Oil Spill
BP expresses 'significant uncertainty' about settlement for 2010 Gulf spill
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 10/30/12 10:20 AM ET
The British oil firm BP on Tuesday warned it might be unable to reach a
settlement with the U.S. government over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico spill.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/264795-bp-expresses-significant-uncertainty-about-oil-spill-settlement
Association: Shrimp processors still face oil spill dilemma
by MBJ Staff
Published: October 30,2012
GULF OF MEXICO — With looming legal deadlines related to the 2010 BP oil
spill, dozens of shrimp processors along the Gulf Coast face a difficult
dilemma, with either decision having the potential to jeopardize the future
of their businesses and the region's seafood industry, according to a
leading trade association.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2012/10/30/association-shrimp-processors-still-face-oil-spill-dilemma/
Group updates Hancock County on South Mississippi tourism
Sun Herald
BAY ST. LOUIS -- Tourism tax revenues, gaming revenues and hospitality jobs
are all up from last year. That was the bottom line of the presentation
given by the Gulf Coast Regional Tourism Partnership on Thursday at the
Hancock County annex building.
The meeting was called to help residents understand how money from BP was
being used to promote tourism in Hancock County and across the Coast.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/25/4266656/group-updates-hancock-county-on.html
State News
FIGHTING LITTER
Sun Herald
Harrison County Sheriff Melvin Brisolara, left, accepts a 2003 Ford
Excursion from Tom King, Southern District transportation commissioner, for
use in an inmate litter removal program. The vehicle was recently retired
from the Mississippi Department of Transportation's fleet. The sheriff's
office will use the car five days a week to transport inmates to work sites
for litter pickup and to haul a trash collection trailer. Area law
enforcement officials attended a news conference at the county jail in
support of efforts to enforce anti-litter laws.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/30/4274873/fighting-litter.html
MDWFP celebrates 80th year with free access
The Meridian Star
MERIDIAN — The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks
is waiving entry fees to many outdoor locations and the museum next weekend
to observe a "Conservation Celebration."
http://meridianstar.com/local/x1400209695/MDWFP-celebrates-80th-year-with-free-access
MDEQ lifts beach closure advisory in Pass Christian
Sun Herald
PASS CHRISTIAN -- The state Department of Environmental Quality lifted a
beach closure for a monitoring station in Pass Christian, officials said.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/30/4274869/around-south-mississippi.html
National News
Gulf hypoxia, fracking on Nov. 8 water conference agenda
Delta Farm Press
The dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico and fracking are on the agenda for the
Nov. 8 "Water: The Choices: Water Law and Policy Conference" being held at
the C.A. Vine Arkansas 4-H Center in Ferndale.
http://deltafarmpress.com/management/gulf-hypoxia-fracking-nov-8-water-conference-agenda
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
AMERICA RECYCLES DAY NOVEMBER 15
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality is hosting the agency's first ever America Recycles Day event on November 15 in Jackson. MDEQ invites area businesses, agencies, institutions, organizations,
and the general public to celebrate the America Recycles Day event in Smith Park in downtown Jackson from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. MDEQ, along with many local partners, will be sponsoring this event to promote the benefits of recycling and provide information on how to set up recycling programs. The event will offer numerous booths and exhibits explaining the environmental and economic benefits of recycling in fun and educational ways.
In addition, the event will also promote several deserving organizations and efforts in the metropolitan area that also include recycling and reuse in their mission. These organizations include:
- Dress for Success – people are encouraged to bring gently used ladies’ dress shoes that help underprivileged women with professionalattire for interviews and jobs.
- Stewpot – bring canned goods to help low income people and families.In conjunction with the collection of these canned goods,MDEQ will be promoting safe donation practices for usable food from area grocery stores and restaurants to reduce the amount of food waste going into landfills.
- Cell Phones for Soldiers -- a non-profit organization dedicated to providing cost-free communication services to active duty military and veterans. The program collects discarded cell phones that are sold to purchase calling cards and other communication tools for the U.S. military. Bring discarded cell phones to the Mississippi Department of Transportation exhibit.
will be recycled by Advantage E-cycling in Pearl, Mississippi. Please plan to join us for this inaugural MDEQ America Recycles Day event! Organizations that are involved in recycling that are interested in exhibiting should contact Joseph Paige or Cassandra Johnson with MDEQ at 601-961-5171.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
MDEQ Lifts Beach Closure for One Station in Pass Christian
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
Phil Bryant, GOVERNOR
MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Trudy D. Fisher, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Robbie Wilbur
October 30, 2012 601/961-5277
MDEQ Lifts Beach Closure for One Station in Pass Christian
(JACKSON, Miss.) -- The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
(MDEQ), through its Beach Monitoring Program, has lifted a beach closure
for the following monitoring station in Pass Christian:
Station 6 -- Pass Christian West -- from Henderson Avenue to Heirn Avenue.
Water samples at this station show the area has attained acceptable
bacteria levels. The Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, which performs water
sampling of the Mississippi Gulf Coast beaches for MDEQ, notifies the
agency when an area returns to acceptable levels and safe conditions.
Information on the Mississippi Beach Monitoring Program is available at:
http://www.usm.edu/gcrl/msbeach/index.cgi.
To receive beach advisories directly, send an email to
rwilbur@deq.state.ms.us for inclusion in a public group email list or
follow MDEQ on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/MDEQ.
# # #
Mr. Robbie Wilbur
Communications Director
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
Post Office Box 2261
Jackson, Mississippi 39225
601/961-5277
601/421-5699 (c)
601/961-5715 (f)
rwilbur@deq.state.ms.us
Connect with MDEQ on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/MDEQ/118172664880239?v=wall
Follow MDEQ on Twitter
http://twitter.com/#!/MDEQ
News Clippings 10.30.12
Oil Spill
Researchers will take a deep look at Gulf seafood safety
Houston Chronicle
The Macondo well blowout on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico lays bare just
how little scientists know about that great expanse of saltwater and its
creatures, but in fishing communities from Florida to Louisiana, some
people have vital questions of their own.
http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Researchers-will-take-a-deep-look-at-Gulf-seafood-3991634.php
BP repays shareholders with dividend hike as Q3 profits swell, Russian deal
brings in cash
By Associated Press, Updated: Tuesday, October 30, 6:48 AM
LONDON — Oil company BP is rewarding long-suffering shareholders with a
substantial dividend increase just days after it sold a stake in a Russian
joint venture for billions of dollars.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/bp-raises-dividend-as-q3-profit-swells-by-5-percent/2012/10/30/1c4b24c4-2268-11e2-92f8-7f9c4daf276a_story.html
State News
Olive Branch officials not intervening in Maywood dams debate
Commercial Appeal
By Toni Lepeska
Originally published 12:00 a.m., October 27, 2012
Updated 11:05 p.m., October 27, 2012
Olive Branch city officials are not taking sides right now in regard to the
upkeep of Maywood's dams, which state officials want brought up to modern
standards.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/oct/27/olive-branch-officials-not-intervening-in-dams/?print=1
State grant to help with tire removal
The Associated Press
GREENWOOD, MISS. — The state will provide $50,000 to Leflore County to
remove discarded tires from the school district bus shop.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/30/4272890/state-grant-to-help-with-tire.html
Video: West Point Push For Energy Efficient Buildings
WCBI
WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI) – The city of West Point is expected to be more
energy efficient when it comes to conserving energy used in seven of it's
city owned buildings.
http://www.wcbi.com/wordpress/video-west-point-push-for-energy-efficient-buildings
Ark. earthquake felt in Memphis area
Clarion Ledger
An earthquake that registered 3.9 on the Richter Scale hit eastern Arkansas
Monday morning, and was felt by several Memphis-area residents as well.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20121030/NEWS/310290033/Ark-earthquake-felt-Memphis-area?nclick_check=1
National News
Cities Enticed by Pay-if-You-Save Energy Deals
NY Times
By JIM WITKIN
WHEN the city of Brea, Calif., about 25 miles southeast of Los Angeles, set
out to reduce its carbon emissions and save money on energy costs, the
challenge was the same faced by many other cities nationwide: allocating
the funds to pay for the program.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/24/business/energy-environment/energy-service-contracts-a-boon-for-public-agencies.html?ref=earth&_r=0&pagewanted=print
Researchers will take a deep look at Gulf seafood safety
Houston Chronicle
The Macondo well blowout on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico lays bare just
how little scientists know about that great expanse of saltwater and its
creatures, but in fishing communities from Florida to Louisiana, some
people have vital questions of their own.
http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Researchers-will-take-a-deep-look-at-Gulf-seafood-3991634.php
BP repays shareholders with dividend hike as Q3 profits swell, Russian deal
brings in cash
By Associated Press, Updated: Tuesday, October 30, 6:48 AM
LONDON — Oil company BP is rewarding long-suffering shareholders with a
substantial dividend increase just days after it sold a stake in a Russian
joint venture for billions of dollars.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/bp-raises-dividend-as-q3-profit-swells-by-5-percent/2012/10/30/1c4b24c4-2268-11e2-92f8-7f9c4daf276a_story.html
State News
Olive Branch officials not intervening in Maywood dams debate
Commercial Appeal
By Toni Lepeska
Originally published 12:00 a.m., October 27, 2012
Updated 11:05 p.m., October 27, 2012
Olive Branch city officials are not taking sides right now in regard to the
upkeep of Maywood's dams, which state officials want brought up to modern
standards.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/oct/27/olive-branch-officials-not-intervening-in-dams/?print=1
State grant to help with tire removal
The Associated Press
GREENWOOD, MISS. — The state will provide $50,000 to Leflore County to
remove discarded tires from the school district bus shop.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/30/4272890/state-grant-to-help-with-tire.html
Video: West Point Push For Energy Efficient Buildings
WCBI
WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI) – The city of West Point is expected to be more
energy efficient when it comes to conserving energy used in seven of it's
city owned buildings.
http://www.wcbi.com/wordpress/video-west-point-push-for-energy-efficient-buildings
Ark. earthquake felt in Memphis area
Clarion Ledger
An earthquake that registered 3.9 on the Richter Scale hit eastern Arkansas
Monday morning, and was felt by several Memphis-area residents as well.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20121030/NEWS/310290033/Ark-earthquake-felt-Memphis-area?nclick_check=1
National News
Cities Enticed by Pay-if-You-Save Energy Deals
NY Times
By JIM WITKIN
WHEN the city of Brea, Calif., about 25 miles southeast of Los Angeles, set
out to reduce its carbon emissions and save money on energy costs, the
challenge was the same faced by many other cities nationwide: allocating
the funds to pay for the program.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/24/business/energy-environment/energy-service-contracts-a-boon-for-public-agencies.html?ref=earth&_r=0&pagewanted=print
Monday, October 29, 2012
GOCOAST 2020 HOSTS PUBLIC MEETINGS
The GoCoast 2020 Commission held a series of three Listening Sessions the first week in October to update the public on the current progress of the GoCoast 2020 Commission and to also give an additional opportunity for the public to provide comments and ask questions about the process. Meetings were held in Gautier, Long Beach, and Bay St. Louis.
GoCoast 2020 was established by Governor Phil Bryant through executive order to serve as the official advisory board for the allocation of funds received by the State of Mississippi under the RESTORE Act and to create a long-range planning strategy for the Mississippi Gulf Coast. More information on the Commission is available at www.gocoast2020.com. The public may also submit ideas and proposals through the website.
GoCoast 2020 was established by Governor Phil Bryant through executive order to serve as the official advisory board for the allocation of funds received by the State of Mississippi under the RESTORE Act and to create a long-range planning strategy for the Mississippi Gulf Coast. More information on the Commission is available at www.gocoast2020.com. The public may also submit ideas and proposals through the website.
News Clippings 10/29/12
Oil Spill
Mardi Gras, Super Bowl prompts oil spill trial postponement
by Associated Press
Published: October 26,2012
NEW ORLEANS — A federal judge — citing the distractions of Mardi Gras and
the Super Bowl — has postponed the trial designed to identify causes of the
BP well blowout that spawned the massive 2010 Gulf of Mexico.
http://msbusiness.com/index.php/2012/10/26/mardi-gras-super-bowl-prompts-oil-spill-trial-postponement/
BP asks to abandon plugged containment dome on bottom of Gulf of Mexico
Friday, October 26, 2012, 8:21 PM
By Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
BP has asked the U.S. Coast Guard to allow it to abandon a containment dome
on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico that it capped and plugged this week
after concluding it was the source of oil causing repeated sheens near the
site of the company's failed Macondo well.
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2012/10/bp_asks_to_abandon_plugged_con.html
INSIGHT-BP oil spill settlement before election seen unlikely
Reuters
Sat, Oct 27 2012
By Chris Baltimore
HOUSTON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - For a president locked in a tough re-election
fight, it may look like political gold: a settlement between the U.S.
Justice Department and BP Plc over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill that could
send billions of dollars to Florida, one of a handful of politically
divided states that could decide the Nov. 6 contest.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/27/bp-oilspill-election-idUSL1E8LN5WM20121027
Fishermen confront BP spill deadline
Houston Chronicle
GRAND BAYOU, La. – Most decisions about the details of a huge class-action
settlement of damage claims from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill will
come from stately offices and a federal courtroom in New Orleans.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2012/10/28/fisherman-confront-bp-spill-deadline/
State News
Community Encouraged to Recycle Electronics
WTOK
Often times, people simply toss their old electronics in the trash when
they replace them with new ones. But there's an alternative that's better
for our environment.
http://www.wtok.com/home/headlines/Community-Encouraged-to-Recycle-Electronics--176122821.html
Locals Participate in Trash Pick Up
WTOK
Meridian Mainstreet held its bi-annual downtown clean up.
http://www.wtok.com/home/headlines/Locals-Participate-in-Trash-Pick-Up--176133371.html
RECYCLING
By Jeremy Pittari
The Picayune Item
PICAYUNE — RECYCLING — Samuel Prince stopped at the recycling bin near
Roseland Park Baptist Church Friday afternoon to drop off some food boxes
and various plastics. Picayune began its recycling program late this year.
