2010 archive

Gov. Charlie Crist on Tuesday asked BP for claims information submitted as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill while other state and local officials expressed frustration with the company. The governor on May 11 created the Oil Spill Economic Recovery Task Force to help businesses and industry recover from the loss of business […]

A sweeping arm skimmer vessel collects oil in the Gulf of Mexico on June 10. Florida is asking federal officials and BP for more vessels to skim oil from the Gulf and has hired five of their own to operate in bays, state officials said. Tar balls washed ashore in Walton and Bay counties and

Gov. Charlie Crist said Monday that conference calls among state and county emergency officials dealing with the oil spill now are open to the media. The Division of Emergency Management holds the conference calls daily. As recently as last Wednesday, the Florida Tribune and other media were denied requests to monitor the calls. Division of

Coordinated federal coastal and ocean planning would have allowed Florida to play a greater role in decisions that may have averted the oil spill disaster in the Gulf, ocean experts said Friday. The Florida Coastal and Ocean Coalition held a one-day conference in Tallahassee that was sponsored by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the

A state air pollution permit has been issued to a proposed biomass electric plant in St. Lucie County, which could become the first of its kind in the nation and the largest in the world. Geoplasma St. Lucie LLC proposes building the plasma arc plant on nine acres at the St. Lucie County landfill. Plasma

Incoming Senate President Mike Haridopolos on Thursday, while announcing his plans to moderate an energy conference in Orlando in August, blamed Gov. Charlie Crist for the failure of a renewable energy bill during the legislative session. The July 8 “Florida Energy Summit” will be hosted by Citizens for Clean Energy, a new nonprofit group formed

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday ruled in Florida’s favor in a challenge to the state law that establishes restored beaches as public property. But while ruling in favor of the state, a four-member minority of justices also may have created an avenue for future claims by property owners against courts in environmental cases, according

Fifty-five applications were submitted by the Thursday deadline for the Public Service Commission seats now held by Chairman Nancy Argenziano and Commissioner Nathan A. Skop. Argenziano had submitted her application on Wednesday and Skop was among those submitting on Thursday. The nomination process and eventual confirmation likely will be controversial. Argenziano has suggested there are

Sen. Mike Fasano says he will ask Gov. Charlie Crist to scratch former Public Service Commission Executive Director Mary Bane from the list of candidates being considered for two vacant spots on the panel that regulates utilities. Fasano, R-New Port Richey, introduced SB 1034, a PSC reform bill that was intended to address ethics controversies

The Caribbean Conservation Corp., a Gainesville-based nonprofit group that lobbies for sea turtles at the Florida Capitol, changed its name Wednesday to the Sea Turtle Conservancy. The group oversees spending for 30 percent of revenue from the Florida’s sea turtle license plate and lobbies the legislative and executive branches on issues including oil drilling, beach