5.8.2013
Oil Spill
Coastal advocates question spill fine spending
Daily Comet
By Nikki Buskey
Published: Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at 6:52 p.m.
Environmental advocates are gearing up for a battle over how fines from the
2010 oil spill can be spent in Gulf states.
http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20130507/ARTICLES/130509626?Title=Coastal-advocates-question-spill-fine-spending
Federal judge orders former BP engineer to turn over emails
By Richard Thompson, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
May 07, 2013 at 5:10 PM
A federal judge has ordered a former BP engineer who was criminally charged
in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon disaster to turn over an unredacted
email chain between him and his lawyer that the British oil giant had
previously tried to shield.
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2013/05/federal_judge_orders_former_bp.html
BP oil spill settlement payouts surpass $2 billion mark, administrator says
By Richard Thompson, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
May 07, 2013 at 6:40 PM
The Deepwater Horizon Claims Center, which is overseeing the
multibillion-dollar settlement between BP and private claimaints, has now
paid out more than $2 billion to businesses and individuals who lost money
as a result of the 2010 oil spill, the court-appointed claims administrator
said Tuesday.
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2013/05/bp_oil_spill_settlement_payout.html
State News
Update needed on sewer district contracts
Bolivar Commercial
by Rory Doyle
05.07.13 - 04:24 pm
The Bolivar County Board of Supervisors had a moment of confusion Monday
when discussing the next step in the development of new sewage utility
districts within the Noblin and Stanton subdivisions.
http://www.bolivarcom.com/view/full_story/22494700/article-Update-needed-on-sewer-district-contracts?instance=homefirstleft
MDEQ sites violations at Alcorn County rubbish site
WTVA
JACKSON, Miss. (WTVA) -- The Mississippi Department of Environmental
Quality has proposed a $15,000 fine over the operations at the Alcorn
County rubbish site.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/MDEQ-sites-violations-at-Alcorn-County-rubbish/tH0B_a13lk-mKDQ19EUsMQ.cspx
Bay water advisory lifted
Sun Herald
HANCOCK COUNTY -- The state Department of Environmental Quality has lifted
a water-contact advisory for a section of beach in Bay St. Louis.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/07/4649814/around-south-mississippi.html
National News
Gas industry accuses EPA of procedural rush
The Hill
By Julian Hattem - 05/07/13 06:23 PM ET
The oil and gas industry is accusing the Obama administration of
side-stepping its procedural rules and rushing a regulation on auto
emissions.
In the letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent on Tuesday,
the American Petroleum Institute (API) accused the watchdog of violating
portions of the Clean Air Act that require new rules to be published in the
Federal Register, the government's official ledger for regulations and
notices, before accepting comments from the public and holding public
hearings.
http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/energyenvironment/298363-gas-industry-accuses-epa-of-procedural-rush
EPA denies request to regulate coal mine methane emissions
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 05/07/13 11:09 AM ET
A pair of Democrats is putting pressure on the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) for deciding against regulating methane emissions from coal
mines.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/298179-epa-denies-request-to-regulate-coal-mine-methane-emissions
Coal Mines' Methane Curbs Fall Victim to EPA Budget Cuts
Bloomberg
By Mark Drajem - May 7, 2013
Methane emissions from coal mines escaped being curbed by the Environmental
Protection Agency, which said mandatory U.S. budget cuts didn't leave it
with the resources to determine if the pollution is a significant risk.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-07/coal-mines-methane-curbs-fall-victim-to-epa-budget-cuts.html
Appalachian groups ask EPA to set conductivity rule for runoff from
mountaintop removal sites
By Associated Press
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Activist groups want the Environmental Protection
Agency to adopt new rules that would better protect Appalachian waterways
from pollution by mountaintop removal coal mines.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/appalachian-groups-ask-epa-to-set-conductivity-rule-for-runoff-from-mountaintop-removal-sites/2013/05/07/e197c3d2-b736-11e2-b568-6917f6ac6d9d_story.html
Automakers warn new ethanol mandate could damage vehicles
By William La Jeunesse
Published May 07, 2013
FoxNews.com
Detroit says it will ruin your engine. The EPA says it's safe.
