1.17.13
Oil Spill
Transocean drops bid to depose BP rig supervisor
The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS — Transocean Ltd. has asked a judge to vacate an order
requiring BP rig supervisor Donald Vidrine to submit to a medical exam to
determine if he is fit to answer questions about his actions on the
Deepwater Horizon before an explosion killed 11 workers in 2010.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/01/16/4410014/transocean-drops-bid-to-depose.html
Letters Detail Objections to BP Settlement
Relatives of Deepwater Horizon Victims Seek Stiffer Penalty as Judge Weighs
$4.5 Billion Payment to Resolve Criminal Case
Wall Street Journal
By TOM FOWLER
Kathleen Goodlife says she knows her brother Gordon Jones died
accidentally when the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig blew up in April
2010. But that doesn't mean she approves of the $4.5 billion criminal
settlement that BP BP.LN +0.57% PLC has reached with the government.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323783704578246161417240862.html
BP, Justice Department say Gulf plea deal fair and appropriate
Houston Chronicle
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 2:23 pm by Harry R. Weber
BP and federal prosecutors urged a judge Wednesday to approve a criminal
plea deal over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico rig explosion and oil spill, amid
requests for tougher penalties and poignant family statements from
relatives of some of the 11 men who died.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2013/01/16/bp-justice-department-say-gulf-plea-deal-fair-and-appropriate/
Gulf oil spill victims get more time to rejoin BP class action suit
By Richard Thompson, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
updated January 16, 2013 at 10:43 PM
The federal judge overseeing the massive litigation over the BP Deepwater
Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico ordered Wednesday those who
opted-out of BP's economic and property damage settlement be offered a
chance to get back in.
http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2013/01/gulf_oil_spill_victims_get_mor.html
State News
DEQ presents city with award for recycling
By CALEB BEDILLION
DAILY LEADER
Wednesday, January 16, 2013 3:00 pm
The Brookhaven board of aldermen received an award as the 2012 Local
Government Recycler of the Year from a Department of Environmental Quality
official at the Tuesday night board meeting.
http://www.dailyleader.com/topstories/article_8665a94c-6002-11e2-bfc4-0019bb2963f4.html
CMR to search for new DMR director
WLOX
Who will replace Dr. Bill Walker as executive director of the DMR? That
question will eventually be answered by a search process that's about to
get underway.
http://www.wlox.com/story/20607377/cmr-to-search-for-new-dmr-director
Sun Herald sues DMR for records
Sun Herald
By ANITA LEE — calee@sunherald.com
The Sun Herald filed a Chancery Court lawsuit Wednesday against the
Mississippi Department of Marine Resources over the agency's refusal to
provide financial records under the state's Public Records Act.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/01/16/4409938/sun-herald-sues-dmr-for-records.html
Council votes for vertical landfill
Commercial Dispatch
January 16, 2013 11:37:58 AM
Jeff Clark - jclark@cdispatch.com
After more than six weeks of discussion and committee meetings, the
Columbus City Council is ready to make a move regarding the future of its
landfill.
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=21596
Supervisors heed lawyers on sewage
Bolivar Commercial
by Rory Doyle
Plans are finally developing to resolve the long-time insufficiencies of
the sewage systems within Bolivar County Noblin and Stanton subdivisions.
http://www.bolivarcom.com/view/full_story/21430876/article-Supervisors-heed-lawyers-on-sewage-?instance=homefirstleft
Hattiesburg family claims sewer overflows their driveway with feces
WDAM
A Hattiesburg family on Kimball Ave. say they have been complaining about a
sewer problem in front of their driveway to the City of Hattiesburg for
more than five months.
http://www.wdam.com/story/20607098/hattiesburg-family-claims-sewer-overflows-their-driveway-with-feces
Friends of Boley prepare for spring cleaning
By Jeremy Pittari
The Picayune Item
PICAYUNE — Members of the Friends of Boley volunteer group are preparing
their spring cleanup of Hobolochitto Creek.
