Oil Spill
Snapper born during the oil spill are adults now. How many survived?
By Ben Raines, Press-Register
MOBILE, Alabama -- Red snapper born during the BP oil spill two years ago
will be reaching legal harvest size right about now, just in time for the
opening of the Gulf's snapper season on Friday.
http://blog.al.com/live/2012/05/snapper_born_during_the_spill.html
Restore Act supporters coordinate Capitol Hill lobbying effort
By Bruce Alpert, Times-Picayune
Washington -- This time there were no blue umbrellas, no Capitol rallies
and no visits with congressional leaders. Women of the Storm, a group
formed after Hurricane Katrina to advocate for post-storm assistance from
the federal government, had a "virtual" lobbying effort Wednesday: using
cell phones, social networks and email to reach the congressional members
deciding whether to include the Restore Act in a pending transportation
bill.
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2012/05/restore_act_supporters_coordin.html
Congressman says La. must get funds
BY JORDAN BLUM
Advocate Washington bureau
May 31, 2012
WASHINGTON — The vice chairman of the congressional conference committee on
transportation legislation said Wednesday it is critical the final bill
includes the RESTORE Act language that directs BP fine money to Louisiana
and other Gulf states.
Speaking at a Transportation Construction Coalition fly-in conference in
Washington to lobby for the passage of the overall legislation, U.S. Rep.
John Mica, R-Fla., spoke in favor of both the RESTORE Act and the RAMP Act
legislation, which directs more dollars to dredging and other port-related
projects in Louisiana and elsewhere, being included in the final
transportation bill.
http://theadvocate.com/news/2961690-123/congressman-says-la-must-get
Congressman Steve Scalise opposes amendment allowing state lawmakers to
redirect oil spill fines
By Jeff Adelson, The Times-Picayune
U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Metairie, is calling on state lawmakers to
abandon a proposal that could allow the Legislature to redirect fines from
the Deepwater Horizon disaster to projects unrelated to coastal
restoration.
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/05/congressman_steve_scalise_oppo.html
Mississippi shrimp season opened this morning with a higher boat count
By Harlan Kirgan, Mississippi Press
PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- Nearly 30 percent more shrimp boats were on the
water as Mississippi's shrimp season opened Wednesday, according to a
report from Traci Floyd, Shrimp and Crab Bureau director for state
Department of Marine Resources.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/05/mississippi_shrimp_season_open_3.html
South Mississippi shrimp season opens early to good reports
Sun Herald
By KATE MAGANDY
BILOXI -- Shrimp season opened to more boats on the water and more shrimp
in the nets.
Officials with the Department of Marine Resources say 210 boats were on the
water when shrimp season opened at dawn on Wednesday, up by more than 40
boats from last year.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/05/30/3978516/south-mississippi-shrimp-season.html
BP grant helps fund enhanced birding trail for Audubon Society
By Harlan Kirgan, Mississippi Press
MOSS POINT, Mississippi -- The Pascagoula River Audubon Center is taking
steps to improve and enhance the Mississippi Coast Birding Trail, with an
anticipated end result of bringing additional tourists to the area, stated
a news release from Ray Melick, a BP spokesman in Mississippi.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/05/bp_grant_helps_fund_enhanced_b.html
Judge outlines new plan for Gulf oil spill trial
The Associated Press
A federal judge has outlined a new structure for a trial of Gulf oil spill
claims that wouldn't be resolved by a proposed class-action settlement
between BP PLC and a team of plaintiffs' attorneys.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/05/31/3978874/judge-outlines-new-plan-for-gulf.html
State News
City mulling privatization of waste water plant handling
By CALEB BEDILLION
DAILY LEADER
City leaders may take action this week and approve outsourcing the
operation of the city's waste water treatment plant.
http://www.dailyleader.com/news/article_33bbcab6-a7af-11e1-a069-001a4bcf887a.html
Landfill meets with opposition
Stone County Enterprise
By Jody O'Hara
May 24, 2012, 12:28
A public hearing concerning a proposed rubbish landfill on City Bridge Road
brought about 50 people to the Stone County Courthouse Thursday evening.
Nearly everyone was opposed to the idea.
http://www.stonecountyenterprise.com/article_1591.shtml
Letter to lawmakers addressing dams
Winona Times
by Reggie Ross
05.24.12 - 09:30 am
A letter to state and federal lawmakers as well as the drainage district
from Carroll County is in the making, according to one county official.
http://winonatimes.com/view/full_story/18710401/article-Letter-to-lawmakers-addressing-dams?instance=winstonsecondary_stories_left_column
Yazoo clay blamed for partial parking lot collapse in Clinton
Special to The Clinton News
Orange cones blocked a portion of the Walmart parking lot in Clinton on
Tuesday after it collapsed. The asphalt recently crumbled along the western
edge of the parking lot, taking out about 30 parking spaces.
Geologist David Dockery told 16 WAPT news that the collapse could be
attributed to Yazoo clay. As moisture evaporates, the Yazoo clay shrinks
and cracks, Dockery said. When it rains, water gets in the cracks, causing
it to expand, and in this case, crumble.
http://www.clintonnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120530/NEWS/120530001/-1/NEWS01/Yazoo-clay-blamed-for-partial-parking-lot-collapse-in-Clinton
Dillard to lead Wildlife Federation
Madison County Journal
By MATT STUART
Madison County's sportsmen will be pleased to learn that the new president
of the Mississippi Wildlife Federation (MWF) hails from Madison.
http://onlinemadison.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=25120
National News
FACT CHECK: A tough-talking official's words don't match EPA's actions in
policing oil and gas
By Associated Press, Updated: Thursday, May 31, 12:36 AM
WASHINGTON — In the three years since President Barack Obama took office,
Republicans have made the Environmental Protection Agency a lightning rod
for complaints that his administration has been too tough on oil and gas
producers.
But an Associated Press analysis of enforcement data over the past decade
finds that's not the case. In fact, the EPA went after producers more often
in the years of Republican President George W. Bush, a former Texas oilman,
than under Obama.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/industries/fact-check-a-tough-talking-officials-words-dont-match-epas-actions-in-policing-oil-and-gas/2012/05/31/gJQAhzMP3U_print.html
Nebraska lawmakers question EPA's aerial livestock surveillance
Published May 30, 2012
FoxNews.com
aA bipartisan group of Capitol Hill
lawmakers is pressing EPA Director Lisa Jackson to answer questions about
privacy issues and other concerns after the agency used aerial surveillance
to monitor livestock operations over their home state of Nebraska.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/05/30/hill-lawmakers-from-nebraska-question-epa-aerial-livestock-surveillance/
Press Releases
18 U.S. Teachers Receive Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental
Educators
WASHINGTON – The White House Council on Environmental Quality, in
partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has
announced the winners of the 2011-2012 Presidential Innovation Award for
Environmental Educators. Eighteen teachers from around the country are
being recognized for their exceptional work as leaders in the field of
environmental education in formal school settings. Award recipients and
their local education agencies will receive monetary awards and
commemorative plaques to help support and encourage their use of
environmental education in their classrooms and schools.
"To earn this prestigious award, each educator demonstrated teaching skills
and innovative use of environmental education that connected students with
the world around them in ways that will strengthen their education for
years to come," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "Their lessons have
put creativity and innovation, community engagement and leadership into
practice, teaching students about civic responsibility and environmental
stewardship. We are fortunate to have such educators in our schools today."
The Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators recognizes
outstanding K-12 teachers and their local education agencies across the
United States for excellence in integrating environmental education into
their lessons and connecting students with their communities and the
natural world.
This program recognizes and supports teachers from both rural and urban
education settings who make use of experiential and environmental
opportunities that utilize creativity and community engagement to help
students develop a sense of civic responsibility and stewardship in
ecosystems. This year's winning teachers' programs range from field studies
in watershed and wetland science in New England to the study of clean
energy sources in Colorado and ocean and climate science in Texas, forest
ecology and trout studies in the Pacific Northwest and water resource
management projects in the desert.
"The educators who have earned this honor are demonstrating leadership and
excellence in environmental education, and are harnessing the innovation
and imagination of our students," said Nancy Sutley, chair of the White
House Council on Environmental Quality. "These teachers are encouraging our
nation's future leaders to take responsibility for being good stewards of
our environment, and preparing them to succeed in the 21st century."
Recipients of the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators
include:
· Lizanne Cox, New Haven, Conn., Common Ground High School
· Ed Lindsey, Old Town High School, Old Town, Maine
· Patricia Lockhart, Hubert Humphrey PS 57R, Staten Island, N.Y.
· Aaron Baker, Randolph High School, Randolph, N.J.
· Rebecca Sanders, Crellin Elementary School, Oakland, Md.
· Robert Carroll, Plaza Middle School, Virginia Beach, Va.
· Deborah Wasylik, Dr. Phillips High School, Orlando, Fla.
· Frank McKay, Exploris Middle School, Raleigh, N.C.
· Sandra Vander Veldon, Fox River Academy, Appleton, Wis.
· Howard Hill, Highland Park High School, Highland Park, Ill.
· Clifford Strain, Flour Bluff ISD - Middle School, Corpus Christi,
Texas
· Bradd Schulke, East Mountain High School, Sandia Park, N.M.
· Denise Scribner, Eisenhower High School, Goddard, Kan.
· John Broda, Buffalo Ridge Elementary, Cheyenne, Wyo.
· Sally High, Pagosa Springs Middle School, Pagosa Springs, Colo.
· Riccardo Magni, Pioneer Valley High School, Santa Maria, Calif.
· Mike Town, Redmond High School, Redmond, Wash.
· Deidre Bingaman, Donnelly Elementary School, Donnelly, Idaho
More information about the winners:
http://www.epa.gov/education/teacheraward/winners.html
More information about this program:
http://www.epa.gov/education/teacheraward
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
News Clippings 5/30/12
Oil Spill
MS shrimpers optimistic about 2012 season
WLOX
After years of struggles and hardships, there is a lot of optimism about
this year's Mississippi shrimp season. When the season opens Wednesday, the
Mississippi Department of Marine Resources says this will be the second
earliest start on record.
http://www.wlox.com/story/18649425/ms-shrimpers-optimistic-about-2012-season
South Mississippi shrimpers hope for better fortunes when season opens
today
Sun Herald
By MICHAEL NEWSOM
BILOXI -- Shrimp season opens in Mississippi waters today and those down at
the docks who have dealt with rising fuel costs, foreign competition,
natural disasters and the BP oil spill in 2010 are hoping for better
fortunes this year.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/05/29/3976354/south-mississippi-shrimpers-hope.html
Louisiana Senate panel modifies proposal on use of Gulf oil spill fines
By Jeff Adelson, The Times-Picayune
Baton Rouge -- A proposed constitutional amendment that would have required
all the money the state receives from fines resulting from the BP oil spill
be put into a coastal restoration fund gained a significant alteration
Tuesday, with a Louisiana Senate panel tacking on a provision that
legislators can redirect the money with a two-thirds vote of both chambers.
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/05/senate_panel_modifies_oil_spil.html
Birds and their habitats studied for BP spill effects
Louisiana Weekly
By Susan Buchanan
Pelican eggs washed away this spring on a Plaquemines Parish island eroded
by oil, and traces of oil and Corexit were found recently in eggs from
Minnesota pelicans that winter in the Gulf. Scientists have collected data
on birds for Natural Resource Damage Assessments, or joint government and
BP studies of the spill's impacts. That information will be used by the
feds in the BP spill trial, scheduled for January in U.S. District Court in
New Orleans. BP may introduce its own findings on birds then, according to
wildlife experts.
http://www.louisianaweekly.com/birds-and-their-habitats-studied-for-bp-spill-effects/
Gulf Leaders Continue Push to Keep BP Funds Headed Locally
Sunshine State News
By: JIM TURNER | Posted: May 30, 2012 3:55 AM
After the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster, business quickly fell nearly 30
percent to 50 percent said Joseph Costanzo, owner of Wharf Express in
Tallahassee.
http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/gulf-leaders-continue-push-keep-bp-funds-headed-locally
State News
Oil and water: Regulators keep eye on environmental concerns
By Barrett L. Welch
Enterprise-Journal
With hydraulic fracturing still in its infancy in southwest Mississippi,
state officials and oil company representatives are confident the oil
recovery process will have minimal impact on the environment and drinking
water supplies.
The environmental issues related to fracking draw concerns on multiple
fronts - water used in fracking has the potential to be a safety hazard to
the environment and freshwater wells if disposed of improperly, and its
disposal has also caused earthquakes in other states, in part due to the
overfilling of disposal wells. And taking water from natural resources to
carry out the process could limit the availability of freshwater over time.
WATER SAFETY A KEY ISSUE
Fracking water is rife with sand, but the salt and chemicals - including
acid, gelling agents, friction reducers, iron control, biocide and others -
make up about 1.5 percent of the entire mixture. Nonetheless, the water can
pose a threat to the environment and drinking water if disposed of
improperly.
Doug Hoch, a spokesman with Encana Oil & Gas, one of the companies
involved
in fracking operations in southwest Mississippi, said the chemicals used in
fracking water are a smaller issue than the water's ability to taint
drinking water, which comes from underground aquifers.
"I know a lot of people have concerns about chemicals," Hoch said. "The
issue is not the chemicals. The issue is, is there a pathway for those to
get into water? With good well-bore integrity, there's no way."