Farmers say it's better than foreign oil. Oil companies say it's more
expensive than gasoline.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05/07/auto-makers-warn-new-ethanol-mandate-could-damage-cars/
Texas appealing to other states for radioactive trash, looks to expand
program
By Barnini Chakraborty
Published May 07, 2013
FoxNews.com
When it comes to nuclear waste, many states have a not-in-my-backyard
attitude.
But Texas is rolling out the welcome mat.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05/07/texas-looking-to-import-higher-levels-radioactive-trash/?test=latestnews
U.S. Interior says not bowing to outside groups on fracking regs
Reuters
Tue, May 7 2013
By Ayesha Rascoe
WASHINGTON, May 7 (Reuters) - The Obama administration's second attempt at
writing regulations for hydraulic fracturing on public lands is not
intended to appease either environmentalists or oil and gas drillers,
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said on Tuesday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/07/usa-interior-fracking-idUSL2N0DO1UF20130507
Bee Deaths Put Crops at Risk
Mounting Toll on Pollinating Insects Imperils Over $20 Billion a Year in
Harvests
Wall Street Journal
The winter of 2012-13 was another rough one for honeybees, threatening an
industry that is integral to a large part of fruit and vegetable
production in the U.S.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323687604578468943926934974.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_6
Surges demand more attention, expert says
AP
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. — Last year's hurricane season drove home some big
lessons, the nation's chief hurricane forecaster said Tuesday: Storm surge
and flooding are dangerous and difficult to predict, and sometimes it's
even harder to communicate that sense of urgency to the public.
http://www.clarionledger.com/viewart/20130508/NEWS01/305080019/Surges-demand-more-attention-expert-says
Opinion
SUN HERALD | Editorial: Plans to protect Louisiana must not harm Coast
South Mississippians are accustomed to keeping an eye on the Gulf of Mexico
during hurricane season. Now it appears we must also keep an eye on our
neighbors to the west.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/07/4649103/sun-herald-editorial-plans-to.html
A Supreme Court EPA Decision That Could Cost Taxpayers $21 Billion Per Year
Forbes
By Marlo Lewis
Is the Clean Air Act so badly flawed that it will cripple environmental
enforcement and economic development alike unless the EPA and its state
counterparts defy clear statutory provisions or, alternatively, spend $21
billion a year to employ an additional 320,000 bureaucrats?
http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2013/05/08/a-supreme-court-epa-decision-that-could-cost-taxpayers-21-billion-per-year/
Press releases
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| USDA Funds Major Research Initiatives to Study the Affects of Weather and |
| Climatic Variability on Beef and Dairy Cattle |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
|MADISON, WI - May 7, 2013 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today |
|awarded $19.5 million to support research, education and Extension |
|activities associated with climate solutions in agriculture aimed at the |
|impacts of climate variability and change on dairy and beef cattle. USDA |
|remains focused on carrying out its mission, despite a time of significant |
|budget uncertainty. Today's announcement is one part of the Department's |
|efforts to strengthen the rural economy. |
| |
| |
|"We have seen the impact that variable climate patterns have had on |
|production agriculture for the past several years. These projects will |
|deliver the best tools available to accurately measure and respond to the |
|effects of climate on beef and dairy production," said Agriculture Secretary|
|Tom Vilsack. "Farmers and ranchers need sound, science-based information and|
|solutions to help them make management decisions that will sustain their |
|productivity and keep their operations economically viable." |
| |
| |
|The University of Wisconsin (UW) in Madison, Wisconsin, received $9.9 |
|million over five years to study the environmental impact of various dairy |
|production systems and develop best management practices for producers to |
|implement at the farm level. The project's ultimate goal is to increase the |
|resiliency of dairy production systems while reducing greenhouse gas |
|emissions. The team will also develop an agricultural education curriculum |
|with an urban foods focus at Vincent High School in Milwaukee in an effort |
|to educate future leaders and consumers about the contributions of the dairy|
|industry to economic and environmental sustainability. Curricula at the high|
|school and college levels will be developed related to mitigation and |
|adaptation to climate change and agricultural sustainability. |
| |
| |
|The University of Wisconsin is partnering in the project with the University|
|of Arkansas, Cornell University, the University of Michigan, North Carolina |
