5/9/13
Oil Spill
BP figure's lawyer may have conflict of interest
Federal prosecutors say attorney may have a conflict of interest
By Harry R. Weber | May 8, 2013
Houston Chronicle
Federal prosecutors say an attorney for a former BP executive charged with
lying to Congress about how much oil was flowing after BP's Gulf of Mexico
well blew out in 2010 may have a conflict of interest that could prevent
him from representing his client.
http://www.chron.com/business/energy/article/BP-figure-s-lawyer-may-have-conflict-of-interest-4500369.php
BP exec tells OTC audience about lessons learned in Gulf spill response
Houston Chronicle
Even as BP continues to fight litigation that could result in it having to
pay billions of dollars more in fines and damages stemming from the 2010
Gulf of Mexico oil spill, a senior company official says the British oil
giant has already gone "above and beyond" what the law requires.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2013/05/08/bp-pitches-gulf-oil-spill-response-learnings-to-otc-crowd/
State News
U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran introduces amendments to protect South Mississippi
from Louisiana levee project
Mississippi Press
May 08, 2013 at 6:31 PM
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Thad Cochran, R-Mississippi, today
introduced a series of amendments intended to ensure the safety of
Mississippians from flooding or storm surge threats that might result from
a new flood control proposal for Louisiana.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/05/us_sen_thad_cochran_introduces.html#incart_river
Five water advisories lifted by state DEQ
Sun Herald
BILOXI -- The state Department of Environmental Quality has lifted five
water contact advisories at sites along the Mississippi Sound.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/08/4649814/around-south-mississippi.html
National News
EPA committee showdown arrives — unless it doesn't
The Hill
By Zack Colman and Ben Geman - 05/08/13 07:10 PM ET
ON TAP THURSDAY: The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is
scheduled to vote Thursday morning on Gina McCarthy, President Obama's
choice to run the Environmental Protection Agency.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/298589-overnight-energy-epa-committee-showdown-arrives-
Vitter hits EPA pick with 653 questions
Politico
David Vitter seems to have set a new record.
Sen. Vitter, a Louisiana Republican with close ties to the gas and oil
industries, has already sent a whopping 653 questions to President Obama's
nominee to take over the Environmental Protection Agency on a wide range of
regulatory topics (and her use of government email accounts) ahead of her
Thursday confirmation hearings, according to a Democratic staffer directly
involved in the confirmation process.
http://www.politico.com/politico44/2013/05/vitter-hits-epa-pick-with-questions-163511.html?hp=l20
Defender of EPA climate rules leaving Justice Dept.
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 05/08/13 09:13 AM ET
Ignacia Moreno, head of the Justice Department's Environment and Natural
Resources Division, is stepping down after a tenure that has included
defense of federal greenhouse gas rules and the ongoing civil prosecution
over BP's 2010 oil spill.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/298441-top-justice-dept-enviro-attorney-to-step-down
Interior's fracking rules in cross hairs ahead of upcoming release
The Hill
By Julian Hattem - 05/08/13 01:17 PM ET
Lawmakers from both parties are pouncing on the federal government's
attempt to regulate hydraulic fracturing, the natural gas extraction method
also known as fracking, even before the draft rules have been released.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/298521-interiors-fracking-rules-in-crosshairs-ahead-of-upcoming-release
Senate votes for an amendment to fight the spread of Asian carp
The Hill
By Ramsey Cox - 05/08/13 06:10 PM ET
The Senate approved a bipartisan amendment to the water infrastructure bill
that would combat the spread of Asian carp into U.S. waters.
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/298597-senate-votes-for-an-amendment-to-fight-the-spread-of-asian-carp
Energy-efficiency bill clears Senate panel
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 05/08/13 12:46 PM ET
A bill viewed as a bellwether of the Senate's appetite for passing
energy-efficiency legislation breezed through the Senate Energy and Natural
Resources Committee on Wednesday.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/298503-energy-efficiency-bill-clears-senate-panel-
Senate agrees to amendments to water bill, including help to small
communities
The Hill
By Ramsey Cox - 05/08/13 07:17 PM ET
The Senate agreed to five more amendments to the water infrastructure bill
by unanimous consent on Wednesday evening.
