6.6.2013
Oil Spill
Advisory panels, focus on merit-based project selection top public feedback
on Gulf restoration plan
By Kelli Dugan | kdugan@al.com
June 05, 2013 at 11:20 PM
MOBILE, Alabama – The second of six public engagement sessions in five
states hosted by the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council drew a
standing-room-only crowd to 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center's Tensaw Theater
Wednesday night and no shortage of opinions.
http://blog.al.com/live/2013/06/advisory_panels_focus_on_merit.html#incart_river
$573 million in BP oil spill claims paid in Alabama, but some who qualify
haven't filed, AG says
By Stan Diel | sdiel@al.com
June 05, 2013 at 5:43 PM
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – More than 32,367 individuals and businesses in
Alabama have filed claims in a class action lawsuit against BP over its
2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, but many who might qualify for settlement
funds have yet to file, Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange and a
court-appointed settlement fund administrator said today.
http://www.al.com/business/index.ssf/2013/06/573_million_in_bp_oil_spill_cl.html
North Alabama business hurt by Gulf oil spill? You may be eligible for BP
recovery funds
By Lucy Berry | lberry@al.com
June 05, 2013 at 4:58 PM
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – North Alabama businesses located hundreds of miles
from the Gulf coast may be eligible for recovery funds from a more than $7
billion Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement.
http://www.al.com/business/index.ssf/2013/06/post_32.html
State News
Stipulations remain with sewer projects
Bolivar Commercial
by Denise Strub
06.05.13 - 04:19 pm
Sam Keyes with Butler Snow law firm of Jackson came before the Cleveland
Board of Aldermen Tuesday to discuss the potential agreement for sewer
services between Cleveland and the Stanton Utility District and the Noblin
Utility District.
http://www.bolivarcom.com/view/full_story/22806825/article-Stipulations-remain-with-sewer-projects?instance=homefirstleft
Mississippi Power's Plant Daniel gets a major upgrade
WLOX
Mississippi Power Company's Kemper County facility, now under construction,
has gotten the lion's share of publicity in recent months, much of it bad.
But there's another company project underway much closer to home, and
certainly not as controversial.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22513191/mississippi-powers-plant-daniel-gets-a-major-upgrade
Air-cleaning stack going up at Mississippi Power plant in Escatawpa
Sun Herald
By CHRISTINA STEUBE — csteube@sunherald.com
JACKSON COUNTY -- A new scrubber stack at Mississippi Power's Plant Victor
Daniel will soon be visible from Interstate 10. The Escatawpa area plant is
working on a $660 million environmental-compliance project that includes
the tall stack known as a scrubber. It will reduce sulfur-dioxide emissions
and keep chemicals out of the atmosphere.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/06/05/4713895/mississippi-power-makes-headway.html
Mississippi Power names VP of generation development
Sun Herald
By MARY PEREZ — meperez@sunherald.com
GULFPORT -- John Huggins has been elected vice president of generation
development for Mississippi Power and will be responsible for the
development and construction of the company's power plant in Kemper County
and other generation projects.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/06/05/4714798/mississippi-power-names-vp-of.html
National News
EPA Inspector General to investigate efforts to reduce natural gas pipeline
leaks
By Associated Press,
WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency's Inspector General plans
to investigate what actions are being taken to reduce methane leaks from
natural gas pipelines.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/epa-inspector-general-to-investigate-efforts-to-reduce-natural-gas-pipeline-leaks/2013/06/05/60c90a64-cdfb-11e2-8573-3baeea6a2647_story.html
EPA, Chesapeake Bay Foundation announce agreement to limit cattle, poultry
pollution into bay
By Associated Press, Published: June 5
RICHMOND, Va. — The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Environmental
Protection Agency announced an agreement Wednesday to ensure that dairy
farms, poultry growers and other farm animal operations are on track to
reduce pollution flowing into the bay.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/epa-chesapeake-bay-foundation-announce-agreement-to-limit-cattle-poultry-pollution-into-bay/2013/06/05/d5707936-ce20-11e2-8573-3baeea6a2647_story.html
Workers turned EPA warehouse in Landover into personal rec rooms, audit
finds
Washington Post
By Lenny Bernstein,
In a huge Environmental Protection Agency warehouse in Landover,
enterprising workers made sure that they had all the comforts of home. They
created personal rec rooms with televisions, radios, chairs and couches. On
the walls were photos, calendars and pinups. For entertainment, they had
books, magazines and videos. If they got hungry, they could grab something
from a refrigerator and pop it into a microwave.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/workers-turned-epa-warehouse-in-landover-into-personal-rec-rooms-audit-finds/2013/06/05/ed5514fc-ce17-11e2-8845-d970ccb04497_story.html
'America must take steps now' on climate, says Obama agriculture chief
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 06/05/13 03:01 PM ET
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Wednesday that climate change is
"new and different than anything we've ever tackled" in the farming
industry.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/303661-ag-dept-chief-america-must-take-steps-now-on-climate-change
Obama officials raise 'social cost' of carbon in federal regulations
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 06/05/13 02:31 PM ET
The Obama administration has increased the "social cost" of carbon
emissions in federal regulations, a move that could lay the groundwork for
new rules on climate change.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/303645-obama-officials-raise-social-cost-of-carbon-in-federal-regulations
GOP lawmakers: Renewable fuel rule hurting economy
The Hill
By Julian Hattem - 06/05/13 01:32 PM ET
Republican members of Congress took aim at an environmental regulation
requiring that gasoline be mixed with biofuel, claiming it kills jobs and
is hurting American families.