The program will accept various products, including cardboard, aluminum and
some plastics.
http://picayuneitem.com/local/x1400201230/RECYCLING
Mississippi lacks state tax credits, net metering for alternative energy
MBJ
by Becky Gillette
Published: October 29,2012
Currently it is more profitable for businesses to go "green" by purchasing
energy-efficient and alternative energy devices than it is for residents,
says Shelley Rhoden, president of Alternative Energy Solutions
(www.alternateenergyms.com).
http://msbusiness.com/index.php/2012/10/29/mississippi-lacks-state-tax-credits-net-metering-for-alternative-energy/
National News
Scientists size up area of hypoxia in the Gulf
Des Moines Register
The Pelican research vessel was transformed at each sampling stop into a
whir of activity during its Gulf of Mexico monitoring cruise in July.
The main mission of the 13 scientists and students aboard the 116-foot ship
owned by the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium was to track patterns
of low oxygen, also known as hypoxia.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20121028/NEWS/310280047?nclick_check=1
Some call for tougher fertilizer regulations
Iowa preparing report that details plans to cut sewage plant runoff
Des Moines Register
There are things Iowa farmers and other landowners can do to reduce the
flow of nitrate pollution into the Mississippi River and, eventually, into
the Gulf of Mexico.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20121029/NEWS/310290017/Some-call-for-tougher-fertilizer-regulations?dead-zone
More Dead Zone Stories from Des Moines Register
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/section/dead-zone
Farmers Watching Their Water Use
Growers Are Reluctantly Trying to Irrigate Less to Preserve Their
Threatened Underground Aquifer
Wall Street Journal
HOXIE, Kan.—For decades, farmers here have tapped a vast underground
reservoir to irrigate their fields to grow corn, soybeans and wheat. Now
they are reluctantly starting to reduce their water use, fearing a
dwindling supply could otherwise make them the last generation to grow
bumper crops in this arid patch of the High Plains.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444592704578062901539482028.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5
BP Ends Plan for Biofuel Plant
By REUTERS
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — BP said Thursday that it had canceled plans to build
a plant in Florida to turn tough grasses such as sorghum and cane into
cellulosic biofuel, the second big oil company this year to back out of
plans to produce "next generation" ethanol from nonfood crops.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/26/business/energy-environment/bp-ends-plan-to-build-a-biofuel-plant.html?_r=0&pagewanted=print
Court challenges to EPA's oil and gas air emissions rules filed
State Journal
By Pam Kasey - email
Small natural gas producers could be unfairly burdened by the Environmental
Protection Agency's August air emissions rules for the oil and gas
industry, according to a court challenge.
http://www.statejournal.com/story/19926696/court-challenges-to-epas-oil-and-gas-air-emissions-rules-filed
David Vitter threatening to fight potential Romney EPA chief
Times Picayune
Washington -- The election is still more than a week away, but already Sen.
David Vitter, R-La., is expressing reservations about a potential
Environmental Protection Agency administrator or Energy secretary in a
possible Romney administration.
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/10/vitter_threatening_to_fight_po.html#
Mardi Gras, Super Bowl prompts oil spill trial postponement
by Associated Press
Published: October 26,2012
NEW ORLEANS — A federal judge — citing the distractions of Mardi Gras and
the Super Bowl — has postponed the trial designed to identify causes of the
BP well blowout that spawned the massive 2010 Gulf of Mexico.
http://msbusiness.com/index.php/2012/10/26/mardi-gras-super-bowl-prompts-oil-spill-trial-postponement/
BP asks to abandon plugged containment dome on bottom of Gulf of Mexico
Friday, October 26, 2012, 8:21 PM
By Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
BP has asked the U.S. Coast Guard to allow it to abandon a containment dome
on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico that it capped and plugged this week
after concluding it was the source of oil causing repeated sheens near the
site of the company's failed Macondo well.
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2012/10/bp_asks_to_abandon_plugged_con.html
INSIGHT-BP oil spill settlement before election seen unlikely
Reuters
Sat, Oct 27 2012
By Chris Baltimore
HOUSTON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - For a president locked in a tough re-election
fight, it may look like political gold: a settlement between the U.S.
Justice Department and BP Plc over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill that could
send billions of dollars to Florida, one of a handful of politically
divided states that could decide the Nov. 6 contest.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/27/bp-oilspill-election-idUSL1E8LN5WM20121027
Fishermen confront BP spill deadline
Houston Chronicle
GRAND BAYOU, La. – Most decisions about the details of a huge class-action
settlement of damage claims from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill will
come from stately offices and a federal courtroom in New Orleans.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2012/10/28/fisherman-confront-bp-spill-deadline/
State News
Community Encouraged to Recycle Electronics
WTOK
Often times, people simply toss their old electronics in the trash when
they replace them with new ones. But there's an alternative that's better
for our environment.
http://www.wtok.com/home/headlines/Community-Encouraged-to-Recycle-Electronics--176122821.html
Locals Participate in Trash Pick Up
WTOK
Meridian Mainstreet held its bi-annual downtown clean up.
http://www.wtok.com/home/headlines/Locals-Participate-in-Trash-Pick-Up--176133371.html
RECYCLING
By Jeremy Pittari
The Picayune Item
PICAYUNE — RECYCLING — Samuel Prince stopped at the recycling bin near
Roseland Park Baptist Church Friday afternoon to drop off some food boxes
and various plastics. Picayune began its recycling program late this year.
The program will accept various products, including cardboard, aluminum and
some plastics.
http://picayuneitem.com/local/x1400201230/RECYCLING
Mississippi lacks state tax credits, net metering for alternative energy
MBJ
by Becky Gillette
Published: October 29,2012
Currently it is more profitable for businesses to go "green" by purchasing
energy-efficient and alternative energy devices than it is for residents,
says Shelley Rhoden, president of Alternative Energy Solutions
(www.alternateenergyms.com).
http://msbusiness.com/index.php/2012/10/29/mississippi-lacks-state-tax-credits-net-metering-for-alternative-energy/
National News
Scientists size up area of hypoxia in the Gulf
Des Moines Register
The Pelican research vessel was transformed at each sampling stop into a
whir of activity during its Gulf of Mexico monitoring cruise in July.
The main mission of the 13 scientists and students aboard the 116-foot ship
owned by the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium was to track patterns
of low oxygen, also known as hypoxia.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20121028/NEWS/310280047?nclick_check=1
Some call for tougher fertilizer regulations
Iowa preparing report that details plans to cut sewage plant runoff
Des Moines Register
There are things Iowa farmers and other landowners can do to reduce the
flow of nitrate pollution into the Mississippi River and, eventually, into
the Gulf of Mexico.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20121029/NEWS/310290017/Some-call-for-tougher-fertilizer-regulations?dead-zone
More Dead Zone Stories from Des Moines Register
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/section/dead-zone
Farmers Watching Their Water Use
Growers Are Reluctantly Trying to Irrigate Less to Preserve Their
Threatened Underground Aquifer
Wall Street Journal
HOXIE, Kan.—For decades, farmers here have tapped a vast underground
reservoir to irrigate their fields to grow corn, soybeans and wheat. Now
they are reluctantly starting to reduce their water use, fearing a
dwindling supply could otherwise make them the last generation to grow
bumper crops in this arid patch of the High Plains.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444592704578062901539482028.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5
BP Ends Plan for Biofuel Plant
By REUTERS
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — BP said Thursday that it had canceled plans to build
a plant in Florida to turn tough grasses such as sorghum and cane into
cellulosic biofuel, the second big oil company this year to back out of
plans to produce "next generation" ethanol from nonfood crops.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/26/business/energy-environment/bp-ends-plan-to-build-a-biofuel-plant.html?_r=0&pagewanted=print
Court challenges to EPA's oil and gas air emissions rules filed
State Journal
By Pam Kasey - email
Small natural gas producers could be unfairly burdened by the Environmental
Protection Agency's August air emissions rules for the oil and gas
industry, according to a court challenge.
http://www.statejournal.com/story/19926696/court-challenges-to-epas-oil-and-gas-air-emissions-rules-filed
David Vitter threatening to fight potential Romney EPA chief
Times Picayune
Washington -- The election is still more than a week away, but already Sen.
David Vitter, R-La., is expressing reservations about a potential
Environmental Protection Agency administrator or Energy secretary in a
possible Romney administration.
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/10/vitter_threatening_to_fight_po.html#
Friday, October 26, 2012
News Clippings 10.26.12
Oil Spill
BP caps dome believed to be source of oil sheen
AP
NEW ORLEANS -- BP PLC said Thursday it has capped and plugged an abandoned
piece of equipment that is believed to be the source of a sheen spotted
near the site of its massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/10/bp_caps_dome_believed_to_be_so.html#incart_river
Source of new oil sheen near Deepwater Horizon site has been plugged, BP
says
Updated: Thursday, October 25, 2012, 1:10 PM
By Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
BP announced Thursday that it has sealed a 40-foot-tall, 86-ton steel
containment dome that has been leaking oil below the surface of the Gulf of
Mexico, causing repeated sheens near the site of the disasterous BP oil
spill in 2010.
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2012/10/plan_to_cap_and_plug_containme.html
State News
Waste Management breaks ground on power facility
by Floyd Ingram
Chickasaw Journal
10.26.12 - 06:20 am
HOUSTON – A landfill in Chickasaw County is now producing enough
electricity to power 900 homes in the area.
Gov. Phil Bryant, Waste Management and local officials snipped the ribbon
Wednesday at the methane-powered, electricity generation facility at
Prairie Bluff Sanitary Landfill, a 500-acre site near Houston.
http://djournal.com/view/full_story/20620332/article-Waste-Management-breaks-ground-on-power-facility?instance=secondary_stories_left_column
Kemper County power plant on schedule
WLOX
Thousands of people are working at a feverish pace to construct Mississippi
Power's new Lignite power plant in Kemper County. Driving through the
plant, you can't help but notice the way the landscape is changing on a
daily basis.
http://www.wlox.com/story/19915168/kemper-county-power-plant-on-schedule
DMR under investigation by state auditor
Sun Herald
By DONNA HARRIS — dmharris@sunherald.com
BILOXI -- Officials from the State Auditor's Office were at the Mississippi
Department of Marine Resources offices Thursday, sifting through files in
the executive director's office.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/25/4265648/auditors-office-in-biloxi-checking.html
Sixth graders take a walk in the wetlands at Gautier High School
Sun Herald
GAUTIER -- About 600 sixth-graders learned about the outdoors Thursday
morning at Gautier High School during My Two Boots: A Walk in the Wetlands,
a program the district has held for 11 years.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/25/4266693/sixth-graders-take-a-walk-in-the.html
Main Street/KAB plan weekend clean-up and recycle events
By Ida Brown
The Meridian Star
MERIDIAN — The weekend's anticipated cooler temperatures will be the
perfect complement to two Saturday morning cleanup events in downtown
Meridian.
http://meridianstar.com/local/x253554530/Main-Street-KAB-plan-weekend-clean-up-and-recycle-events
National News
EPA decision Nov. 6 on final coal ash cleanup
Knoxville News Sentinel
By Bob Fowler
Friday, October 26, 2012
KINGSTON — The Environmental Protection Agency's decision on how to proceed
with the final phase of TVA's cleanup of coal ash spilled in a 2008
calamity will be issued Nov. 6, an official said.
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/oct/26/epa-decision-nov-6-on-final-coal-ash-cleanup/
Press Releases
Coast Guard approves plan to secure containment dome
10/25/2012 10:56 AM EDT
NEW ORLEANS - The Federal On-Scene Coordinator for the Deepwater Horizon
oil spill in New Orleans authorized BP to proceed with a plan to cap and
plug the containment dome.
In 2010, the 40-foot-tall containment dome was used as a part of an attempt
to capture oil and allow it to flow through a pipe to a barge on the
surface. The technique was unsuccessful and the equipment was moved away
from the well head and riser and set in its current position approximately
500 meters from the original Macando well head.
The operation, which began Tuesday, included BP mobilizing a remotely
operated vehicle from the offshore construction vessel Skandi Neptune to
the containment dome to place a cap on top of the stove pipe and plug the
ROV connection ports on the sides and top of the structure. The cap and
plugs were successfully put in place and no further oil emissions from the
containment dome were observed.
BP has collected data via satellite throughout the operation and will
continue to do so for a five-day period following, in order to detect
changes in the surface sheen and to evaluate the effectiveness of these
actions in abating or eliminating the sheen. In addition, the Coast Guard
plans an overflight of the area later in the week.
Representatives from the Coast Guard, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and Gulf Coast Incident
Management Team's Department of Interior Liaison, as well as state on-scene
coordinators from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida observed the
controlled feed in New Orleans.
The FOSC has further directed BP to submit a feasibility plan that
considers the next steps toward either removing or remediating the threats
of oil posed by the riser pipe and containment dome.
The operation and proposed plan were in response to an oil sheen in the
vicinity of the Deepwater Horizon incident first reported to the National
Response Center Sept. 16. The Coast Guard issued a Notice of Federal
Interest to BP and Transocean after the reported sheen was correlated to
the oil that originated from BP's Macondo well.
The public is reminded to contact the National Response Center at
1-800-424-8802 to report all pollution incidents or the 8th Coast Guard
District command center at 504-589-6225 in the event of a marine emergency.