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/298643-senate-agrees-to-amendments-to-water-bill-including-help-to-small-communities
Proposed EPA Budget Would Cut Funds for Beach Water Quality Testing
NBC LA
Environmental groups are renewing objections they had last year to a
proposal in the Obama administration's 2014 federal budget that would cut
funding for state beach water quality testing.
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Proposed-EPA-Budget-Would-Cut-Funds-for-Beach-Water-Quality-Testing--206693621.html
Patent filing claims solar energy 'breakthrough'
By Greg Gordon — McClatchy Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — In a U.S. patent application, a little-known Maryland inventor
claims a stunning solar energy breakthrough that promises to end the
planet's reliance on fossil fuels at a fraction of the current cost – a
transformation that also could blunt global warming.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/05/08/4651672/patent-filing-claims-solar-energy.html
Opinion
Carbon tax is best option Congress has
Washington Post
By Editorial Board, Published: May 7
Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chairman of the Finance Committee, announced
last month that he wants to spend the rest of his final term in office
reforming the tax code, and there are signs that Republicans want an
overhaul this year, too.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/carbon-tax-is-best-option-congress-has/2013/05/07/883f2184-aeaa-11e2-98ef-d1072ed3cc27_story.html
EPA tries hard to keep nominee Gina McCarthy 'clean' before confirmation
hearings
By Brian McNicoll
Published May 08, 2013
FoxNews.com
It's as brazen a defiance of the law as Washington has seen, and the
perpetrators are going to get away with it unless things change quickly.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/05/08/epa-tries-hard-to-keep-nominee-mccarthy-clean-before-confirmation-hearings/
Press Releases
EPA Announces Selected Recipients to Receive $62.5 Million to Clean Up
Contaminated Sites, Protect Health and the Environment, and Revitalize
Communities Nationwide
WASHINGTON – Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced
the selection of 240 recipients recommended to receive $62.5 million in
grants to protect people's health and the environment in local communities.
These new investments, funded by EPA's Brownfields Assessment, Revolving
Loan Fund, and Cleanup (ARC) grants, provide communities with funding
necessary to assess, cleanup and redevelop contaminated properties, boost
local economies and leverage jobs while protecting public health and the
environment.
"Brownfields sites are community assets and a key component of the Obama
Administration's efforts to provide tools to sustainably revitalize
communities and foster economic development," said Mathy Stanislaus,
assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency
Response. "Through these grant resources local communities can continue to
assess, cleanup and redevelop properties to meet local needs for jobs,
housing and recreation while protecting people's health and the local
environment."
These Brownfields grants target under-served and economically disadvantaged
neighborhoods – places where environmental cleanups and new jobs are most
needed. Approximately $29.5 million are going to communities that have been
impacted by auto plant closures. Other selected recipients include tribes
and communities in 45 states across the country. Communities selected range
in population from a few hundred, like City of St. Marks, Fla. to New York
City, which is home to more than 8 million people. Specifically, 106
grants will support communities with populations greater than 100,000 and
134 grants will go to communities with fewer than 100,000 residents -- with
29 of these will go to communities of less than 10,000 people. Nearly half
of the grantees this year are new recipients.
The InterRoyal Mill in Connecticut and a former Electroplater property in
New York are just two examples of former industrial sites receiving
assessment funding.In Rhode Island, cleanup funding will go toward cleaning
up an abandoned former service station and other contaminated properties at
the Uniroyal rubber plant site. Other types of sites selected for cleanup
include a closed middle school, salvage yard, hospital and manufacturing
properties. Future anticipated uses include neighborhood redevelopment,
commercial revitalization, an arts center, business park, wellness
center/clinic, community health center, theater, and office space.
There are an estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated sites in the
United States. More than 20,000 properties have been assessed, and more
than 850 properties have been cleaned up through EPA's Brownfields program.