http://picayuneitem.com/local/x2056586241/Friends-of-Boley-prepare-for-spring-cleaning
Lake to cost county more than $1.5M
Madison County Journal
By MICHAEL SIMMONS
A 60.05-acre park development in northeastern Madison County will end up
costing more than the $1.5 million county supervisors sought through an
urban renewal loan.
http://onlinemadison.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=26050
Hattiesburg schools looks to cut energy costs
AP
HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - Hattiesburg Public School District Superintendent
James Bacchus is looking at cutting $750,000 from next year's budget. To do
that, he's asking district employees to help him start saving now.
http://www.wdam.com/story/20610615/hattiesburg-schools-looks-to-cut-energy-costs
National News
Salazar departure leaves 'green' posts vacant
Washington Post
By Juliet Eilperin,
With Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's announcement Wednesday that he
intends to resign, the Obama administration finds itself in exactly the
same place it was four years ago: looking to fill the three most important
environmental posts in the federal government.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/salazar-departure-leaves-green-posts-vacant/2013/01/16/dab486bc-5ff8-11e2-9940-6fc488f3fecd_story.html
Inspectors finding hundreds of levees in danger of failing in US, AP
analysis says
Published January 17, 2013
Associated Press
advertisement
Inspectors taking the first-ever inventory of flood control systems
overseen by the federal government have found hundreds of structures at
risk of failing and endangering people and property in 37 states.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/01/17/inspectors-finding-hundreds-levees-in-danger-failing-in-us-ap-analysis-says/?test=latestnews
Drought Stokes Water Fights
Texas Asks Supreme Court to Force Neighbors to Slake Part of Its Growing
Thirst
Wall Street Journal
By MIGUEL BUSTILLO
Water wars are heating up in Texas, where officials are suing New Mexico
and Oklahoma over river water as the Lone Star State tries to quench the
thirst of its booming population.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323783704578245903703473688.html
Vitter: 'Political purposes' behind EPA fracking study
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 01/17/13 06:00 AM ET
Political motives and shoddy science marred a controversial Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) study that first linked hydraulic fracturing to
water pollution, Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) wrote in a Thursday letter
obtained by The Hill.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/277669-vitter-political-purposes-behind-epa-fracking-study-
Ken Salazar leaving a legacy of change
Politico
By: Darren Goode
January 16, 2013 06:42 PM EST
Major changes in the Interior Department's oversight of oil and gas
drilling will be among the lasting outcomes of Ken Salazar's tenure.
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/01/ken-salazar-leaving-a-legacy-of-change-86312.html?hp=l18
Press Releases
EPA's 2011 Toxics Release Inventory Shows Air Pollutants Continue to
Decline / Total toxic chemicals increase as result of mining
Release Date: 01/16/2013
Contact Information: Latisha Petteway (News Media Only),
petteway.latisha@epa.gov, (202) 564-3191, (202) 564-4355
WASHINGTON – Total toxic air releases in 2011 declined 8 percent from 2010,
mostly because of decreases in hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions,
even while total releases of toxic chemicals increased for the second year
in a row, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
annual Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) report published today.
The annual TRI provides citizens with vital information about their
communities. The TRI program collects information on certain toxic chemical
releases to the air, water and land, as well as information on waste
management and pollution prevention activities by facilities across the
country. TRI data are submitted annually to EPA, states and tribes by
facilities in industry sectors such as manufacturing, metal mining,
electric utilities, and commercial hazardous waste facilities.
"The Toxics Release Inventory provides widespread access to valuable
environmental information. It plays a critical role in EPA's efforts to
hold polluters accountable and identify and acknowledge those who take
steps to prevent pollution," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "Since
1998, we have recorded a steady decline in the amount of TRI chemicals
released into the air, and since 2009 alone, we have seen more than a 100
million pound decrease in TRI air pollutants entering our communities. This
remarkable success is due in part to the TRI program and concerted efforts
by industry, regulators and public interest groups to clean up the air we
all depend upon."
