Trustees, BP announce $134m in proposed early restoration projects on BP oil spill anniversary
On Monday, the fifth anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon explosion that killed 11 workers and released of 3.19 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, federal and state Trustees, along with BP officials, announced 10 projects poised to receive funding for early restoration efforts along the Gulf of Mexico. Totaling $134 million, the proposed projects include enhancing bird and turtle nesting and habitats, improving near-shore and reef habitats, increasing recreational use of federal lands, and restoring fish in the Gulf. Four of the projects in this fourth round of funding for the Early Restoration Plan are located in Alabama: Osprey restoration project in Mobile and Baldwin counties Aimed at improving osprey nesting success, the project would establish five osprey nesting platforms. Located and designed to meet regulatory requirements and maximize project success, each platform would also include a predator guard. Five general areas have been identified for the location of these platforms: the vicinities of Portersville Bay, Dauphin Island, Fort Morgan, the Little Lagoon area in Gulf Shores and in Gulf State Park. The estimated cost for this project is $45,000. Point aux Pins “living shoreline” in Mobile County This project would reduce shoreline erosion, promote colonization of marsh vegetation, and create habitat for oysters, shrimp, crabs, fish, and other marine animals in coastal Alabama. Structures designed to reduce wave energy would be placed parallel to the shore near Bayou la Batre, at Point aux Pins, adjacent to an existing living shoreline project. The estimated cost for this project is $2,300,000. Shell Belt and Coden Belt roads “living shoreline” in Mobile County Similar to the Point aux Pins Living Shoreline project, this project would also promote colonization of marsh vegetation and create habitat for oysters, shrimp, crabs, fish, and other marine animals in coastal Alabama by placing structures designed to reduce wave energy parallel to shore near Shell Belt and Coden Belt roads in south Mobile County. The estimated cost for this project is $8,050,000. Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge Trail enhancement in Baldwin County Designed to address the lost recreational usage of Jeff Friend Trail at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, the project would rebuild a rapidly aging boardwalk and gravel trail and improve access from the parking area. The estimated cost for this project is $545,110. Monday’s plan is only a draft for Phase IV Early Restoration Plan, which will be released later in order to give the public the opportunity to review and comment at public meetings. As reported by AL.com “if all 10 are accepted, they will be added to the 54 projects that have already been approved and funded with the initial $1 billion allocated by BP.” According to NOAA Gulf Spill Restoration, “Early restoration allows the Trustees to jump-start restoration using up to $1 billion BP has agreed to make available for projects jointly agreed to by BP and the Trustees. In return, BP’s liability is reduced.” The full list of proposed projects and more information about the restoration program can be found here.
What papers do you read? Alabama Today seeks to be different
Many people remember when Katie Couric asked Sarah Palin in 2008, “What papers do you read?” When I get up in the morning I skim my Twitter feed for breaking news nationally and statewide (using the #ALpolitics before and now checking out the lists on the Alabama Today twitter account), read top stories on Google news, read SaintPetersBlog, then depending on what those have shown will move onto either national papers or Hill news. Inevitably once all that is done (and my coffee is cold) I’ll find myself forced to scroll the homepage of Alabama’s biggest news site to see what else is happening here at home. From the home screen stuffed between weather updates, feel-good local stories, infuriating crime stories, football (high school, college and endless commentary in between), entertainment, features, style, and, of course, my favorite — the opinion of clearly biased reporters masking as news stories — I can sometimes find valuable hard news or engaging opinions. That’s why this site exists. Who has the time to spend this much time getting the statewide and local news that matters? That’s why I need your help making this site a success. Here’s five simple ways: 1) If you have a business, organization or company add us to your press list pressreleases@ALToday.com. 2) If you have a voice to lend and a clear and concise message, email us at info@ALToday.com to discuss writing opinion columns or submitting op-eds. 3) If you have tips on breaking news or stories email us at tips@ALToday.com. 4) Follow us on social media like and follow our Facebook and Twitter. 5) Share our stories: Link to our page, email articles and help spread the word.
BP oil spill 5 years later
Here’s a look at some of the local and national news coverage on the five year anniversary of the BP oil spill: Alabama’s Attorney General, Luther Strange penned an op-ed 5 years after the Gulf oil spill, Alabama nearer to closure published at AL.Com. He wrote, “Since I first took office as Attorney General in January 2011, one of my highest priorities has been to ensure that Alabama is fairly compensated for the damages it sustained from a disaster so catastrophic that it captured the world’s attention. I am pleased to report that we are making steady progress in our pursuit of restitution.” Looking back at the spill Fox10 interviewed several local residents and the reactions were mixed. They reported that local resident April Linheart “is glad her family can enjoy the water. She doesn’t think the gulf coast is fully restored, but she’s hopeful for the future.” Fox’s Renee Dials quoted Linheart saying, “It’s hard to get oil out of the water. They’re trying they’re best. It’s not going to get out immediately, it’s going to take time.” NPR published a detailed story Monday morning. The piece 5 years after BP oil spill, effects linger and recovery is slow cited Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft. He discussed the clean and crowded beaches you’d see today saying, “Five years ago you’d see oil all over our beach and you’d see no people here. Our beaches were ruined.” Looking at the big picture he went on to say, “Economically we’re doing really well and the environment seems to be short-term looking well too,” he said. “But what we don’t know is the long-term environmental consequences of this. It just hasn’t been long enough to know.” In New Orleans, The Times-Picayune spoke with Jane Lubchenco, a marine biologist who ran the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration during the spill. In its report, On BP oil spill anniversary, ex-NOAA director urges major changes in federal spill contingency plan, Lubchenco details steps to do before there’s another crisis. The article stresses that during the BP spill “federal responders were forced to adapt on the run. But now its time to adjust the plan to take advantage of the lessons learned during the 2010 disaster.”
