Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, said in response:

This shortsighted bill will leave Americans at greater risk of flooding, damage our rivers and wildlife, and fleece taxpayers. Apparently, all it takes is a classic Washington pig roast to break the gridlock in the Senate.

It would cost an estimated $60 billion to build all the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects currently on the books. Today, the Senate has added to the backlog while undermining the process that identifies which projects provide real value. Time and time again, commonsense environmental reviews have shed light on expensive, damaging proposals that are not in our national interest.The Water Resources Development Act is vital for helping to restore national treasures like the Everglades and the Mississippi River Delta. Unfortunately, language in this bill undermines the bedrock environmental principle that the federal government should look before it leaps. For example, this bill will allow the Army Corps to fine other federal agencies up to $20,000 a week if they aren’t able to meet the new rushed deadlines for environmental review.

Now the debate moves to the House. We look forward to working with our representatives to protect the integrity of the environmental review process, and to enact meaningful reforms that will prioritize low impact solutions and modernize the management of existing projects. This bill must be fixed before the President signs it into law.

Read more about the Water Resources Development Act:

• Will Senate Water Down Environmental Protections While the Midwest Floods?
• Black Bears and Wetlands and the Water Resources Development Act…Oh, My!
• Five Ways the Water Resources Development Act Harms Wildlife
• Congress and Water Projects in America: The Latest on the Water Resources Development Act

Today, spokespeople representing three different backgrounds and perspectives offered up their opinions of the Water Resources Development Act (S.601), which is scheduled for a cloture vote at noon Tuesday ET.

Download the audio of the telepresser here.

Steve Ellis, Vice-President, Taxpayers for Common Sense: “We’re opposed to the Senate Water Resources Development Act because it cedes too much power to the administration and it costs too much money. When we are looking at enormous budget deficits, we have a $16.5 trillion debt, we have got to prioritize our investments and this bill does very little of that. It also adds to the $60 billion project backlog the Corps already has.” (Mr. Ellis speaks from 1:55 to 6:38 on the audio recording.)

Melissa Samet, Senior Water Resources Counsel, National Wildlife Federation: “The bill strikes at the environment by undermining protections that have been provided by the nation’s environmental laws for four decades. … The Corps has a long and well-documented history of fundamentally flawed project studies. The Corps also has a well-recognized institutional bias for constructing large scale projects that damage the nation’s rivers, coasts and wetlands even when less damaging options are available.” (Ms. Samet speaks from 6:38 to 11:24 on the audio recording.)

Michael L Davis, former deputy assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Works and vice president at Keith and Schnars: “There’s no evidence that these types of reviews substantially slow down projects…. One of the most critical things the water resources bill can do is set some priorities for our water resources portfolio in this country. Looking at the backlog and getting rid of the things that are no longer needed or ought not to be constructed with contemporary thinking about the environment. … It is naïve to believe that you can just streamline these processes without understanding one of the real issues, which is the funding and staffing of these agencies.” (Mr. Davis speaks from 11:24 to 17:00 on the audio recording.)

Like many of the 31 other dolphins examined in a recent study, Y12 was found to be severely ill: underweight, anemic and with signs of liver and lung disease. The dolphins’ symptoms were consistent with those seen in other mammals exposed to oil; researchers feared many of the dolphins studied were so ill they would not survive.

Seven months later, Y12’s emaciated carcass washed up on the beach at Grand Isle.

More than 650 dolphins have been found stranded in the oil spill area since the Gulf oil disaster began. This is more than four times the historical average.

Click for larger image, and be sure to spread the word on Facebook.

Read the Report

“Three years after the initial explosion, the impacts of the disaster continue to unfold,” said Doug Inkley, senior scientist for the National Wildlife Federation and lead report author. “Dolphins are still dying in high numbers in the areas affected by oil. These ongoing deaths — particularly in an apex predator like the dolphin — are a strong indication that there is something amiss with the Gulf ecosystem.”

