July 2, 2013
State News
Supervisors revamp air quality efforts
DeSoto Times
By ROBERT LEE LONG
Published: Tuesday, July 2, 2013 1:05 AM CDT
DeSoto County Supervisors are stepping up efforts to revamp air quality
control measures in advance of new federal Environmental Protection Agency
guidelines which take effect in 2015.
http://www.desototimes.com/articles/2013/07/02/news/doc51d21fe8a6c1b135718181.txt
'Jubilee' fish kill lures families to beach for easy-to-catch seafood
WLOX
Researchers now know what caused a widespread fish kill along the beaches
of South Mississippi Monday. Thousands of dead fish started washing ashore
in Harrison County, Hancock County, and Cat Island in the early morning
hours.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22730148/jubilee-fish-kill-lures-families-to-beach-for-easy-to-catch-seafood
Low oxygen levels, 'red tide' contribute to massive fish kill in
Mississippi Sound
Mississippi Press
July 01, 2013 at 5:39 PM
BILOXI, Mississippi -- A lack of oxygen in the water and algae blooms are
the main causes of a fish kill along the Coast , according to the
Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) and the Mississippi
Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ).
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/07/low_oxygen_levels_red_tide_con.html#incart_river
Fish washing up on Harrison, Hancock beaches believed to be dying from a
lack of oxygen
Sun Herald
By KATE MAGANDYand KAREN NELSON — Sun Herald
BILOXI -- Marine scientists said they believe thousands of fish were
washing up on Harrison and Hancock county beaches and Cat Island early
Monday because there was a lack of oxygen in the water.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/07/01/4771277/fish-kill-or-jubilee-fish-washing.html
MDEQ issues temporary advisory for the Chickasawhay River and two
tributaries
Hattiesburg American
JACKSON – The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality issued a
temporary water contact advisory Monday for Eucutta and Nicholson Creeks
and a nearby portion of the Chickasawhay River.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20130701/NEWS01/130701051/MDEQ-issues-temporary-advisory-Chickasawhay-River-two-tributaries
DMR audit finds 'widespread conflicts of interest'
Sun Herald
By PAUL HAMPTONand MICHAEL NEWSOM — Sun Herald
After more than a year of investigation and negotiation, the federal
government still isn't satisfied with the Department of Marine Resource's
handling of the Coast Impact Assistance Program.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/07/01/4771471/ig-releases-final-report-on-mississippi.html
Audit: DMR misspent millions; family, friends benefited
WLOX
A federal audit has found millions in grant money administered by the
Department of Marine Resources was misspent by the agency.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22734870/audit-dmr-misspent-millions-family-friends-benefited
Inspector General's final audit report on DMR cites numerous mismanagement
issues
Mississippi Press
July 01, 2013 at 5:18 PM
WASHINGTON -- The Office of Inspector General's final report of an audit of
federal Coastal Impact Assistance Program grants administered through the
Mississippi Department of Marine Resources details concerns with the
mismanagement of the federal funds, according to an announcement today from
the Department of Interior.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/07/inspector_generals_final_audit.html#incart_river
State purchases 117 more acres of Cat Island
Mississippi Press
July 02, 2013 at 6:52 AM
JACKSON, Mississippi -- A second portion of Cat Island has been purchased
by the State of Mississippi through federal and grant funding, according to
Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/07/state_purchased_117_more_acres.html#incart_river
Mississippi buys more land on Cat Island
Sun Herald
By MICHAEL NEWSOM — mmnewsom@sunherald.com
The state of Mississippi has bought another section of Cat Island.
In May, the state bought 109 acres from a private landowner, and the state
has purchased another 117 acres. The purchases were mostly funded by
federal grants and federal settlement funding which had been dedicated to
purchasing the land. The price tag for the two purchases was $8 million,
with some $528,000 out of the state's Tidelands funds, officials said.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/07/01/4772040/mississippi-buys-more-land-on.html
Mississippi Power warns stockholders more cost overruns likely at Kemper
facility
The Associated Press
July 02, 2013 at 6:44 AM
JACKSON, Mississippi — Mississippi Power Co. warned Monday that costs are
still increasing at the power plant it's building in Kemper County.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-business/2013/07/mississippi_power_warns_stockh.html#incart_river
National News
EPA sends White House revised emissions rule for new power plants
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 07/01/13 12:05 PM ET
The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday sent its revised greenhouse
gas emissions rule for new power plants to the White House, The Hill has
confirmed.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/308737-revised-emissions-rule-for-new-power-plants-heads-to-white-house
EPA sends climate rule to White House
Politico
By: Erica Martinson
July 1, 2013 10:25 AM EDT
EPA just hit the accelerator in its push to fulfill President Barack
Obama's climate promises.
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/07/epa-climate-rules-white-house-93612.html?hp=l16
Obama Seeks to Reassert U.S. Role in Climate Debate
NY Times
By MARK LANDLER
WASHINGTON — When President Obama barged into a meeting of leaders from
China, India, Brazil and other major emerging economies at a climate-change
summit in Copenhagen in December 2009, he managed to extract a last-minute
agreement to set a goal to limit the rise in global temperatures.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/03/us/politics/obama-seeks-to-reassert-us-role-in-climate-debate.html?ref=earth&_r=0&pagewanted=print
Press Releases
EPA and Commerce Link U.S. Analysis and Companies in Environmental
Solutions Toolkit
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the
Department of Commerce are announcing the launch of an interactive online
reference tool for international audiences that connects EPA environmental
analysis and regulatory structure to U.S. solutions providers.
The U.S. Environmental Solutions Toolkit was developed as a joint venture
between the EPA and the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade
Administration (ITA) to offer environmental stakeholders in other countries
a broad perspective on the U.S. approach to specific environmental issues.
The Toolkit is a web-based resource that combines EPA expertise on solving
environmental challenges with ITA's catalogue of U.S. providers of related
technologies. The newly launched resource emphasizes user-friendliness,
featuring a series of interactive menus, search functionality, and adaptive
formatting to allow for a range of mobile uses.
"The environmental solutions toolkit shares EPA's knowledge and experience
with our global neighbors, making it easier to move environmental
protection efforts from concepts and ideas to action," said EPA's Assistant
Administrator for International and Tribal Affairs Michelle DePass, EPA and
Commerce are working together to support the U.S. government Environmental
Export Initiative to promote American environmental technology in the
global marketplace and advance the President's National Export Initiative
by developing export opportunities.
The development of the toolkit is part of EPA's export promotion strategy
to facilitate strengthened environmental and human health protection
efforts around the world while boosting job creation and economic activity
in the U.S. Statistics from the Department of Commerce indicate the U.S. is
a global leader in the environmental products and services sector,
generating approximately $312 billion in annual revenues and employing
nearly 1.7 million workers.
For more information or to participate, please visit
www.epa.gov/international/trade/exports,
https://new.export.gov/envirotech/toolkit, or contact the Environmental
Export Initiative at Envirotech@trade.gov.