BP caps dome believed to be source of oil sheen
AP
NEW ORLEANS -- BP PLC said Thursday it has capped and plugged an abandoned
piece of equipment that is believed to be the source of a sheen spotted
near the site of its massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/10/bp_caps_dome_believed_to_be_so.html#incart_river
Source of new oil sheen near Deepwater Horizon site has been plugged, BP
says
Updated: Thursday, October 25, 2012, 1:10 PM
By Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
BP announced Thursday that it has sealed a 40-foot-tall, 86-ton steel
containment dome that has been leaking oil below the surface of the Gulf of
Mexico, causing repeated sheens near the site of the disasterous BP oil
spill in 2010.
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2012/10/plan_to_cap_and_plug_containme.html
State News
Waste Management breaks ground on power facility
by Floyd Ingram
Chickasaw Journal
10.26.12 - 06:20 am
HOUSTON – A landfill in Chickasaw County is now producing enough
electricity to power 900 homes in the area.
Gov. Phil Bryant, Waste Management and local officials snipped the ribbon
Wednesday at the methane-powered, electricity generation facility at
Prairie Bluff Sanitary Landfill, a 500-acre site near Houston.
http://djournal.com/view/full_story/20620332/article-Waste-Management-breaks-ground-on-power-facility?instance=secondary_stories_left_column
Kemper County power plant on schedule
WLOX
Thousands of people are working at a feverish pace to construct Mississippi
Power's new Lignite power plant in Kemper County. Driving through the
plant, you can't help but notice the way the landscape is changing on a
daily basis.
http://www.wlox.com/story/19915168/kemper-county-power-plant-on-schedule
DMR under investigation by state auditor
Sun Herald
By DONNA HARRIS — dmharris@sunherald.com
BILOXI -- Officials from the State Auditor's Office were at the Mississippi
Department of Marine Resources offices Thursday, sifting through files in
the executive director's office.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/25/4265648/auditors-office-in-biloxi-checking.html
Sixth graders take a walk in the wetlands at Gautier High School
Sun Herald
GAUTIER -- About 600 sixth-graders learned about the outdoors Thursday
morning at Gautier High School during My Two Boots: A Walk in the Wetlands,
a program the district has held for 11 years.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/25/4266693/sixth-graders-take-a-walk-in-the.html
Main Street/KAB plan weekend clean-up and recycle events
By Ida Brown
The Meridian Star
MERIDIAN — The weekend's anticipated cooler temperatures will be the
perfect complement to two Saturday morning cleanup events in downtown
Meridian.
http://meridianstar.com/local/x253554530/Main-Street-KAB-plan-weekend-clean-up-and-recycle-events
National News
EPA decision Nov. 6 on final coal ash cleanup
Knoxville News Sentinel
By Bob Fowler
Friday, October 26, 2012
KINGSTON — The Environmental Protection Agency's decision on how to proceed
with the final phase of TVA's cleanup of coal ash spilled in a 2008
calamity will be issued Nov. 6, an official said.
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/oct/26/epa-decision-nov-6-on-final-coal-ash-cleanup/
Press Releases
Coast Guard approves plan to secure containment dome
10/25/2012 10:56 AM EDT
NEW ORLEANS - The Federal On-Scene Coordinator for the Deepwater Horizon
oil spill in New Orleans authorized BP to proceed with a plan to cap and
plug the containment dome.
In 2010, the 40-foot-tall containment dome was used as a part of an attempt
to capture oil and allow it to flow through a pipe to a barge on the
surface. The technique was unsuccessful and the equipment was moved away
from the well head and riser and set in its current position approximately
500 meters from the original Macando well head.
The operation, which began Tuesday, included BP mobilizing a remotely
operated vehicle from the offshore construction vessel Skandi Neptune to
the containment dome to place a cap on top of the stove pipe and plug the
ROV connection ports on the sides and top of the structure. The cap and
plugs were successfully put in place and no further oil emissions from the
containment dome were observed.
BP has collected data via satellite throughout the operation and will
continue to do so for a five-day period following, in order to detect
changes in the surface sheen and to evaluate the effectiveness of these
actions in abating or eliminating the sheen. In addition, the Coast Guard
plans an overflight of the area later in the week.
Representatives from the Coast Guard, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and Gulf Coast Incident
Management Team's Department of Interior Liaison, as well as state on-scene
coordinators from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida observed the
controlled feed in New Orleans.
The FOSC has further directed BP to submit a feasibility plan that
considers the next steps toward either removing or remediating the threats
of oil posed by the riser pipe and containment dome.
The operation and proposed plan were in response to an oil sheen in the
vicinity of the Deepwater Horizon incident first reported to the National
Response Center Sept. 16. The Coast Guard issued a Notice of Federal
Interest to BP and Transocean after the reported sheen was correlated to
the oil that originated from BP's Macondo well.
The public is reminded to contact the National Response Center at
1-800-424-8802 to report all pollution incidents or the 8th Coast Guard
District command center at 504-589-6225 in the event of a marine emergency.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
News Clippings 10.25.12
Oil Spill
Criminal probe eyes remarks after Gulf spill, lawyers say
Houston Chronicle
The federal criminal probe of the 2010 Gulf oil spill is intensifying, with
particular focus on the companies involved, some of their workers and
statements executives made to investigators in the disaster's aftermath,
lawyers and officials familiar with the case say.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2012/10/23/criminal-probe-eyes-remarks-after-gulf-spill-lawyers-say/
U.S. kept photos of dead whale under wraps during spill, Greenpeace says
Updated: Wednesday, October 24, 2012, 6:48 PM
By Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
The environmental group Greenpeace is raising new questions about why it
took the federal government more than two years to release information
about a dead sperm whale that was discovered during the BP oil spill.
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2012/10/us_kept_photos_of_dead_whale_u.html
Louisiana Seeks Jury Trial on $1 Billion Claim Against BP
Bloomberg
Louisiana asked a federal judge to order a separate jury trial against BP
Plc (BP/) over the $1 billion in economic oil-spill losses that the state
claims BP has stopped paying.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-10-25/louisiana-seeks-jury-trial-on-1-billion-claim-against-bp
BP Urges Judge to Give Final Approval to Deepwater Settlement
Fox
BP PLC (BP) urged a judge to accept its proposed plan to settle billions of
dollars of claims due to economic loss in the Deepwater Horizon matter,
countering objections raised by some of the thousands of class-action
plaintiffs.
http://www.foxbusiness.com/news/2012/10/24/bp-urges-judge-to-give-final-approval-to-deepwater-settlement/
State News
Meridian's wastewater will help cool new MS Power plant
WLOX
When the new Mississippi Power Kemper County Lignite plant opens in 18
months, it will use millions of gallons of water a day to keep the
equipment cool. Usually, that means using water from a nearby lake or
river. But not this plant.
http://www.wlox.com/story/19909319/meridians-wastewater-will-help-cool-new-ms-power-plant
Treated Wastewater Arriving at Lignite Plant
WTOK
Treated wastewater from Meridian is now being used at the Kemper County
coal plant.
http://www.wtok.com/home/headlines/Treated-Wastewater-Arriving-at-Lignite-Plant-175696381.html
City water flowing at Kemper plant
By Terri Ferguson Smith
The Meridian Star
MERIDIAN — A 31-mile pipeline from Meridian to Kemper County is
delivering treated wastewater to the construction site of the new lignite
power plant.
http://meridianstar.com/local/x1400198490/City-water-flowing-at-Kemper-plant
Houston Landfill
WTVA
HOUSTON, Miss. (WTVA) -- Waste Management held their ribbon cutting for a
landfill facility in Houston today that will make the 6th facility of it's
kind in Mississippi, and what they are doing is converting what you throw
out into electricity for Mississippi.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/Houston-Landfill/KLEsrzmIBkmU1B56otO4Bw.cspx
New Waste-to-Energy Facility in Houston
WCBI
HOUSTON, Miss. (WCBI) – Governor Phil Bryant was in Houston Wednesday
morning for the dedication of Mississippi's newest waste-to-energy project.
http://www.wcbi.com/wordpress/video-new-waste-to-energy-facility-in-houston
IMMS forms partnership with Mississippi State University
WLOX
The Institute of Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport has launched a new
partnership with Mississippi State University. IMMS will be working with
the university's College of Veterinary Medicine to focus research efforts
on the Gulf of Mexico.
http://www.wlox.com/story/19904291/imms-forms-partnership-with-mississippi-state-university
IMMS, MSU announce partnership
Sun Herald
GULFPORT -- The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies and Mississippi State
University's College of Veterinary Medicine will work together to study the
health of the Gulf of Mexico, officials said.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/24/4262944/imms-msu-announce-partnership.html
Site selected for oil seed-crushing/biodiesel plant
by MBJ Staff
Published: October 24,2012
YAZOO COUNTY — Bio Energy, LLC has secured a site in Yazoo County to build
an oil seed-crushing/biodiesel plant. The entity operating this facility
will be known as Bio Energy Yazoo.
http://msbusiness.com/2012/10/site-selected-for-oil-seed-crushingbiodiesel-plant/
Household hazardous waste disposal event set for Nov. 3
Magee Courier
BY PAT?BROWN
Wednesday, October 24, 2012 11:23 AM CDT
Have you been wondering what to do with those old half used household items
like paint and household chemicals?
http://mageecourier-countynews.com/articles/2012/10/25/news/news03.txt
National News
Permits sought to study putting turbines in river
The Associated Press
NATCHEZ, MISS. — A company continues to study the feasibility of putting
power-generating turbines in the Mississippi River.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/25/4264508/permits-sought-to-study-putting.html
Environmental groups asking EPA to require toxic release reports for oil,
gas drilling
By Associated Press,
WASHINGTON — Environmental groups say they are asking the federal
Environmental Protection Agency to require toxic chemical release reporting
for the oil and gas industry.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/environmental-groups-asking-epa-to-require-toxic-release-reports-for-oil-gas-drilling/2012/10/24/5e0d03d2-1db3-11e2-8817-41b9a7aaabc7_story.html
Environmental Groups Ask EPA to Require Fracking Disclosure
Bloomberg
By Mark Drajem - Oct 24, 2012
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency should force oil and natural-gas
producers to disclose the chemicals they release during drilling, hydraulic
fracturing, compressing and storage, environmental groups said.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-10-24/environmental-groups-ask-epa-to-require-fracking-disclosure-1-.html
Cost of mining coal continues to climb
Washington Post
By Steven Mufson,
It's become common to blame the flagging fortunes of coal mining companies
on low natural gas prices that have convinced many U.S. utilities and
industries to slash their use of coal.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/cost-of-mining-coal-continues-to-climb/2012/10/24/d15666ca-1931-11e2-bd10-5ff056538b7c_story.html
Toxic cloud forces thousands in southeast Texas to stay indoors
CNN
(CNN) -- A toxic cloud that formed after 300 gallons of hydrochloric acid
leaked at a southeast Texas storage facility sent nine people to hospitals
and forced thousands of residents indoors, an emergency management official
said Thursday.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/25/us/texas-chemical-leak/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
'Green' growth fuels an entire industry
USA Today
6:01AM EDT October 25. 2012 - When Rob Watson was writing the nation's
first private standard for environmentally friendly construction in the
1990s, he wanted to require "green" buildings to get recertified after five
years to prove they were actually conserving energy and water.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/10/25/green-building-big-business-leed-certification/1655367/
Criminal probe eyes remarks after Gulf spill, lawyers say
Houston Chronicle
The federal criminal probe of the 2010 Gulf oil spill is intensifying, with
particular focus on the companies involved, some of their workers and
statements executives made to investigators in the disaster's aftermath,
lawyers and officials familiar with the case say.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2012/10/23/criminal-probe-eyes-remarks-after-gulf-spill-lawyers-say/
U.S. kept photos of dead whale under wraps during spill, Greenpeace says
Updated: Wednesday, October 24, 2012, 6:48 PM
By Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
The environmental group Greenpeace is raising new questions about why it
took the federal government more than two years to release information
about a dead sperm whale that was discovered during the BP oil spill.