Restoring a Degraded Gulf of Mexico: Wildlife and Wetlands Three Years into the Gulf Oil Disaster looks at how different species of wildlife across the northern Gulf are faring in the wake of the oil disaster.

• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) called the dolphin die-off “unprecedented” a year ago.
• More than 1,700 sea turtles were found stranded between May 2010 and November 2012 — the last date for which information is available. For comparison, on average about 240 sea turtles are stranded annually.
• A coral colony seven miles from the wellhead was badly damaged by oil. A recent laboratory study found that a mixture of oil and dispersant affected the ability of some coral species to build new parts of a reef.
• Scientists found that the oil disaster affected the cellular function of the killifish, a common baitfish at the base of the food web. A recent laboratory study found that oil exposure can also harm the development of larger fish such as mahi mahi.

“Despite the public reations blitz by BP, this spill is not over,” said David Muth, Director of the National Wildlife Federation’s Mississippi River Delta Restoration Program. “In 2012 six million pounds of tar mat and contaminated material from the BP spill were cleaned up from Louisiana’s coast. Justice will only be served when BP and its co-defendants pay to restore the wildlife and habitats of the Mississippi River Delta and the Gulf of Mexico.”

Two Ways to Help

The high number of dolphin deaths is concerning, and wildlife across the Gulf continue to feel the effects of BP’s massive oil spill three years later. Residents of the Gulf and its wildlife need full restoration! Tell the Dept. of Justice to hold BP fully accountable for its actions>>

You can also help NWF protect wildlife, like bottlenose dolphins in the Gulf, by donating today.

Otters in Louisiana’s Mardi Gras Pass could soon find themselves out of a home. Protect river otters and restore Louisiana’s vanishing coast here! Photo courtesy of Dan Dzurisin.

Louisiana’s coastal wetlands are important for many species of wildlife including river otters, pelicans, and alligators, and provide critical hurricane protections for Louisiana’s coastal residents.

But these wetlands, including otter habitat and so much more, are eroding into the Gulf of Mexico at a rate of a football field every hour.

Louisiana’s groundbreaking new plan to restore its vanishing coast includes a river-reintroduction project—something very like Mardi Gras Pass—in almost in the exact same location.

Since the 1930s, when levees to control flooding were placed along the Mississippi, Louisiana has lost almost 2,000 square miles of coastal wetlands and barrier islands. Before that time, the natural creation of small outlets like Mardi Gras Pass was fairly commonplace.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the State of Louisiana should deny the permit and give themselves time to carefully consider all of the benefits of the pass.

Tell the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the State of Louisiana to work with the river—not against it—and allow the otters to stay in their new, naturally-created habitat.

Below is a timeline of major events that have occurred in the past 1,000 days.

Help us spread the word that the oil spill is not truly over by sharing this image on Facebook!

There are persistent rumors that BP might be trying to settle for less than half of what the company could face if brought to trial. Help dolphins and other wildlife in the Gulf by urging the Department of Justice to hold BP fully accountable for the oil spill.

Sources:

- Restorethegulf.org, “First oiled bird is recovered.”
- Restorethegulf.org, “NOAA Expands Fishing Closed Area in Gulf of Mexico.”
- The New York Times, “Effects of Spill Spread as Tar Balls Are Found.”
- TIME, “100 Days of the BP Spill: A Timeline.”
- The White House, “Executive Order 13554–Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force.”
- Bloomberg, “BP Oil Still Ashore One Year After End of Gulf Spill.”
- PNAS, “Impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on a deep-water coral community in the Gulf of Mexico.”
- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, “Study confirms oil from Deepwater Horizon disaster entered food chain in the Gulf of Mexico.”
- The Times-Picayune, “About 565,000 pounds of oiled material from Deepwater Horizon stirred up by Hurricane Isaac.”
- The New York Times, “BP Will Plead Guilty and Pay Over $4 Billion.”
- Georgia Tech Biology, “Gulf of Mexico Clean-Up Makes 2010 Spill 52-Times More Toxic.”
- University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science, “UMiami scientists partner with NOAA, Stanford and U of N Texas to study post spill fish toxicology.”
- NOAA Fisheries Service, “2010-2013 Cetacean Unusual Mortality Event in Northern Gulf of Mexico.”
- The Times-Picayune, “Transocean to pay $1.4 billion to settle pollution, safety violations in Gulf oil spill.”

