Mississippi expects millions of dollars from RESTORE Act
Sun Herald
By GEOFF PENDER — glpender@sunherald.com
BILOXI -- Congress passed a bill today expected to direct hundreds of millions of dollars in fines from the BP oil disaster to Mississippi; billions to the Gulf as a whole.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/06/29/4038450/mississippi-expects-millions-of.html
Congress eases way for BP oil spill settlement
Reuters
Fri, Jun 29 2012
By David Ingram
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Congress on Friday removed an obstacle to settling legal claims emerging from the 2010 BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill, when it approved a spending plan for the billions of dollars it expects the government to collect.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/29/us-bp-settlement-idUSBRE85S1K120120629
Congress: BP fines should target Gulf restoration
The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS -- When BP PLC and its partners pay water pollution fines that could run to billions of dollars for the massive 2010 oil spill off the Louisiana coast, Congress says 80 percent of that money should be spent on ecosystem and economic restoration in five Gulf states.
http://www.wwltv.com/news/Congress-BP-fines-should-target-Gulf-restoration-160897735.html#
BP fine monies could change the world on coastline
Published: Friday, June 29, 2012, 6:07 AM Updated: Friday, June 29, 2012, 7:16 AM
By Kathy Jumper, Press-Register
The BP monies that Baldwin and Mobile counties could receive from the RESTORE Act "will change our world," according to Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon on Thursday.
http://blog.al.com/live/2012/06/bp_fine_monies_could_change_th.html
Where Will BP Fine Money Go?
15
MOBILE, Ala.) - With Alabama potentially receiving more than a billion dollars in Clean Water Act fines from the BP oil spill, the big question is where all of the money will go.
http://www.local15tv.com/news/local/story/Where-Will-BP-Fine-Money-Go/mO6znvo4cU66WiW5FrtXiQ.cspx
RESTORE Act headed to President Obama's desk for signature
Published: Friday, June 29, 2012, 1:12 PM Updated: Friday, June 29, 2012, 2:27 PM
By Mary Orndorff -- Washington Bureau Press Register
WASHINGTON -- Alabama's Gulf Coast will have access to millions of dollars to recover from the economic and ecological damage caused by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill after quick votes today by the U.S. House and Senate.http://blog.al.com/sweethome/2012/06/restore_act_headed_to_presiden.html
Report urges more study on impact of dispersants
BY AMY WOLD
Baton Rouge Advocate
Although much is known about the use of dispersants on the surface of water during an oil spill, research still needs to be conducted on possible environmental problems that could result, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report released Friday.http://theadvocate.com/home/3227303-125/report-urges-more-study-on
Tropical Storm Debby washes tarballs and coconuts ashore on Dauphin Island (video)
By Ben Raines
Press-Register
DAUPHIN ISLAND, Alabama -- Wet, glistening, and smelling of asphalt, tarballs the size of nickels were scattered liberally among the seashells pushed ashore by Tropical Storm Debby.
As predicted, the 20-foot waves associated with the storm moved oil left behind by the BP oil spill in 2010 on shore. While BP officials reported finding few tarballs along other Alabama beaches in the wake of the storm, oil was easy to find on the uninhabited portion of Dauphin Island surveyed by the Press-Register.
http://blog.al.com/live/2012/06/tropical_storm_debby_washes_ta.html
Animal Attraction: Satellite Telemetry Used To Study BP Oil Spill Effects on Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle
KHOU
by Stacy Fox
The Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Trustees this week offered a glimpse into the world of scientists working to assess injuries caused by the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on the world’s most endangered sea turtle, the Kemp’s ridley. Assessment work includes field and laboratory tests to determine oil-related turtle exposure and satellite tracking via transmitters attached to turtles that come ashore to nest and lay eggs.
http://www.khou.com/community/blogs/animal-attraction/Animal-Attraction--Satellite-Telemetry-Used-To-Study-BP-Oil-Spill-Effects-on-Kemps-Ridley-Sea-Turtle-161055305.html#
How The Mighty Mississippi Saved Shores From BP Deepwater Oil Spill
U.S. News and World Report
Most of us have by now seen the happy, sunny commercials BP has sprinkled across the television landscape in the past few months, welcoming Americans back to the beaches in Florida, Louisiana, and other southern coasts affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the spring of 2010.
