Latest news with #DeepwaterHorizon
Forbes
24-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How to build a culture where doing the right thing comes naturally
Now hear this! getty Lori Pressler, Deloitte's Chief Ethics Officer, recently explained why a business cannot have a strong ethical culture if its CEO is not deeply committed to ensuring ethical conduct at every level of the organization. Ethical leadership begins with the CEO. getty You can't have a winning team without a winning coach. Without a CEO who values integrity, 'it becomes harder to normalize ethical principles and accountability,' Pressler told Unleash 's Allie Nawrat. Recall the scandal at General Motors 11 years ago in which the company failed to recall vehicles with known ignition switch defects. Over a dozen people died as a result. An internal investigation revealed a culture of avoidance: executives passed the buck in endless committees, avoided documentation, and even coined terms for inaction like the "GM Nod" (pretending to agree but doing nothing) and the "GM Salute" (physically pointing to others to deflect responsibility). CEO Mary Barra rightly called these 'bureaucratic processes that avoided accountability" and took responsibility for them. You might ask, 'Isn't taking responsibility just basic decency? Does that really count as ethical leadership?' Consider how other CEOs have responded to disasters of their own making. GFire boat response crews battle the blazing remnants of the off shore oil rig Deepwater Horizon in ... More the Gulf of Mexico on April 21, 2010 near New Orleans, Louisiana. Getty Images When the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, causing the worst oil spill in history, BP's then-CEO Tony Hayward said this about accountability: 'The responsibility for safety on the drilling rig is Transocean [sic]. It is their rig, their equipment, their people, their systems, their safety processes.' BP only accepted blame when a mountain of evidence made denial impossible. Years later, Hayward's response remains the platinum standard for how not to take responsibility as a leader. That's why Deloitte is right to observe that a company cannot hope to build and maintain a strong ethical culture if its CEO is not deeply committed to running the company ethically. The role of ethics training in maintaining a strong ethical culture Your company doesn't treat anti-money-laundering (AML) training as one-and-done. Ethics training ... More deserves the same ongoing commitment. getty It's up to a company's board of directors to install a leader who cares about integrity and walks the talk. But what about the rest of the organization? How can a business increase the likelihood that every employee is as committed to ethical conduct as the person at the helm is? In addition to hiring for character as well as competence, smart businesses also make ethics training a recurring component of corporate life. Training programs of all stripes are not one-and-done. The landscape continues to change and evolve, which is why businesses give regular training on the topics of anti-money laundering, compliance, cybersecurity, and workplace safety. Ethics training deserves the same level of attention. After all, new dilemmas emerge as technologies shift, markets evolve, and teams grow. Treating ethics as an ongoing conversation helps to maintain an organizational culture that values doing the right thing. The components of a successful ethics training program Building an ethical culture starts with the right building blocks. getty Some topics are drier than others, but ethics may be the toughest subject of them all to make engaging, relevant and accessible. The best ethics training programs do three things well. 1. They use scenarios that prompt employees to say, 'That's happened to me!' or 'I heard that happening to someone I know here.' This means that the training is not one-size-fits all. In a bank, for example, compliance professionals and accountants face different 'What should I do?' scenarios, and the ethics training should reflect those differences. 2. They avoid fancy language. A well-regarded ethics textbook uses the term 'the principle of nonmaleficence' to refer to a fundamental ethical principle. But all that term means is 'do no harm." Why not skip a Latin-derived term that few people outside of philosophy circles understand and talk instead about the Do No Harm principle? (Or, as Google would have it, 'Don't be evil.') 3. They have interactive components. The saying, 'Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand,' may be falsely attributed to Confucius, but it remains true. Teaching isn't about spewing information and hoping against hope that the recipient will catch and digest it. Instead, it's about ensuring that participants are actively involved in learning material that will help them make the right decisions at the right time in the right way. The takeaways Four takeaways for you to enjoy! getty 1. You can't have a winning team without a winning coach. Ethical leadership, as Deloitte's Chief Ethics Officer Lori Pressler notes, starts at the top. 2. Still, an ethical CEO is a necessary but not sufficient condition for an ethical business culture. Ethics training is another essential component. 3. Ethics training is not one-and-done, not even once-a-year-and-done 4. The best ethics training programs have tailored scenarios for different job roles. They also avoid fancy language, and they involve participants throughout the sessions.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Landry says coastal restoration project ‘no longer financially or practically viable'
