Gulf oil sheen blamed on 2010 wreckage, not well
AP
By CAIN BURDEAU
NEW ORLEANS — Federal scientists and BP say oil appears to have leaked last
month from the drilling wreckage lying at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico
near where a BP well blew out in 2010, causing the nation's worst offshore
spill.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/11/4238587/gulf-oil-sheen-blamed-on-2010.html
Slick Complicates BP Liability Talks
Wall Street Journal
By DANIEL GILBERT and ANA CAMPOY
HOUSTON—As U.S. officials and BP PLC negotiate to resolve the company's
liability for the Deepwater Horizon spill, some local and state elected
officials are citing a newly discovered oil slick as evidence that the
full impact of the 2010 accident remains unclear.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444799904578050361287325912.html
Alabama officials vow to fight BP settlement
Press Register
Thursday, October 11, 2012, 7:06 PM
By George Talbot
GULF SHORES - Alabama political leaders today vowed to fight any deal
between the U.S. Department of Justice and BP that would shift control of
fine money from the 2010 oil spill to the federal government, away from the
Gulf Coast states harmed by the catastrophe.
http://blog.al.com/live/2012/10/alabama_officials_vow_to_fight.html
Leaders Speaking Out on Restore Act
Fox 15
(GULF SHORES, Ala.) Alabama lawmakers vowed to fight any deal between the
U.S. Department of Justice and BP that would shift control of fine money
from the 2010 oil spill to the federal government.
http://www.local15tv.com/news/local/story/Leaders-Speaking-Out-on-Restore-Act/b2ulRYg46U-Zme83XJHaIQ.cspx
State News
$90M water upgrade eyed
Clarion Ledger
Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. is pushing the City Council to approve a
$90 million water and sewer improvement contract that project officials
guarantee will pay for itself.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20121012/NEWS/310120043/-90M-water-upgrade-eyed
Renew Our Rivers volunteers pull trash from Pascagoula River (photos)
Mississippi Press
Thursday, October 11, 2012, 1:14 PM
By April M. Havens
ESCATAWPA, Mississippi -- They bring in coolers, buckets, barrels, chairs,
tires, refrigerators, televisions and lots and lots of Styrofoam, and each
year the Renew Our Rivers volunteers are disappointed by the amount of
trash they pull from the Pascagoula River.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/10/renew_our_river_volunteers_pul.html
Jackson County volunteers work to Renew our Rivers
Sun Herald
MOSS POINT -- Hurricane Isaac was among several things that created messes
in the waterways along the Coast this year, but it was nothing a little
elbow grease couldn't handle.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/11/4239329/jackson-county-volunteers-work.html
Most Isaac debris removed in McComb
AP
MCCOMB, MISS. — Hurricane Isaac debris pick-up is in full swing within the
city limits of McComb.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/12/4239566/most-isaac-debris-removed-in-mccomb.html
Summit sets payments with DEQ
AP
SUMMIT, Miss. -- The Summit Town Council has agreed to divert more than
$7,000 in monthly sales tax revenues to pay off a $1.4 million debt to the
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, which is bankrolling the
town's new wastewater treatment facility.
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/10/12/4905460/summit-sets-payments-with-deq.html
National News
U.S. Struggles to Rescue Green Program Hit by Fraud
NY Times
By MATTHEW L. WALD
WASHINGTON — A Maryland man is awaiting sentencing for what may seem an
unusual crime: selling bogus renewable energy credits and using the $9.3
million in illicit proceeds to buy jewelry and a fleet of luxury cars.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/12/business/energy-environment/us-struggles-to-rescue-green-program-hit-hard-by-counterfeiters.html?ref=earth&pagewanted=print
EPA nears ethanol decision
Rule waiver pits livestock, corn farmers
· By David Shepardson
· Detroit News Washington Bureau
Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency will decide by early next
month whether to reduce the amount of corn-based ethanol used in the
nation's 240 million gas tanks(Embedded image moved to file: pic03035.jpg)
because of this summer's drought.
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20121012/AUTO01/210120337/EPA-nears-ethanol-decision?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cs
Press Releases
EPA Awards $30 Million for Clean Diesel Projects
CONTACT: Jason McDonald, 404-562-9203, mcdonald.jason@epa.gov
ATLANTA – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is awarding a
combined $3.42 million to the South Carolina Department of Health and
Environment Control and the Alabama State Port Authority for clean diesel
projects as part of its ongoing campaign to reduce harmful diesel exhaust
that can lead to asthma attacks and premature deaths.
The Diesel Emission Reduction Program, also known as DERA, is designed to
replace, retrofit or repower older diesel-powered engines like marine
vessels, locomotives, trucks and buses.
Diesel engines are durable, fuel-efficient workhorses in the American
economy. However, older diesel engines that predate newer, cleaner
standards emit large amounts of air pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides
(NOx) and particulate matter (PM). These pollutants are linked to health
problems, including asthma, lung and heart disease and premature death. The
clean diesel projects funded through these grants will work to address the
more than 11 million older diesel engines that continue to emit higher
levels of pollution.
In this year's competition, winners were selected based on a proposal's
potential for maximizing health and environmental benefits by targeting
areas that have significant air quality issues. Reduced air pollution from
diesel engines in these areas can have a direct and significant impact on
community health.
New this year is an increased funding availability per award that will
allow EPA to target larger engines used in marine vessels and locomotives,
which will result in significant emissions reduced per engine.
DERA was enacted in 2005 and since it was first funded in FY 2008, EPA has
awarded over 500 grants nationwide. These projects have reduced hundreds of
thousands of tons of air pollution and saved millions of gallons of fuel.
More on the grants and the National Clean Diesel Campaign:
http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel