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2012/10/us_kept_photos_of_dead_whale_u.html
Louisiana Seeks Jury Trial on $1 Billion Claim Against BP
Bloomberg
Louisiana asked a federal judge to order a separate jury trial against BP
Plc (BP/) over the $1 billion in economic oil-spill losses that the state
claims BP has stopped paying.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-10-25/louisiana-seeks-jury-trial-on-1-billion-claim-against-bp
BP Urges Judge to Give Final Approval to Deepwater Settlement
Fox
BP PLC (BP) urged a judge to accept its proposed plan to settle billions of
dollars of claims due to economic loss in the Deepwater Horizon matter,
countering objections raised by some of the thousands of class-action
plaintiffs.
http://www.foxbusiness.com/news/2012/10/24/bp-urges-judge-to-give-final-approval-to-deepwater-settlement/
State News
Meridian's wastewater will help cool new MS Power plant
WLOX
When the new Mississippi Power Kemper County Lignite plant opens in 18
months, it will use millions of gallons of water a day to keep the
equipment cool. Usually, that means using water from a nearby lake or
river. But not this plant.
http://www.wlox.com/story/19909319/meridians-wastewater-will-help-cool-new-ms-power-plant
Treated Wastewater Arriving at Lignite Plant
WTOK
Treated wastewater from Meridian is now being used at the Kemper County
coal plant.
http://www.wtok.com/home/headlines/Treated-Wastewater-Arriving-at-Lignite-Plant-175696381.html
City water flowing at Kemper plant
By Terri Ferguson Smith
The Meridian Star
MERIDIAN — A 31-mile pipeline from Meridian to Kemper County is
delivering treated wastewater to the construction site of the new lignite
power plant.
http://meridianstar.com/local/x1400198490/City-water-flowing-at-Kemper-plant
Houston Landfill
WTVA
HOUSTON, Miss. (WTVA) -- Waste Management held their ribbon cutting for a
landfill facility in Houston today that will make the 6th facility of it's
kind in Mississippi, and what they are doing is converting what you throw
out into electricity for Mississippi.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/Houston-Landfill/KLEsrzmIBkmU1B56otO4Bw.cspx
New Waste-to-Energy Facility in Houston
WCBI
HOUSTON, Miss. (WCBI) – Governor Phil Bryant was in Houston Wednesday
morning for the dedication of Mississippi's newest waste-to-energy project.
http://www.wcbi.com/wordpress/video-new-waste-to-energy-facility-in-houston
IMMS forms partnership with Mississippi State University
WLOX
The Institute of Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport has launched a new
partnership with Mississippi State University. IMMS will be working with
the university's College of Veterinary Medicine to focus research efforts
on the Gulf of Mexico.
http://www.wlox.com/story/19904291/imms-forms-partnership-with-mississippi-state-university
IMMS, MSU announce partnership
Sun Herald
GULFPORT -- The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies and Mississippi State
University's College of Veterinary Medicine will work together to study the
health of the Gulf of Mexico, officials said.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/24/4262944/imms-msu-announce-partnership.html
Site selected for oil seed-crushing/biodiesel plant
by MBJ Staff
Published: October 24,2012
YAZOO COUNTY — Bio Energy, LLC has secured a site in Yazoo County to build
an oil seed-crushing/biodiesel plant. The entity operating this facility
will be known as Bio Energy Yazoo.
http://msbusiness.com/2012/10/site-selected-for-oil-seed-crushingbiodiesel-plant/
Household hazardous waste disposal event set for Nov. 3
Magee Courier
BY PAT?BROWN
Wednesday, October 24, 2012 11:23 AM CDT
Have you been wondering what to do with those old half used household items
like paint and household chemicals?
http://mageecourier-countynews.com/articles/2012/10/25/news/news03.txt
National News
Permits sought to study putting turbines in river
The Associated Press
NATCHEZ, MISS. — A company continues to study the feasibility of putting
power-generating turbines in the Mississippi River.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/25/4264508/permits-sought-to-study-putting.html
Environmental groups asking EPA to require toxic release reports for oil,
gas drilling
By Associated Press,
WASHINGTON — Environmental groups say they are asking the federal
Environmental Protection Agency to require toxic chemical release reporting
for the oil and gas industry.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/environmental-groups-asking-epa-to-require-toxic-release-reports-for-oil-gas-drilling/2012/10/24/5e0d03d2-1db3-11e2-8817-41b9a7aaabc7_story.html
Environmental Groups Ask EPA to Require Fracking Disclosure
Bloomberg
By Mark Drajem - Oct 24, 2012
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency should force oil and natural-gas
producers to disclose the chemicals they release during drilling, hydraulic
fracturing, compressing and storage, environmental groups said.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-10-24/environmental-groups-ask-epa-to-require-fracking-disclosure-1-.html
Cost of mining coal continues to climb
Washington Post
By Steven Mufson,
It's become common to blame the flagging fortunes of coal mining companies
on low natural gas prices that have convinced many U.S. utilities and
industries to slash their use of coal.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/cost-of-mining-coal-continues-to-climb/2012/10/24/d15666ca-1931-11e2-bd10-5ff056538b7c_story.html
Toxic cloud forces thousands in southeast Texas to stay indoors
CNN
(CNN) -- A toxic cloud that formed after 300 gallons of hydrochloric acid
leaked at a southeast Texas storage facility sent nine people to hospitals
and forced thousands of residents indoors, an emergency management official
said Thursday.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/25/us/texas-chemical-leak/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
'Green' growth fuels an entire industry
USA Today
6:01AM EDT October 25. 2012 - When Rob Watson was writing the nation's
first private standard for environmentally friendly construction in the
1990s, he wanted to require "green" buildings to get recertified after five
years to prove they were actually conserving energy and water.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/10/25/green-building-big-business-leed-certification/1655367/
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
News Clippings 10/24/12
Oil Spill
BP asks for Gulf spill deal OK despite objections
AP
NEW ORLEANS -- Oil giant BP has asked a federal judge to disregard
objections from a fraction of claimants and give final approval to a
proposed multibillion-dollar settlement over economic damages from the Gulf
oil spill.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/10/bp_asks_for_gulf_spill_deal_ok.html#incart_river
Local agencies seek tax dollars from BP
Daily Comet
By Katie Urbaszewski
Published: Tuesday, October 23, 2012 at 7:16 p.m.
Governments across south Louisiana soon plan to file claims against BP,
naming the amount of tax revenue they believe the 2010 oil spill kept them
from receiving.
http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20121023/ARTICLES/121029846
La., Ala. vie for BP dollars
Op-Ed
Shreveport Times
Here near the peak of both football and election seasons, it seems strange
for a Louisiana senator to side with one from Alabama in a dispute in which
Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration is agreeing with President Barack
Obama's.
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20121023/OPINION0108/210230316/La-Ala-vie-BP-dollars?odyssey=nav%7Chead
Two years after moratorium lifted, many expect Gulf oil production to soon
exceed pre-spill levels
Times Picayune
Two years after the White House lifted a moratorium on deepwater drilling
in the wake of the BP oil spill, federal regulators have issued the most
permits for new wells since 2007, and many in the industry expect oil
production in the Gulf of Mexico to soon exceed pre-spill levels.
http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2012/10/many_expect_gulf_oil_productio.html
State News
Household hazardous waste collected
The Picayune Item
PICAYUNE — Pearl River County had a successful hazardous waste collection
day over the weekend. Saturday, Fire Marshal Albert Lee, with the support
of MDEQ, accepted hazardous wastes from county residents to have them
disposed of properly. Lee estimates that about 20 gallons of gasoline, 10
gallons of antifreeze, about 400 gallons of paints, stains and thinners,
four gallons of kerosene, three cylinders of propane, about 300 gallons of
oils and various numbers of cleaning supplies, furniture polish, pool
chemicals, insect killer cans and fertilizers were colleced.
http://picayuneitem.com/local/x1200646191/Household-hazardous-waste-collected
Renew Our Rivers 2012 event hauls in 10 tons of trash
Mississippi Press
Volunteers hauled in more than 10 tons of trash and debris from this year's
Renew Our Rivers event, Mississippi Power Co. representatives said today.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/10/renew_our_rivers_event_hauls_i.html#incart_river
Endangered woodpeckers caught, driven to new homes in South Mississippi
By JANET McCONNAUGHEY — Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS -- It's autumn, the season to carry endangered woodpeckers to
new territory.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/23/4261451/endangered-woodpeckers-caught.html
National News
American Farm Bureau caught in crossfire over biofuels
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 10/23/12 05:41 PM ET
Tensions among ranchers and farmers might lead the nation's largest farm
lobby to alter its position on the federal biofuel mandate.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/263677-american-farm-bureau-caught-in-crossfire-on-biofuels
BOOM — U.S. may soon become world's top oil producer; no translation to
pump soon
MBJ
by Ross Reily
Published: October 23,2012
NEW YORK — U.S. oil output is surging so fast that the United States could
soon overtake Saudi Arabia as the world's biggest producer.
http://msbusiness.com/2012/10/boom-u-s-may-soon-become-worlds-top-oil-producer-no-translation-to-pump-soon/
Invasive Grasses as Biofuel? Scientists Protest
NY Times
By JOANNA M. FOSTER
More than 200 scientists from across the country have sent a letter to the
Obama administration urging the Environmental Protection Agency to
reconsider a rule, in the final approval stages, that would allow two
invasive grasses, Arundo donax and Pennisetum purpureum, to qualify as
advanced biofuel feedstock under the nation's renewable fuel standard.
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/23/invasive-grasses-as-biofuel-scientists-protest/
Spilman Thomas & Battle files suit against U.S. EPA
State Journal
Posted: Oct 23, 2012 10:35 AM CDTUpdated: Oct 23, 2012 11:02 AM CDT
Spilman Thomas & Battle PLLC recently filed a suit against the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency challenging air regulations, which lawyers
say puts an unfair burden on smaller natural gas producers.
http://www.statejournal.com/story/19892133/spilman-thomas-battle-sues-us-epa
BP asks for Gulf spill deal OK despite objections
AP
NEW ORLEANS -- Oil giant BP has asked a federal judge to disregard
objections from a fraction of claimants and give final approval to a
proposed multibillion-dollar settlement over economic damages from the Gulf
oil spill.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/10/bp_asks_for_gulf_spill_deal_ok.html#incart_river
Local agencies seek tax dollars from BP
Daily Comet
By Katie Urbaszewski
Published: Tuesday, October 23, 2012 at 7:16 p.m.
Governments across south Louisiana soon plan to file claims against BP,
naming the amount of tax revenue they believe the 2010 oil spill kept them
from receiving.
http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20121023/ARTICLES/121029846
La., Ala. vie for BP dollars
Op-Ed
Shreveport Times
Here near the peak of both football and election seasons, it seems strange
for a Louisiana senator to side with one from Alabama in a dispute in which
Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration is agreeing with President Barack
Obama's.
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20121023/OPINION0108/210230316/La-Ala-vie-BP-dollars?odyssey=nav%7Chead
Two years after moratorium lifted, many expect Gulf oil production to soon
exceed pre-spill levels
Times Picayune
Two years after the White House lifted a moratorium on deepwater drilling
in the wake of the BP oil spill, federal regulators have issued the most
permits for new wells since 2007, and many in the industry expect oil
production in the Gulf of Mexico to soon exceed pre-spill levels.
http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2012/10/many_expect_gulf_oil_productio.html
State News
Household hazardous waste collected
The Picayune Item
PICAYUNE — Pearl River County had a successful hazardous waste collection
day over the weekend. Saturday, Fire Marshal Albert Lee, with the support
of MDEQ, accepted hazardous wastes from county residents to have them
disposed of properly. Lee estimates that about 20 gallons of gasoline, 10
gallons of antifreeze, about 400 gallons of paints, stains and thinners,
four gallons of kerosene, three cylinders of propane, about 300 gallons of
oils and various numbers of cleaning supplies, furniture polish, pool
chemicals, insect killer cans and fertilizers were colleced.
http://picayuneitem.com/local/x1200646191/Household-hazardous-waste-collected
Renew Our Rivers 2012 event hauls in 10 tons of trash
Mississippi Press
Volunteers hauled in more than 10 tons of trash and debris from this year's
Renew Our Rivers event, Mississippi Power Co. representatives said today.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/10/renew_our_rivers_event_hauls_i.html#incart_river
Endangered woodpeckers caught, driven to new homes in South Mississippi
By JANET McCONNAUGHEY — Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS -- It's autumn, the season to carry endangered woodpeckers to
new territory.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/23/4261451/endangered-woodpeckers-caught.html
National News
American Farm Bureau caught in crossfire over biofuels
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 10/23/12 05:41 PM ET
Tensions among ranchers and farmers might lead the nation's largest farm
lobby to alter its position on the federal biofuel mandate.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/263677-american-farm-bureau-caught-in-crossfire-on-biofuels
BOOM — U.S. may soon become world's top oil producer; no translation to
pump soon
MBJ
by Ross Reily
Published: October 23,2012
NEW YORK — U.S. oil output is surging so fast that the United States could
soon overtake Saudi Arabia as the world's biggest producer.
http://msbusiness.com/2012/10/boom-u-s-may-soon-become-worlds-top-oil-producer-no-translation-to-pump-soon/
Invasive Grasses as Biofuel? Scientists Protest
NY Times
By JOANNA M. FOSTER
More than 200 scientists from across the country have sent a letter to the
Obama administration urging the Environmental Protection Agency to
reconsider a rule, in the final approval stages, that would allow two
invasive grasses, Arundo donax and Pennisetum purpureum, to qualify as
advanced biofuel feedstock under the nation's renewable fuel standard.
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/23/invasive-grasses-as-biofuel-scientists-protest/
Spilman Thomas & Battle files suit against U.S. EPA
State Journal
Posted: Oct 23, 2012 10:35 AM CDTUpdated: Oct 23, 2012 11:02 AM CDT
Spilman Thomas & Battle PLLC recently filed a suit against the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency challenging air regulations, which lawyers
say puts an unfair burden on smaller natural gas producers.
http://www.statejournal.com/story/19892133/spilman-thomas-battle-sues-us-epa
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
News Clippings 10.23.12
Oil Spill
BP to question official over oil spill amount
By Harry R. Weber | Monday, October 22, 2012
Houston Chronicle
BP lawyers will get nearly nine hours to grill a key U.S. official over the
accuracy of the government's conclusion about how much oil spewed from an
undersea well that blew out in the Gulf of Mexico more than two years ago
and led to the worst-ever U.S. offshore oil spill.
http://www.chron.com/business/energy/article/BP-to-question-official-over-oil-spill-amount-3972536.php
RESTORE Act should be honored in BP negotiations
Editorial – The Advertiser
Two years after the largest oil spill in U.S. history, BP is still
negotiating settlements that could amount to billions of dollars for the
five Gulf Coast states affected by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster.
http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20121023/OPINION/210230302/RESTORE-Act-should-honored-BP-negotiations?nclick_check=1
Combination of Gulf oil and dispersant spell potential trouble for gut
microbes
October 23, 2012
Phys.org
A study to be published in mBio, the online open-access journal of the
American Society for Microbiology, on Tuesday, October 23, examined whether
crude oil from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the dispersant used on
it, or a combination of the two might affect the microbes of the human
digestive tract.
http://phys.org/news/2012-10-combination-gulf-oil-dispersant-potential.html
BP Will Switch Russian Partners Through a Deal With Rosneft
NY Times
BY ANDREW E. KRAMER AND STANLEY REED
MOSCOW — After years of feuding with its longtime Russian partners, the
British oil giant BP has formally filed for divorce and announced plans to
move in with someone wealthier and more powerful: the Russian state oil
company Rosneft.
