fund for victims of the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster says he will waive a requirement that wages earned by spill cleanup workers be subtracted from their claims of lost revenue. Attorney Kenneth Feinberg, who is doling out the $20 billion fund that BP set... more »

• BP fund czar: No deduction for spill cleanup wages

  September 20, 2010 9:42 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The administrator of the fund for victims of the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster says he will waive a requirement that wages earned by spill cleanup workers be subtracted from their claims of lost revenue. Attorney Kenneth Feinberg, who is doling out the $20 billion fund... more »

• BP: Multiple Companies, Teams Contributed to Spill

  September 8, 2010 7:44 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Oil giant BP PLC said in an internal report released Wednesday before a key piece of evidence has been analyzed that multiple companies and work teams contributed to the massive Gulf of Mexico spill that fouled waters and shorelines for months. In its 193-page report posted... more »

• BP avoiding hunter's crosshairs

  September 7, 2010 7:34 PM

  BP's clean-up crews want hunters to know they'll be in the wetlands and to watch where they aim. This weekend kicks-off teal season and BP is taking steps to protect their workers and the shoreline itself. First, crews are going to be held-back until nine in the morning- giving hunters... more »

• Key Oil Spill Evidence Raised to Gulf's Surface

  September 6, 2010 8:13 AM

  ON THE GULF OF MEXICO (AP) - Investigators looking into what went wrong in the Gulf of Mexico step closer to answers now that a key piece of evidence is secure aboard a ship. Engineers took 29½ hours to lift the 50-foot, 300-ton blowout preventer from a mile beneath the... more »

• BP invests in Shrimp and Petroleum Fest

  September 4, 2010 8:59 PM

  It's the 75th year for Morgan City's Shrimp and Petroleum Festival but it's been a tough year for both industries. The crisis in the Gulf spurred a rough shrimping season and a drilling moratorium but the cash is flowing at the Shrimp and Petroleum Festival and BP is one of... more »

• BP says cost of Gulf of Mexico spill hits $8B

  September 3, 2010 9:45 AM

  BP says it has so far spent $8 billion responding to the disastrous oil well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico. The company said Friday that the total included $399 million paid to settle 127,000 claims from businesses and other affected by the oil spill.The oil company said more than... more »

• Governor's Press Conference LIVE on KATC at 12:30

  September 2, 2010 1:01 PM

  We'll be taking Governor Bobby Jindal live from Baton Rouge at 12:30 pm. Stay tuned to KATC, Channel 3. more »

• BP spent $93M on advertising after Gulf spill

  September 1, 2010 9:21 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Oil giant BP says it has spent more than $5 million a week on advertising since the Gulf Coast oil spill - more than three times the amount it spent on ads during the same period last year. BP PLC told the House Energy and Commerce Committee... more »

• Waves hamper raising key equipment in oil spill

  August 31, 2010 9:20 PM

  MYRTLE GROVE, La. (AP) - Work to remove the 300-ton piece of equipment that failed to stop the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico could be delayed into the weekend or longer because of rough seas, the federal government's point man on the spill response said Tuesday. Engineers... more »

• Local BP Centers Opened

  August 27, 2010 6:45 PM

  Plaquemines Parish 414 Coast Guard Rd. Venice, LA 70091-4340 985-647-0151 Open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to noon. St. Mary Parish 1219 Southeast Blvd Morgan City, LA 70380 985-412-6700 Open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday... more »

• Feds to remove temporary cap from Gulf well

  August 27, 2010 12:42 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The federal government says it will start work Monday to remove the temporary cap keeping oil from gushing out of BP's blown-out Gulf well so that it can raise a key piece of equipment from the seabed. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the government's point... more »

• New Pictures of Deepwater Horizon Spill Site

  August 26, 2010 1:00 PM

  KATC's Shawn Kline and Photojournalist Donald Babineaux are flying along today with the Coast Guard board a Coast Guard HC-144A Ocean Sentry over the site of the Deepwater Horizon Spill. Look for the full report tonight on KATC. more »

• UPDATE-Chemical Spill in Patterson-Hwy 90 West Reopens

  August 25, 2010 3:42 PM

  UPDATE- Westbound lanes have reopened. The Eastbound lane is still closed. The 18 wheeler was leaking methanol with aluminum chloride onto the Eastbound lane. Once realized what it was they reopened westbound lane. Highway 90 East in Patterson is still closed at this time. ----------------------------------- Sheriff Naquin... more »

