E2 Round-up: BP damages fund would take decisions away from execs, green groups use spill as rallying cry, and Sestak and Toomey collide on energy

The plan is expected to be discussed at a White House meeting Wednesday between President Barack Obama and BP executives.

The Washington Post, in their story about the plan Monday, notes that “BP did not reject the demands out of hand, and it took pains to avoid anything resembling a confrontational posture as it prepares for Wednesday’s session.”

“Behind the scenes, the situation is much tenser. The administration, under immense political pressure to show that it’s fully in charge, is pressing BP to fully clean up the mess both environmentally and economically. BP, however, fears any plan going forward that would create a potentially unlimited liability,” the paper reports.

Pennsylvania Senate race features clash on natural gas, climate

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Republican Pat Toomey and Democrat Joe Sestak are battling it out over energy policy.

“The spotlight on energy issues, from the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf to the debate over development of Marcellus Shale gas wells, illuminates the clear philosophical differences between Pennsylvania’s Senate candidates,” the paper reports.

Here’s more:

“From drilling to the overall debate on global warming, Republican Pat Toomey and Democrat Joe Sestak take contrasting positions.”

“In keeping with his general hostility toward big government, Mr. Toomey is skeptical of proposals to expand federal oversight of drilling in the Marcellus Shale fields. He opposes open-ended moratoriums on new ocean drilling, arguing that the nation needs the oil from deep water wells and that the Gulf spill, however disastrous and worthy of investigation, is an exception to a track record of generally safe operations by the industry,” the paper reports.

“He is a sharp critic of the cap-and-trade bill supported by his opponent, contending that it would have disastrous consequences for Pennsylvania businesses.”

Sestak, on the other hand, supports new restrictions on offshore drilling and has “championed the House version of cap-and-trade legislation designed to use market forces to increase the costs of carbon emissions.”

Also, “The Delaware County Democrat has endorsed legislation proposed by his colleague, Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., that would bring Marcellus Shale drilling under the oversight of the Safe Drinking Water Act.”

Environmental groups tailoring their messages to address oil spill

The New York Times, in a weekend story, notes that the Gulf of Mexico disaster “may also bring opportunity” for environmental groups that want to block wider offshore drilling, among other goals.

Groups are “hoping that the country will pay more attention to green issues after seeing the devastation in the gulf,” the paper reports.

“Already, groups are using the spill as a rallying cry. Luke Metzger, the director of Environment Texas, said that his group’s canvassers had switched their fund-raising and petitions pitch from aiding a remote mountain range to urging an end to new offshore drilling,” the Times notes.

“Another environmental group, American Rivers, is anticipating more attention to wetlands issues in general, even though oil was spilled into the sea, not rivers. ‘People are simply more tuned into environmental issues right now, especially when it comes to clean water,’ said Amy Souers Kober, a spokeswoman for the group.”