Independent News‘Environment’ Archives
Still Finding BP’s Oil
As officials begin to consider how they might spend eventual RESTORE Act money, the impact of BP’s 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is still being felt on local beaches. Escambia County currently logs around 50 pounds of tarballs each month. “They’ve been removing 40 pounds a month, [...]
Escambia Lands First Florida NRDA Project
The first Florida project funded under the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Early Restoration Projects (ERP) will begin next week. The project involves improvements to the Galvez Boat Landing in Escambia County. The $116,694 project will replace existing docks with three new, larger [...]
Coalition challenges effect of dispersants used by BP
Press Release: A coalition of conservation, wildlife and public health groups in the Gulf region and in Alaska filed a citizen suit under the provisions of the Federal Clean Water Act today to compel the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue a rule on chemical oil dispersants. [...]
Beulah Landfill’s Contamination Costs
The bill for the work at the Beulah Landfill is going to be a bit higher than originally thought. The price increase is due to the early June flooding the area received. During its meeting tomorrow, the Escambia County Commission will be asked to approve an additional $144,509.82 to go toward [...]
Hands Across the Sand
On Saturday, August 4, Gulf Coast residents will gather on Pensacola Beach to “draw a line in the sand,” to voice their opposition to offshore drilling and to embrace clean energy solutions. Hands Across the Sand is an annual event that brings people together from around the world to protect [...]
Viewpoint: RESTORE Money-How to spend it
From Escambia County Commissioner Grover Robinson: Since the passage of the RESTORE Act, there has been a considerable amount of discussion about how the money should be spent. Different groups have pushed for different actions most of which are looking at ideas which in the past have either [...]
Operation Clean Sweep
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Windy Hill Neighborhood Watch, will conduct an “Operation Clean Sweep” event in Beulah on Thursday, July 19. Volunteers and participants will meet at Windy Hill Baptist Church at 9896 Rebel Rd at 8:00 a.m. The community clean-up will include [...]
Hatching the Rewrite, or Something to Cluck About
During a recent trip to Key West, Pensacola City Councilman Larry Johnson discovered the island had a large chicken population. When he went out for lunch, the birds roamed freely around his feet. “In Key West, they have chickens everywhere,” Johnson told his fellow council members during [...]
Reconnect Disconnect, Part Two
After informing members of the public of “our come to peace moment last meeting,” the regional planner explained that the city of Pensacola’s second public input session concerning the historic district’s street grid would be based on the premise that the area “had some issues.” He [...]
Pink Slime Time
The Escambia County Commission is about to wade into the slime. Pink slime. During their meeting this Thursday, commissioners will consider a resolution in favor of labeling meat products that contain “lean finely textured beef”—otherwise known as “pink slime.” Commissioner Grover [...]
ECUA, District 1 Primary Race
There are three seats on the Escambia County Utilities Authority up for grabs this year: Districts 1, 3 and 5. Here’s a look at District 1, the most crowded field in the bunch. ECUA’s District 1 seat is currently held by Elizabeth Campbell. She faces four challengers this election season. [...]
Eastern Gulf Lease Sales
Lease sales 225 and 226. Those are the ones to watch. Those are the sales in the Easter portion of the Gulf of Mexico off of Florida’s coast. On June 28, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced the Proposed Final 2012-2017 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program. [...]