Environmental groups say too early to say settlement reached in lawsuit over Gulf oil leak

The latest about a potential settlement of a lawsuit by environmental groups against a New Orleans company that failed to end a decade-old leak in the Gulf of Mexico (all times local)

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2:30 p.m.

Environmental groups say they're pleased at the progress of talks with a New Orleans company that has failed to end a decade-old oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, but it's too early to talk about potential settlements.

Taylor Energy Co. said Thursday it has reached a settlement, and has agreed to spend $400,000 to foster coastal research, to host a public forum and to publish a website with information about the company's spill response.

Waterkeeper Alliance, Apalachicola Riverkeeper and the Louisiana Environmental Action Network say in a joint statement that they have a "conceptual agreement" with Taylor, but nothing's final.

They say they won't talk about details until a settlement is signed.

The groups sued Taylor Energy in 2012, accusing it of withholding information about the leak's potential impact on the Gulf.

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11:32 a.m.

Environmental groups and a New Orleans company that failed to end a decade-old oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico have reached a settlement agreement in a lawsuit over the slow-motion spill.

Taylor Energy Company said Thursday it has agreed under the settlement to spend $400,000 to foster coastal research and will host a public forum and publish a website with information on the company's spill response.

Environmental groups led by the Waterkeeper Alliance sued Taylor Energy in 2012, accusing it of withholding information about the leak's potential impact on the Gulf ecosystem.

The groups also argued that the public was entitled to know more about the company's government-supervised efforts to stop the leak, which was the subject of an Associated Press investigation in April.