|A&T University, Pennsylvania State University and the University of |
|Washington, along with four USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) |
|laboratories, the U.S. Department of Energy and the industry-sponsored |
|Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. |
| |
| |
|Oklahoma State University (OSU) in Stillwater, Oklahoma, received $9.6 |
|million over five years to better understand vulnerability and resilience of|
|Southern Great Plains beef in an environment of increased climate |
|variability, dynamic land-use and fluctuating markets. The team's goal is to|
|safeguard regional beef production while mitigating the environmental |
|footprint of agriculture. The project also includes education and Extension |
|components to train the next generation of producers and researchers in |
|addressing the impact of climate on beef cattle. Using a community- and |
|citizen-science approach, the project will train young students and citizens|
|to use GPS-enabled digital cameras and smartphones and web data portals to |
|participate in field data collection. The geospatial data will be integrated|
|into a portal for community-based analysis and inventory and used to educate|
|the general public on climate change related to range-based beef production.|
| |
| |
|The team is comprised of 32 scientists from OSU, Kansas State University, |
|University of Oklahoma, Tarleton State University, the Samuel R. Noble |
|Foundation, and two ARS laboratories. |
| |
| |
|These Coordinated Agricultural Projects (CAP) bring together teams of |
|researchers that represent various geographic areas to support discovery, |
|applications and promote communication leading to innovative, science-based |
|solutions to critical and emerging national priorities and needs. This |
|year's awards broaden NIFA's CAP climate change portfolio, which includes |
|three projects awarded in 2010 focusing on loblolly pine in the South, corn |
|production in the Midwest and wheat crops in the Northwest. |
| |
| |
|NIFA made the awards through its Agriculture and Food Research Initiative |
|(AFRI) funding opportunity. AFRI's Climate Variability and Change challenge |
|area is focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing carbon |
|sequestration in agricultural and forest production systems and preparing |
|the nation's agriculture and forests to adapt to changing climates. |
| |
| |
|AFRI is NIFA's flagship competitive grant program and was established under |
|the 2008 Farm Bill. AFRI supports work in six priority areas: 1) plant |
|health and production and plant products; 2) animal health and production |
|and animal products; 3) food safety, nutrition and health; 4) renewable |
|energy, natural resources and environment; 5) agriculture systems and |
|technology; and 6) agriculture economics and rural communities. |
| |
| |
|USDA has made a concerted effort to deliver results for the American people,|
|even as USDA implements sequestration – the across-the-board budget |
|reductions mandated under terms of the Budget Control Act. USDA has already |
|undertaken historic efforts since 2009 to save more than $828 million in |
|taxpayer funds through targeted, common-sense budget reductions. These |
|reductions have put USDA in a better position to carry out its mission, |
|while implementing sequester budget reductions in a fair manner that causes |
|as little disruption as possible. |
| |
| |
|Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension|
|programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues |
|impacting people's daily lives and the nation's future. More information is |
|available at: www.nifa.usda.gov. |
| |
| |
|# |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators Given to 11 US
Teachers
WASHINGTON – The White House Council on Environmental Quality, in
partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has
announced the winners of the 2013 Presidential Innovation Award for
Environmental Educators. Eleven teachers from around the country are being
recognized for their exceptional work as leaders in the field of
environmental education in formal school settings. Award recipients and
their local education agencies will receive commemorative certificates and
monetary awards to help support and encourage their use of environmental
education in their classrooms and schools.
"The men and woman who are receiving this prestigious award have taken
innovative steps to educate students about environmental stewardship and
civic responsibility, and their work is a critical part of creating a
cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future," said EPA Acting
Administrator Bob Perciasepe. "Thanks to their creative approaches to
environmental education, students are developing a greater connection to
the world around them – a skill that will benefit young people throughout
their careers as they pursue the green jobs of the 21st century. At EPA, we
are grateful to know that such exceptional educators are in American
classrooms today."
The Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators recognizes
outstanding K-12 teachers and their local education agencies across the
United States for excellence in integrating environmental education into
their lessons and connecting students with their communities and the
natural world.
This program recognizes and supports teachers from both rural and urban
education settings who make use of experiential and environmental
opportunities that utilize creativity and community engagement to help
students develop a sense of civic responsibility and stewardship in
ecosystems. This year's winning teachers' programs range from students'
participation in watershed stewardship and civic engagement in Virginia, to
creating recycling programs for an entire school in Kansas, to land
stewardship practices in Idaho. Many teachers have inspired and empowered
their students to create spaces for "green" clubs and special environmental
science projects that include whole communities and businesses that help to
create learning opportunities that students may otherwise not experience.
These teachers demonstrate exceptional skill integrating learning outside
their classrooms and making use of real-world issues to help students
connect with, and participate in the world around them.
"This award recognizes the outstanding educators in our classrooms who are
taking innovative approaches to helping students understand the impact they
can have on our physical world," said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the Council on
Environmental Quality. "The teachers who have earned this award are
inspiring our nation's future leaders to be responsible stewards of our
environment, and preparing them to excel in the 21st century economy."
Recipients of the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators
include:
• Mary Marguerite Murphy, Camden Hills Regional High School, Rockport,
Maine
• Mary Breslin, George Washington Middle School, Alexandria, Va.
• Carolyn Ruos Thomas, Wildwood Middle School, Shenandoah Junction, W.
Va.
• Jeanna Burroughs Goodson, Maiden High School, Maiden, N. C.
• Mary Catherine Padgett, Ford Elementary School, Acworth, Ga.
• Anne Wiszowaty, North Shore Community School, Duluth, Minn.
• Mike Todd, Ames High School, Ames, Iowa
• Dominick S. DeRosa, F.L.Schlagle High School, Kansas City, Kan.
• Dominique Evans-Bye, Clark Magnet High School, La Crescenta, Calif.
• Ralph Harrison, Science and Math Institute, Tacoma, Wash.
• Lindsey Hoffman-Truxel, Barbara Morgan Elementary, McCall, Idaho
More information about the winners and this program:
http://www.epa.gov/education/teacheraward
EPA Showcases Innovation during Public Service Recognition Week
WASHINGTON – This week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
commemorates Public Service Recognition Week by highlighting examples of
innovative ideas that EPA employees have developed in fulfilling the
agency's mission of protecting public health and the environment.
"It is an honor to work alongside my colleagues at EPA, whose commitment to
public service is inspiring," said EPA Acting Administrator Bob Perciasepe.
"From developing new technologies that help address water quality issues to
creating smartphone apps that give people direct access to information
about the air quality in their neighborhoods, EPA employees are working
hard to find innovative ways to address the public health and environmental
challenges facing Americans every day."
EPA's participation in Public Service Recognition Week comes one week after
EPA was recognized by the Partnership for Public Service as third in
innovation among large federal agencies, according to a survey of federal
employees done by the partnership.
Under President Obama's administration, EPA has renewed its commitment to
innovative ideas that help protect the air we breathe, the water we drink,
and the land where we work and play.
- Water Technology Innovation Cluster: In 2011, EPA announced a new
collaborative effort called the Water Technology Innovation Cluster. The
cluster, named Confluence, will develop and commercialize innovative
technologies to solve environmental and public health challenges, encourage
sustainable economic development, and create jobs.
- Home Energy Yardstick with Green Button: In 2013, EPA launched the Green
Button on EPA's Home Energy Yardstick. American homeowners can see how
their home energy use measures up by using this free online energy
assessment tool. By answering a few basic questions, a homeowner can
measure, and improve, their home's energy efficiency.
- NEPAssist: In 2012, the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance
announced the public release of a web-based mapping tool developed to help
make federal agencies more efficient and effective in conducting
environmental reviews and project planning.
