5.31.13
Oil Spill
State commits $15M in BP oil disaster funds to proposed Biloxi baseball
stadium
BP oil disaster funds to be tapped
Clarion Ledger
Gov. Phil Bryant on Thursday said the state would kick in $15 million in BP
oil disaster money to help build a minor league baseball stadium in Biloxi.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20130531/NEWS01/305310044/State-commits-15M-BP-oil-disaster-funds-proposed-Biloxi-baseball-stadium
Gov. Bryant to ball team: They've got a home, we're committed
WLOX
Beau Rivage made the Biloxi Visitors Center feel as much like as baseball
stadium as they could Thursday afternoon. They had employees dressed as
ballpark vendors, handing out peanuts and Cracker Jacks.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22459818/gov-bryant-to-ball-team-theyve-got-a-home-were-committed
Bryant announces $15 million state contribution to Biloxi stadium project
(gallery)
Mississippi Press
By Warren Kulo | GulfLive.com
May 30, 2013 at 8:49 PM
BILOXI, Mississippi -- Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant announced today that
the state will contribute $15 million in matching funds toward construction
of a new minor league baseball stadium on U.S. 90 in Biloxi.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/05/gov_bryant_to_appear_in_biloxi.html#incart_river
Biloxi scores $15 million from state for new stadium
Sun Herald
By MARY PEREZ — meperez@sunherald.com
BILOXI -- After more than nine years of dreams and plans, Biloxi scored a
minor league baseball stadium Thursday when Gov. Phil Bryant kicked in a
$15 million BP grant to help build the ballpark on U.S. 90.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/30/4700687/mississippi-pitches-15-million.html
Oil spill cleanup comes to an end
Pensacola News Journal
Nearly three years after black, gooey oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil
spill disaster washed up on Escambia County beaches, the extensive U.S.
Coast Guard-led oil spill monitoring and cleanup response grinds to a halt
today.
http://www.pnj.com/article/20130531/NEWS09/305310021/Oil-spill-cleanup-comes-an-end
State News
Hattiesburg City Council calls special meeting to decide on wastewater
treatment
Hattiesburg American
The Hattiesburg City Council called a special meeting at 9:30 a.m. Friday
at City Hall to select an option on wastewater treatment.
The council faces a Friday deadline to comply with an Mississippi
Department of Environmental Quality order and select a treatment option to
replace the city's aged lagoon system.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20130530/NEWS01/130530030/Hattiesburg-City-Council-calls-special-meeting-decide-wastewater-treatment
MDEQ awards grant money
WTVA
JACKSON, Miss. (WTVA) -- The Mississippi Department of Environmental
Quality has awarded Tishomingo County a solid waste assistance grant of
$14,606 that will be used by the county to clean up illegal dump sites.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/MDEQ-awards-grant-money/EAmroXeno0uUTQ6o-m3naw.cspx
National News
Oil industry frets over new smog standard
The Hill
By Julian Hattem - 05/30/13 12:14 PM ET
The oil and gas industry is pushing back against an expected Obama
administration rule to tighten smog standards that public health groups say
could save thousands of lives.
http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/energyenvironment/302573-oil-industry-frets-new-smog-standard-
Obama: No 'patience' for climate skeptics
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 05/30/13 10:33 AM ET
President Obama, echoing his new Energy secretary's recent comments, said
late Wednesday that he's open to new climate policy ideas but has no
interest in battling over whether climate change is real.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/302537-obama-has-no-patience-for-climate-skeptics
D.C. ambulance delay linked to EPA-required filtering system
Washington Post
By Peter Hermann, Published: May 30
A D.C. ambulance rushing a gunshot victim to a hospital Wednesday had to
pull over to avoid engine failure that fire officials blamed on an
emissions system required by the Environmental Protection Agency.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-ambulance-delay-linked-to-epa-required-filtering-system/2013/05/30/261869a4-c942-11e2-8da7-d274bc611a47_story.html
Press Releases
Gov. Bryant Announces Plans for a Minor League Baseball Stadium
BILOXI–Mississippi anticipates providing the City of Biloxi a $15 million
grant to construct a minor league baseball stadium downtown, Gov. Phil
Bryant announced today.
The state's anticipated financial assistance for the project comes from
funds BP granted to Mississippi in 2010 during the Deepwater Horizon oil
spill.
"The oil spill of 2010 had a significant impact in Mississippi, especially
to our coastal tourism," Gov. Bryant said. "This stadium will be a major
regional asset for South Mississippi and will be an exciting new attraction
for our residents and tourists of Mississippi's Gulf Coast."
Earlier this month, the Biloxi City Council passed a resolution of intent
to issue up to $21 million in bonds to construct a new stadium near
Caillavet Street. The state anticipates providing a matching grant of $15
million. The stadium construction is expected to cost approximately $35
million.
The anticipated state matching grant for the stadium would not reduce or
otherwise affect Mississippi's right to recover damages from BP and other
parties responsible for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, including under
the Natural Resource Damage Assessment Process or RESTORE Act.
In 2012, Gov. Bryant began working with a baseball ownership group, led by
team owner Ken Young, to identify a suitable site and potential financing
for a stadium development. Young, a former minor league executive of the
year and owner of four minor league baseball franchises, is in the process
of purchasing an existing minor league team and relocating the team to
Biloxi.
"I believe Biloxi will be an excellent location for minor league baseball,"
Young said. "The community will immensely enjoy the sports and
entertainment. The venue will be one of the best in baseball, and the
region will take great pride in it."
Once constructed, the stadium will likely feature a capacity of
approximately 6,500-7,000 people for baseball, including luxury boxes. For
other events, such as concerts, the stadium will seat upwards of 14,000
people, including temporary field level seating.
"This project will have major economic and tourism impacts for the
Mississippi Gulf Coast," Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway said. "We expect the
stadium to spur additional development in downtown Biloxi. We are excited
about having baseball in our city."
The Gulf Coast Business Council's research foundation estimates the stadium
development will spur an additional $10 million annually in visitor
spending on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Before the stadium construction begins, the baseball franchise ownership
group will need to finalize the purchase of the existing franchise and
receive final approvals from Minor League Baseball for the team's
relocation.
"We are going to continue to work with our partners to make Minor League
Baseball a reality on the Gulf Coast," Bryant said. "This is an important
first step in the process. I look forward to adding professional baseball
to the list of amenities our Gulf Coast has to offer."
###
Friday, May 31, 2013
Thursday, May 30, 2013
News Clippings 5.30.13
5.30.2013
Oil Spill
Citizen scientists in Ocean Springs will help study oil spill effects
SUN HERALD
OCEAN SPRINGS -- A free public event will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Saturday at the Mary C. O'Keefe Cultural Center for Arts and Education in
Ocean Springs to present information about how oil and dispersants affect
the Coast.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/29/4698310/citizen-scientists-in-ocean-springs.html
Interior moves ahead on offshore drilling safety institute
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 05/29/13 01:53 PM ET
The Interior Department is taking steps toward implementing its years-long
plan to create an "Ocean Energy Safety Institute," which officials say will
provide an independent forum for collaboration and research to improve
offshore drilling safety.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/302369-interior-to-create-offshore-drilling-safety-institute
State News
Poor financial planning downgrades city's sewer bond rating
WLBT
The City of Jackson's bond rating is downgraded by a major credit rating
company. Moody's Investor Service has issued its assessment and a not so
promising outlook.
http://www.msnewsnow.com/story/22453296/citys-watersewer-bond-rating-downgraded
Temple Inland ordered to pay $3.3 million fine for Pearl River spill in
2011
By Katherine Sayre, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
May 29, 2013 at 6:50 PM
Temple Inland, a subsidiary of International Paper, was ordered by a
federal judge Wednesday to pay $3.3 million and serve two years of
probation for polluting the Pearl River in 2011 with illegal discharges
from its Bogalusa paper manufacturing plant, killing more than 500,000
fish, federal prosecutors said.
http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2013/05/temple_inland_ordered_to_pay_f.html#incart_river_default
New Mississippi Power CEO faces tough questions
Sun Herald
By MARY PEREZ — meperez@sunherald.com
GULFPORT -- Ten days after the announcement that G. Edison Holland Jr. was
elected the new president and CEO of Mississippi Power, the Public Service
Commission is questioning his conflicting statements on cost overruns at
the Kemper power plant and independent monitors at the site question
whether the plant can fire up on schedule.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/29/4698369/new-mississippi-power-ceo-faces.html
Teacher workshops center on conservation education
Clinton News
Teachers interested in learning more about conservation education can
register for the 50th annual Teachers Conservation Workshop, to be held
twice this summer.
http://www.clintonnews.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305220003/Teacher-workshops-center-conservation-education
National News
Is blocking Gina McCarthy at EPA a pyrrhic victory for Republicans? It just
might be.
Washington Post
By Juliet Eilperin, Updated: May 29, 2013
While Senate Republicans have succeeded so far in blocking President Obama
from installing Gina McCarthy as head of the Environmental Protection
Agency, that victory may be a pyrrhic one.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/05/29/are-republicans-winning-a-pyrrhic-victory-at-the-epa/
Think tank wants to see EPA nominee's texts
Washington Post
By Emily Heil
The Loop had a good chucklewhen Gina McCarthy, the nominee to head the
Environmental Protection Agency, joked during one of her confirmation
hearings that she couldn't possibly misuse instant messaging — because she
was too old to know how to use the technology in the first place.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop/post/think-tank-wants-to-see-epa-nominees-texts/2013/05/29/54dbd83c-c89a-11e2-9245-773c0123c027_blog.html#pagebreak
EPA cuts projected number of furlough days
Washington Post
By Eric Yoder, Updated: May 29, 2013
The Environmental Protection Agency has become the latest agency to cut
back on its projected furlough days, cutting three days to bring the total
to just under seven.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2013/05/29/epa-cuts-projected-number-of-furlough-days/
AG didn't advise Bullock in challenge to EPA rules
By MATT GOURAS, Associated Press
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The governor's office said Tuesday that it wasn't told
that Republican state Attorney General Tim Fox would make Montana one of
the states opposed to federal greenhouse gas emission rules.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/texas/article/AG-didn-t-advise-Bullock-in-challenge-to-EPA-rules-4554827.php
Opinion
Jimmie Gates: Capitol staffers deserve raises, too
Clarion Ledger
When the Legislature was in session, I observed hardworking state workers
cleaning the state Capitol, emptying garbage baskets, changing blown light
bulbs in the historic building that has 4,700 light bulbs.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20130530/NEWS/305300059/Jimmie-Gates-Capitol-staffers-deserve-raises-too
Press Releases
EPA Proposes Rules to Protect Americans from Exposure to Formaldehyde
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today proposed
two rules to help protect Americans from exposure to the harmful chemical
formaldehyde, consistent with a Federal law unanimously passed by Congress
in 2010. These rules ensure that composite wood products produced
domestically or imported into the United States meet the formaldehyde
emission standards established by Congress.
Formaldehyde is used in adhesives to make a wide range of building
materials and products. Exposure to formaldehyde can cause adverse public
health effects including eye, nose and throat irritation, other respiratory
symptoms and, in certain cases, cancer.
"The proposed regulations announced today reflect EPA's continued efforts
to protect the public from exposure to harmful chemicals in their daily
lives," said James J. Jones, EPA's acting assistant administrator for the
Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. "Once final, the rules
will reduce the public's exposure to this harmful chemical found in many
products in our homes and workplaces."
In 2010, Congress passed the Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood
Products Act, or Title VI of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which
establishes emission standards for formaldehyde from composite wood
products and directs EPA to propose rules to enforce the act's provisions.
EPA's proposed rules align, where practical, with the requirements for
composite wood products set by the California Air Resources Board, putting
in place national standards for companies that manufacture or import these
products. EPA's national rules will also encourage an ongoing industry
trend towards switching to no-added formaldehyde resins in composite wood
products.
EPA's first proposal limits how much formaldehyde may be emitted from
hardwood plywood, medium-density fiberboard, particleboard and finished
goods, that are sold, supplied, offered for sale, manufactured, or imported
in the United States. The emitted formaldehyde may be left over from the
resin or composite wood making process or be released when the resin
degrades in the presence of heat and humidity. This proposal also includes
testing requirements, laminated product provisions, product labeling
requirements, chain of custody documentation, recordkeeping, a stockpiling
prohibition, and enforcement provisions. It also includes a common-sense
exemption from some testing and record-keeping requirements for products
made with no-added formaldehyde resins.
The second proposal establishes a third-party certification framework
designed to ensure that manufacturers of composite wood products meet the
TSCA formaldehyde emission standards by having their composite wood
products certified though an accredited third-party certifier. It would
also establish eligibility requirements and responsibilities for
third-party certifier's and the EPA-recognized accreditation bodies who
would accredit them. This robust proposed third-party certification program
will level the playing field by ensuring composite wood products sold in
this country meet the emission standards in the rule regardless of whether
they were made in the United States or not.
More on Formaldehyde Proposals:
http://www.epa.gov/oppt/chemtest/formaldehyde/index.html
More on EPA's TSCA Work Plan chemical effort:
http://www.epa.gov/oppt/existingchemicals/pubs/workplans.html
Oil Spill
Citizen scientists in Ocean Springs will help study oil spill effects
SUN HERALD
OCEAN SPRINGS -- A free public event will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Saturday at the Mary C. O'Keefe Cultural Center for Arts and Education in
Ocean Springs to present information about how oil and dispersants affect
the Coast.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/29/4698310/citizen-scientists-in-ocean-springs.html
Interior moves ahead on offshore drilling safety institute
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 05/29/13 01:53 PM ET
The Interior Department is taking steps toward implementing its years-long
plan to create an "Ocean Energy Safety Institute," which officials say will
provide an independent forum for collaboration and research to improve
offshore drilling safety.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/302369-interior-to-create-offshore-drilling-safety-institute
State News
Poor financial planning downgrades city's sewer bond rating
WLBT
The City of Jackson's bond rating is downgraded by a major credit rating
company. Moody's Investor Service has issued its assessment and a not so
promising outlook.
http://www.msnewsnow.com/story/22453296/citys-watersewer-bond-rating-downgraded
Temple Inland ordered to pay $3.3 million fine for Pearl River spill in
2011
By Katherine Sayre, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
May 29, 2013 at 6:50 PM
Temple Inland, a subsidiary of International Paper, was ordered by a
federal judge Wednesday to pay $3.3 million and serve two years of
probation for polluting the Pearl River in 2011 with illegal discharges
from its Bogalusa paper manufacturing plant, killing more than 500,000
fish, federal prosecutors said.
http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2013/05/temple_inland_ordered_to_pay_f.html#incart_river_default
New Mississippi Power CEO faces tough questions
Sun Herald
By MARY PEREZ — meperez@sunherald.com
GULFPORT -- Ten days after the announcement that G. Edison Holland Jr. was
elected the new president and CEO of Mississippi Power, the Public Service
Commission is questioning his conflicting statements on cost overruns at
the Kemper power plant and independent monitors at the site question
whether the plant can fire up on schedule.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/29/4698369/new-mississippi-power-ceo-faces.html
Teacher workshops center on conservation education
Clinton News
Teachers interested in learning more about conservation education can
register for the 50th annual Teachers Conservation Workshop, to be held
twice this summer.
http://www.clintonnews.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305220003/Teacher-workshops-center-conservation-education
National News
Is blocking Gina McCarthy at EPA a pyrrhic victory for Republicans? It just
might be.