http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/energyenvironment/303625-gop-lawmakers-renewable-fuel-standard-hurting-economy
EPA to issue ethanol use targets this summer
Reuters
Wed, Jun 5 2013
By Ayesha Rascoe
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Environmental Protection Agency plans to
announce targets for U.S. ethanol use in 2013 and 2014 this summer, an EPA
official told lawmakers on Wednesday, even as critics of the program warned
of a brewing fuel crisis.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/05/us-usa-congress-biofuels-idUSBRE95416O20130605
Drillers Silence Fracking Claims With Sealed Settlements
Bloomberg
By Jim Efstathiou Jr. and Mark Drajem - Jun 6, 2013
Chris and Stephanie Hallowich were sure drilling for natural gas near their
Pennsylvania home was to blame for the headaches, burning eyes and sore
throats they suffered after the work began.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-06/drillers-silence-fracking-claims-with-sealed-settlements.html
Opinion
Don't neglect protection of marshes, wetlands in RESTORE projects (Opinion
from Ben Raines)
Press Register
By Ben Raines
After months of deliberation, federal officials released a draft version of
the "Initial Comprehensive Plan: Restoring the Gulf Coast's Ecosystem and
Economy," which details how the RESTORE Act funds will be spent along the
Gulf Coast.
http://www.al.com/opinion/index.ssf/2013/06/dont_neglect_protection_of_mar.html
Press Releases
Cochran, Wicker Renew Fight to Halt EPA Regulatory Overreach
Miss. Senators Cosponsor Bill to Stop EPA, Army Corps Bid to Expand Scope
of Clean Water Act
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Roger Wicker
(R-Miss.) have renewed their fight to halt the Environmental Protection
Agency from using regulatory "guidance" to expand the scope of the Clean
Water Act well beyond enacted law.
Cochran and Wicker are cosponsoring the Preserve the Waters of the U.S. Act
(S.1006), which would prevent the EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from
using a guidance document finalized in February 2012 to change legal
responsibilities under the Clean Water Act. It also stops the two agencies
from issuing similar guidance in the future.
The Mississippi Senators, who cosponsored similar legislation in the 112th
Congress, are concerned that if allowed to stand, the guidance document
could subject anyone with a creek, ditch or pond on his or her property to
EPA permitting requirements under the Clean Water Act. The guidance
document was not subject to normal federal rulemaking process.
"This regulatory overreach by the EPA should be stopped so that property
owners and businesses in Mississippi and elsewhere aren't subjected to
expensive and onerous new federal regulations," Cochran said. "Consistent
with the Constitution, significant changes to federal environmental policy
should be initiated by the Congress."
"EPA and the Army Corps must not be allowed to move forward with their
misguided attempt to increase their authority under the 'Clean Water Act,'"
said Wicker, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
"This regulatory overreach, which unfairly impacts Mississippi businesses
and family farms, will do little to improve water quality. This legislation
will protect our landowners by putting a stop to the Administration's
effort to sidestep public input and the normal rulemaking process."
Property owners, businesses, state and local governments could all
subjected to increased regulation and permitting requirements as a result
of the EPA and Army Corps effort to expand the reach of Clean Water Act
through a guidance document on "Identifying Waters Protected by the Clean
Water Act."
