Oil Spill
BP Close to Spill Settlement
Multibillion-Dollar Deal With U.S. Would Combine Civil, Criminal
Liabilities
Wall Street Journal
HOUSTON—BP BP.LN +0.68% PLC and the U.S. Justice Department are close to a
broad deal that would resolve both the company's civil and criminal
liabilities arising from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, people
familiar with the talks said.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444657804578048920996458306.html
Sheen at Deepwater Horizon disaster site is BP oil, Coast Guard says
By Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
Samples of oil taken from a sheen above the site of the sunken Deepwater
Horizon oil rig and BP's Macondo 252 well matches oil released from the
well during the 2010 spill, the U.S. Coast Guard announced late Wednesday.
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2012/10/sheen_at_deepwater_horizon_dis.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Ala leaders worried about possible BP settlement
AP
GULF SHORES, Ala. (AP) - Alabama leaders are speaking out about a possible
settlement between the federal government and BP over the Gulf oil spill.
State, congressional and coastal elected officials are holding a news
conference Thursday in Gulf Shores to discuss concerns that a deal could
divert money away from coastal communities and into federal accounts.
http://www.wsfa.com/story/19793066/ala-leaders-worried-about-possible-bp-settlement
Judge won't extend Nov. 1 deadline for opting out of spill settlement
A judge has refused to extend a Nov. 1 deadline for prospective plaintiffs
to opt out of a proposed settlement of economic claims against BP over
the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2012/10/10/judge-wont-extend-nov-1-deadline-for-opting-out-of-spill-settlement/
State News
Volunteers cleanse waterways of trash and debris
WLOX
In the seven years since the Renew Our Rivers Cleanup began, Mississippi
Power officials say volunteers have cleansed more than 250 tons of trash
and debris has been collected from our coastal waterways. On Wednesday,
volunteers were out on the water.
http://www.wlox.com/story/19788128/volunteers-cleanse-waterways-of-trash-and-debris
Coastal Cleanup Day set for Oct. 20 in South Mississippi
Sun Herald
Thousands of people will gather next weekend at the area's coastal
waterways to help clean up debris and make them look more appealing during
this year's Mississippi Coastal Cleanup Day.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/10/4236862/coastal-cleanup-day-set-for-oct.html
Seismic survey starts soon in area
Madison County Herald
By Lucy Weber
Trucks that soon will be crisscrossing the Madison area are on the lookout
for carbon dioxide pockets hidden well underground.
http://www.mcherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121011/NEWS/310110002/-1/NEWS01/Seismic-survey-starts-soon-in-area
Green construction can be fiscally sound
MBJ
by Lynn Lofton
Published: October 5,2012
As interest grows in building homes and commercial properties that are
sensitive to the environment and that make the best use of resources, what
should people consider before building?
http://msbusiness.com/2012/10/green-construction-can-be-fiscally-sound/
Cars Bulgarized At Robert E. Lee Garage
Fox40
Jackson Police need your help solving a crime. Last month four vehicles
were burglarized at the Robert E. Lee Parking Garage on Lamar Street.
http://www.fox40tv.com/news/local/story/Cars-Bulgarized-At-Robert-E-Lee-Garage/7hgoD-u4u0GFbHCaGncLrw.cspx
Mississippi joins immigration lawsuit
by The Associated Press
10.10.12 - 03:40 pm
JACKSON — Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant has joined in a lawsuit against
Obama administration over its plan to stop deporting many young illegal
immigrants and grant them work permits.
http://djournal.com/view/full_story/20435409/article--Mississippi-joins-immigration-lawsuit-?instance=secondary_stories_left_column
National News
New EPA Findings Test Fracking Site
Wall Street Journal
By TENNILLE TRACY
New tests of water surrounding natural-gas-drilling sites near Pavillion,
Wyo., have turned up results that are "generally consistent" with earlier
findings showing a link between contamination and hydraulic fracturing,
the Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443294904578049210534771442.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5
Opinion
We want RESTORE Act money to go to Alabama, not the federal government
(Opinion)
By Press-Register Editorial Board
By Sen. Richard Shelby
On July 6, 2012, President Obama signed into law the RESTORE Act,
bipartisan legislation I co-authored with Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La.).
The purpose of this law is unambiguous: states and communities affected by
the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill – not federal bureaucrats – are to
control the bulk of the fines assessed against BP and use the money for
their economic and ecological recoveries.
http://blog.al.com/press-register-commentary/2012/10/we_want_restore_act_money_to_g.html
Press Releases
FOSC issues Notice of Federal Interest to BP and Transocean
10/10/2012 09:55 PM EDT
NEW ORLEANS — The Federal On-Scene Coordinator for the Deepwater Horizon
oil spill in New Orleans issued a Notice of Federal Interest to BP and
Transocean Tuesday.
Coast Guard Capt. Duke Walker issued the NOFI following sample results from
an oil sheen located in the vicinity of where the Deepwater Horizon drill
rig exploded and sank more than two years ago.
The sheen was first reported to the National Response Center Sept. 16 by BP
based on satellite images from the 9th and 14th overpasses in the
Mississippi Canyon, block 252, approximately 50 miles off the coast of
Louisiana. The sheen is not feasible to recover and does not pose a risk to
the shoreline.