• Oil Spill Panel Hears About Halliburton Warning

  August 24, 2010 8:58 PM

  HOUSTON (AP) - Federal investigators probing the blowout that led to the Gulf oil spill grilled a Halliburton official Tuesday about concerns the petroleum services firm raised over the potential for a severe gas flow problem if a BP plan was used. Halliburton and BP were at odds over a... more »

• New Microbe Discovered Eating Oil Spill in Gulf

  August 24, 2010 8:17 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A newly discovered type of oil-eating microbe is suddenly flourishing in the Gulf of Mexico. Scientists discovered the new microbe while studying the underwater dispersion of millions of gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf following the explosion of BP's Deepwater Horizon drilling rig. And the microbe... more »

• Feds to Outline Anti-fraud Efforts After Spill

  August 24, 2010 7:02 AM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Justice Department officials are outlining their efforts to curb fraud in the aftermath of the Gulf oil spill. U.S. Attorney Jim Letten and Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer of the Justice Department's criminal division are scheduled to brief reporters on the topic Tuesday in Baton... more »

• Feds to Spill Commission: Drilling Ban Stays

  August 23, 2010 6:00 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The top federal offshore oil drilling regulator is telling the presidential oil spill commission that the temporary halt to deepwater drilling will remain in place for a few more months. The Interior Department issued the moratorium after the deadly April 20 BP oil rig explosion. It was... more »

• Gulf residents struggle in aftermath of oil spill

  August 23, 2010 5:53 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The oil has stopped flowing into the Gulf of Mexico, and that should be a relief. But with fewer cleanup jobs to be had, many of the people hit hardest by the huge spill are struggling as badly as ever. Boat captains ifd deckhands who managed... more »

• Oil spill investigators focus on communication

  August 23, 2010 5:35 PM

  HOUSTON (AP) - Federal investigators seeking the cause fr the rig explosion that led to BP's massive Gulf oil spill focused Monday on communication and chain of command, wondering at times whether the key players knew enough to handle an emergency. They also questioned whether a piece of failed equipment... more »

• Oil Spill Adds to Housing Woes for Katrina Victims

  August 21, 2010 4:08 PM

  LAKESHORE, Miss. (AP) - Pete Yarborough, a trucker who hauled seafood until the BP oil spill hit, and about 800 other households are under pressure to buy or get out of the state-owned cottages they've been living in since Hurricane Katrina left them homeless. Yarborough's 400-square-foot cottage sits on cinder... more »

• Geographical Location Will Play a Key Role in Oil Spill Claims

  August 20, 2010 11:44 AM

  MIAMI (AP) - Details released Friday about how claims will be paid from BP PLC's $20 billion fund show that how close geographically a person or business is to the Gulf oil spill will play a key role. The claims process is shifting from BP to the Gulf Coast Claims... more »

• AP Poll: BP Image Recovering From Spill, Still Low

  August 18, 2010 11:15 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - BP's image, which took an ugly beating after the Gulf oil spill, is recovering since the company capped the well, though the oil giant's approval level is still anything but robust. A majority of Americans still aren't convinced it is safe to eat seafood from parts of... more »

• Feinberg Promises Quick Response on Spill Claims

  August 18, 2010 11:12 PM

  KENNER, La. (AP) - The man taking over the Gulf oil spill claims process from BP promised spill victims fast service, with short term emergency payments coming in two days for individuals and seven days for businesses if their applications are properly documented. Ken Feinberg told crowds in Louisiana on... more »

• Spill Victims Must Submit New Applications

  August 18, 2010 5:23 PM

  KENNER, La. (AP) - The man who takes over the Gulf oil spill claims process on Monday says spill victims won't have to submit new documentation if they have a claim pending, but they must submit new applications. Ken Feinberg said Wednesday in suburban New Orleans that the new application... more »

• Whitney Bank to Provide Disbursement Services for Oil Spill Trust

  August 18, 2010 3:24 PM

  Whitney National Bank announced it has been selected to provide check cashing services for claimants who receive compensation from the Gulf Coast Claims Facility administered by Kenneth Feinberg and funded by the $20 billion Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Trust. Citigroup will act as corporate trustee and paying agent. The trust... more »