Hoch said the oil wells have multiple layers of casing to protect
groundwater aquifers. When a well is in production, the company conducts
monitoring and pressure testing to spot issues.
Richard Harrell, director of the Mississippi Department of Environmental
Quality's Office of Pollution Control, agrees that safeguard should
mitigate
water safety concerns.
"Most concerns of damaging groundwater concern damaging the well itself,"
Harrell said. "The well is cased, grounded and cemented, all the way down
through groundwater sources. It provides two to three inches of
protection."
At present, a lot of the fracking water used at two Amite County wells
known
as Anderson 17H and 18H is used over and over again, which cuts down on the
need to draw more fresh water from the Amite River.
Water used in the fracking process is eventually disposed of at an
established Adams County injection well.
"Encana told us they're ... looking at installing their own deep,
disposable
injection well and also looking at recycling water," Harrell said. "It's
kind of a win-win because you're not having to inject and dispose of it and
get more source water."
Ronn Tarbutton of the Mississippi Oil and Gas Board said injection wells
typically start about 800 feet deeper than the deepest freshwater well.
Adams County's freshwater wells range from 800 to 1,600 feet deep, which
would put the disposal well at least 2,400 feet deep.
But, Tarbutton added, water at depths closest to the injection well is not
necessarily potable but is instead choked with undrinkable minerals anyway.
By contrast, wells being fracked in the area are in shale formations that
are 10,000 to 12,000 feet deep, which officials have said is enough of a
barrier to keep fracking operations away from the water table.
The oil and gas board requires companies to meet stringent environmental
precautions before issuing a permit to drill wells, disposal or otherwise,
Tarbutton said.
"We're going to want to know a lot of things before it's approved,"
Tarbutton said. "We want isolation cement between the casing and the
formation. We want to make sure it's not migrating up.
"We do that for an area of a quarter-mile radius around the well. We want
to
make sure the head's not going to get anywhere near fresh drinking water."
ENCANA: 'LIMITED' AMOUNT
OF WATER USED in fracking
But can fracking impact the availability of drinking water?
Locally, oil companies are using about 330,000 gallons per stage. With an
average of three fracking stages completed daily, companies are using about
1 million gallons per day from both forks of the Amite River for each well.
"We're using a limited quantity of water," Hoch said. "We're not going to
deplete it in sense that hydraulic fracking is going to drain an aquifer.
The real issue is how much water do you need to use, and are there
opportunities to recycle the water?"
Encana has had success recycling fracking water in other parts of the
county. In Colorado, for instance, 90 percent of the water is used multiple
times.
Jamie Crawford, director of the Mississippi Department of Environmental
Quality's office of Land and Water Resources, said none of the fracking
water - including recycled water - will return to any river or stream in
the
state.
"Unless they came up with some process to treat this material and applied
for water permits, we have no contemplation that any of this would wind up
back in a river system," Crawford said. "We've had no inquiries to treat
and
dispose of water like that."
Crawford said each well is expected to require about 10 million gallons of
water.
"We have not had to be overly concerned with water levels this time of
year," Crawford said. "What we discussed with Encana is having them pay to
have stream gauges installed - paying the U.S. Geological Survey to install
and maintain those gauges."
The gauges would allow Crawford's office to keep an eye on water levels via
the Internet. At present, the office has to send a worker from Jackson to
check the levels every 90 days.
To a lesser extent, oil companies also are paying for water from owners of
private ponds and lakes.
"We told companies if this gets big, we want to see master plan of how
water
will be sourced, so we can see how much water is going to be needed,"
Crawford said. "We'll allocate that water out pending its best use for the
state.
"The question is, this is still kind of in the pilot. They're not entirely
sure this is going to take off and work. They're kind of inching along, and
working to be prepared."
Hoch doesn't anticipate Amite County mirroring Karnes City, Texas, where
groundwater levels have dropped between 10 and 30 feet each year.
"Groundwater shouldn't drop. Hydraulic fracking has no impact on
groundwater
level," Hoch maintained. "It depends on where they are sourcing their water
from. Fracking in and of itself is not going to deplete groundwater."
WILDLIFE, ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICIALS LOOK TO OTHER STATES
Cathy Shropshire of Mississippi Wildlife Federation is concerned for the
state's future based on problems other states have faced in oil production.
"Talking to Arkansas and Louisiana, I think we're all kind of in a learning
mode. Hopefully we've learned from the mistakes of other states," she said.
"We have concerns because we've seen what's happened in other states. We
certainly don't want to see the same thing happen in Mississippi."
DEQ officials are confident that Mississippi has learned from mistakes made
elsewhere, particularly after a roundtable discussion Harrell recently
participated in with officials from other oil states, such as North Dakota.
"They don't have the infrastructure to capture natural gas. Mississippi is
very fortunate, with a lot of pipelines and natural gas," Harrell said.
"We're in a pretty good situation that we're probably going to get two
sellable products (oil and natural gas) out of this and not have to worry
about the air pollution situation you see up there."
SPILLS, QUAKES CAUSE CONCERN
Fracking has also raised concerns of oil spills and earthquakes.
Spills are a risk in any operation. Crawford said the response and
treatment
of such accidents depends on the size of the spill.
"A small site may require ... oil-eating microbes and nutrients," Crawford
said. "A larger site may require excavation, sampling and disposal of
soil."
Harrell added that oil companies are required to obtain air pollution
permits from DEQ, and the department will not authorize any pollution
permit
"that could cause a risk to the public."
Though earthquakes have popped up around frack sites in Arkansas and Texas,
officials do not think they'll be a threat in Mississippi.
Crawford said they should not pose a threat in Mississippi, noting the main
issue in those two states was overinjecting disposal wells.
"If we push them to recycling, it even more so lessens the risk," Crawford
said. "We don't know of any fault systems in the area. It has been used for
a number of active disposal wells in that area, and we don't anticipate
problems like other areas have experienced."
Yazoo clay blamed for partial parking lot collapse
Portion of Clinton Walmart parking lot affected
WAPT
CLINTON, Miss. -
Orange cones blocked a portion of the Walmart parking lot in Clinton on
Tuesday after it collapsed.
The asphalt recently crumbled along the western edge of the parking lot,
taking out about 30 parking spaces.
Geologist David Dockery told 16 WAPT news that the collapse could be
attributed to Yazoo clay. As moisture evaporates, the Yazoo clay shrinks
and cracks, Dockery said. When it rains, water gets in the cracks, causing
it to expand, and in this case, crumble.
http://www.wapt.com/news/central-mississippi/Yazoo-clay-blamed-for-partial-parking-lot-collapse/-/9156946/14270612/-/h03isez/-/index.html
Ocean Expo Aquarium & Learning Center construction to start this summer
Published: Tuesday, May 29, 2012, 5:26 PM Updated: Tuesday, May 29,
2012, 6:22 PM
By Harlan Kirgan, Mississippi Press
GULFPORT, Mississippi -- Construction on the Ocean Expo Aquarium & Learning
Center in D'Iberville should ramp up soon, organizers are saying.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/05/ocean_expo_aquarium_learning_c.html
Mississippi Phosphates reports $1.1 million loss in 'challenging' first
quarter
Mississippi Press
By Kaija Wilkinson
PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- Mississippi Phosphates parent Phosphate Holdings
Inc. said today that it had a net loss of $1.1 million in the first quarter
that ended March 31, 2012, compared with net income of $16,000 for the
first quarter in 2011.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/05/mississippi_phosphates_reports.html
National News
4 companies to pay $5M in FEMA trailer settlement
Gulf Coast residents claim exposure to hazardous fumes
AP
NEW ORLEANS — Four FEMA contractors that installed or maintained
government-issued trailers for storm victims after Hurricane Katrina,
including those in Mississippi, have agreed to pay a total of $5 million to
resolve claims that the temporary shelters exposed Gulf Coast residents to
hazardous fumes, according to court filings Tuesday.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20120530/NEWS/205300353/4-companies-pay-5M-FEMA-trailer-settlement
Opinion
Keep Rez Beautiful makes big splash in its first year
BY JEANNINE MAY • SPECIAL TO RANKIN LEDGER • MAY 29, 2012
As Keep the Rez Beautiful marks its one-year anniversary this month, we're
celebrating our successful first year and how we can build upon it. We
formed because we were tired of seeing litter on our roads and in our
Reservoir. We wanted to inspire revitalization in our shoreline
communities, and we wanted to provide a venue for environmental education.
We chartered a course for Keep the Rez Beautiful, and I'm proud of where we
are headed.
http://www.rankinledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120529/LIFE/205290306
Why regulating gas fracking could be cheaper than the alternatives
Washington Post
By Brad Plumer, Published: May 29
We're living in a "Golden Age of Gas," says the International Energy
Agency. Trapped in shale-rock formations around the world are trillions of
cubic feet of unconventional natural gas. And drillers now have the
technology to pluck it out. That's a lot of cheap fuel — and it's
lower-carbon than coal.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/why-fracking-regulations-could-be-cheaper-than-no-regulations-at-all/2012/05/29/gJQAfcUKzU_blog.html
Press Releases
EPA and Department of Veterans Affairs to Connect Veterans with Jobs in
Water Sectors
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Vocational Rehabilitation and
Employment Program announced today a memorandum of understanding to connect
veterans with disabilities to career opportunities in the water and
wastewater sectors -- such as at wastewater plants and drinking water
facilities -- as part of EPA's Water Sector Workforce Initiative. This
effort will be beneficial to both the environment and economy as clean
water and job placement for veterans are top priorities of the Obama
Administration.
The agreement allows EPA and VA to connect qualified veteran employees with
staffing needs at water and wastewater utilities. EPA and the VA will work
with water utilities, states and local VA counselors to promote water
sector careers and resources for finding water jobs for veterans as well as
educational programs to help veterans transition into careers in water
industries.
"This agreement comes at the perfect time to address the predicted
workforce shortages in the water and wastewater industries and the need for
transitioning veterans into civilian jobs," said Nancy Stoner, acting
assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Water. "EPA believes that
well-trained and experienced water sector professionals are vital to
ensuring sustainable, properly operated systems."
"VA has cultivated relationships with both public and private industry to
ensure disabled veterans have opportunities to find and maintain meaningful
employment," said Under Secretary for Benefits Allison A. Hickey. "We are
thrilled to forge this relationship with EPA to assist them with hiring
veterans through our Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program."
More than one-third of all current water operators are eligible to retire
within seven years and, according to the U.S. Department of Labor,
employment for water and wastewater operators is expected to grow by 20
percent between 2008 and 2018, faster than the national average for all
other occupations. EPA sees the need to invest now in creating a pipeline
of future water sector professionals to fill these essential water sector
careers.
VA's Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program assists more than
100,000 disabled veterans annually prepare for, find, and maintain
meaningful careers. Veterans are an important target group for water and
wastewater utility jobs because many veterans already possess training and
technical skills that are directly transferable to careers in the water
sector. There is a wide spectrum of water sector careers that veterans
could be qualified for, including engineering, laboratory and water
science, operations and maintenance, management and administration,
communications, and public education. The Vocational Rehabilitation and
Employment Program further supports veterans for the water workforce by
providing necessary accommodations and additional training as needed.
More on EPA's Water Sector Workforce Initiative:
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/sustain/ws_workforce.cfm
More about VA connecting qualified veterans with employer needs:
http://www.vetsuccess.gov/
MS shrimpers optimistic about 2012 season
WLOX
After years of struggles and hardships, there is a lot of optimism about
this year's Mississippi shrimp season. When the season opens Wednesday, the
Mississippi Department of Marine Resources says this will be the second
earliest start on record.
http://www.wlox.com/story/18649425/ms-shrimpers-optimistic-about-2012-season
South Mississippi shrimpers hope for better fortunes when season opens
today
Sun Herald
By MICHAEL NEWSOM
BILOXI -- Shrimp season opens in Mississippi waters today and those down at
the docks who have dealt with rising fuel costs, foreign competition,
natural disasters and the BP oil spill in 2010 are hoping for better
fortunes this year.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/05/29/3976354/south-mississippi-shrimpers-hope.html
Louisiana Senate panel modifies proposal on use of Gulf oil spill fines
By Jeff Adelson, The Times-Picayune
Baton Rouge -- A proposed constitutional amendment that would have required
all the money the state receives from fines resulting from the BP oil spill
be put into a coastal restoration fund gained a significant alteration
Tuesday, with a Louisiana Senate panel tacking on a provision that
legislators can redirect the money with a two-thirds vote of both chambers.
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/05/senate_panel_modifies_oil_spil.html
Birds and their habitats studied for BP spill effects
Louisiana Weekly
By Susan Buchanan
Pelican eggs washed away this spring on a Plaquemines Parish island eroded
by oil, and traces of oil and Corexit were found recently in eggs from
Minnesota pelicans that winter in the Gulf. Scientists have collected data
on birds for Natural Resource Damage Assessments, or joint government and
BP studies of the spill's impacts. That information will be used by the
feds in the BP spill trial, scheduled for January in U.S. District Court in
New Orleans. BP may introduce its own findings on birds then, according to
wildlife experts.
http://www.louisianaweekly.com/birds-and-their-habitats-studied-for-bp-spill-effects/
Gulf Leaders Continue Push to Keep BP Funds Headed Locally
Sunshine State News
By: JIM TURNER | Posted: May 30, 2012 3:55 AM
After the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster, business quickly fell nearly 30
percent to 50 percent said Joseph Costanzo, owner of Wharf Express in
Tallahassee.
http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/gulf-leaders-continue-push-keep-bp-funds-headed-locally
State News
Oil and water: Regulators keep eye on environmental concerns
By Barrett L. Welch
Enterprise-Journal
With hydraulic fracturing still in its infancy in southwest Mississippi,
state officials and oil company representatives are confident the oil
recovery process will have minimal impact on the environment and drinking
water supplies.
