Isaac
MEMA says work continues at 2 south Miss. dams
The Associated Press
JACKSON, MISS. — The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency says the
release of water from two damaged dams in Lamar and Pike counties
continues.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/09/06/4168306/mema-says-work-continues-at-2.html
MEMA director visits two damaged Miss. dams
WLBT
Mississippi Emergency Management Agency Executive Director Robert Latham
visited two damaged Mississippi dams in Lamar and Pike counties Wednesday.
http://www.wlbt.com/story/19468060/mema-director-visits-two-damaged-miss-dams
Major disaster averted at Mississippi lake, officials say
Lake Tangipahoa drained to alleviate pressure on levees
WAPT
Emergency officials believe they have averted a major disaster at a state
lake ravaged by Hurricane Isaac's rains.
http://www.wapt.com/news/central-mississippi/Major-disaster-averted-at-Mississippi-lake-officials-say/-/9156946/16494124/-/tubtg6/-/index.html
Residents near dam evacuated
Pumps used to drain water from Oak Grove Lake, relieve pressure
Hattiesburg American
An earthen dam in the Lake Serene chain, damaged by the heavy rains of
Hurricane Isaac, showed further surface erosion Wednesday, forcing the
draining of Oak Grove Lake and the precautionary evacuation of nearby
residents.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20120906/NEWS01/209060321/Residents-near-dam-evacuated
Oil from BP spill uncovered by Isaac's waves
Published September 05, 2012
Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS – Waves from Hurricane Isaac uncovered oil previously buried
along Gulf Coast beaches, exposing crude that wasn't cleaned up after the
BP spill in 2010.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/09/05/bp-says-old-oil-from-spill-exposed-by-isaac/
Storm scatters tar balls buried since BP spill
Houma Today
By Nikki Buskey
Wednesday, September 5, 2012 at 6:01 a.m.
Hurricane Isaac's wind and waves unearthed oil buried since the 2010 BP oil
spill and scattered tar balls along Grand Isle, Elmer's Island and Fourchon
Beach.
http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20120905/ARTICLES/120909859/-1/opinion?Title=Storm-scatters-tar-balls-buried-since-BP-spill
Speculation that oil unearthed by Isaac from BP oil spill
Published September 05, 2012
FoxNews.com
NEW ORLEANS – Weathered oil in the form of tar has washed up on some
Louisiana beaches from Gulf waters churned by Hurricane Isaac, prompting
restrictions of fishing in some waters and tests to determine whether the
source is submerged oil from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/09/05/old-oil-washes-up-in-la-after-hurricane-isaac/
MDEQ and MDMR reopen Bayou Casotte
The Associated Press
PASCAGOULA, MISS. — State agencies say it is once again OK to fish and swim
in Bayou Casotte and the adjacent waters of the Mississippi Sound.
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and the Mississippi
Department of Marine Resources closed the Jackson County area to fishing
and water contact on Sunday, after investigating a fish kill.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/09/06/4168082/mdeq-and-mdmr-reopen-bayou-casotte.html
EPA waives clean gas standards in 8 states for 10 days, says Isaac could
cause shortage
By Associated Press, Published: September 5
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is temporarily waiving clean gas
requirements in eight states affected by Hurricane Isaac.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/epa-waives-clean-gas-standards-in-8-states-for-10-days-says-isaac-could-cause-shortage/2012/09/05/9353e9b8-f77d-11e1-a93b-7185e3f88849_story.html
Oil Spill
DOJ language crushes BP oil spill settlement hopes
Wed, Sep 5 2012
Reuters
By Sarah Young and Sinead Cruise
LONDON, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Hopes BP can settle early out of court on
liability for its 2010 U.S. Gulf oil spill looked forlorn on Wednesday
after U.S. prosecutors laid out a legal case for gross negligence on which
tens of billions of dollars hang.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/05/bp-oilspill-outlook-idUSL6E8K59CB20120905
BP shares dive amid tough talk on Gulf spill
AP
NEW YORK (AP) — The threat of big fines over the 2010 Gulf oil spill
depressed shares of BP PLC Wednesday.