The Coast Guard, in concert with BP and NOAA, has conducted regular
assessments of the sheen by aircraft and boat since its discovery. The
observed sheen size has varied over time depending upon the conditions
present. Samples of the sheen were taken by Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit
Morgan City Sept. 26 and sent to the Coast Guard Marine Safety Lab in New
London, Conn. The Marine Safety Laboratory results indicate the sheen
correlates to oil that originated from BP's Macondo Well. The exact source
of the sheen is uncertain at this time but could be residual oil associated
with wreckage and/or debris left on the seabed from the Deepwater Horizon
incident in 2010.
The NOFI effectively informs BP and Transocean that the Coast Guard matched
the sheen samples to the Deepwater Horizon spill or sunken drilling debris
and that either party or both may be held accountable for any cost
associated with further assessments or operations related to this sheen.
The Gulf Coast Incident Management Team remains committed to the continued
cleanup of the Gulf Coast and all shorelines affected as a result of the
Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion. The FOSC is determined to continue
response activities to remove all oil where it is technologically feasible,
environmentally beneficial and safe for workers to perform recovery
operations.
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.
EPA Awards $1.2 Million to Improve Indoor Air Quality
CONTACT: Jason McDonald, 404-562-9203, mcdonald.jason@epa.gov
Atlanta – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today it
will provide a combined $218,046 in funding to the University of Tulsa and
the Mission Healthcare Foundation for indoor air quality projects. The
funding will support the recipients efforts to improve indoor air quality,
which will better protect the health of Americans in classrooms,
communities and homes across the country.
Education projects, training and outreach efforts supported by the funding
will help reduce the environmental health risks of indoor air contaminants
such as radon and asthma triggers. From organizing and training speakers on
how to educate parents of children with asthma, to providing technical
assistance that will help school districts develop indoor air quality
management plans, these projects will help protect children and families.
Funding for each of the grants awarded will be provided incrementally over
a two-year time period. EPA emphasized selecting projects that assist low
income and minority families that are disproportionately impacted by poor
indoor air quality.
"EPA is proud to be working with our awardees across the nation to improve
the air we breathe at school, work and home," said Gina McCarthy, assistant
administrator for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation. "American communities
face serious health and environmental challenges from air pollution. This
effort gives us an opportunity to improve indoor air quality by increasing
awareness of environmental health risks."
Indoor air pollutants in homes, buildings, and schools can negatively
impact the health of occupants. Some pollutants cause health problems such
as sore eyes, burning in the nose and throat, headaches or fatigue. Others
can cause worsen allergies, respiratory illnesses (such as asthma) or even
cancer (from radon gas).
The projects will help improve indoor air quality and reduce the associated
health risks by:
• Increasing effective indoor air quality practices through community level
education and outreach
• Promoting positive indoor air quality management practices in schools by
working with school districts and teachers
• Increasing the number of homes tested for radon, homes built with
radon-resistant features, and existing homes mitigated for radon
• Creating awareness to reduce asthma triggers in the home and encourage
the use of asthma management plans through community based asthma programs
More information about Indoor Air Assistance Agreements:
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/regional_funding.html
FLOOD HAZARD INFORMATION BEING UPDATED FOR SOUTHEAST
COASTAL COMMUNITIES
Multi-year effort to update flood hazard information will give Southeast
coastal communities a
more accurate picture of their flood risk
ATLANTA – People living in coastal communities throughout the Southeast
will have a more
accurate picture of their flood risk as Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs)
and other flood
hazard information are being updated in these areas.
Flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster in the U.S., with
coastal areas being
particularly vulnerable. Nearly 40 percent of the nation's population lives
in coastal
communities, so it is important that people know their flood risk and take
steps to protect
themselves and their property.
Flood risks change over time because of construction, development,
environmental changes,
shoreline erosion, and other natural or manmade factors. These changes send
water flowing in
new directions, creating flood risks that did not exist previously —
precisely why flood maps are
updated periodically.
Throughout the next several years, the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA)
Regional Office in Atlanta, along with regional, state and local partners
throughout the Southeast,
will update the effective FIRMs for coastal areas using more recent data
and the latest scientific
engineering tools. Click here to see a list of the organizations that will
be involved in this effort
with FEMA.
To see the progress, visit the FEMA Region IV Coastal Analysis and Mapping
website at
www.southeastcoastalmaps.com. This site provides information on the status
of coastal mapping
projects in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina,
as well as other flood
hazard information.
Updated FIRMs for coastal communities in Mississippi, including Hancock,
Harrison and
Jackson counties, were completed in 2007. Visit the Mississippi webpage for
more information.
Community planners and local officials use flood hazard information to
improve local planning
activities. Builders and developers use the information to make decisions
on where to build and
how construction can affect flood risk. Insurance agents, insurance
companies, real estate agents
and lending institutions use the information for insurance rating purposes
and to help residents
better understand how flood hazards affect their property. Property owners
and renters can use
flood hazard information to help make better financial decisions about
protecting their
properties.
