Gulf Coast

In Louisiana, officials closed seven major oyster harvesting areas along the state's southeastern coast.

Two years have passed since the beginning of this immense disaster, what has happened since then?

The U.S. House has approved setting aside 80 percent of fines from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill for environmental restoration work on the Gulf Coast. Late Thursday, the House voted to add an amendment setting aside 80 percent of the fines to the Gulf Coast. The amendment was added to a surface transportation bill offered by U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La.

Louisiana and the rest of the Gulf Coast apparently have nothing to fear from Tropical Storm Bret.

Senator David Vitter has filed legislation to expedite funds from BP for recovery from the Gulf oil spill.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — An Associated Press investigation shows that in the year since the Gulf oil spill, officials along the coast have gone on a spending spree with BP money, dropping tens of millions of dollars on gadgets, vehicles and gear — much of which had little to do with the cleanup.

WASHINGTON – At a Capitol Hill press conference today hosted by Women of the Storm, United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., welcomed the Obama Administration’s support for dedicating at least 80% of civil Clean Water Act penalties incurred by those responsible for the spill to the Gulf Coast.

The Emmy Award-winning competitive cooking show "Top Chef" this week features seafood from the Gulf Coast, with New Orleans-own top chef, John Besh, serving as one of several judges.

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — Volunteers from across the country are rebuilding oyster reefs along the Gulf of Mexico's delicate shoreline, hoping to revive oyster beds under assault for decades from overharvesting, coastal development, pollution, and most recently the BP oil spill.

Served as Assistant Secretary and Chief of Staff for Interior Department WASHINGTON—United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., issued the following statement today on the resignation of Tom Strickland from the U.S. Department of the Interior, where he has served as Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, and Chief of Staff, for the last two years.

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Charles W. Boustany, Jr., (R-Southwest Louisiana), today called once again for the complete lifting of the de facto moratorium on offshore energy production, on the heels of the announcement that 13 energy producers will be allowed to resume drilling activities in the Gulf of Mexico.

WASHINGTON – United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., today issued the following statement in response to the announcement by the Obama administration yesterday to allow 13 companies to resume deep-water oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. That drilling was suspended after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion last year.

PORT SULPHUR, La. (AP) — This could be a gloomy Christmas for many people along the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of the big BP oil spill.