Oil Spill
U.S. Justice Department: BP settlement is not the end of the road
By The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- BP's settlement of lawsuits filed by more than 100,000
victims of the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history goes a long way
toward resolving pending claims. But the question remains, will Americans
who live along the Gulf of Mexico go for it?
http://blog.al.com/wire/2012/03/us_justice_department_bp_settl.html
BP settlement includes new health claims process
AP
By CAIN BURDEAU
A settlement that BP is hammering out with victims of the massive Gulf oil
spill finally provides a system for monitoring health concerns and
compensating people whose illnesses are found to have a link to the
disaster.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/03/04/v-print/3794365/bp-settlement-includes-new-health.html
BP spill settlement clears way for comeback
By CHRIS KAHN and JONATHAN FAHEY and MICHAEL KUNZELMAN
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) - BP's multibillion-dollar settlement deal with people and
businesses harmed by its 2010 oil spill removes some uncertainty about the
potential financial damages it faces. It also may help the company restore
its all-important relationship with the federal government.
http://www.wlox.com/story/17071446/bp-begins-to-put-spill-behind-it-with-settlement
Environmental damages remain issue after BP deal
By HARRY R. WEBER and MICHAEL KUNZELMAN
Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - BP's settlement with plaintiffs suing the company over
the 2010 oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico may address harm to
individuals and businesses, but there is nothing in it that compensates the
public for damage to its natural resources and environment, the Justice
Department said Saturday.
http://www.wlox.com/story/17070727/bp-expects-to-pay-78b-in-gulf-spill-suit-deal
Accord Reached Settling Lawsuit Over BP Oil Spill
NY Times
By JOHN SCHWARTZ
BP and the lawyers for plaintiffs in the trial over the 2010 oil spill in
the Gulf of Mexico have agreed to settle their case.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/03/us/accord-reached-settling-lawsuit-over-bp-oil-spill.html?_r=1&ref=earth&pagewanted=print
BP moves closer to containing financial damage from oil spill
Washington Post
By Steven Mufson,
BP's settlement deal Friday night puts the oil company one giant step
closer to containing the gusher of damage claims that arose from the
massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill. But BP still faces one major hurdle: the
federal government.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/bp-moves-closer-to-containing-financial-damage-from-oil-spill/2012/03/03/gIQABBGSpR_print.html
BP Spill Saga Far From Over
Settlement With Businesses, Residents Sets Stage for Battle Over Federal
Fines
Wall Street Journal
By TOM FOWLER
The $7.8 billion oil spill settlement between BP PLC and thousands of
residents and businesses along the Gulf of Mexico clears the way for what
may become a far more expensive battle between the oil giant and the U.S.
government.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203458604577261640326511180.html
BP, plaintiffs reach $7.8 billion settlement over Gulf oil spill
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 03/03/12 08:35 AM ET
BP has reached a multi-billion dollar settlement with thousands of people
and businesses harmed by the massive 2010 spill that dumped over four
million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, parties to the deal
announced late Friday night.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/213945-bp-plaintiffs-settle-over-gulf-oil-spill
Deepwater Oil Drilling Picks Up Again as BP Disaster Fades
NY Times
By CLIFFORD KRAUSS and JOHN M. BRODER
HOUSTON ? Nearly two years after an explosion on an oil platform killed 11
workers and sent millions of gallons of oil gushing into the Gulf of
Mexico, deepwater drilling has regained momentum in the gulf and is
spreading around the world.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/05/business/deepwater-oil-drilling-accelerates-as-bp-disaster-fades.html?ref=earth&pagewanted=print
State News
Pearl River's health assessed after massive chemical discharge killed
thousands of fish
Published: Wednesday, February 29, 2012, 11:00 PM
By Times-Picayune Staff
For a time last summer, the waters of the West Pearl River turned from
chocolate brown to dense black, the river's surface jammed with hundreds of
thousands of dead fish. Six months after an illegal chemical discharge from
the Temple-Inland paper mill in Bogalusa, the river looks like the river
again. Fish have returned to the West Pearl and adjacent waterways, with an
assist from state fisheries experts. And local officials and
environmentalists are closely monitoring the river's condition.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2012/02/pearl_rivers_health_assessed_a.html
Bryant is key to the pace of drilling
Editorial ? Sun Herald
We welcome next week's energy summit in Biloxi as an opportunity to better
appreciate Gov. Phil Bryant's position on offshore drilling.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/03/03/v-print/3791808/bryant-is-key-to-the-pace-of-drilling.html
Fossils at the Miss Museum of Natural Science
Fox 40
Pack up your fossils and hit the road! The Mississippi Museum of Natural
Science invited everyone to bring their favorite fossils and other
geological curiosities. Experts were on hand to give the age and identities
from a team of skillful scientists and experts. This year marks the 9th
Annual Fossil Road Show. The event featured the American Pickers team with
Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz.
