Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Michael Sole said Wednesday that his absence from the department since the oil spill and the temporary capping of the well on July 15 hastened his departure from the agency. Sole told Gov. Charlie Crist on Monday that he is leaving the department on Sept. 10 to seek other […]

BP and the Coast Guard on Wednesday took another big step towards permanently sealing an oil well that gushed into the Gulf of Mexico from April 20 to July 15. Meanwhile, a federal science team issued a report suggesting that about one-fourth of the 205 million gallons that leaked from the well had been collected

Florida officials said Monday they were looking forward to BP’s plans for a “static kill” operation to permanently seal the oil well that gushed from April 20 to July 15. State and federal officials said they had reduced the number of workers cleaning up oil from beaches. Alabama lifted advisories against swimming on Friday, but

DEP’s Mike Sole speaks to reporters on June 1 as Gov. Charlie Crist, right, looks on. After working nearly 20 years rising through the ranks at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Secretary Michael Sole told Gov. Charlie Crist on Monday he is leaving the department on Sept. 10 to pursue other opportunities. Representatives of

Florida on Saturday was reopening state waters near Pensacola that were closed to fishing because of the BP oil spill, Gov. Charlie Crist said late Friday. Waters along the 23-mile stretch of coast had been closed since June 13 when oil was washing ashore at beaches in Escambia County. Fishing was allowed only for catch-and-release.

Three Florida House members traveled to Washington, D.C. this week to urge Florida’s congressional delegation to fight proposed federal water quality standards for waterways within the state. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency earlier this year proposed specific limits for nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients to replace a state narrative standard that environmentalists said is

Attorney General Bill McCollum said Friday that as governor he will promote nuclear, biomass and “clean coal” to diversify Florida’s energy supply, and that solar, wind and ocean energy should have to compete in the private sector to bring costs down. The Republican candidate for governor joins the growing list of candidates for statewide office

Conceptual rendering of American Renewables proposed plant in Gainesville Groups and individuals opposed to biomass energy plants announced Thursday they are taking steps to block a proposed plant in Gainesville while opposing federal legislation dealing with renewable energy. Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson, Gov. Charlie Crist and some environmental groups say using wood, crops or garbage

While criticizing media coverage that he says raises doubts about the safety of Gulf seafood, Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson on Thursday also revealed that he has asked BP to pay $59 million over the next 10 years to test affected seafood for oil and chemical dispersants. Bronson submitted the request along with a seafood testing

More then 100 days after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded and sank off the Louisiana coast, a University of Florida study shows that the disaster is creating real estate market uncertainties far from affected counties along the Panhandle. The gushing BP well was capped on July 15 and work to kill the well is