Among the HAPs showing decline were hydrochloric acid and mercury. Likely
reasons for the decreases seen over the past several years include
installation of control technologies at coal fired power plants and a shift
to other fuel sources.. Releases into surface water decreased 3 percent and
releases to land increased 19 percent since 2010, with the latter again due
primarily to the metal mining sector, as explained below.
Many of the releases from TRI facilities are regulated under various EPA
programs and requirements designed to limit harm to people's health and the
environment.
The 2011 TRI data show that 4.09 billion pounds of toxic chemicals were
disposed of or released into the environment (i.e., air, water or land), an
8 percent increase from 2010. The difference is mainly due to increases in
land disposal at metal mines, which typically involve large facilities
handling large volumes of material. In this sector, even a small change in
the chemical composition of the ore being mined - which EPA understands is
one of the asserted reasons for the increase in total reported releases -
can lead to big changes in the amount of toxic chemicals reported
nationally. Other industry sectors also saw smaller increases in releases,
including the hazardous waste management sector.
EPA has improved this year's TRI national analysis report by adding new
information about facility efforts to reduce pollution, insights into why
air releases are declining, and an enhanced analysis of releases on tribal
lands. With this report and EPA's web-based TRI tools, citizens can access
information about TRI-listed toxic chemical releases in their communities
and across the country.
Facilities must report their toxic chemical releases to EPA under the
Federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) by the
beginning of July each year. The Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 also
requires information on waste management activities related to TRI
chemicals. Also, EPA's TRI mobile application, myRTK, geographically
displays nearby facilities that report to the TRI program, as well as
facilities with EPA air, water or hazardous waste program permits.
More on the 2011 TRI analysis and TRI web-based tools:
http://www.epa.gov/tri/NationalAnalysis
More on facility efforts to reduce toxic chemical releases:
http://www.epa.gov/tri/p2
More on EPA's TRI mobile application, myRTK: http://www.epa.gov/tri/myrtk/
Corps Names New Chief Of River Operations
Vicksburg, Miss.......Thomas L. Hengst has recently been chosen as the U.
S. Army Corps of Engineers' (Corps) chief of river operations at the
Vicksburg District.
As the chief of river operations, Hengst will be responsible for executing
the management, planning, operations and maintenance of all navigational
projects within the three-state area of responsibility of the Vicksburg
District.
Prior to his new appointment, Hengst served as the chief of flood control
and hydropower. He has also held the positions of project manager and
senior project manager in the programs, projects and management section. He
began his career at the Vicksburg District as a cost engineer.
Hengst is a native of Sharkey County and grew up in Rolling Fork. He
received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from
Mississippi State University. He is a Registered Professional Engineer and
professional land surveyor in the State of Mississippi. He and his wife
Pamela are the parents of three children and are members of the Rolling
Fork Methodist Church.
The River Operations Branch is responsible for channel improvement ,
dredging, and navigation activities on the lower Mississippi, Red,
Ouachita/Black, and Pearl rivers. This work is accomplished by utilizing
specialized floating plant, dustpan and cutterhead dredges, towboats,
survey boats, and various other river-related equipment. The scope of work
encompasses four Corps of Engineers districts, seven states, multiple
watersheds, and utilizes the latest technology in river engineering and
operations. The River Operations Division is home to the Mat Sinking Unit
and the dreging unit which consists of the Motor Vessel (MV) William James,
MV Benyaurd, MV Harrison and the Dredge Jadwin.
XXX
Secretary Salazar to Return Home to Colorado
WASHINGTON, DC – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that
he will return to his home state of Colorado, having fulfilled his promise
to President Obama to serve four years as Secretary. Secretary Salazar has
informed President Obama that he intends to leave the Department by the end
of March.
