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• Testimony ends for 1st phase of BP spill trial

  April 17, 2013 11:55 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Testimony has concluded for the first phase of a high-stakes trial over the deadly 2010 rig explosion that led to the nation's worst offshore oil spill. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier didn't rule Wednesday on any claims in the litigation after BP PLC wrapped up its... more »

• More environmental attention given to delicate Gulf coast

  January 29, 2012 10:42 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 »

• Gulf corals in oil spill zone appear healthy

  October 22, 2010 8:24 AM

  ON THE FLOOR OF THE GULF OF MEXICO (AP) - On the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, just 20 miles north of BP's blown-out well, life appears bountiful despite initial fears that crude could have wiped out many of these delicate deepwater habitats. Scientists are currently in the... more »

• Scientists lower Gulf health grade

  October 19, 2010 8:09 AM

  Scientists say that six months after the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history, damage to the Gulf of Mexico is less dramatic than some had predicted. In an informal Associated Press survey, 35 researchers who study the Gulf lowered their rating of its ecological health by several points.... more »

• Gold rush on the Gulf: Researchers clamor for cash

  October 1, 2010 3:49 PM

  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 - $500 million from... more »

• Panel to probe White House decisions after Gulf spill

  September 27, 2010 8:12 AM

  How well did the White House react to the Gulf oil spill disaster? A federal panel appointed by President Barack Obama starts its investigation Monday. The two-day meeting of the presidential oil spill commission will look at the controversial use of chemical dispersants, a moratorium on deep-water drilling... more »

• Cement starts flowing to plug BP well for good

  September 17, 2010 3:37 PM

  Oil giant BP says crews have begun pumping cement to permanently seal the company's blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico. A spokesman said Friday there no longer is a need to use mud in tandem with the cement because pressure from the well isn't an issue. BP expects... more »

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

  September 3, 2010 8:28 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... more »

• Endangered turtles saved from oil spill

  September 1, 2010 3:49 PM

  Dozens of turtles that were once covered with oil, are now back home in the Gulf of Mexico. A rehabilitation center released 42 Kemps Ridleys turtles this week. They were among the first victims of the gulf oil spill. 3 The Kemps Ridleys are the most endangered turtles... more »

• Experts: Gulf of Mexico far from cured

  August 18, 2010 9:59 AM

  More than a month after oil stopped spewing into the Gulf of Mexico, big questions remain about where it is. Scientists who've just finished a cursory examination of the Gulf are disputing government claims that half the leaked oil is completely gone from the ecosystem. They've been looking... more »

• Louisiana shrimpers reporting clean 1st day catch

  August 17, 2010 8:14 AM

  Commercial shrimpers who spent much of the summer mopping up oil in the Gulf of Mexico say the first day back to doing what they normally do was a good one. Shrimpers indicate the first catch since BP's disastrous spill was plentiful and, just as importantly, free of oil.... more »

• Testing almost finished on BP top kill

  August 13, 2010 8:11 AM

  Sometime later today, officials are expected to deliver the verdict on whether BP's problem oil well in the Gulf of Mexico is permanently plugged. Test results will determine if the BP gusher has been sealed well enough to declare the operation complete. National Incident Commander Thad Allen says the... more »

• Oil crews watch stormy weather over Fla.

  August 9, 2010 11:15 AM

  Officials working on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico are watching a cluster of storms over Florida that could develop into a tropical disturbance. The government point man on the oil spill, retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, said Monday he is not currently planning to suspend... more »

• Cement plug has hardened; relief well to be completed

  August 9, 2010 8:41 AM

  BP may have the blown-out oil well in the Gulf of Mexico permanently sealed this week. Engineers plan to intersect the damaged well with a relief well that they're still drilling - 20 to 30 feet at a time. Then they'll be able to pump mud and cement into... more »

• Colorado Forecasters: Hurricanes' effect on oil unclear

  August 4, 2010 1:12 PM

  Colorado State University forecasters say a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico could affect the direction of the oil spill, but they say little is known about the interaction between storms and oil. Forecasters Phil Klotzbach and William Gray said Wednesday if a hurricane goes west of the spill,... more »

• FDA declares Gulf seafood safe to eat

  August 3, 2010 9:15 AM

  Seafood from some parts of the oil-fouled Gulf of Mexico has been declared safe to eat by the government, based in part on human smell tests. But even some Gulf fishermen are questioning whether the fish and shrimp are OK to feed to their own families. Some are turning... more »

• Gulf crews prepare to start plugging well for good

  August 2, 2010 8:20 AM

  Today could be the beginning of sealing up BP's blown-out oil well for good. Engineers in the Gulf of Mexico hope to begin shoving mud through lines installed last month straight down the throat of the leaky well. If mud forces the oil back into the massive underground reservoir... more »

• NC expert: Gulf oil unlikely to reach East Coast

  July 29, 2010 1:45 PM

  An expert on marine sciences and coastal circulation says it's unlikely oil from BP's massive spill in the Gulf of Mexico will reach the East Coast. Roy He of North Carolina State University said Thursday the chances are low in part because the well is capped for now. ... more »

