KOAA.com

Tagged News

• Seven tourists in Gulf waters after boat capsizes

  July 5, 2011 11:10 AM

  Seven tourists are still in the water after their boat capsized in the Gulf of California. They went into the water overnight when a storm upended their boat. Mexican searchers said 19 other passengers and 16 crew members were rescued and they held out hope the missing seven could... more »

• Scientists monitoring gulf wildlife for spill changes

  October 29, 2010 9:51 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A team of scientists are leaving on a research cruise to see if the BP oil spill hurt deep-sea coral and organisms that live around natural oil and gas seeps in the Gulf of Mexico. It's counterintuitive, but scientists say an oil spill could hurt... 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 »

• Salazar visits Vestas, lifts drilling ban

  October 12, 2010 8:32 PM

  U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is lifting the ban on deep water oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. The former U.S. Senator from Colorado spoke about the issue as he kicked off a national renewable energy tour on Tuesday. His first stop was the Vestas wind tower factory in... more »

• Interior Secretary Salazar lifts oil drilling moratorium

  October 12, 2010 1:35 PM

  Citing "significant process" in the safety of future drilling operations, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar ha lifted the deep water drilling moratorium. This affects rigs drilling in 500 feet of water or more. Each company will have to certify that it has complied with all safety rules and regulations.... 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 »

• BP probe: plenty of blame for oil spill

  September 8, 2010 9:38 AM

  Oil giant BP 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 on its... more »

• Remnants of Tropical Storm Hermine head north

  September 8, 2010 8:23 AM

  Its power spent, what's left of Tropical Storm Hermine is making its way north. Hermine was downgraded to a tropical depression Tuesday night bringing downpours and winds gusting to about 70 mph in south Texas and northeastern Mexico. Remnants of the storm could spread as far north as... more »

• Oil platform catches fire in Gulf; workers OK

  September 3, 2010 9:02 AM

  A company official says the incident aboard a Mariner Energy oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico is considered a fire, not an explosion. The Coast Guard says there was no leak, and no one was killed. The Coast Guard initially reported that an oil sheen a mile... 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 »

• Oil sheen spreading from Gulf platform explosion

  September 2, 2010 2:12 PM

  The Coast Guard is saying that a mile-long oil sheen is spreading from the site off an offshore petroleum platform that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico off Louisiana. The site of the explosion is west of where BP's massive spill occurred. The Coast Guard said no one... 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 »

• BP to remove cap, replace blowout preventer

  August 27, 2010 12:55 PM

  The federal government said it will start work Monday to remove the temporary cap that stopped oil from gushing out of BP's blown-out Gulf well so that engineers can raise a key piece of equipment from the seabed. Thad Allen, the government's point man for the spill response, told... more »

• New microbe discovered eating Gulf oil spill

  August 24, 2010 3:31 PM

  A newly discovered type of oil-eating microbe suddenly is flourishing in the Gulf of Mexico and gobbling up the BP spill at a much faster rate than expected, scientists reported Tuesday. Scientists discovered the new microbe while studying the underwater dispersion of millions of gallons of oil spilled since... 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 »

• Scientists say oil still lurks under Gulf surface

  August 16, 2010 6:26 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Georgia scientists say their analysis shows that most of that BP oil the government said was gone from the Gulf of Mexico is still there. The scientists say as much as 80 percent of the oil still lurks under the surface. The Georgia team said it... more »

• Shrimpers cross fingers as they head into the Gulf

  August 16, 2010 8:02 AM

  Louisiana shrimpers have more than the usual worries as they hit the water today for the opening of shrimp season. Besides concerns over how much they'll catch and what they'll get for it, there's anxiety about how much damage the shrimp population has truly suffered from the lengthy oil... more »

• Weather a worry for drilling effort

  August 10, 2010 11:56 AM

  As crews try to finish up the work that they hope will seal a blown-out oil well for good, they're keeping an eye on the weather in the Gulf of Mexico. Forecasters say a cluster of thunderstorms in the eastern Gulf could pass near the oil spill site. 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 »