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-09-05/bp-shares-dive-amid-tough-talk-on-gulf-spill
Feds vow to prove BP's negligence in oil spill
CBS
(CBS/AP) NEW ORLEANS - The Justice Department is urging a federal judge to
ignore BP's assertion that the Gulf Coast's natural resources are making a
"robust recovery" from its massive 2010 oil spill.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57506574/feds-vow-to-prove-bps-negligence-in-oil-spill/
Feds urge judge to ignore BP's claim that Gulf is making 'robust recovery'
from 2010 oil spill
By Associated Press, Published: September 5
NEW ORLEANS — The Justice Department is urging a federal judge to ignore
BP's assertion that the Gulf Coast's natural resources are making a "robust
recovery" from its massive 2010 oil spill.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/feds-urge-judge-to-ignore-bps-claim-that-gulf-is-making-robust-recovery-from-2010-oil-spill/2012/09/05/708db6a4-f77b-11e1-a93b-7185e3f88849_story.html
Analysis: U.S. government attack on BP shows readiness for court battle
Reuters
2:06am EDT
By David Ingram
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In accusing BP Plc of gross negligence and willful
misconduct over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the U.S. Justice
Department has shown that it is prepared for a bruising court struggle with
the London-based oil giant.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/06/us-bp-oilspill-doj-idUSBRE88501H20120906
State News
City gets sewer upgrades
WTVA
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WTVA) — The Starkville Board of Aldermen voted 3-2
Tuesday to spend $1.5 million to improve the city's sewer system.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/City-gets-sewer-upgrades/zxhjnpdvg0mlrN36gB9khg.cspx
Grant to fund new pump station in local town
WTVA
SMITHVILLE, Miss. (WTVA) — Work is expected to begin to improve
Smithville's sewer and water capacity, which should help ease the strain on
the existing system.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/Grant-to-fund-new-pump-station-in-local-town/95G9DLYaSUCqfrpW0_jrTQ.cspx
National News
Exxon reports oil spill into Mississippi
Baton rouge ADVOCATE
September 06, 2012
Crews at the ExxonMobil Baton Rouge refinery responded to a crude oil spill
of less than five barrels into the Mississippi River at the company's docks
Wednesday morning, company officials said.
http://theadvocate.com/home/3819941-125/exxon-reports-oil-spill-into
Federal regs force coal plant closures now, higher rates later, critics
warn
By Joshua Rhett Miller
Published September 05, 2012
FoxNews.com
advertisement
The closure of seven coal-fired electric plants in four states could be a
sign of things to come as tough new emissions standards threaten to
relegate America's top energy source to the back burner.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/09/05/coal-plant-closures-will-lead-to-increased-energy-rates-critics-say/?test=latestnews
For Farms in the West, Oil Wells Are Thirsty Rivals
NY Times
By JACK HEALY
GREELEY, Colo. — A new race for water is rippling through the
drought-scorched heartland, pitting farmers against oil and gas interests,
driven by new drilling techniques that use powerful streams of water, sand
and chemicals to crack the ground and release stores of oil and gas.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/06/us/struggle-for-water-in-colorado-with-rise-in-fracking.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all&pagewanted=print
Analysis: U.S. bankers say, love or hate it, ethanol here to stay
Reuters
5:16am IST
By Christine Stebbins
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Before the U.S. biofuels boom took off in 2007, the
food vs. fuel debate raged: can we afford to use corn for ethanol in a
starving world?
Five years later, farm bankers ask: can we afford not to?
http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/09/05/us-usa-ethanol-farmbankers-idINBRE88413O20120905
Obama, EPA actions make cap-and-trade more likely
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 09/05/12 02:50 PM ET
President Obama's use of executive authority and his Environmental
Protection Agency's (EPA) interpretation of existing laws might have laid
the groundwork for renewed cap-and-trade efforts, political experts said
Wednesday.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/247697-obama-epa-actions-make-cap-and-trade-more-likely
Press Releases
MEMA Director Visits Two Damaged Mississippi Dams
PEARL – Mississippi Emergency Management Agency Executive Director Robert
Latham visited two damaged Mississippi dams in Lamar and Pike counties
today. Latham spoke with local and state officials to ensure all the needed
state resources were available to protect local residents, while officials
work to lower the water level on these two lakes.
Because it is uncertain how any additional rainfall may impact these dams,
work will continue until the risk to the public is eliminated.
Lamar County Dam: Federal, state and local officials are on scene assessing
the damage, and pumping water to relieve the pressure on the dam. Pumping
began last night with two-12 inch pumps. The pumps are moving approximately
6,000 to 8,000 gallons of water per minute. It is estimated that the water
level is dropping at a rate of about an inch per hour.
A precautionary evacuation of 14 homes below the Buccaneer Drive Dam on Oak
Grove Lake in Lamar County was issued by the Lamar County Emergency
Management Agency yesterday. A slide occurred on the dam Monday, and
further damage to the slide prompted the precautionary evacuation.