"Colorado is and will always be my home. I look forward to returning to my
family and Colorado after eight years in Washington, D.C.," said Secretary
Salazar. "I am forever grateful to President Obama for his friendship in
the U.S. Senate and the opportunity he gave me to serve as a member of his
cabinet during this historic presidency."
"I have had the privilege of reforming the Department of the Interior to
help lead the United States in securing a new energy frontier, ushering in
a conservation agenda for the 21st century, and honoring our word to the
nation's first Americans," added Salazar. "I thank the more than 70,000
employees at the Department for their dedication to our mission as
custodians of America's natural and cultural resources. I look forward to
helping my successor in a seamless transition in the months ahead."
Secretary Salazar has helped usher in a new era of conservation to protect
America's lands, wildlife, and heritage. Under the banner of President
Obama's America's Great Outdoors program, Interior has established ten
national wildlife refuges and seven national parks since 2009; established
forward-thinking protections for wildlife and preserved millions of acres
of land; and implemented community-driven, science-based conservation
strategies that take into account entire ecosystems and working landscapes.
"From the Crown of the Continent in Montana to the prairie grasslands of
Kansas to the Everglades Headwaters in Florida, we are partnering with
landowners, farmers, and ranchers to preserve their way of life and the
irreplaceable land and wildlife that together we cherish," Salazar said.
"We have established an enduring vision for conservation in the 21st
century that recognizes all people from all walks of life."
Under Secretary Salazar's leadership, Interior has played a keystone role
in developing a secure energy future for the United States, both for
renewable and conventional energy.
Since 2009, Interior has authorized 34 solar, wind and geothermal energy
projects on public lands that total 10,400 megawatts - or enough to power
over 3 million homes. Salazar also oversaw a visionary blueprint for solar
energy development in the West and established the nation's first program
for offshore wind leasing and permitting in America's oceans.
"Today, the largest solar energy projects in the world are under
construction on America's public lands in the West, and we've issued the
first leases for offshore wind in the Atlantic," said Salazar. "I am proud
of the renewable energy revolution that we have launched."
Salazar has also undertaken an historic overhaul of Interior's management
of oil and gas resources, implementing tough new ethics standards for all
employees. He led Interior's response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
and split the former Minerals Management Service into three independent
agencies with clear, independent missions to oversee ocean energy
management and revenue collection. Interior has offered millions of acres
offshore in the Gulf of Mexico for safe and responsible exploration and
development and is proceeding with cautious exploration of Arctic
resources. Onshore, Interior has also leased millions of acres for oil and
gas development over the last four years while protecting special
landscapes for hunting and fishing and other uses.
"We have undertaken the most aggressive oil and gas safety and reform
agenda in U.S. history, raising the bar on offshore drilling safety,
practices and technology and ensuring that energy development is done in
the right way and in the right places," said Salazar. "Today, drilling
activity in the Gulf is surpassing levels seen before the spill, and our
nation is on a promising path to energy independence."
Secretary Salazar's term was marked by historic progress for Indian Country
with the passage of the Cobell settlement that honorably and responsibly
addressed long-standing injustices regarding the U.S. government's trust
management. The President also signed into law six Indian water rights
settlements, totaling over $1 billion, that will help deliver clean
drinking water to tribal communities and provide certainty to water users
across the West. Salazar spearheaded a sweeping reform – the first in 50
years – of federal surface leasing regulations for American Indian lands
that will streamline the approval process for home ownership, expedite
economic development, and spur renewable energy in Indian Country.
"President Obama has made it a priority to empower our nation's first
Americans by helping to build stronger, safer and more prosperous tribal
communities," Salazar said. "This administration has been marked by a
renewed commitment to honoring a nation-to-nation relationship and ensuring
tribes have a greater role in federal decisions affecting Indian Country."
Salazar, a fifth-generation Coloradoan, has served his state and the nation
for 14 continuous years as Colorado Attorney General, United States Senator
and as the 50th secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
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