Oil Spill
BP must address spill data, Markey says
UPI
WASHINGTON, May 31 (UPI) -- British energy company BP needs to answer
questions regarding allegations it misled government officials in the 2010
oil spill, a U.S. lawmaker said.
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2012/05/31/BP-must-address-spill-data-Markey-says/UPI-70231338465206/
Legal battle between Costner, Baldwin over oil spill deal heads to N.O.
court
WWL
NEW ORLEANS -- Two celebrities, pitted against one another in a potential
multi-million dollar legal battle over a business deal connected to the oil
spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
http://www.wwltv.com/news/local/Legal-battle-between-two-celebs-over-oil-spill-cleanup-deal-heads-to-court-156040115.html#
State News
City receives grant to start recycling program
By Jeremy Pittari
The Picayune Item
PICAYUNE — Picayune residents soon will have access to a recycling program,
thanks in part to grant funds from the Mississippi Department of
Environmental Quality, but it will not be curbside.
http://picayuneitem.com/local/x1647291120/City-receives-grant-to-start-recycling-program
Columbus Gets a $400,000 Grant
WCBI
Posted by Paulo Salazar | May 31, 2012 / 04:37pm | Local News
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) - When planning a successful development, the
environment is the first thing to consider. At pre-existing sites hazardous
materials can be a concern. Thanks to a $400,000 grant from the
Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Grant Program the City of
Columbus can conduct a community wide assessment.
http://www.wcbi.com/article.php?subaction=showfull&id=1338500264&archive=&start_from=&ucat=2&
DEQ puppet show urges environment protection
By MELISSA IBBOTSON
DAILY LEADER
Brookhaven's Mount Wade Baptist Church is trying to teach kids about water
conservation, and Wednesday night they presented an educational puppet show
to an audience of about 100 on the matter.
http://www.dailyleader.com/news/article_b78077be-ab4e-11e1-9c71-0019bb2963f4.html
Volunteers remove trash from river
By Anna Alexander
The Meridian Star
MERIDIAN — The East Mississippi Foothills Land Trust and Mississippi
Power Company recently hosted the annual Chunky River Cleanup.
http://meridianstar.com/local/x1968177809/Volunteers-remove-trash-from-river
State's top tourism exec resigns
by Carlie Kollath
NEMS Daily Journal
05.31.12 - 11:09 am
TUPELO – The state's top tourism official has resigned.
Mary Beth Wilkerson is the director of Mississippi Development Authority's
tourism division. The Okolona native has held the title since January 2010.
http://nems360.com/view/full_story/18785840/article-State%E2%80%99s-top-tourism-exec-resigns?instance=secondary_stories_left_column
National News
US power sector seeks savings in flexible EPA regs
Reuters
Thu, May 31 2012
May 31 (Reuters) - The U.S. electric power industry's research arm released
a study on Thursday saying power companies could save about $100 billion
between 2010 and 2035 if U.S. pollution rules were more flexible.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/31/utilities-epri-epa-idUSL1E8GV9A120120531
EPA assesses states' plans for Chesapeake Bay restoration, urges New York
to submit proposal
By Associated Press, Published: May 31
BALTIMORE — The Environmental Protection Agency is urging New York to
submit its overdue state plan for cutting pollution that flows into
Chesapeake Bay, part of an effort by all six bay watershed states and the
District of Columbia, a top EPA official said Thursday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/epa-ny-still-putting-bay-plan-together-wants-to-see-more-on-pa-urban-suburban-runoff-plan/2012/05/31/gJQAjy3a4U_print.html
EPA creates Great Lakes protection advisory board
AP
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is creating
a board to advise federal agencies carrying out two wide-ranging programs
to protect the Great Lakes, EPA chief Lisa Jackson said Thursday.
http://online.wsj.com/article/APb025649867fa40b7be04ae6896282058.html
EPA seeks more time on Florida water-quality standards
Florida News Service
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has asked a federal judge to
extend deadlines for proposing revised water-quality standards for Florida
rivers and streams.
http://www.news-press.com/article/20120531/GREEN/120531005/EPA-seeks-more-time-Florida-water-quality-standards-?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CHome
House members slam Obama on closing Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site
The Hill
By Pete Kasperowicz - 05/31/12 08:57 PM ET
Republicans and Democrats in the House slammed the Obama administration's
plan to close the nuclear waste disposal site at Yucca Mountain in Nevada,
as both praised a bill that would keep that site open, and indicated they
would try to add more money to keep the site active.
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/230397-house-members-slam-obama-on-yucca-mountain-policy
Press Releases
Atlanta Will Get More Time to Complete Sewer Upgrades
City, state and federal government reach proposed agreement to extend the
deadline to 2027
Contact Information: Davina Marraccini, (404) 562-8293,
marraccini.davina@epa.gov
(ATLANTA – May 31, 2012) The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Georgia Environmental
Protection Division (EPD) today proposed an amendment to a 1999 Consent
Decree that would give the City of Atlanta additional time to complete the
limited remaining repairs needed to eliminate sanitary sewer overflows and
ensure Clean Water Act compliance. The untreated sewage from these
overflows can contaminate rivers and streams, causing serious water quality
problems. It can also back-up into residences and businesses, causing
property damage and threatening public health.