• EPA: 1 million gallons of oil may be in Mich. river

  July 29, 2010 8:33 AM

  Federal officials now estimate that more than 1 million gallons of oil may have spilled into a major river in southern Michigan. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released the update Wednesday night, shortly after the governor sharply criticized efforts to contain oil flowing down the Kalamazoo River. Gov. Jennifer... more »

• Pipeline leak pollutes major Michigan river

  July 28, 2010 8:56 AM

  Crews were working Tuesday to contain and clean up more than 800,000 gallons of oil that poured into a creek and flowed into the Kalamazoo River in southern Michigan, coating birds and fish. Authorities in Battle Creek and Emmett Township warned residents about the strong odor from the oil,... more »

• Official: Make BP pay to restore tourism

  July 27, 2010 11:36 AM

  The head of the U.S. Travel Association is proposing that BP set aside $500 million for a marketing campaign to help draw tourists to the Gulf Coast. Roger Dow makes the proposal in prepared testimony to a House panel looking at the oil spill's impact on tourism. The New... more »

• New BP chief: Priority is plugging well for good

  July 27, 2010 9:49 AM

  The newly named CEO of BP says his top priority is sealing its blown oil well for good and cleaning and restoring the Gulf of Mexico. Bob Dudley said he does not expect any more oil to gush into the Gulf as BP moves to permanently plug the well... more »

• Biologists to release baby turtles in Gulf

  July 26, 2010 11:06 AM

  Biologists are making a bet on the annual release of thousands of endangered baby sea turtles. They're being released into the western Gulf of Mexico in hopes the oil-fouled waters of the eastern Gulf will be cleaned up by the time the turtles arrive. The plan's supporters say the... more »

• Ships ready to leave leaky well as storm brews

  July 22, 2010 8:05 AM

  Crew members aboard dozens of ships in the Gulf of Mexico are preparing to evacuate as a tropical rainstorm brewing in the Caribbean brings the deep-sea effort to plug BP's ruptured oil well to a near standstill. Though the rough weather is hundreds of miles from the spill site... more »

• Storms threaten to shut down BP's Gulf well work

  July 21, 2010 1:13 PM

  Storms are threatening to delay BP's undersea efforts to permanently plug the leaky well in the Gulf of Mexico. The federal government's oil spill chief says Wednesday that if a storm moves into the Gulf, ships would have to leave and BP couldn't observe the capped well. They could... more »

• Testing delayed on oil well cap

  July 14, 2010 8:26 AM

  BP is delaying critical tests on a new well cap designed to finally stop the flow of oil in the Gulf of Mexico after government officials said more analysis was needed on the plan. BP engineers were scheduled to start slowly shutting off valves on the 75-ton metal stack... more »

• BP to start testing new cap on Gulf oil well

  July 13, 2010 8:14 AM

  Testing of a new, tighter cap on the Gulf gusher begins today to see if the device can stop the spewing crude. BP plans to gradually shut the valves to see if the oil stops or if it starts leaking from another part of the well. BP robots finished... more »

• Babies of the oil spill face an uncertain future

  July 12, 2010 10:26 AM

  The smallest victims may be the biggest challenge for crews rescuing birds fouled with oil from the Gulf of Mexico spill. Some have gotten separated from their parents, or lost them when they died in a slick. Lucky orphans are taken to a cleaning center at Fort Jackson, La.,... more »

• Spill could be contained soon?

  July 9, 2010 6:45 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - It could be a different situation at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico a few days from now. Crews will be replacing a leaky containment cap on the blown-out well, and a ship that is supposed to collect oil from a different part of the... more »

• Oil spill reaches Lake Pontchartrain

  July 7, 2010 8:34 AM

  Lake Pontchartrain north of New Orleans is the latest site where oil from the ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico is appeared. The lake was rescued from pollution in 1990s and had once again become a bountiful fishing ground and a popular spot for boating and swimming. ... more »

• Relief well being drilled in the Gulf, but what's the back up plan?

  July 5, 2010 2:33 PM

  The relief well being drilled in the seafloor of the Gulf of Mexico is BP's confident hope for a solution to stop the gusher fouling the region. But what if it doesn't work? At the very least, oil would continue to spill while workers try something else. The... more »

• "Whale" skimmer testing in the Gulf will have to wait

  July 5, 2010 1:41 PM

  Choppy seas have temporarily foiled attempts to see if a giant oil skimmer can be a silver bullet for cleanup efforts in the Gulf of Mexico. Bob Grantham, spokesman for Taiwanese shipping firm TMT, says the company's vessel, dubbed "A Whale," will need further testing off the coast of... more »

• Model shows high chance of oil hitting South Fla.