This effort to regulate through guidance significantly changes and expands
what water features—such as ditches—are considered protected under the
Clean Water Act. The guidance document for the first time includes
ditches, groundwater, potholes and other water features to be considered
for oversight under federal law.
S.1006 was introduced by Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and currently has
26 cosponsors, including Cochran and Wicker. It has been referred to the
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
The Mississippi Senators voted for the Preserve the Waters of the U.S.,
which Barrasso offered as an amendment to the Water Resources Development
Act (S.601). That amendment didn't reach the 60-vote threshold to be added
to the bill, but did receive a bipartisan 52 vote majority.
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| Vilsack Outlines Vision for Agricultural Solutions to Environmental |
| Challenges |
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| Regional Climate Hubs, New Research Tools, Uniform Policy Guidelines Will |
| Help Producers Mitigate Threats, Adapt for the Future |
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|WASHINGTON, June 5, 2013-Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today said that |
|the Federal government must increase collaboration with producers, |
|researchers and industry to develop the next generation of solutions that |
|will help agriculture mitigate and adapt to modern climate challenges. |
| |
| |
|"Our farmers, ranchers and forest landowners are the most innovative on |
|earth, and they're up to the task of meeting environmental challenges that |
|lay ahead," Vilsack said. "We know what we're seeing on the ground - more |
|intense weather events, and a greater number of them. USDA will be there to |
|support the efforts of our farmers and ranchers to adapt to these new |
|challenges, just as we have been for decades." |
| |
| |
|Vilsack noted that under the Obama Administration, the U.S. Department of |
|Agriculture (USDA) has taken a wide variety of proactive steps to prepare |
|for climate challenges projected in the years ahead. This includes the |
|development of Climate Adaptation Plans by USDA agencies to continue |
|delivering quality service in the years and decades to come. Additionally, |
|earlier this year, USDA released two Climate Assessments - one focused on |
|the climate impacts to agriculture in the coming years, and a second focused|
|on U.S. forests. |
| |
| |
|Vilsack stressed the need to work closely with farmers and ranchers who |
|stand "on the front line" of risk adaptation - and he pledged that USDA will|
|take steps to help producers adapt to new threats. He announced a number of |
|new measures that USDA will take to help producers create new climate |
|solutions: |
| |
| |
|Regional Climate Hubs: USDA will establish seven "Regional Climate Hubs" to |
|work in partnership with producers and foresters. The Secretary called them |
|"Service centers for science-based risk management." Working with other |
|agencies, the hubs will serve as a source of regional data and information |
|for hazard and adaptation planning in the agriculture and forest sectors. |
|The hubs will provide outreach and extension to farmers, ranchers, and |
|forest landowners on science-based risk management and will seek to partner |
|with the land grant universities, Extension, and the private sector. |
| |
| |
|The seven regional hubs will be established for the Northeast, Midwest, |
|Southeast, Northern Plains, Southern Plains, Pacific Northwest, and |
|Southwest. Each hub will be the center of a network of connected activities |
|and services and will be located in a USDA facility within its region. |
| |
| |
|Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Tools Customized for |
|Producers: NRCS will leverage technology and provide technical assistance to|
|agriculture - both by providing new technical tools for researchers, and new|
|tools for farmers and ranchers themselves. |
| |
| |
| · Vilsack announced the release of the "Carbon Management and Evaluation|
| Tool," also known as COMET-FARM, a free online tool that will help |
| producers calculate how much carbon their conservation actions can |
| remove from the atmosphere. Created by USDA's Natural Resources |
| Conservation Service and Colorado State University, in cooperation |
| with USDA's Climate Change Program Office, COMET-FARM will also help |
| producers calculate and understand how land management decisions |
| impact energy use and carbon emissions. COMET-FARM allows producers to|
| input information about their land using a secure online interface - |
| including location, soil characteristics, tillage and nutrient use. |
| The tool then estimates carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas |
| emission reductions associated with conservation practices for |
| cropland, pasture, rangeland, livestock operations and energy. |
| COMET-FARM is applicable to all agricultural lands in the lower 48 |
| states. The tool is available for use at http://www.comet-farm.com/. |
| |
| |
| · The Secretary also announced the online release of data collected |
| under the Rapid Carbon Assessment, which will be especially useful for|
| technical experts. This assessment was carried out by NRCS beginning |
| in 2010 to develop statistically reliable quantitative estimates of |
| amounts and distribution of carbon stocks for U.S. soils under various|
