Like tarballs that keep washing up on shore with the tide, the saga of the Big Oozy continues. In a big scoop, the Wall Street Journal reported that federal prosecutors are readying a first round of criminal charges stemming from the disaster. The Feds have not been given a final greenlight, but they are prepping final paperwork to prosecute several engineers for lying about risks. Specifically, the engineers falsified info about the ratio of pressure needed to prevent a blowout versus pressure needed to maintain the well's integrity. Conviction could carry up to five years in prison and a fine.

SoLa's mix of offshore men, fishermen, and eco-activists makes offshore drilling a touchy topic. Opinions aside, recent reports show that new drilling is decidedly down. St. Tammany is all over a new report from the Gulf Permit Index, and the numbers are not (or are, depending on your view) encouraging.

Deepwater permits have dropped from 5.8 a month to 5 a month issued, a 14% decrease. Shallow water permits have dropped from 7.1 to 6 issued monthly. In addition, shallow water permits which historically averaged 61 days to approve, now average 110. The 74.3% average approval rate has now fallen to 34% 

Some of the customs of the United Houma Nation may not be fully understood by the general public. But, equally, you'd be hard pressed to find citizens that understand the bureaucracy at the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The South Louisiana Native American tribe applied for federal recognition in 1985. Since then, all that's happened is that the application has gone up for consideration, some findings have been proposed and and a federal office has changed names. But, luckily, the Nation has found a new ally in Barack Obama...or, at least, his website.

Last week, Jeremy Shockey sent mixed Tweets, BP was revealed to be taking plays from the Dick Nixon playbook and, as ever, the candidates for lieutenant governor were rolling out "celebrities." Check out the stats that make the news tick in our latest edition of NoDef Numbers:

Down on the Cajun Coast, frettin' about being followed is usually directed towards the feds. But the Big Oozy introduced a hall of mirrors that shows oil companies on their backs. Today, Al Jazeera delivers a searing report about allegations that BP whistleblowers are being followed and intimidated. Cherri Foytlin, a Grand Isle rig worker's wife who has been outspoken about the effects of the oil leak, reports having bricks thrown through her car, and finding the door of her house open. Some creepy tactics never change. 

More than a year after the Big Oozy, we're back to eating shrimp and some other seafood (sorry, oysters), and that's no doubt a good thing for the coastal industry. But for many, the question still remains: Is the fish safe? Once, the industry relied on James Carville. But, armed with an $18 million BP grant, the state has rolled out a public campaign that's a little more transparent. At the website GulfSource.org, the public can find testing results on many of the Gulf's edible creatures.

Who would have thought? There's still oil from the Big Oozy in the Gulf.The Mobile Press-Register reports leaked oil that was discovered near the Deepwater Horizon wreckage last week is a "chemical match" with oil from the Maconodo well. LSU's Ed Overton and Scott Miles tested samples of the oil, and found them to be "as good a match" as they have seen with BP crude. 

Since there was massive media coverage and a crisis in Louisiana that people were angry about, some official briefing the media about the Big Oozy was bound to say something really offensive. Tony Hayward won the prize when he told reporters, "I would like my life back," while walking them along the beach. Those wistful days probably seem like a memory for Hayward now, as he's created one energy company, helping to lead a BP venture, and serving in advisory roles for two more, Bloomberg News reports. Yacht racing might not have been as good as it was hyped.

One fine post-Oozy day, the BOP was whisked off to Michoud, and there was talk of a federal probe. While this had us thinking of aliens and those lunatic uncle stories we never wanted to think about again, it turns out they were actually talking about humans conducting a federal investigation. Since then, we haven't heard much about the investigation, which inclues a look at whether BP purposely witheld information or downplayed the severity of the Macondo flow. Today, Huffington Post looks at the latter, and brings back some old names. Suttles, Landry, it's been too long! Read the long, investigative account here.

By Shay Sokol

New evidence emerging this week raise serious questions about activity around the Macondo site of BP's Deepwater Horizon accident. Photos and reports suggest additional leaks, and possible production, claims that BP strongly denies.