12/12/12
Oil Spill
Gulf Restoration Council holds first public meeting
WLOX
The group that's developing plans for spending billions of dollars in BP
money held its first public meeting in Mobile on Tuesday.
http://www.wlox.com/story/20320296/gulf-restoration-council-holds-first-public-meeting
Gulf Coast recovery council holds initial meeting in Mobile (updated)
By George Talbot | gtalbot@al.com
December 11, 2012 at 4:01 PM
MOBILE, Ala. - The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council, a multi-state
panel charged with helping the Gulf region recover from the 2010 Deepwater
Horizon catastrophe, held its initial public meeting before an audience of
about 500 today in Mobile.
http://blog.al.com/live/2012/12/gulf_coast_recovery_council_op.html#incart_river
Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council Meets In Mobile
(MOBILE, Ala.) Monday Mobile hosted the first meeting of the Gulf Coast
Ecosystem Restoration Council.
http://www.local15tv.com/news/local/story/Gulf-Coast-Ecosystem-Restoration-Council-Meets-In/ESnrwACXJkSvpi5Sa5NFUw.cspx
Gulf restoration meeting in Mobile
Fox 10
· Letisha Bush
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council held its
first public meeting in Mobile, Ala. today, December 11, 2012. The
Council, which was established by the Resources and Ecosystem
Sustainability, Tourism, Opportunities Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast
States Act of 2012 (RESTORE Act), will develop and oversee implementation
of a comprehensive plan to help restore the ecosystem and economy of the
Gulf Coast region in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
http://www.fox10tv.com/dpp/news/local_news/mobile_county/gulf-restoration-meeting-in-mobile
Gulf Coast Restoration Council Meeting in Mobile
AP
A council that's supposed to develop a plan to restore the environment and
economy after the BP oil spill is holding its first public meeting.
http://www2.wkrg.com/news/2012/dec/11/gulf-coast-restoration-council-meeting-mobile-ar-5148037/
Long, uncertain path ahead for Gulf restoration after oil spill
BY ERIKA BOLSTAD
MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS
WASHINGTON -- In the coming years, unprecedented billions will be spent on
restoration in the Gulf of Mexico, a vital American ecosystem damaged by
the most catastrophic oil spill in U.S. history.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/12/11/3137714/long-uncertain-path-ahead-for.html
January date set to rule on BP $4.5B plea deal over spill
By The Associated Press
on December 11, 2012 at 10:09 PM
NEW ORLEANS -- A federal judge will decide next month whether to accept a
plea deal that calls for BP PLC to pay a record $4.5 billion in penalties
for its role in a deadly 2010 rig explosion and the massive oil spill it
triggered in the Gulf of Mexico.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/12/january_date_set_to_rule_on_bp.html#incart_river
New oyster reefs open for harvest
WLOX
The Department of Marine Resources made a lot of Coast fishermen happy when
they opened two more oyster reefs for harvest. The Waveland and St.
Stanislaus reefs are normally reserved areas for oystermen who use tongs to
harvest the delicacy. But in a surprise move, those reefs have been
temporarily opened to oystermen who dredge for oysters.
http://www.wlox.com/story/20313141/new-oyster-reefs-open-for-harvest
State News
Students work with specialists to protect backyard bayou
WLOX
Some of South Mississippi's tiniest creatures are getting a lot of help
surviving in the wild. Sixth graders at one Pascagoula school are working
on a project to monitor and protect a bayou that's right in their own
backyard.
http://www.wlox.com/story/20320025/students-work-with-specialists-to-protect-backyard-bayou
$227M state investment in alternative energy has led to less than 500 jobs
AP
JACKSON — Mississippi has disbursed nearly $227 million in aid to six
alternative-energy companies since 2010, but so far has fewer than 500 jobs
to show for it.
http://www.clarionledger.com/viewart/20121211/NEWS/121211045/-227M-state-investment-alternative-energy-has-led-less-than-500-jobs?odyssey=tab|
topnews|text|
State budget proposal leaves 2,000 unfilled jobs vacant
Most state agencies wouldn't see budget increases
Clarion Ledger
More than 2,000 vacant positions would be eliminated under a $5.52 billion
budget proposal adopted Tuesday by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20121212/NEWS/312120028/State-budget-proposal-leaves-2-000-unfilled-jobs-vacant?nclick_check=1
National News
Environmental groups launch Southeast coal ash map
Move comes 4 years after massive spill in Tenn.
AP
NASHVILLE — Four years after a massive coal ash spill in East Tennessee,
environmental conservation groups have launched an interactive website and
map that shows the location and hazard risks for coal ash sites at 100
power plants throughout the Southeast.
http://www.clarionledger.com/viewart/20121212/NEWS/312120014/Environmental-groups-launch-Southeast-coal-ash-map
Coal ash bills might mean no regulation
Politico
By: Erica Martinson
December 12, 2012 04:39 AM EST
A congressional effort to rein in federal regulation of coal ash could
result in little or no regulation at all, a new report from the
Congressional Research Service warns.
http://www.politico.com/story/2012/12/coal-ash-bills-might-mean-no-regulation-84936.html?hp=r10
Water Pollution and the Farm Economy
NY Times
By JUSTIN GILLIS
As many people know, the astounding increase in agricultural output that
marked the latter half of the 20th century came at a high environmental
price. Agriculture is a major contributor to global warming, and runoff
from farm fields helps pollute rivers and streams.