To find out more about Public Service Recognition Week:
http://publicservicerecognitionweek.org/
Use #PSRW to follow Public Service Recognition Week on Twitter
Nearly 26 Million Americans Continue to Live with Asthma, EPA says
SC, IN, TX programs honored as national models for asthma care
WASHINGTON – Throughout May, as part of Asthma Awareness Month, EPA is
encouraging Americans to take simple steps to prevent asthma attacks while
also honoring three leading asthma management programs for their efforts to
improve the lives of people with asthma in underserved communities.
The economic costs of asthma amounts to more than $56 billion per year from
direct medical costs and indirect costs, such as missed school and work
days. During President Obama's administration, EPA has made significant
progress in improving air quality. In 2012, EPA strengthened the national
standard for fine particle pollution, often called soot, which has been
linked to a wide range of serious health effects including aggravated
asthma. In 2011, former EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson signed the
Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), which will help avoid 130,000
cases of aggravated asthma by 2016.
"Today one out of every 12 people suffers from asthma – and the numbers are
increasing year after year," said EPA Acting Administrator Bob Perciasepe.
"With President Obama's support, EPA has taken commonsense steps towards
cleaner air, which translates to fewer asthma attacks and instances of
other respiratory diseases. As we mark Asthma Awareness Month, we call on
all Americans to learn more about the easy ways they can avoid asthma
triggers and prevent future attacks from happening to them or their loved
ones."
Asthma is a national epidemic, affecting nearly 26 million people,
including seven million children and disproportionally affecting low income
and minority communities. The EPA is conducting a coordinated approach to
promoting scientific understanding of environmental asthma triggers and
ways to manage asthma through research, education and community-focused
outreach.
Serving as a national model for asthma care, the following programs are
leading the way in addressing asthma disparities and are the winners of the
2013 National Environmental Leadership Award in Asthma Management:
Greenville Health System (Greenville, S.C.): A multidisciplinary,
multilingual, family-centered program that is able to, with partner
collaboration, provide medical care, case management, school/daycare
visits, and environmental control home visits for over 4,000 children and
adolescents with asthma, especially those who have limited access to health
care.
Parkview Health (Fort Wayne, Ind.): The program addresses the growing
incidence of asthma-related illnesses in the communities they serve.
Support services, resources and age-appropriate educational information on
asthma are provided. Those that are a part of the Emergency Department
Asthma Call Back Program, including a high number of low-income
individuals, are provided home visits to assess and minimize environmental
asthma triggers.
North East Independent School District (San Antonio, Texas): The urban,
diversified school district's Asthma Awareness Education Program targets
the more than 8,000 students with asthma and provides direct case
management strategies including counseling with families, home visits,
coordination with asthma specialists, and asthma education.
State and local asthma programs across the country can take action
throughout the month of May by holding community-based events to increase
awareness of asthma triggers and the successful strategies for managing
exposure to triggers.
American's who suffer from asthma can learn to control their symptoms and
still maintain active lifestyles with these three simple steps:
1. Identify asthma triggers and avoid them. Air pollution, dust mites,
secondhand smoke, mold, pests, pet dander can trigger asthma attacks.
Identify and avoid personal asthma triggers – different people are affected
differently. Work with your doctor to identify and avoid your triggers.
2. Create an asthma action plan. An asthma action plan will enable you to
monitor your asthma on a daily basis and communicate important information
about your personal asthma triggers and asthma control strategies. Ask your
doctor to assist you in creating an asthma action plan.
3. Pay attention to air quality. Exposure to ozone and particle pollution
can cause asthma attacks. When air quality is low, people with asthma may
want to stay indoors, use air conditioning instead of open windows, and
avoid outdoor activity. Check local air quality conditions and download an
Air Quality Index app for smart phones.
Learn more on asthma and environmental triggers and read about the 2013
National Environmental Leadership Award winners: http://www.epa.gov/asthma
View the Air Quality Index and download the free mobile app:
http://airnow.gov
Join the conversation by using #asthma in your social media posts and view
these videos that feature well-known athletes with asthma: Jerome Bettis
http://youtu.be/xegEGTsndcY, Chris Draft http://youtu.be/KG1TCHHzalE
