Oil Spill
INFINITY Science Center is getting a big boost
WLOX
INFINITY Science Center is an opportunity for everyone to get a glimpse
behind the gates of Stennis Space Center to explore the work many do to
learn about what lies deep below the earth's surface all the way to outer
space.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22228966/infinity-science-center-is-getting-a-big-boost
Ex-BP engineer warns of 'substantial risk' of wrongful conviction in Gulf
spill case
Houston Chronicle
With his trial a month away, a former BP engineer is renewing claims that
obstruction of justice charges should never have been brought against him
over his actions after the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill and if prosecutors
move forward they should be made to play by the rules.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2013/05/10/ex-bp-engineer-warns-of-substantial-risk-of-wrongful-conviction-in-gulf-spill-case/
State News
Advisory issued for Brashear Creek In Ridgeland
Madison County Herald
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) has issued a
temporary water advisory for a section of Brashear Creek in Ridgeland from
Rice Road to the confluence with the Pearl River.
http://www.mcherald.com/article/20130510/NEWS/130510001/Advisory-issued-Brashear-Creek-Ridgeland
Food service company agrees to pay fine over unpermitted discharges to
Jackson sewer system
AP
PEARL, Mississippi — A food service company is paying an $18,000 civil
fine for dumping wastewater into Jackson's sewer system for 11 years
without a permit.
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/39c3d013bc234b26af35a726e2b4067e/MS--Valley-Services-Fine
Two DMR public relations workers let go
Sun Herald
By DONNA HARRIS — dharris@sunherald.com
BILOXI -- Two more employees will be leaving the Mississippi Department of
Marine Resources.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/11/4659371/two-dmr-public-relations-workers.html
NWS Affected by Furloughs
WTOK
National Weather Service employees in Mississippi are set to feel the
impact of the sequestration through furloughs, which they say could put
people atrisk(Embedded image moved to file: pic04041.jpg).
http://www.wtok.com/home/headlines/NWS-Affected-by-Furloughs-206981381.html#.UZDmpLXCZ8E
National News
Panel to try again on EPA nominee
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 05/10/13 07:48 PM ET
Democrats will try to advance Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) nominee
Gina McCarthy to the full Senate again next week after a GOP boycott
thwarted attempts to do so Thursday.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/299153-senate-panel-to-try-again-on-epa-nominee
Heat-Trapping Gas Passes Milestone, Raising Fears
NY Times
By JUSTIN GILLIS
The level of the most important heat-trapping gas in the atmosphere, carbon
dioxide, has passed a long-feared milestone, scientists reported Friday,
reaching a concentration not seen on the earth for millions of years.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/11/science/earth/carbon-dioxide-level-passes-long-feared-milestone.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&ref=earth&pagewanted=print&adxnnlx=1368450037-c9vkS3vXYA64u587PA5ukA
Carbon dioxide hits new high
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 05/10/13 12:58 PM ET
Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have surpassed 400
parts-per-million, the federal government announced Friday, an amount that
may be the highest in several million years.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/299035-fed-data-carbon-dioxide-levels-hit-milestone-
Common plants, animals threatened by climate change, study says
LA Times
By Neela Banerjee
10:00 AM PDT, May 12, 2013
WASHINGTON -- Climate change could lead to the widespread loss of common
plants and animals around the world, according to a new study released
Sunday in the journal Nature Climate Change.
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-common-plants-animals-threatened-by-climate-change-20130512,0,707585.story
Plans to increase exports of liquefied natural gas could accelerate
fracking boom, critics say
By Associated Press, Published: May 12
WASHINGTON — A domestic natural gas boom already has lowered U.S. energy
prices while stoking fears of environmental disaster. Now U.S. producers
are poised to ship vast quantities of gas overseas as energy companies seek
permits for proposed export projects that could set off a renewed frenzy of
fracking.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/plans-to-increase-exports-of-liquefied-natural-gas-could-accelerate-fracking-boom-critics-say/2013/05/12/a758abe8-bae0-11e2-b537-ab47f0325f7c_story.html
Opinion
MICHAEL NEWSOM: 'Transparency' just a buzzword for too many public
officials
Sun Herald
I've made a new rule for myself.
I'll no longer quote public officials when they talk about "transparency."
It's just an empty buzzword they probably learned from some consultant who
did a PowerPoint presentation at a retreat. They probably went off to Hot
Springs at taxpayer expense and spent a couple of hours learning new ways
to speak without really saying anything-- one of the keys to success in any
level of government.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/11/4657757/michael-newsom-transparency-just.html
Press Releases
Federal Agencies Expand Urban Waterway Revitalization Efforts in
Communities Across the Nation
WASHINGTON – Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in
partnership with the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and other federal
partners, announced that the Urban Waters Federal Partnership is adding 11
new locations. In addition, two more federal partner agencies will join the
partnership in its collaborative efforts to restore waterways and their
environments, boost recreation, help local economies, create jobs, and
protect Americans' health.
