3.15.13
Oil Spill
Gulf spill trial: Contractor finds cement samples that may have been same
sample used to seal well
By The Associated Press
March 15, 2013 at 1:42 AM
NEW ORLEANS — BP's cement contractor on the Deepwater Horizon rig has
discovered cement samples possibly tied to the ill-fated drilling project
that weren't turned over to the Justice Department after the 2010 oil
spill, a lawyer for the contractor said Thursday.
http://blog.al.com/live/2013/03/gulf_spill_trial_contractor_fi.html#incart_river
Samples of possible Macondo cement mixture found, Halliburton lawyer tells
federal judge
By Richard Thompson, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
March 14, 2013 at 8:06 PM
The lead lawyer for Halliburton, the company that supplied cement to seal
the ill-fated BP Macondo well, told a federal court Thursday that the oil
field services giant has found leftover samples of a cement slurry at its
lab in Lafayette that may be from the same mixture used to seal the well.
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2013/03/samples_of_missing_cement_slur.html#incart_river
Ten percent of BP's $100 million for Florida has been spent
Tampa Bay Times
Two years ago the company at the center of the Deepwater Horizon disaster,
BP, agreed to put up $1 billion to pay for environmental restoration
projects in the Gulf Coast states hit by the 2010 oil spill. The "early
restoration" funding was to help those states get a quick start on
repairing the damage done, rather than waiting years for a trial to sort
out who would pay for that.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/water/of-100-million-in-bp-money-for-florida-about-one-tenth-has-been-spent/2108999
'Dirty Energy' review: BP oil spill doc is well-made but offers little new
By Mike Scott, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
March 14, 2013 at 8:22 PM
If nothing else, the Deepwater Horizon doc "Dirty Energy" is timely,
arriving Friday (March 15) for a weeklong run at the Chalmette Movies just
as the BP oil spill trial plays out in a New Orleans courtroom. But
timeliness alone does not an excellent film make.
http://www.nola.com/movies/index.ssf/2013/03/dirty_energy_review_bp_oil_spi.html
State News
Work continues on Kerr-McGee rehabilitation
Commercial Dispatch
March 14, 2013 9:58:26 AM
Carmen K. Sisson - csisson@cdispatch.com
A decade has passed since the Kerr-McGee chemical plant on 14th Avenue was
shut down and sealed off from the public, but residents say the toxic
after-effects linger, endangering the health of approximately 3,500 people
who call this East Columbus neighborhood their home.
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=22875
Mississippi Department of Marine Resources awarded young marine scientists
for excellence
By Mississippi Press Staff
March 14, 2013 at 11:37 AM
BILOXI -- The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) presented
five local students with the MDMR Excellence in Marine Sciences Award at
the Region VI Science and Engineering Fair held March 5 at the Mississippi
Gulf Coast Coliseum and Convention Center.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-living/2013/03/mississippi_department_of_mari.html
Tupelo mulch loading site to close
WTVA
TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) -- Tupelo Public Works officials say they will close
down the mulch loading site Monday, March 18th.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/Tupelo-mulch-loading-site-to-close/fPeFWrj4N0yqp5MfTuKyMg.cspx
Mississippi hunting bill goes to Governor
by Laura Tillman
The Associated Press
03.14.13 - 03:22 pm
JACKSON — A bill that would allow hunters in Mississippi to use weapons of
choice on private land to hunt deer during primitive weapon season is
headed to Gov. Phil Bryant for approval.
http://djournal.com/view/full_story/21977250/article-Mississippi-hunting-bill-goes-to-Governor?instance=secondary_stories_left_column
National News
Obama Will Use Nixon-Era Law to Fight Climate Change
Bloomberg
By Mark Drajem - Mar 14, 2013
President Barack Obama is preparing to tell all federal agencies for the
first time that they have to consider the impact on global warming before
approving major projects, from pipelines to highways.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-15/obama-will-use-nixon-era-law-to-fight-climate-change.html
Obama wants research to wean vehicles off oil
By NEDRA PICKLER and MATTHEW DALY — Associated Press
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is pushing Congress to authorize more
federally funded research into clean energy technologies that can wean
automobiles off oil.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/03/15/4529762/obama-wants-research-to-wean-vehicles.html
White House Returns Proposed Rule On Refineries to EPA for More Analysis
Friday, March 15, 2013
Bloomberg
The White House Office of Management and Budget has sent back to the
Environmental Protection Agency a proposed rule to revise air pollution
standards for petroleum refineries, BNA has learned.
http://www.bna.com/white-house-returns-n17179872825/
Lawmakers Examine Ethanol Credits' Affect on Gas Prices
Wall Street Journal
By DAN STRUMPF
Two congressional committees are looking into whether a price spike in an
obscure corner of the biofuels market is behind the recent run-up in the
cost of gasoline.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324532004578360341241306954.html
Press Releases
New EPA Report: Initial Data Shows Significant Gains in Fuel Economy for
2012
WASHINGTON – Today, EPA released its annual report that tracks the fuel
economy of vehicles sold in the United States, underscoring the major
increases made in the efficiency of the vehicles Americans drive, reducing
oil consumption and cutting carbon emissions. According to the report, EPA
estimates that between 2007 and 2012 fuel economy values increased by 16
percent while carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have decreased by 13 percent,
and in 2012 alone the report indicates a significant one year increase of
1.4 miles per gallon (mpg) for cars and trucks.
"Today's report shows that we are making strides toward saving families
money at the pump, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and cleaning up the
air we breathe," said Gina McCarthy, Assistant Administrator for EPA's
Office of Air and Radiation. "The historic steps taken by the Obama
administration to improve fuel economy and reduce our dependence on foreign
oil are accelerating this progress, will spur economic growth and will
create high-quality domestic jobs in cutting edge industries across
America."
The expected 1.4 mpg improvement in 2012 is based on sales estimates
provided to EPA by automakers. EPA's projections show a reduction in CO2
emissions to 374 grams per mile and an increase in average fuel economy to
23.8 mpg. These numbers represent the largest annual improvements since EPA
began reporting on fuel economy.
Fuel economy is expected to continue improving significantly under the
Obama administration's historic National Clean Car Program standards. The
program cuts greenhouse gas emissions and would double fuel economy
standards by 2025. The standards will save American families $1.7 trillion
dollars in fuel costs, and by 2025 will result in an average fuel savings
of more than $8,000 per vehicle. The program will also save 12 billion
barrels of oil, and by 2025 will reduce oil consumption by more than 2
million barrels a day – as much as half of the oil imported from OPEC every
day.
EPA's annual "Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions,
and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 through 2012" attributes the improvements to
the rapid adoption of more efficient technologies, the increasing number of
high fuel economy choices for consumers, and the fact that many automakers
are already selling vehicles that can meet more stringent future fuel
economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards. The report indicates that
the projected gains for 2012 more than make up for a slight dip in fuel
economy in 2011.
Compared to five years ago, consumers have twice as many hybrid and diesel
vehicle choices, a growing set of plug-in electric vehicle options, and a
six-fold increase in the number of car models with combined city/highway
fuel economy of 30 mpg or higher.
The new report can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/fetrends.htm