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry has weighed in on the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project. Landry posted a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, Monday morning, saying, 'The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project, in its current form, is no longer financially or practically viable. Beyond the financial concerns, the MBSD threatens Louisiana's seafood industry, our coastal culture, and the livelihoods of our fishermen—people who have sustained our state for generations. @LouisianaCPRA is now moving forward with another coastal restoration plan—one that balances our environmental goals with the needs of all citizens, businesses, and industries.' Landry's statement comes after the cancellation of the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project on Thursday, July 17. The coastal project was started in 2023 and funded by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement. It was intended to repair the disappearing coastline along the Gulf. Landry names new executive director of Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Latest News East Baton Rouge deputies, SWAT arrest burglary suspect after clash with homeowner WATCH: Delta flight makes emergency landing at LAX after engine catches fire Trump administration appeals Jenner & Block win over executive order Livingston Parish receives $476K grant for new weather stations Trump admin releases FBI records on MLK Jr. despite his family's opposition Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
$3 billion restoration project to restore Louisiana's eroded coast terminated. More here
On Thursday, July 17, the state of Louisiana canceled a $3 billion coastal restoration project that was being funded by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. The project, which would repair the Gulf's disappearing coastline, was viewed by Jeff Landry as a hinderance to the state's way of life, while conservationists consider it an urgent response to the effects of climate change. The termination of the project means that Louisiana could lose over $1.5 billion worth of unspent funding, and may potentially have to repay the $618 million that was already used to begin building, AP News reported. Louisiana cancels $3 billion coastal restoration project. What this means for the Gulf Coast Louisiana's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CRPA) reached an agreement with the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group to officially terminate the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project, according to the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. "The decision follows CPRA's determination, as the Lead Implementing Trustee for the construction of the sediment diversion, that the project is no longer viable due to multiple factors, including costs, permitting concerns, and ongoing litigation. Based on CPRA's determination, the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group signed a resolution to reduce the project budget to match funding that has already been dispersed," reads a news release from the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. Originally planed as a large-scale restoration project, the sediment diversion was devised to reconnect the Mississippi River to the Barataria Basin, with the intent to rebuild marshes in Plaquemines Parish. The project was aimed at rebuilding more than 20 square miles of land over a 50-year period in Southeast Louisiana in order to combat rising sea levels and coastal erosion along the Gulf. CPRA determined that construction of the project, as it was approved in 2023, is no longer viable at this time and, instead, CPRA is pivoting to reinstate the Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA) Medium Diversion Myrtle Grove with Dedicated Dredging project, which offers similar restoration benefits, according to CPRA. As part of the cancellation process, the authorized budget has been reduced from $2.26 billion to $618.52 million, reflecting funds that have already been disbursed. Through this, CPRA plans to use the funds for activities related to closing out the project, requiring monthly updates to the Louisiana Restoration Area Trustees, says CPRA. The unused project funds will be made available for future Deepwater Horizon restoration activities within the Louisiana Restoration Area through the restoration planning process and approval by the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group, according to CPRA. Presley Bo Tyler is a reporter for the Louisiana Deep South Connect Team for Ganett/USA Today. Find her on X @PresleyTyler02 and email at PTyler@ This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Did Louisiana cancel coastal restoration project? Why was it canceled? Solve the daily Crossword
American Press
18-07-2025
- Politics
- American Press
Louisiana cancels $3B coastal restoration project