EPA Acting Administrator Bob Perciasepe, joined by CEQ Chair Nancy Sutley,
Department of Interior Deputy Regional Director Charlie Wooley, and USDA
State Conservationist Garry Lee, will announce the partnership's expansion
during a press conference today in Grand Rapids. They will be joined by
U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell, and many
local business and civic leaders for the announcement.
Through the partnership, agencies are working to revitalize urban waterways
and communities that surround them, transforming overlooked assets and
driving urban revival. The U.S. Department of Education will join the 11
existing agencies, expanding the expertise of the partnership by connecting
school groups with their local waterways and preparing students for careers
in science. The U.S. Department of Energy will also join to help
communities accelerate the adoption of clean energy technologies. With the
addition of the two agencies, the expertise and resources available to the
sites are expanded.
The 11 new project locations are:
- Big River and Meramec River watersheds near St. Louis, Mo
- Delaware River Basin that covers Philadelphia, Camden, N.J., Chester,
Pa., and Wilmington, Del.
- Grand River in Grand Rapids, Mich.
- Green-Duwamish River in Seattle
- Mystic River watershed in Greater Boston
- Martin Pena Canal in San Juan, P.R.
- Middle Blue River in Kansas City, Mo.
- Middle Rio Grande in Albuquerque, N.M.
- Passaic River in Newark, N.J.
- Proctor Creek watershed in Atlanta
- Western Lake Erie Basin near Toledo, Ohio
"Our waterways should be assets that communities can access and enjoy,
especially in urban areas, where so many Americans live and work," said
Nancy Sutley, Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality. "Through this
innovative initiative, Federal agencies are working together with local
partners to focus their resources and expertise on revitalizing urban
waterways and promoting the health and economies of surrounding
communities."
"Since we launched the Urban Waters Federal Partnership two years ago,
we've seen firsthand what the transformation of degraded urban waterways
into clean, healthy and treasured centerpieces can do for local communities
– not only from an aesthetic standpoint, but also from a public health and
economic standpoint," said Acting EPA Administrator Bob Perciasepe.
"Restored urban waters can reinvigorate communities, and I am confident the
new project locations will see the same success the Partnership's efforts
have already supported across the country."
"Restoring urban waterways not only helps protect our water quality, urban
parks and wildlife refuges, but also provides increased recreational
opportunities that benefit residents and local economies," said Deputy
Secretary of the Interior David J. Hayes. "From the Grand Rapids River, to
the Delaware River Basin and the Middle Rio Grande, Interior agencies are
working as part of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership to get more
Americans outdoors for their health, as well as the health of their
communities and their economies."
"Restoring these water ways is not only important for improving the water
that we all depend on, but for spurring economic growth and creating
recreational opportunities in these communities as well," said Agriculture
Secretary Tom Vilsack. "USDA has contributed $1.2 million in financial
assistance to support these projects to date, and we will continue
providing expert staff and technical assistance to help revitalize water in
communities throughout the country."
"The protection and revitalization of rivers and watersheds in urban areas
not only demonstrates this administration's commitment to improving public
health and restoring natural resources in urban communities, but also helps
beautify and increase property values in neighborhoods that are being
developed or revitalized close to urban rivers," said HUD Deputy Secretary,
Maurice Jones.
With the addition of 11 new locations across the country, the work of the
partnership, now in 18 communities, will expand to the country's largest
cities and underserved communities. These projects will further the goals
of the partnership and address a wide range of issues such as improving
water quality, restoring ecosystems and enhancing public access to urban
waters. A progress report also released today details the successes and
plans for future actions at each program location, as well as actions taken
by each of the federal partners.
Americans use urban waterways as sources of drinking water and for a
variety of activities including boating, fishing and swimming. Revitalizing
these urban waterways will reconnect citizens to open spaces, and have a
positive economic impact on local businesses, tourism and property values,
as well as spur private investment and job creation in communities.
Launched in 2011, the Urban Waters Federal Partnership closely aligns with
and advances the work of other White House efforts such as the Partnership
for Sustainable Communities by revitalizing communities, creating jobs and
improving the quality of life in cities and towns. The partnership also
supports President Obama's America's Great Outdoors Initiative aimed at
making the federal government a better partner with communities that are
working to provide safe, healthy and accessible outdoor spaces.
The participating agencies are:
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- U.S. Department of Energy
- U.S. Department of Education
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- U.S. Economic Development Administration
- U.S. Forest Service
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- U.S. Department of Interior
- U.S. Department of Transportation
- Corporation for National and Community Service
- National Center for Environmental Health/Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
More information: http://www.urbanwaters.gov