EPA's Brownfields investments have also leveraged more than $19 billion in
overall cleanup and redevelopment funding from public and private sources.
On average $17.79 is leveraged for every EPA Brownfields grant dollar
spent. These investments resulted in approximately 87,000 jobs nationwide.
When Brownfields are addressed, nearby property values can increase 2-3
percent. A 2011 pilot study indicated Brownfields site redevelopment
increases location efficiency, which means that residents live closer to
where they work and play reducing their commute times and greenhouse gas
emissions. EPA's preliminary research has also shown that redeveloping
Brownfield sites results in an efficient reuse of existing infrastructure
and decreasing instances of stormwater runoff. These projects can have a
positive impact on community revitalization by leveraging jobs, producing
clean energy, and providing recreation opportunities for surrounding
neighborhoods.
More information on Brownfields grants by state:
http://cfpub.epa.gov/bf_factsheets/
More information on EPA's Brownfields Program:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/
Success Stories http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/success/index.htm
Benefits
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/overview/Brownfields-Benefits-postcard.pdf
6 projects in Mississippi for Brownfields Grants.
Greenville, MS
Assessment Grants
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the City of Greenville for two brownfields assessment
grants. Community-wide hazardous substances grant funds will be used to
conduct 15 Phase I and five Phase II environmental site assessments.
Petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct 16 Phase I and six Phase II
environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to conduct
area-wide and cleanup planning, monitor health risks to sensitive
populations, and
support community outreach activities. The city intends to target sites in
the North and South Broadway Districts and the Beauchamp Industrial
Corridor.
Holly Springs, MS
Assessment Grants
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the City of Holly Springs for two brownfields assessment
grants. Community-wide hazardous substances grant funds will be used to
conduct 15 Phase I and five Phase II environmental site assessments.
Petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct 16 Phase I and six Phase II
environmental site assessments. Grant activities will target the Highway 7
North Gateway, the Downtown/Rust College District, and the East Industrial
District. Grant funds also will be used for area-wide planning;
identifying, assessing, and monitoring health risks to sensitive
populations; cleanup planning; and conducting community involvement
activities.
Moss Point, MS
Assessment Grants
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the City of Moss Point for two brownfields assessment
grants. Community-wide hazardous substances grant funds will be used to
conduct 10 Phase I and three Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant
funds also will be used to support community outreach activities and
develop cleanup plans. Petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct the
same tasks at sites with potential petroleum contamination.
Pascagoula, MS
Assessment Grants
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the City of Pascagoula for two brownfields assessment
grants. Community-wide hazardous substances and petroleum grant funds will
be used to perform 15 Phase I and five Phase II environmental site
assessments. Grant funds also will be used to conduct a brownfields
inventory and cleanup planning, and support community outreach efforts.
Efforts will focus on the Central Business District and the Pascagoula
River Waterfront.
Starkville, MS
Assessment Grants
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the City of Starkville for two brownfields assessment
grants. Community-wide hazardous substances grant funds will be used to
update the city's inventory of brownfield sites and conduct approximately
10
Phase I and seven Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also
will be used to support community outreach activities and develop cleanup
plans. Petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct the same tasks at
sites
with potential petroleum contamination.
West Point, MS
Assessment Grants
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the City of West Point for two brownfields assessment
grants. Community-wide hazardous substances grant funds will be used to
conduct nine Phase I and seven Phase II environmental site assessments.
Petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct nine Phase I and six Phase II
environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to update the
city's inventory of sites, conduct community outreach activities, and
develop
cleanup alternatives for selected sites.
EPA Acting Administrator Bob Perciasepe, Testimony Before the House
Appropriations Committee
WASHINGTON -- As prepared for delivery.
Chairman Simpson, Ranking Member Moran, and members of the Committee, thank
you for the opportunity to appear before you to discuss the Environmental
Protection Agency's proposed Fiscal Year 2014 budget.
