4.26.2013
Oil Spill
Meetings set to make sure recreational fishing gets big chunk of BP fines
By Todd Masson, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
April 25, 2013 at 3:11 PM
The money that will eventually be coming into Louisiana through fines
levied on BP and other companies for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill
will quite possibly make fishing better in the state, according to Chris
Macaluso with the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.
http://www.nola.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2013/04/meetings_set_to_make_sure_recr.html
State News
MDEQ gives D'Iberville 90 days more to repay $1.4M
Sun Herald
By MARY PEREZ — meperez@sunherald.com
D'IBERVILLE -- The $3 million BP grant awarded to D'Iberville for Ocean
Expo aquarium is still under review, giving the city an additional 90 days
to repay $1.4 million in disputed expenses.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/04/25/4622112/mdeq-gives-diberville-90-days.html
Water advisory issued in Gulfport; another lifted
Sun Herald
JACKSON -- The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality issued a
water contact advisory Thursday for Station 10, which is Gulfport Central
that stretches from Alfonso Drive to the VA main entrance.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/04/25/4620173/water-advisory-issued-in-gulfport.html
Bill prohibiting PSC rural water role becomes law
by Bobby Harrison
NEMS Daily Journal
04.26.13 - 06:15 am
JACKSON – Gov. Phil Bryant has signed into law legislation that "clarifies"
that the three-member elected Public Service Commission does not have
authority over rural water associations.
http://djournal.com/view/full_story/22364548/article-Bill-prohibiting-PSC-rural-water-role-becomes-law?instance=secondary_stories_left_column
Officials calm as Mississippi River rises
Bolivar Commercial
by Rory Doyle
04.25.13 - 04:38 pm
The Mississippi Delta is expected to feel a slight impact as water from
rain-swollen rivers across the Midwest continues to make its way south down
the Mississippi River.
http://www.bolivarcom.com/view/full_story/22358679/article-Officials-calm-as-Mississippi-River-rises?instance=latest_articles
Counties fracking will keep larger share of taxes
Commercial Dispatch
April 25, 2013 10:19:17 AM
MCCOMB -- Legislation to lower the Mississippi severance tax on
hydraulically fractured oil wells from 6 percent to 1.25 percent for first
30 months of well production has been signed into law by Gov. Phil Bryant.
House Bill 1698 also will allow counties where fracking is occurring to
keep a larger share of tax proceeds. The law takes effect July 1.
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=23798
Hazardous waste day set for Saturday
The Meridian Star
MERIDIAN — Man does this stuff pile up!
Saturday, beginning at 8 a.m., Meridian residents can get rid of all
those items sitting around the house that can't normally be thrown away. It
is a chance to clean out the garage or shed of items such as aerosol cans,
paint thinners left over from that home project, oil from those oil changes
in the cars and many more things that can't be included in the normal trash
pickups. The Household Hazardous Waste Day will last until 2 p.m.
http://meridianstar.com/local/x2002132042/Hazardous-waste-day-set-for-Saturday
DMR awards CIAP grants to South Mississippi schools
Sun Herald
By LEIGHANNE LOCKHART — llockhart@sunherald.com
PASCAGOULA -- The state Department of Marine Resources handed out 18 grants
to Coast schools, including a $5,500 grant to Cherokee Elementary School in
Pascagoula.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/04/25/4621973/dmr-awards-ciap-grants-to-coastal.html
Tire plant seen as big jobs producer
Lawmakers to consider $130 million in incentives in special session today
Clarion Ledger
Lawmakers in a closed "reception" Thursday night were briefed on "Project
Triathlon," Gov. Phil Bryant's efforts to land a $1.2 billion Japanese tire
manufacturing plant near West Point.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20130426/NEWS0105/304260023/Tire-plant-seen-big-jobs-producer
National News
Environmental groups sue TVA over coal plant
By TRAVIS LOLLER — Associated Press
NASHVILLE, TENN. — A coalition of environmental groups is suing the
Tennessee Valley Authority over its decision to continue operating a
coal-burning power plant in Gallatin.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/04/25/4620860/environmental-groups-sue-tva-over.html
HazMat crew finds no further dangers on barges after fires, 7 explosions
Press Register
By Theresa Seiger | tseiger@al.com
April 25, 2013 at 11:28 AM
MOBILE, Alabama -- The Mobile Fire-Rescue Department has started scaling
back its operations after a HazMat team found no hazards on two fuel barges
in the Mobile River, where fires raged Wednesday night and finally burned
out this morning.