State News
MDEQ issues temporary advisory for Lynch Creek in Jackson
AP
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) issued a temporary water contact advisory Friday for a portion Lynch Creek in the City of Jackson.http://www.wlbt.com/story/18923478/mdeq-issues-temporary-advisory-for-lynch-creek-in-jackson?clienttype=printable
Offshore drilling opponents say MS plan is not good economics
WLOX
Opponents of Mississippi's plan to open state waters to offshore drilling said it doesn't make good economic sense. The 12 Miles South Coalition put on a public forum in Gulfport. Panelists told the crowd they believe whatever money Mississippi makes from drilling won't offset the loss of tourism dollars if visitors balk at the eyesore the rigs would create.http://www.wlox.com/story/18911291/offshore-diriling-opponents-say-ms-plan-is-not-good-economics
Chevron Pascagoula Refinery reports release of gas during maintenance
Sun Herald
PASCAGOULA -- Chevron's Pascagoula Refinery on Friday reported a unit shutdown after an unspecified amount of nitrogen oxide was released during maintenance, officials said.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/06/30/4039650/chevron-pascagoula-refinery-reports.html
Reservoir: The fight over its future
Where From Here? Change worries many
Clarion Ledger
Residents along Ross Barnett Reservoir soon will gain control of the 33,000-acre lake that was funded primarily with Hinds County and Jackson tax dollars and is now a draw to 2.5 million visitors annually.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20120701/NEWS/207010356
Other Rez Stories
Rankin gets special powers
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20120701/NEWS/207010335
Facilities, accessibility top visitor concerns
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20120701/NEWS/207010336
Reservoir Police Dept. wants more than a name change
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20120701/NEWS/207010334
Costly upkeep: Groups pitch in; fees possible
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20120701/NEWS/207010330
Hundreds of new laws take effect in Mississippi
JEFF AMY The Associated Press
June 30, 2012 8:34:31 PM
JACKSON -- The process for injured Mississippi workers getting insurance payments will become more restrictive. Dyslexic students will be able to transfer to other public or private schools and have the state pay for it. And AT&T will be relieved of obligations to hook up phone service to certain customers.
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=17650
National News
Midwest ranchers, lawmakers protest EPA flyovers
By DAVID PITT
Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Midwest ranchers have never been enamored with environmental regulators, but they really began to complain after learning that federal inspectors were flying over their land to look for problems.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gJG4lQg-RCdLrC3xruJK5zU-pD6w?docId=3be5b45ab1f5469898cd48ce0f451080
N.C. Gov. Perdue vetoes fracking bill
By Dan Kane — The (Raleigh) News & Observer
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/07/02/4041605/nc-gov-perdue-vetoes-fracking.html
Texas’ defiant fight against feds, from EPA to health care, leads to more Washington oversight
By Associated Press, Published: June 29
HOUSTON — Texas Gov. Rick Perry has spent much of the past three years loudly and defiantly fighting against what he views as Washington meddling in state affairs, often refusing to cooperate with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and becoming a leader in the battle against President Barack Obama’s health care plan.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/texas-defiant-fight-against-feds-from-epa-to-health-care-leads-to-more-washington-oversight/2012/06/29/gJQAQ8lxBW_print.html
Insight: "Green Fleet" sails, meets stiff headwinds in Congress
Reuters
2:35am EDT
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Navy oiler slipped away from a fuel depot on the Puget Sound in Washington state one recent day, headed toward the central Pacific and into the storm over the Pentagon's controversial green fuels initiative.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/02/us-usa-navy-greenfleet-idUSBRE86106X20120702
EPA official who quit over 'crucify' remarks hired by green group
The HIll
By Sterling C. Beard - 06/29/12 04:23 PM ET
A former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) official who resigned earlier this year for comparing his work to crucifixion has found new employment with a leading green group.http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/235711-green-group-hires-former-epa-official-of-crucify-fame
Opinion
SUN HERALD | Editorial The Coast is definitely not standing still
We recently sang the praises of South Mississippi's rebounding tourism industry. We can now back up those sentiments with hard facts.