• BP to begin forcing cement down well

  August 5, 2010 8:20 AM

  BP officials say they plan to begin forcing cement down the blown-out Gulf oil well today. The announcement came last night shortly after their plan was approved by the federal official in charge of the oil spill. The company plans to shove cement down from pipes attached to ships... 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 »

• BP could begin capping operation today

  August 3, 2010 8:07 AM

  BP engineers in the Gulf of Mexico want to start sealing up the blown-out oil well today, but first they're running a test. They plan to probe the busted blowout preventer with an oil-like liquid to determine whether it can handle the sealing-up process, called a "static kill." If... 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• 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 »

• BP ahead of schedule on cap; releases latest costs

  July 12, 2010 8:12 AM

  BP says it's ahead of schedule as underwater robots steadily assemble heavy metal pieces in what could be the most significant progress yet toward containing the Gulf oil spill. BP is aiming for completion today of a new, tighter cap it hopes will allow the containment of all the... 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 »

• Feds ask court to reinstate drilling moratorium

  July 7, 2010 1:16 PM

  Federal authorities have asked an appeals court to reinstate a moratorium on deepwater drilling declared after BP's oil well blew out in the Gulf of Mexico. In a filing late Tuesday in the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, the government challenged a federal judge's finding the Interior Department... 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 »

• No sunbathers for July 4th on much of Gulf

  July 2, 2010 6:37 PM

  DAUPHIN ISLAND, Ala. (AP) - The Fourth of July is looking uncharacteristically glum for much of the Gulf Coast. Rather than crowds of sunbathers, the white-sand beaches are dotted with cleanup workers, booms and sand-sifting equipment. Many businesses are fighting the misperception that every stretch of beach is coated... more »

• Local shrimp sales slide

  July 2, 2010 2:34 PM

  The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is causing problems for a Pueblo County business, showing just how far reached the effects can be. Don Kehoe started a small business in Colorado City in southern Pueblo County in February selling tackle, bait, crab legs, shrimp and even firewood.... more »

• Spill now worst ever in gulf

  July 1, 2010 12:54 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - BP's massive oil spill has passed a sobering benchmark. Based on the highest of the federal government's estimates, it's now the largest ever in the Gulf of Mexico. The ruptured well has been gushing oil for two and a half months, hitting the 140.6 million... more »

• Alex downgraded to tropical storm

  July 1, 2010 12:49 PM

  MATAMOROS, Mexico (AP) - The remains of Hurricane Alex are moving inland, after weakening to a tropical storm. Forecasters say the main threat now is likely to be heavy rainfall. Much of the Mexican border city of Matamoros has been flooded, and at least 2,500 people there are in... more »

• Alex now a hurricane

  June 30, 2010 7:13 PM

  MIAMI (AP) - Hurricane Alex strengthens to Category 2; winds at 100 mph, bearing down on the Mexican coast. Forecasters say Alex will slam into south Texas and northern Mexico tonight or early tomorrow with winds around 90 mph. Low-lying Mexican fishing villages have been evacuated. In Louisiana, the... more »

• Skimmers called back to shore in rough seas

  June 29, 2010 1:26 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - BP and the Coast Guard are sending oil-scooping skimming ships in the Gulf of Mexico back to shore because nasty weather is churning up rough seas and powerful winds. U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Dave French said Tuesday that all efforts had been halted for now... 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 »

• Gulf drilling can proceed

  June 24, 2010 11:57 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Obama administration says it is complying with a judge's ruling overturning a moratorium on new drilling in the Gulf - so a motion to enforce the order by opponents of the moratorium should be denied. The Justice Department says in court papers that Interior Secretary... more »

• Fishing waters reopened in Gulf

  June 23, 2010 6:02 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - More than 8,000 square miles of closed fishing waters have been reopened in the Gulf of Mexico because no oil has been observed there. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Wednesday said the most significant opening is an area south of Mississippi, which was... 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 »

• BP on hot seat in Washington

  June 17, 2010 11:56 AM

  A Democrat on the House panel that's grilling BP's chief executive says the oil company "cut corner after corner" and that led to the massive spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Democrat Henry Waxman also says there's no evidence that BP's Tony Hayward and other company executives paid any... more »