"After visiting Lake Serene today in Lamar County and talking with James
Smith, Lamar County EMA Director, I am confident that the decision to ask
some citizens to evacuate last night was the right call," said Latham.
"Efforts to reduce the water level continue. Even though the dam has not
breached, the slides caused by Hurricane Isaac have definitely affected the
integrity of the levee."
The dam has NOT been breached, but is being closely monitored.
Pike County Dam: Officials from the federal, state and local governments
remain on scene to assess the damage and pumping operations at the Pike
County dam. Responding agencies are evaluating the water levels to further
assess the damage.
Thirty-three pumps are pumping more than 140,000 gallons of water per
minute. The dam continues to hold.
###
In Support of Affected States, EPA Approves Temporary Fuel Waiver for 8
States Impacted by Hurricane Isaac
WASHINGTON - As a result of the disruption in the supply of fuel from
Gulf-area refineries following Hurricane Isaac, and at the request of
Governors, EPA has exercised its authority under the Clean Air Act to
temporarily waive certain federal clean gasoline requirements for gasoline
sold and distributed in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida,
Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina. The disruption and delays in
production and delivery of gasoline resulted from effects of Hurricane
Isaac.
This waiver was granted by EPA in coordination with the Department of
Energy (DOE). EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson determined that extreme and
unusual supply circumstances exist, which may result in a temporary
shortage of gasoline compliant with federal regulations. The federal waiver
will help ensure an adequate supply of gasoline in the impacted states
until normal supply to the region can be restored.
The waiver applies to the use of low Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) "summertime"
gasoline for the remainder of the "high ozone" period, which ends on Sept
15. Due to a number of continuing refinery outages caused by Hurricane
Isaac, and the slower-than-expected-pace of restarts of other Gulf-area
refineries, EPA determined that there would not be an adequate supply of
summertime gasoline for these states through Sept 15. The waiver allows
available supplies of higher RVP "wintertime" gasoline to be used prior to
the end of the high ozone period, in order to prevent a gasoline supply
shortfall in these states.
States bordering on this area are projected to have sufficient supplies of
compliant summertime fuel through the end of the high ozone period in two
weeks, and no shortages are expected to develop. However, EPA will continue
to actively monitor fuel supplies in these areas, and will act
expeditiously if needed to prevent a shortfall.
More information: http://epa.gov/enforcement/air/fuel-waivers.html
EPA Opens Registration for Campus RainWorks Design Challenge Competition
Contact Information: Davina Marraccini (News Media Only), (404) 562-8293,
marraccini.davina@epa.gov
(ATLANTA – Sept. 6, 2012) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
has opened registration for student teams from colleges and universities
across the country to participate in its new design competition, the Campus
RainWorks Challenge, through which teams will compete to develop innovative
approaches to stormwater management. This first annual competition, will
help raise awareness of green design and planning approaches at colleges
and universities, and train the next generation of landscape architects,
planners, and engineers in green infrastructure principles and design.
Stormwater is a major cause of harmful water pollution in urban areas in
the U.S., impacting tens of thousands of miles of rivers, streams, and
coastal shorelines, as well as hundreds of thousands of acres of lakes,
reservoirs, and ponds.
Student teams, working with a faculty advisor, will submit design plans for
a proposed green infrastructure project for their campus. Registration for
the Campus RainWorks Challenge is open from September 4 through October 5,
and entries must be submitted by December 14, 2012 for consideration.
Winning entries will be selected by EPA and announced in April 2013.
Winning teams will earn a cash prize of $1,500 - $2,500, as well as $8,000
- $11,000 in funds for their faculty advisor to conduct research on green
infrastructure. In 2013, EPA plans to expand Campus RainWorks by inviting
students to design and complete a demonstration project assessing
innovative green infrastructure approaches on their campus.
EPA is encouraging the use of green infrastructure as a solution to help
manage stormwater runoff. Green Infrastructure uses vegetation, soils, and
natural processes to manage stormwater runoff at its source and provide
other community benefits. Green infrastructure is increasingly being used
to supplement or substitute for single-purpose "gray" infrastructure
investments such as pipes, and ponds. The Campus RainWorks Challenge will
help encourage the use of green infrastructure projects on college and
university campuses to manage stormwater discharges.
More information on the Campus RainWorks Challenge:
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/greeninfrastructure/crw_challenge.cfm