http://blog.al.com/live/2013/04/after_7_explosions_fire_out_on.html#incart_river
Obama's fracking plans under the microscope
The Hill
By Ben Geman and Zack Colman - 04/25/13 05:59 PM ET
ON TAP FRIDAY: A House committee will look at Obama administration research
into hydraulic fracturing, the controversial oil-and-gas development method
that's enabling a U.S. production boom while creating concerns about
pollution.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/296263-overnight-energy-obamas-fracking-plans-under-the-microscope
Senator: Texas explosion has exposed 'toothless' chemical regulations
The Hill
By Megan R. Wilson - 04/25/13 04:04 PM ET
A Democratic lawmaker says he intends to strengthen "toothless" regulations
surrounding plants that process large amounts of dangerous chemicals.
http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/legislation/296251-senator-texas-explosion-has-exposed-toothless-chemical-regulations
Senate panel's paper suggests looking at carbon tax
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 04/25/13 01:25 PM ET
A Senate Finance Committee white paper on possible federal tax code changes
for energy suggested establishing a carbon tax in place of most or all
energy tax incentives.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/296191-senate-finance-committee-paper-carbon-tax-an-option
Senators float nuclear waste storage draft bill
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 04/25/13 12:18 PM ET
A bipartisan quartet of senators dropped a draft of a long-awaited bill
Thursday that would change how the United States stores nuclear waste.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/296159-senators-float-nuclear-waste-storage-draft
Spending cuts may deep-six crucial flood gauges
By SETH BORENSTEIN — AP Science Writer
WASHINGTON — More than 100 crucial gauges that warn of imminent flooding or
lack of needed water will be shut down starting next month as part of the
federal government's automatic budget cuts.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/04/25/4620690/spending-cuts-may-deep-six-crucial.html
Press Releases
EPA Awards $4 Million to Help Support Cleanup and Reuse of Brownfields
Sites Across the Country
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will award
approximately $4 million in grants to 20 communities across the country to
assist with planning for cleanup and reuse of Brownfields properties. This
funding is part of the Brownfields Area-Wide (BF AWP) Planning program,
which aims to promote community revitalization by using cleanups to
stimulate local economies and protect people's health and the environment.
EPA's Brownfields program encourages the redevelopment of abandoned and
potentially contaminated waste sites across the country.
"EPA continues to respond to Brownfields challenges in communities of every
size by encouraging strong public-private partnerships and promoting
innovative and creative ways to assess, clean up and redevelop Brownfields
sites," said Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of
Solid Waste and Emergency Response. "The area-wide planning approach
recognizes that revitalization of the area surrounding the Brownfields
sites is critical to the successful reuse of the property as cleanup and
redevelopment of an individual site. The locally-driven planning process
will help communities create a shared vision for and commitment to
revitalization."
EPA will award up to $200,000 per recipient so they can engage the
community and conduct Brownfields planning activities for an area, such as
a neighborhood, downtown district, city block, former industrial area or
local commercial corridor.
In 2010, EPA launched the BF AWP program as a pilot program with the goal
of adopting a more broad approach into the existing Brownfields grant
programs. Since its inception, all EPA's Brownfields investments have
leveraged more than $19 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. Over the
years, the relatively small investment of federal funding has been able to
leverage more than 87,000 jobs from both public and private sources.
This is the second round of grants awarded under the BF AWP program. EPA's
BF AWP program is part of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities
collaboration among EPA and the Departments of Transportation (DOT) and
Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Partnership for Sustainable
Communities ensures that the agencies consider affordable housing,
transportation, and environmental protection in concert to create healthier
communities. The partnership is helping communities across the country to
create attractive housing choices, make transportation more efficient and
reliable, reinforce existing infrastructure investments, and support
vibrant and healthy neighborhoods that attract businesses.
More information on the grant recipients:
http://epa.gov/brownfields/areawide_grants.htm
More information on the Partnership for Sustainable Communities:
http://www.sustainablecommunities.gov/
