12.20.12
State News
DeSoto water-treatment board rolls with process plan for Short Fork
Commercial Appeal
By Henry Bailey
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
The DeSoto County Regional Utility Authority board on Wednesday approved an
enhanced process for water treatment as part of the future expansion of the
Short Fork plant on the eastern side of the county. The Phase II price tag
is estimated to start at about $10 million.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/dec/19/desoto-water-treatment-board-rolls-with-process/?print=1
Pearl River levels close oyster reefs
WLOX
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources closed three areas to the
harvest of oysters due to the Pearl River stage exceeding the 10-foot
management plan criteria.
http://www.wlox.com/story/20386764/pearl-river-levels-close-oyster-reefs
MDEQ awards solid waste assistance grant to Ackerman
December 13, 2012
Choctaw Plaindealer
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) has awarded the
Town of Ackerman a solid waste assistance grant of $15,000 that will be
used for a wood waste recycling program.
http://choctaw.winstonnewsonline.com/2012/12/13/mdeq-awards-solid-waste-assistance-grant-to-ackerman/
Energy savings benefit Oxford schools
WTVA
OXFORD, Miss. (WTVA) -- Oxford School District received a check Wednesday
for $126,477 as part of a program offered by the Tennessee Valley Authority
and Oxford Electric Department to save energy and money for the schools and
enhance students' understanding of energy efficiency.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/Energy-savings-benefit-Oxford-schools/5VtBG3jOB0aBZsyhqqC4xA.cspx
Recycling off to good start in city
By CALEB BEDILLION
DAILY LEADER
Wednesday, December 19, 2012 11:01 am
Curbside recycling remains moderately successful in the city but with
plenty of room for growth, according to a report aldermen heard at their
Tuesday night board meeting.
http://www.dailyleader.com/news/article_bec6e528-49fd-11e2-87a5-001a4bcf887a.html
Hinds sheriff's department going green
Clarion Ledger
The Hinds County Sheriff's Department is going green.
It's courtesy of a special lease agreement with Cannon Nissan for a 2012
Nissan Leaf, an electric vehicle fitted with a lithium ion battery.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20121219/news/312190042?cid=dlvr.it
Economics and availability of crude make oil refining a tough industry to
sell in Winston County
December 13, 2012
By Joseph McCain The Winston County Journal
An invitation only event was held to discuss an oil refinery project in
Winston County and in spite of the promises made at the meeting and in the
other media coverage, the chances of anything happening in Winston County
is remote at best because of the economics and environmental issues.
http://winston.winstonnewsonline.com/?p=2601
Oil refinery in Winston County has same chance as me getting a gift from
Santa Claus
December 13, 2012
While several media outlets ran articles about an oil refinery in Winston
County and the feasibility of such, let's logically examine this:
http://winston.winstonnewsonline.com/?p=2598
North Lee water presses ahead
by Patsy R. Brumfield
NEMS Daily Journal
12.20.12 - 06:25 am
North Lee County Water Association customers are likely to see improved
service as time goes on, but they may wait a bit longer for decisions about
criminal charges associated with a 2011 scandal that brought down the
organization's power structure.
http://djournal.com/view/full_story/21190572/article-North-Lee-water-presses-ahead?instance=lead_story_left_column
Mississippi scores among highest in emergency readiness survey
By The Associated Press
LAS VEGAS -- Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Vermont and Wisconsin
scored highest and Nevada scores near the bottom of a national survey
looking at public health and emergency preparedness.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/12/mississippi_scores_among_highe.html#incart_river
Funding PERS will be up to departments in 2013
MBJ
by Ted Carter
Published: December 14,2012
Directors of state departments and agencies must find a way to pay for a
10.4 percent increase in the employer share of the PERS of Mississippi
retirement starting in July.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2012/12/14/funding-pers-is-up-to-departments/
National News
Obama: Climate change among top three priorities for second term
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 12/19/12 12:13 PM ET
President Obama has identified climate change as one of his top three
priorities in his second term after coming under fire from
environmentalists for giving the issue short shrift during the campaign.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/273737-obama-climate-change-one-of-top-three-priorities
Interior urges 'safety culture' among offshore drillers
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 12/19/12 11:48 AM ET
Interior Department offshore drilling regulators, in a new policy
statement, will press oil-and-gas companies to adopt a "safety culture" in
the wake of the massive 2010 BP oil spill.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/273729-interior-to-demand-safety-culture-among-offshore-drillers
Study: Fracking process created jobs in Michigan in 2012
・ By Michael Martinez
・ The Detroit News
The controversial fracking process ― tapping natural gas by blasting water,
chemicals and sand into rocks underground to unlock resources ― accounted
for 38,000 direct or spinoff jobs in Michigan in 2012 and will create
79,000 jobs and contribute more than $8 billion to the economy, according
to a study released Wednesday by Colorado-based IHS Global Insight.