Atlanta has already completed the majority of the work required under the
1999 Consent Decree to address water quality violations, reducing sanitary
sewer overflows by an estimated 97 percent since 2004 at a cost of $1.5
billion. Today's proposal would extend the deadline to complete the
estimated $445 million in remaining work from July 1, 2014 to July 1, 2027.
The proposed extension would reduce the financial burden on Atlanta
ratepayers who are already paying some of the highest rates in the country,
and allow the City to simultaneously address competing priorities to
improve its drinking water system.
Atlanta has also completed all work required under a 1998 Consent Decree to
address combined sewer overflows, which discharge excess wastewater
directly into waterways during wet weather events. This work was completed
by the 2009 deadline at a cost of an additional $760 million, and included
separating portions of the sewer system, building large underground tunnels
to capture stormwater for treatment, and disinfecting combined sewer
overflows. As part of the 1998 Consent Decree, Atlanta also successfully
implemented a $25 million Supplemental Environmental Project to acquire and
preserve greenway areas surrounding waterways in metro Atlanta.
The proposed modification to the 1999 Consent Decree will be lodged with
the U.S. District Court in Atlanta and is subject to a 30-day public
comment period. After considering and responding to comments received, the
United States will determine whether to proceed with the proposed extension
and, if so, move to enter it with the Court. Court approval is required
before any modification would be effective.
More about the 1999 consent decree:
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/1d9bf67474410410852567bd0073d60c!OpenDocument&Highlight=2,City,of,Atlanta
More information about EPA's national enforcement initiative:
http://www.epa.gov/compliance/data/planning/initiatives/2011sewagestormwater.html
Obama Administration Working to Close Racial, Ethnic Gap on Asthma
Asthma disproportionately affects minority children, children living below
poverty level
WASHINGTON – Today U.S. federal agencies unveiled the Coordinated Federal
Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Asthma Disparities. White House
Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Chair Nancy Sutley, Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, Secretary of Health
and Human Services (HHS) Kathleen Sebelius and Secretary of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD) Shaun Donovan discussed the new plan during an
event at Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC), which houses
The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington along with other community
groups.
Nearly 26 million Americans are affected by this chronic respiratory
disease, including 7 million children, especially minority children and
children with family incomes below the poverty level. Asthma rates of
African American children are currently at 16 percent, while 16.5 percent
of Puerto Rican children suffer from the chronic respiratory disease, more
than double the rate of Caucasian children in the United States. The annual
economic cost of asthma, including direct medical costs from hospital stays
and indirect costs such as lost school and work days, amounts to
approximately $56 billion.
"Across America we see low-income and minority children and families at a
disproportionately higher risk for asthma and respiratory illnesses. Air
pollution and other challenges are having serious health effects, which
compound economic challenges through medical bills and missed school and
work days," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "As the mother of a
child with asthma, I know what it means for our children to have clean and
healthy air to breathe. This Action Plan enables federal agencies and our
partners to work more collaboratively and comprehensively on tackling a
major health threat, so that we can protect all Americans, no matter what
community they call home."
"Low-income and minority communities often face an unacceptable burden of
pollution in this country, diminishing their economic potential and
threatening the health of millions of American families," said Nancy
Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. "As we
close National Asthma Awareness Month today, the President's Administration
is standing behind his commitment to integrating environmental justice into
the missions of federal agencies, promoting clean air and healthy
communities, and ensuring this really is a country of equal opportunity for
all."
"The report is a blueprint for how we can work together to reduce asthma
disparities and help ensure children with asthma get the right care with
the right support," said Secretary Sebelius. "One key factor that is so
critical to controlling a child's asthma is access to health care.
Uninsured people with asthma are less likely to take the preventive
medicine they may need to keep their condition under control, making them
more likely to suffer an attack. That's why we are focused on expanding
access to care."
HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan said, "The numbers don't lie: Asthma
disproportionately impacts low-income minority families which is why we
must do everything we can to ensure all children have a healthy place to
call home. Today's announcement will help the federal government support
the development of innovative new approaches to improve and control
asthma."
The action plan will coordinate efforts to improve asthma management and
prevention:
• Reduce barriers to asthma care: Ensure that the populations most severely
impacted by asthma receive evidence-based comprehensive care, which
includes access to medical services, education and environmental
interventions.
• Build local capacity: Enhance capacity to deliver integrated,
community-based asthma care systems.
• Target services: Identify the children, families and communities most
impacted by asthma disparities.
• Accelerate prevention efforts: Increase understanding of the cause or
causes of asthma and test interventions that may prevent the onset of
asthma.
More on the action plan: http://www.epa.gov/asthma/childrenstaskforce