Washington Post
By Juliet Eilperin, Updated: May 29, 2013
While Senate Republicans have succeeded so far in blocking President Obama
from installing Gina McCarthy as head of the Environmental Protection
Agency, that victory may be a pyrrhic one.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/05/29/are-republicans-winning-a-pyrrhic-victory-at-the-epa/
Think tank wants to see EPA nominee's texts
Washington Post
By Emily Heil
The Loop had a good chucklewhen Gina McCarthy, the nominee to head the
Environmental Protection Agency, joked during one of her confirmation
hearings that she couldn't possibly misuse instant messaging — because she
was too old to know how to use the technology in the first place.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop/post/think-tank-wants-to-see-epa-nominees-texts/2013/05/29/54dbd83c-c89a-11e2-9245-773c0123c027_blog.html#pagebreak
EPA cuts projected number of furlough days
Washington Post
By Eric Yoder, Updated: May 29, 2013
The Environmental Protection Agency has become the latest agency to cut
back on its projected furlough days, cutting three days to bring the total
to just under seven.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2013/05/29/epa-cuts-projected-number-of-furlough-days/
AG didn't advise Bullock in challenge to EPA rules
By MATT GOURAS, Associated Press
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The governor's office said Tuesday that it wasn't told
that Republican state Attorney General Tim Fox would make Montana one of
the states opposed to federal greenhouse gas emission rules.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/texas/article/AG-didn-t-advise-Bullock-in-challenge-to-EPA-rules-4554827.php
Opinion
Jimmie Gates: Capitol staffers deserve raises, too
Clarion Ledger
When the Legislature was in session, I observed hardworking state workers
cleaning the state Capitol, emptying garbage baskets, changing blown light
bulbs in the historic building that has 4,700 light bulbs.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20130530/NEWS/305300059/Jimmie-Gates-Capitol-staffers-deserve-raises-too
Press Releases
EPA Proposes Rules to Protect Americans from Exposure to Formaldehyde
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today proposed
two rules to help protect Americans from exposure to the harmful chemical
formaldehyde, consistent with a Federal law unanimously passed by Congress
in 2010. These rules ensure that composite wood products produced
domestically or imported into the United States meet the formaldehyde
emission standards established by Congress.
Formaldehyde is used in adhesives to make a wide range of building
materials and products. Exposure to formaldehyde can cause adverse public
health effects including eye, nose and throat irritation, other respiratory
symptoms and, in certain cases, cancer.
"The proposed regulations announced today reflect EPA's continued efforts
to protect the public from exposure to harmful chemicals in their daily
lives," said James J. Jones, EPA's acting assistant administrator for the
Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. "Once final, the rules
will reduce the public's exposure to this harmful chemical found in many
products in our homes and workplaces."
In 2010, Congress passed the Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood
Products Act, or Title VI of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which
establishes emission standards for formaldehyde from composite wood
products and directs EPA to propose rules to enforce the act's provisions.
EPA's proposed rules align, where practical, with the requirements for
composite wood products set by the California Air Resources Board, putting
in place national standards for companies that manufacture or import these
products. EPA's national rules will also encourage an ongoing industry
trend towards switching to no-added formaldehyde resins in composite wood
products.
EPA's first proposal limits how much formaldehyde may be emitted from
hardwood plywood, medium-density fiberboard, particleboard and finished
goods, that are sold, supplied, offered for sale, manufactured, or imported
in the United States. The emitted formaldehyde may be left over from the
resin or composite wood making process or be released when the resin
degrades in the presence of heat and humidity. This proposal also includes
testing requirements, laminated product provisions, product labeling
requirements, chain of custody documentation, recordkeeping, a stockpiling
prohibition, and enforcement provisions. It also includes a common-sense
exemption from some testing and record-keeping requirements for products
made with no-added formaldehyde resins.
The second proposal establishes a third-party certification framework
designed to ensure that manufacturers of composite wood products meet the
TSCA formaldehyde emission standards by having their composite wood
products certified though an accredited third-party certifier. It would
also establish eligibility requirements and responsibilities for
third-party certifier's and the EPA-recognized accreditation bodies who
would accredit them. This robust proposed third-party certification program
will level the playing field by ensuring composite wood products sold in
this country meet the emission standards in the rule regardless of whether
they were made in the United States or not.
More on Formaldehyde Proposals:
http://www.epa.gov/oppt/chemtest/formaldehyde/index.html
More on EPA's TSCA Work Plan chemical effort:
http://www.epa.gov/oppt/existingchemicals/pubs/workplans.html
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
News Clippings 5.29.13
5.29.2013
Oil Spill
Gulf Coast States Get Creative With BP Oil Spill Money
NPR
Gulf Coast states are lining up to spend $1 billion from BP on coastal
restoration. The money is part of BP's legal responsibility to restore the
Gulf of Mexico's natural resources in the aftermath of the worst oil
disaster in U.S. history.
http://www.npr.org/2013/05/28/186926401/gulf-coast-states-get-creative-with-bp-oil-spill-money
Draft plan for oil spill money released
Daily Comet
By Nikki Buskey
Published: Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 6:34 p.m.
A draft plan to oversee billions of dollars in Clean Water Act fines from
the 2010 Gulf oil spill was released last week, but it was missing some of
the details and specific spending plans state and local officials and
advocates have looked for.
http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20130528/ARTICLES/130529483
Louisiana oyster industry celebrates despite hard times
By Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
May 28, 2013 at 6:33 PM
As BP struggled to stop the oil billowing from its blown up well in the
summer of 2010, many in Louisiana's seafood industry feared the oil would
spell the demise of their livelihoods. One company hit hard was P&J, one of
the city's best-known oyster suppliers, where the company's owners told
workers not to come in because they had no oysters.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2013/05/louisiana_oyster_industry_cele.html
State News
Advisory issued for Joe's Bayou and adjacent waters in Hancock Co.
WLOX
On Tuesday the Mississippi Department of Environmental Equality (MDEQ)
issued a temporary water contact advisory for Joe's Bayou near Felicity
Street in Bay St. Louis.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22440964/advisory-issued-for-joes-bayou-and-adjacent-waters-in-hancock-co
MDEQ issues advisory for Joe's Bayou in Hancock County
SUN HERALD
A temporary water contact advisory has been issued for Joe's Bayou in
Hancock County, the state Deparment of Environmental Quality said Tuesday.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/28/4694918/mdeq-issues-advisory-for-joes.html
Mississippi finalizes 2013 alligator season
AP
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks will issue 920
lottery-based permits for seven hunting zones for the 2013 alligator
season.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22436666/mississippi-finalizes-2013-alligator-season
National News
EPA extends comment period on controversial gasoline rule
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 05/28/13 11:54 AM ET
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is extending the public comment
period on draft gasoline and vehicle emissions rules that the refining
industry alleges the EPA is ramming through without enough input.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/302121-epa-extends-comment-period-on-controversial-gasoline-rule
Interior faces pressure to slow down fracking rule
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 05/28/13 05:29 PM ET
The Interior Department is coming under fresh pressure to slow down planned
rules to govern oil-and-gas "fracking" on public lands.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/302221-interior-faces-pressure-to-slow-down-fracking-rule
California Dems push anti-fracking bills, aim to curb potential oil bonanza
By Claudia Cowan
Published May 29, 2013
FoxNews.com
California is on the verge of a new gold rush. Expanded hydraulic
fracturing -- or "fracking" -- at the Monterey Shale formation is sparking
estimates that 15 billion barrels of oil could be accessed, along with
millions of jobs and huge contributions to the domestic energy supply.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05/29/california-dems-push-anti-fracking-bills/
Escalating Water Strains In Fracking Regions
Forbes
It's bad enough that Western farmers and ranchers are reeling from a
three-year-old drought and record heat waves. Now they're feeling the heat
from the goliath energy industry – over water.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/mindylubber/2013/05/28/escalating-water-strains-in-fracking-regions/
Wal-Mart pleads guilty in California hazardous waste case, to pay $81
million
Published May 28, 2013
Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO – Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has pleaded guilty to charges the
company dumped hazardous waste in California.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/28/wal-mart-pleads-guilty-in-california-hazardous-waste-case-to-pay-81-million/
Former EPA head Lisa P. Jackson becomes Apple's top environmental adviser
Washington Post
By Juliet Eilperin, Updated: May 28, 2013
Former Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa P. Jackson will
become Apple's top environmental officer, the company's CEO Tim Cook
announced Tuesday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/05/28/former-epa-head-lisa-p-jackson-becomes-apples-top-environmental-adviser/
Press Releases
State Waters' Boundary Extended, Federal Regulations Still Apply
BILOXI, Miss. – During the 2013 session, the Mississippi Legislature
voted to amend Mississippi Code Section 3-3-1 to extend the territorial
boundary of the State of Mississippi to three leagues seaward from the
shoreline of Mississippi's barrier islands, effective July 1, 2013. The
federal government has not approved and does not recognize the newly
extended boundary of Mississippi and has not recognized the 2011
boundary extension by Louisiana. The Mississippi Department of Marine
Resources recommends that the boating and fishing public continue to
comply with federal regulations within the extended boundary areas of
Louisiana and Mississippi until a final resolution of the matter by
Congress, a federal court decision recognizing the extensions, or
further action of the Mississippi Legislature.
United States Coast Guard and other authorized federal agents patrol the
waters off the coasts of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana to enforce
federal regulations and have been issuing citations to Louisiana
citizens who have been fishing within the extended boundary claimed by
the State of Louisiana.
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources is dedicated to
enhancing, protecting and conserving marine interests of the state by
managing all marine life, public trust wetlands, adjacent uplands and
waterfront areas to provide for the optimal commercial, recreational,
educational and economic uses of these resources consistent with
environmental concerns and social changes. Visit the DMR online at
www.dmr.ms.gov.
Oil Spill
Gulf Coast States Get Creative With BP Oil Spill Money
NPR
Gulf Coast states are lining up to spend $1 billion from BP on coastal
restoration. The money is part of BP's legal responsibility to restore the
Gulf of Mexico's natural resources in the aftermath of the worst oil
disaster in U.S. history.
http://www.npr.org/2013/05/28/186926401/gulf-coast-states-get-creative-with-bp-oil-spill-money
Draft plan for oil spill money released
Daily Comet
By Nikki Buskey
Published: Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 6:34 p.m.
A draft plan to oversee billions of dollars in Clean Water Act fines from
the 2010 Gulf oil spill was released last week, but it was missing some of
the details and specific spending plans state and local officials and
advocates have looked for.
http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20130528/ARTICLES/130529483
Louisiana oyster industry celebrates despite hard times
By Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
May 28, 2013 at 6:33 PM
As BP struggled to stop the oil billowing from its blown up well in the
summer of 2010, many in Louisiana's seafood industry feared the oil would
spell the demise of their livelihoods. One company hit hard was P&J, one of
the city's best-known oyster suppliers, where the company's owners told
workers not to come in because they had no oysters.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2013/05/louisiana_oyster_industry_cele.html
State News
Advisory issued for Joe's Bayou and adjacent waters in Hancock Co.
WLOX
On Tuesday the Mississippi Department of Environmental Equality (MDEQ)
issued a temporary water contact advisory for Joe's Bayou near Felicity
Street in Bay St. Louis.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22440964/advisory-issued-for-joes-bayou-and-adjacent-waters-in-hancock-co
MDEQ issues advisory for Joe's Bayou in Hancock County
SUN HERALD
A temporary water contact advisory has been issued for Joe's Bayou in
Hancock County, the state Deparment of Environmental Quality said Tuesday.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/28/4694918/mdeq-issues-advisory-for-joes.html
Mississippi finalizes 2013 alligator season
AP
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks will issue 920
lottery-based permits for seven hunting zones for the 2013 alligator
season.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22436666/mississippi-finalizes-2013-alligator-season
National News
EPA extends comment period on controversial gasoline rule
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 05/28/13 11:54 AM ET
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is extending the public comment
period on draft gasoline and vehicle emissions rules that the refining
industry alleges the EPA is ramming through without enough input.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/302121-epa-extends-comment-period-on-controversial-gasoline-rule
Interior faces pressure to slow down fracking rule
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 05/28/13 05:29 PM ET
The Interior Department is coming under fresh pressure to slow down planned
rules to govern oil-and-gas "fracking" on public lands.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/302221-interior-faces-pressure-to-slow-down-fracking-rule
California Dems push anti-fracking bills, aim to curb potential oil bonanza
By Claudia Cowan
Published May 29, 2013
FoxNews.com
California is on the verge of a new gold rush. Expanded hydraulic
fracturing -- or "fracking" -- at the Monterey Shale formation is sparking
estimates that 15 billion barrels of oil could be accessed, along with
millions of jobs and huge contributions to the domestic energy supply.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05/29/california-dems-push-anti-fracking-bills/
Escalating Water Strains In Fracking Regions
Forbes
It's bad enough that Western farmers and ranchers are reeling from a
three-year-old drought and record heat waves. Now they're feeling the heat
from the goliath energy industry – over water.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/mindylubber/2013/05/28/escalating-water-strains-in-fracking-regions/
Wal-Mart pleads guilty in California hazardous waste case, to pay $81
million
Published May 28, 2013
Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO – Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has pleaded guilty to charges the
company dumped hazardous waste in California.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/28/wal-mart-pleads-guilty-in-california-hazardous-waste-case-to-pay-81-million/
Former EPA head Lisa P. Jackson becomes Apple's top environmental adviser
Washington Post
By Juliet Eilperin, Updated: May 28, 2013
Former Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa P. Jackson will
become Apple's top environmental officer, the company's CEO Tim Cook
announced Tuesday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/05/28/former-epa-head-lisa-p-jackson-becomes-apples-top-environmental-adviser/
Press Releases
State Waters' Boundary Extended, Federal Regulations Still Apply
BILOXI, Miss. – During the 2013 session, the Mississippi Legislature
voted to amend Mississippi Code Section 3-3-1 to extend the territorial
boundary of the State of Mississippi to three leagues seaward from the
shoreline of Mississippi's barrier islands, effective July 1, 2013. The
federal government has not approved and does not recognize the newly
extended boundary of Mississippi and has not recognized the 2011
boundary extension by Louisiana. The Mississippi Department of Marine
Resources recommends that the boating and fishing public continue to
comply with federal regulations within the extended boundary areas of
Louisiana and Mississippi until a final resolution of the matter by
Congress, a federal court decision recognizing the extensions, or
further action of the Mississippi Legislature.
United States Coast Guard and other authorized federal agents patrol the
waters off the coasts of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana to enforce
federal regulations and have been issuing citations to Louisiana
citizens who have been fishing within the extended boundary claimed by
the State of Louisiana.
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources is dedicated to
enhancing, protecting and conserving marine interests of the state by
managing all marine life, public trust wetlands, adjacent uplands and
waterfront areas to provide for the optimal commercial, recreational,
educational and economic uses of these resources consistent with
environmental concerns and social changes. Visit the DMR online at
www.dmr.ms.gov.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
News Clippings 5.28.13
5/28/2013
Oil Spill
Coast fishermen still concerned about oil spills impact
WLOX
It was a busy Sunday morning at the Ocean Springs harbor, with boat after
boat heading out into the Gulf for some fishing. For some people, it's
still not quite the same since the spill.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22426532/coast-fishermen-still-concerned-about-oil-spills-impact
MDEQ to take public comments on restore plan
AP
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality will hold a public meeting
on June 11 in Biloxi to take public comment on the Gulf Coast Ecosystem
Restoration Council's draft plan.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22425918/mdeq-to-take-public-comments-on-restore-plan
Louisiana missing its chance at federal money, Corps of Engineers officer
says
By Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
May 24, 2013 at 8:13 PM
Louisiana is missing an opportunity to have the federal government pay 65
percent of the cost of several major coastal restoration projects that
could represent an investment of close to $1 billion, according to the
departing commander of the New Orleans District office of the Army Corps of
Engineers.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2013/05/louisiana_missing_chance_to_ge.html
Panhandle Counties plan to spend oil spill funds
AP
By MELISSA NELSON-GABRIEL — Associated Press
PENSACOLA, FLA. — Three years after the massive Gulf oil spill fouled
Florida Panhandle beaches, millions of dollars in restitution are being
used to build new piers and boat ramps and restore sand dunes.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/26/4691363/panhandle-counties-plan-to-spend.html
Meetings aim to refine plan for RESTORE Act
Pensacola News Journal
Pensacola will host the first of six public meetings to decide a framework
for applying for RESTORE Act funding by the Gulf Coast states affected by
the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
http://www.pnj.com/article/20130525/NEWS09/305250013/Meetings-aim-to-refine-plan-for-RESTORE-Act
Researchers study oil impacts at LUMCON
Daily Comet
By Nikki Buskey
Published: Monday, May 27, 2013 at 11:03 a.m.
