6.18.13
Oil Spill
Louisiana constitutional limits on Gulf oil spill money fails in
Legislature
By The Associated Press
June 17, 2013 at 5:04 PM
Attempts to limit Gulf Coast oil spill penalty money to coastal
restoration, in the Louisiana Constitution, failed to gain legislative
passage for a second year, while disagreements continue over just how
tightly the dollars should be restricted.
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/06/louisiana_constitutional_limit.html
State News
DMR report publicly unveiled on Tuesday
WLOX
A 60 day assessment of the operation of the Department of Marine Resources
is now complete. The assessment, conducted by an independent CPA firm, will
be unveiled publicly Tuesday for the first time.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22613721/dmr-report-publicly-unveiled-on-tuesday
Shrimpers give disappointing marks to first week of shrimp season
WLOX
The docks are usually hopping this time of year as shrimpers pull in with
their catch. We're about a week into the 2013 shrimp season, and so far,
many shrimpers are giving it disappointing marks.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22614604/shrimpers-give-disappointing-marks-to-first-week-of-shrimp-season
MDEQ issues closure for section of beach in Biloxi after sewage spill
By Mississippi Press Staff
June 17, 2013 at 3:32 PM
BILOXI, Mississippi -- The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality,
through its Beach Monitoring Program, issued a precautionary beach closure
today from Grande View Drive to Brady Drive in Biloxi (approximately from
east of Edgewater Mall to just past Beauvoir).
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/06/mdeq_issues_closure_for_sectio.html#incart_river
Pump station incident prompts precautionary closure of beach
by MBJ Staff
Published: June 18,2013
BILOXI — The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ),
through its Beach Monitoring Program, has issued a precautionary beach
closure.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2013/06/18/pump-station-incident-prompts-precautionary-closure-of-beach/
Dalrymple donates 34 acres of land for nature trails
Monroe County Journal
by Emily Tubb | 4:00 am | June 15, 2013
AMORY – Crediting Mayor Howard Boozer and the current board of aldermen
with a progressive vision for Amory, local resident Martha Dalrymple deeded
34 acres of land to be turned into a nature trail area for the city at the
June 4 board of alderman meeting.
http://monroecountyjournal.com/2013/06/15/dalrymple-donates-34-acres-of-land-for-nature-trails/
How about a trailer for that trash?
WTVA
BERDEEN, Miss. (WTVA) -- How about a trailer to go along with that van?
The Monroe County Sheriff's Department could win a trailer to haul trash
picked up by state inmates.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/How-about-a-trailer-for-that-trash/LTqSEY3-EEWIyxuHkB6eaw.cspx
MDOT commends top litter removal programs
WTVA
JACKSON, Miss. (WTVA) -- The Mississippi Department of Transportation and
Keep Mississippi Beautiful recently honored sheriffs who participated in
the MDOT Inmate Litter Removal Program.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/MDOT-commends-top-litter-removal-programs/W0HwUDwGhkCU0-zI9GoiIA.cspx#.Ub8w75DgwS4.twitter
National News
What Sickens People in Oil Spills, and How Badly, Is Anybody's Guess
There are no clear federal guidelines for chemical exposure at oil spills,
and no health studies to understand the long term dangers to human health.
By Lisa Song, InsideClimate News
Since 2010, at least three ruptured pipelines have spilled oil into U.S.
neighborhoods, forcing officials to decide quickly whether local residents
would be harmed if they breathed the foul air. But because there are no
clear federal guidelines saying if or when the public should be evacuated
during an oil spill, health officials had to use a patchwork of scientific
and regulatory data designed for other situations.
http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20130618/what-sickens-people-oil-spills-and-how-badly-anybodys-guess
Americans throw away 90 billion pounds of food a year
By Bethany Clough — Fresno Bee
"It's not something many people think about, but it takes a huge amount of
resources to get food to our plates," says Dana Gunders, a scientist with
the Natural Resources Defense Council.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/06/17/4740253/americans-throw-away-90-billion.html
Press Releases
EPA Report Details How Development Can Impact Public Health, Environment
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released its
most comprehensive review to date on how the built environment – the way we
build our cities and towns – directly affects our environment and public
health. The report was announced by EPA Acting Administrator Bob Perciasepe
during a national Twitter Town Hall meeting in Washington, DC with Maurice
Jones, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing, and Development
(HUD), and John Porcari, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT).
The publication, Our Built and Natural Environments: A Technical Review of
the Interactions among Land Use, Transportation, and Environmental Quality,
provides evidence that certain kinds of land use and transportation
strategies – where and how we build our communities -- can reduce the
environmental and human health impacts of development.
"Although findings might differ on the magnitude of the effects of
different practices, the evidence is overwhelming that some types of
development yield better environmental results than others," the report
asserts.
"This report will be useful for communities across the country looking to
make smart development decisions," said EPA Acting Administrator Bob
Perciasepe. "Whether it's housing, transportation, or environmental issues,
this report can help communities protect public health and the environment
by avoiding harmful development strategies."
The publication is important and timely because population growth and
demographic changes will substantially alter the way our nation is
developed over the next half century and beyond.
"Researchers have estimated that as much as two-thirds of the development
that will exist in 40 to 45 years does not exist today," the report states,
"meaning that decisions we make about how and where that development occurs
could significantly affect our health and the health of the environment."
The report, the second edition of a popular document published in 2001,
summarizes trends in land use, buildings, travel behavior, population
growth, and the expansion of developed land. It then discusses the
environmental consequences of these trends, such as habitat loss,
degradation of water resources and air quality, urban heat islands,
greenhouse gas emissions and global climate change, and other health and
safety effects. Environmental impacts linked to building and development
patterns include:
• At least 850,000 acres of lakes, reservoirs, and ponds and 50,000
miles of rivers and streams are thought to be impaired by stormwater
runoff.
• Although technology has reduced per-car vehicle emissions, an
approximate 250-percent increase in vehicle miles travelled since 1970 has
offset potential gains.
• Transportation is responsible for 27 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas
emissions; residential and commercial buildings contribute 18 percent and
17 percent, respectively.
The report concludes by describing ways to reduce such effects. Strategies
include safeguarding sensitive areas; focusing development in built-up
areas and around existing transit stations; building compact; mixed-use
developments; designing streets that are safe for all users, including
walkers and bikers; and using green building techniques.
Through the federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities, EPA, HUD, and
DOT coordinate federal investments in infrastructure, facilities, and
services to get better results for communities and use taxpayer money more
efficiently. Perciasepe, Jones, and Porcari held the town hall to
commemorate the fourth anniversary of the HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership for
Sustainable Communities and talk with communities about how the federal
government can be of assistance.
More information about the report and an upcoming webinar:
http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/built.htm
More information about the Partnership for Sustainable Communities:
www.sustainablecommunities.gov
