4.4.13
Oil Spill
Federal judge dismisses claims against blowout preventer manufacturer in BP
oil spill trial
By Richard Thompson, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
April 03, 2013 at 7:22 PM
The federal judge overseeing the BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill trial
dismissed all remaining claims Wednesday against the Houston-based
manufacturer of the blowout preventer, which was supposed to shut down BP's
Macondo well in an emergency.
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2013/04/federal_judge_dismisses_claims.html
Judge tosses all claims against maker of key safety device on rig that
exploded in the Gulf
By Associated Press,
NEW ORLEANS — A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed all remaining claims
against the company that made a key safety device for the drilling rig that
exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, killing 11 workers and leading to
the nation's worst offshore oil spill.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/judge-tosses-all-claims-against-maker-of-key-safety-device-on-rig-that-exploded-in-the-gulf/2013/04/03/cce04dce-9c92-11e2-9219-51eb8387e8f1_story.html
BP wind sale highlights renewable energy struggles
Houston Chronicle
BP is getting out of the wind power business, selling its U.S. wind farm
operations, including four in Texas.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2013/04/03/bp-to-sell-wind-business/
State News
Oil spill contained, no Strong River contamination
Magee Courier
BY DAVE MINSKY
Tuesday, April 2, 2013 2:27 PM CDT
A clean-up crew organized by Denbury Oil Company is working to remove oil
from a contaminated creek after a spill occurred at their plant near Layton
Jones Road Saturday afternoon. The cause of the spill is under
investigation, authorities said.
http://mageecourier-countynews.com/articles/2013/04/04/news/news03.txt
Grain from derailment: Something smells at Hinds penal farm
Clarion Ledger
Eleven tons of smelly grain this week sat on the grounds of the Hinds
County Penal Farm in Raymond, Department of Environmental Quality officials
said Wednesday.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20130404/NEWS01/304040049/Grain-from-derailment-Something-smells-Hinds-penal-farm
DMR chief nomination advances to full Senate
By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS — Associated Press
JACKSON, -- A state Senate committee has voted unanimously to recommend the
confirmation of Jamie Miller as executive director of the state Department
of Marine Resources.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/04/03/4569564/dmr-chief-nomination-advances.html
Lawmakers: PSC can't oversee rural water groups
by Bobby Harrison
NEMS Daily Journal
04.04.13 - 07:00 am
JACKSON – Legislation that supporters say simply will "clarify" that the
elected three-member Public Service Commission would have no authority over
rural water associations cleared the Legislature on Wednesday.
http://djournal.com/view/full_story/22154214/article-Lawmakers--PSC-can%E2%80%99t-oversee-rural-water-groups?instance=secondary_stories_left_column
Annual Tippah Trash Off begins
Southern Sentinel
by Beth Thomas | 1:00 am | April 4, 2013
Empty soda cans and candy wrappers have their place, and it's not on the
side of roads in Tippah County. In efforts to keep Tippah County beautiful,
the second annual Tippah Trash Off is taking place now through April 20
along the sides of roads and highways throughout the county. The event
coincides with Keep America Beautiful's Great American Cleanup, the
nation's largest community improvement program.
http://southern-sentinel.com/2013/04/04/annual-tippah-trash-off-begins/
Public hearing April 15 for expanded dirt-mining permit
Madison County Journal
By ALINE CARAMBAT
A public hearing for an expanded dirt-mining permit near the intersection
of Highways 463 and 22 has been scheduled for April 15 in front of the
Madison County Board of Supervisors.
http://onlinemadison.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=26419
National News
Federal audit says $700 million Katrina aid may have been misspent in
Louisiana
By The Associated Press
April 03, 2013 at 6:36 PM
WASHINGTON -- Federal investigators said Wednesday that as much as $700
million in federal aid intended to help some 24,000 Louisiana families
elevate their homes after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 may have been
misspent.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/04/federal_audit_says_700_million.html#incart_river
Obama on climate change: 'The politics of this are tough'
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 04/04/13 06:59 AM ET
President Obama told Democratic donors late Wednesday that he must sharpen
his argument for action on climate change and green energy at a time when
many families are still struggling financially.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/291787-obama-on-climate-change-the-politics-of-this-are-tough
Poll: Majority of Republicans believe global warming a hoax
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 04/03/13 09:26 AM ET
Fifty-eight percent of Republicans believe that global warming is a "hoax,"
compared to 11 percent of Democrats, according to new polling that
underscores political divides over climate change among U.S. residents.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/291601-poll-majority-of-republicans-call-global-warming-a-hoax
Senate panel readies deep dive into natural gas
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 04/03/13 10:59 AM ET
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee leaders aren't rushing to
move bills on natural gas policy – instead they're soliciting a lot more
information.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/291627-senate-panel-readies-deep-dive-into-natural-gas
Politics, environmental worries threaten new coal ports in the Northwest
WASHINGTON — Growing environmental objections to exporting coal from
Washington state and Oregon have begun to endanger the coal industry's hope
to restore its flagging fortunes by shipping much more of the embattled
fossil fuel to China and India.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/04/03/4569324/politics-environmental-worries.html
Press releases
EPA Voids Certificates Approving Import of Over 70,000 Small Recreational
Vehicles
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced
today that it is withdrawing approval of the import and sale of up to
74,000 gas-powered on- and off-road motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles
from China. The agency believes that it received either incomplete or
falsified certification information.
EPA issued the vehicle certificates from 2006 to 2012 to two companies
which operate as Snyder Technology, Inc. and Snyder Computer Systems, Inc.
(doing business as Wildfire Motors Corporation). As a result of a lengthy
investigation, the agency believes that the applications for the
certificates contained misleading information and must be voided.
All vehicles imported into or manufactured in the United States are
required to have certificates of conformity. Manufacturers or importers
must submit an application to EPA that describes the vehicle and its
emission control system. It must also provide emissions data demonstrating
that the vehicle will meet federal emission standards for certain
pollutants, including oxides of nitrogen (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), and
total hydrocarbons (HC)--all of which can harm public health and the
environment. These pollutants can contribute to soot (fine particles) and
smog (ground-level ozone), which are associated with asthma and heart
attacks, increased emergency room visits and premature death.
In the cases of Snyder and Wildfire, EPA believes the manufacturers failed
to accurately test the emissions from their own products, all of which were
imported from China. Without proper emission controls, these vehicles can
emit substantially more pollution than allowable under Clean Air Act
standards.
Today's action impacts the companies that manufactured and imported these
vehicles. A consumer who owns a model that was covered by these voided
certificates is not responsible for these companies' wrongdoing and can
continue to use the vehicle.
More information on the recreational vehicles:
http://epa.gov/otaq/recveh.htm
