Gulf Coast

October 22, 2012 - As protestors in East Texas continue to fight construction of a pipeline originally proposed to carry dirty tar sands oil from Canada to Gulf Coast refineries, builder TransCanada has threatened them with a type of lawsuit designed to stifle citizens' right to assemble and freedom of expression.

October 17, 2012 - A large oil sheen in the Gulf of Mexico reported by watchdogs as far back as August 2011 has been tied to BP's failed Macondo well. Congressional leaders are demanding answers from the company about the ongoing oil release, and they also want to ensure BP pays fully for the damages caused by its 2010 disaster.

October 2, 2012 - A citizen lawsuit under the Clean Air Act seeks to force the Environmental Protection Agency to impose stricter limits on hazardous air pollution from oil refineries, which has been linked to cancer and other serious health problems.

September 14, 2012 - Since Hurricane Isaac, oily tar has washed ashore along the beaches and bayous of the Gulf -- some of it linked to BP's Deepwater Horizon disaster, which locals report is having a lasting impact on their treasured fishing grounds.

September 6, 2012 - The Department of Justice has filed a memorandum with the judge in the BP lawsuit blasting the company for making misleading claims about its responsibility and the ongoing damage it's caused to the environment. BP is also facing fire for misleading claims from Alabama and from institutional investors.

September 4, 2012 - The Gulf Restoration Network has documented an oil spill at a Conoco Phillips refinery and a coal spill from a major port on the Mississippi River. Pollution from the spills appears to be contaminating nearby communities, farmlands and wetlands.

August 29, 2012 - Residents of Gulf states are being warned to stay on alert for BP oil stirred up by Hurricane Isaac and to report sightings of any pollution washing ashore.