7/25/13
State News
Pipeline moves past Mobile utility; deals with Mississippi spill
Sun Herald
By KAREN NELSON — klnelson@sunherald.com
Plains Southcap appears to be playing hardball in an effort to get a crude
oil pipeline in the ground as soon as possible from Mobile to the Chevron
Pascagoula Refinery.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/07/24/4820850/pipeline-moves-past-mobile-utility.html
Plains Southcap files condemnation lawsuit against MAWSS to seize watershed
property for oil pipeline
Press Register
John Sharp
July 24, 2013 at 11:09 PM
MOBILE, Alabama – A condemnation lawsuit was filed in Mobile County Probate
Court on Wednesday afternoon by Plains Southcap to seize the final tracts
of land to complete its 45-mile oil pipeline.
http://blog.al.com/live/2013/07/plains_southcap_filed_condemna.html#incart_river
EPA open house updates community on cleanup of the EPA Superfund Site
Winston County Journal
July 18, 2013
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency hosted an open house on Thursday,
July 11, at the Louisville Housing Authority Community Center to update the
community on the progress of the cleanup of the American Creosote Superfund
Site.
http://winstoncountyjournal.com/?p=4326
Pickering: DMR probe may reveal "culture of corruption"
Sun Herald
By MICHAEL NEWSOM — mmnewsom@sunherald.com
OCEAN SPRINGS -- State Auditor Stacey Pickering said Wednesday he believes
the ongoing probes of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources could
start to have some resolutions beginning this fall and investigators may
reveal evidence of a "culture of corruption."
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/07/24/4819719/pickering-dmr-probe-may-reveal.html
National News
Rig owner eyes relief well to divert gas off coast
By JANET McCONNAUGHEY and KEVIN McGILL — The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS — The owner of a natural gas drilling rig aflame off of
Louisiana's coast said preparations were under way for the possible
drilling of a relief well to divert gas from the site and bring the well
under control.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/07/25/4821265/rig-owner-eyes-relief-well-to.html
Activists petition judge in California to force EPA to protect children
from pesticide drift
AP
SAN FRANCISCO — Activists have filed another petition to force federal
regulators to set safety standards that protect children from pesticides
that drift from farm fields into nearby communities.
http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/216845811.html
GOP slams EPA on 'fracking' as committee leader weighs bill
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 07/24/13 12:24 PM ET
House Science Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) is weighing
legislation to alter the scope of the Environmental Protection Agency's
(EPA) study on the impact of oil-and-gas "fracking" on drinking water.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/313167-gop-slams-epa-on-fracking-as-committee-leader-weighs-bill
Navy's Clean-Energy Push to Get Focus at Hearing
Nominee Likely to Face Tough Questions From Republicans
Wall Street Joournal
By KEITH JOHNSON
The Navy's efforts to wean itself off oil, boost renewable energy and deal
with climate change will come under sharp scrutiny Thursday as the nominee
to be in charge of Navy energy affairs goes before the Senate Armed
Services Committee.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323971204578626064086241422.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5
Biofuel Makers Seek to Ease Mandates to Avert Congressional Cuts
Bloomberg
By Mark Drajem on July 25, 2013
Makers of some renewable fuels are asking the federal government to ease
quotas for use of their products in a bid to head off a congressional
overhaul of a program that refiners say is driving up costs at the pump.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-07-25/biofuel-makers-seek-to-ease-mandates-to-avert-congressional-cuts
Opinion
EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy's Tenure To Be Tested By Coal Sector
Forbes
Gina McCarthy's tortuous trial to become the nation's leading environmental
leader has concluded in her favor. The big question, though, is what
happens next? She now has the unenviable task of leading President Obama's
charge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions — one to which she is committed
but also one to which her opponents are equally determined.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2013/07/24/epa-administrator-gina-mccarthys-tenure-to-be-tested-by-coal-sector/
Press Releases
MEMA REINFORCES NEED FOR EARTHQUAKE SEARCH AND RESCUE CAPABILITIES
PEARL – Mississippians, both residents and first responders, must be ready
for an earthquake. An important focus for the Mississippi Emergency
Management Agency is to strengthen search and rescue capabilities. Today
MEMA hosted a seminar at Northwest Mississippi Community College in
Senatobia, focusing on the challenges of earthquake search and rescue.
Local and state first responders learned more about the earthquake hazard
in the central U. S., which includes north Mississippi. They also learned
what resources will be required following an earthquake.
"We can't wait for a disaster to happen and then begin to identify assets
you need for the response," said MEMA Director Robert Latham. "This effort
is intended to identify current search and rescue capabilities and
determine where our gaps are so that we can work with the Mississippi
Office of Homeland Security in training and equipping the needs."