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/10/22/bp-near-deal-to-sell-assets-to-rosneft/
State News
Volunteers clean Crystal Lake area
Organizer cites love of boating, biblical mandate
Clarion Ledger
While paddling this summer past cypress trees, reeds and wildlife as he
perched in a canoe on Crystal Lake, Luke Bert came away from the boat ride
with one thought.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20121023/NEWS/310190077/Volunteers-clean-Crystal-Lake-area
Economic opportunity seen in blue crab aquaculture
WLOX
If you enjoy eating soft shell crabs, there's good news for future supplies
of that seafood. USM's Gulf Coast Research Lab in Ocean Springs is working
with several other agencies to promote blue crab aquaculture.
http://www.wlox.com/story/19884611/economic-opportunity-seen-in-blue-crab-aquaculture
State boosts water scores overall
By EMILY LE COZ — Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal
TUPELO -- Mississippi's drinking water supply improved overall since last
year based on a trio of indicators published recently by the state
Department of Health.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/22/4258968/state-boosts-water-scores-overall.html
Company, county work through trash issues
Sun Herald
Three weeks since Waste Pro began collecting trash for Harrison County,
some people are still complaining about service while Supervisor Connie
Rockco said problems are being worked out.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/22/4258993/company-county-work-through-trash.html
The Big Chill: energy savings on tap
Supervisors tour new chiller plant
By ROBERT LEE LONG
DeSoto Times
Published: Tuesday, October 23, 2012 1:05 AM CDT
DeSoto County Supervisors Monday toured the county's $3.5 chiller plant
which converted the county's antiquated heating and cooling systems into a
state-of-the-art system which uses chilled water pumped through underground
pipes to facilities both at the DeSoto County Administrative Building and
the historic DeSoto County Courthouse.
http://www.desototimes.com/articles/2012/10/23/news/doc5085df7de2cfa184904538.prt
Port will decide between two new expansion plans
WLOX
Plans to expand the State Port at Gulfport are evolving. Two proposals are
currently under consideration and both eliminate the expensive and
controversial plan to elevate the port from 10 feet to 25 feet.
http://www.wlox.com/story/19883618/port-will-decide-between-two-new-expansion-plans
Mooreheads' backyard in Pascagoula a Certified Wildlife Habitat by National
Wildlife Federation
Mississippi Press
PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- Sharon Moorehead has a really wild backyard and
she has the sign to prove it.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-living/2012/10/mooreheads_backyard_in_pascago.html#incart_river
National News
Groups commenting on Corps plan for river basin
By The Associated Press
GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Advocacy groups can weigh in as the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers seeks public comment before creating a new plan for managing a
river basin shared by Alabama, Florida and Georgia.
http://blog.al.com/wire/2012/10/groups_commenting_on_corps_pla.html#incart_river
IHS report: Unconventional oil & gas to be economic driver
Houston Chronicle
A surge in unconventional oil and gas extraction nationwide will trigger
more than $5.1 trillion in capital spending and support more than 3.5
million jobs by 2035, according to a new IHS Global Insight study.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2012/10/23/ihs-report-unconventional-oil-gas-to-be-economic-driver/
Opinion
The Obama Storm Tax
The EPA turns its unsubtle charms on cities. Get ready to pay.
Wall Street Journal
Behold the Obama Administration's new public works plan. Sue cities for
polluting waterways and then as part of a settlement require them to
spend, er, "invest" billions in extraneous sewer improvements. The White
House doesn't even need legislation to pour this money down the drain.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444799904578052673425236066.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
BP to question official over oil spill amount
By Harry R. Weber | Monday, October 22, 2012
Houston Chronicle
BP lawyers will get nearly nine hours to grill a key U.S. official over the
accuracy of the government's conclusion about how much oil spewed from an
undersea well that blew out in the Gulf of Mexico more than two years ago
and led to the worst-ever U.S. offshore oil spill.
http://www.chron.com/business/energy/article/BP-to-question-official-over-oil-spill-amount-3972536.php
RESTORE Act should be honored in BP negotiations
Editorial – The Advertiser
Two years after the largest oil spill in U.S. history, BP is still
negotiating settlements that could amount to billions of dollars for the
five Gulf Coast states affected by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster.
http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20121023/OPINION/210230302/RESTORE-Act-should-honored-BP-negotiations?nclick_check=1
Combination of Gulf oil and dispersant spell potential trouble for gut
microbes
October 23, 2012
Phys.org
A study to be published in mBio, the online open-access journal of the
American Society for Microbiology, on Tuesday, October 23, examined whether
crude oil from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the dispersant used on
it, or a combination of the two might affect the microbes of the human
digestive tract.
http://phys.org/news/2012-10-combination-gulf-oil-dispersant-potential.html
BP Will Switch Russian Partners Through a Deal With Rosneft
NY Times
BY ANDREW E. KRAMER AND STANLEY REED
MOSCOW — After years of feuding with its longtime Russian partners, the
British oil giant BP has formally filed for divorce and announced plans to
move in with someone wealthier and more powerful: the Russian state oil
company Rosneft.
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/10/22/bp-near-deal-to-sell-assets-to-rosneft/
State News
Volunteers clean Crystal Lake area
Organizer cites love of boating, biblical mandate
Clarion Ledger
While paddling this summer past cypress trees, reeds and wildlife as he
perched in a canoe on Crystal Lake, Luke Bert came away from the boat ride
with one thought.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20121023/NEWS/310190077/Volunteers-clean-Crystal-Lake-area
Economic opportunity seen in blue crab aquaculture
WLOX
If you enjoy eating soft shell crabs, there's good news for future supplies
of that seafood. USM's Gulf Coast Research Lab in Ocean Springs is working
with several other agencies to promote blue crab aquaculture.
http://www.wlox.com/story/19884611/economic-opportunity-seen-in-blue-crab-aquaculture
State boosts water scores overall
By EMILY LE COZ — Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal
TUPELO -- Mississippi's drinking water supply improved overall since last
year based on a trio of indicators published recently by the state
Department of Health.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/22/4258968/state-boosts-water-scores-overall.html
Company, county work through trash issues
Sun Herald
Three weeks since Waste Pro began collecting trash for Harrison County,
some people are still complaining about service while Supervisor Connie
Rockco said problems are being worked out.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/22/4258993/company-county-work-through-trash.html
The Big Chill: energy savings on tap
Supervisors tour new chiller plant
By ROBERT LEE LONG
DeSoto Times
Published: Tuesday, October 23, 2012 1:05 AM CDT
DeSoto County Supervisors Monday toured the county's $3.5 chiller plant
which converted the county's antiquated heating and cooling systems into a
state-of-the-art system which uses chilled water pumped through underground
pipes to facilities both at the DeSoto County Administrative Building and
the historic DeSoto County Courthouse.
http://www.desototimes.com/articles/2012/10/23/news/doc5085df7de2cfa184904538.prt
Port will decide between two new expansion plans
WLOX
Plans to expand the State Port at Gulfport are evolving. Two proposals are
currently under consideration and both eliminate the expensive and
controversial plan to elevate the port from 10 feet to 25 feet.
http://www.wlox.com/story/19883618/port-will-decide-between-two-new-expansion-plans
Mooreheads' backyard in Pascagoula a Certified Wildlife Habitat by National
Wildlife Federation
Mississippi Press
PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- Sharon Moorehead has a really wild backyard and
she has the sign to prove it.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-living/2012/10/mooreheads_backyard_in_pascago.html#incart_river
National News
Groups commenting on Corps plan for river basin
By The Associated Press
GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Advocacy groups can weigh in as the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers seeks public comment before creating a new plan for managing a
river basin shared by Alabama, Florida and Georgia.
http://blog.al.com/wire/2012/10/groups_commenting_on_corps_pla.html#incart_river
IHS report: Unconventional oil & gas to be economic driver
Houston Chronicle
A surge in unconventional oil and gas extraction nationwide will trigger
more than $5.1 trillion in capital spending and support more than 3.5
million jobs by 2035, according to a new IHS Global Insight study.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2012/10/23/ihs-report-unconventional-oil-gas-to-be-economic-driver/
Opinion
The Obama Storm Tax
The EPA turns its unsubtle charms on cities. Get ready to pay.
Wall Street Journal
Behold the Obama Administration's new public works plan. Sue cities for
polluting waterways and then as part of a settlement require them to
spend, er, "invest" billions in extraneous sewer improvements. The White
House doesn't even need legislation to pour this money down the drain.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444799904578052673425236066.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Monday, October 22, 2012
News Clippings 10/22/12
Russian giant Rosneft buys out TNK-BP from tycoons, BP
By Associated Press, Updated: Monday, October 22, 6:39 AM
LONDON — Russian oil giant Rosneft is to buy TNK-BP, the joint venture
between AAR, a group of Russian oil oligarchs, and BP, the British the
energy company.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/bp-confirms-talks-with-rosneft-to-sell-tnk-bp-stake-no-deal-yet/2012/10/22/e58f1674-1c19-11e2-8817-41b9a7aaabc7_print.html
BP's future hinges on outcome of Russian oil-venture deal, charges in gulf
oil spill
Washington Post
By Steven Mufson, Published: October 20 | Updated: Sunday, October 21, 1:40
PM
The oil giant BP is staring at two giant decisions.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/bps-future-hinges-on-outcome-of-russian-oil-venture-deal-charges-in-gulf-oil-spill/2012/10/20/ec975f6a-195a-11e2-bd10-5ff056538b7c_print.html
Environmental groups oppose BP settlement
Houma Today
By Nikki Buskey
Published: Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 6:01 a.m.
Environmental groups are crying foul after recent reports that BP has
offered to settle environmental damage fines related to the 2010 Gulf oil
spill for $16 billion to $18 billion.
http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20121020/ARTICLES/121029996/1211/news01?Title=Environmental-groups-oppose-BP-settlement
Bentley Fighing to Get Money from Restore Act
(POINT CLEAR, Ala.) - Governor Robert Bentley said Sunday he's working to
get Gulf Coast states as much money(Embedded image moved to file:
pic17451.jpg) as possible from the Restore Act.
http://www.utv44.com/news/local/story/Bentley-Fighing-to-Get-Money-from-Restore-Act/RYO9mS2X3U-n6gLlHC1Log.cspx
THE NORTHWEST FLORIDA DAILY NEWS (Fort Walton Beach, Fla.): Hands off the
RESTORE Act
By AN EDITORIAL OPINION OF THE NORTHWEST FLORIDA DAILY NEWS (Fort Walton
Beach, Fla.)
Until a few days ago, we thought the biggest challenge facing states that
expect to receive RESTORE Act dollars would be spending the money in a
transparent, aboveboard fashion. Then everything got more complicated.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/21/4254121/the-northwest-florida-daily-news.html
State News
Recycling expanded at MS Coastal Clean up
WLOX
Less of the trash from the Mississippi Coastal clean up will end up in a
landfill as more volunteers get the chance to go green.
http://www.wlox.com/story/19871411/recycling-expanded-at-ms-coastal-clean-up
Volunteers make 24th annual Coast Cleanup a success (updated)
Mississippi Press
OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi --- Aubrey Brink beamed with pride at her find.
One of the hundreds of Jackson County volunteers who turned out for
Saturday's 24th annual Mississippi Coastal Cleanup, Brink had found, in
amongst the debris and trash she and many others picked up Saturday
morning, a tiny turtle.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/10/volunteers_make_24th_coast_cle.html#incart_river
UA hears proposal from local land owner
Picayune Item
By Jeremy Pittari
PICAYUNE — A local land owner presented a proposition to the Pearl River
County Utility Authority during its meeting Thursday afternoon.
http://picayuneitem.com/local/x688444096/UA-hears-proposal-from-local-land-owner
Hazardous waste collection Saturday
The Picayune Item
PICAYUNE — Pearl River County Fire Marshal Albert Lee wants to remind
residents who may have hazardous waste and debris damage from Hurricane
Isaac, that he will be at a collection site that will accept household
hazardous waste on Saturday from 9 a.m. through 5 p.m.
http://picayuneitem.com/local/x1200640574/Hazardous-waste-collection-Saturday
Mississippi Power files updated assumptions
The Meridian Star
MERIDIAN — As part of its ongoing review process for the Kemper County
energy facility project, Mississippi Power filed updated assumptions to
both cost and schedule in its monthly construction report to the
Mississippi Public Service Commission.
http://meridianstar.com/local/x1400189322/Mississippi-Power-files-updated-assumptions
Army Corp To Lay 1,000-Acres Of Protective Concrete
MPB
PUBLISHED BY JEFFREY HESS ON 19 OCT 2012 03:45PM
The low river level along the Mississippi River is giving the Army Corp of
Engineers two additional months to repair and shore up the levees. MPB's
Jeffrey Hess reports a one-of-a-kind machine is laying protective concrete
squares called mats.
http://mpbonline.org/News/article/army_corp_to_lay_1000_acres_of_protective_concrete
Hairy crazy ants in South Mississippi to stay, experts say
Sun Herald
Looks like the Coast is stuck with hairy crazy ants.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/20/4255687/hairy-crazy-ants-in-south-mississippi.html
Light sentences, expunged records prompt officials to call for new laws
Clarion Ledger
Margaret Cooper stole from the Mississippi Crime Stoppers program she
directed, using the money to pay for movie tickets, hair appointments and
trips to the vet for her pet.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20121021/NEWS/310210041/Light-sentences-expunged-records-prompt-officials-call-new-laws?odyssey=nav%7Chead
National News
Obama's record: Environmental agenda pushes sweeping attack on air
pollution
Washington Post
By Juliet Eilperin, Published: October 21
The day after the November 2010 elections made clear President Obama's
greenhouse-gas legislation was doomed, he vowed to keep trying to curb
emissions linked to global warming. There's more than one way of "skinning
the cat," he told reporters.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/obamas-record-environmental-agenda-pushes-sweeping-attack-on-air-pollution/2012/10/21/44173f74-f603-11e1-8398-0327ab83ab91_print.html
WHY IT MATTERS: Clean air and water, but at what price?
