July 12, 2013
Oil Spill
Public input wanted on Gulf restoration at state meeting in Long Beach
Sun Herald
By LEIGHANNE LOCKHART — llockhart@sunherald.com
LONG BEACH -- Mississippi residents will have a chance to say what kind of
early restoration projects they would like to see become a part of the
Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/07/11/4792013/public-input-wanted-on-restoration.html
MDEQ seeks public comments on oil spill restoration projects Tuesday in
Long Beach
Mississippi Press
Gareth Clary
JACKSON, Mississippi -- The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
(MDEQ) is asking citizens to provide thoughts on the types of early
restoration they would like to see implemented as part of the ongoing
Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA).
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/07/mdeq_seeks_public_comments_in.html#incart_river
Leaner BP Blanches at Bill for Cleanup
NY Times
By CLIFFORD KRAUSS and STANLEY REED
HOUSTON — Three years after its disastrous oil rig accident in the Gulf of
Mexico, BP has managed to strengthen its finances by divesting itself of
less profitable operations, ramping up new oil production in the North Sea
and Angola and reducing its exposure to volatile investments in Russia.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/12/business/energy-environment/bp-appealing-settlement-on-gulf-disaster-payments.html?ref=earth&pagewanted=print
Gulf oil spill settlement payment offers reach nearly $4B
Houston Chronicle
As BP awaits an appeals court ruling over its challenge to the handling of
its Gulf oil spill class-action settlement, the administrator overseeing
the program has offered another $400 million in payments to claimants in
the last month alone, putting the total to date at nearly $4 billion.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2013/07/11/gulf-oil-spill-settlement-payment-offers-reach-nearly-4b/
Analysis: Contentious oil spill claims set up BP for long legal battle
MSN
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Faced with hundreds of damage claims it says are
fictitious and inflated, BP must decide whether to dive into a protracted
legal battle it had sought to avoid when it settled a class action over the
2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
http://money.msn.com/business-news/article.aspx?feed=OBR&date=20130711&id=16691817
State News
Eating buffalo fish linked to rare, serious disease
Clarion Ledger
When Delta native and blues great B.B. King visited Jackson in June and
stayed at the downtown Hilton Garden Inn, he made a special request.
"He called before he got here, and he said, 'I just came back from Vegas.
Call the chef, and see if he can get some buffalo fish,' " Nick Wallace,
chef at the hotel's King Edward Grill, recalled Thursday.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20130712/NEWS01/307120023/Eating-buffalo-fish-linked-rare-serious-disease
Mississippi's Public Service Commission approves energy efficiency rules
The Associated Press
JACKSON, Mississippi -- Mississippi electric and natural gas utilities will
soon be paying for their customers to cut energy use.
The state Public Service Commission voted unanimously Thursday to adopt
energy efficiency rules requiring all gas and electric companies with more
than 25,000 customers to begin offering programs within six months.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/07/mississippis_public_service_co.html#incart_river
D'Iberville audit details the good, bad and ugly of 2012
Sun Herald
By MARY PEREZ — meperez@sunherald.com
D'IBERVILLE -- An audit of last year's books shows the city and its coffers
are growing. The audit also caught a city employee getting free utilities,
several businesses operating without licenses and two irregular contracts
already under review by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/07/10/4789518/diberville-audit-details-the-good.html
DuPont commits to 30 years at state Port at Gulfport
Sun Herald
By ANITA LEE — calee@sunherald.com
GULFPORT -- DuPont has agreed to lease property from the state Port at
Gulfport for another 30 years, with options to extend the agreement for up
to 60 years.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/07/11/4790677/du-pont-extends-lease-at-state.html
Panel told rural roads hinder agriculture in state
by Bobby Harrison
NEMS Daily Journal
07.12.13 - 07:09 am
JACKSON – The state's poor infrastructure is beginning to negatively impact
farmers, a Senate Transportation task force was told Thursday.
http://djournal.com/view/full_story/23113557/article-Panel-told-rural-roads-hinder-agriculture-in-state?instance=secondary_stories_left_column
2 ex-wildlife officials sentenced for crimes
by The Associated Press
07.11.13 - 04:52 pm
JACKSON — Authorities say two former Mississippi Department of Wildlife,
Fisheries and Parks employees have been sentenced on wildlife-related
charges.
