News Roundup: Relief in sight? Not so fast

Despite weather-related setbacks, the federal government says work must go forward on a relief well meant to permanently plug BP’s blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said during a news conference today that the well has not yet been killed. Read the full AP story here.

But that doesn’t mean that Gulf communities will bounce back as soon as the cement sets. In the New York Times’ DotEarth blog, Andrew Revkin recounts some lessons in resilience. As Hurricane Katrina demonstrated all too well, creating community resilience is a long-term process.

In fact, economic pain is worsening in the Gulf region, reports AFP. Fishermen express fear that it could take years or decades for the region’s fisheries to recover from the oil and chemical dispersants now mixed in Gulf waters, and lament BP’s tardiness in reimbursing their lost business.

Meanwhile, the Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival plans on celebrating its 75th year come Sept. 2nd. In some ways, says the Times-Picayune, the festival (which has been cancelled just once and postponed twice) is “more resilient than its namesake industries.”