By Associated Press, Published: October 19
The issue:
Everyone wants clean air and water. But people also want to drive their
cars whenever they wish and light up a room by flipping a switch. It's a
never-ending balancing act for government as it tries to protect health and
the environment while promoting economic growth and jobs.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/why-it-matters-clean-air-and-water-but-at-what-price/2012/10/19/c6a90d94-19c3-11e2-ad4a-e5a958b60a1e_print.html
After the Boom in Natural Gas
NY Times
By CLIFFORD KRAUSS and ERIC LIPTON
EVELYN, La.
THE crew of workers fought off the blistering Louisiana sun, jerking their
wrenches to tighten the fat hoses that would connect their cement trucks to
the Chesapeake Energy drill rig — one of the last two rigs the company is
still using to drill for natural gas here in the Haynesville Shale.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/21/business/energy-environment/in-a-natural-gas-glut-big-winners-and-losers.html?ref=earth&pagewanted=print
Opinion
Recycling Helps, but It's Not All You Can Do for the Environment
NY Times
By ALINA TUGEND
LIKE most households, we recycle pretty religiously. It's easy, though,
because our town in suburban New York allows us to throw pretty much
everything into one bin, and it gets picked up at the curb.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/20/your-money/recycling-helps-but-its-not-all-you-do-for-the-environment.html?_r=1&ref=earth&pagewanted=print
Saturday, October 20, 2012
MDEQ Lifts Beach Closure in Pass Christian
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
Phil Bryant, GOVERNOR
MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Trudy D. Fisher, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Robbie Wilbur
October 20, 2012 601/961-5277
MDEQ Lifts Beach Closure in Pass Christian
(JACKSON, Miss.) -- The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
(MDEQ), through its Beach Monitoring Program, has lifted a beach closure
for the following monitoring station in Harrison County:
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|Station 5 -- Pass Christian West –from Fort Henry Avenue east to Elliot |
|Street. |
| |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Water samples show the area has attained acceptable bacteria levels. The
Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, which performs water sampling of the
Mississippi Gulf Coast beaches for MDEQ, notifies the agency when an area
returns to acceptable levels and safe conditions.
For more information on what stations are open and closed, access the
Mississippi Beach Monitoring Program at:
http://www.usm.edu/gcrl/msbeach/index.cgi.
To receive beach advisories directly, send an email to
rwilbur@deq.state.ms.us for inclusion in a public group email list or
follow MDEQ on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/MDEQ.
# # #
Mr. Robbie Wilbur
Communications Director
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
Post Office Box 2261
Jackson, Mississippi 39225
601/961-5277
601/421-5699 (c)
601/961-5715 (f)
rwilbur@deq.state.ms.us
Connect with MDEQ on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/MDEQ/118172664880239?v=wall
Follow MDEQ on Twitter
http://twitter.com/#!/MDEQ
Friday, October 19, 2012
MDEQ Newsletter - October 2012
Please use the link below to access the October 2012 newsletter from the
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. Thanks for your interest.
http://bit.ly/RcORXI
If you know of anyone that would like to subscribe, send them this link:
http://www.deq.state.ms.us/MDEQ.nsf/Newsletter?OpenForm
Connect with MDEQ on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/MDEQ/118172664880239?v=wall
Follow MDEQ on Twitter
http://twitter.com/#!/MDEQ
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. Thanks for your interest.
http://bit.ly/RcORXI
If you know of anyone that would like to subscribe, send them this link:
http://www.deq.state.ms.us/MDEQ.nsf/Newsletter?OpenForm
Connect with MDEQ on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/MDEQ/118172664880239?v=wall
Follow MDEQ on Twitter
http://twitter.com/#!/MDEQ
News Clippings 10/19/12 - Part II
Here's a profile on Trudy from Delta Business Journal
(See attached file: DBJprofile.pdf)
(See attached file: DBJprofile.pdf)
News Clippings 10/19/12
Oil Spill
BP could reap billions of dollars in tax credits from oil spill settlement
Thursday, October 18, 2012, 7:16 PM
Press Register
By George Talbot
BP, which caused the biggest environmental catastrophe ever seen on U.S.
shores, may be poised to receive the biggest tax break in American history
as a result of it.
http://blog.al.com/live/2012/10/bp_could_reap_billions_of_doll.html
BP Could Receive Billions Of Dollars In Tax Breaks
(MOBILE, Ala.) Oil giant BP could be in the running for billions of dollars
in tax breaks if a settlement with the federal government is reached.
http://www.local15tv.com/news/local/story/BP-Could-Receive-Billions-Of-Dollars-In-Tax-Breaks/PFfL5JKkh0yB7VkcdD_r2A.cspx
Coastal Recovery Not Possible without RESTORE Cash
WKRG
FAIRHOPE, Alabama --
Spilling five million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 is
expected to cost BP as much as 20 billion dollars in Clean Water Act fines
and penalties.
http://www2.wkrg.com/news/2012/oct/17/c-ar-4777520/
BP says recent oil sheen in Gulf likely came from discarded equipment
By Richard Thompson, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune.
BP officials said Thursday that a sheen recently spotted near the site of
the massive Gulf oil spill two years ago appears to be leaking from a piece
of discarded equipment that was used in the early stages of the response.
http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2012/10/bp_says_recent_oil_sheen_in_gu.html
BP reports source of sheen at Deepwater Horizon spill site is from
discarded equipment
AP
NEW ORLEANS -- BP PLC says a sheen on the Gulf of Mexico appears to have
come from oil seeping out of a piece of discarded equipment used to contain
its massive 2010 oil spill.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/10/bp_reports_source_of_sheen_at.html#
BP says gulf oil sheen not from a fresh leak
Washington Post
By Steven Mufson,
BP said Thursday that an oil sheen detected in the Gulf of Mexico last
month probably came from crude trapped in the giant coffer dam that the
company used in a futile attempt to capture the oil that was spilling from
a BP well in 2010.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/bp-says-recent-gulf-oil-sheen-was-not-a-leak/2012/10/18/5bf387e8-195c-11e2-bd10-5ff056538b7c_story.html
Coast Guard: Gulf oil slick comes from device used in 2010 spill
Houston Chronicle
An undersea camera confirms that an oil slick discovered in the Gulf of
Mexico came from a 100-ton device on the seafloor that BP had used several
weeks after the 2010 oil spill in a failed attempt to cap its runaway
Macondo well, the U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2012/10/18/source-gulf-oil-slick-coming-from-abandoned-containment-device/
State News
Port Director Don Allee resigns
WLOX
Don Allee, Executive Director and CEO of the Mississippi State Port
Authority at Gulfport, resigned Friday morning effective November 2, 2012.
http://www.wlox.com/story/19863571/port-director-don-allee-resigns
Grant to Address Smithville Sewer Issues
BY
STEVE ROGERS
– OCTOBER 19, 2012
WCBI
SMITHVILLE, Miss. — Mayor Gregg Kennedy received notice from Governor Phil
Bryant that the Town of Smithville's application for Small Government
Public Facilities funds through the Community Development Block Grant
(CDBG) Program in the amount of $449,646 was approved by the Mississippi
Development Authority.
http://www.wcbi.com/wordpress/grant-to-address-smithville-sewer-issues
Clogged sewer line causing back ups
WLBT
The Jackson Public Works department is working to clear a clogged sewer
line on Powers Avenue. The 21 inch line has been backed up for several
hours.
http://www.wlbt.com/story/19864241/clogged-sewer-line-causing-back-ups
DMR attorneys looking at legality of land swap
Sun Herald
By KAREN NELSON — klnelson@sunherald.com
OCEAN SPRINGS -- Lawyers at the state Department of Marine Resources are
looking at a proposal to swap land and businesses the DMR owns at the Ocean
Springs Harbor for acreage in Biloxi.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/18/4252836/dmr-attorneys-looking-at-legality.html
Page 13: Exploring the coast's natural beauty
WLOX
The coast's rich heritage and natural beauty are enjoyed by hundreds of
tourists every year when they step on board the Sailfish. The boat in the
Biloxi Small Craft Harbor conducts tours of our marine environment and
shows visitors what its like to shrimp.
http://www.wlox.com/story/19845922/page-13-exploring-the-coasts-natural-beauty
Miss. officials certify saltwater fishing records
AP
BILOXI, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi Commission on Marine Resources says it
has certified two new saltwater fishing records.
http://www.fox40tv.com/news/local/story/Miss-officials-certify-saltwater-fishing-records/E6PcCIH8hEqIMgZuvnTwgQ.cspx
National News
Activists want climate change on presidential debate agenda
By Curtis Morgan — The Miami Herald
MIAMI — Despite a year that has produced unprecedented ice melts in the
Arctic and Greenland, a devastating drought across much of the country and
hundreds of record high temperatures around the world, the subject of
climate change has managed to remain in the deep freezer of presidential
politics.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/19/4253130/activists-want-climate-change.html
Biofuels industry presses congressional leaders to maintain fuel rule
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 10/18/12 02:59 PM ET
Biofuels groups pressed congressional leadership Thursday to maintain a
biofuels mandate when lawmakers consider drought-relief legislation.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/262837-biofuels-industry-presses-congressional-leaders-to-maintain-fuel-rule
Oil-and-gas group questions EPA fracking study
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 10/18/12 12:20 PM ET
An oil-and-gas industry group said the Environmental Protection Agency's
(EPA) water testing at a Wyoming natural gas drilling site raises concerns
about the agency's national study on hydraulic fracturing.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/262769-oil-and-gas-group-questions-epa-fracking-study
EPA's Water Tests in Wyoming Town Flawed, Oil Group Says
Bloomberg
Testing methods used by the Environmental Protection Agency in a Wyoming
town where residents blame hydraulic fracturing for water contamination are
flawed, and an updated analysis doesn't show drilling tainted the aquifer,
an industry group said.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-10-18/epa-s-water-tests-in-wyoming-town-flawed-oil-group-says
A Rogue Climate Experiment Outrages Scientists
NY Times
By HENRY FOUNTAIN
A California businessman chartered a fishing boat in July, loaded it with
100 tons of iron dust and cruised through Pacific waters off western
Canada, spewing his cargo into the sea in an ecological experiment that has
outraged scientists and government officials.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/19/science/earth/iron-dumping-experiment-in-pacific-alarms-marine-experts.html?ref=earth&_r=0&pagewanted=print
Press Releases
ROVs investigate possible sheen source
10/18/2012 03:20 PM EDT
NEW ORLEANS — Remote operated vehicles deployed from the offshore
construction vessel Skandi Neptune collected oil samples on Wednesday from
the underwater site of the Deepwater Horizon incident to determine the
source of a surface sheen discovered last month.
The samples were taken after the ROV video showed apparent oil globules
leaking from the containment dome at approximately 15 globules per minute,
which is estimated to be less than 100 gallons per day. In 2010, the 40‐
foot‐tall containment dome was used as part of an attempt to capture oil
and allow it to flow through a pipe to a barge on the surface. This
technique was not successful and the equipment was moved away from the well
head and riser pipe, and set in its current position approximately 500
meters from the original Macondo well head. It is entirely separate from
the well head and any riser piping. Out of an abundance of caution, the ROV
also inspected the original Macondo well area including the wreckage,
debris, relief wells, and the riser on the sea floor and observed no oil
leakage from that area.
The two collected oil samples will be used for lab analysis. One sample
will be shared by BP and Transocean, and the second sample will be used by
the Coast Guard. The lab analysis will help determine if the containment
dome is the likely source of the recent sheening.
"The Coast Guard is further evaluating what is believed to be seepage from
the containment dome to determine how best to respond," said Capt. Duke
Walker, Federal On‐Scene Coordinator for the Deepwater Horizon response.
The ROV operations were observed by the Coast Guard, Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, the Department
of Interior's Trustee, BP, Transocean and state on‐scene coordinators from
Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida.
The Skandi Neptune departed for the vicinity of the Deepwater Horizon
incident Sunday to identify the origin of an oil sheen first reported to
the National Response Center Sept. 16. The Coast Guard issued a Notice of
Federal Interest to BP and Transocean after the reported sheen was
correlated to the oil that originated from BP's Macondo well.
The video of ROV inspections will be available in full at
www.RestoreTheGulf.gov
The public is reminded to contact the National Response Center at 1‐800‐424
‐8802 to report all pollution incidents or the Coast Guard 8th District
command center at 504‐589‐ 6225 in the event of any marine emergencies.
New App Lets Users Check Health of Waterways Anywhere in the U.S.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today launched
a new app and website to help people find information on the condition of
thousands of lakes, rivers and streams across the United States from their
smart phone, tablet or desktop computer. Available at
http://www.epa.gov/mywaterway, the How's My Waterway app and website uses
GPS technology or a user-entered zip code or city name to provide
information about the quality of local water bodies. The release of the app
and website helps mark the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, which
Congress enacted on October 18, 1972, giving citizens a special role in
caring for the nation's water resources. Forty years later, EPA is
providing citizens with a technology-based tool to expand that stewardship.