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/11/water-pollution-and-the-farm-economy/?ref=earth&pagewanted=print
NY, 6 other states plan to sue EPA over methane emissions from oil and gas
drilling
By Associated Press, Published: December 11
PITTSBURGH — Seven Northeastern and mid-Atlantic states announced plans
Tuesday to sue the Environmental Protection Agency, saying it is violating
the Clean Air Act by failing to address methane emissions from oil and gas
drilling, which has boomed in nearby states such as Pennsylvania and West
Virginia.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/ny-6-other-states-plan-to-sue-epa-over-methane-emissions-from-oil-and-gas-drilling/2012/12/11/7a0ec2fe-43ca-11e2-8c8f-fbebf7ccab4e_story.html
Indianapolis to Tap Alternative Fuels for Vehicles
Wall Street Journal
By KEITH JOHNSON
Indianapolis is set to announce Wednesday that it plans to phase out
gasoline and diesel from the city's vehicle fleet by 2025, one of the most
ambitious steps toward alternative fuels by a major U.S. city.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324339204578173691719970824.html
Interior delays 'fracking' rules
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 12/11/12 04:16 PM ET
The Interior Department no longer plans to finalize rules this year that
will impose new controls on the controversial oil-and-gas development
method called hydraulic fracturing, a spokesman said.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/272307-interior-pushes-back-fracking-rule-timeline
Sen. Boxer announces plans to form 'climate change caucus'
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 12/11/12 03:17 PM ET
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer
(D-Calif.) said Tuesday that she's forming a "climate change caucus," and
argues that Hurricane Sandy "changed a lot of minds" on the topic.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/272273-sen-boxer-to-form-climate-change-caucus
Press Releases
EPA & Consumer Product Safety Commission Collaborate to Research Health
Impacts of Nanomaterials
WASHINGTON, DC—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) are collaborating in a worldwide
research effort to assess any potential impacts of nanomaterials on
people's health and the environment. Nanomaterials appear in many household
products ranging from clothing to building materials. For example, one
ongoing study evaluates the potential human and environmental effects from
exposure to copper nanomaterials, an ingredient in wood treatment products
used on wood for building decks and fences.
The emerging field of nanotechnology has led to substantial advances in
energy, medicine, electronics, and clean technologies. The field relies on
using materials at the nanoscale level, these nanomaterials are made up of
very small particles, which are about 100,000 times smaller than the width
of a human hair. Because of the unique properties of these materials, it is
important to conduct research to identify methods that will allow
manufacturers and other stakeholders to ensure that products containing
these materials do not harm people or the environment.
"Nanotechnology and nanomaterials used in the development of these products
improve our everyday lives, but it is important that we understand how
humans are exposed to nanomaterials and to assess the risks they may pose
to people's health and the environment," said Dr. Tina Bahadori, national
program director for EPA's Chemical Safety for Sustainability Research.
"This innovative research greatly improves what is known about
nanomaterials and will inform the future design of more sustainable,
effective nanomaterials."
"These tiny nanomaterials are widely used in products ranging from clothing
to sunscreen, but the need for additional research and knowledge on how
they affect consumers is great. The CPSC staff is working diligently to
meet the challenges involved in regulating this emerging technology and is
pleased to be collaborating with staff at EPA to develop test methods and
exposure data to adequately address health and safety concerns" said Dr.
Treye Thomas, program manager for the CPSC Nanotechnology program.
EPA's collaborative research with CSPC is part of a larger international
effort that focuses on:
• Identifying, characterizing and quantifying the origins of nanomaterials
• Studying biological processes affected by nanomaterials that could
influence risk
• Determining how nanomaterials interact with complex systems in the human
body and the environment
• Involving industry to develop sustainable manufacturing processes
• Sharing knowledge through innovative online applications that allow for
rapid feedback and accelerated research progress
CPSC, in working with other federal agencies, ensures that common public
health concerns are met and will use research findings to inform:
• Protocol development to assess the potential release of nanomaterials
from consumer products
• Credible rules for consumer product testing to evaluate exposure
• Determination of the potential public health impacts of nanomaterial used
in consumer products
This research is a part of the U.S. government's efforts to assess the
potential risks of nanomaterials. These efforts are coordinated by the U.S.
National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI). NNI is a collaborative project
comprised of 25 agencies, including EPA and CPSC.
More information about EPA's nanomaterials research:
http://www.epa.gov/nanoscience/
More information about CPSC's nanomaterials research:
http://www.nano.gov/node/139
More information about the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative:
http://www.nano.gov/