http://www.fox40tv.com/news/local/story/Fossils-at-the-Miss-Museum-of-Natural-Science/bU93MW1kNESEGdtHMrS5bg.cspx
'Fracking' leads county officials to call for highway widening
by Associated Press
AMITE COUNTY ? An increase in oilfield activity in Amite County is bringing
a call for the state to four-lane Highway 24 in southwest Mississippi
between McComb and Liberty.
http://msbusiness.com/2012/03/fracking-leads-county-officials-to-call-for-highway-widening/
Natchez no longer fits Rentech's strategy
Natchez Democrat
In a routine annual report, Rentech said it has abandoned plans to bring a
multi-million dollar coal-to-liquid plant to Natchez.
http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/2012/03/04/natchez-no-longer-fits-rentech%E2%80%99s-strategy/
Clean Our Scene initiative kicks off 3-month coast-wide cleanup
Published: Friday, March 02, 2012, 10:36 AM Updated: Friday, March 02,
2012, 12:25 PM
By Harlan Kirgan, Mississippi Press
GULFPORT, Mississippi -- A new initiative of the Gulf Coast Regional
Tourism Partnership encourages local businesses, organizations and
individuals to clean up the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/03/clean_our_scene_initiative_kic.html
Racers brave wind on kayaks, canoes, paddleboards for Battle on the Bayou
Published: Sunday, March 04, 2012, 8:48 AM
By April M. Havens, The Mississippi Press
OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- About 230 kayakers, paddleboarders and
canoers battled on the bayou Saturday morning, but they seemed to be
battling the weather more than each other.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/03/racers_brave_wind_on_kayaks_ca.html
National News
Pennsylvania spars with EPA over gas drilling
Published March 05, 2012 | Associated Press
Tugging on rubber gloves, a laboratory worker kneels before a gushing
spigot behind Kim Grosso's house and positions an empty bottle under the
clear, cold stream. The process is repeated dozens of times as bottles are
filled, marked and packed into coolers.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/05/pennsylvania-spars-with-epa-over-gas-drilling/?test=latestnews
Press Releases
Urban Waters Federal Partnership Launches Ambassadors Program to Support
Revitalizing Urban Waterways in U.S. Communities
First Ambassador Selected; Will Help Coordinate Los Angeles River Watershed
Project
WASHINGTON - The Urban Waters Federal Partnership, made up of 11 federal
agencies, today announced a program in seven cities that will accelerate
and coordinate on-the-ground projects that are critical to improving water
quality and public health, restoring forest resources and fostering
community stewardship in urban watersheds. Sponsored by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the
U.S. Department of the Interior, the Urban Waters Ambassadors program will
work with state and local governments, non-governmental organizations and
other local partners. The Urban Waters Federal Partnership is an effort to
help urban and metropolitan areas, particularly those that are underserved
or economically distressed, connect with their waterways and work to
improve them.
The first Urban Waters Ambassador has been selected for the Los Angeles
River watershed pilot project with additional ambassadors to follow for the
Anacostia River watershed (Washington, D.C. and Maryland), the Patapsco
River watershed (Baltimore, Maryland), the Bronx and Harlem River
watersheds (New York City), the South Platte River (Denver, Colorado), Lake
Pontchartrain (New Orleans, Louisiana) and Northwest Indiana. Each of the
pilot locations was selected due to the strong local and community
leadership spearheading restoration efforts underway. Lessons learned from
these pilot locations will benefit communities across the country.