"America's lakes, streams and rivers are national treasures. Communities
and neighborhoods across the U.S. want to know that their local lakes,
rivers and streams are healthy and safe to enjoy with their families," said
Nancy Stoner, acting assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Water.
"This new app provides easy, user-friendly access to the health of a
waterway, whether it is safe for swimming and fishing, and what is being
done about any reported problems. People can get this information whether
researching at a desktop or standing streamside looking at a smart phone."
How It Works
• SEARCH: Go to http://www.epa.gov/mywaterway and allow GPS-technology to
identify the nearest streams, rivers or lakes or enter a zip code or city
name.
• RESULTS: Instantly receive a list of waterways within five miles of the
search location. Each waterway is identified as unpolluted, polluted or
unassessed. A map option offers the user a view of the search area with the
results color-coded by assessment status.
• DISCOVER: Once a specific lake, river or stream is selected, the How's My
Waterway app and website provides information on the type of pollution
reported for that waterway and what has been done by EPA and the states to
reduce it. Additional reports and technical information is available for
many waterways. Read simple descriptions of each type of water pollutant,
including pollutant type, likely sources and potential health risks.
• MORE: Related links page connects users to popular water information on
beaches, drinking water and fish and wildlife habitat based on a user's
search criteria.
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Funding for Projects to Boost |
| Renewable Energy Production, Reduce Energy Consumption |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
|WASHINGTON – Oct. 19, 2012 –Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today |
|announced funding for 244 projects nationwide that are focused on helping |
|agricultural producers and rural small businesses reduce energy consumption |
|and costs, and use renewable energy technologies in their operations. |
|Funding is made available through USDA's Rural Energy for America Program |
|(REAP). |
| |
| |
|"As part of President Obama's "all of the above" energy strategy, USDA has |
|partnered with thousands of America's farmers, ranchers and rural businesses|
|to help them save energy and improve their bottom line," said Vilsack. "This|
|effort is helping to provide stable energy costs that create an environment |
|for sustainable job growth in rural America." |
| |
| |
|For example, in Coos County, New Hampshire, Balsams View, LLC has been |
|selected to receive a grant to replace an outdated heating system with a |
|state of the art, high-efficiency, wood fired biomass boiler system. The new|
|energy-efficient system is expected to use 77 percent less wood. |
| |
| |
|In Augusta, Wisconsin, farmer Matthew Gabler has been selected to receive a |
|grant to install a new 11 kilowatt wind turbine producing approximately |
|29,000 kilowatt-hours a year for his farm. |
| |
| |
|In Washington State, Edaleen Cow Power LLC, located near Lynden, Whatcom |
|County, has been selected to receive a Rural Energy for America Program Loan|
|and Grant Combination of $2,638,000 to install an anaerobic digester and |
|sell the resulting electricity to a utility. The project is anticipated to |
|generate 4,635 Megawatt hours per year. Edaleen Dairy's 2,450-head herd will|
|be the sole manure source for the project and the dairy will benefit by from|
|the bedding byproduct the digester produces. |
| |
| |
|REAP offers financial assistance to farmers, ranchers and rural small |
|businesses to purchase and install renewable energy systems and make |
|energy-efficiency improvements. These federal funds leverage other funding |
|sources for businesses. In all, USDA announced over $16 million in energy |
|investments today. |
| |
| |
|Today's announcement is an example of investments the Obama Administration |
|is making to help create jobs and grow the rural economy. For a complete |
|listing of Rural Energy for America Program grant and loan recipients |
|announced today, please click here. |
| |
| |
|For additional information on Rural Development projects, please visit Rural|
|Development's new interactive web map featuring program funding and success |
|stories for fiscal years 2009-2011. The data can be found at: |
|http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/RDSuccessStories.html. |
| |
| |
|President Obama's plan for rural America has brought about historic |
|investment and resulted in stronger rural communities. Under the President's|
|leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses |
|and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way |
|– strengthening America's economy, small towns and rural communities. USDA's|
|investments in rural communities support the rural way of life that stands |
|as the backbone of our American values. President Obama and Agriculture |
|Secretary Tom Vilsack are committed to a smarter use of Federal resources to|
|foster sustainable economic prosperity and ensure the government is a strong|
|partner for businesses, entrepreneurs and working families in rural |
|communities. |
| |
| |
|USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, administers and manages |
|housing, business and community infrastructure programs through a national |
|network of state and local offices. Rural Development has an active |
|portfolio of more than $172 billion in loans and loan guarantees. These |
|programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural |
|communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers and improve the |
|quality of life in rural America. |
| |
| |
|# |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Ten Ways to Save Money, Energy and Protect Your Health This Winter
WASHINGTON – With winter quickly approaching, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) is highlighting ten tips for Americans to protect
their health, save money, and lower energy while enjoying the winter
holiday season.
1. Maintain your heating equipment to lower utility bills. Heating and
cooling costs account for about $1,000 -- nearly half of a home's total
annual energy bill. Maintaining the efficiency of your home's heating,
ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system can have a big effect on
your utility bills. Dirt and neglect can impact the efficiency of your HVAC
system and are some of the top causes of heating system failure. Schedule
an HVAC checkup with a licensed HVAC contractor to make sure your system is
operating at peak performance. Also, check your system's air filter every
month and change it when it's dirty or at a minimum, every three months. A
dirty filter will slow down air flow and make the system work harder to
keep you warm or cool — wasting energy.
http://www.energystar.gov/homeimprovement
2. Download EPA's free Apps to help protect your health. The AIRNow app
allows users to enter a zip code and get current particle pollution and
ozone levels and forecasts for more than 400 cities across the country. The
Ultraviolet (UV) Index provides an hourly forecast of the UV radiation
levels from the sun. Both are available for Apple and Android phones. Learn
more about these apps and the others: http://m.epa.gov/apps/index.html
3. Decorate for the holidays with Energy Star light strings that can last
up to 10 times longer. Energy Star-qualified light strings use about 65
percent less electricity than incandescent light strings and are available
in a variety of colors, shapes and lengths. They save energy and are more
durable, shock-resistant and cooler to the touch. If every decorative light
string sold in the U.S. this year were Energy Star qualified, Americans
would save $80 million in utility bills and one billion pounds of
greenhouse gas emissions would be prevented.
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=DS
4. Lower the temperature in your home to increase savings up to 12 percent.
Control your home's temperature while away or asleep by using one of the
pre-programmed settings. Programming the thermostat to turn the temperature
down 8 degrees for 7 hours each night and an additional 7 hours each
weekday could result in a seasonal heating savings of approximately 12
percent. For the average home, this could result in savings of about $180.
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_save_energy_at_home
5. Check for water leaks and install WaterSense products to save
approximately $170 per year. The average household spends as much as $500
per year on their water and sewer bill, but approximately $170 per year can
be saved by installing water-efficient fixtures and appliances.
http://www.epa.gov/watersense
6. Reduce your food waste. Feed people, not landfills. Food is the single
largest type of waste going to landfills and incinerators. Americans
disposed of approximately 33 million tons of food waste in 2010. When
excess food, leftover food, and food scraps are disposed of in a landfill,
they decompose and become a significant source of methane - a potent
greenhouse gas. Much of the food that is discarded in landfills is actually
safe, wholesome food that could have been used to feed people. So when you
are thinking about making your family dinner, think about how you can
reduce your food waste to save money, help communities, and protect the
environment.
http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/organics/food/fd-house.htm
7. Look for the Design for the Environment label on more than 2,800
products during winter cleaning. EPA's Designed for the Environment (DfE)
logo differentiates products that use only the safest ingredients to
protect people, our pets, and the environment. In 2011, Americans using DfE
products cut the use of harmful chemicals by more than 756 million pounds.
http://www.epa.gov/dfe/
8. Test your home for radon gas, 1 in 15 homes may have elevated levels.
Radon, a colorless odorless gas, is the leading cause of lung cancer among
non-smokers and levels can increase during colder months. Purchase an
affordable Do-It-Yourself test kit online or at a local hardware store to
determine the level in your home. Addressing high levels often costs the
same as other minor home repairs. http://www.epa.gov/radon
9. Learn before you burn and cut firewood use by more than 30 percent. The
Burn Wise program has best burn practices to help better protect your home
and your health. Never burn garbage, cardboard, ocean driftwood or wet
wood. If you replace an old wood stove with a more efficient one,
efficiency can increase by 50 percent, 1/3 less wood can be used for the
same heat and 70 percent less particle pollution indoors and out are
produced. http://www.epa.gov/burnwise/
10. Prevent Pests. Now is the time when pests such as insects and rodents
may try to move indoors. Eliminate sources of food, water, and shelter to
reduce pest problems. Prevent pests by using caulk to eliminate cracks,
repair water leaks, remove clutter, and clean up crumbs and other food
sources. If you decide to use a pesticide, read the label first. The
pesticide label is your guide to using pesticides safely and effectively.
It contains pertinent information that you should read and understand
before you use a pesticide product. http://www.epa.gov/safepestcontrol/
More winter tips: http://www.epa.gov/epahome/hi-winter.htm
More local information from MyEnvironment:
http://www.epa.gov/myenvironment/
All year long you can Pick5 for the Environment: http://www.epa.gov/pick5/
BP could reap billions of dollars in tax credits from oil spill settlement
Thursday, October 18, 2012, 7:16 PM
Press Register
By George Talbot
BP, which caused the biggest environmental catastrophe ever seen on U.S.
shores, may be poised to receive the biggest tax break in American history
as a result of it.
http://blog.al.com/live/2012/10/bp_could_reap_billions_of_doll.html
BP Could Receive Billions Of Dollars In Tax Breaks
(MOBILE, Ala.) Oil giant BP could be in the running for billions of dollars
in tax breaks if a settlement with the federal government is reached.
http://www.local15tv.com/news/local/story/BP-Could-Receive-Billions-Of-Dollars-In-Tax-Breaks/PFfL5JKkh0yB7VkcdD_r2A.cspx
Coastal Recovery Not Possible without RESTORE Cash
WKRG
FAIRHOPE, Alabama --
Spilling five million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 is
expected to cost BP as much as 20 billion dollars in Clean Water Act fines
and penalties.
http://www2.wkrg.com/news/2012/oct/17/c-ar-4777520/
BP says recent oil sheen in Gulf likely came from discarded equipment
By Richard Thompson, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune.
BP officials said Thursday that a sheen recently spotted near the site of
the massive Gulf oil spill two years ago appears to be leaking from a piece
of discarded equipment that was used in the early stages of the response.
http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2012/10/bp_says_recent_oil_sheen_in_gu.html
BP reports source of sheen at Deepwater Horizon spill site is from
discarded equipment
AP
NEW ORLEANS -- BP PLC says a sheen on the Gulf of Mexico appears to have
come from oil seeping out of a piece of discarded equipment used to contain
its massive 2010 oil spill.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/10/bp_reports_source_of_sheen_at.html#
BP says gulf oil sheen not from a fresh leak
Washington Post
By Steven Mufson,
BP said Thursday that an oil sheen detected in the Gulf of Mexico last
month probably came from crude trapped in the giant coffer dam that the
company used in a futile attempt to capture the oil that was spilling from
a BP well in 2010.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/bp-says-recent-gulf-oil-sheen-was-not-a-leak/2012/10/18/5bf387e8-195c-11e2-bd10-5ff056538b7c_story.html
Coast Guard: Gulf oil slick comes from device used in 2010 spill
Houston Chronicle
An undersea camera confirms that an oil slick discovered in the Gulf of
Mexico came from a 100-ton device on the seafloor that BP had used several
weeks after the 2010 oil spill in a failed attempt to cap its runaway
Macondo well, the U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2012/10/18/source-gulf-oil-slick-coming-from-abandoned-containment-device/
State News
Port Director Don Allee resigns
WLOX
Don Allee, Executive Director and CEO of the Mississippi State Port
Authority at Gulfport, resigned Friday morning effective November 2, 2012.
http://www.wlox.com/story/19863571/port-director-don-allee-resigns
Grant to Address Smithville Sewer Issues
BY
STEVE ROGERS
– OCTOBER 19, 2012
WCBI
SMITHVILLE, Miss. — Mayor Gregg Kennedy received notice from Governor Phil
Bryant that the Town of Smithville's application for Small Government
Public Facilities funds through the Community Development Block Grant
(CDBG) Program in the amount of $449,646 was approved by the Mississippi
Development Authority.
http://www.wcbi.com/wordpress/grant-to-address-smithville-sewer-issues
Clogged sewer line causing back ups
WLBT
The Jackson Public Works department is working to clear a clogged sewer
line on Powers Avenue. The 21 inch line has been backed up for several
hours.
http://www.wlbt.com/story/19864241/clogged-sewer-line-causing-back-ups
DMR attorneys looking at legality of land swap
Sun Herald
By KAREN NELSON — klnelson@sunherald.com
OCEAN SPRINGS -- Lawyers at the state Department of Marine Resources are
looking at a proposal to swap land and businesses the DMR owns at the Ocean
Springs Harbor for acreage in Biloxi.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/18/4252836/dmr-attorneys-looking-at-legality.html
Page 13: Exploring the coast's natural beauty
WLOX
The coast's rich heritage and natural beauty are enjoyed by hundreds of
tourists every year when they step on board the Sailfish. The boat in the
Biloxi Small Craft Harbor conducts tours of our marine environment and
shows visitors what its like to shrimp.
http://www.wlox.com/story/19845922/page-13-exploring-the-coasts-natural-beauty
Miss. officials certify saltwater fishing records
AP
BILOXI, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi Commission on Marine Resources says it
has certified two new saltwater fishing records.