| land covers and, to the extent possible, differing agricultural |
| management. Over the course of three years, NRCS collected almost |
| 145,000 samples from 6,000 randomly selected locations. |
| |
| |
|Uniform, Science-Based Cover Crop Guidelines: USDA agencies have worked |
|together to provide new cover cropping guidelines. In the past, some |
|producers have encountered conflicting cover crop management issues when |
|working with multiple USDA agencies. NRCS, Risk Management Agency (RMA) and |
|Farm Service Agency (FSA) worked together this spring to establish common, |
|science-based guidance on when cover crops should be terminated. The |
|agencies engaged stakeholders, partner universities, and the crop insurance |
|industry to figure out how to make cover crop guidelines straightforward and|
|sensible. Secretary Vilsack announced new guidance for USDA Agencies dealing|
|with cover crops, using a new model based on local climate data, tillage |
|management and soil information to account for daily crop growth and use of |
|soil moisture. With this information, experts determined the latest possible|
|time to terminate a cover crop to minimize risk to the cash crop yield. RMA,|
|NRCS and FSA will all uniformly refer producers to these guidelines, and |
|will use them to administer programs. |
| |
| |
|Vilsack noted that the steps being announced today build on previous Obama |
|Administration efforts, including an agreement with the U.S. dairy industry |
|to create anaerobic digesters to create energy and reduce greenhouse gases |
|and pollution, promotion of advanced biofuels development, and projects to |
|increase renewable energy and energy efficiency across rural America. |
| |
| |
|"By taking collaborative, regionally-appropriate steps today to adapt to |
|threats, USDA can help American agriculture continue its tremendous |
|productivity in the years to come," he said. "We've already worked hard to |
|be proactive and ensure that USDA is prepared for modern environmental |
|challenges - but we can't let up in our efforts." |
| |
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EPA Awards More Than $4.3 Million in Partnership with NSF and NOAA for
Climate and Air Quality Research
Southern Company, Electric Power Research Institute provide additional
support
WASHINGTON – Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced
more than $4.3 million in grants to 13 institutions to study and improve
our understanding of how certain organic compounds form in the atmosphere.
Research performed by grantees will help the federal government improve its
air quality management systems and climate change models with respect to
organic aerosol formation and help EPA continue its work of protecting
people's health and the environment.
"This partnership provides a tremendous opportunity for groundbreaking
research on air quality." said Lek Kadeli, principal deputy assistant
administrator for EPA's Office of Research and Development. "By working
together, we will be able to improve the accuracy of the air models that
are used by states to develop plans to reduce air pollution and meet air
quality standards. This research will also lead to more accurate climate
models as we continue to study the impacts of climate change."
Aerosols are solid and liquid particles suspended in the atmosphere that
impact our climate because they affect the amount of radiation from the sun
that reaches the earth. Because aerosols have been tied to health impacts,
they also play an important role in air quality.
Support from EPA, along with that of the National Science Foundation (NSF),
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Southern
Company, and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) totals more than
$20 million in research funding. EPA is also contributing staff scientists
to work as part of this effort.
Researchers will have access to NOAA and NSF resources such as aircraft and
towers to capture information about organic aerosols at multiple heights in
the air and on the ground at the same time. The Southeastern Aerosol
Research and Characterization (SEARCH) Network, a collection of air quality
monitoring stations throughout the southeastern United States developed by
EPRI and Southern Company will be collecting ground measurements, and
providing access to current and historical air quality data and analyses.
The researchers will use the collected data, and high quality models built
from this data, to address emerging air pollution issues.
The EPA awarded grants to the following institutions:
• Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
• SUNY, Stony Brook, New York
• University of California, San Diego, California
• Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan
• Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
• Research Triangle Institute, Durham, North Carolina
• Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey
• Reed College, Portland, Oregon
• University of California, Irvine, California
• University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
• Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri
• University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
These research grants support EPA's Air, Climate, and Energy research
program, providing integrated science to address complex air quality
issues.
More about these grants, visit http://epa.gov/ncer/orgaerosol
More about EPA's air research visit http://www.epa.gov/airscience
More about aerosols: http://www.epa.gov/ozone/snap/aerosol/
