Activists blast feds on Gulf oil studies
NEW ORLEANS — Three conservation groups said in a suit filed Thursday that federal wildlife agencies have failed for years to complete required consultations and reporting on the effects that oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico could have on endangered species.
The suit comes more than a decade since the last such report was done, and more than eight years since the huge 2010 BP oil spill, the groups said.
The Gulf Restoration Network, the Sierra Club and the Center for Biological Diversity released a copy of their suit as it was being filed in U.S. District Court in Florida. Defendants named are the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The suit says the Endangered Species Act requires those agencies since 2007 to consult with the agencies overseeing Gulf drilling and to publish an opinion on the possible effects of such drilling on endangered species, including various species of whales and sea turtles. Such consultations and reporting haven’t been conducted since well before the 2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig.
The lawsuit seeks an order requiring completion of a consultation in 90 days.
Global Entry effort includes Hines
Customs and Border Protection has partnered with Hines to help Houstonians enroll in Global Entry from the comfort of their office building.
It’s the first partnership of this scale for Global Entry, a 10-year-old program that expedites Customs screening at the airport. Customs officers have previously visited individual firms to enroll employees, but the Hines announcement provides a much greater reach. Up to 80 people have thus far arranged to complete their enrollment interviews at 609 Main.
“Assuming it goes as well as we think it’s going to go, we’ll roll it out to our other buildings,” said Adam Rose, vice president of property management for Hines. Enrollment dates have already been announced at some other Hines locations, but he said that could expand even further.
The application carries a $100 fee. More than 5 million people are enrolled.
Chevrolet Blazer rides to a revival
DETROIT — Because these days you can’t have too many SUVs, General Motors is bringing back the Chevrolet Blazer. Only this time it’s not a thirsty and boxy truck like its predecessor, one of the original SUVs that was sold from the 1982 through 2005 model years.
SUVs based on car underpinnings are what buyers want these days, and the Chevy brand didn’t have a midsize one with two rows of seats to compete with the popular Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Ford Edge and Nissan Murano.
So GM on Thursday unveiled the sculpted Blazer in Atlanta, trying to capitalize on a wellknown name that has a lot of equity, said Steve Majoros, Chevy’s director of car and crossover marketing.
Hotel tourism fee in San Antonio
San Antonio took a step to energize the tourism promotion that helps draw more than 34 million visitors each year — and it would have hotel guests pay for it.
City Council members gave preliminary approval Thursday to a “tourism public improvement district” that would cover the entire city and charge hotel guests a fee calculated at 1.25 percent of their room rate at hotels and lodging facilities with more than 100 rooms.
The added fee would come on top of the existing 16.75 percent occupancy tax San Antonio visitors pay on stays at hotels and lodging facilities with more than 100 rooms. Of that revenue, 7 percent goes to the city, 6 percent to the state, 2 percent to the Convention Center and 1.8 percent to Bexar County.
Concerned it’s falling behind, the San Antonio tourism industry said the new fee paid by hotel guests is needed to stay competitive with other destinations.
Mortgage rates post a decline
WASHINGTON — Longterm U.S. mortgage rates fell this week, marking their third decline in the past four weeks after increasing last week.
Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday the average rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages was 4.57 percent, down from 4.62 percent last week. By contrast, the 30-year rate averaged 3.90 percent a year ago. The average rate on 15-year fixedrate loans eased to 4.04 percent from 4.07 percent last week.
Group releases unsafe toys list
BOSTON — A Boston-based consumer watchdog group has warned of the dangers to children of water balloon slingshots, lawn darts and other summer toys.
Those playthings top a list of 10 questionable toys issued Thursday by World Against Toys Causing Harm.
Others include low-riding wheeled toys; swimming pools; all-terrain vehicles; toys with small parts; baby pools and garden buckets; backyard water slides; high-powered water guns; and bounce houses and backyard trampolines.