http://www.fox40tv.com/news/local/story/Miss-officials-certify-saltwater-fishing-records/E6PcCIH8hEqIMgZuvnTwgQ.cspx
National News
Activists want climate change on presidential debate agenda
By Curtis Morgan — The Miami Herald
MIAMI — Despite a year that has produced unprecedented ice melts in the
Arctic and Greenland, a devastating drought across much of the country and
hundreds of record high temperatures around the world, the subject of
climate change has managed to remain in the deep freezer of presidential
politics.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/19/4253130/activists-want-climate-change.html
Biofuels industry presses congressional leaders to maintain fuel rule
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 10/18/12 02:59 PM ET
Biofuels groups pressed congressional leadership Thursday to maintain a
biofuels mandate when lawmakers consider drought-relief legislation.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/262837-biofuels-industry-presses-congressional-leaders-to-maintain-fuel-rule
Oil-and-gas group questions EPA fracking study
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 10/18/12 12:20 PM ET
An oil-and-gas industry group said the Environmental Protection Agency's
(EPA) water testing at a Wyoming natural gas drilling site raises concerns
about the agency's national study on hydraulic fracturing.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/262769-oil-and-gas-group-questions-epa-fracking-study
EPA's Water Tests in Wyoming Town Flawed, Oil Group Says
Bloomberg
Testing methods used by the Environmental Protection Agency in a Wyoming
town where residents blame hydraulic fracturing for water contamination are
flawed, and an updated analysis doesn't show drilling tainted the aquifer,
an industry group said.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-10-18/epa-s-water-tests-in-wyoming-town-flawed-oil-group-says
A Rogue Climate Experiment Outrages Scientists
NY Times
By HENRY FOUNTAIN
A California businessman chartered a fishing boat in July, loaded it with
100 tons of iron dust and cruised through Pacific waters off western
Canada, spewing his cargo into the sea in an ecological experiment that has
outraged scientists and government officials.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/19/science/earth/iron-dumping-experiment-in-pacific-alarms-marine-experts.html?ref=earth&_r=0&pagewanted=print
Press Releases
ROVs investigate possible sheen source
10/18/2012 03:20 PM EDT
NEW ORLEANS — Remote operated vehicles deployed from the offshore
construction vessel Skandi Neptune collected oil samples on Wednesday from
the underwater site of the Deepwater Horizon incident to determine the
source of a surface sheen discovered last month.
The samples were taken after the ROV video showed apparent oil globules
leaking from the containment dome at approximately 15 globules per minute,
which is estimated to be less than 100 gallons per day. In 2010, the 40‐
foot‐tall containment dome was used as part of an attempt to capture oil
and allow it to flow through a pipe to a barge on the surface. This
technique was not successful and the equipment was moved away from the well
head and riser pipe, and set in its current position approximately 500
meters from the original Macondo well head. It is entirely separate from
the well head and any riser piping. Out of an abundance of caution, the ROV
also inspected the original Macondo well area including the wreckage,
debris, relief wells, and the riser on the sea floor and observed no oil
leakage from that area.
The two collected oil samples will be used for lab analysis. One sample
will be shared by BP and Transocean, and the second sample will be used by
the Coast Guard. The lab analysis will help determine if the containment
dome is the likely source of the recent sheening.
"The Coast Guard is further evaluating what is believed to be seepage from
the containment dome to determine how best to respond," said Capt. Duke
Walker, Federal On‐Scene Coordinator for the Deepwater Horizon response.
The ROV operations were observed by the Coast Guard, Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, the Department
of Interior's Trustee, BP, Transocean and state on‐scene coordinators from
Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida.
The Skandi Neptune departed for the vicinity of the Deepwater Horizon
incident Sunday to identify the origin of an oil sheen first reported to
the National Response Center Sept. 16. The Coast Guard issued a Notice of
Federal Interest to BP and Transocean after the reported sheen was
correlated to the oil that originated from BP's Macondo well.
The video of ROV inspections will be available in full at
www.RestoreTheGulf.gov
The public is reminded to contact the National Response Center at 1‐800‐424
‐8802 to report all pollution incidents or the Coast Guard 8th District
command center at 504‐589‐ 6225 in the event of any marine emergencies.
New App Lets Users Check Health of Waterways Anywhere in the U.S.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today launched
a new app and website to help people find information on the condition of
thousands of lakes, rivers and streams across the United States from their
smart phone, tablet or desktop computer. Available at
http://www.epa.gov/mywaterway, the How's My Waterway app and website uses
GPS technology or a user-entered zip code or city name to provide
information about the quality of local water bodies. The release of the app
and website helps mark the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, which
Congress enacted on October 18, 1972, giving citizens a special role in
caring for the nation's water resources. Forty years later, EPA is
providing citizens with a technology-based tool to expand that stewardship.
"America's lakes, streams and rivers are national treasures. Communities
and neighborhoods across the U.S. want to know that their local lakes,
rivers and streams are healthy and safe to enjoy with their families," said
Nancy Stoner, acting assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Water.
"This new app provides easy, user-friendly access to the health of a
waterway, whether it is safe for swimming and fishing, and what is being
done about any reported problems. People can get this information whether
researching at a desktop or standing streamside looking at a smart phone."
How It Works
• SEARCH: Go to http://www.epa.gov/mywaterway and allow GPS-technology to
identify the nearest streams, rivers or lakes or enter a zip code or city
name.
• RESULTS: Instantly receive a list of waterways within five miles of the
search location. Each waterway is identified as unpolluted, polluted or
unassessed. A map option offers the user a view of the search area with the
results color-coded by assessment status.
• DISCOVER: Once a specific lake, river or stream is selected, the How's My
Waterway app and website provides information on the type of pollution
reported for that waterway and what has been done by EPA and the states to
reduce it. Additional reports and technical information is available for
many waterways. Read simple descriptions of each type of water pollutant,
including pollutant type, likely sources and potential health risks.
• MORE: Related links page connects users to popular water information on
beaches, drinking water and fish and wildlife habitat based on a user's
search criteria.
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Funding for Projects to Boost |
| Renewable Energy Production, Reduce Energy Consumption |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
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| |
|WASHINGTON – Oct. 19, 2012 –Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today |
|announced funding for 244 projects nationwide that are focused on helping |
|agricultural producers and rural small businesses reduce energy consumption |
|and costs, and use renewable energy technologies in their operations. |
|Funding is made available through USDA's Rural Energy for America Program |
|(REAP). |
| |
| |
|"As part of President Obama's "all of the above" energy strategy, USDA has |
|partnered with thousands of America's farmers, ranchers and rural businesses|
|to help them save energy and improve their bottom line," said Vilsack. "This|
|effort is helping to provide stable energy costs that create an environment |
|for sustainable job growth in rural America." |
| |
| |
|For example, in Coos County, New Hampshire, Balsams View, LLC has been |
|selected to receive a grant to replace an outdated heating system with a |
|state of the art, high-efficiency, wood fired biomass boiler system. The new|
|energy-efficient system is expected to use 77 percent less wood. |
| |
| |
|In Augusta, Wisconsin, farmer Matthew Gabler has been selected to receive a |
|grant to install a new 11 kilowatt wind turbine producing approximately |
|29,000 kilowatt-hours a year for his farm. |
| |
| |
|In Washington State, Edaleen Cow Power LLC, located near Lynden, Whatcom |
|County, has been selected to receive a Rural Energy for America Program Loan|
|and Grant Combination of $2,638,000 to install an anaerobic digester and |
|sell the resulting electricity to a utility. The project is anticipated to |
|generate 4,635 Megawatt hours per year. Edaleen Dairy's 2,450-head herd will|
|be the sole manure source for the project and the dairy will benefit by from|
|the bedding byproduct the digester produces. |
| |
| |
|REAP offers financial assistance to farmers, ranchers and rural small |
|businesses to purchase and install renewable energy systems and make |
|energy-efficiency improvements. These federal funds leverage other funding |
|sources for businesses. In all, USDA announced over $16 million in energy |
|investments today. |
| |
| |
|Today's announcement is an example of investments the Obama Administration |
|is making to help create jobs and grow the rural economy. For a complete |
|listing of Rural Energy for America Program grant and loan recipients |
|announced today, please click here. |
| |
| |
|For additional information on Rural Development projects, please visit Rural|
|Development's new interactive web map featuring program funding and success |
|stories for fiscal years 2009-2011. The data can be found at: |
|http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/RDSuccessStories.html. |
| |
| |
|President Obama's plan for rural America has brought about historic |
|investment and resulted in stronger rural communities. Under the President's|
|leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses |
|and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way |
|– strengthening America's economy, small towns and rural communities. USDA's|
|investments in rural communities support the rural way of life that stands |
|as the backbone of our American values. President Obama and Agriculture |
|Secretary Tom Vilsack are committed to a smarter use of Federal resources to|
|foster sustainable economic prosperity and ensure the government is a strong|
|partner for businesses, entrepreneurs and working families in rural |
|communities. |
| |
| |
|USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, administers and manages |
|housing, business and community infrastructure programs through a national |
|network of state and local offices. Rural Development has an active |
|portfolio of more than $172 billion in loans and loan guarantees. These |
|programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural |
|communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers and improve the |
|quality of life in rural America. |
| |
| |
|# |
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Ten Ways to Save Money, Energy and Protect Your Health This Winter
WASHINGTON – With winter quickly approaching, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) is highlighting ten tips for Americans to protect
their health, save money, and lower energy while enjoying the winter
holiday season.
1. Maintain your heating equipment to lower utility bills. Heating and
cooling costs account for about $1,000 -- nearly half of a home's total
annual energy bill. Maintaining the efficiency of your home's heating,
ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system can have a big effect on
your utility bills. Dirt and neglect can impact the efficiency of your HVAC
system and are some of the top causes of heating system failure. Schedule
an HVAC checkup with a licensed HVAC contractor to make sure your system is
operating at peak performance. Also, check your system's air filter every
month and change it when it's dirty or at a minimum, every three months. A
dirty filter will slow down air flow and make the system work harder to
keep you warm or cool — wasting energy.
http://www.energystar.gov/homeimprovement
2. Download EPA's free Apps to help protect your health. The AIRNow app
allows users to enter a zip code and get current particle pollution and
ozone levels and forecasts for more than 400 cities across the country. The
Ultraviolet (UV) Index provides an hourly forecast of the UV radiation
levels from the sun. Both are available for Apple and Android phones. Learn
more about these apps and the others: http://m.epa.gov/apps/index.html
3. Decorate for the holidays with Energy Star light strings that can last
up to 10 times longer. Energy Star-qualified light strings use about 65
percent less electricity than incandescent light strings and are available
in a variety of colors, shapes and lengths. They save energy and are more
durable, shock-resistant and cooler to the touch. If every decorative light
string sold in the U.S. this year were Energy Star qualified, Americans
would save $80 million in utility bills and one billion pounds of
greenhouse gas emissions would be prevented.
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=DS
4. Lower the temperature in your home to increase savings up to 12 percent.
Control your home's temperature while away or asleep by using one of the
pre-programmed settings. Programming the thermostat to turn the temperature
down 8 degrees for 7 hours each night and an additional 7 hours each
weekday could result in a seasonal heating savings of approximately 12
percent. For the average home, this could result in savings of about $180.
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_save_energy_at_home
5. Check for water leaks and install WaterSense products to save
approximately $170 per year. The average household spends as much as $500
per year on their water and sewer bill, but approximately $170 per year can
be saved by installing water-efficient fixtures and appliances.
http://www.epa.gov/watersense
6. Reduce your food waste. Feed people, not landfills. Food is the single
largest type of waste going to landfills and incinerators. Americans
disposed of approximately 33 million tons of food waste in 2010. When
excess food, leftover food, and food scraps are disposed of in a landfill,
they decompose and become a significant source of methane - a potent
greenhouse gas. Much of the food that is discarded in landfills is actually
safe, wholesome food that could have been used to feed people. So when you
are thinking about making your family dinner, think about how you can
reduce your food waste to save money, help communities, and protect the
environment.
http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/organics/food/fd-house.htm
7. Look for the Design for the Environment label on more than 2,800
products during winter cleaning. EPA's Designed for the Environment (DfE)
logo differentiates products that use only the safest ingredients to
protect people, our pets, and the environment. In 2011, Americans using DfE
products cut the use of harmful chemicals by more than 756 million pounds.
http://www.epa.gov/dfe/
8. Test your home for radon gas, 1 in 15 homes may have elevated levels.
Radon, a colorless odorless gas, is the leading cause of lung cancer among
non-smokers and levels can increase during colder months. Purchase an
affordable Do-It-Yourself test kit online or at a local hardware store to
determine the level in your home. Addressing high levels often costs the
same as other minor home repairs. http://www.epa.gov/radon
9. Learn before you burn and cut firewood use by more than 30 percent. The
Burn Wise program has best burn practices to help better protect your home
and your health. Never burn garbage, cardboard, ocean driftwood or wet
wood. If you replace an old wood stove with a more efficient one,
efficiency can increase by 50 percent, 1/3 less wood can be used for the
same heat and 70 percent less particle pollution indoors and out are
produced. http://www.epa.gov/burnwise/
10. Prevent Pests. Now is the time when pests such as insects and rodents
may try to move indoors. Eliminate sources of food, water, and shelter to
reduce pest problems. Prevent pests by using caulk to eliminate cracks,
repair water leaks, remove clutter, and clean up crumbs and other food
sources. If you decide to use a pesticide, read the label first. The
pesticide label is your guide to using pesticides safely and effectively.
It contains pertinent information that you should read and understand
before you use a pesticide product. http://www.epa.gov/safepestcontrol/
More winter tips: http://www.epa.gov/epahome/hi-winter.htm
More local information from MyEnvironment:
http://www.epa.gov/myenvironment/
All year long you can Pick5 for the Environment: http://www.epa.gov/pick5/
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