1.10.13
Oil Spill
Judge sets Feb. 14 hearing for Transocean's oil spill plea agreement
By The Associated Press
updated January 09, 2013 at 5:11 PM
NEW ORLEANS -- Transocean Ltd. made an initial court appearance Wednesday
for its plea agreement with the Justice Department over the company's role
in the massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/01/judge_sets_feb_14_hearing_for.html#incart_river
BP oil spill settlement payments exceed $1B mark
AP
By Warren Kulo | GulfLive.com
on January 10, 2013 at 7:04 AM
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Businesses and individuals who claim BP's oil spill in
the Gulf of Mexico cost them money have been paid more than $1 billion
through the company's class-action settlement with a team of private
plaintiffs' attorneys, court-supervised claims administrator Patrick Juneau
said.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/01/bp_oil_spill_settlement_paymen_1.html#incart_river
Oil and dispersant from Deepwater Horizon disaster prove toxic to Florida
coral reef species
By Craig Pittman
Tampa Bay Times
Posted: Jan 09, 2013 05:06 PM
Oil from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster would have killed coral reefs
in the Florida Keys if the plume had reached that far south, especially
when mixed with the dispersant Corexit 9500, according to new study
published Wednesday.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/wildlife/oil-and-dispersant-from-deepwater-horizon-disaster-prove-toxic-to-florida/1269717
BP gives $50,000 for Mobile County students to attend summer science camps
Mobile Press Register
By Rena Havner Philips | rphilips@al.com
updated January 09, 2013 at 5:13 PM
MOBILE, Alabama -- BP Plc has given local schools $50,000 to host
engineering camps for about 400 elementary school students this summer.
The grant has been awarded to the Mobile Area Education Foundation, which
runs a program called EYE, or Engaging Youth through Engineering in 25
local schools.
http://blog.al.com/live/2013/01/bp_gives_50000_for_mobile_coun.html
State News
MDEQ Tests Soil After Gasoline Explosion
WJTV
Glukstadt- Officials do not believe the ground is contaminated.
Early Wednesday morning, an 18-wheeler overturned and exploded on
Interstate 55 near the Glukstadt exit. Officials say around 8,000 gallons
of gasoline spewed out. The driver was taken to UMC with minor injuries.
MDEQ Environmental Scientist Ernie Shirley says he doesn't believe the
ground is contaminated because most the gas burned off in the fire.
However, he says crews are still taking precautions. Soil samples have been
taken and are now being tested. A boom was placed around a nearby creek to
prevent any gasoline that could flow into it.
http://www2.wjtv.com/news/2013/jan/09/mdeq-tests-soil-after-gasoline-explosion-ar-5333781/
No-till farming more popular with Mississippi farmers
Clinton News
No-till farming, strip-till farming, crop rotation and cover crops have
grown in popularity as Mississippi farmers face the challenge of conserving
nutrient-rich topsoil while improving their bottom lines.