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20121219/BIZ/212190400/1361/Study--Fracking-process-created-jobs-in-Michigan-in-2012
Opinion
New EPA rules signal stronger scientific backbone from Obama
The Hill
By Michael Halpern, Center for Science and Democracy, Union of Concerned
Scientists - 12/19/12 10:00 AM ET
The Environmental Protection Agency just revised air pollution standards
for particulate matter, the primary component of soot. The new rules are
based on the best available science and it is encouraging to see the agency
following the Clean Air Act, especially in the face of strong industry
pressure to ignore science again.
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-a-environment/273543-new-epa-rules-signal-stronger-scientific-backbone-from-obama
Press Releases
ROV wraps up investigation
12/18/2012 03:40 PM EST
NEW ORLEANS ―Remote operated vehicles (ROV) investigating the recurring
sheen near the MC 252 wellhead concluded operations Saturday, Dec. 15,
2012. ROVs inspected the sunken Deepwater Horizon Platform wreckage and the
surrounding area.
No sources of leaking oil were identified. During operations, an
unidentified substance inconsistent with oil was seen emitting from several
areas of the rig wreckage, and samples were collected for further lab
analysis.
"No apparent source of the surface sheen has been discovered by this
effort," said Capt. Duke Walker, Federal On-Scene Coordinator for Deepwater
Horizon. "Next steps are being considered as we await the lab results of
the surface and subsurface samples and more detailed analysis of the video
shot during the mission."
Out of an abundance of caution, the Macondo wellhead was also observed and,
as expected, was found to be secure. On September 19, 2010 the well was
closed off and cemented.
Satellite surveillance will continue to monitor the sheen while future
steps are being considered.
The real time ROV operations were observed remotely by the Coast Guard,
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Bureau of Safety and Environmental
Enforcement, BP, Transocean and state on�scene coordinators from Louisiana,
Mississippi and Florida. Additionally, the Coast Guard had observers
onboard the Olympic Triton which launched and controlled the ROVs during
the operation.
Video of the ROV inspections will be made available shortly and posted on
www.restorethegulf.gov.
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 Study Reveals Shift in Housing Developments Across the U.S.
More communities embrace redevelopment
WASHINGTON � The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a new
report examining residential construction trends in America's metropolitan
regions, which finds that nearly three out of four large metropolitan
regions saw an increased share of new housing development in previously
developed areas during 2005 - 2009 compared to 2000 - 2004.
Known as infill housing, this type of development provides economic and
public health benefits to metropolitan areas while protecting the local
environment. Infill housing saves money and energy by taking advantage of
previous investments in existing infrastructure (such as water, sewer, and
roads). This type of development can also help preserve open space, protect
natural resources, and reduce transportation emissions and the amount of
polluted stormwater washing off new roadways and other paved surfaces.
Infill housing has also been shown to help raise property values, increase
a community's tax base, and attract retail businesses to serve the larger
residential population.
This report examines data on the location of new home development in
metropolitan regions, as well as data on pre-existing land cover. The
report also includes a listing of resources available to local, regional,
and state leaders who wish to coordinate land use, housing, and
transportation policies.
The findings of the report demonstrate that infill has become a significant
portion of the U.S. housing market. Among all 209 metropolitan regions
examined, 21 percent of new homes were infill, while the remaining share
was built on undeveloped land outside existing communities. Seventy-one
percent of large metropolitan regions saw an increased share of infill
housing development. Among 51 large metropolitan regions examined in this
study, 36 saw an increased share of infill housing development during
2005-2009 compared to 2000-2004. For example, eight out of ten new homes in
San Jose, Calif. were infill. New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco all
saw a majority of new home construction in previously developed areas
during the same time period.
EPA published the first and second editions of Residential Construction
Trends in America's Metropolitan Regions in 2009 and 2010. This 2012 report
builds on previous work with the HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership for Sustainable
Communities to measure metropolitan development trends.
More information on the report, prior studies, and a map showing regional
trends: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/construction_trends.htm
More information on the Partnership for Sustainable Communities:
http://www.sustainablecommunities.gov/index.html