The environmental issues related to fracking draw concerns on multiple
fronts - water used in fracking has the potential to be a safety hazard to
the environment and freshwater wells if disposed of improperly, and its
disposal has also caused earthquakes in other states, in part due to the
overfilling of disposal wells. And taking water from natural resources to
carry out the process could limit the availability of freshwater over time.
WATER SAFETY A KEY ISSUE
Fracking water is rife with sand, but the salt and chemicals - including
acid, gelling agents, friction reducers, iron control, biocide and others -
make up about 1.5 percent of the entire mixture. Nonetheless, the water can
pose a threat to the environment and drinking water if disposed of
improperly.
Doug Hoch, a spokesman with Encana Oil & Gas, one of the companies
involved
in fracking operations in southwest Mississippi, said the chemicals used in
fracking water are a smaller issue than the water's ability to taint
drinking water, which comes from underground aquifers.
"I know a lot of people have concerns about chemicals," Hoch said. "The
issue is not the chemicals. The issue is, is there a pathway for those to
get into water? With good well-bore integrity, there's no way."
Hoch said the oil wells have multiple layers of casing to protect
groundwater aquifers. When a well is in production, the company conducts
monitoring and pressure testing to spot issues.
Richard Harrell, director of the Mississippi Department of Environmental
Quality's Office of Pollution Control, agrees that safeguard should
mitigate
water safety concerns.
"Most concerns of damaging groundwater concern damaging the well itself,"
Harrell said. "The well is cased, grounded and cemented, all the way down
through groundwater sources. It provides two to three inches of
protection."
At present, a lot of the fracking water used at two Amite County wells
known
as Anderson 17H and 18H is used over and over again, which cuts down on the
need to draw more fresh water from the Amite River.
Water used in the fracking process is eventually disposed of at an
established Adams County injection well.
"Encana told us they're ... looking at installing their own deep,
disposable
injection well and also looking at recycling water," Harrell said. "It's
kind of a win-win because you're not having to inject and dispose of it and
get more source water."
Ronn Tarbutton of the Mississippi Oil and Gas Board said injection wells
typically start about 800 feet deeper than the deepest freshwater well.
Adams County's freshwater wells range from 800 to 1,600 feet deep, which
would put the disposal well at least 2,400 feet deep.
But, Tarbutton added, water at depths closest to the injection well is not
necessarily potable but is instead choked with undrinkable minerals anyway.
By contrast, wells being fracked in the area are in shale formations that
are 10,000 to 12,000 feet deep, which officials have said is enough of a
barrier to keep fracking operations away from the water table.
The oil and gas board requires companies to meet stringent environmental
precautions before issuing a permit to drill wells, disposal or otherwise,
Tarbutton said.
"We're going to want to know a lot of things before it's approved,"
Tarbutton said. "We want isolation cement between the casing and the
formation. We want to make sure it's not migrating up.
"We do that for an area of a quarter-mile radius around the well. We want
to
make sure the head's not going to get anywhere near fresh drinking water."
ENCANA: 'LIMITED' AMOUNT
OF WATER USED in fracking
But can fracking impact the availability of drinking water?
Locally, oil companies are using about 330,000 gallons per stage. With an
average of three fracking stages completed daily, companies are using about
1 million gallons per day from both forks of the Amite River for each well.
"We're using a limited quantity of water," Hoch said. "We're not going to
deplete it in sense that hydraulic fracking is going to drain an aquifer.
The real issue is how much water do you need to use, and are there
opportunities to recycle the water?"
Encana has had success recycling fracking water in other parts of the
county. In Colorado, for instance, 90 percent of the water is used multiple
times.
Jamie Crawford, director of the Mississippi Department of Environmental
Quality's office of Land and Water Resources, said none of the fracking
water - including recycled water - will return to any river or stream in
the
state.
"Unless they came up with some process to treat this material and applied
for water permits, we have no contemplation that any of this would wind up
back in a river system," Crawford said. "We've had no inquiries to treat
and
dispose of water like that."
Crawford said each well is expected to require about 10 million gallons of
water.
"We have not had to be overly concerned with water levels this time of
year," Crawford said. "What we discussed with Encana is having them pay to
have stream gauges installed - paying the U.S. Geological Survey to install
and maintain those gauges."
The gauges would allow Crawford's office to keep an eye on water levels via
the Internet. At present, the office has to send a worker from Jackson to
check the levels every 90 days.
To a lesser extent, oil companies also are paying for water from owners of
private ponds and lakes.
"We told companies if this gets big, we want to see master plan of how
water
will be sourced, so we can see how much water is going to be needed,"
Crawford said. "We'll allocate that water out pending its best use for the
state.
"The question is, this is still kind of in the pilot. They're not entirely
sure this is going to take off and work. They're kind of inching along, and
working to be prepared."
Hoch doesn't anticipate Amite County mirroring Karnes City, Texas, where
groundwater levels have dropped between 10 and 30 feet each year.
"Groundwater shouldn't drop. Hydraulic fracking has no impact on
groundwater
level," Hoch maintained. "It depends on where they are sourcing their water
from. Fracking in and of itself is not going to deplete groundwater."
WILDLIFE, ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICIALS LOOK TO OTHER STATES
Cathy Shropshire of Mississippi Wildlife Federation is concerned for the
state's future based on problems other states have faced in oil production.
"Talking to Arkansas and Louisiana, I think we're all kind of in a learning
mode. Hopefully we've learned from the mistakes of other states," she said.
"We have concerns because we've seen what's happened in other states. We
certainly don't want to see the same thing happen in Mississippi."
DEQ officials are confident that Mississippi has learned from mistakes made
elsewhere, particularly after a roundtable discussion Harrell recently
participated in with officials from other oil states, such as North Dakota.
"They don't have the infrastructure to capture natural gas. Mississippi is
very fortunate, with a lot of pipelines and natural gas," Harrell said.
"We're in a pretty good situation that we're probably going to get two
sellable products (oil and natural gas) out of this and not have to worry
about the air pollution situation you see up there."
SPILLS, QUAKES CAUSE CONCERN
Fracking has also raised concerns of oil spills and earthquakes.
Spills are a risk in any operation. Crawford said the response and
treatment
of such accidents depends on the size of the spill.
"A small site may require ... oil-eating microbes and nutrients," Crawford
said. "A larger site may require excavation, sampling and disposal of
soil."
Harrell added that oil companies are required to obtain air pollution
permits from DEQ, and the department will not authorize any pollution
permit
"that could cause a risk to the public."
Though earthquakes have popped up around frack sites in Arkansas and Texas,
officials do not think they'll be a threat in Mississippi.
Crawford said they should not pose a threat in Mississippi, noting the main
issue in those two states was overinjecting disposal wells.
"If we push them to recycling, it even more so lessens the risk," Crawford
said. "We don't know of any fault systems in the area. It has been used for
a number of active disposal wells in that area, and we don't anticipate
problems like other areas have experienced."
Yazoo clay blamed for partial parking lot collapse
Portion of Clinton Walmart parking lot affected
WAPT
CLINTON, Miss. -
Orange cones blocked a portion of the Walmart parking lot in Clinton on
Tuesday after it collapsed.
The asphalt recently crumbled along the western edge of the parking lot,
taking out about 30 parking spaces.
Geologist David Dockery told 16 WAPT news that the collapse could be
attributed to Yazoo clay. As moisture evaporates, the Yazoo clay shrinks
and cracks, Dockery said. When it rains, water gets in the cracks, causing
it to expand, and in this case, crumble.
http://www.wapt.com/news/central-mississippi/Yazoo-clay-blamed-for-partial-parking-lot-collapse/-/9156946/14270612/-/h03isez/-/index.html
Ocean Expo Aquarium & Learning Center construction to start this summer
Published: Tuesday, May 29, 2012, 5:26 PM Updated: Tuesday, May 29,
2012, 6:22 PM
By Harlan Kirgan, Mississippi Press
GULFPORT, Mississippi -- Construction on the Ocean Expo Aquarium & Learning
Center in D'Iberville should ramp up soon, organizers are saying.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/05/ocean_expo_aquarium_learning_c.html
Mississippi Phosphates reports $1.1 million loss in 'challenging' first
quarter
Mississippi Press
By Kaija Wilkinson
PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- Mississippi Phosphates parent Phosphate Holdings
Inc. said today that it had a net loss of $1.1 million in the first quarter
that ended March 31, 2012, compared with net income of $16,000 for the
first quarter in 2011.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/05/mississippi_phosphates_reports.html
National News
4 companies to pay $5M in FEMA trailer settlement
Gulf Coast residents claim exposure to hazardous fumes
AP
NEW ORLEANS — Four FEMA contractors that installed or maintained
government-issued trailers for storm victims after Hurricane Katrina,
including those in Mississippi, have agreed to pay a total of $5 million to
resolve claims that the temporary shelters exposed Gulf Coast residents to
hazardous fumes, according to court filings Tuesday.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20120530/NEWS/205300353/4-companies-pay-5M-FEMA-trailer-settlement
Opinion
Keep Rez Beautiful makes big splash in its first year
BY JEANNINE MAY • SPECIAL TO RANKIN LEDGER • MAY 29, 2012
As Keep the Rez Beautiful marks its one-year anniversary this month, we're
celebrating our successful first year and how we can build upon it. We
formed because we were tired of seeing litter on our roads and in our
Reservoir. We wanted to inspire revitalization in our shoreline
communities, and we wanted to provide a venue for environmental education.
We chartered a course for Keep the Rez Beautiful, and I'm proud of where we
are headed.
http://www.rankinledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120529/LIFE/205290306
Why regulating gas fracking could be cheaper than the alternatives
Washington Post
By Brad Plumer, Published: May 29
We're living in a "Golden Age of Gas," says the International Energy
Agency. Trapped in shale-rock formations around the world are trillions of
cubic feet of unconventional natural gas. And drillers now have the
technology to pluck it out. That's a lot of cheap fuel — and it's
lower-carbon than coal.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/why-fracking-regulations-could-be-cheaper-than-no-regulations-at-all/2012/05/29/gJQAfcUKzU_blog.html
Press Releases
EPA and Department of Veterans Affairs to Connect Veterans with Jobs in
Water Sectors
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Vocational Rehabilitation and
Employment Program announced today a memorandum of understanding to connect
veterans with disabilities to career opportunities in the water and
wastewater sectors -- such as at wastewater plants and drinking water
facilities -- as part of EPA's Water Sector Workforce Initiative. This
effort will be beneficial to both the environment and economy as clean
water and job placement for veterans are top priorities of the Obama
Administration.
The agreement allows EPA and VA to connect qualified veteran employees with
staffing needs at water and wastewater utilities. EPA and the VA will work
with water utilities, states and local VA counselors to promote water
sector careers and resources for finding water jobs for veterans as well as
educational programs to help veterans transition into careers in water
industries.
"This agreement comes at the perfect time to address the predicted
workforce shortages in the water and wastewater industries and the need for
transitioning veterans into civilian jobs," said Nancy Stoner, acting
assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Water. "EPA believes that
well-trained and experienced water sector professionals are vital to
ensuring sustainable, properly operated systems."
"VA has cultivated relationships with both public and private industry to
ensure disabled veterans have opportunities to find and maintain meaningful
employment," said Under Secretary for Benefits Allison A. Hickey. "We are
thrilled to forge this relationship with EPA to assist them with hiring
veterans through our Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program."
More than one-third of all current water operators are eligible to retire
within seven years and, according to the U.S. Department of Labor,
employment for water and wastewater operators is expected to grow by 20
percent between 2008 and 2018, faster than the national average for all
other occupations. EPA sees the need to invest now in creating a pipeline
of future water sector professionals to fill these essential water sector
careers.
VA's Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program assists more than
100,000 disabled veterans annually prepare for, find, and maintain
meaningful careers. Veterans are an important target group for water and
wastewater utility jobs because many veterans already possess training and
technical skills that are directly transferable to careers in the water
sector. There is a wide spectrum of water sector careers that veterans
could be qualified for, including engineering, laboratory and water
science, operations and maintenance, management and administration,
communications, and public education. The Vocational Rehabilitation and
Employment Program further supports veterans for the water workforce by
providing necessary accommodations and additional training as needed.
More on EPA's Water Sector Workforce Initiative:
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/sustain/ws_workforce.cfm
More about VA connecting qualified veterans with employer needs:
http://www.vetsuccess.gov/
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
News Clippings 5/29/12
Nearly 4 times as much sea life in Alabama, Mississippi coastal waters
since 2010 Gulf oil spill
By Ben Raines, Press-Register
MOBILE, Alabama -- There were nearly four times as many fish, shrimp and
crabs in Alabama waters in the fall of 2011 as there were before the BP's
Gulf of Mexico oil spill, according to scientific data collected by the
Dauphin Island Sea Lab.