Scientists from all over the country gathered at the LUMCON marine research
facility in Cocodrie last week as part of a long-term study to look at the
Gulf oil spill's impact on the coastal ecosystem.
http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20130527/ARTICLES/130529549
Fishermen fight major river diversions
Daily Comet
By Nikki Buskey
Published: Monday, May 27, 2013 at 10:49 a.m.
Fishermen are protesting large Mississippi River diversion projects they
fear could damage productive fisheries in the Barataria Basin and east of
the river.
http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20130527/ARTICLES/130529552/1211/NEWS01?Title=Fishermen-fight-major-river-diversions
Beach Walk: Dauphin Island 3 Years After the BP Oil Spill
WKRG
Located 3 miles south of Mobile Bay, you'll find Dauphin Island. The only
way on and off the island is by its high rise bridge. I started my walk on
the east end of the island, and worked my way west.
http://www.wkrg.com/story/22419829/beach-walk-dauphin-island
State News
Department of Environmental Quality developing water sources plan
MBJ
by Ted Carter
Published: May 24,2013
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality is preparing
regulations that will govern how oil and gas companies use both surface and
below-ground water sources in their water-intensive hydraulic fracturing
operations in the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale development.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2013/05/24/department-of-environmental-quality-developing-water-sources-plan/
Recycling program takes hold of Cleveland residents
Bolivar Commercial
by Rory Doyle
05.24.13 - 04:21 pm
Cleveland's recycling program, which kicked off in January, continues to
grow at an impressive rate.
http://www.bolivarcom.com/view/full_story/22700036/article-Recycling-program-takes-hold-of-Cleveland-residents?instance=homesecondleft
Injured dolphin found in MS Sound dies
WLOX
On-lookers cheered as two teenagers helped rescue an injured dolphin from
the Mississippi Sound Monday.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22430018/injured-dolphin-found-in-ms-sound-dies
Gulf Coast Research Lab to open new building in Ocean Springs, its first
since Katrina
Sun Herald
By KAREN NELSON — klnelson@sunherald.com
OCEAN SPRINGS -- The view of the Mississippi Sound from the front porch of
the Field Studies Building at USM's Gulf Coast Research Lab is panoramic.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/27/4693086/gulf-coast-research-lab-to-open.html
National News
W.Va. joins fight to EPA greenhouse gas rules
Friday, May 24, 2013
AP
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia's governor and attorney general are
joining two other states that are seeking to challenge federal
environmental rules on greenhouse gas emissions.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/W-Va-joins-fight-to-EPA-greenhouse-gas-rules-4546495.php
GE says it is investing billions to improve fracking
AP
One of America's corporate giants is investing billions of dollars in the
new boom of oil and gas drilling, or fracking. General Electric Co. is
opening a new laboratory in Oklahoma, buying up related companies, and
placing a big bet that cutting-edge science will improve profits for
clients and reduce the environmental and health effects of the boom.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/28/ge-says-it-is-investing-billions-to-improve-fracking-oil-drilling/
German brewers warn fracking could hurt beer industry
NBC
BERLIN -- German brewers have warned Chancellor Angela Merkel's government
that any law allowing the controversial drilling technique known as
fracking could damage the country's cherished beer industry.
http://www.nbcnews.com/business/german-brewers-warn-fracking-could-hurt-beer-industry-6C10077831
Europe's Green-Fuel Search Turns to America's Forests
Wall Street Journal
WINDSOR, N.C.—Loggers here are clear-cutting a wetland forest with
decades-old trees.
Behind the move: an environmental push.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324082604578485491298208114.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_6
Who's ready for The Big One on New Madrid fault?
Big earthquake expected to hit in Central US
By Michael Fitzgerald/CNHI News Service
It's a bleak scenario. A massive earthquake along the New Madrid fault
kills or injures 60,000 people in Tennessee. A quarter of a million people
are homeless. The Memphis airport — the country's biggest air terminal for
packages — goes off-line.
http://picayuneitem.com/local/x609262728/Who-s-ready-for-The-Big-One-on-New-Madrid-fault
Oil Spill
Coast fishermen still concerned about oil spills impact
WLOX
It was a busy Sunday morning at the Ocean Springs harbor, with boat after
boat heading out into the Gulf for some fishing. For some people, it's
still not quite the same since the spill.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22426532/coast-fishermen-still-concerned-about-oil-spills-impact
MDEQ to take public comments on restore plan
AP
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality will hold a public meeting
on June 11 in Biloxi to take public comment on the Gulf Coast Ecosystem
Restoration Council's draft plan.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22425918/mdeq-to-take-public-comments-on-restore-plan
Louisiana missing its chance at federal money, Corps of Engineers officer
says
By Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
May 24, 2013 at 8:13 PM
Louisiana is missing an opportunity to have the federal government pay 65
percent of the cost of several major coastal restoration projects that
could represent an investment of close to $1 billion, according to the
departing commander of the New Orleans District office of the Army Corps of
Engineers.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2013/05/louisiana_missing_chance_to_ge.html
Panhandle Counties plan to spend oil spill funds
AP
By MELISSA NELSON-GABRIEL — Associated Press
PENSACOLA, FLA. — Three years after the massive Gulf oil spill fouled
Florida Panhandle beaches, millions of dollars in restitution are being
used to build new piers and boat ramps and restore sand dunes.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/26/4691363/panhandle-counties-plan-to-spend.html
Meetings aim to refine plan for RESTORE Act
Pensacola News Journal
Pensacola will host the first of six public meetings to decide a framework
for applying for RESTORE Act funding by the Gulf Coast states affected by
the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
http://www.pnj.com/article/20130525/NEWS09/305250013/Meetings-aim-to-refine-plan-for-RESTORE-Act
Researchers study oil impacts at LUMCON
Daily Comet
By Nikki Buskey
Published: Monday, May 27, 2013 at 11:03 a.m.
Scientists from all over the country gathered at the LUMCON marine research
facility in Cocodrie last week as part of a long-term study to look at the
Gulf oil spill's impact on the coastal ecosystem.
http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20130527/ARTICLES/130529549
Fishermen fight major river diversions
Daily Comet
By Nikki Buskey
Published: Monday, May 27, 2013 at 10:49 a.m.
Fishermen are protesting large Mississippi River diversion projects they
fear could damage productive fisheries in the Barataria Basin and east of
the river.
http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20130527/ARTICLES/130529552/1211/NEWS01?Title=Fishermen-fight-major-river-diversions
Beach Walk: Dauphin Island 3 Years After the BP Oil Spill
WKRG
Located 3 miles south of Mobile Bay, you'll find Dauphin Island. The only
way on and off the island is by its high rise bridge. I started my walk on
the east end of the island, and worked my way west.
http://www.wkrg.com/story/22419829/beach-walk-dauphin-island
State News
Department of Environmental Quality developing water sources plan
MBJ
by Ted Carter
Published: May 24,2013
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality is preparing
regulations that will govern how oil and gas companies use both surface and
below-ground water sources in their water-intensive hydraulic fracturing
operations in the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale development.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2013/05/24/department-of-environmental-quality-developing-water-sources-plan/
Recycling program takes hold of Cleveland residents
Bolivar Commercial
by Rory Doyle
05.24.13 - 04:21 pm
Cleveland's recycling program, which kicked off in January, continues to
grow at an impressive rate.
http://www.bolivarcom.com/view/full_story/22700036/article-Recycling-program-takes-hold-of-Cleveland-residents?instance=homesecondleft
Injured dolphin found in MS Sound dies
WLOX
On-lookers cheered as two teenagers helped rescue an injured dolphin from
the Mississippi Sound Monday.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22430018/injured-dolphin-found-in-ms-sound-dies
Gulf Coast Research Lab to open new building in Ocean Springs, its first
since Katrina
Sun Herald
By KAREN NELSON — klnelson@sunherald.com
OCEAN SPRINGS -- The view of the Mississippi Sound from the front porch of
the Field Studies Building at USM's Gulf Coast Research Lab is panoramic.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/27/4693086/gulf-coast-research-lab-to-open.html
National News
W.Va. joins fight to EPA greenhouse gas rules
Friday, May 24, 2013
AP
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia's governor and attorney general are
joining two other states that are seeking to challenge federal
environmental rules on greenhouse gas emissions.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/W-Va-joins-fight-to-EPA-greenhouse-gas-rules-4546495.php
GE says it is investing billions to improve fracking
AP
One of America's corporate giants is investing billions of dollars in the
new boom of oil and gas drilling, or fracking. General Electric Co. is
opening a new laboratory in Oklahoma, buying up related companies, and
placing a big bet that cutting-edge science will improve profits for
clients and reduce the environmental and health effects of the boom.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/28/ge-says-it-is-investing-billions-to-improve-fracking-oil-drilling/
German brewers warn fracking could hurt beer industry
NBC
BERLIN -- German brewers have warned Chancellor Angela Merkel's government
that any law allowing the controversial drilling technique known as
fracking could damage the country's cherished beer industry.
http://www.nbcnews.com/business/german-brewers-warn-fracking-could-hurt-beer-industry-6C10077831
Europe's Green-Fuel Search Turns to America's Forests
Wall Street Journal
WINDSOR, N.C.—Loggers here are clear-cutting a wetland forest with
decades-old trees.
Behind the move: an environmental push.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324082604578485491298208114.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_6
Who's ready for The Big One on New Madrid fault?
Big earthquake expected to hit in Central US
By Michael Fitzgerald/CNHI News Service
It's a bleak scenario. A massive earthquake along the New Madrid fault
kills or injures 60,000 people in Tennessee. A quarter of a million people
are homeless. The Memphis airport — the country's biggest air terminal for
packages — goes off-line.
http://picayuneitem.com/local/x609262728/Who-s-ready-for-The-Big-One-on-New-Madrid-fault
Friday, May 24, 2013
News Clippings 5.24.13
5.24.2013
Oil Spill
Gulf's restoration roadmap about to be debated
WLOX
A plan that could become the roadmap to restore the Gulf of Mexico is about
to be debated.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22409848/gulfs-restoration-roadmap-about-to-be-debated
Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council releases draft BP recovery plan
Mississippi Press
April M. Havens | ahavens@al.com
May 23, 2013 at 5:11 PM
The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council marked significant progress
today with the public release of its draft initial comprehensive plan, the
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality said.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/05/gulf_coast_ecosystem_restorati_1.html#incart_river
Gulf restoration draft plan lacks required priority list, spending
allocation plan
By Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
May 23, 2013 at 8:10 PM
The federal-state body that will oversee the spending of billions of
dollars in Clean Water Act fines resulting from the BP Deepwater Horizon
oil spill on Thursday released a "draft initial comprehensive plan" for
spending the money on projects that will restore the coast's natural
resources and also benefit the Gulf Coast's economy.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2013/05/draft_gulf_restoration_compreh.html
U.S. academics back BP in oil spill payouts battle
Reuters
Thu, May 23 2013
By Andrew Callus
LONDON, May 23 (Reuters) - A group of U.S. accountancy professors is
backing BP's fight to rein in compensation it has to pay for the 2010 Gulf
of Mexico oil spill, which is threatening to add billions of dollars to its
growing bill for the disaster.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/23/bp-spill-appeal-idUSL6N0E33VO20130523
State News
Lab owner convicted of faking wastewater tests
AP
The owner of an environmental laboratory in Mississippi has been convicted
on federal charges of falsifying records on industrial wastewater samples
that she was hired to test.
http://www.clarionledger.com/viewart/20130524/NEWS01/305240024/Lab-owner-convicted-faking-wastewater-tests
Broken sewer line threatens road
Work underway to save Spillway Road
WAPT
RIDGELAND, Miss. —A broken sewer line is threatening a major road in
Ridgeland on Thursday.
http://www.wapt.com/news/central-mississippi/broken-sewer-line-threatens-road/-/9156946/20284544/-/kxcdd3/-/index.html
Sewer Main Failure in Ridgeland
WJTV
City leaders blame a sewer main failure on an aging system.
About a month ago, crews were repairing a manhole cover along Lake Harbour
Drive when they noticed sewer pipes were degrading. Public Works Director
Mike McCollum says the system hasn't been changed in 25 years and an
upgrade is needed.
http://www.wjtv.com/story/22412338/sewer-main-failure-in-ridgeland
Eco-tourism making a big splash in Jackson County
WLOX
The Coastal Nature Destinations Group of Jackson County hosted a tour of
the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) today.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22407110/eco-tourism-making-a-big-splash-in-jackson-county
Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve is 'hidden jewel' of Jackson
County, tour hosts say (updated)
Mississippi Press
Brittany Bright
May 23, 2013 at 4:22 PM
MOSS POINT, Mississippi -- The "hidden jewel" of Jackson County, the Grand
Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, hosted a media tour organized by
The Coastal Nature Destinations Group on Thursday morning.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/05/post_81.html
National News
Three big federal agencies to close Friday
Washington Post
By Lisa Rein,
Three of the largest federal agencies will close to the public on Friday,
the first time since the government shutdowns of the 1990s that large
corners of the government have ceased operations on a weekday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/three-big-federal-agencies-to-close-friday/2013/05/23/a4bb127a-c3e3-11e2-8c3b-0b5e9247e8ca_story.html
Chicken fight: Study backs farmer in pollution battle with EPA
By Perry Chiaramonte
Published May 23, 2013
FoxNews.com
West Virginia poultry farmer Lois Alt didn't chicken out when the
Environmental Protection Agency threatened her with fines of $40,000 per
day, and even though the federal regulators eventually backed off, she's
taking them on in a legal case that could benefit thousands of small
farmers.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/21/study-backs-farmers-in-pollution-fight-with-epa/?test=latestnews
Senators, green groups spar on fracking
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 05/23/13 02:19 PM ET
The contentious debate on whether hydraulic fracturing, or fracking,
contaminates drinking water bubbled to the surface Thursday during a Senate
panel discussion.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/301637-senators-green-groups-spar-on-fracking
NOAA expects 'above normal' hurricane season
By Erika Bolstad — McClatchy Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — Expect another busy Atlantic hurricane season, government
forecasters said Thursday.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/23/4686325/noaa-expects-busy-hurricane-season.html
Opinion
The Question Obama's EPA Pick Gina McCarthy Can't Answer
By Mark Drajem on May 23, 2013
Gina McCarthy has fielded 1,100 questions from Senate Republicans in
Congress since President Obama picked her in March to head the
Environmental Protection Agency—more than any EPA nominee before her.
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-05-23/the-question-obamas-epa-pick-gina-mccarthy-cant-answer
Press Releases
Trudy Fisher Announces Release of Draft Restoration Plan
Mississippi Public Engagement Meeting June 11 in Biloxi
(JACKSON, Miss.) – Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
Executive Director Trudy Fisher announced Thursday that the Gulf Coast
Ecosystem Restoration Council's draft plan has been released and that a
public engagement session to receive comments on the draft will be held at
the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center in Biloxi on June 11.
The "Draft Initial Comprehensive Plan: Restoring the Gulf Coast's Ecosystem
and Economy" describes the objectives, the selection process, and the
evaluation criteria for the ecosystem restoration projects and programs
that will be funded by the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council.
The two funding sources from the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund
established by the RESTORE Act addressed in the plan are the 30 percent
managed by the Council for ecosystem restoration and the 30 percent that is
distributed to the states through an allocation formula to implement state
expenditure plans which require Council approval. The Council was created
by the RESTORE Act and is comprised of the five Gulf states and six federal
agencies.