The beachfront in Cameron Parish has been pounded by number of tropical storms and hurricanes in recent years, including Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Ike, and Gustav. (Coast Protection and Restoration Authority) Louisiana officially canceled a $3 billion coastal restoration funded by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement money, state and federal agencies confirmed Thursday. The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project had been intended to rebuild upward of 20 square miles of land in southeast Louisiana to combat sea level rise and erosion on the Gulf Coast. The money must be used on coastal restoration and it was not immediately clear if the $618 million the state has already spent will have to be returned, as federal trustees warned last year. Conservation groups and other supporters of the project stressed it was an ambitious, science-based approach to mitigating the worst effects of a vanishing coastline in a state where a football field of land is lost every 100 minutes. The project would have diverted sediment-laden water from the Mississippi River to restore wetlands disappearing due to a range of factors including climate-change induced sea level rise and a vast river levee system that choked off natural land regeneration. 'The science has not changed, nor has the need for urgent action,' said Kim Reyher, executive director of the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. 'What has changed is the political landscape.' While the project had largely received bipartisan support and was championed by Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, Republican Gov. Jeff Landry became a vocal opponent after taking office last year. He recoiled at the price and amplified concerns that the massive influx of freshwater would destroy fisheries that local communities rely on for their livelihoods. Landry has said the project would 'break' Louisiana's culture of shrimp and oyster harvesting and compared it to government efforts a century ago to punish schoolchildren for speaking Cajun French. 'We fought this battle a long time, but Gov. Landry is the reason we won this battle,' said Mitch Jurisich, chair of the Louisiana Oyster Task Force, who was suing the state over the project's environmental impacts. 'He really turned the tide.' The Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group, a coalition of federal agencies overseeing settlement funds from the 2010 Gulf oil spill, said in a Thursday statement that the Mid-Barataria project is 'no longer viable' for a range of reasons including litigation and the suspension of a federal permit after the state issued a stop-work order on the project. A spokesperson for Louisiana's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority confirmed to The Associated Press that the state is canceling the project.
San Francisco Chronicle
17-07-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Louisiana cancels $3B repair coastal restoration funded by Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana officially canceled a $3 billion coastal restoration funded by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement money, state and federal agencies confirmed Thursday. The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project had been intended to rebuild upward of 20 square miles (32 kilometers) of land in southeast Louisiana to combat sea level rise and erosion on the Gulf Coast. The money must be used on coastal restoration and it was not immediately clear if the $618 million the state has already spent will have to be returned, as federal trustees warned last year. Conservation groups and other supporters of the project stressed it was an ambitious, science-based approach to mitigating the worst effects of a vanishing coastline in a state where a football field of land is lost every 100 minutes. The project would have diverted sediment-laden water from the Mississippi River to restore wetlands disappearing due to a range of factors including climate-change induced sea level rise and a vast river levee system that choked off natural land regeneration. 'The science has not changed, nor has the need for urgent action,' said Kim Reyher, executive director of the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. 'What has changed is the political landscape.' While the project had largely received bipartisan support and was championed by Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, Republican Gov. Jeff Landry became a vocal opponent after taking office last year. He recoiled at the price and amplified concerns that the massive influx of freshwater would destroy fisheries that local communities rely on for their livelihoods. Landry has said the project would 'break' Louisiana's culture of shrimp and oyster harvesting and compared it to government efforts a century ago to punish schoolchildren for speaking Cajun French. 'We fought this battle a long time, but Gov. Landry is the reason we won this battle," said Mitch Jurisich, chair of the Louisiana Oyster Task Force, who was suing the state over the project's environmental impacts. 'He really turned the tide.' The Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group, a coalition of federal agencies overseeing settlement funds from the 2010 Gulf oil spill, said in a Thursday statement that the Mid-Barataria project is 'no longer viable' for a range of reasons including litigation and the suspension of a federal permit after the state issued a stop-work order on the project. A spokesperson for Louisiana's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority confirmed to The Associated Press that the state is canceling the project.