If funding could be found, he said, the Sea Lab could resume its research
right away.
http://blog.al.com/live/2012/05/nearly_four_times_as_much_sea.html
BP Probed on Leak Estimates
Wall Street Journal
By TOM FOWLER
Federal investigators are exploring whether BP BP.LN +1.16% PLC
representatives lied to Congress about how much oil was leaking after the
Deepwater Horizon accident two years ago, a development that could lead to
additional criminal charges against current and former company employees.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303395604577432303209861044.html
While Gulf States Wait, $20 Billion BP Fine Treads Water in D.C.
Sunshine State News
By: KENRIC WARD | Posted: May 26, 2012 3:55 AM
Nearly two years after 4 million barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf,
Washington, D.C., policy-makers are still wrangling over how to handle a
projected $20 billion fine.
http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/while-gulf-states-wait-20-billion-bp-fine-treads-water-dc
Two years after BP oil spill, tourists back in U.S. Gulf
Reuters
Sun, May 27 2012
By Kathy Finn
NEW ORLEANS, May 27 (Reuters) - The U.S. Gulf Coast is a hot destination
again two years after the massive BP Plc oil spill made the region a
tourist dead zone, with the petroleum giant pumping more than $150 million
into promotions to help the region recover.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/27/usa-bpspill-tourism-idUSL1E8GP15X20120527
State News
Mississippi Outdoors: May 27, 2012
Commercial Appeal
Fish kill update: MDWFP biologists recently responded to fish kill reports
at Sardis Lake. Several shoreline areas were examined around the lake. The
kill was more than 97 percent white bass. An estimated 73,510 white bass
died. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) was
alerted by MDWFP.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/27/mississippi-outdoors/
EPA approves grant to restore brownfields
WTVA
ATLANTA, Ga. (WTVA) -- The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the
city of Columbus two brownfield assessment grants.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/EPA-approves-grant-to-restore-brownfields/io8WWfchaEaHeYwXftX1yg.cspx
Water Quality Officials Tell Mississippians to Pick it Up
MPB
PUBLISHED BY DANIEL CHERRY ON 28 MAY 2012 04:28PM
The Memorial Day holiday brought out thousands of Mississippians to the
state's lakes and rivers. Many left behind tons of trash. MPB's Daniel
Cherry reports how conservation officials and advocates are telling
Mississippians to clean it up.
http://mpbonline.org/News/article/512water_quality_officials_tell_mississippians_to_pick_it_up
Mississippi shrimpers not hopeful about upcoming season
WLOX
Next week, a time honored tradition will unfold in the waters of the
Mississippi Sound with the opening of shrimp season. But if you talk to
shrimpers, the future of this tradition is in doubt.
http://www.wlox.com/story/18625266/mississippi-shrimpers-not-hopeful-about-upcoming-season
Warmer water than usual prompts opening of shrimp season Wednesday
Published: Monday, May 28, 2012, 10:04 AM Updated: Monday, May 28,
2012, 10:16 AM
By Jeff Dute, Press-Register
Warmer water than usual for this time of year and lots of small brown
shrimp moving into coastal estuaries have prompted Alabama and Mississippi
marine resources officials to open shrimping season Wednesday morning.
http://blog.al.com/live/2012/05/warmer_water_than_usual_prompt.html
Track your seafood purchase using a new computer tool
WLOX
Wally Gollott checks his computer these days just as much as he checks the
seafood conveyor belts at Gulf Pride Seafood. The new Gulf Seafood Trace
program shows him where everything in his plant comes from.
http://www.wlox.com/story/18640073/track-you-seafood-using-a-new-computer-tool
Grants available to help increase seafood in the Gulf
WLOX
Mississippians are being encouraged to compete for grants aimed at
increasing fish, crab, and shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico. NOAA is offering
up to $100,000 for projects to improve the freshwater and saltwater
exchange from Florida to Texas. Officials are hoping at least some of the
money will benefit the Magnolia state.
http://www.wlox.com/story/18628887/grants-available-to-help-increase-seafood-in-the-gulf
Charter Boat business on the Mississippi Gulf Coast is improving
WLOX
Barry Deschamp is captain of 9 Ball Fishing Charters docked at Long Beach
Harbor. He hit the high seas at 6am Monday morning and returned at high
noon.
http://www.wlox.com/story/18640583/charter-boat-business-on-the-mississippi-gulf-coast-is-improving
FEMA trailer litigation nears end
Published: Monday, May 28, 2012, 9:55 PM Updated: Monday, May 28, 2012,
10:08 PM
By The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS — A class-action settlement agreement has been reached to
resolve nearly all the remaining court claims over allegations that
government-issued trailers exposed Gulf Coast residents to hazardous fumes
after Hurricane Katrina, a lead plaintiffs' attorney said Monday.
http://blog.al.com/wire/2012/05/fema_trailer_litigation_nears.html
Topazi retiring as COO of Southern Company
by MBJ Staff
Published: May 25,2012
ATLANTA — Southern Company chairman, president and CEO Thomas A. Fanning
has made public a number of changes within the company's management team,
effective July 1, including the replacement for Anthony Topazi.
http://msbusiness.com/2012/05/topazi-retiring-as-coo-of-southern-company/
National News
Drilling boom spurring clean up push
Houston Chronicle
WASHINGTON — The oil and gas drilling boom that has sent thousands of
workers and rigs into North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Arkansas and Texas now is
spurring another gold rush, as companies jockey to clean up the briny,
metal-laden water that pours out of wells nationwide.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2012/05/29/drilling-boom-spurring-clean-up-push/
Carbon dioxide emissions reach record high
By NEELA BANERJEE — Tribune Washington Bureau
Emissions of heat-trapping carbon dioxide reached an all-time high last
year, further reducing the chances that the world could avoid a dangerous
rise in global average temperature by 2020, according to the International
Energy Agency, the energy analysis group for the world's most
industrialized states.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/05/25/3970576/carbon-dioxide-emissions-reach.html
Sequoia National Park is home to giant redwoods _ and the worst air quality
in US park system
By Associated Press, Updated: Tuesday, May 29, 2:42 AM
SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, Calif. — On a clear day, the view from Beetle Rock
in Sequoia National Park extends west for 105 miles across the patchwork of
crops in California's agricultural heartland to the Coast Mountains and the
Pacific Ocean beyond.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/energy-environment/sequoia-national-park-is-home-to-giant-redwoods-_-and-the-worst-air-quality-in-us-park-system/2012/05/29/gJQAG90DyU_print.html
List of US national parks with most smog, number of days that violated
environment regulations
By Associated Press, Published: May 28
FRESNO, Calif. — Sequoia National Park, home to the giant redwoods, suffers
the worst air pollution of any national park in the country. Here are the
parks in the National Park Service system with the highest smog levels and
the number of days monitors recorded violations last year:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/energy-environment/list-of-us-national-parks-with-most-smog-number-of-days-that-violated-environment-regulations/2012/05/28/gJQAM6MhwU_print.html
EPA considers new pharmaceutical waste rules
2012-05-28
(Embedded image moved to file: pic12859.jpg)
As reported by the U.S.-based Waste Business Journal(
www.wastebusinessjournal.com), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) is now considering healthcare facility-specific regulations for
managing hazardous pharmaceutical waste rather than regulate them under its
universal waste program as proposed in December 2008.
http://www.solidwastemag.com/news/epa-considers-new-pharmaceutical-waste-rules/1001413314/
Opinion
Resources sorely needed for recovery from BP oil spill
By AN EDITORIAL OPINION OFTHE TIMES-PICAYUNE (New Orleans)
Posted: 11:00pm on May 27, 2012
When a final transportation bill is worked out by Senate-House negotiators,
Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., says that it will include a measure to direct
80 percent of BP oil spill fines to the Gulf Coast.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/05/27/3970549/resources-sorely-needed-for-recovery.html
Press Releases
USDA Announces Results for Conservation Reserve Program General Sign-Up
Interest High in the 26-year-old Conservation Program
WASHINGTON, May 25, 2012–Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced
that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will accept 3.9 million acres
offered under the 43rd Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general sign-up.
During the extended five-week signup, the Department received nearly 48,000
offers on more than 4.5 million acres of land, demonstrating the CRP's
continuing leadership as one of our nation's most successful voluntary
efforts to conserve land and improve our soil, water, air and wildlife
habitat resources. Under Vilsack's leadership, USDA has now enrolled nearly
12 million acres in the CRP since 2009. Currently, there are more than 29.6
million acres enrolled on more than 736,000 contracts.
"For more than 25 years, lands in CRP have helped to support strong incomes
for our farmers and ranchers and produce good middle-class jobs throughout
the country related to outdoor recreation, hunting, and fishing," said
Vilsack. "As the commodities produced by our farmers and ranchers continue
to perform strongly in the marketplace—supporting 1 out of every 12 jobs
here in the United States—it is no surprise that American producers also
recognize the importance of protecting our nation's most environmentally
sensitive land by enrolling in CRP."
Enrollment of the new 3.9 million acres will allow USDA to continue
important targeting of CRP acres through continuous sign-up
initiatives—including those announced earlier this year for highly-erodible
land, as well as grasslands and wetlands—while also maintaining and
enhancing the significant benefits that the program has already achieved.
The two continuous sign-ups announced earlier this year will target an
additional 1.75 million acres in total.
For the first continuous sign-up program, USDA encourages landowners with
land that has an Erosion Index (EI) of 20 or greater to consider
participating in the Highly Erodible Land initiative. Lands eligible for
this program are typically the least productive land on the farm. In many
cases the most cost-effective option to reduce erosion is to put the land
into a wildlife friendly cover, which will improve habitat and reduce
sediment and nutrient runoff and reduce wind erosion. For the second
continuous sign-up program, landowners with sensitive grasslands, wetlands
and wildlife habitat are encouraged to participate. The grasslands and
wetlands initiative increases acres set aside for specific enrollments that
benefit duck nesting habitat, upland birds, wetlands, and wildlife, and
provides benefits for specific conservation practices, including new
benefits for pollinator practices.
CRP is a voluntary program designed to help farmers, ranchers and other
agricultural producers protect their environmentally sensitive land.
Eligible landowners receive annual rental payments and cost-share
assistance to establish long-term, resource conserving covers on eligible
farmland throughout the duration of 10 to 15 year contracts.
CRP has a 25-year legacy of successfully protecting the nation's natural
resources through voluntary participation, while providing significant
economic and environmental benefits to rural communities across the United
States. Under CRP, farmers and ranchers plant grasses and trees in crop
fields and along streams or rivers. The plantings prevent soil and
nutrients from washing into waterways, reduce soil erosion that may
otherwise contribute to poor air and water quality, and provide valuable
habitat for wildlife. Plant cover established on the acreage accepted into
the CRP will reduce nutrient and sediment runoff in our nation's rivers and
streams. In 2011, as a result of CRP, nitrogen and phosphorous losses from
farm fields were reduced by 623 million pounds and 124 million pounds
respectively. The CRP has restored more than two million acres of wetlands
and associated buffers and reduces soil erosion by more than 300 million
tons per year. CRP also provides $1.8 billion annually to
landowners—dollars that make their way into local economies, supporting
small businesses and creating jobs. In addition, CRP is the largest private
lands carbon sequestration program in the country. By placing vulnerable
cropland into conservation, CRP sequesters carbon in plants and soil, and
reduces both fuel and fertilizer usage. In 2010, CRP resulted in carbon
sequestration equal to taking almost 10 million cars off the road.
USDA selected offers for enrollment based on an Environmental Benefits
Index (EBI) comprised of five environmental factors plus cost. The five
environmental factors are: (1) wildlife enhancement, (2) water quality, (3)
soil erosion, (4) enduring benefits, and (5) air quality. The minimal
acceptable EBI level for this sign-up was 209. The average rental rate per
acre for this sign-up is $51.24.
In 2011, USDA enrolled a record number of acres of private working lands in
conservation programs, working with more than 500,000 farmers and ranchers
to implement conservation practices that clean the air we breathe, filter
the water we drink, and prevent soil erosion. Moreover, the Obama
Administration, with Agriculture Secretary Vilsack's leadership, has worked
tirelessly to strengthen rural America, implement the Farm Bill, maintain a
strong farm safety net, and create opportunities for America's farmers and
ranchers. U.S. agriculture is currently experiencing one of its most
productive periods in American history thanks to the productivity,
resiliency, and resourcefulness of our producers.
#
Friday, May 25, 2012
News Clippings 5/25/12
Oil Spill
Government to test capping stack, two years after Gulf oil spill
Published: Thursday, May 24, 2012, 7:45 PM
By Ben Raines, Press-Register
MOBILE, Alabama -- The White House announced Thursday that the government
would finally require the oil industry to test the capping stack officials
hope to use to stop the next well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico.
http://blog.al.com/live/2012/05/government_to_test_capping_sta.html
State News
Grant to boost Hernando recycling
Commercial Appeal
Friday, May 25, 2012
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has awarded Hernando a
solid-waste assistance grant of $8,547 that will be used by the city to
promote its curbside recycling program.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/25/in-brief/?print=1
Grant Will Help Columbus Target Redevelopment
WCBI
Posted by Steve Rogers | May 24, 2012 / 05:29pm | Local News, Business
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) -- A $400,000 federal grant could lay the foundation
for revitalizing some Columbus commercial areas.
The city will use the Environmental Protection Agency Brownfield
Revitalization grants to do environmental and planning assessments on the
old Warehouse District, an area of largely abandoned and rundown warehouses
along the railroad tracks that cut through the city's historic Southside
and the Mississippi University for Women campus.
http://www.wcbi.com/article.php?subaction=showfull&id=1337898544&archive=&start_from=&ucat=2,6&
Official: EPA regulations to drive up power rates
Hattiesburg American
Southern Pine Electric Power Association held a media day today at
Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Magee to give media the opportunity to
ask questions and learn more about how the member-owned association
operates.