http://djournal.com/view/full_story/23107315/article-2-ex-wildlife-officials-sentenced-for-crimes?instance=secondary_stories_left_column
National News
Reid, McConnell spar on EPA nomination in 'nuclear' debate
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 07/11/13 11:32 AM ET
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is alleging Republicans are
obstructing Gina McCarthy, the White House pick to run the Environmental
Protection Agency, as Democrats weighs a controversial move to prohibit
filibusters of presidential nominees.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/310413-reid-mcconnell-spar-on-epa-nomination-in-nuclear-debate
Energy Department to boost energy sector climate change efforts
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 07/11/13 04:02 PM ET
The Energy Department is stepping up its work regarding the impact of
climate change on the energy sector, a senior DOE official told The Hill on
Thursday.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/310535-energy-dept-to-boost-energy-sector-climate-change-efforts
Fracking and energy exploration connected to earthquakes, say studies
NBC
The rivers of water pumped into and out of the ground during the production
of natural gas, oil and geothermal energy are causing the Earth to shake
more frequently in areas where these industrial activities are soaring,
according to a series of studies published today.
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/fracking-energy-exploration-connected-earthquakes-say-studies-6C10604071
Fracking Wastewater Disposal Seen Linked to Earthquakes
Bloomberg
By Justin Doom - Jul 11, 2013
Disposing of wastewater from hydraulic fracturing may make fault zones more
prone to earthquakes, according to researchers from Columbia University and
the University of Oklahoma.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-11/fracking-wastewater-disposal-seen-linked-to-earthquakes.html
Disease Kills Shrimp Output, Pushes U.S. Prices Higher
Wall Street Journal
Asia is fighting a new disease that has reduced shrimp output in Thailand
as much as 40%, driving prices higher for Western restaurants and
retailers.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323998604578565201120674008.html
Opinion
SUN HERALD | Editorial: Annual audits of public funds should be mandatory
Whether it is the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources or the city of
D'Iberville, annual audits of pubic agencies and entities should be
mandatory, not optional.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/07/11/4791616/sun-herald-editorial-annual-audits.html
Press Releases
Presley Announces PSC Passes Groundbreaking Energy Efficiency Rules Aimed
at Job Creation and Consumer Savings on Electricity and Gas
Program is estimated to save consumers over $2.3 billion over
the next 20 years and create 9,500 new jobs
JACKSON, MS (July 11, 2013)- Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley
announced today that the Mississippi Public Service Commission has
unanimously passed groundbreaking energy efficiency rules that will apply
to electric and natural gas providers in Mississippi that have an estimated
$2 billion savings directly to customers over the next twenty years and
create 9,500 new jobs by the year 2020. The PSC began deliberating the new
rules in 2010 and took public comments from utilities, consumer groups and
the business community prior to enacting the measure today.
"For too long, Mississippi has ranked dead last in the nation in the area
of energy efficiency. I have been determined since my first day in office
to get our state off of the bottom in the category." Presley said. "This
program will save customers money, utilize our natural resources
efficiently, and create thousands of new jobs for our people. How much more
of a win-win situation can we get? I am proud to have made the motion to
make this a reality."
The energy efficiency rules requires electric and gas utilities serving
more than 25,000 customers (meters) to file Quick Start Plans with the
Commission within six months from today's approval. Quick Start Plans would
include items such as customer education programs, energy audits and
evaluations, rebates or other incentives on high-efficiency appliances,
retrofitting homes and methods small businesses and industrial facilities
can optimize energy efficiency. The new service rule is intended to promote
the efficient use and conservation of both electricity and natural gas. All
electric and natural gas utilities, regardless of customer base, will be
required to put similar programs into effect following the Quick Start
Plans.
Attached to this press release is a fact sheet about the energy efficiency
program.
PSC Energy Efficiency Program Benefits
� Reduced Energy Consumption – calculated total electric demand reduction
of 93.1MW across residential, commercial and industrial sectors.
� Reduced Need for New Generating Capacity –avoidance of construction of
roughly 800MW of generating capacity.