• LSUHSC Assessing Oil Spill Mental Health Needs

  August 16, 2010 5:35 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans is assessing Louisiana residents' current and long-term mental health needs caused by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The medical school's department of psychiatry has a state grant to interview about 1,500 adults, some by phone and some in... more »

• With BP Spill Under Control, US Looks at Drill Ban

  August 14, 2010 11:02 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Now that the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history has effectively been stopped, the White House is considering an early end to its moratorium on deepwater drilling. But four months after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon, regulators have only started to make good on... more »

• Shrimpers Eligible for Help

  August 13, 2010 4:33 PM

  Qualified Louisiana shrimp fishermen may receive up to $12,000 in cash benefits and obtain technical training under the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for Farmers Program. This program is designed to help shrimpers in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic adjust to increased competition through training... more »

• I-49 Shut Down Due to Overturned Tanker

  August 11, 2010 7:27 PM

  The overturned tanker which was leaking a mixture of chemicals near I-49 still has the highway closed. HazMat crews are siphoning the chemicals from the overturned tanker to another tanker called down from Northern Louisiana. Police expect the interstate to remain closed into the early hours of Wednesday... more »

• New Orleans judge to handle most Gulf spill suits

  August 10, 2010 9:15 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A federal judge in New Orleans was picked Tuesday to preside over more than 300 lawsuits filed against BP PLC and other companies over the Gulf oil spill, in a move that should please many of the plaintiffs' lawyers and their clients. The U.S. Judicial Panel... more »

• Shrimp season to start, but is it safe to eat?

  August 10, 2010 7:25 PM

  Captain Cherie Broussard unloads her boat full of chilled shrimp. She and her crew just came back from Southwest Pass. Her reputation and livlihood is on the line if any contaminated shrimp are found. "People are scared," Broussard said. "If they feed it to their family, their family will... more »

• BP's Gulf Oil Spill Costs Rise to $6.1 Billion

  August 9, 2010 9:06 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - BP says its costs to respond to the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has risen to about $6.1 billion. That includes expenses for relief well drilling, the static kill and cementing procedure done on the blown out oil well, grants to Gulf coast... more »

• Spill investigators want to find undersea evidence

  August 6, 2010 9:31 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Now that BP appears to have vanquished its ruptured well, authorities are turning their attention to gathering evidence from what could amount to a crime scene at the bottom of the sea. The wreckage - including the failed blowout preventer and the blackened, twisted remnants of... more »

• Children Deal with Gulf Oil Spill Stress Too

  August 6, 2010 8:56 AM

  GALLIANO, La. (AP) - Nine-year-old Zack Wilkerson spent a good chunk of his summer on the computer watching video of undersea robots try to fix the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It wasn't his first choice, but the oil that spewed into the Gulf about 100 miles from... more »

• UPDATE-Holdup attempt ends in suicide on I-10

  August 4, 2010 3:22 PM

  UPDATE-BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (AP) - Bay St. Louis police say the man who killed himself on Interstate 10 after an attempted holdup in Louisiana was a Louisiana National Guard soldier assigned to help with the oil spill. Deputy Chief Mike DeNardo identifies him Wednesday as 24-year-old John Paul Loupe... more »

• Impact of Oil Spill on Wildlife Likely to Linger for Decades

  August 4, 2010 3:12 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A top government scientist says the impact of the Gulf oil spill on wildlife is likely to linger for decades. Jane Lubchenco, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, made the comment Wednesday even as the Obama administration was citing a federal report that only about... more »

• The Job is Not Finished on Gulf Oil Spill

  August 4, 2010 9:18 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The government's point man on the oil spill response says engineers will still try to firm up the now-plugged Gulf leak through a relief well. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen told WWL-TV in New Orleans on Wednesday that pumping mud down the throat of the... more »

• Gulf diversity threatened even before oil spill

  August 2, 2010 8:57 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The oceans around Australia boast the greatest diversity of sea life on the planet, but the now oil-threatened Gulf of Mexico also ranks in the top five regions for variety of species. And even before the spill, the Gulf was already listed as threatened, according to the... more »