The Gulf Coast Regional Tourism Partnership (chaired by the Sun Herald's own John McFarland) has released its first quarterly report for 2012. The partnership is a 501(c)6 nonprofit corporation created to administer a $16 million tourism grant from BP America. According to its report:
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/06/30/4038314/sun-herald-editorial-the-coast.html
Press Releases
COCHRAN & WICKER INFLUENCE ON HIGHWAY & FLOOD INSURANCE LEGISLATION BENEFITS MISSISSIPPI AND NATION
Miss. Senators Help Shape Oil Spill Recovery, Flood Insurance & Levee Protection Provisions
The final highway reauthorization bill retains the RESTORE Act, which the Senate added to the bill in March. Like the original bill cosponsored by Cochran and Wicker, the Senate’s RESTORE Act amendment follows the recommendations from Gulf Coast restoration groups and establishes a Gulf Coast Restoration Fund to provide Gulf Coast states—Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Texas—with 80 percent of the Clean Water Act fines related to the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill. These funds will be available for locally-directed restoration projects.
The remaining 20 percent of the fines paid by BP and other parties held responsible for the April 2010 oil spill would be directed to the federal Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund.
“Inclusion of the RESTORE Act in this bill is a significant benefit for Mississippi, and I am pleased we were able to work together on this bill. The economic and ecological damage caused by the tragic 2010 oil spill will be with us for many years,” Cochran said. “Mississippi will now have access to resources that will restore ecosystems, livelihoods and development in Mississippi and the other affected states.”
Wicker added, “The RESTORE Act is a significant achievement for the Gulf Coast, directing funds from Clean Water Act fines to the communities that were impacted directly. Had Congress failed to act, these funds, which are paid by BP, would have gone to the Treasury. Now, they can be used for important recovery efforts.”
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Will Dredge Ports
Vicksburg, Mississippi - This year due to low water levels throughout the region and past flood damages, the Vicksburg District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (District) will spend approximately $6.84 million on port dredging in an attempt to keep ports in operation. Dredging will be performed through contracted dredging at six ports along the Mississippi River. The $6.84 million in port dredging is only possible due to the funding recently received under the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2012. These funds are part of the larger effort to repair and restore the Mississippi Rivers and Tributaries (MR&T) system from the damage that occurred during the historic flood of 2011. The original fiscal year 2012 federal budget allocated $87,600 for port dredging which only allowed for limited surveys of these shallow draft ports.
Although the District will strive to keep the ports open, low-water conditions and the expenditure of funds for port dredging operations will increase the possibility of ports being closed due to low water levels.
The District continually works with our partners and stakeholders to monitor water levels and provide a navigable port channel for normal barge traffic. Due to these low-water levels, the Corps has changed the current dredging schedule in order to maintain navigation as long as possible.
The Dredge Butcher, operated by the Pine Bluff Sand and Gravel Company, will engage in dredging at the ports and harbors being impacted by the low water stages.
The following locations will receive dredging on the date listed:
Lake Providence, Louisiana, Port estimated time of completion is 29 June 2012.
Madison Parish, Louisiana, Port estimated time of completion is 3 July 2012.
Rosedale, Mississippi, Harbor estimated time of completion is 5 August 2012.
Yellow Bend, Arkansas Port estimated time of completion is 11 August 2012.
Greenville, Mississippi, Harbor estimated time of completion is 4 September 2012.
Vicksburg, Mississippi, Harbor estimated time of completion is 30 September 2012.
The future of dredging in coming fiscal years is facing difficulties. The current fiscal year 2013 federal budget allocates $157,000 for dredging of shallow draft ports and harbors, which will only fund limited surveying. The Vicksburg District continues to communicate future funding requirements within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and strives to identify possible future funding sources. The District will continue to work with its partners and stakeholders this year and in the future to monitor water levels and channel depths and keep the public and industry advised of any reductions in the depths of the ports. Although the District cannot guarantee the ports will remain navigable with a 9-foot channel, we will attempt to meet the needs of the region within the constraints of our budget this year and in the future.
Obama Administration Announces New Investments to Advance Biofuels Industry and Enhance America’s Energy Security
U.S. Navy, Department of Agriculture and Department of Energy Announce Funding Available for Commercial Scale Advanced Drop-In Biofuels; Energy Department Also Announces Additional Biofuel Investments to Drive Cost Reductions and Technological Breakthroughs
Advancing Commercial-Scale Drop-In Biofuel Substitutes for Diesel and Jet Fuel
In his Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future released in March 2011, President Obama set a goal of reducing oil imports by one-third by 2025 and laid out an all-of-the-above energy plan to achieve that goal by developing domestic oil and gas energy resources, increasing energy efficiency, and speeding development of biofuels and other alternatives. Domestic oil and gas production has increased each year the President has been in office. At the same time we continue to take additional steps to reduce our reliance on foreign oil. As part of that effort, the Blueprint directed the Navy, USDA and DOE to collaborate to support commercialization of “drop-in” biofuel substitutes for diesel and jet fuel. Competitively-priced drop-in biofuels will help improve America’s energy security, meeting the fuel needs of U.S. armed forces, as well as the commercial aviation and shipping sectors. Today’s announcement of an available $30 million in funding builds on that commitment, helping to speed the development of biofuels for military and commercial transportation that will reduce the need for foreign oil and strengthen rural America. The Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is available HERE.