� Job Growth – net gains of 6,900 jobs by 2020, and 9,500 by 2030
� Reduced Water Consumption – savings of 344 million gallons of fresh water
in 2020 and 844 million gallons in 2030
� First year avoided energy costs of $21,692,000 and avoided capacity costs
of $395,000
� Lifetime retail savings (through 2034) of $2,340,917,000.
PSC Energy Efficiency Rule Contents
� Quick Start
� A portfolio of programs that have been widely implemented in other
jurisdictions, have well-established track records and provide benefits to
a majority of utility customers.
� Rule requires each electric and natural gas utility serving more than
25,000 customers to file a Quick Start plan within 6 months and to
implement within 4 months of approval.
� Examples of Quick Start programs are customer education, energy audits,
inspection and tune up of A/Cs, lighting, appliances, DR, weatherization,
new homes program, commercial and industrial incentives and tune ups.
� Comprehensive Portfolio
� A collection of energy efficiency programs that, when taken together,
provide appropriate organizational resources including financial,
technical, outreach, marketing, service provider infrastructure, training,
and education support sufficient to achieve widespread implementation of
all types of significant cost-effective energy-efficiency improvements in
all categories of retail customers.
� Rule requires every electric and natural gas utility, including those
serving fewer than 25,000 customers, to file this plan by nine months
following the Commission's approval of the specific numerical energy
savings targets or within 36 months of the Order, whichever is later.
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| USDA Designates New Biobased Product Categories |
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| Announcement Complies with Presidential Directive to Create Jobs Through |
| Biobased Product Procurement |
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|WASHINGTON, July 11, 2013 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today |
|announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated eight new |
|biobased product categories for preferred Federal procurement. The |
|announcement furthers the goals of last year's presidential memorandum |
|designed to increase rural job creation through procurement of biobased |
|products and increase the number of biobased product categories and |
|individual products eligible for preferred purchasing. There are now 97 |
|designated categories representing approximately 10,000 unique types of |
|products. |
| |
| |
|"Every day, companies across the nation are creating incredible new products|
|from crops grown here at home, expanding markets for agriculture and growing|
|job opportunities in rural America," said Vilsack. "The designation of these|
|new categories underlines the Obama Administration's commitment to |
|strengthening the biobased economy, and to be sure that the Federal |
|government uses homegrown biobased products whenever possible." |
| |
| |
|USDA has designated the following new categories: aircraft and boat |
|cleaners; automotive care products, engine crankcase oil; gasoline fuel |
|additives; metal cleaners and corrosion removers; microbial cleaning |
|products; paint removers; and water turbine bearing oils. A full list was |
|published in the June 11, 2013 Federal Register. |
| |
| |
|The Biopreferred Program also has reopened the web portal for companies to |
|apply for the voluntary USDA Certified Biobased Product label. Thus far |
|about 900 individual products have received the USDA Certified Biobased |
|Product label. |
| |
| |
|Later this year the BioPreferred program is expected to finalize a rule that|
|will extend to designating intermediate ingredients so products made from |
|them could be part of the preferred Federal procurement process. That |
|regulation would also allow for the designation of complex assemblies that |
|contain one or more components from biobased ingredients. |
| |
| |
|The Biopreferred Program was authorized in the 2002 and 2008 Farm Bills. |
|Secretary Vilsack noted that a long-term Food, Farm and Jobs Bill is |
|critical to continuing USDA's investment in the BioPreferred Program. "A |
|Food, Farm and Jobs Bill would help grow opportunity for the creation of |
|biobased products across rural America - expanding manufacturing, and |
|creating jobs," said Vilsack. "This is just one more reason why we need a |
|Food, Farm and Jobs Bill as soon as possible." |
| |
| |
|President Obama's plan for rural America has brought about historic |
|investment and resulted in stronger rural communities. Under the President's|
|leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses |
|and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way |
|- strengthening America's economy, small towns and rural communities. USDA's|
|investments in rural communities support the rural way of life that stands |
|as the backbone of our American values. President Obama and Agriculture |
|Secretary Vilsack are committed to a smarter use of Federal resources to |
|foster sustainable economic prosperity and ensure the government is a strong|
|partner for businesses, entrepreneurs and working families in 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. |
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