  July 2, 2010 1:23 PM

  A new computer model shows oil from the massive Gulf of Mexico spill has as high as an 80 percent chance of reaching the Florida Keys and Miami. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released the forecast Friday. It shows a 61 to 80 percent chance of sheen, tar balls... more »

• Settlement in lawsuit accusing BP of burning turtles

  July 2, 2010 11:41 AM

  A federal judge says a settlement has been reached in a lawsuit that accused BP of killing turtles as it burns oil from its blown-out Gulf well. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier said Friday that lawyers would be in court later in the day to announce details. The lawsuit filed... more »

• Oil giant BP picks up tab for Durango fireworks

  July 2, 2010 11:17 AM

  The fireworks display in the city of Durango will go on thanks to embattled oil giant BP. The company stepped forward to pay for the annual July Fourth display back in December, five months before the start of its oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The display typically costs... more »

• Biden to visit the gulf

  June 25, 2010 12:20 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A senior Obama administration official tells The Associated Press that Vice President Joe Biden will travel to the Gulf Coast on Tuesday to review the efforts to combat the massive oil spill. Biden is expected to visit the National Incident Command Center in New Orleans and the... more »

• Tar balls cover miles of beach in Pensacola

  June 23, 2010 12:58 PM

  PENSACOLA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Thick pools of oil from the spill in the Gulf of Mexico washed up along miles of Pensacola Beach overnight. Dozens of workers used shovels Wednesday to scoop up the oil and orange-tinged sand. There were a few sunbathers at the beach, but no... more »

• House committee says BP slow to pay claims

  June 18, 2010 1:44 PM

  The House Judiciary Committee says data it has collected shows that BP has paid less than 12 percent of claims submitted by people and businesses arising from the Gulf oil spill. The committee said in a statement Friday that only $71 million out of an estimated $600 million had... more »

• House committee critical of large oil company safety

  June 15, 2010 12:45 PM

  Members of Congress aren't reserving their criticism just for BP. They also have a few choice words for other big oil producers. On Capitol Hill today, members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee are accusing the largest oil companies of being no better prepared than BP for averting... more »

• Gulf Coasters skeptical of Obama, BP promises

  June 15, 2010 11:25 AM

  President Barack Obama promised that life would return to normal for people living on the stricken Gulf Coast, and BP said by the end of the month it would contain more than three times as much oil spewing from a ruptured undersea well. The pledges didn't placate some residents.... more »

• Obama to head to gulf in pivotal week for disaster response

  June 14, 2010 8:09 AM

  A crucial week is beginning for the disaster recovery effort along the Gulf coast as President Barack Obama heads there for his fourth visit to the oil spill zone. Obama will wrap up the two-day visit with a national address and on Wednesday, he plans to lay down the... more »

• Gulf oil spill bigger than previously thought

  June 11, 2010 8:39 AM

  Researchers studying the flow of oil from the blown-out well at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico say as much as twice the amount of oil as previously thought may have been spewing into the sea. The head of the group analyzing data and images said Thursday that... more »

• Congress frees cleanup money for Gulf oil spill

  June 10, 2010 3:13 PM

  The House has voted to make more money available to the Coast Guard to pay for its response to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The bill now goes to President Barack Obama. It removes the $100 million limit that the Coast Guard can spend... more »

• Gulf Sheriff asks feds to look for illegal clean-up employees

  June 9, 2010 1:54 PM

  A sheriff in suburban New Orleans has asked federal authorities to investigate reports that illegal immigrants are working on the Gulf oil spill cleanup effort. St. Bernard Parish Sheriff Jack A. Stephens says in a news release that his department asked Immigration and Customs Enforcement weeks ago to look... more »

• BP told to expedite claims

  June 8, 2010 8:10 AM

  The government is pushing BP to work faster getting money to people and businesses harmed by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen didn't hesitate when asked what BP is not doing that they need to get better at. He says BP needs... more »

• BP establishes escrow fund for Louisiana sand berms

  June 4, 2010 9:04 AM

  BP is establishing a $360 million escrow account to fund a project to build six sand berms that Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal hopes will protect the state's wetlands from the growing Gulf of Mexico slick. The company said late Thursday it approved the accounts. The announcement came hours after... more »

• Blobs of oil tar stain Florida national seashore

  June 4, 2010 8:36 AM

  Gooey blobs of oil tar are washing ashore in growing numbers on the white-sand beaches of Gulf Islands National Seashore as a slick from the BP spill approaches the Florida Panhandle. County emergency officials reported that spotters who had been seeing a few tar balls in recent days found... more »

• Gates: No wider role for military now in oil spill

  June 4, 2010 8:28 AM

  Defense Secretary Robert Gates is rejecting a more forceful role for the military in plugging the Gulf of Mexico oil leak. Gates says the deep-water disaster is beyond the military's expertise. Oil company BP is using its own equipment to try to stop the leak - equipment the U.S.... more »

• BP pipe cut successful, cap comes next

  June 3, 2010 11:25 AM

  Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen says BP has successfully sliced off a pipe in an effort to contain the Gulf oil, but the cut is irregular and placing a cap over the spill will be more challenging. Allen said Thursday that the cap was over the gusher and expected... more »