"I encourage Mississippians to review the draft plan and submit comments
because the implementation of the plan will have a significant impact on
our state and the Gulf region for decades. Fortunately we have laid a
foundation with the substantial work of the GoCoast 2020 teams that
highlighted the priorities to help us recover and move forward. It's
important we don't lose that momentum and continue with the process to
improve our Coast. A vital component of the whole process is public
engagement. We want to know what you think," said MDEQ Executive Director
Trudy Fisher.
Mississippi's public engagement session will be June 11 beginning with
registration at 5:00 p.m. and the meeting at 6:00 p.m. at the Mississippi
Coast Coliseum and Convention Center, 2350 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi.
The Draft Initial Comprehensive Plan can be viewed online at
http://1.usa.gov/10nO2S9 and will be available for public comment from May
23 until June 24. More information is available at www.restorethegulf.gov.
Periodically MDEQ will release information on RESTORE Act activities and
meetings. A text group for the public is available by texting "restore" to
601-863-8082.
Oil Spill
Gulf's restoration roadmap about to be debated
WLOX
A plan that could become the roadmap to restore the Gulf of Mexico is about
to be debated.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22409848/gulfs-restoration-roadmap-about-to-be-debated
Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council releases draft BP recovery plan
Mississippi Press
April M. Havens | ahavens@al.com
May 23, 2013 at 5:11 PM
The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council marked significant progress
today with the public release of its draft initial comprehensive plan, the
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality said.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/05/gulf_coast_ecosystem_restorati_1.html#incart_river
Gulf restoration draft plan lacks required priority list, spending
allocation plan
By Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
May 23, 2013 at 8:10 PM
The federal-state body that will oversee the spending of billions of
dollars in Clean Water Act fines resulting from the BP Deepwater Horizon
oil spill on Thursday released a "draft initial comprehensive plan" for
spending the money on projects that will restore the coast's natural
resources and also benefit the Gulf Coast's economy.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2013/05/draft_gulf_restoration_compreh.html
U.S. academics back BP in oil spill payouts battle
Reuters
Thu, May 23 2013
By Andrew Callus
LONDON, May 23 (Reuters) - A group of U.S. accountancy professors is
backing BP's fight to rein in compensation it has to pay for the 2010 Gulf
of Mexico oil spill, which is threatening to add billions of dollars to its
growing bill for the disaster.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/23/bp-spill-appeal-idUSL6N0E33VO20130523
State News
Lab owner convicted of faking wastewater tests
AP
The owner of an environmental laboratory in Mississippi has been convicted
on federal charges of falsifying records on industrial wastewater samples
that she was hired to test.
http://www.clarionledger.com/viewart/20130524/NEWS01/305240024/Lab-owner-convicted-faking-wastewater-tests
Broken sewer line threatens road
Work underway to save Spillway Road
WAPT
RIDGELAND, Miss. —A broken sewer line is threatening a major road in
Ridgeland on Thursday.
http://www.wapt.com/news/central-mississippi/broken-sewer-line-threatens-road/-/9156946/20284544/-/kxcdd3/-/index.html
Sewer Main Failure in Ridgeland
WJTV
City leaders blame a sewer main failure on an aging system.
About a month ago, crews were repairing a manhole cover along Lake Harbour
Drive when they noticed sewer pipes were degrading. Public Works Director
Mike McCollum says the system hasn't been changed in 25 years and an
upgrade is needed.
http://www.wjtv.com/story/22412338/sewer-main-failure-in-ridgeland
Eco-tourism making a big splash in Jackson County
WLOX
The Coastal Nature Destinations Group of Jackson County hosted a tour of
the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) today.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22407110/eco-tourism-making-a-big-splash-in-jackson-county
Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve is 'hidden jewel' of Jackson
County, tour hosts say (updated)
Mississippi Press
Brittany Bright
May 23, 2013 at 4:22 PM
MOSS POINT, Mississippi -- The "hidden jewel" of Jackson County, the Grand
Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, hosted a media tour organized by
The Coastal Nature Destinations Group on Thursday morning.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/05/post_81.html
National News
Three big federal agencies to close Friday
Washington Post
By Lisa Rein,
Three of the largest federal agencies will close to the public on Friday,
the first time since the government shutdowns of the 1990s that large
corners of the government have ceased operations on a weekday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/three-big-federal-agencies-to-close-friday/2013/05/23/a4bb127a-c3e3-11e2-8c3b-0b5e9247e8ca_story.html
Chicken fight: Study backs farmer in pollution battle with EPA
By Perry Chiaramonte
Published May 23, 2013
FoxNews.com
West Virginia poultry farmer Lois Alt didn't chicken out when the
Environmental Protection Agency threatened her with fines of $40,000 per
day, and even though the federal regulators eventually backed off, she's
taking them on in a legal case that could benefit thousands of small
farmers.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/21/study-backs-farmers-in-pollution-fight-with-epa/?test=latestnews
Senators, green groups spar on fracking
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 05/23/13 02:19 PM ET
The contentious debate on whether hydraulic fracturing, or fracking,
contaminates drinking water bubbled to the surface Thursday during a Senate
panel discussion.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/301637-senators-green-groups-spar-on-fracking
NOAA expects 'above normal' hurricane season
By Erika Bolstad — McClatchy Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — Expect another busy Atlantic hurricane season, government
forecasters said Thursday.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/23/4686325/noaa-expects-busy-hurricane-season.html
Opinion
The Question Obama's EPA Pick Gina McCarthy Can't Answer
By Mark Drajem on May 23, 2013
Gina McCarthy has fielded 1,100 questions from Senate Republicans in
Congress since President Obama picked her in March to head the
Environmental Protection Agency—more than any EPA nominee before her.
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-05-23/the-question-obamas-epa-pick-gina-mccarthy-cant-answer
Press Releases
Trudy Fisher Announces Release of Draft Restoration Plan
Mississippi Public Engagement Meeting June 11 in Biloxi
(JACKSON, Miss.) – Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
Executive Director Trudy Fisher announced Thursday that the Gulf Coast
Ecosystem Restoration Council's draft plan has been released and that a
public engagement session to receive comments on the draft will be held at
the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center in Biloxi on June 11.
The "Draft Initial Comprehensive Plan: Restoring the Gulf Coast's Ecosystem
and Economy" describes the objectives, the selection process, and the
evaluation criteria for the ecosystem restoration projects and programs
that will be funded by the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council.
The two funding sources from the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund
established by the RESTORE Act addressed in the plan are the 30 percent
managed by the Council for ecosystem restoration and the 30 percent that is
distributed to the states through an allocation formula to implement state
expenditure plans which require Council approval. The Council was created
by the RESTORE Act and is comprised of the five Gulf states and six federal
agencies.
"I encourage Mississippians to review the draft plan and submit comments
because the implementation of the plan will have a significant impact on
our state and the Gulf region for decades. Fortunately we have laid a
foundation with the substantial work of the GoCoast 2020 teams that
highlighted the priorities to help us recover and move forward. It's
important we don't lose that momentum and continue with the process to
improve our Coast. A vital component of the whole process is public
engagement. We want to know what you think," said MDEQ Executive Director
Trudy Fisher.
Mississippi's public engagement session will be June 11 beginning with
registration at 5:00 p.m. and the meeting at 6:00 p.m. at the Mississippi
Coast Coliseum and Convention Center, 2350 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi.
The Draft Initial Comprehensive Plan can be viewed online at
http://1.usa.gov/10nO2S9 and will be available for public comment from May
23 until June 24. More information is available at www.restorethegulf.gov.
Periodically MDEQ will release information on RESTORE Act activities and
meetings. A text group for the public is available by texting "restore" to
601-863-8082.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Trudy Fisher Announces Release of Draft Restoration Plan Mississippi Public Engagement Meeting June 11 in Biloxi
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
Phil Bryant, GOVERNOR
MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Trudy D. Fisher, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Robbie Wilbur
May 23, 2013 601/961-5277
Trudy Fisher Announces Release of Draft Restoration Plan
Mississippi Public Engagement Meeting June 11 in Biloxi
(JACKSON, Miss.) – Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
Executive Director Trudy Fisher announced Thursday that the Gulf Coast
Ecosystem Restoration Council's draft plan has been released and that a
public engagement session to receive comments on the draft will be held at
the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center in Biloxi on June 11.
The "Draft Initial Comprehensive Plan: Restoring the Gulf Coast's Ecosystem
and Economy" describes the objectives, the selection process, and the
evaluation criteria for the ecosystem restoration projects and programs
that will be funded by the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council.
The two funding sources from the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund
established by the RESTORE Act addressed in the plan are the 30 percent
managed by the Council for ecosystem restoration and the 30 percent that is
distributed to the states through an allocation formula to implement state
expenditure plans which require Council approval. The Council was created
by the RESTORE Act and is comprised of the five Gulf states and six federal
agencies.
"I encourage Mississippians to review the draft plan and submit comments
because the implementation of the plan will have a significant impact on
our state and the Gulf region for decades. Fortunately we have laid a
foundation with the substantial work of the GoCoast 2020 teams that
highlighted the priorities to help us recover and move forward. It's
important we don't lose that momentum and continue with the process to
improve our Coast. A vital component of the whole process is public
engagement. We want to know what you think," said MDEQ Executive Director
Trudy Fisher.
Mississippi's public engagement session will be June 11 beginning with
registration at 5:00 p.m. and the meeting at 6:00 p.m. at the Mississippi
Coast Coliseum and Convention Center, 2350 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi.
The Draft Initial Comprehensive Plan can be viewed online at
http://1.usa.gov/10nO2S9 and will be available for public comment from May
23 until June 24. More information is available at www.restorethegulf.gov.
Periodically MDEQ will release information on RESTORE Act activities and
meetings. A text group for the public is available by texting "restore" to
601-863-8082.
# # #
Mr. Robbie Wilbur
Communications Director
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
Post Office Box 2261
Jackson, Mississippi 39225
601/961-5277
601/421-5699 (c)
601/961-5715 (f)
rwilbur@deq.state.ms.us
Connect with MDEQ on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/MDEQ/118172664880239?v=wall
Follow MDEQ on Twitter
http://twitter.com/#!/MDEQ
News Clippings 5/23/13
5/23/13
Oil Spill
BP protester Sandra Howard settles lawsuit against Long Beach regarding
retaliation arrest
By The Associated Press
May 22, 2013 at 10:19 AM
JACKSON, Mississippi -- A woman has reached a lawsuit settlement with a
south Mississippi city where she says police arrested her for protesting
the BP oil spill then arrested her again in retaliation for suing.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/05/bp_protester_sandra_howard_set.html#incart_river
State News
Main sewer line in danger of collapsing
Madison County Journal
By MICHAEL SIMMONS
RIDGELAND - Reparing a major sewer line under Lake Harbour Drive near the
Reservoir that carries most of south Madison County's waste water to a
treatment plant in Jackson will cost about $150,000.
http://onlinemadison.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=26654
Rezoning of rubbish pit rejected
DeSoto Times
By ROBERT LEE LONG
Published: Thursday, May 23, 2013 1:05 AM CDT
DeSoto County Supervisors Wednesday rejected by a vote of 3-2 rezoning from
agricultural/residential or AR to Agricultural to allow a future planned
expansion of the Star Landing Rubbish Pit operated by Unified Waste
Systems.
http://www.desototimes.com/articles/2013/05/23/news/doc519d943c7014f213492351.txt
CMR chief: 'Nobody really knows how much money the agency really has'
Sun Herald
By PAUL HAMPTON — jphampton@sunherald.com
BILOXI -- The Department of Marine Resources has $117,250 in its budget for
the rest of the fiscal year, according to a report by its director of
administrative services Tuesday at the Commission on Marine Resources
meeting.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/21/4681760/cmr-chief-nobody-really-knows.html
Southern Company CEO Tom Fanning defends Kemper County plant at
shareholders meeting (updated)
The Associated Press
May 22, 2013 at 6:50 PM
PINE MOUNTAIN, Georgia -- The head of Southern Co. called the decision to
write off $540 million in extra costs on a Mississippi power plant "a
bitter pill for us to swallow," but he defended the project Wednesday as a
long-term investment for the large utility.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/05/southern_co_ceo_tom_fanning_de.html#incart_river
National News
Grid reliability bill heads to Senate in time for summer heat
Houston Chronicle
The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed legislation that would
shield electric utilities from environmental fines and lawsuits if they
keep power flowing in emergencies.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2013/05/22/grid-reliability-bill-heads-to-senate-in-time-for-summer-heat/
Obama's new Energy chief: Climate change 'not debatable'
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 05/22/13 11:03 AM ET
New Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz doesn't want to spend his tenure battling
over climate science.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/301287-new-energy-secretary-need-to-address-climate-change-not-debatable
After 37 years, U.S. chemical-safety laws may finally get an overhaul
Washington Post
By Brad Plumer, Updated: May 22, 2013
The current U.S. law on chemical safety is 37 years old, riddled with
exceptions, and widely seen as ineffective — so much so that the federal
government hasn't even tried to restrict an unsafe chemical since an
asbestos ban was overturned in courts in 1991.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/05/22/after-37-years-the-senate-may-finally-revamp-the-nations-chemical-safety-laws/
Energy-Rich Colorado Becomes Setting for Fracking Fight
Bloomberg
By Jennifer Oldham and Jim Snyder - May 23, 2013
Stan Dempsey, an oil and gas lobbyist, raced from one committee hearing to
another in Colorado's statehouse this spring, defending the industry
against an onslaught of bills.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-23/energy-rich-colorado-becomes-setting-for-fracking-fight.html
Oil Spill
BP protester Sandra Howard settles lawsuit against Long Beach regarding
retaliation arrest
By The Associated Press
May 22, 2013 at 10:19 AM
JACKSON, Mississippi -- A woman has reached a lawsuit settlement with a
south Mississippi city where she says police arrested her for protesting
the BP oil spill then arrested her again in retaliation for suing.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/05/bp_protester_sandra_howard_set.html#incart_river
State News
Main sewer line in danger of collapsing
Madison County Journal
By MICHAEL SIMMONS
RIDGELAND - Reparing a major sewer line under Lake Harbour Drive near the
Reservoir that carries most of south Madison County's waste water to a
treatment plant in Jackson will cost about $150,000.
http://onlinemadison.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=26654
Rezoning of rubbish pit rejected
DeSoto Times
By ROBERT LEE LONG
Published: Thursday, May 23, 2013 1:05 AM CDT
DeSoto County Supervisors Wednesday rejected by a vote of 3-2 rezoning from
agricultural/residential or AR to Agricultural to allow a future planned
expansion of the Star Landing Rubbish Pit operated by Unified Waste
Systems.
http://www.desototimes.com/articles/2013/05/23/news/doc519d943c7014f213492351.txt
CMR chief: 'Nobody really knows how much money the agency really has'
Sun Herald
By PAUL HAMPTON — jphampton@sunherald.com
BILOXI -- The Department of Marine Resources has $117,250 in its budget for
the rest of the fiscal year, according to a report by its director of
administrative services Tuesday at the Commission on Marine Resources
meeting.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/21/4681760/cmr-chief-nobody-really-knows.html
Southern Company CEO Tom Fanning defends Kemper County plant at
shareholders meeting (updated)
The Associated Press
May 22, 2013 at 6:50 PM
PINE MOUNTAIN, Georgia -- The head of Southern Co. called the decision to
write off $540 million in extra costs on a Mississippi power plant "a
bitter pill for us to swallow," but he defended the project Wednesday as a
long-term investment for the large utility.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/05/southern_co_ceo_tom_fanning_de.html#incart_river
National News
Grid reliability bill heads to Senate in time for summer heat
Houston Chronicle
The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed legislation that would
shield electric utilities from environmental fines and lawsuits if they
keep power flowing in emergencies.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2013/05/22/grid-reliability-bill-heads-to-senate-in-time-for-summer-heat/
Obama's new Energy chief: Climate change 'not debatable'
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 05/22/13 11:03 AM ET
New Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz doesn't want to spend his tenure battling
over climate science.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/301287-new-energy-secretary-need-to-address-climate-change-not-debatable
After 37 years, U.S. chemical-safety laws may finally get an overhaul
Washington Post
By Brad Plumer, Updated: May 22, 2013
The current U.S. law on chemical safety is 37 years old, riddled with
exceptions, and widely seen as ineffective — so much so that the federal
government hasn't even tried to restrict an unsafe chemical since an
asbestos ban was overturned in courts in 1991.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/05/22/after-37-years-the-senate-may-finally-revamp-the-nations-chemical-safety-laws/
Energy-Rich Colorado Becomes Setting for Fracking Fight
Bloomberg
By Jennifer Oldham and Jim Snyder - May 23, 2013
Stan Dempsey, an oil and gas lobbyist, raced from one committee hearing to
another in Colorado's statehouse this spring, defending the industry
against an onslaught of bills.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-23/energy-rich-colorado-becomes-setting-for-fracking-fight.html
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
News Clippings 5/22/13
Oil Spill
Oyster leaseholders lose suit blaming oil spill berms for damage
By Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
May 21, 2013 at 6:36 PM
Oyster growers on both sides of the Mississippi River who sued the state,
dredge operators and BP claiming damages to their oyster leases in 2010
during the construction of berms designed to capture oil during the BP
Deepwater Horizon oil spill had their lawsuit thrown out in two different
federal courts on Monday.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2013/05/oyster_leaseholders_lose_suit.html
State News
Bill exempting small farms from fuel storage regs passes Senate
by MBJ Staff
Published: May 21,2013
WASHINGTON — Legislation to exempt small farms from Environmental
Protection Agency fuel storage requirements has been incorporated into the
Senate-passed Water Resources Development Act of 2013 (WRDA), according to
a release from U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.).