One of the speakers, Jim Compton – South Mississippi Electric Power
Association's general manager, said the future of member rates will go up
due to capital investments associated with Environmental Protection Agency
regulations.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20120524/NEWS01/120524017/Official-EPA-regulations-drive-up-power-rates
Gulfport adds water source to avert moratorium on new customers
Sun Herald
By ANITA LEE — calee@sunherald.com
GULFPORT -- A crisis has been averted in Orange Grove, where the Health
Department found the water system overloaded in April and ordered the city
not to add customers.
Gulfport has since added a water source from the Harrison County Utility
Authority, reducing the system from 105 percent of capacity to 83 percent,
Health Department correspondence with the city shows.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/05/24/3969526/gulfport-adds-water-source-to.html
MSU team finishes first in EcoCAR 2 competition
Clarion Ledger
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State's alternative vehicle design team returns to
the Magnolia State as champions after being named year-one winners of
EcoCAR 2: Plugging into the Future.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20120525/NEWS/205250342/MSU-team-finishes-first-EcoCAR-2-competition
Justices reverse AG fees ruling
AP
The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled Thursday that legal fees totaling $24
million paid to private lawyers to represent the state are public funds.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20120525/NEWS/205250346/Justices-reverse-AG-fees-ruling?odyssey=tab|
topnews|text|Home
National News
Obama nominates George Mason professor Allison M. Macfarlane as NRC
chairman
Washington Post
By Steven Mufson, Published: May 24
President Obama on Thursday nominated Allison M. Macfarlane, a professor of
environmental science and policy at George Mason University, to be the next
chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/obama-nominates-george-mason-professor-allison-m-macfarlane-as-nrc-chairman/2012/05/24/gJQAzCD6nU_print.html
Ohio legislators to vote on new drilling rules
AP
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Rules regulating oil and gas well construction, water
handling, and the disclosure of chemicals used in drilling were ready to
clear their final legislative hurdles Thursday and head to Gov. John
Kasich.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245_162-57440979/ohio-legislators-to-vote-on-new-drilling-rules/
Natural gas fracking fizzles in Michigan
Pollution concerns, falling prices slow drilling
Detroit News
Just two years ago Michigan was well on its way to becoming Pennsylvania
West — following in that state's footsteps as the next hotbed of natural
gas exploration and production.
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120525/METRO/205250363/Natural-gas-fracking-fizzles-in-Michigan
Fracking woes misguided, exec says
UPI
Published: May 24, 2012 at 9:17 AM
HOUSTON, May 24 (UPI) -- The natural gas industry is to blame for concerns
of hydraulic fracturing because of misconceptions of the dangers, an
executive said from Houston.
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2012/05/24/Fracking-woes-misguided-exec-says/UPI-26041337865437/
Press Releases
$1.2 Million in Brownfields Grants to Cleanup and Revitalize Communities in
Mississippi
Contact Information: James Pinkney, (404) 562-9183, pinkney.james@epa.gov
(Atlanta - May 24, 2012) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
announced today that it plans to award three communities in Mississippi
with brownfield grants for new investments to provide funding necessary to
clean and redevelop contaminated properties, boost local economies and
create jobs while protecting human health.
"EPA is certainly excited about the opportunity for communities in the
Southeast Region to realize sustainable environmental results," said EPA
Region 4 Administrator, Gwen Keyes Fleming. "Through EPA's Brownfields
Program we support not just environmental revitalization but economic
revitalization. Each of these communities will receive funding to lay the
groundwork for future investments in their community vitality and
resiliency."
The Mississippi brownfield grant recipients are:
· City of Columbus ($200,00 assessment grant for hazardous substances
and $200,000 assessment grant for petroleum)
· City of Hernando ($200,00 assessment grant for hazardous substances
and $200,000 assessment grant for petroleum)
· City of McComb ($200,00 assessment grant for hazardous substances and
$200,000 assessment grant for petroleum)
"Restored Brownfield properties can serve as cornerstones for rebuilding
struggling communities. These grants will be the first step in getting
pollution out and putting jobs back into neighborhoods across the country,"
said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "Clean, healthy communities are
places where people want to live, work and start businesses. We're
providing targeted resources to help local partners transform blighted,
contaminated areas into centers of economic growth."
There are an estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites in
America. In 2011, EPA's brownfields program leveraged 6,447 jobs and $2.14
billion in cleanup and redevelopment funds. Since its inception EPA's
brownfields investments have leveraged more than $18.3 billion in cleanup
and redevelopment funding from a variety of public and private sources and
have resulted in approximately 75,500 jobs. More than 18,000 properties
have been assessed, and over 700 properties have been cleaned up.
Brownfields grants also target under-served and low income neighborhoods –
places where environmental cleanups and new jobs are most needed.
More information on the FY 2012 grant recipients:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/
More information on EPA's brownfields program:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/
Brownfields success stories:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/success/index.htm
###
EPA Announces $69.3 Million to Clean Up Contaminated Sites and Revitalize
Communities
Investment will protect people's health and the environment, create jobs
and promote economic redevelopment nationwide
WASHINGTON – Today the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced
$69.3 million in grants for new investments to provide communities with
funding necessary to clean and redevelop contaminated properties, boost
local economies and create jobs while protecting public health.
"Restored Brownfield properties can serve as cornerstones for rebuilding
struggling communities. These grants will be the first step in getting
pollution out and putting jobs back into neighborhoods across the country,"
said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "Clean, healthy communities are
places where people want to live, work and start businesses. We're
providing targeted resources to help local partners transform blighted,
contaminated areas into centers of economic growth."
The 245 grantees include tribes and communities in 39 states across the
country, funded by EPA's Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and
Cleanup (ARC) grants, and Revolving Loan Fund Supplemental grants. The
grants awarded will assess and clean up abandoned industrial and commercial
properties. Nearly half of the grantees this year are new awardees who
demonstrate a high level of commitment for undertaking specific projects
and leveraging the funding to move those projects forward.
Highlights of the projects planned by grant recipients:
• DeKalb County, Ga. plans to clean up and redevelop major industrial areas
served by transit and infrastructure in community areas, in addition to
expanding greenspace and community-based development. One important
revitalization effort is targeted for the General Motors Assembly Plant
(closed in 2008), which sits at the convergence of two major corridors and
the Doraville MARTA Station. Upon redevelopment, the project will reduce
blight and increase the local tax base.
• Toledo, Ohio (Coalition) will use the awarded assessment grant funding to
revitalize under-served neighborhoods and create local jobs at two proposed
projects. The Coalition will investigate properties in the Cherry Street
Corridor/Summit Street Redevelopment area to allow for the expansion of St.
Vincent's Hospital and Central Catholic High School. Secondly, the Fernwood
Growing Center Area, located in an underserved, low income neighborhood,
will be expanded by at least two additional sites for the use of urban
agriculture.
• Paul Cuffee School, a maritime charter school for Providence public
school children in Rhode Island, is receiving two EPA cleanup grants to
clean and redevelop adjacent properties for a new parking lot and athletic
field for students.
• Land-of-Sky, a local government planning and development organization
located in N.C., will use grant funds awarded to rehabilitate the Chatham
Site, a former manufacturing plant, a mill and a Western electric plant
into approximately 150 multifamily rental units. The project may result in
leveraging additional funding, including New Markets Tax Credits,
construction permanent loans, Federal Historic Tax Credit equity, NC Mill
Rehab Tax Credit equity and deferred development fees. Assessments have
been completed and the project is ready to begin redevelopment.
• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will provide a loan from its
Revolving Loan Fund to the city of Kenosha for the cleanup of the Kenosha
Engine Plant Cleaning site, a former Chrysler/American Motors plant. The
site, once the pride of southeastern Wisconsin, will provide the community
the opportunity to market the site to private investors that could bring
jobs and tax revenue to the community.
Approximately 29 percent of the grants are being awarded to non-urban areas
with populations of 100,000 or less, 16 percent are being awarded to
"micro" communities with populations of 10,000 or less, and the remaining
grants are being awarded to urban areas with populations exceeding 100,000.
There are an estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites in
America. In 2011, EPA's brownfields program leveraged 6,447 jobs and $2.14
billion in cleanup and redevelopment funds. Since its inception EPA's
brownfields investments have leveraged more than $18.3 billion in cleanup
and redevelopment funding from a variety of public and private sources and
have resulted in approximately 75,500 jobs. More than 18,000 properties
have been assessed, and over 700 properties have been cleaned up.
Brownfields grants also target under-served and low income neighborhoods –
places where environmental cleanups and new jobs are most needed.
See list of all awarded brownfields grants by state:
http://cfpub.epa.gov/bf_factsheets/
More information on EPA's brownfields program:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/
More information on brownfields success stories:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/success/index.htm
EPA Advises Facility Operators to Minimize Releases during Hazardous
Weather Events
Contact: Dawn Harris Young, (404) 562-8421, harris-young.dawn@epa.gov
ATLANTA – As hurricane season approaches, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is issuing a Hazardous Weather Release Prevention and
Reporting alert to remind facility operators of certain regulations that
require minimization of chemical releases during process shutdown
operations. This alert is designed to increase awareness among facility
operators about their obligation to operate facilities safely and report
chemical releases in a timely manner.
The alert specifies operational release minimization requirements and
clarifies reporting requirements, including exemptions. Unlike some natural
disasters, the onset of a hurricane is predictable and allows for early
preparations to lessen its effect on a facility. Before hurricane force
winds and associated storm surge flooding damage industrial processes, the
alert recommends that operators take preventive action by safely shutting
down processes, or otherwise operate safely under emergency procedures.
The alert and requirements are available at
http://www.epa.gov/region4/r4_hurricanereleases.html.
In the event of a hazardous weather incident, please visit
http://www.epa.gov/naturalevents/ for updated emergency information.
###
Government to test capping stack, two years after Gulf oil spill
Published: Thursday, May 24, 2012, 7:45 PM
By Ben Raines, Press-Register
MOBILE, Alabama -- The White House announced Thursday that the government
would finally require the oil industry to test the capping stack officials
hope to use to stop the next well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico.
http://blog.al.com/live/2012/05/government_to_test_capping_sta.html
State News
Grant to boost Hernando recycling
Commercial Appeal
Friday, May 25, 2012
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has awarded Hernando a
solid-waste assistance grant of $8,547 that will be used by the city to
promote its curbside recycling program.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/25/in-brief/?print=1
Grant Will Help Columbus Target Redevelopment
WCBI
Posted by Steve Rogers | May 24, 2012 / 05:29pm | Local News, Business
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) -- A $400,000 federal grant could lay the foundation
for revitalizing some Columbus commercial areas.
The city will use the Environmental Protection Agency Brownfield
Revitalization grants to do environmental and planning assessments on the
old Warehouse District, an area of largely abandoned and rundown warehouses
along the railroad tracks that cut through the city's historic Southside
and the Mississippi University for Women campus.
http://www.wcbi.com/article.php?subaction=showfull&id=1337898544&archive=&start_from=&ucat=2,6&
Official: EPA regulations to drive up power rates
Hattiesburg American
Southern Pine Electric Power Association held a media day today at
Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Magee to give media the opportunity to
ask questions and learn more about how the member-owned association
operates.
One of the speakers, Jim Compton – South Mississippi Electric Power
Association's general manager, said the future of member rates will go up
due to capital investments associated with Environmental Protection Agency
regulations.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20120524/NEWS01/120524017/Official-EPA-regulations-drive-up-power-rates
Gulfport adds water source to avert moratorium on new customers
Sun Herald
By ANITA LEE — calee@sunherald.com
GULFPORT -- A crisis has been averted in Orange Grove, where the Health
Department found the water system overloaded in April and ordered the city
not to add customers.
Gulfport has since added a water source from the Harrison County Utility
Authority, reducing the system from 105 percent of capacity to 83 percent,
Health Department correspondence with the city shows.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/05/24/3969526/gulfport-adds-water-source-to.html
MSU team finishes first in EcoCAR 2 competition
Clarion Ledger
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State's alternative vehicle design team returns to
the Magnolia State as champions after being named year-one winners of
EcoCAR 2: Plugging into the Future.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20120525/NEWS/205250342/MSU-team-finishes-first-EcoCAR-2-competition
Justices reverse AG fees ruling
AP
The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled Thursday that legal fees totaling $24
million paid to private lawyers to represent the state are public funds.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20120525/NEWS/205250346/Justices-reverse-AG-fees-ruling?odyssey=tab|
topnews|text|Home
National News
Obama nominates George Mason professor Allison M. Macfarlane as NRC
chairman
Washington Post
By Steven Mufson, Published: May 24
President Obama on Thursday nominated Allison M. Macfarlane, a professor of
environmental science and policy at George Mason University, to be the next
chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/obama-nominates-george-mason-professor-allison-m-macfarlane-as-nrc-chairman/2012/05/24/gJQAzCD6nU_print.html
Ohio legislators to vote on new drilling rules
AP
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Rules regulating oil and gas well construction, water
handling, and the disclosure of chemicals used in drilling were ready to
clear their final legislative hurdles Thursday and head to Gov. John
Kasich.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245_162-57440979/ohio-legislators-to-vote-on-new-drilling-rules/
Natural gas fracking fizzles in Michigan
Pollution concerns, falling prices slow drilling
Detroit News
Just two years ago Michigan was well on its way to becoming Pennsylvania
West — following in that state's footsteps as the next hotbed of natural
gas exploration and production.