Later this year, the Council for Watershed Health, a non-profit partner on
the Los Angeles River watershed location, will host a staffer from the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development who will focus on coordinating
the pilot project. The Los Angeles River location includes more than 30
partner organizations ? federal, state and local governments and non-profit
organizations ? focusing on a range of restoration projects, studies and
outreach in the Los Angeles area.
"The Urban Waters Ambassadors will be a driving force in community efforts
to tap the environmental and economic potential of clean water and thriving
waterfronts," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "They will help the
members of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership connect with the needs of
the individual communities we serve, so we can put our expertise and
resources to use in ways that will protect health, improve the environment
and strengthen local economies."
"These ambassadors represent our coordinated approach to partnering with
local organizations working across the country to restore America's great
urban rivers," said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. "Rivers are the
lifeblood of our communities. This initiative is part of our locally-driven
strategy to restore the health of our great rivers and support residents of
urban neighborhoods that depend on them for business and recreation
access."
"Conserving our natural heritage is an objective shared by all Americans,"
said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "The Urban Waters partnership gives
thousands of urban Americans access to the great outdoors in a way they
haven't had before and creates partnerships between the federal government
and American communities on conservation issues. At USDA, the Forest
Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service are working in thousands
of communities across the country to conserve and revitalize forests and
watersheds, many impacting urban areas. At the same time, we're connecting
people with our land and resources by promoting outdoor activities and
healthier lifestyles."
"The protection and revitalization of rivers and watersheds in urban areas
not only demonstrates this administration's commitment to improving public
health and restoring natural resources in urban communities, but also helps
beautify and increase property values in neighborhoods that are being
developed or revitalized close to urban rivers," said HUD Secretary Shaun
Donovan. "Neighborhoods such as Little Tokyo, Boyle Heights, and Highland
Park which are developing housing options close to the river will
undoubtedly benefit from the work of HUD's and other federal agencies
ambassadors to the Urban Waters Federal Partnership."
Urban Waters Ambassadors will help local partners identify existing federal
tools and resources available for their local pilot project. The ambassador
will serve as a catalyst to successfully complete on-the-ground projects in
the short term, and build relationships and capacity to lay a foundation of
continued success for decades to come.
The Urban Waters Federal Partnership closely aligns with and advances the
work of the White House's place‐based efforts, including the Partnership
for Sustainable Communities, to revitalize communities, create jobs and
improve the quality of life in cities and towns across the nation. The
Urban Waters Federal Partnership also advances the work of President
Obama's America's Great Outdoors Initiative.
For more information on the seven Urban Waters Federal Partnership pilot
projects, visit http://www.urbanwaters.gov/projects.html. For more
information on the Urban Waters Federal Partnership, visit
http://urbanwaters.gov/
EPA Provides $15 Million to Help Small Drinking Water and Wastewater
Systems Across the Country
Funding will help small systems better serve local communities
WASHINGTON ? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that
it will provide up to $15 million in funding for training and technical
assistance to small drinking and wastewater systems, defined as systems
that serve fewer than 10,000 people, and private well owners. The funding
will help provide water system staff with training and tools to enhance
system operations and management practices, and supports EPA's continuing
efforts to protect public health, restore watersheds and promote
sustainability in small communities.
Most of the funding, up to $14.5 million, will provide training and
technical assistance to small public water systems to achieve and maintain
compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act and to small publicly-owned
wastewater systems, communities served by on-site systems, and private well
owners to improve water quality.
More than 97 percent of the nation's 157,000 public water systems serve
fewer than 10,000 people, and more than 80 percent of these systems serve
fewer than 500 people. Many small systems face unique challenges in
providing reliable drinking water and wastewater services that meet federal
and state regulations. These challenges can include a lack of financial
resources, aging infrastructure, management limitations and high staff
turnover.
EPA expects to make available up to $500,000 to provide training and
technical assistance to tribally-owned and operated public water systems.
Applications must be received by EPA by April 9, 2012. EPA expects to award
these cooperative agreements by Summer 2012. For more information about
these competitive announcements, visit:
http://water.epa.gov/grants_funding/sdwa/smallsystemsrfa.cfm
For more information on EPA's programs and tools to help small water
systems, visit:
http://water.epa.gov/type/drink/pws/smallsystems/index.cfm
