12.18.12
Oil Spill
Louisiana looms large in oil spill case
Houston Chronicle
BP has negotiated settlements with thousands of individuals harmed in the
2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and cut a plea bargain on federal criminal
charges.
Yet a plaintiff looms that could demand and possibly win civil damage
payments that would dwarf the billions BP already has paid or committed:
The state of Louisiana.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2012/12/17/louisiana-looms-large-in-oil-spill-case/
Louisiana farmer featured in USDA video about BP Deepwater Horizon-spurred
initiative
By Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
updated December 17, 2012 at 6:30 PM
"Conservation doesn't cost." - Christian Richard
A Louisiana farmer is featured in a USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service video highlighting one of many conservation programs spurred by the
2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster. The video focuses on
conserving, or "recycling," water to help control sediment and nutrient
runoff into the Gulf of Mexico.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2012/12/louisiana_farmer_featured_in_u.html
Shell considered making bid for BP
Houston Chronicle
Shell Chief Executive Peter Voser told a German newspaper that the company
had considered trying to acquire BP in the past two years, according to a
Reuters report.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2012/12/17/shell-considered-making-bid-for-bp/
BP sells stake in North Sea gas field to SSE for $28 million
By Associated Press, Published: December 17
LONDON — Oil company BP has sold its half interest in a North Sea gas field
to SSE PLC for $288 million.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/bp-sells-stake-in-north-sea-gas-field-to-sse-for-28-million/2012/12/17/61dcecb2-4837-11e2-8af9-9b50cb4605a7_story.html
State News
Council agrees to water project
Ends month-long standoff with mayor
Clarion Ledger
Jackson City Council members on Monday ended a month-long standoff with the
administration over a $90 million water and sewer project, after receiving
assurances they would have another chance to weigh in on the proposed deal.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20121218/NEWS01/312180015/Council-agrees-water-project
CMSD launches city-wide electronics recycling
Commercial Dispatch
December 17, 2012 11:47:57 AM
Carmen K. Sisson
The Columbus Municipal School District is thinking green these days,
launching a new recycling initiative it hopes will bring in a little extra
cash while helping the environment.
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=21013
Founded in 1994, DMR has deep pockets, large Coast presence
Sun Herald
By MICHAEL NEWSOM
GULFPORT -- Since it was formed in 1994, the Mississippi Department of
Marine Resources has grown to an agency with more than 140 paid employees,
other contract workers and an annual state funding appropriation of about
$19 million, plus many times that in federal money and grants.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/12/15/4360937/founded-in-1994-dmr-has-deep-pockets.html
Phosphate Holdings reports third-quarter loss
Mississippi Press
By April M. Havens | gulflive.com
updated December 17, 2012 at 4:41 PM
Phosphate Holdings Inc., owner of Mississippi Phosphates in Pascagoula,
today reported a third-quarter net loss of $4.8 million, or 57 cents per
share, compared to an income of $1.5 million, or 18 cents per share, in the
same quarter last year.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/12/phosphate_holdings_reports_thi.html#incart_river
Funding worries agency chiefs
Lawmakers' plan would cut ethics panel budget
Clarion Ledger
Corrections and the Ethics Commission would take major funding hits that
agency directors say could leave them deep in debt or paralyze their
operations if the Joint Legislative Budget Committee's 2014 recommendations
are adopted.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20121218/NEWS01/312180035/Funding-worries-agency-chiefs
No flattery from Forbes: Publication gives state dismal business ranking
MBJ Blog
Mississippi's government and business leaders won't find any glad tidings
for the New Year in Forbes magazine's annual list of "Best States for
Business."
http://msbusiness.com/businessblog/2012/12/17/no-flattery-from-forbes-publication-gives-state-dismal-business-ranking/
National News
EPA to probe Lisa Jackson's alias email account
Politico
By: Erica Martinson
December 18, 2012 04:29 AM EST
The EPA inspector general wants some answers about Lisa Jackson's EPA email
account in the name of "Richard Windsor."
http://www.politico.com/story/2012/12/epa-to-probe-lisa-jacksons-alias-email-account-85202.html?hp=r1
GOP governors urge Obama to abandon 'fracking' rule
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 12/17/12 12:59 PM ET
Republicans are stepping up political pressure on the White House to back
off regulations that will impose new controls on the controversial
oil-and-gas development method called hydraulic fracturing.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/273229-gop-govs-urge-obama-to-nix-fracking-rule
Feds look other way as wind farms kill birds -- but haul oil and gas firms
to court
By Barnini Chakraborty
Published December 17, 2012
FoxNews.com
advertisement
Washington – Lights left on during a foggy night last year at a West
Virginia wind farm are thought to be behind the grizzly deaths of nearly
500 songbirds.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/12/17/us-wind-farms-under-fire-for-bird-kills/?test=latestnews
Press Releases
EPA Enforcement in 2012 Protects Communities From Harmful Pollution
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released
its annual enforcement results, showing significant environmental and
public health protections achieved – a reduction of 2.2 billion pounds of
air, water and land pollution, as well as 4.4 billion pounds of hazardous
waste, and $252 million in civil and criminal penalties levied – while also
focusing on enforcement efforts that reduce smaller amounts of pollution
but have substantial health impacts in communities.
"Enforcement plays a vital role in protecting communities from harmful
pollution," said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of
Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "We are using vigorous enforcement,
as well as innovations in monitoring and transparency, to reduce pollution
violations, protect and empower communities and focus on the environmental
problems that matter most."
FY 2012 results include:
- Sustained and focused enforcement attention on serious violators of clean
drinking water standards has resulted in improvements in compliance. The
number of systems with serious violations has declined by more than 60
percent in the past three years as a result of combined federal and state
enforcement work, protecting people's health through safer drinking water.
- More than 67 percent of large combined sewer systems serving people
across the country are implementing clean water solutions to reduce raw
sewage and contaminated stormwater and more are underway. EPA is working
with communities to design integrated solutions to these water quality
problems, and incorporating innovative and cost effective green
infrastructure to save money and achieve multiple community benefits.
- EPA is bringing criminal prosecutions where criminal activity threatens
public health, like failing to use required pollution control equipment or
knowingly violating pollution rules resulting in death or serious harm or
falsifying pollution information. See a case example in Louisiana.
- EPA is advancing environmental justice by incorporating fenceline
monitoring, which requires companies to monitor their air emissions and
make that data available public, into settlements, ensuring that local
residents have access to critical information about pollution that may be
affecting their community. EPA also secured $44 million in additional
investments through settlements for supplemental environmental projects
that benefit impacted communities. See an oil refinery case example.
- EPA is increasing transparency to use the power of public accountability
to help improve environmental compliance. EPA's 2012 enforcement actions
map provides information about violators in communities. EPA's state
dashboards and Clean Water Act pollutant loading tool provides the public
with information about local pollution that may affect them and allows the
public to take a closer look at how government is responding to pollution
problems.
More information about EPA's FY 2012 enforcement results:
http://www.epa.gov/enforcement/data/eoy2012/index.html