Courtesy of the Restore the Mississippi River Delta coalition.

Photo credit: flickr / thepugfather

Yesterday, BP agreed to pay a record criminal fine for the Gulf oil spill, but vowed to vigorously contest the charges it is facing under federal environmental law. Money from these penalties will go to restoring the Gulf.

BP Must be Held Accountable

Dolphins in one heavily oiled section of the Louisiana coast are suffering and even dying from a variety of symptoms–including anemia, low blood sugar, and lung disease–that suggest exposure to oil.

But media reports indicate that BP might be attempting to negotiate an agreement with the Department of Justice to pay less than half of what the company could face at trial for its violations of the Clean Water Act and the Oil Pollution Act.

Speak up for Dolphins

The Department of Justice and BP have been in intense negotiations and could announce an agreement at any time.

BP’s fines need to be large enough to restore the Gulf of Mexico for dolphins and other wildlife—and to send a clear message that America holds reckless polluters fully accountable.

Gulf dolphins need us to help ensure the Department of Justice holds BP fully accountable for restoring Gulf habitat–please add your voice today!

Much of the Central Wetlands were once a flourishing cypress swamp much like the one in the top image, by photographer Paul Mannix. Click to LIKE and SHARE this image on Facebook!

Today the Central Wetlands are an open expanse of saltwater, punctuated only by the stumps of dead cypress trees.

Over the past fifty years, approximately 1000 square miles of habitats were damaged or destroyed by a shipping channel known as the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO).

Worse still, during Hurricane Katrina, the MRGO funneled storm surge into large areas in and around New Orleans, dramatically increasing the devastation from the storm.

In Katrina’s wake, Congress ordered the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers—who built and operated the channel—to come up with a plan to restore the damaged habitats.  Incredibly, the Corps was openly considering ignoring Congress and taking no further action towards restoration.

But thanks to almost 49,000 emails from activists across the country, today the fate of the Central Wetlands and other habitats damaged by the MRGO is looking a little brighter.

A new report by the Corps’ Chief of Engineers, published early last week, recommends moving forward on a $3 billion plan to restore wetlands damaged or destroyed by the construction and operation of the
M­ississippi River Gulf Outlet.

This news was greeted enthusiastically in New Orleans. Locals know that wetlands—particularly cypress forests—can help protect communities by buffering storm surge.

There are still obstacles to implementation: The Corps and the State of Louisiana are mired in a cost-sharing dispute that looks likely to hold up the restoration plan for at least the near future.

But the urgent need for restoration ought to transcend the cost-sharing issue. The MRGO plan—now more than four years behind Congress’ deadline—is critical to restoring the wetlands and wildlife habitats damaged by the canal.

NWF and our partners in the MRGO Must Go coalition have offered other major recommendations to the Corps, including prioritizing the 19 projects in the MRGO restoration that are also recommended in Louisiana’s 2012 Coastal Master Plan.

We’ve also recommended that the Corps expedite the Violet Freshwater Diversion, a project that will bring freshwater from the Mississippi River into the Central Wetlands and help to rebuild the lost marshes and cypress swamps while controlling salinity. These measures will ultimately lead to better resilience in the face of hurricanes—and will help the city adapt to sea level rise.

Want to make a difference for wildlife? Speak up for wolves affected by massive Keystone XL pipeline—urge the U.S. State Department to reject the dangerous tar sands oil pipeline.