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2013/05/21/bill-exempting-small-farms-from-fuel-storage-regs-passes-senate/
Predictions about 2013 Mississippi shrimp season
WLOX
The start of shrimp season in Mississippi is about two weeks away. Tuesday,
the Commission on Marine Resources heard an update about expectations for
the 2013 season.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22309764/predictions-about-2013-mississippi-shrimp-season
Hatchery releases largemouth bass fingerlings in three rivers
by MBJ Staff
Published: May 21,2013
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI — The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR)
Lyman Fish Hatchery has released 49,592 Florida largemouth bass fingerlings
in the Pascagoula, Tchoutacabouffa and Jordan rivers.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2013/05/21/hatchery-releases-largemouth-bass-fingerlings-in-three-rivers/
Sierra Club, NAACP call for answers from MS Power
WLOX
The Sierra Club and now the NAACP are calling for answers from Mississippi
Power.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22380732/sierra-club-naacp-call-for-answers-from-ms-power
Fervor grows for Tuscaloosa Marine Shale
MBJ
by Ted Carter
Published: May 17,2013
Mississippi's leaders expect a parade of oil drillers to converge on the
southwest corner of the state and are happy to cover the cost of striking
up the marching music.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2013/05/17/fervor-grows-for-tuscaloosa-marine-shale/
National News
Industry accuses EPA of skirting rules for public review of draft fuel regs
The Hill
By Ben Goad - 05/21/13 05:31 PM ET
The oil and gas industry's leading trade association accused the
Environmental Protection Agency Tuesday of skirting federal law by cutting
short public consideration of new regulations meant to curb air pollution.
http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/energyenvironment/301109--industry-accuses-epa-of-skirting-rules-for-public-review-of-draft-fuel-regs
Lawmakers press Interior to slow down on fracking rules
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 05/21/13 11:16 AM ET
The bipartisan leadership of the House Natural Resources Committee wants
the Interior Department to slow down development of revised rules unveiled
last week to regulate oil and gas "fracking" on public lands.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/300957-house-fracking-rule-critics-press-interior-to-slow-it-down
Moniz vows to help advance big efficiency bill, sees 'real chance'
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 05/21/13 02:43 PM ET
New Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz vowed Tuesday to help advance a big
bipartisan energy efficiency bill that's moving through Congress and make
conservation a major priority using his existing authorities.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/301033-moniz-vows-to-help-advance-big-efficiency-bill-sees-real-chance
Companies share energy efficiency secrets
USA today
Department of Energy program gets companies to share energy reducing
strategies.
When hotel guests leave their room during the day, a magnetic door
sensor tells the thermostat to reduce the heating or cooling. When
they come back, it has the temperature return to their selected
degree.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/22/companies-energy-efficiency-secrets-obama-program/2209145/
Press Releases
EPA Adds Nine Hazardous Waste Sites to Superfund's National Priorities List
Agency also proposes to add an additional nine sites
WASHINGTON - Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is adding
nine hazardous waste sites that pose risks to people's health and the
environment to the National Priorities List (NPL) of Superfund sites. EPA
is also proposing to add another nine sites to the list. Superfund is the
federal program that investigates and cleans up the most complex,
uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country to protect
people's health and the environment.
"Sites that pose serious risks to human health and the environment and
warrant Superfund attention continue to be identified by EPA and our state
partners," said Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator for EPA's Office
of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. "EPA continues to act on its
statutory obligation to update the NPL annually and clean up hazardous
sites to protect human health with the goal of returning them to
communities for productive use. Superfund cleanups improve local economies,
protect people's health and improve overall quality of life in affected
communities."
A site's listing neither imposes a financial obligation on EPA nor assigns
liability to any party. Updates to the NPL do, however, provide
policymakers and the public with a list of high priority sites, serving to
identify the size and nature of the nation's cleanup challenges.
The Superfund program has provided important benefits for people and the
environment since Congress established the program in 1980.Those benefits
are both direct and indirect, and include reduction of threats to human
health and ecological systems in the vicinity of Superfund sites,
improvement of the economic conditions and quality of life in communities
affected by hazardous waste sites, prevention of future releases of
hazardous substances, and advances in science and technology.
By eliminating or reducing real and perceived health risks and
environmental contamination associated with hazardous waste sites,
Superfund actions frequently convert contaminated land into productive
local resources and increase local property values. A recent study
conducted by researchers at Duke and Pittsburgh Universities concluded
that, while a site's proposal to the NPL reduces property values slightly,
making a site final on the NPL begins to increase property values
surrounding Superfund sites. Furthermore, the study found that, once a site
has all cleanup remedies in place, surrounding properties have a
significant increase in property values as compared to pre-NPL proposal
values.
Since 1983, EPA has listed 1,685 sites on the NPL. At 1,145 or 68 percent
of NPL sites, all cleanup remedies are in place. Approximately 610 or 36
percent of NPL sites have all necessary long-term protections in place,
which means EPA considers the sites protective for redevelopment or reuse.
With all NPL sites, EPA first works to identify companies or people
responsible for the contamination at a site, and requires them to conduct
or pay for the cleanup. For the newly listed sites without viable
potentially responsible parties, EPA will investigate the full extent of
the contamination before starting significant cleanup at the site.
Therefore, it may be several years before significant EPA clean up funding
is required for these sites.
The following nine sites have been added to the NPL:
• Macon Naval Ordnance Plant (former ordnance manufacturer) in
Macon, Ga.;
• Pike and Mulberry Streets PCE Plume (former dry cleaner) in
Martinsville, Ind.;
• Former United Zinc & Associated Smelters (former zinc smelter)
in Iola, Kan.;
• Creese & Cook Tannery (Former) (former tannery and finishing
facility) in Danvers, Mass.;
• Walton & Lonsbury Inc. (former chrome plating operation) in
Attelboro, Mass.;
• Matlack, Inc. (former chemical transportation business) in
Woolwich Township, N.J.;
• Riverside Industrial Park (former paint manufacturer) in
Newark, N.J.;
• Clinch River Corporation (former pulp and paper mill) in
Harriman, Tenn.; and
• 700 South 1600 East PCE Plume (ground water plume) in Salt Lake
City, Utah.
The following nine sites have been proposed for addition to the NPL:
• Beck's Lake (former automotive and hazardous waste dump) in
South Bend, Ind.;
• Garden City Ground Water Plume (ground water plume) in Garden
City, Ind.;
• Keystone Corridor Ground Water Contamination (ground water
plume) in Indianapolis, Ind;
• Smurfit-Stone Mill (former pulp and paper mill) in Missoula,
Mont.;
• Cristex Drum (former fabric mill) in Oxford, N.C.;
• Hemphill Road TCE (former chemical drum recycling) in Gastonia,
N.C.;
• Collins & Aikman Plant (Former) (former automotive rubber
manufacturer) in Farmington, N.H.;
• Wilcox Oil Company (former oil refinery) in Bristow, Okla.; and
• Makah Reservation Warmhouse Beach Dump (municipal and hazardous
waste dump) in Neah Bay, Wash.
EPA is also proposing to change the name of the B.F. Goodrich site in
Rialto, Cal., which EPA added to the NPL on September 23, 2009 (74 FR
48412). A settling work party has requested that EPA propose changing the
site's name to Locust Avenue; the proposed change is consistent with the
terms of a consent decree lodged with the court and informs the public of
the site's geographic location.
Federal Register notices and supporting documents for the final and
proposed sites: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/current.htm
Information about how a site is listed on the NPL:
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/npl_hrs.htm
Superfund sites in local communities:
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/index.htm
More information about The Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), the law establishing the Superfund
program: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/policy/index.htm
Oyster leaseholders lose suit blaming oil spill berms for damage
By Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
May 21, 2013 at 6:36 PM
Oyster growers on both sides of the Mississippi River who sued the state,
dredge operators and BP claiming damages to their oyster leases in 2010
during the construction of berms designed to capture oil during the BP
Deepwater Horizon oil spill had their lawsuit thrown out in two different
federal courts on Monday.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2013/05/oyster_leaseholders_lose_suit.html
State News
Bill exempting small farms from fuel storage regs passes Senate
by MBJ Staff
Published: May 21,2013
WASHINGTON — Legislation to exempt small farms from Environmental
Protection Agency fuel storage requirements has been incorporated into the
Senate-passed Water Resources Development Act of 2013 (WRDA), according to
a release from U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.).
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2013/05/21/bill-exempting-small-farms-from-fuel-storage-regs-passes-senate/
Predictions about 2013 Mississippi shrimp season
WLOX
The start of shrimp season in Mississippi is about two weeks away. Tuesday,
the Commission on Marine Resources heard an update about expectations for
the 2013 season.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22309764/predictions-about-2013-mississippi-shrimp-season
Hatchery releases largemouth bass fingerlings in three rivers
by MBJ Staff
Published: May 21,2013
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI — The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR)
Lyman Fish Hatchery has released 49,592 Florida largemouth bass fingerlings
in the Pascagoula, Tchoutacabouffa and Jordan rivers.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2013/05/21/hatchery-releases-largemouth-bass-fingerlings-in-three-rivers/
Sierra Club, NAACP call for answers from MS Power
WLOX
The Sierra Club and now the NAACP are calling for answers from Mississippi
Power.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22380732/sierra-club-naacp-call-for-answers-from-ms-power
Fervor grows for Tuscaloosa Marine Shale
MBJ
by Ted Carter
Published: May 17,2013
Mississippi's leaders expect a parade of oil drillers to converge on the
southwest corner of the state and are happy to cover the cost of striking
up the marching music.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2013/05/17/fervor-grows-for-tuscaloosa-marine-shale/
National News
Industry accuses EPA of skirting rules for public review of draft fuel regs
The Hill
By Ben Goad - 05/21/13 05:31 PM ET
The oil and gas industry's leading trade association accused the
Environmental Protection Agency Tuesday of skirting federal law by cutting
short public consideration of new regulations meant to curb air pollution.
http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/energyenvironment/301109--industry-accuses-epa-of-skirting-rules-for-public-review-of-draft-fuel-regs
Lawmakers press Interior to slow down on fracking rules
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 05/21/13 11:16 AM ET
The bipartisan leadership of the House Natural Resources Committee wants
the Interior Department to slow down development of revised rules unveiled
last week to regulate oil and gas "fracking" on public lands.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/300957-house-fracking-rule-critics-press-interior-to-slow-it-down
Moniz vows to help advance big efficiency bill, sees 'real chance'
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 05/21/13 02:43 PM ET
New Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz vowed Tuesday to help advance a big
bipartisan energy efficiency bill that's moving through Congress and make
conservation a major priority using his existing authorities.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/301033-moniz-vows-to-help-advance-big-efficiency-bill-sees-real-chance
Companies share energy efficiency secrets
USA today
Department of Energy program gets companies to share energy reducing
strategies.
When hotel guests leave their room during the day, a magnetic door
sensor tells the thermostat to reduce the heating or cooling. When
they come back, it has the temperature return to their selected
degree.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/22/companies-energy-efficiency-secrets-obama-program/2209145/
Press Releases
EPA Adds Nine Hazardous Waste Sites to Superfund's National Priorities List
Agency also proposes to add an additional nine sites
WASHINGTON - Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is adding
nine hazardous waste sites that pose risks to people's health and the
environment to the National Priorities List (NPL) of Superfund sites. EPA
is also proposing to add another nine sites to the list. Superfund is the
federal program that investigates and cleans up the most complex,
uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country to protect
people's health and the environment.
"Sites that pose serious risks to human health and the environment and
warrant Superfund attention continue to be identified by EPA and our state
partners," said Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator for EPA's Office
of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. "EPA continues to act on its
statutory obligation to update the NPL annually and clean up hazardous
sites to protect human health with the goal of returning them to
communities for productive use. Superfund cleanups improve local economies,
protect people's health and improve overall quality of life in affected
communities."
A site's listing neither imposes a financial obligation on EPA nor assigns
liability to any party. Updates to the NPL do, however, provide
policymakers and the public with a list of high priority sites, serving to
identify the size and nature of the nation's cleanup challenges.
The Superfund program has provided important benefits for people and the
environment since Congress established the program in 1980.Those benefits
are both direct and indirect, and include reduction of threats to human
health and ecological systems in the vicinity of Superfund sites,
improvement of the economic conditions and quality of life in communities
affected by hazardous waste sites, prevention of future releases of
hazardous substances, and advances in science and technology.
By eliminating or reducing real and perceived health risks and
environmental contamination associated with hazardous waste sites,
Superfund actions frequently convert contaminated land into productive
local resources and increase local property values. A recent study
conducted by researchers at Duke and Pittsburgh Universities concluded
that, while a site's proposal to the NPL reduces property values slightly,
making a site final on the NPL begins to increase property values
surrounding Superfund sites. Furthermore, the study found that, once a site
has all cleanup remedies in place, surrounding properties have a
significant increase in property values as compared to pre-NPL proposal
values.
Since 1983, EPA has listed 1,685 sites on the NPL. At 1,145 or 68 percent
of NPL sites, all cleanup remedies are in place. Approximately 610 or 36
percent of NPL sites have all necessary long-term protections in place,
which means EPA considers the sites protective for redevelopment or reuse.
With all NPL sites, EPA first works to identify companies or people
responsible for the contamination at a site, and requires them to conduct
or pay for the cleanup. For the newly listed sites without viable
potentially responsible parties, EPA will investigate the full extent of
the contamination before starting significant cleanup at the site.
Therefore, it may be several years before significant EPA clean up funding
is required for these sites.
The following nine sites have been added to the NPL:
• Macon Naval Ordnance Plant (former ordnance manufacturer) in
Macon, Ga.;
• Pike and Mulberry Streets PCE Plume (former dry cleaner) in
Martinsville, Ind.;
• Former United Zinc & Associated Smelters (former zinc smelter)
in Iola, Kan.;
• Creese & Cook Tannery (Former) (former tannery and finishing
facility) in Danvers, Mass.;
• Walton & Lonsbury Inc. (former chrome plating operation) in
Attelboro, Mass.;
• Matlack, Inc. (former chemical transportation business) in
Woolwich Township, N.J.;
• Riverside Industrial Park (former paint manufacturer) in
Newark, N.J.;
• Clinch River Corporation (former pulp and paper mill) in
Harriman, Tenn.; and
• 700 South 1600 East PCE Plume (ground water plume) in Salt Lake
City, Utah.
