$100 Million to Clean Up ‘Chocolate Mess’
Ralph De La Cruz: A $100 million federal program will help clean up the headwaters of the Everglades.
NRC Waives Enforcement of Fire Rules at Nuclear Plants
ProPublica: Last year, inspectors found that cables used to control reactor valves at the Turkey Point plant outside Miami were unprotected from fire. The protection had been missing since at least 2001 and was initially noted in 2004. Citing enforcement discretion, inspectors waived a violation.
Chief Offshore Drilling Regulator Criticizes Lack of Oversight for Contractors
ProPublica: The government currently regulates only operators of offshore drilling rigs, such as BP, and in turn holds them responsible for any contractors they hire.
Scott’s Devious Plans for Citizens
Ralph De La Cruz: Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Paige St. John reports that Gov. Rick Scott is secretly pushing to shutter Citizens Property Insurance.
Money, Politics and Drilling — One Year After the Oil Spill
Ralph De La Cruz: A year after the worst ecological disaster in U.S. history, BP has made friends with Gov. Rick Scott.
A Year After Gulf Tragedy, Offshore Oil Companies Still Shielded by Liability Limits
ProPublica: When the Deepwater Horizon disaster killed 11 men at sea last April and set off the worst oil spill in U.S. history, the tragedy exposed a number of weaknesses -- not least of which were decades-old laws that limited the liability of major players.