Environmental groups, Alabama face off over hotel for Gulf State Park
Two of Alabama’s premier state parks could soon get their own hotels — if they can overcome legal battles, budget cuts and public dissent. Gulf State Park, on the coast, and Oak Mountain State Park, just south of Birmingham, are both planning major upgrades accompanied by multimillion-dollar lodging complexes. Staying in a full-service suite might not be everyone’s version of a night in the great outdoors, but officials say hotels are needed to attract new visitors and new revenue. The Gulf State Park project, the larger of the two, has existed in various forms since Hurricane Ivan damaged the 6,150-acre park in 2004. The storm ruined a convention center that two Alabama governors have now spent a decade trying to rebuild. On April 20, 2010, the park and its treasured white sand beaches faced another catastrophe with the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe, when millions of gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico. Along with a new full-service hotel, a master plan for the $85 million project — managed by the University of Alabama — includes restored ecological areas and new educational facilities. The goal is to finally replace the former hotel with a modern facility for an environmentally conscious generation, Alabama State Parks Director Greg Lein said. “You don’t just put it back,” Lein said. “Why do you rebuild a building that was built in the 1970s? You need to think about the present and the future.” But a lawsuit from an environmental group threatens to strip more than half of the project’s funding. The Gulf Restoration Network in October sued the U.S. Department of the Interior and several other federal agencies over their decision to allow Alabama to use $58.5 million of the state’s allotted $100 million recovery funds from the 2010 BP oil spill. This month, a federal judge agreed to move the lawsuit from Washington, D.C., to the southern federal district in Alabama. Jordan Macha, a policy analyst for the Gulf Restoration Network, said Alabama is missing an opportunity to repair and restore wetlands and other habitats damaged by the oil spill. “When you look at recreational loss of use and the criteria for what constitutes loss of use, hotel and convention center does not fall into that category,” Macha said. “There were no oiled convention centers during the BP disaster.” Focus groups with a wide range of interested parties — including residents, business owners, scientists and developers — are being conducted to understand what the park needs, said Nisa Miranda, director of the University of Alabama Center for Economic Development. “We’re living in a more modern age,” she said. “People are more conscious and interested in being respectful and taking into consideration natural resources, so the vision and the mindset for this project is very forward-thinking.” This is the second time Alabama’s attempts to build a new conference center at the park has drawn litigation. A court blocked an earlier plan to build a 350-room hotel and let Auburn University lease it to a private management company. At Oak Mountain State Park, a recent feasibility study recommended a “lodge”-like facility with 175 rooms and 20,000 square feet of meeting space. The $35 million project is estimated to have an annual economic boost of $18.4 million. Shelby County Manager Alex Dudchock said plans are still in the preliminary stage. He said it would be an amenity that’s not already in the park or in Shelby County. “When you add in all the wonderful outdoor recreational options that the park provides, it would be an impressive array of offerings that visitors could appreciate,” Dudchock said. Yet some want Alabama’s largest state park to maintain its rustic feel. Keep Oak Mountain Wild, a nonprofit formed to fight the development, mentions a number of criticisms on its website. An online petition urges readers to oppose the project. Despite plans for growth, the entire park system is preparing for massive cuts. The system could be forced to close 15 of 22 parks, as the Alabama Legislature and Gov. Robert Bentley look to solve a looming budget crisis over a shortfall in the 2016 general fund. Bentley and lawmakers have been at odds about where to make cuts and where to raise taxes to keep Alabama afloat. According to park system officials, lawmakers could remove millions from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources budget for 2016. About $10.4 million of the $11.4 million in possible cuts would come from the State Parks System. In an interview this month, Lein said it’s tough to plan long-term growth for the park system when it’s faced with short-term uncertainty. “How do I keep the park system attractive when there’s all this gloom and doom about the budget? How do you deal with that?” Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Alabama GOP launches conference call series with Carly Fiorina
The Alabama GOP is having a series of statewide telephone calls with the first being held Tuesday with Carly Fiorina. In the invitation, Alabama Republican Party Chairman Terry Lathan said, “In an effort to help us all get acquainted with our national Republican friends, who are interested in sharing their visions of our nation’s future, we are introducing a first for our state — a conference call series between possible presidential candidates and our Alabama Republicans.” Fiorina isn’t a household name yet but she’s hoping that in a crowded field her business credentials and straight talk stand out. Based on recent appearances to date here is what you likely can expect if you call in: She can be counted on to attack Hillary Clinton (though occasionally swiping at Bill): The New York Times reports that this is a favorite quip so you may even here it. She used it at CPAC and again at the New Hampshire First in The Nation Forum this past weekend, “Unlike Mrs. Clinton, I know that flying is an activity, not an accomplishment,” referencing Hillary bragging about how much she flew as Secretary of State. She’s all business: That’s the emphasis on her background. As the first woman to ever run a Fortune 20 company, Hewlett Packard, you can expect that to be a central part of any campaign and any conversation about her. In a National Review piece titled Fiorina Has Hillary Defenders Worried printed Sunday, John Fund described her business experience and her defense against her detractors. Fund wrote, “She believes she can connect with ordinary voters because her own experience shows how people can rise when they have economic opportunity.” He went on to quote her speech in New Hampshire where she told the audience, “For the first time in U.S. history, we are destroying more businesses than we are creating.” She went on to say, “The weight of the government is literally crushing the potential of the people of this nation.” She’s probably running for president. Quotes from Fiorina and her team have pretty much assured us of that. Saturday, on Fox and Friends she said it. Before that on an earlier Fox and Friends visit she put the odds at 90 percent. Reports Sunday night indicate that the announcement may come on May 04, putting her Alabama call just weeks before her launch.