The following nine sites have been proposed for addition to the NPL:
• Beck's Lake (former automotive and hazardous waste dump) in
South Bend, Ind.;
• Garden City Ground Water Plume (ground water plume) in Garden
City, Ind.;
• Keystone Corridor Ground Water Contamination (ground water
plume) in Indianapolis, Ind;
• Smurfit-Stone Mill (former pulp and paper mill) in Missoula,
Mont.;
• Cristex Drum (former fabric mill) in Oxford, N.C.;
• Hemphill Road TCE (former chemical drum recycling) in Gastonia,
N.C.;
• Collins & Aikman Plant (Former) (former automotive rubber
manufacturer) in Farmington, N.H.;
• Wilcox Oil Company (former oil refinery) in Bristow, Okla.; and
• Makah Reservation Warmhouse Beach Dump (municipal and hazardous
waste dump) in Neah Bay, Wash.
EPA is also proposing to change the name of the B.F. Goodrich site in
Rialto, Cal., which EPA added to the NPL on September 23, 2009 (74 FR
48412). A settling work party has requested that EPA propose changing the
site's name to Locust Avenue; the proposed change is consistent with the
terms of a consent decree lodged with the court and informs the public of
the site's geographic location.
Federal Register notices and supporting documents for the final and
proposed sites: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/current.htm
Information about how a site is listed on the NPL:
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/npl_hrs.htm
Superfund sites in local communities:
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/index.htm
More information about The Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), the law establishing the Superfund
program: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/policy/index.htm
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
News Clippings 5.21.13
5/21/2013
Oil Spill
Judge tosses ex-BP executive's obstruction charge
By The Associated Press
May 21, 2013 at 2:20 AM
NEW ORLEANS — A federal judge has dismissed a charge that is the backbone
of the case against a former BP executive accused of concealing information
from Congress about the amount of oil spewing in 2010 from the company's
blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico.
http://blog.al.com/live/2013/05/judge_tosses_ex-bp_executives.html#incart_river
State News
Mississippi Power's leader replaced after withholding info from PSC
AP
Mississippi Power Co. made an abrupt leadership switch Monday amid cost
overruns at the Kemper County power plant it's building, naming Ed Holland
president to replace Ed Day.
http://www.clarionledger.com/viewart/20130521/NEWS01/305210018/Mississippi-Power-s-leader-replaced-after-withholding-info-from-PSC
Mississippi Power Co. withheld information, Bentz says
Sun Herald
By MARY PEREZ — meperez@sunherald.com
Mississippi Power Co. announced Monday that Ed Day, 52, retired as
president and CEO, effective immediately, but the head of the Public
Service Commission said his agency is responsible for Day's departure.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/20/4677661/ed-day-out-as-ceo-of-mississippi.html
Hancock County, Diamondhead POA request permit to dredge Devil's Elbow
Sun Herald
By KATE MAGANDY — kmagandy@sunherald.com
Hancock County supervisors and the Diamondhead Property Owners Association
are asking the Department of Marine Resources for permission to dredge
Devil's Elbow, the DMR said Monday in press release.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/20/4677324/hancock-county-diamondhead-poa.html
Corinth to dedicate new water treatment plant
by Lena Mitchell
NEMS Daily Journal
05.21.13 - 06:20 am
CORINTH – It took an act of Congress and $50 million, and it's now time to
show off Corinth's water treatment plant and distribution system.
http://djournal.com/view/full_story/22652376/article-Corinth-to-dedicate-new-water-treatment-plant?instance=secondary_stories_left_column
Columbia battles sewage odor
WDAM
The city of Columbia is receiving complaints about the odor coming from its
sewage lagoon.
http://www.wdam.com/story/22303997/columbia-battles-sewage-odor
State Auditor's office remains silent on John McKay/DMR issue
By Warren Kulo | GulfLive.com
May 20, 2013 at 2:03 PM
OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- Last week, Ocean Springs mayoral candidate
John McKay said a meeting with representatives of State Auditor Stacey
Pickering revealed there was no investigation of him relative to two trips
taken on boats owned by the Mississippi Marine Resources Foundation.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/05/state_auditors_office_remains.html#incart_river
National News
Chamber: Greens using 'sue and settle' to coerce EPA
The Hill
By Megan R. Wilson - 05/20/13 06:31 PM ET
Green groups have used "sue and settle" tactics to force more than 100 new
rules from President Obama's Environmental Protection Agency, according to
a new Chamber of Commerce study released Monday.
http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/energyenvironment/300851-chamber-greens-using-sue-and-settle-to-coerce-epa
EPA to publish draft low-sulfur gas rule
The Hill
By Ben Goad - 05/20/13 10:26 AM ET
A proposed rule intended to cut pollution from automobiles is to be
published Tuesday in the Federal Register, nearly two months after the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) detailed the draft regulations.
http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/energyenvironment/300687-epa-to-publish-draft-low-sulfur-gas-rule
Groups push Congress, White House to approve energy-efficiency bill
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 05/20/13 12:18 PM ET
An array of groups joined forces Monday to urge congressional leaders and
President Obama to approve an energy-efficiency bill that's currently
waiting for floor time in the Senate.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/300681-groups-push-congress-white-house-to-approve-energy-efficiency-bill
Report: 87 shipwrecks, most from WWII, could leak oil near US, but no
'ticking time bombs'
By Associated Press, Published: May 20
WASHINGTON — Shipwrecks lying deep off America's coasts are more often
historical artifacts than present-day threats from leaking old oil tanks, a
new federal report says.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/govt-survey-spots-87-shipwrecks-that-could-foul-us-waters-with-oil-still-less-than-bp-spill/2013/05/20/f9c4fb22-c17d-11e2-9aa6-fc21ae807a8a_story.html
Shale fracking proves $30 billion-a-year boon to waste disposal industry
Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
May 20, 2013 at 10:07 PM
The explosive expansion of drilling of natural gas and oil wells in shale
deposits in the United States and Canada using a directional drilling
method dubbed "fracking" may have spawned a $30 billion per year expansion
of the waste disposal business, waste and investment industry executives
were told Monday.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2013/05/shale_fracking_proves_30_billi.html
EU energy chief says EU to look at fracking this year
Reuters
Mon, May 20 2013
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Environmental concerns over the practice of hydraulic
fracturing to tap shale gas will be on the European Union's agenda this
year, EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger told a German newspaper.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/20/us-eu-shale-oettinger-idUSBRE94J04G20130520
Press Releases
EPA Advises Facility Operators to Minimize Releases during Hazardous
Weather Events
Contact: Dawn Harris Young, (404) 562-8421 (Direct), (404) 562-8400 (Main),
harris-young.dawn@epa.gov
ATLANTA – As hurricane season approaches, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is issuing a Hazardous Weather Release Prevention and
Reporting alert to remind facility operators of certain regulations that
require minimization of chemical releases during process shutdown
operations. This alert is designed to increase awareness among facility
operators about their obligation to operate facilities safely and report
chemical releases in a timely manner.
The alert specifies operational release minimization requirements and
clarifies reporting requirements, including exemptions. Unlike some
natural disasters, the onset of a hurricane is predictable and allows for
early preparations to lessen its effect on a facility. Before hurricane
force winds and associated storm surge flooding damage industrial
processes, the alert recommends that operators take preventive action by
safely shutting down processes, or otherwise operate safely under emergency
procedures.
The alert and requirements are available at
http://www.epa.gov/region4/r4_hurricanereleases.html.
In the event of a hazardous weather incident, please visit
http://www.epa.gov/naturalevents/ for updated emergency information.
Oil Spill
Judge tosses ex-BP executive's obstruction charge
By The Associated Press
May 21, 2013 at 2:20 AM
NEW ORLEANS — A federal judge has dismissed a charge that is the backbone
of the case against a former BP executive accused of concealing information
from Congress about the amount of oil spewing in 2010 from the company's
blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico.
http://blog.al.com/live/2013/05/judge_tosses_ex-bp_executives.html#incart_river
State News
Mississippi Power's leader replaced after withholding info from PSC
AP
Mississippi Power Co. made an abrupt leadership switch Monday amid cost
overruns at the Kemper County power plant it's building, naming Ed Holland
president to replace Ed Day.
http://www.clarionledger.com/viewart/20130521/NEWS01/305210018/Mississippi-Power-s-leader-replaced-after-withholding-info-from-PSC
Mississippi Power Co. withheld information, Bentz says
Sun Herald
By MARY PEREZ — meperez@sunherald.com
Mississippi Power Co. announced Monday that Ed Day, 52, retired as
president and CEO, effective immediately, but the head of the Public
Service Commission said his agency is responsible for Day's departure.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/20/4677661/ed-day-out-as-ceo-of-mississippi.html
Hancock County, Diamondhead POA request permit to dredge Devil's Elbow
Sun Herald
By KATE MAGANDY — kmagandy@sunherald.com
Hancock County supervisors and the Diamondhead Property Owners Association
are asking the Department of Marine Resources for permission to dredge
Devil's Elbow, the DMR said Monday in press release.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/20/4677324/hancock-county-diamondhead-poa.html
Corinth to dedicate new water treatment plant
by Lena Mitchell
NEMS Daily Journal
05.21.13 - 06:20 am
CORINTH – It took an act of Congress and $50 million, and it's now time to
show off Corinth's water treatment plant and distribution system.
http://djournal.com/view/full_story/22652376/article-Corinth-to-dedicate-new-water-treatment-plant?instance=secondary_stories_left_column
Columbia battles sewage odor
WDAM
The city of Columbia is receiving complaints about the odor coming from its
sewage lagoon.
http://www.wdam.com/story/22303997/columbia-battles-sewage-odor
State Auditor's office remains silent on John McKay/DMR issue
By Warren Kulo | GulfLive.com
May 20, 2013 at 2:03 PM
OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- Last week, Ocean Springs mayoral candidate
John McKay said a meeting with representatives of State Auditor Stacey
Pickering revealed there was no investigation of him relative to two trips
taken on boats owned by the Mississippi Marine Resources Foundation.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/05/state_auditors_office_remains.html#incart_river
National News
Chamber: Greens using 'sue and settle' to coerce EPA
The Hill
By Megan R. Wilson - 05/20/13 06:31 PM ET
Green groups have used "sue and settle" tactics to force more than 100 new
rules from President Obama's Environmental Protection Agency, according to
a new Chamber of Commerce study released Monday.
http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/energyenvironment/300851-chamber-greens-using-sue-and-settle-to-coerce-epa
EPA to publish draft low-sulfur gas rule
The Hill
By Ben Goad - 05/20/13 10:26 AM ET
A proposed rule intended to cut pollution from automobiles is to be
published Tuesday in the Federal Register, nearly two months after the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) detailed the draft regulations.
http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/energyenvironment/300687-epa-to-publish-draft-low-sulfur-gas-rule
Groups push Congress, White House to approve energy-efficiency bill
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 05/20/13 12:18 PM ET
An array of groups joined forces Monday to urge congressional leaders and
President Obama to approve an energy-efficiency bill that's currently
waiting for floor time in the Senate.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/300681-groups-push-congress-white-house-to-approve-energy-efficiency-bill
Report: 87 shipwrecks, most from WWII, could leak oil near US, but no
'ticking time bombs'
By Associated Press, Published: May 20
WASHINGTON — Shipwrecks lying deep off America's coasts are more often
historical artifacts than present-day threats from leaking old oil tanks, a
new federal report says.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/govt-survey-spots-87-shipwrecks-that-could-foul-us-waters-with-oil-still-less-than-bp-spill/2013/05/20/f9c4fb22-c17d-11e2-9aa6-fc21ae807a8a_story.html
Shale fracking proves $30 billion-a-year boon to waste disposal industry
Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
May 20, 2013 at 10:07 PM
The explosive expansion of drilling of natural gas and oil wells in shale
deposits in the United States and Canada using a directional drilling
method dubbed "fracking" may have spawned a $30 billion per year expansion
of the waste disposal business, waste and investment industry executives
were told Monday.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2013/05/shale_fracking_proves_30_billi.html
EU energy chief says EU to look at fracking this year
Reuters
Mon, May 20 2013
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Environmental concerns over the practice of hydraulic
fracturing to tap shale gas will be on the European Union's agenda this
year, EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger told a German newspaper.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/20/us-eu-shale-oettinger-idUSBRE94J04G20130520
Press Releases
EPA Advises Facility Operators to Minimize Releases during Hazardous
Weather Events
Contact: Dawn Harris Young, (404) 562-8421 (Direct), (404) 562-8400 (Main),
harris-young.dawn@epa.gov
ATLANTA – As hurricane season approaches, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is issuing a Hazardous Weather Release Prevention and
Reporting alert to remind facility operators of certain regulations that
require minimization of chemical releases during process shutdown
operations. This alert is designed to increase awareness among facility
operators about their obligation to operate facilities safely and report
chemical releases in a timely manner.
The alert specifies operational release minimization requirements and
clarifies reporting requirements, including exemptions. Unlike some
natural disasters, the onset of a hurricane is predictable and allows for
early preparations to lessen its effect on a facility. Before hurricane
force winds and associated storm surge flooding damage industrial
processes, the alert recommends that operators take preventive action by
safely shutting down processes, or otherwise operate safely under emergency
procedures.
The alert and requirements are available at
http://www.epa.gov/region4/r4_hurricanereleases.html.
In the event of a hazardous weather incident, please visit
http://www.epa.gov/naturalevents/ for updated emergency information.
Monday, May 20, 2013
MDEQ May Newsletter
Please use the link below to access the May newsletter from the Mississippi
Department of Environmental Quality. Thanks for your interest:
http://bit.ly/16JzJva
Follow MDEQ on Twitter
http://twitter.com/#!/MDEQ
Connect with MDEQ on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/MDEQ/118172664880239?v=wall
Mr. Robbie Wilbur
Communications Director
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
Post Office Box 2261
Jackson, Mississippi 39225
601/961-5277
601/421-5699 (c)
601/961-5715 (f)
rwilbur@deq.state.ms.us
Department of Environmental Quality. Thanks for your interest:
http://bit.ly/16JzJva
Follow MDEQ on Twitter
http://twitter.com/#!/MDEQ
Connect with MDEQ on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/MDEQ/118172664880239?v=wall
Mr. Robbie Wilbur
Communications Director
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
Post Office Box 2261
Jackson, Mississippi 39225
601/961-5277
601/421-5699 (c)
601/961-5715 (f)
rwilbur@deq.state.ms.us
News Clippings 5/20/13
5/20/2013
Oil Spill
Texas joins other Gulf states in suing BP for damages related to oil spill
By The Associated Press
May 17, 2013 at 6:08 PM
HOUSTON -- Texas on Friday became the fifth state to sue British oil
company BP over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, seeking damages
related to the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/05/texas_joins_other_gulf_states.html#incart_river
Gulf Consortium stresses cooperation at Key Largo meeting
By VALERIE GARMAN / The News Herald
Published: Friday, May 17, 2013 at 20:51 PM.
KEY LARGO — Coordination was the theme Friday during a meeting of the Gulf
Consortium, an organization tasked with handling the cash coming from the
federal RESTORE Act.
http://www.newsherald.com/news/government/gulf-consortium-stresses-cooperation-at-key-largo-meeting-1.145101
Oysters continue to struggle post-spill
Houma Today
By Nikki Buskey
Published: Friday, May 17, 2013 at 9:29 p.m.