The Delacroix Island where my grandfather was raised will never exist again. I’m okay with that. I’ve come to terms with it. I love Delacroix for what it is now, and that’s exactly why I went there on Sunday to survey the damage after Hurricane Isaac’s storm surge flooded the area last week.

Delacroix is situated about an hour’s drive outside New Orleans on Bayou Terre-aux-Boeufs in St. Bernard Parish (map). My Spanish and French ancestors settled there in the early 1800s, and I feel a deep connection to the place. I go down there often to experience the bounty of nature while hunting and fishing.

A pelican wounded during the storm sits helplessly on a ridge of destroyed marsh.

My last trip to Delacroix was on the Monday before Isaac struck. As its tropical storm force winds began to swing their way into the coast, I snuck in a pretty decent fishing trip that yielded an ice chest full of redfish. Everything was very alive on that day. The golden-green marsh grass swayed in the wind, mottled ducks called back and forth to each other, and bait fish and blue crabs scurried in and out of the submerged aquatic vegetation. I took it all in, but in the back of my mind I feared the worst and hoped for the best.

I waited out the storm at a friend’s house in New Orleans. After hearing the news that the town of Braithwaite in Plaquemines Parish was flooded by a surge of up to 12 feet, I knew that Delacroix would have taken a major hit. I decided that as soon as the water went down I would make a trip to survey the damage.

Fishing lodge owner Joe Guinta cleans up after Isaac’s surge, a thick layer of mud below his feet.

A large tree washed up onto the docks of this boat shed.

When I turned from the main bayou out into the marsh, the smell of dead fish and stale marsh mud hit me like a freight train. Chunks of land had been picked up and moved to open water. Small trees and brush were toppled over one another and the once green marsh grass all blended together in a wasteland of grey. This is to be expected when a major surge of saltwater passes over a brackish marsh, but it still stings when you see it.

All of the submerged aquatic vegetation that once covered the shallow ponds was washed up and killed by the surge. These plants are important to the ecosystem. They provide shelter for small fish and crabs, and their seeds are food for waterfowl.

After seeing all the destruction to the marsh it was a sweet relief to land the fish.

We toured the marsh until the scene had left a lasting impression. The verdict was that the marsh took a big hit with Hurricane Isaac—similar to the effects felt after Hurricane Katrina, but not nearly as bad. Vital marsh land will be lost, and I’m sure satellite imagery from before and after Isaac will reveal approximately how much. What hurts more is that we have once again lost more of our natural protection from storm surge. Most of us were spared as the federal levee system did its job to protect communities, but other areas were not as fortunate as the floodwater inundated areas outside the federal levees. Many citizens must once again consider their plans to rebuild.

Now that Isaac has passed, it is time to get to work putting the pieces back together here in the Mississippi River Delta. As we tackle the challenge before us, I hope the rest of the country takes note of our plight, but there is no need to feel sorry for us. We choose to be here. We know that sustaining our unique culture and way of life is directly tied to how we manage this dynamic landscape.

We now have a comprehensive, scientifically-sound plan to restore our coast, the 2012 Louisiana Coastal Master Plan. With funding we can begin major projects that will build land and protect our communities.

The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers is taking input until Thursday on an important project that will restore wetlands and help protect  communities from hurricanes. Make your voice heard!

Scientists are still investigating an unprecedented rise in dolphin mortality in the northern gulf. Photo by The Pug Father/Flickr.

This study looks specifically at the strandings between January and April of 2011–a period when a high number of near-term or newborn dolphins were found.

In a statement, Graham Worthy, a University of Central Florida provosts distinguished professor of biology and co-author of the study, identified three distinct factors contributing to the deaths, “The oil spill and cold winter of 2010 had already put significant stress on their food resources, resulting in poor body condition and depressed immune response. It appears the high volumes of cold freshwater coming from snowmelt water that pushed through Mobile Bay and Mississippi Sound in 2011 was the final blow.”