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120525/METRO/205250363/Natural-gas-fracking-fizzles-in-Michigan
Fracking woes misguided, exec says
UPI
Published: May 24, 2012 at 9:17 AM
HOUSTON, May 24 (UPI) -- The natural gas industry is to blame for concerns
of hydraulic fracturing because of misconceptions of the dangers, an
executive said from Houston.
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2012/05/24/Fracking-woes-misguided-exec-says/UPI-26041337865437/
Press Releases
$1.2 Million in Brownfields Grants to Cleanup and Revitalize Communities in
Mississippi
Contact Information: James Pinkney, (404) 562-9183, pinkney.james@epa.gov
(Atlanta - May 24, 2012) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
announced today that it plans to award three communities in Mississippi
with brownfield grants for new investments to provide funding necessary to
clean and redevelop contaminated properties, boost local economies and
create jobs while protecting human health.
"EPA is certainly excited about the opportunity for communities in the
Southeast Region to realize sustainable environmental results," said EPA
Region 4 Administrator, Gwen Keyes Fleming. "Through EPA's Brownfields
Program we support not just environmental revitalization but economic
revitalization. Each of these communities will receive funding to lay the
groundwork for future investments in their community vitality and
resiliency."
The Mississippi brownfield grant recipients are:
· City of Columbus ($200,00 assessment grant for hazardous substances
and $200,000 assessment grant for petroleum)
· City of Hernando ($200,00 assessment grant for hazardous substances
and $200,000 assessment grant for petroleum)
· City of McComb ($200,00 assessment grant for hazardous substances and
$200,000 assessment grant for petroleum)
"Restored Brownfield properties can serve as cornerstones for rebuilding
struggling communities. These grants will be the first step in getting
pollution out and putting jobs back into neighborhoods across the country,"
said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "Clean, healthy communities are
places where people want to live, work and start businesses. We're
providing targeted resources to help local partners transform blighted,
contaminated areas into centers of economic growth."
There are an estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites in
America. In 2011, EPA's brownfields program leveraged 6,447 jobs and $2.14
billion in cleanup and redevelopment funds. Since its inception EPA's
brownfields investments have leveraged more than $18.3 billion in cleanup
and redevelopment funding from a variety of public and private sources and
have resulted in approximately 75,500 jobs. More than 18,000 properties
have been assessed, and over 700 properties have been cleaned up.
Brownfields grants also target under-served and low income neighborhoods –
places where environmental cleanups and new jobs are most needed.
More information on the FY 2012 grant recipients:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/
More information on EPA's brownfields program:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/
Brownfields success stories:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/success/index.htm
###
EPA Announces $69.3 Million to Clean Up Contaminated Sites and Revitalize
Communities
Investment will protect people's health and the environment, create jobs
and promote economic redevelopment nationwide
WASHINGTON – Today the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced
$69.3 million in grants for new investments to provide communities with
funding necessary to clean and redevelop contaminated properties, boost
local economies and create jobs while protecting public health.
"Restored Brownfield properties can serve as cornerstones for rebuilding
struggling communities. These grants will be the first step in getting
pollution out and putting jobs back into neighborhoods across the country,"
said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "Clean, healthy communities are
places where people want to live, work and start businesses. We're
providing targeted resources to help local partners transform blighted,
contaminated areas into centers of economic growth."
The 245 grantees include tribes and communities in 39 states across the
country, funded by EPA's Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and
Cleanup (ARC) grants, and Revolving Loan Fund Supplemental grants. The
grants awarded will assess and clean up abandoned industrial and commercial
properties. Nearly half of the grantees this year are new awardees who
demonstrate a high level of commitment for undertaking specific projects
and leveraging the funding to move those projects forward.
Highlights of the projects planned by grant recipients:
• DeKalb County, Ga. plans to clean up and redevelop major industrial areas
served by transit and infrastructure in community areas, in addition to
expanding greenspace and community-based development. One important
revitalization effort is targeted for the General Motors Assembly Plant
(closed in 2008), which sits at the convergence of two major corridors and
the Doraville MARTA Station. Upon redevelopment, the project will reduce
blight and increase the local tax base.
• Toledo, Ohio (Coalition) will use the awarded assessment grant funding to
revitalize under-served neighborhoods and create local jobs at two proposed
projects. The Coalition will investigate properties in the Cherry Street
Corridor/Summit Street Redevelopment area to allow for the expansion of St.
Vincent's Hospital and Central Catholic High School. Secondly, the Fernwood
Growing Center Area, located in an underserved, low income neighborhood,
will be expanded by at least two additional sites for the use of urban
agriculture.
• Paul Cuffee School, a maritime charter school for Providence public
school children in Rhode Island, is receiving two EPA cleanup grants to
clean and redevelop adjacent properties for a new parking lot and athletic
field for students.
• Land-of-Sky, a local government planning and development organization
located in N.C., will use grant funds awarded to rehabilitate the Chatham
Site, a former manufacturing plant, a mill and a Western electric plant
into approximately 150 multifamily rental units. The project may result in
leveraging additional funding, including New Markets Tax Credits,
construction permanent loans, Federal Historic Tax Credit equity, NC Mill
Rehab Tax Credit equity and deferred development fees. Assessments have
been completed and the project is ready to begin redevelopment.
• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will provide a loan from its
Revolving Loan Fund to the city of Kenosha for the cleanup of the Kenosha
Engine Plant Cleaning site, a former Chrysler/American Motors plant. The
site, once the pride of southeastern Wisconsin, will provide the community
the opportunity to market the site to private investors that could bring
jobs and tax revenue to the community.
Approximately 29 percent of the grants are being awarded to non-urban areas
with populations of 100,000 or less, 16 percent are being awarded to
"micro" communities with populations of 10,000 or less, and the remaining
grants are being awarded to urban areas with populations exceeding 100,000.
There are an estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites in
America. In 2011, EPA's brownfields program leveraged 6,447 jobs and $2.14
billion in cleanup and redevelopment funds. Since its inception EPA's
brownfields investments have leveraged more than $18.3 billion in cleanup
and redevelopment funding from a variety of public and private sources and
have resulted in approximately 75,500 jobs. More than 18,000 properties
have been assessed, and over 700 properties have been cleaned up.
Brownfields grants also target under-served and low income neighborhoods –
places where environmental cleanups and new jobs are most needed.
See list of all awarded brownfields grants by state:
http://cfpub.epa.gov/bf_factsheets/
More information on EPA's brownfields program:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/
More information on brownfields success stories:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/success/index.htm
EPA Advises Facility Operators to Minimize Releases during Hazardous
Weather Events
Contact: Dawn Harris Young, (404) 562-8421, harris-young.dawn@epa.gov
ATLANTA – As hurricane season approaches, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is issuing a Hazardous Weather Release Prevention and
Reporting alert to remind facility operators of certain regulations that
require minimization of chemical releases during process shutdown
operations. This alert is designed to increase awareness among facility
operators about their obligation to operate facilities safely and report
chemical releases in a timely manner.
The alert specifies operational release minimization requirements and
clarifies reporting requirements, including exemptions. Unlike some natural
disasters, the onset of a hurricane is predictable and allows for early
preparations to lessen its effect on a facility. Before hurricane force
winds and associated storm surge flooding damage industrial processes, the
alert recommends that operators take preventive action by safely shutting
down processes, or otherwise operate safely under emergency procedures.
The alert and requirements are available at
http://www.epa.gov/region4/r4_hurricanereleases.html.
In the event of a hazardous weather incident, please visit
http://www.epa.gov/naturalevents/ for updated emergency information.
###
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
News Clippings 5/23/12
Oil Spill
Zoned treatment in BP spill recovery; some get A list, others potluck
Sun Herald
By KAREN NELSON
Posted: 11:00pm on May 22, 2012; Modified: 1:02am on May 23, 2012
PASCAGOULA -- An outlet mall on U.S. 49 in Gulfport won't be treated the
same as an outlet mall in Key West if they both put a claim in the BP oil
spill legal settlement.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/05/22/3964703/zoned-treatment-in-bp-spill-recovery.html
Baldwin County planning to pay BP lawsuit legal fees with leftover grant
money
Published: Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 9:53 AM Updated: Tuesday, May 22,
2012, 10:48 AM
By Connie Baggett, Press-Register
FAIRHOPE, Alabama -- Baldwin County commissioners agreed at their work
session today to use $1.38 million leftover in Deepwater Horizon oil spill
grant funds to pay their team of attorneys involved in settling the $11.565
million lawsuit against oil giant BP.
http://blog.al.com/live/2012/05/baldwin_planning_to_pay_bp_law.html
Plaquemines Parish to rebuild Cat Island
Published: Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 6:39 PM Updated: Tuesday, May 22,
2012, 8:13 PM
By Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, The Times-Picayune
Plaquemines Parish plans to build a $1.5 million, 40-acre circular barrier
island to protect and help rebuild Cat Island. The restoration work also
will involve replanting the tiny island's black mangrove bushes that are an
important habitat for Louisiana's state bird, the brown pelican.
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/05/plaquemines_parish_to_rebuild.html
BP attempting to reclaim money, Vessels of Opportunity captains say
WALA
ORANGE BEACH, Ala. (WALA) - LOCAL CHARTER CAPTAINS LIVID
Many Orange Beach charter boat captains are seriously upset. They tell
FOX10 BP is going back on a promise and using the settlement to withhold
thousands of dollars that they earned: a full third of their pay.
http://www.fox10tv.com/dpp/news/gulf_oil_spill/vessels-captains-upset-with-bp
Lingering oil complicates restoration
Daily Comet
By Nikki Buskey
A long-awaited restoration project aimed at rebuilding rapidly eroding
shoreline at Fourchon Beach is moving forward. But the project comes as
active oil cleanup is still taking place on the Lafourche beachfront.
http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20120522/ARTICLES/120529938
Transocean Expects More Indictments Tied To Deepwater Incident
Wall Street Journal
By Angel Gonzalez
HOUSTON (Dow Jones)--Transocean Ltd. (RIG, RIGN.VX) expects more
indictments to issue from the U.S. Department of Justice's criminal
investigation on the Deepwater Horizon incident, targeting Transocean,
Halliburton Co. (HAL) and BP PLC (BP, BP.LN) employees, a Transocean
executive said Tuesday.
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20120522-709718.html
State News
DeSoto ponders EPA suit
County retains legal muscle for possible challenge to ruling
Commercial Appeal
By Henry Bailey
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Taking aim at the Environmental Protection Agency's decision to keep DeSoto
County grouped with Memphis and Crittenden County, Ark., on ozone levels,
DeSoto County supervisors are seeking legal options from the high-powered
Butler, Snow legal firm.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/23/desoto-ponders-epa-suit/?print=1
Conservation Officers Target Agriculture Runoff
MPB
PUBLISHED BY DANIEL CHERRY ON 22 MAY 2012 06:43PM
Conservation officers are hoping to reduce water pollution across
Mississippi by stopping water from running off farms. MPB's Daniel Cherry
reports how agriculture runoff poses a threat to marine life and also
threatens drinking water quality.
http://mpbonline.org/News/article/conservation_officers_target_agriculture_runoff
Beautification group honors Oxford mayor
by NEMS Daily Journal
05.23.12 - 05:06 am
OXFORD – Keep Mississippi Beautiful has named Oxford Mayor George "Pat"
Patterson as its 2012 Mayor of the Year.
http://nems360.com/view/full_story/18693024/article-Beautification-group-honors-Oxford-mayor?instance=secondary_stories_left_column
Outlook: What we make -- Chemicals; Pascagoula area finds its niche in
worldwide market
Published: Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 3:07 PM Updated: Tuesday, May 22,
2012, 3:12 PM
By Kaija Wilkinson
Mississippi Press
PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- The chemical industry has a deep history in
Jackson County, one that likely will continue to develop as the plants --
DuPont First Chemical Pascagoula Site and Mississippi Phosphates Corp. --
keep a close eye on market demand and adjust accordingly.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/05/outlook_what_we_make_--_chemic.html
Outlook: Things we make -- gas; Chevron fuels local economy
Published: Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 2:59 PM Updated: Tuesday, May 22,
2012, 3:06 PM
By Kaija Wilkinson
Mississippi Press
PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- Chevron's local refinery continues to rank near
the top in the nation and world in terms of production, and grows its
reputation as a major player in the local and regional economies.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/05/outlook_things_we_make_--_gas.html
Outlook: Things we make - Fish byproducts
Published: Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 10:46 AM Updated: Tuesday, May 22,
2012, 11:14 AM
By Harlan Kirgan, Mississippi Press
MOSS POINT -- Omega Protein's pogy boats are a familiar sight in coastal
waters, but they are also players in international trade.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/05/outlook_things_we_make_fish_by.html
Department of Marine Resources announces Mississippi shrimp season to open
May 30
Published: Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 2:48 PM Updated: Tuesday, May 22,
2012, 3:07 PM
By Susan Ruddiman, The Mississippi Press
BILOXI, Mississippi - The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources has
set the opening date of the 2012-13 shrimp season in Mississippi
territorial waters for 6 a.m., Wednesday, May 30.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/05/department_of_marine_resources.html
Garden soaks up flood water, pollutants at Moss Point school
WLOX
Some Moss Point students have been tackling a tough environmental
assignment. They had to create a project that can help alleviate flooding
at their school and keep pollutants from reaching the Pascagoula River.