More than three years after the Gulf oil spill, the state's oyster industry
is continuing to struggle.
http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20130517/ARTICLES/130519647/-1/living?Title=Oysters-continue-to-struggle-post-spill
Ex-BP Engineer's Criminal Trial Is Postponed to December
Bloomberg
By Margaret Cronin Fisk and Allen Johnson Jr. - May 17, 2013
The trial of a former BP Plc (BP/) engineer charged in the first criminal
case arising from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill was postponed to
December from June, a judge said.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-17/ex-bp-engineer-s-criminal-trial-is-postponed-to-december.html
State News
Moss Point awarded $400,000 federal brownfield grant
Mississippi Press
By Vivian Austin
May 19, 2013 at 12:27 PM
MOSS POINT, Mississippi -- Moss Point is among 6 municipalities in the
state that have been awarded brownfield grants from the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, and community department personnel hope it will help
identify and cleanup former industrial sites and properties across the
city.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/05/moss_point_awarded_400000_fede.html
Water advisories common during rainy season in South Mississippi
Sun Herald
By CHRISTINA STEUBE — csteube@sunherald.com
Each year near the beginning of summer, the Mississippi Department of
Environmental Quality more frequently issues water-contact advisories.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/17/4674149/water-advisories-common-during.html
Mississippians join international environmental movement
WLOX
Coastal residents added their voices to those calling for the end of energy
policies that hurt the environment. The Hands Across the Sand
demonstrations took place on beaches around the world on Saturday. In South
Mississippi, the concern centered around the state government's plan to
allow offshore drilling off coastal waters.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22289941/mississippians-join-international-environmental-movement
Pascagoula's LNG import terminal wants to export natural gas
Sun Herald
By KAREN NELSON — klnelson@sunherald.com
PASCAGOULA -- Big changes may be coming for Gulf LNG, the liquified natural
gas terminal that is two huge storage tanks on the horizon south of
Pascagoula.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/19/4676186/pascagoulas-lng-import-terminal.html
Students learn ways to become better Earth stewards in South Mississippi
By LINDSAY KNOWLES — Special to the Sun Herald
OCEAN SPRINGS -- Nearly 30 students converged from all around Mississippi
and Louisiana for the second annual Shifting Baselines Stewardship Summit
on Friday and Saturday in Ocean Springs.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/18/4675362/students-learn-ways-to-become.html
Delta Council held annual meeting at Delta State
Bolivar Commercial
by Rory Doyle
The morning rain cleared and the temperature stayed down Friday, setting up
for a grand celebration at the 78th annual meeting of the Delta Council on
the campus of Delta State University.
http://www.bolivarcom.com/view/full_story/22636909/article-Delta-Council-held-annual-meeting-at-Delta-State-?instance=main_article
National News
Bill calls on feds to address health impacts of climate change
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 05/18/13 10:14 AM ET
A bill introduced Friday calls on the federal government to craft a
national strategy for dealing with the public health effects of climate
change.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/300571-bill-calls-on-feds-to-address-health-impacts-of-climate-change
GOP lawmakers liken EPA info tactics to IRS targeting of Tea Party
The Hill
By Julian Hattem - 05/17/13 05:56 PM ET
Congressional Republicans have accused the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) of giving unfair preference to environmental groups when it comes to
information requests.
http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/energyenvironment/300535-gop-lawmakers-compare-epa-tactics-to-irs-targeting
New Federal Fracking Rules Rile Environmentalists, Oil and Gas Industry
Few are happy in the wake of new draft rules proposed to regulation
fracking on federal lands
US News and World Report
By MEG HANDLEY
The Obama administration released its latest version of long-awaited rules
proposed to govern hydraulic fracturing on public lands Thursday, angering
environmental groups who say the government is selling out to the oil
industry at the expense of public health.
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/05/17/new-federal-fracking-rules-rile-environmentalists-oil-and-gas-industry
House bill would block EPA oversight of coal ash, leave it to states
By RENEE SCHOOF
McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON — Next up for Republicans in the House of Representatives who
are seeking to curb the role of the Environmental Protection Agency is a
vote Friday on a bill that would give states the power to monitor the
disposal of coal ash from power plants.
http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/10/13/3443359/house-bill-would-block-epa-oversight.html
Wells Dry, Fertile Plains Turn to Dust
NY Times
By MICHAEL WINES
HASKELL COUNTY, Kan. — Forty-nine years ago, Ashley Yost's grandfather sank
a well deep into a half-mile square of rich Kansas farmland. He struck an
artery of water so prodigious that he could pump 1,600 gallons to the
surface every minute.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/20/us/high-plains-aquifer-dwindles-hurting-farmers.html?ref=earth&_r=0&pagewanted=print
Rebuilding the Coastline, but at What Cost?
NY Times
By JENNY ANDERSON
When a handful of retired homeowners from Osborn Island in New Jersey
gathered last month to discuss post-Hurricane Sandy rebuilding and
environmental protection, L. Stanton Hales Jr., a conservationist, could
not have been clearer about the risks they faced.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/19/nyregion/rebuilding-the-coastline-but-at-what-cost.html?ref=earth&pagewanted=print
Opinion
Overheated rhetoric on climate change doesn't make for good policies
Washington Post
By Lamar Smith, Published: May 19
Lamar Smith, a Republican, represents Texas's 21st District in the U.S.
House and is chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and
Technology.
Climate change is an issue that needs to be discussed thoughtfully and
objectively. Unfortunately, claims that distort the facts hinder the
legitimate evaluation of policy options. The rhetoric has driven some
policymakers toward costly regulations and policies that will harm
hardworking American families and do little to decrease global carbon
emissions. The Obama administration's decision to delay, and possibly deny,
the Keystone XL pipeline is a prime example.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/lamar-smith-overheated-rhetoric-on-climate-change-hurts-the-economy/2013/05/19/32cb6d94-bda4-11e2-97d4-a479289a31f9_story.html
Oil Spill
Texas joins other Gulf states in suing BP for damages related to oil spill
By The Associated Press
May 17, 2013 at 6:08 PM
HOUSTON -- Texas on Friday became the fifth state to sue British oil
company BP over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, seeking damages
related to the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/05/texas_joins_other_gulf_states.html#incart_river
Gulf Consortium stresses cooperation at Key Largo meeting
By VALERIE GARMAN / The News Herald
Published: Friday, May 17, 2013 at 20:51 PM.
KEY LARGO — Coordination was the theme Friday during a meeting of the Gulf
Consortium, an organization tasked with handling the cash coming from the
federal RESTORE Act.
http://www.newsherald.com/news/government/gulf-consortium-stresses-cooperation-at-key-largo-meeting-1.145101
Oysters continue to struggle post-spill
Houma Today
By Nikki Buskey
Published: Friday, May 17, 2013 at 9:29 p.m.
More than three years after the Gulf oil spill, the state's oyster industry
is continuing to struggle.
http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20130517/ARTICLES/130519647/-1/living?Title=Oysters-continue-to-struggle-post-spill
Ex-BP Engineer's Criminal Trial Is Postponed to December
Bloomberg
By Margaret Cronin Fisk and Allen Johnson Jr. - May 17, 2013
The trial of a former BP Plc (BP/) engineer charged in the first criminal
case arising from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill was postponed to
December from June, a judge said.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-17/ex-bp-engineer-s-criminal-trial-is-postponed-to-december.html
State News
Moss Point awarded $400,000 federal brownfield grant
Mississippi Press
By Vivian Austin
May 19, 2013 at 12:27 PM
MOSS POINT, Mississippi -- Moss Point is among 6 municipalities in the
state that have been awarded brownfield grants from the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, and community department personnel hope it will help
identify and cleanup former industrial sites and properties across the
city.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/05/moss_point_awarded_400000_fede.html
Water advisories common during rainy season in South Mississippi
Sun Herald
By CHRISTINA STEUBE — csteube@sunherald.com
Each year near the beginning of summer, the Mississippi Department of
Environmental Quality more frequently issues water-contact advisories.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/17/4674149/water-advisories-common-during.html
Mississippians join international environmental movement
WLOX
Coastal residents added their voices to those calling for the end of energy
policies that hurt the environment. The Hands Across the Sand
demonstrations took place on beaches around the world on Saturday. In South
Mississippi, the concern centered around the state government's plan to
allow offshore drilling off coastal waters.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22289941/mississippians-join-international-environmental-movement
Pascagoula's LNG import terminal wants to export natural gas
Sun Herald
By KAREN NELSON — klnelson@sunherald.com
PASCAGOULA -- Big changes may be coming for Gulf LNG, the liquified natural
gas terminal that is two huge storage tanks on the horizon south of
Pascagoula.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/19/4676186/pascagoulas-lng-import-terminal.html
Students learn ways to become better Earth stewards in South Mississippi
By LINDSAY KNOWLES — Special to the Sun Herald
OCEAN SPRINGS -- Nearly 30 students converged from all around Mississippi
and Louisiana for the second annual Shifting Baselines Stewardship Summit
on Friday and Saturday in Ocean Springs.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/18/4675362/students-learn-ways-to-become.html
Delta Council held annual meeting at Delta State
Bolivar Commercial
by Rory Doyle
The morning rain cleared and the temperature stayed down Friday, setting up
for a grand celebration at the 78th annual meeting of the Delta Council on
the campus of Delta State University.
http://www.bolivarcom.com/view/full_story/22636909/article-Delta-Council-held-annual-meeting-at-Delta-State-?instance=main_article
National News
Bill calls on feds to address health impacts of climate change
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 05/18/13 10:14 AM ET
A bill introduced Friday calls on the federal government to craft a
national strategy for dealing with the public health effects of climate
change.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/300571-bill-calls-on-feds-to-address-health-impacts-of-climate-change
GOP lawmakers liken EPA info tactics to IRS targeting of Tea Party
The Hill
By Julian Hattem - 05/17/13 05:56 PM ET
Congressional Republicans have accused the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) of giving unfair preference to environmental groups when it comes to
information requests.
http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/energyenvironment/300535-gop-lawmakers-compare-epa-tactics-to-irs-targeting
New Federal Fracking Rules Rile Environmentalists, Oil and Gas Industry
Few are happy in the wake of new draft rules proposed to regulation
fracking on federal lands
US News and World Report
By MEG HANDLEY
The Obama administration released its latest version of long-awaited rules
proposed to govern hydraulic fracturing on public lands Thursday, angering
environmental groups who say the government is selling out to the oil
industry at the expense of public health.
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/05/17/new-federal-fracking-rules-rile-environmentalists-oil-and-gas-industry
House bill would block EPA oversight of coal ash, leave it to states
By RENEE SCHOOF
McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON — Next up for Republicans in the House of Representatives who
are seeking to curb the role of the Environmental Protection Agency is a
vote Friday on a bill that would give states the power to monitor the
disposal of coal ash from power plants.
http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/10/13/3443359/house-bill-would-block-epa-oversight.html
Wells Dry, Fertile Plains Turn to Dust
NY Times
By MICHAEL WINES
HASKELL COUNTY, Kan. — Forty-nine years ago, Ashley Yost's grandfather sank
a well deep into a half-mile square of rich Kansas farmland. He struck an
artery of water so prodigious that he could pump 1,600 gallons to the
surface every minute.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/20/us/high-plains-aquifer-dwindles-hurting-farmers.html?ref=earth&_r=0&pagewanted=print
Rebuilding the Coastline, but at What Cost?
NY Times
By JENNY ANDERSON
When a handful of retired homeowners from Osborn Island in New Jersey
gathered last month to discuss post-Hurricane Sandy rebuilding and
environmental protection, L. Stanton Hales Jr., a conservationist, could
not have been clearer about the risks they faced.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/19/nyregion/rebuilding-the-coastline-but-at-what-cost.html?ref=earth&pagewanted=print
Opinion
Overheated rhetoric on climate change doesn't make for good policies
Washington Post
By Lamar Smith, Published: May 19
Lamar Smith, a Republican, represents Texas's 21st District in the U.S.
House and is chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and
Technology.
Climate change is an issue that needs to be discussed thoughtfully and
objectively. Unfortunately, claims that distort the facts hinder the
legitimate evaluation of policy options. The rhetoric has driven some
policymakers toward costly regulations and policies that will harm
hardworking American families and do little to decrease global carbon
emissions. The Obama administration's decision to delay, and possibly deny,
the Keystone XL pipeline is a prime example.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/lamar-smith-overheated-rhetoric-on-climate-change-hurts-the-economy/2013/05/19/32cb6d94-bda4-11e2-97d4-a479289a31f9_story.html
Friday, May 17, 2013
News Clippings 5.17.13
5/17/2013
Oil Spill
Some oil spill cleanup workers say exposure to chemicals left them sick
WWL
When the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion killed 11 men in the Gulf of
Mexico and led to the worst oil spill in American history, BP promised to
make everything right. But three years later many people BP hired to clean
up the mess say their exposure to the chemicals has led to serious
illnesses with no prospect of being fully or fairly compensated.
http://www.wwltv.com/news/local/Some-oil-spill-cleanup-workers-say-exposure-to-chemicals-left-them-sick-207820271.html
BP seeks to stop payment of some 'inflated' claims
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONDON -- BP is seeking to stop paying millions of dollars in what it calls
inflated compensation claims stemming from the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf
of Mexico.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/16/4671930/bp-seeks-to-stop-payment-of-some.html
Louisiana taps into BP oil spill money to bring 'Top Chef' to New Orleans
By Hollie McKay
Published May 16, 2013
FoxNews.com
Bravo's cooking elimination show "Top Chef" is headed to the Big Easy for
its eleventh season – but having Tom, Padma and their team of cooking
connoisseurs come to town doesn't come cheap.
http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/05/16/louisiana-taps-into-bp-oil-spill-money-to-bring-top-chef-to-new-orleans/
County seeks $12 million in NRDA projects
By David Adlerstein
Published: Thursday, May 16, 2013 at 11:16 AM.Franklin County officials are
hoping to get a chunk of $58 million in early restoration projects for
Florida that have been proposed by the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource
Damage Assessment Trustees as part of a third phase.
http://www.apalachtimes.com/news/local-news/county-seeks-12-million-in-nrda-projects-1.143871
State News
Company fined $1 million for illegally filling Hancock County wetlands
Sun Herald
By ROBIN FITZGERALD — rfitzgerald@sunherald.com
GULFPORT -- An Alabama-based real estate investment company has agreed to
pay a $1 million fine for damaging wetlands and polluting waters in a
development project in Hancock County.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/16/4671229/alabama-company-fined-1-million.html
Bill would stop feared Louisiana levee
Sun Herald
WASHINGTON -- The water-projects bill the U.S. Senate passed this week
could promote investment in ports and protect the Coast from Louisiana
flood-control projects.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/16/4671933/bill-would-stop-feared-louisiana.html
Small Farms May Get Fuel Spill Exemption
WCBI
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Thad Cochran today reported that
legislation to exempt small farms from Environmental Protection Agency fuel
storage requirements has been incorporated into the Senate-passed Water
Resources Development Act of 2013 (WRDA).
http://www.wcbi.com/wordpress/small-farms-may-get-fuel-spill-exemption
Tupelo to receive MDEQ solid waste grant
by NEMS Daily Journal
05.17.13 - 04:44 am
TUPELO – The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has awarded
the city of Tupelo a solid waste assistance grant of $4,800 for cleaning up
illegal dump sites.
http://djournal.com/view/full_story/22608189/article-Tupelo-to-receive-MDEQ-solid-waste-grant?instance=secondary_stories_left_column
MDEQ awards solid waste assistance grant
WTVA
JACKSON, Miss. (WTVA) -- The Mississippi Department of Environmental
Quality has awarded Lowndes County a solid waste assistance grant of
$21,440 that will be used by the county to clean up illegal dump sites and
for a local solid waste enforcement officer.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/MDEQ-awards-solid-waste-assistance-grant/bhcBohdDv0qOJk4tJzDU5Q.cspx
Pearlington residents question flood buy-out program
WLOX
Dallas Trammell is one of many Pearlington residents who believe the
buy-out program underway in the community won't solve the bigger problem.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22265853/pearlington-residents-question-flood-buy-out-program
Sierra Club argues Kemper power plant deal voids PSC approval
The Associated Press
May 16, 2013 at 9:14 PM
JACKSON, Mississippi -- The Sierra Club has asked the Mississippi Supreme
Court to order the Public Service Commission to again reconsider its
approval of the $4.3 billion coal-fired power plant Mississippi Power Co.