The President's Fiscal Year 2014 Budget demonstrates that we can make
critical investments to strengthen the middle class, create jobs, and grow
the economy while continuing to cut the deficit in a balanced way. EPA's
budget request of $8.153 billion for the 2014 fiscal year reflects our
ongoing efforts to change the way EPA does business –to invest in more
efficient ways for the Agency to operate, to further reduce costs wherever
possible all while we preserve and enhance our ability to carry out the
Agency's core mission to protect human health and the environment.
It is the product of long discussions and difficult choices. In the end, we
believe this budget will enable us to work toward the Agency's goals as
effectively and efficiently as possible.
Let me run through just a few highlights from the President's FY 2014
budget request.
Despite the fiscal challenges we face, supporting our state and tribal
partners, the primary implementers of environmental programs, remains a
priority of the EPA. Funding for states and tribes through the State and
Tribal Assistance Grants – or STAG – account is once again the largest
percentage of the EPA's budget request – at nearly 40 percent in FY 2014.
We have requested a $60 million investment in a new project – what we call
"E-Enterprise" – that would enable businesses to conduct environmental
business transactions with regulators electronically through a single
interactive portal. The paperwork and regulatory reporting burden would be
reduced thanks to more efficient collection, reporting, and use of data, in
addition to regulatory revisions to eliminate redundant or obsolete
information requests. The initiative will encourage greater transparency
and compliance, and the result will be widespread savings – for industry,
for the states and tribes.
The FY 2014 request also includes $176.5 million to support the agency's
work with partners and stakeholders to address greenhouse gas emissions and
their impacts. These funds will help reduce emissions through careful,
cost-effective rulemaking and incentive based and cost effective programs.
Some of this funding will support existing, successful approaches like
ENERGY STAR, the Global Methane Initiative, the GHG Reporting program,
Smart Way and others. $20 million will go towards research, so we can
better understand the impacts of climate change on human health and
vulnerable ecosystems.
Nutrient pollution in our waterways is one of the nation's most widespread
and challenging environmental problems. To assist in tackling this
challenge, EPA is requesting an increase of $15 million in Clean Water Act
grant funding to support states, interstate agencies and tribes that commit
to strengthening their nutrient management efforts.
Ensuring that federal dollars provided through the State Revolving Funds
support effective and efficient system-wide planning remains a priority for
EPA. The FY 2014 budget request includes $1.1 billion for the Clean Water
State Revolving Fund and $817 million for the Drinking Water SRF. This
money will also assist EPA efforts to expand and institutionalize the use
of up-front planning that considers a full range of infrastructure
alternatives like "green" infrastructure, so that the right investments are
made at the right time, and at the lowest life-cycle cost.
In FY 2014, the agency is requesting over $1.34 billion for its land
cleanup programs to continue to apply the most effective approaches to
preserve and restore our country's land. This money will go towards
developing and implementing prevention programs, improving response
capabilities, and maximizing the effectiveness of response and cleanup
actions. The agency is also renewing its request to reinstate the Superfund
tax in order to provide a stable, dedicated source of revenue for the
Superfund Trust Fund.
Ensuring the safety of new or existing chemicals in commerce to protect the
American people is another top priority. Chemicals are used in the
production of everything from our homes and cars to the cell phones we
carry and the food we eat. The $686.2 million requested in FY 2014 will
allow EPA to continue managing the potential risks of new chemicals
entering commerce, without impacting progress in assessing and ensuring the
safety of existing chemicals.
Finally, let me discuss some steps we are taking to ensure taxpayer dollars
are going as far as they possibly can.
The budget includes $54 million in savings by eliminating several EPA
programs that have either completed their goals or can be implemented
through other federal or state efforts. Adding to these savings and
demonstrating a willingness to make tough choices, more than 20 EPA
programs, are being reduced by 10 percent or more in FY 2014.
We continue to look for opportunities to consolidate physical space and
reduce operating costs at our facilities nationwide. On-going improvements
in operating efficiency, combined with the use of advanced technologies and
energy sources, have reduced energy utilization and saved nearly $6 million
annually.
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. I look
forward answering your questions.