Their solution was to plant a garden.
http://www.wlox.com/story/18583863/garden-soaks-up-flood-water-pollutants-at-moss-point-school
Bryant signs bill that will limit AG's power in dealing with lawsuits
'Will cost taxpayers millions,' Hood says
AP
Phil Bryant on Tuesday signed a law limiting the attorney general's control
of the state's legal business.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20120523/NEWS/205230330/Bryant-signs-bill-will-limit-AG-s-power-dealing-lawsuits?odyssey=mod|
newswell|text|Home|p
Press Releases
USDA and Partners to Invest Nearly $32 Million in Mississippi River Basin
Water Quality and Wetlands Projects
WASHINGTON, May 22, 2012 — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today
announced that USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and its
partners will invest nearly $32 million this year in financial and
technical assistance for five water quality and wetlands improvement
projects in seven Mississippi River Basin states. When fully implemented,
the projects will prevent sediment and nutrients from entering waterways,
decrease flooding and improve bird and fish habitat. NRCS estimates that
this investment will restore 11,400 acres to wetland habitat.
"These projects are great examples of USDA working with partners to improve
water quality in the Mississippi River Basin," Vilsack said. "Through these
projects, agricultural producers are voluntarily taking action to restore
and protect wetlands on private lands in watersheds that USDA has
identified as being critical to water quality restoration in the basin."
Landowners interested in applying for funding should contact their local
NRCS office (http://go.usa.gov/m2Y) or the partner listed below. Signup
dates may vary based on the individual project.
Arkansas
Boeuf River Watershed
NRCS and Partner Funding: Arkansas Game and Fish Commission $2,178,316
Arkansas
Cache/L'Anguille
NRCS and Partner Funding: Craighead County Conservation District $214,748
Arkansas
Cache River and Lower Whit-Bayou Des Arc wetlands restoration
NRCS and Partner Funding: The Nature Conservancy $3,030,000
Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee
Lower Mississippi River Batture hardwood forest and wetlands restoration
NRCS and Partner Funding: Mississippi River Trust $20,231,933
Iowa
North Raccoon River Wetland Initiative
NRCS and Partner Funding: Iowa Department of Natural Resources $6,183,000
Total $31,837,997
NRCS provides funding for these new projects through its Wetlands Reserve
Enhancement Program (WREP), part of the agency's Wetlands Reserve Program.
Since 2010, NRCS has formalized WREP agreements under MRBI with 47
landowners in the Mississippi River Basin, investing $17.8 million in
long-term conservation easements and wetland restoration projects. Learn
more about the WREP at http://go.usa.gov/m24 and find out about other NRCS
programs and initiatives at http://go.usa.gov/m22.
NRCS is celebrating the 20th anniversary of WRP this year. More than 11,000
of America's private landowners have voluntarily enrolled over 2.3 million
acres into the WRP. The cumulative benefits of these wetlands reach well
beyond their boundaries to improve watershed health, the vitality of
agricultural lands and the aesthetics and economies of local communities.
Visit the WRP web page at http://go.usa.gov/Vkc.
USDA works with state and local governments and private landowners to
conserve and protect our nation's natural resources – helping preserve our
land, and clean our air and water. President Obama launched the America's
Great Outdoors initiative in 2010 to foster a 21st century approach to
conservation that is designed by and accomplished in partnership with the
American people. During the past two years, USDA's conservation
agencies—the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Forest
Service, and the Farm Service Agency—have delivered technical assistance
and implemented restoration practices on public and private lands. We are
working to better target conservation investments: embracing locally driven
conservation and entering partnerships that focus on large, landscape-scale
conservation.
#
EPA Awards $2 Million to Small Businesses
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Small
Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program recently awarded $2 million to
25 companies in support of technology development toward sustainable
solutions for the environment. The SBIR program is part of EPA's Technology
Innovation for Environmental and Economic Progress: An EPA Roadmap, which
focuses on linking research and development, policy and finance.
"Small businesses play an essential role in our communities and economic
growth," said April Richards, program manager for EPA's SBIR Program.
"These companies are making a difference in protecting our environment,
developing green jobs, and exploring innovation and technology solutions to
environmental issues."
EPA's SBIR program supports small businesses' development of new
technologies addressing key environmental areas. The technological concepts
submitted to this year's competition include drinking water monitoring and
treatment, sustainable infrastructures, green building, innovation in
manufacturing, greenhouse gas reduction, air pollution monitoring and
control and waste monitoring and management.
The 25 companies awarded contracts make up Phase I of this year's annual
competition. The winners will compete for Phase II funding to commercialize
their technologies, helping to protect Americans' health and the
environment. To be eligible to participate in the SBIR program, a company
must be an organized, for-profit U.S. business and have fewer than 500
employees. Phase I awards may be up to $80,000, and Phase II awards may be
up to $300,000.
This year's Phase I winners include companies from 18 states across the
U.S.:
• GVD Corporation, Massachusetts
• Aerodyne Research, Inc., Massachusetts
• Orono Spectral Solutions, Inc., Maine
• The Laser Sensing Company, New Jersey
• NEI Corporation, New Jersey
• Electron Energy Corporation, Pennsylvania
• NanoSonic, Inc., Virginia
• Luna Innovations, Inc., Virginia
• Compact Membrane Systems, Inc., Delaware
• Okeanos Technologies, LLC, Kentucky
• ThornProducts, LLC, Florida
• Faraday Technology, Inc., Ohio
• T3 Scientific, LLC, Minnesota
• UES, Inc., Ohio
• Sunocs, LLC, Indiana
• Fluidic microControls, Inc., Illinois
• Synanomet, LLC, Arkansas
• Adherent Technologies, Inc., New Mexico
• SolarBee, Inc., North Dakota
• Membrane Technology and Research, Inc., California
• Intelligent Optical Systems, Inc., California
• Altex Technologies Corporation, California
• Fungi Perfecti, LLC, Washington
• OnTo Technology, LLC, Oregon
• Los Gatos Research, Inc., California
More information on the winners: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/sbir/12awards
More information on the Technology Innovation Roadmap:
http://www.epa.gov/envirofinance/innovation.html
Zoned treatment in BP spill recovery; some get A list, others potluck
Sun Herald
By KAREN NELSON
Posted: 11:00pm on May 22, 2012; Modified: 1:02am on May 23, 2012
PASCAGOULA -- An outlet mall on U.S. 49 in Gulfport won't be treated the
same as an outlet mall in Key West if they both put a claim in the BP oil
spill legal settlement.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/05/22/3964703/zoned-treatment-in-bp-spill-recovery.html
Baldwin County planning to pay BP lawsuit legal fees with leftover grant
money
Published: Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 9:53 AM Updated: Tuesday, May 22,
2012, 10:48 AM
By Connie Baggett, Press-Register
FAIRHOPE, Alabama -- Baldwin County commissioners agreed at their work
session today to use $1.38 million leftover in Deepwater Horizon oil spill
grant funds to pay their team of attorneys involved in settling the $11.565
million lawsuit against oil giant BP.
http://blog.al.com/live/2012/05/baldwin_planning_to_pay_bp_law.html
Plaquemines Parish to rebuild Cat Island
Published: Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 6:39 PM Updated: Tuesday, May 22,
2012, 8:13 PM
By Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, The Times-Picayune
Plaquemines Parish plans to build a $1.5 million, 40-acre circular barrier
island to protect and help rebuild Cat Island. The restoration work also
will involve replanting the tiny island's black mangrove bushes that are an
important habitat for Louisiana's state bird, the brown pelican.
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/05/plaquemines_parish_to_rebuild.html
BP attempting to reclaim money, Vessels of Opportunity captains say
WALA
ORANGE BEACH, Ala. (WALA) - LOCAL CHARTER CAPTAINS LIVID
Many Orange Beach charter boat captains are seriously upset. They tell
FOX10 BP is going back on a promise and using the settlement to withhold
thousands of dollars that they earned: a full third of their pay.
http://www.fox10tv.com/dpp/news/gulf_oil_spill/vessels-captains-upset-with-bp
Lingering oil complicates restoration
Daily Comet
By Nikki Buskey
A long-awaited restoration project aimed at rebuilding rapidly eroding
shoreline at Fourchon Beach is moving forward. But the project comes as
active oil cleanup is still taking place on the Lafourche beachfront.
http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20120522/ARTICLES/120529938
Transocean Expects More Indictments Tied To Deepwater Incident
Wall Street Journal
By Angel Gonzalez
HOUSTON (Dow Jones)--Transocean Ltd. (RIG, RIGN.VX) expects more
indictments to issue from the U.S. Department of Justice's criminal
investigation on the Deepwater Horizon incident, targeting Transocean,
Halliburton Co. (HAL) and BP PLC (BP, BP.LN) employees, a Transocean
executive said Tuesday.
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20120522-709718.html
State News
DeSoto ponders EPA suit
County retains legal muscle for possible challenge to ruling
Commercial Appeal
By Henry Bailey
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Taking aim at the Environmental Protection Agency's decision to keep DeSoto
County grouped with Memphis and Crittenden County, Ark., on ozone levels,
DeSoto County supervisors are seeking legal options from the high-powered
Butler, Snow legal firm.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/23/desoto-ponders-epa-suit/?print=1
Conservation Officers Target Agriculture Runoff
MPB
PUBLISHED BY DANIEL CHERRY ON 22 MAY 2012 06:43PM
Conservation officers are hoping to reduce water pollution across
Mississippi by stopping water from running off farms. MPB's Daniel Cherry
reports how agriculture runoff poses a threat to marine life and also
threatens drinking water quality.
http://mpbonline.org/News/article/conservation_officers_target_agriculture_runoff
Beautification group honors Oxford mayor
by NEMS Daily Journal
05.23.12 - 05:06 am
OXFORD – Keep Mississippi Beautiful has named Oxford Mayor George "Pat"
Patterson as its 2012 Mayor of the Year.
http://nems360.com/view/full_story/18693024/article-Beautification-group-honors-Oxford-mayor?instance=secondary_stories_left_column
Outlook: What we make -- Chemicals; Pascagoula area finds its niche in
worldwide market
Published: Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 3:07 PM Updated: Tuesday, May 22,
2012, 3:12 PM
By Kaija Wilkinson
Mississippi Press
PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- The chemical industry has a deep history in
Jackson County, one that likely will continue to develop as the plants --
DuPont First Chemical Pascagoula Site and Mississippi Phosphates Corp. --
keep a close eye on market demand and adjust accordingly.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/05/outlook_what_we_make_--_chemic.html
Outlook: Things we make -- gas; Chevron fuels local economy
Published: Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 2:59 PM Updated: Tuesday, May 22,
2012, 3:06 PM
By Kaija Wilkinson
Mississippi Press
PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- Chevron's local refinery continues to rank near
the top in the nation and world in terms of production, and grows its
reputation as a major player in the local and regional economies.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/05/outlook_things_we_make_--_gas.html
Outlook: Things we make - Fish byproducts
Published: Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 10:46 AM Updated: Tuesday, May 22,
2012, 11:14 AM
By Harlan Kirgan, Mississippi Press
MOSS POINT -- Omega Protein's pogy boats are a familiar sight in coastal
waters, but they are also players in international trade.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/05/outlook_things_we_make_fish_by.html
Department of Marine Resources announces Mississippi shrimp season to open
May 30
Published: Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 2:48 PM Updated: Tuesday, May 22,
2012, 3:07 PM
By Susan Ruddiman, The Mississippi Press
BILOXI, Mississippi - The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources has
set the opening date of the 2012-13 shrimp season in Mississippi
territorial waters for 6 a.m., Wednesday, May 30.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/05/department_of_marine_resources.html
Garden soaks up flood water, pollutants at Moss Point school
WLOX
Some Moss Point students have been tackling a tough environmental
assignment. They had to create a project that can help alleviate flooding
at their school and keep pollutants from reaching the Pascagoula River.
Their solution was to plant a garden.
http://www.wlox.com/story/18583863/garden-soaks-up-flood-water-pollutants-at-moss-point-school
Bryant signs bill that will limit AG's power in dealing with lawsuits
'Will cost taxpayers millions,' Hood says
AP
Phil Bryant on Tuesday signed a law limiting the attorney general's control
of the state's legal business.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20120523/NEWS/205230330/Bryant-signs-bill-will-limit-AG-s-power-dealing-lawsuits?odyssey=mod|
newswell|text|Home|p
Press Releases
USDA and Partners to Invest Nearly $32 Million in Mississippi River Basin
Water Quality and Wetlands Projects
WASHINGTON, May 22, 2012 — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today
announced that USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and its
partners will invest nearly $32 million this year in financial and
technical assistance for five water quality and wetlands improvement
projects in seven Mississippi River Basin states. When fully implemented,
the projects will prevent sediment and nutrients from entering waterways,
decrease flooding and improve bird and fish habitat. NRCS estimates that
this investment will restore 11,400 acres to wetland habitat.
"These projects are great examples of USDA working with partners to improve
water quality in the Mississippi River Basin," Vilsack said. "Through these
projects, agricultural producers are voluntarily taking action to restore
and protect wetlands on private lands in watersheds that USDA has
identified as being critical to water quality restoration in the basin."