While the focus of the seminar was on earthquake risk, search and rescue
assets around Mississippi are a major component of the response during
other disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes and any other hazards the
state faces.
MEMA is working with the Central United States Earthquake Consortium to
ensure that the state is prepared to respond to and recover from an
earthquake.
CUSEC was established in 1983 with funding from the Federal Emergency
Management Agency, with the primary mission of reducing deaths, injuries,
property damage and economic loss resulting from earthquakes in the central
U.S.
The number of earthquakes known to have occurred within Mississippi's
boundaries is small, but the state has been affected by numerous shocks in
neighboring states.
The New Madrid Seismic Zone Earthquakes of 1811 and 1812 were felt as far
south as the Gulf Coast, and caused the banks of the Mississippi River to
cave in as far south as Vicksburg.
For more information about earthquakes, visit www.msema.org.
The public is encouraged to follow MEMA on Twitter and Facebook for
updates.
EPA Software Helps Reduce Water Pollution as Part of President's Climate
Action Plan
National stormwater calculator helps manage stormwater runoff
Release Date: 07/24/2013
Contact Information: Cathy Milbourn milbourn.cathy @epa.gov 202-564-7849
202-564-4355; En español: Lina Younes, younes.lina@epa.gov 202-564-9924,
202-564-4355
WASHINGTON – As part of President Obama's Climate Action Plan, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released the National
Stormwater Calculator, an innovative addition to the administration's
virtual climate resilience toolkit. EPA's new calculator will help property
owners, developers, landscapers, and urban planners make informed land-use
decisions to protect local waterways from pollution caused by stormwater
runoff. Preventing stormwater runoff, which can impact drinking water
resources and local ecosystems, protects people's health and the
environment.
The calculator, which is phase I of the Stormwater Calculator and Climate
Assessment Tool package announced in the President's Climate Action Plan in
June, is a desktop application that estimates the annual amount of
stormwater runoff from a specific site, based on local soil conditions,
slope, land cover, and historical rainfall records. Users can enter any
U.S. location and select different scenarios to learn how specific green
infrastructure changes, including inexpensive changes like rain barrels and
rain gardens, can prevent pollution. This information helps users determine
how adding green infrastructure can be one of the most cost-effective ways
to reduce stormwater runoff.
"EPA's research is providing innovative solutions to protect our nation's
water resources," said Lek Kadeli, principal deputy assistant administrator
for EPA's Office of Research and Development. "The Stormwater Calculator
demonstrates different types of green infrastructure approaches which can
result in protection from flooding, energy savings, improved air quality,
increased property values, healthier communities, and cost savings for the
American people."
Each year billions of gallons of raw sewage, trash, household chemicals,
and urban runoff flow into our streams, rivers and lakes. Polluted
stormwater runoff can adversely affect plants, animals, and people. It also
adversely affects our economy – from closed beaches to decreased fishing
and hunting in polluted areas. Green infrastructure is an affordable
solution to promote healthy waters and support sustainable communities.
An update to the Stormwater Calculator, which will include the ability to
link to several future climate scenarios, will be released by the end of
2013. Climate projections indicate that heavy precipitation events are very
likely to become more frequent as the climate changes.
More information about the National Stormwater Calculator:
http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/wswrd/wq/models/swc/
More information about the virtual climate resilience toolkit:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/image/president27sclimateactionplan.pdf
More information on EPA's Green Infrastructure research:
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/greeninfrastructure/index.cfm
###
EPA Expands List of Safer Chemical Ingredients
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) today added
more than 130 chemicals to its Safer Chemical Ingredients List. For the
first time, 119 chemicals that use fragrance for commercial and consumer
cleaning products have been added to the list.
"Fragrances are an important yet complex part of many consumer cleaning
products. By adding fragrance and other chemicals to the Safer Chemical
Ingredients List, EPA continues its commitment to help companies make safer
products and provide the public with greater access to chemical
information," said James Jones, acting assistant administrator for the
Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.
The Safer Chemical Ingredients List, which now contains 602 chemicals,
serves as a resource for manufacturers interested in making safer products;
health and environmental advocates seeking to encourage the use of safer
chemicals; and consumers seeking information on the ingredients in safer
chemical products.
It also serves as a guide for Design for the Environment (DfE) labeled
products, which must meet EPA's rigorous, scientific standards for
protecting human health and the environment.
More than 2,500 products are certified under the DfE Standard for Safer
Products including all-purpose cleaners, laundry and dishwasher detergents,
window cleaners, car and boat care, and many other products. Using
DfE-certified products significantly reduces exposures to chemicals which
helps protect families and the environment.
The Safer Chemical Ingredients list was created in September 2012 and EPA
continues to update the list with additional fragrances and chemicals.
More on the Safer Chemical Ingredients List:
http://www.epa.gov/dfe/saferingredients.htm