is building in Kemper County.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/05/sierra_club_argues_kemper_powe.html#incart_river
DMR's marine patrol chief retiring
By SUN HERALD
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources announced Thursday that
Marine Patrol Chief Walter "Tiny" Chataginer is retiring May 31, taking
with him more than 34 years of law enforcement experience.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/16/4671631/dmrs-marine-patrol-chief-retiring.html
National News
Wicker, other Republicans end boycott of EPA nominee, allow vote
Clarion Ledger
WASHINGTON — A Senate committee voted Thursday to approve Gina McCarthy's
nomination to head the Environmental Protection Agency after Mississippi
Sen. Roger Wicker and other Republicans ended their boycott of the vote.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20130517/NEWS01/305170046/Wicker-other-Republicans-end-boycott-EPA-nominee-allow-vote
Senate committee approves Obama's nomination of Gina McCarthy to head EPA
Washington Post
By Lenny Bernstein,
President Obama's nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency was
quickly approved by a Senate committee Thursday when Republicans abandoned
their boycott of a vote on the career environmental administrator, after
what Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) described as "significant steps forward" on
transparency issues important to the GOP.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/senate-committee-approves-nomination-of-gina-mccarthy-to-head-epa/2013/05/16/fbebc06c-be52-11e2-9b09-1638acc3942e_story.html
Senate confirms Moniz as secretary of energy
Washington Post
By Al Kamen
The Senate unanimously confirmed Ernest Moniz, a scientist and professor at
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to be secretary of energy Thursday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop
New Fracking Rules Proposed for U.S. Land
NY Times
By JOHN M. BRODER
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Thursday issued a new set of
proposed rules governing hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas on public
lands, moving further to address industry concerns about the costs and
reporting burdens of federal regulation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/17/us/interior-proposes-new-rules-for-fracking-on-us-land.html?ref=earth&_r=0&pagewanted=print
Proposed New Fracking Rules Draw Fire From Industry
Wall Street Journal
By TENNILLE TRACY
The Interior Department proposed relaxing some of the requirements it
wants to impose on energy companies that conduct hydraulic fracturing on
federal land, but the industry remains opposed to the new rules, saying
they are unnecessary.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324082604578487482397534830.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5
Study: Natural gas fracking hasn't polluted Arkansas water, but geology
there plays a role
By Associated Press,
PITTSBURGH — Hydraulic fracturing for natural gas hasn't contaminated
drinking water wells in Arkansas, according to a new study, but researchers
said the geology there may be more of a natural barrier to pollution than
in other areas where shale gas drilling takes place.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/energy-environment/study-natural-gas-fracking-hasnt-polluted-arkansas-water-but-geology-there-plays-a-role/2013/05/16/08421b48-be6e-11e2-b537-ab47f0325f7c_story.html
EPA to review claims of bias against conservatives amid fight over IRS
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 05/16/13 11:42 AM ET
The Environmental Protection Agency's inspector general will review claims
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) refuses to waive public records
fees for conservative groups while granting the waivers for environmental
organizations.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/300167-epas-internal-watchdog-to-probe-bias-claims-amid-gop-comparisons-to-tax-scandal
EPA addresses bias complaints
Politico
By: Erica Martinson
May 16, 2013 05:09 PM EDT
Amid allegations from House Republicans that it showed a bias for liberal
groups, the EPA will audit its fee-waiver process for Freedom of
Information Act requests, acting Administrator Bob Perciasepe said
Thursday.
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/epa-audit-foia-91509.html?hp=r3
Opinion
Jack Payne: Science and support needed in Gulf Coast restoration
Published: Thursday, May 16, 2013 at 10:06 a.m.
Noted American satirist and journalist H.L. Mencken once said, "For every
complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple and wrong."
That's an observation worth remembering as we seek to restore and protect
Florida's Gulf Coast in the wake of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20130516/OPINION/130519709/-1/entertainment?Title=Jack-Payne-Science-and-support-needed-in-Gulf-Coast-restoration
Press Releases
May 16 2013
COCHRAN: EPA FUEL SPILL EXEMPTION FOR SMALL FARMS INCLUDED IN WATER
RESOURCES BILL
Senate-passed Water Development Resources Act Incorporates Bill Cochran
Cosponsored
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Thad Cochran today reported that
legislation to exempt small farms from Environmental Protection Agency fuel
storage requirements has been incorporated into the Senate-passed Water
Resources Development Act of 2013 (WRDA).
The Senate passed WRDA legislation (S.601) on Wednesday and with it also
approved all the provisions included in the Farmers Undertake Environmental
Land Stewardship Act (S.496)—a bill Cochran supported as an original
cosponsor.
The fuel storage provisions in WRDA will amend an EPA Spill Prevention,
Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) rule by reducing the necessity for farms
with above-ground oil and gas storage tanks to hire a certified
professional engineer to design a SPCC compliance plan.
"The fuel spill rule propounded by the EPA poses an unnecessary financial
and regulatory burden on farmers. The legislative corrections we've
incorporated into the Water Resources and Development Act are reasonable
from both the farm operations and environmental protection standpoint,"
said Cochran, the ranking Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee.
S.496 was introduced by Senator Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) in March to adjust the
aggregate storage capacity standards in the new SPCC rule—set at 1,320
gallons or more of above-ground storage capacity—to save farmers from
having to purchase new capital equipment to comply with the regulations.
As drafted, the rule could have required new ground storage units and dual
containment tanks on farm vehicles, all of which would unnecessarily raise
the cost of farming and result in higher prices for consumers.
Exemptions from the rule would apply to farms with above-ground oil storage
tanks that have an aggregate storage capacity of less than 10,000 gallons.
In addition, the measure would allow farmers to self-certify their own
plans if they have less than 42,000 gallons of above-ground storage
capacity. (Summary:http://1.usa.gov/VQmp2L)
The Senate voted 83-14 to approve S.601, an authorization bill for Army
Corps of Engineers water conservation and development projects throughout
the country. The House of Representatives has not yet acted on WRDA
legislation.
###
Oil Spill
Some oil spill cleanup workers say exposure to chemicals left them sick
WWL
When the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion killed 11 men in the Gulf of
Mexico and led to the worst oil spill in American history, BP promised to
make everything right. But three years later many people BP hired to clean
up the mess say their exposure to the chemicals has led to serious
illnesses with no prospect of being fully or fairly compensated.
http://www.wwltv.com/news/local/Some-oil-spill-cleanup-workers-say-exposure-to-chemicals-left-them-sick-207820271.html
BP seeks to stop payment of some 'inflated' claims
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONDON -- BP is seeking to stop paying millions of dollars in what it calls
inflated compensation claims stemming from the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf
of Mexico.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/16/4671930/bp-seeks-to-stop-payment-of-some.html
Louisiana taps into BP oil spill money to bring 'Top Chef' to New Orleans
By Hollie McKay
Published May 16, 2013
FoxNews.com
Bravo's cooking elimination show "Top Chef" is headed to the Big Easy for
its eleventh season – but having Tom, Padma and their team of cooking
connoisseurs come to town doesn't come cheap.
http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/05/16/louisiana-taps-into-bp-oil-spill-money-to-bring-top-chef-to-new-orleans/
County seeks $12 million in NRDA projects
By David Adlerstein
Published: Thursday, May 16, 2013 at 11:16 AM.Franklin County officials are
hoping to get a chunk of $58 million in early restoration projects for
Florida that have been proposed by the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource
Damage Assessment Trustees as part of a third phase.
http://www.apalachtimes.com/news/local-news/county-seeks-12-million-in-nrda-projects-1.143871
State News
Company fined $1 million for illegally filling Hancock County wetlands
Sun Herald
By ROBIN FITZGERALD — rfitzgerald@sunherald.com
GULFPORT -- An Alabama-based real estate investment company has agreed to
pay a $1 million fine for damaging wetlands and polluting waters in a
development project in Hancock County.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/16/4671229/alabama-company-fined-1-million.html
Bill would stop feared Louisiana levee
Sun Herald
WASHINGTON -- The water-projects bill the U.S. Senate passed this week
could promote investment in ports and protect the Coast from Louisiana
flood-control projects.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/16/4671933/bill-would-stop-feared-louisiana.html
Small Farms May Get Fuel Spill Exemption
WCBI
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Thad Cochran today reported that
legislation to exempt small farms from Environmental Protection Agency fuel
storage requirements has been incorporated into the Senate-passed Water
Resources Development Act of 2013 (WRDA).
http://www.wcbi.com/wordpress/small-farms-may-get-fuel-spill-exemption
Tupelo to receive MDEQ solid waste grant
by NEMS Daily Journal
05.17.13 - 04:44 am
TUPELO – The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has awarded
the city of Tupelo a solid waste assistance grant of $4,800 for cleaning up
illegal dump sites.
http://djournal.com/view/full_story/22608189/article-Tupelo-to-receive-MDEQ-solid-waste-grant?instance=secondary_stories_left_column
MDEQ awards solid waste assistance grant
WTVA
JACKSON, Miss. (WTVA) -- The Mississippi Department of Environmental
Quality has awarded Lowndes County a solid waste assistance grant of
$21,440 that will be used by the county to clean up illegal dump sites and
for a local solid waste enforcement officer.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/MDEQ-awards-solid-waste-assistance-grant/bhcBohdDv0qOJk4tJzDU5Q.cspx
Pearlington residents question flood buy-out program
WLOX
Dallas Trammell is one of many Pearlington residents who believe the
buy-out program underway in the community won't solve the bigger problem.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22265853/pearlington-residents-question-flood-buy-out-program
Sierra Club argues Kemper power plant deal voids PSC approval
The Associated Press
May 16, 2013 at 9:14 PM
JACKSON, Mississippi -- The Sierra Club has asked the Mississippi Supreme
Court to order the Public Service Commission to again reconsider its
approval of the $4.3 billion coal-fired power plant Mississippi Power Co.
is building in Kemper County.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/05/sierra_club_argues_kemper_powe.html#incart_river
DMR's marine patrol chief retiring
By SUN HERALD
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources announced Thursday that
Marine Patrol Chief Walter "Tiny" Chataginer is retiring May 31, taking
with him more than 34 years of law enforcement experience.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/16/4671631/dmrs-marine-patrol-chief-retiring.html
National News
Wicker, other Republicans end boycott of EPA nominee, allow vote
Clarion Ledger
WASHINGTON — A Senate committee voted Thursday to approve Gina McCarthy's
nomination to head the Environmental Protection Agency after Mississippi
Sen. Roger Wicker and other Republicans ended their boycott of the vote.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20130517/NEWS01/305170046/Wicker-other-Republicans-end-boycott-EPA-nominee-allow-vote
Senate committee approves Obama's nomination of Gina McCarthy to head EPA
Washington Post
By Lenny Bernstein,
President Obama's nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency was
quickly approved by a Senate committee Thursday when Republicans abandoned
their boycott of a vote on the career environmental administrator, after
what Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) described as "significant steps forward" on
transparency issues important to the GOP.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/senate-committee-approves-nomination-of-gina-mccarthy-to-head-epa/2013/05/16/fbebc06c-be52-11e2-9b09-1638acc3942e_story.html
Senate confirms Moniz as secretary of energy
Washington Post
By Al Kamen
The Senate unanimously confirmed Ernest Moniz, a scientist and professor at
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to be secretary of energy Thursday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop
New Fracking Rules Proposed for U.S. Land
NY Times
By JOHN M. BRODER
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Thursday issued a new set of
proposed rules governing hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas on public
lands, moving further to address industry concerns about the costs and
reporting burdens of federal regulation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/17/us/interior-proposes-new-rules-for-fracking-on-us-land.html?ref=earth&_r=0&pagewanted=print
Proposed New Fracking Rules Draw Fire From Industry
Wall Street Journal
By TENNILLE TRACY
The Interior Department proposed relaxing some of the requirements it
wants to impose on energy companies that conduct hydraulic fracturing on
federal land, but the industry remains opposed to the new rules, saying
they are unnecessary.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324082604578487482397534830.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5
Study: Natural gas fracking hasn't polluted Arkansas water, but geology
there plays a role
By Associated Press,
PITTSBURGH — Hydraulic fracturing for natural gas hasn't contaminated
drinking water wells in Arkansas, according to a new study, but researchers
said the geology there may be more of a natural barrier to pollution than
in other areas where shale gas drilling takes place.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/energy-environment/study-natural-gas-fracking-hasnt-polluted-arkansas-water-but-geology-there-plays-a-role/2013/05/16/08421b48-be6e-11e2-b537-ab47f0325f7c_story.html
EPA to review claims of bias against conservatives amid fight over IRS
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 05/16/13 11:42 AM ET
The Environmental Protection Agency's inspector general will review claims
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) refuses to waive public records
fees for conservative groups while granting the waivers for environmental
organizations.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/300167-epas-internal-watchdog-to-probe-bias-claims-amid-gop-comparisons-to-tax-scandal
EPA addresses bias complaints
Politico
By: Erica Martinson
May 16, 2013 05:09 PM EDT
Amid allegations from House Republicans that it showed a bias for liberal
groups, the EPA will audit its fee-waiver process for Freedom of
Information Act requests, acting Administrator Bob Perciasepe said
Thursday.
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/epa-audit-foia-91509.html?hp=r3
Opinion
Jack Payne: Science and support needed in Gulf Coast restoration
Published: Thursday, May 16, 2013 at 10:06 a.m.
Noted American satirist and journalist H.L. Mencken once said, "For every
complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple and wrong."
That's an observation worth remembering as we seek to restore and protect
Florida's Gulf Coast in the wake of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20130516/OPINION/130519709/-1/entertainment?Title=Jack-Payne-Science-and-support-needed-in-Gulf-Coast-restoration
Press Releases
May 16 2013
COCHRAN: EPA FUEL SPILL EXEMPTION FOR SMALL FARMS INCLUDED IN WATER
RESOURCES BILL
Senate-passed Water Development Resources Act Incorporates Bill Cochran
Cosponsored
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Thad Cochran today reported that
legislation to exempt small farms from Environmental Protection Agency fuel
storage requirements has been incorporated into the Senate-passed Water
Resources Development Act of 2013 (WRDA).
The Senate passed WRDA legislation (S.601) on Wednesday and with it also
approved all the provisions included in the Farmers Undertake Environmental
Land Stewardship Act (S.496)—a bill Cochran supported as an original
cosponsor.
The fuel storage provisions in WRDA will amend an EPA Spill Prevention,
Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) rule by reducing the necessity for farms
with above-ground oil and gas storage tanks to hire a certified
professional engineer to design a SPCC compliance plan.
"The fuel spill rule propounded by the EPA poses an unnecessary financial
and regulatory burden on farmers. The legislative corrections we've
incorporated into the Water Resources and Development Act are reasonable
from both the farm operations and environmental protection standpoint,"
said Cochran, the ranking Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee.
S.496 was introduced by Senator Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) in March to adjust the
aggregate storage capacity standards in the new SPCC rule—set at 1,320
gallons or more of above-ground storage capacity—to save farmers from
having to purchase new capital equipment to comply with the regulations.
As drafted, the rule could have required new ground storage units and dual
containment tanks on farm vehicles, all of which would unnecessarily raise
the cost of farming and result in higher prices for consumers.
Exemptions from the rule would apply to farms with above-ground oil storage
tanks that have an aggregate storage capacity of less than 10,000 gallons.
In addition, the measure would allow farmers to self-certify their own
plans if they have less than 42,000 gallons of above-ground storage
capacity. (Summary:http://1.usa.gov/VQmp2L)
The Senate voted 83-14 to approve S.601, an authorization bill for Army
Corps of Engineers water conservation and development projects throughout
the country. The House of Representatives has not yet acted on WRDA
legislation.
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