Landowners interested in applying for funding should contact their local
NRCS office (http://go.usa.gov/m2Y) or the partner listed below. Signup
dates may vary based on the individual project.
Arkansas
Boeuf River Watershed
NRCS and Partner Funding: Arkansas Game and Fish Commission $2,178,316
Arkansas
Cache/L'Anguille
NRCS and Partner Funding: Craighead County Conservation District $214,748
Arkansas
Cache River and Lower Whit-Bayou Des Arc wetlands restoration
NRCS and Partner Funding: The Nature Conservancy $3,030,000
Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee
Lower Mississippi River Batture hardwood forest and wetlands restoration
NRCS and Partner Funding: Mississippi River Trust $20,231,933
Iowa
North Raccoon River Wetland Initiative
NRCS and Partner Funding: Iowa Department of Natural Resources $6,183,000
Total $31,837,997
NRCS provides funding for these new projects through its Wetlands Reserve
Enhancement Program (WREP), part of the agency's Wetlands Reserve Program.
Since 2010, NRCS has formalized WREP agreements under MRBI with 47
landowners in the Mississippi River Basin, investing $17.8 million in
long-term conservation easements and wetland restoration projects. Learn
more about the WREP at http://go.usa.gov/m24 and find out about other NRCS
programs and initiatives at http://go.usa.gov/m22.
NRCS is celebrating the 20th anniversary of WRP this year. More than 11,000
of America's private landowners have voluntarily enrolled over 2.3 million
acres into the WRP. The cumulative benefits of these wetlands reach well
beyond their boundaries to improve watershed health, the vitality of
agricultural lands and the aesthetics and economies of local communities.
Visit the WRP web page at http://go.usa.gov/Vkc.
USDA works with state and local governments and private landowners to
conserve and protect our nation's natural resources – helping preserve our
land, and clean our air and water. President Obama launched the America's
Great Outdoors initiative in 2010 to foster a 21st century approach to
conservation that is designed by and accomplished in partnership with the
American people. During the past two years, USDA's conservation
agencies—the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Forest
Service, and the Farm Service Agency—have delivered technical assistance
and implemented restoration practices on public and private lands. We are
working to better target conservation investments: embracing locally driven
conservation and entering partnerships that focus on large, landscape-scale
conservation.
#
EPA Awards $2 Million to Small Businesses
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Small
Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program recently awarded $2 million to
25 companies in support of technology development toward sustainable
solutions for the environment. The SBIR program is part of EPA's Technology
Innovation for Environmental and Economic Progress: An EPA Roadmap, which
focuses on linking research and development, policy and finance.
"Small businesses play an essential role in our communities and economic
growth," said April Richards, program manager for EPA's SBIR Program.
"These companies are making a difference in protecting our environment,
developing green jobs, and exploring innovation and technology solutions to
environmental issues."
EPA's SBIR program supports small businesses' development of new
technologies addressing key environmental areas. The technological concepts
submitted to this year's competition include drinking water monitoring and
treatment, sustainable infrastructures, green building, innovation in
manufacturing, greenhouse gas reduction, air pollution monitoring and
control and waste monitoring and management.
The 25 companies awarded contracts make up Phase I of this year's annual
competition. The winners will compete for Phase II funding to commercialize
their technologies, helping to protect Americans' health and the
environment. To be eligible to participate in the SBIR program, a company
must be an organized, for-profit U.S. business and have fewer than 500
employees. Phase I awards may be up to $80,000, and Phase II awards may be
up to $300,000.
This year's Phase I winners include companies from 18 states across the
U.S.:
• GVD Corporation, Massachusetts
• Aerodyne Research, Inc., Massachusetts
• Orono Spectral Solutions, Inc., Maine
• The Laser Sensing Company, New Jersey
• NEI Corporation, New Jersey
• Electron Energy Corporation, Pennsylvania
• NanoSonic, Inc., Virginia
• Luna Innovations, Inc., Virginia
• Compact Membrane Systems, Inc., Delaware
• Okeanos Technologies, LLC, Kentucky
• ThornProducts, LLC, Florida
• Faraday Technology, Inc., Ohio
• T3 Scientific, LLC, Minnesota
• UES, Inc., Ohio
• Sunocs, LLC, Indiana
• Fluidic microControls, Inc., Illinois
• Synanomet, LLC, Arkansas
• Adherent Technologies, Inc., New Mexico
• SolarBee, Inc., North Dakota
• Membrane Technology and Research, Inc., California
• Intelligent Optical Systems, Inc., California
• Altex Technologies Corporation, California
• Fungi Perfecti, LLC, Washington
• OnTo Technology, LLC, Oregon
• Los Gatos Research, Inc., California
More information on the winners: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/sbir/12awards
More information on the Technology Innovation Roadmap:
http://www.epa.gov/envirofinance/innovation.html
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
News Clippings 5/22/12
Bring on the tourists!
Sun Herald
Memorial Day weekend marks the traditional start of the peak tourism season
and Mississippi — especially South Mississippi — is hoping that 2012 will
be the first really good tourism season in a few years.
(Embedded image moved to file: pic00041.jpg)
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/05/21/3960497/bring-on-the-tourists.html
Oil spill fines targeted for coastal restoration, protection
Published: Monday, May 21, 2012, 8:21 PM Updated: Monday, May 21, 2012,
8:21 PM
By Jeff Adelson, The Times-Picayune
BATON ROUGE -- Measures to ensure fines from the Deepwater Horizon disaster
go toward coastal protection and to require the state automatically pay its
contract with New Orleans for costs associated with Harrah's Casino moved
forward Monday.
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/05/oil_spill_fines_targeted_for_c.html
State News
MDEQ AWARDS $50,000 SOLID WASTE GRANT
WHLT
By Beth Alexander
(Jackson, Miss.) -- The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
(MDEQ) has awarded Jones County a solid waste assistance grant of $50,000
that will be used by the county for a household hazardous waste collection
event.
http://www2.whlt.com/news/2012/may/21/mdeq-awards-50000-solid-waste-grant-ar-3831614/
Grant will help with disposal of waste tires
WTVA
JACKSON, Miss. (WTVA) -- The Mississippi Department of Environmental
Quality is providing a grant for the disposal of waste tires in the Golden
Triangle.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/Grant-will-help-with-disposal-of-waste-tires/puDScjkfzUGiyH7uY72GUg.cspx
Dirty investigation leads to arrests
WTVA
MONROE COUNTY, Miss. (WTVA) -- It's a crime that you rarely see an arrest
for because it's not always easy to distinguish one person's trash from
another.
Now a closer investigation in Monroe County is what led to the arrests of
four people for dumping garbage.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/Dirty-investigation-leads-to-arrests/gb76CbpaiEalNIcb5o9ntA.cspx
Getting water to rural Mississippi
WTVA
ITAWAMBA COUNTY, Miss. (WTVA) — Lathen Walton is thankful to have running
water.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/Getting-water-to-rural-Mississippi/iB-5iBvxKUmi0QzEVbbCCQ.cspx
Least terns nest at state port
Sun Herald
By ANITA LEE
GULFPORT -- Nesting least terns have forced state port officials to block
off areas of the expanded West Pier, but a contract dispute has already put
elevation work on hold.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/05/21/3962094/least-terns-nest-at-state-port.html
Pascagoula man dies in accident at fertilizer plant
Sun Herald
JACKSON COUNTY -- A Pascagoula man died during an maintenance procedure at
Mississippi Phosphates fertilizer plant on Industrial Road east of
Pascagoula on Monday afternoon, authorities said.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/05/21/3962098/pascagoula-man-dies-in-accident.html
National News
USDA to spend $32 million on wetland restoration
AP
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — A $32 million set of projects across seven states in
the Mississippi River Basin will restore a variety of wetland types, from
Iowa to Louisiana.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20120522/NEWS/120522001/USDA-spend-32-million-wetland-restoration?odyssey=tab|
topnews|text|Home
Gov. Perdue issues executive order creating fracking task force
Charlotte Observer
By John Frank
RALEIGH With Republican lawmakers pushing to legalize fracking, Democratic
Gov. Bev Perdue issued an executive order Monday that creates a task force
to develop regulations for the controversial natural gas drilling method.
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/05/21/3257899/gov-perdue-issues-executive-order.html
Opinion
Gulfport council downplays BP's efforts to restore Gulf Coast
Clarion Ledger
The editorial signed by the city councilmembers of Gulfport, MS, ("It's
time for BP to stop dancing," April 28) paints an incomplete and misleading
picture of BP's extensive efforts to help restore the economy and
environment of the Gulf Coast region.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20120517/OPINION/205170318/Gulfport-council-downplays-BP-s-efforts-restore-Gulf-Coast
Press Releases
Water Quality Innovations of a Mississippi Delta Farm
USDA Blog
Preventing fertilizer from rushing into a nearby bayou is not rocket
science, but it does take a dedicated farmer and Pete Hunter of Stovall
Farms is one of those dedicated Mississippi farmers.
Last month Pete spoke with the Mississippi River/ Gulf of Mexico Watershed
Nutrient Task Force when they toured his farm in Coahoma County, telling
them about the steps Stovall Farms has taken to lower its environmental
footprint.
Stovall Farms uses a series of ditches and pipes to recirculate water. This
keeps water containing fertilizers from washing into nearby Harris Bayou.
It also allows the farm to reuse water, reducing their need to pull from
underground water sources, which are declining in the Mississippi Delta
where the farm is located. Water is collected in a man-made reservoir and
then used to irrigate crops.
Nutrients, like common fertilizers used on farms, can impair water bodies.
Harris Bayou sends its waters to the Mississippi River, eventually flowing
to the Gulf of Mexico. This Task Force is studying ways to prevent
impairment of the Gulf.
A high level of nutrients such as phosphorous, nitrogen and sediments in
water can cause a pocket of water to form that lacks oxygen. These areas
are called hypoxic zones, and the Nation's largest is located off the coast
of Louisiana. It is fueled by rich nutrients discharged from the
Mississippi River.
This Task Force met for a two-day meeting in Memphis and it included a
visit to Stovall Farms, which has been described as an innovator in
conservation. This rice, soybean and corn farm has worked with Federal,
state and non-government organizations to get funding and advice for
environmentally-friendly conservation practices on their farm.
Members of the Task Force had the chance to see how this farm is using Farm
Bill and EPA 319 funding to ensure a cleaner operation. Funding for some of
the conservation actions came from a Natural Resources Conservation Service
program called Conservation Innovation Grants . Stovall Farms is a
demonstration site for the grant and it helps steer the direction of future
conservation practices.
Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey and Mississippi State University
are sampling water to measure the effectiveness of the different
conservation actions/practices in use on the farm.
Additional partners include the Mississippi Department of Environmental
Quality, Delta F.A.R.M., Delta Wildlife, Mississippi Department of Marine
Resources, USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service and U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency.
http://blogs.usda.gov/2012/05/21/water-quality-innovations-of-a-mississippi-delta-farm/
NASCAR and EPA Partner on Green Initiatives
WASHINGTON – Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the
National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) signed an agreement
to raise awareness of environmentally friendly products and solutions to
address America's environmental challenges. Today's memorandum of
understanding provides NASCAR with EPA technical assistance and
environmental expertise, using EPA programs like Design for the Environment
and the Economy, Energy and Environment (E3) framework, to help protect
Americans' health and the environment.
"Because NASCAR is followed by millions of passionate fans and many
businesses, it can be a powerful platform to raise environmental awareness,
drive the adoption of safer products by more Americans, and support the
growing green economy," said Jim Jones, EPA's acting assistant
administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention
(OCSPP). "The EPA and NASCAR partnership attests to the progress NASCAR has
already made on environmental stewardship through greener fuel choices and
multiple recycling initiatives for waste and automotive fluids, and
highlights opportunities to further these efforts."
"This MOU is a great example of NASCAR's commitment to green innovation and
our role as a leader in sustainability," said Steve Phelps, Chief Marketing
Officer of NASCAR. "Even with the largest sustainability program in sports,
NASCAR – along with our teams, tracks and partners – continues to create
innovative platforms to help reduce the environmental impact of our sport."
One of the areas of focus for the partnership is promoting safer products
that have earned EPA's Design for the Environment (DfE) label. The Design
for the Environment label helps consumers and businesses identify products
that perform well, are cost-effective, and are safer for the environment.
NASCAR can make a difference by using DfE products at racing events and
conveying to fans that choosing DfE products is an easy choice they can
make to protect the health of their families and the planet.
Another example is NASCAR's offer to encourage its suppliers to get an "E3
tuneup"-- to increase productivity, reduce the use of energy and materials,
lessen environmental impacts and be better positioned to compete in the
global marketplace. The E3 initiative – Economy, Energy and the Environment
-- helps promote sustainable manufacturing and economic growth throughout
the United States. E3 can help improve the profitability and
competitiveness of these businesses, which can help create higher-paying
skilled manufacturing jobs.
This MOU will pave the way for other opportunities and areas of focus for
EPA and NASCAR such as sourcing more sustainable concessions at NASCAR
events, expanding the use of safer chemical products, conserving water,
reducing waste and promoting recycling. By working together to foster more
sustainable behavior, addressing sustainability challenges and seizing on
E3 opportunities, a greener NASCAR and NASCAR supplier network will have
positive economic and environmental impacts that extend far beyond the
racetrack.
For more information on EPA's pollution prevention programs, including the
efforts with NASCAR, please visit: epa.gov/p2
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