Made possible through the Defense Production Act (DPA), this funding opportunity enhances national security by supporting the creation and commercial viability of a defense-critical domestic biofuels industry to advance alternatives to petroleum. DPA is an authority that dates back to 1950 and has been used to boost industries such as steel, aluminum, titanium, semiconductors, beryllium, and radiation-hardened electronics.
“DPA is a critical component of strengthening our national security, and energy is a national security issue,” stated Secretary Mabus. “Our reliance on foreign oil is a significant military vulnerability and it would be irresponsible not to address it. Pursuing a viable, domestic alternative is the best way to preserve the budget for operational necessities like training and shipbuilding, and this funding opportunity is an important step in accelerating an economically self-sufficient alternative fuels market.”
The FOA comprises a two-phased approach, with government and industry sharing in the cost. In Phase 1, applicants will submit a design package and comprehensive business plan for a commercial-scale biorefinery, identify and secure project sites and take additional required steps spelled out in the announcement. Awardees selected to continue into Phase 2 will submit additional information for the construction or retrofit of a biorefinery.
Agencies participating in this initiative will make additional funding requests to Congress to support the initiative, including President Obama’s FY 2013 budget request of $110 million.
“This is an important time for the biofuels industry to step up and show the Department of the Navy how they have developed biofuels that are certified and certifiable for military use,” stated Secretary Vilsack. “The ability for U.S. industry to make, create and innovate has never been more important to our national and energy security. I know that through this DPA effort the nation will be able to harvest an aviation biofuels industry to satisfy the world’s needs, not just our U.S. military.”
Investments in Biofuels Research, Development and Demonstration to Drive Cost Reductions, Technological Breakthroughs
Today, the Energy Department is also announcing new investments in earlier stage biofuels research that complement the commercial-scale efforts announced today by the Navy and USDA. Totaling $32 million, these early-stage, pre-commercial investments are the latest steps in the Obama Administration’s efforts to advance biofuels technologies to continue to bring down costs, improve performance, and identify new effective, non-food feedstocks and processing technologies.
“Advanced biofuels are an important part of President Obama’s all-of-the-above strategy to reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil and support American industries and American jobs,” said Secretary Chu. “By pursuing new processes and technologies for producing next-generation biofuels, we are working to accelerate innovation in a critical and growing sector that will help to improve U.S. energy security and protect our air and water.”
The funding announced by DOE today includes $20 million to support innovative pilot-scale and demonstration-scale biorefineries that could produce renewable biofuels that meet military specifications for jet fuel and shipboard diesel using a variety of non-food biomass feedstocks, waste-based materials and algae. These projects may support new plant construction, retrofits on existing U.S. biorefineries or operation at plants ready to begin production at the pilot- or pre-commercial scale. This investment will also help federal and local governments, private developers and industry collect accurate data on the cost of producing fuels made from biomass and waste feedstocks. The full funding solicitation is available HERE.
In addition, the Energy Department also announced $12 million to support up to eight projects focused on researching ways to develop biobased transportation fuels and products using synthetic biological processing. Synthetic biological processing offers an innovative technique to enable efficient, cost-saving conversion of non-food biomass to biofuels. These projects will develop novel biological systems that can enhance the breakdown of raw biomass feedstocks and assist in converting feedstocks into transportation fuels.
The projects will be led by small businesses, universities, national laboratories and industry and will seek to overcome various technical and scientific barriers to cost-competitive advanced biofuels and bioproducts. The full funding opportunity announcement is available HERE.
The new investments announced today build on the steps the Energy Department is already taking to push the boundaries of biofuel technologies and move towards commercial-scale production at refineries across the country. View a fact sheet on some of the Energy Department’s ongoing efforts HERE.
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