http://www.clintonnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130110/NEWS/301090014/-1/NEWS01/No-till-farming-more-popular-with-Mississippi-farmers
Competition tough for new Dept. of Revenue building site
Pelahatchie among hopefuls for move
Clarion Ledger
As Clinton, Ridgeland and downtown Jackson sites are being touted as the
permanent home for the state Department of Revenue, another candidate is
waiting in the wings.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20130110/NEWS01/301100041/Competition-tough-new-Dept-Revenue-building-site
National News
Environmentalists Put Heat on Obama
Temperature Record for 2012 Fuels Call for an Emissions Bill, but Smaller
EPA Action Is More Likely
Wall Street Journal
By KEITH JOHNSON
The U.S.'s temperature record for 2012, after a year of extreme weather,
is increasing pressure from some scientists and environmentalists on
President Barack Obama to take further steps to curb the emissions they
say contribute to climate change.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324442304578232072468856396.html
Sen. Sanders, after US hits heat record, floats new climate bill
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 01/09/13 02:59 PM ET
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is floating legislation to impose fees on
greenhouse gas emitters, a plan that's highly unlikely to advance but shows
that liberal lawmakers intend to ramp up calls to tackle global warming in
the new Congress.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/276353-sen-sanders-after-us-heat-record-floats-new-climate-bill
No contamination from fracking found in 2 Arkansas counties-USGS
Wed, Jan 9 2013
Reuters
By Ayesha Rascoe
WASHINGTON, Jan 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. government said it found no evidence
that shale gas drilling had contaminated water in two Arkansas counties
where concerns were raised about the drilling technique called hydraulic
fracturing, or fracking.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/10/usa-fracking-arkansas-study-idUSL1E9C9FCZ20130110
Fracking Pushes U.S. Oil Production to Highest in 20 Years
Bloomberg
By Asjylyn Loder - Jan 9, 2013
U.S. oil production exceeded 7 million barrels a day for the first time
since March 1993 as improved drilling techniques boosted exploration across
the country and reinforced a shift toward energy independence.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-01-09/fracking-pushes-u-s-oil-production-to-highest-level-in-20-years.html
Birmingham region meets EPA air standard
AP
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Officials say the Birmingham area's air-pollution
rating is the best it has been in more than three decades.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Birmingham-region-meets-EPA-air-standard-4182081.php
EPA head calls climate-change shift a proud milestone
USA Today
SAN FRANCISCO -- As she prepares to step down from her position as
administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Lisa Jackson said she
is proudest of presiding over the landmark finding that climate-changing
greenhouse gases endanger public healthand welfare.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/01/09/epa-head-jackson-leaving-global-warming/1818857/
Press Releases
EPA Enforcement in 2012 Protects Communities From Harmful Pollution
CONTACT: Jason McDonald, 404-562-9203, mcdonald.jason@epa.gov
ATLANTA –The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its fiscal
year (FY) 2012 enforcement results. The results highlight EPA's civil and
criminal enforcement efforts to address pollution problems that have the
greatest impact on communities and public health, including a reduction of
1.7 billion pounds of pollution to the nation's air, water and land,
191,645 pounds of hazardous waste, and $34,876,733 million in
civil/judicial and criminal penalties to deter violations of the law. In
addition to achieving progress seen by such traditional measures, EPA has
also made gains to reduce relatively smaller amounts of pollution that have
substantial health impacts on communities, such as improvements in
compliance with drinking water standards and efforts to reduce high toxic
sources of air pollution.
"We are committed in Region 4 to ensuring that pollution problems that
impact our communities and neighborhoods are addressed through vigorous
civil and criminal enforcement," said Gwen Keyes-Fleming, EPA Region 4
Administrator.
Respondents in the Region 4 states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky,
Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, and on tribal
lands will invest more than $1.11 billion in pollution control and cleanup
and will implement more than $10,872,264 million in Supplemental
Environmental Projects. States received $16,196,392 million settlement paid
out to the states as co-plaintiffs.
"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 nationwide 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 sending untreated and contaminated wastewater to
municipal wastewater treatment plants. In the region, there were 54 cases
initiated, 40 defendants charged, 178 months and 62 days of incarceration,
576 months of probation, $1,370,162 paid in restitution, and $2,901,500
paid in fines. See Criminal Crimes Cases in the Southeast for information
on this case and others.
• EPA is taking enforcement actions against violators of environmental
regulations in environmental justice communities. See utility case example.
Additionally, EPA is 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.
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.
• EPA continues its efforts to protect the environment by redeveloping,
revitalizing, and reusing areas that were previously complicated by the
presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or
contaminant. Over $8 million was spent in 2012 to prevent, assess, safely
clean up, and sustainably reuse Brownsfields in Alabama, Mississippi,
Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida and Kentucky.
More information about EPA's FY 2012 enforcement results:
http://www.epa.gov/enforcement/data/eoy2012/index.html