However, the new study has been criticized in some quarters for not including the toxicology reports currently being done by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). According to the Biloxi Sun Herald:

Moby Solangi, executive director of the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport, said it’s too early to speculate as to the causes of the dolphins’ deaths because toxicology results have not been released. He said turtles and fish would have been the first affected by the pulses of cold water, and that did not happen.

“This is a different phenomenon,” he said. “It has nothing to do with cold water. You would have seen turtles die first. You would have seen fish die first.”

He added, “All the animals that died were responded to by us, necropsied by us and checked out by us and the government has all the tissues and will be conducting the results. They are the ones who should be writing this thing, rather than somebody who doesn’t have that data.”

Meanwhile, NOAA recently opened an investigation into the deaths of more than 120 dolphins off the Texas coast. The agency is investigating if these deaths are related to a toxic algal bloom known as red tide or if there is a connection to the dolphin strandings elsewhere in the gulf. The Associated Press reports:

… [S]ome of the dolphins washed up underweight, said Heidi Whitehead, state coordinator for the Galveston-based Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network, a nonprofit organization that is the only authorized stranding network in Texas. Mase said that has not been the pattern for past red tide-related deaths.

Some of the dolphins also were found with discolored teeth and lung infections, prompting researchers to investigate whether they were affected by the same disease found in more than 700 strandings in the northern Gulf, an area stretching from the Texas-Louisiana line east to the Florida Panhandle. Researchers suspect the lung disease may be connected to the millions of gallons of oil that fouled the Gulf in April 2010 after a well blowout on a BP-operated rig, but have yet to make a final determination, Mase said.

There is some hopeful news for dolphins and other wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico, however. Congress recently passed the RESTORE Act, which dedicates the fines collected from BP and other parties responsible for the 2010 Gulf oil spill to restoring the Gulf Coast’s wildlife, environment and economy.

Over the coming months, the National Wildlife Federation, together with wildlife advocates across the country, will be working hard to make sure Gulf states and the Obama Administration ensure that every dollar is used to help restore the Gulf and increase the resiliency of its ecosystems and communities.

Please consider making a generous donation to help continue this important fight for dolphins and many more Gulf wildlife >>

LIKE and SHARE this image on Facebook to spread the word that it's not over.

Since the start of the spill, more than 500 dolphins have been found stranded in the oil spill zone—four times the historical average. April is the 26^th consecutive month with above-average strandings, with higher mortality rates in 2011 than in 2010.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently called the length and severity of the current rash of dolphin strandings “unprecedented.”

As part of its effort to determine the cause of the dolphin strandings, NOAA did an in-depth study of dolphins in Barataria Bay, an area that was heavily oiled during the BP oil spill. The researchers found that many of the animals were underweight, anemic, had low hormone levels, low blood sugar, and some had signs of liver damage. These symptoms are similar to those seen in other mammals exposed to oil.

As a top-level predator, the poor health of dolphins in the most heavily oiled areas suggests possible ecosystem-wide effects of the oil.  Dolphins can inhale oil vapors, ingest oil when feeding, absorb it through their skin or eat contaminated fish.

The Gulf of Mexico is in dire need of restoration. NOAA estimates that as many as 450 miles of shoreline remain affected by oil from the Deepwater Horizon well. But even before the oil spill, the Gulf of Mexico was a degraded ecosystem, affected by wetlands loss, overfishing, nutrient run-off, and other problems.

The impacts of the Gulf oil disaster will be unfolding for years, if not decades. The initial disaster response focused on removing oil, with little action taken to address the long-term wetlands habitat degradation exacerbated by the oil disaster.

BP and the other companies responsible for the Gulf oil disaster will rightly pay billions in penalties for their flagrant violations of the Clean Water Act. But unless Congress takes action, money from these fines could end up spent on unrelated programs.

Click here to make sure Congress dedicates the money from BP’s oil spill fines to Gulf restoration!

Much of the material in this post comes from A Degraded Gulf of Mexico: Wildlife and Wetlands Two Years Into the Gulf Oil Disaster.