7/31/13
Oil Spill
BP Prepares For Long Fight In Civil Oil Spill Trial -CEO
Wall Street Journal
By Selina Williams
LONDON--BP PLC (BP.LN) is less likely to negotiate a settlement in a civil
trial to determine environmental fines for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil
spill, in the wake of spiraling costs from a separate deal clinched last
year to compensate businesses for losses stemming from the disaster, the
company's chief executive said Tuesday.
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20130730-710051.html
State News
Hazardous waste disposal is Aug. 3 in Hancock County
Sun Herald
HANCOCK COUNTY -- Residents of Hancock County can dispose of hazardous
household waste Saturday at the Old County Government Complex on Longfellow
Road, Bay St. Louis, between 8 a.m. and noon.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/07/29/4832873/around-south-mississippi.html
DMR, VT Halter Marine partnership will add 70 acres to Round Island
Mississippi Press
April M. Havens
July 30, 2013 at 1:35 PM
ROUND ISLAND, Mississippi -- Over the past two weeks there's been a large
barge stationed just west of Round Island in shallow water where the isle
once reached.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/07/dmr_vt_halter_marine_partnerin.html
Round Island is getting a new look and new purpose
WLOX
A public-private partnership in Jackson County is helping Mother Nature
restore an island that time and tides have almost completely washed away.
When the job is done, Round Island will have a new look and a new purpose.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22970435/round-island-is-getting-a-new-look-and-new-purpose
VT Halter dredging leads to Round Island expansion
Sun Herald
By CHRISTINA STEUBE — csteube@sunherald.com
About 200 acres of coastline and marshes are lost each year in Mississippi,
but a joint project will fight this loss by nearly quadrupling the size of
Round Island just off the coast of Pascagoula.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/07/30/4836362/vt-halter-dredging-leads-to-round.html
Nissan to add park on-site for suppliers
Logistics center to bring 800 more jobs
Clarion Ledger
CANTON — In the midst of marking its first decade in Mississippi, Nissan
Canton is giving itself quite an anniversary gift in the form of 800 jobs
coming to a supplier park to be built just north of the company's vehicle
assembly plant.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20130731/NEWS01/307310039/Nissan-add-park-site-suppliers
Southern Co. taking $450M charge for Miss. plant
By RAY HENRY
Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) - Southern Co. shareholders will absorb $450 million in losses
incurred while building a new coal-fired power plant in Mississippi,
raising the total write-offs on the construction project to nearly $1
billion, utility officials said Tuesday.
http://www.wlox.com/story/22972112/southern-co-taking-450m-charge-for-miss-plant
National News
Carbon regulation will help economy, EPA chief says
Boston Globe
Newly confirmed US Environmental Protection Agency chief Gina McCarthy
pledged Tuesday to let science drive her agency's agenda as it begins to
develop controversial rules to limit carbon pollution from existing power
plants.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/2013/07/30/carbon-regulation-will-help-economy-epa-chief-says/72dK9LLq4gDzIIUmwkAEgK/story.html
Gina McCarthy: Climate change poses economic threat
Politico
By: Erica Martinson
July 31, 2013 05:02 AM EDT
Climate change isn't an environmental problem — it's an economic problem,
EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said Tuesday.
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/07/gina-mccarthy-climate-change-poses-economic-threat-94945.html?hp=r12
Bob Perciasepe staying put at EPA
Washington Post
By Emily Heil
Bob Perciasepe is no sore loser.
As the deputy administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, some
observers figured he might have been in line to get the job heading the
agency when it came open this year (though the fact that as a white guy, he
didn't add any diversity to the cabinet probably didn't help him). But he's
obviously not letting getting passed over bug him.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop
Drilling for relief well on damaged Gulf rig to take 35 days
The Associated Press
July 30, 2013 at 5:43 PM
NEW ORLEANS -- Crews are expected to begin drilling a relief well Thursday
at the site of a gas well that blew wild July 23 off the Louisiana coast
but eventually was choked off by sand and sediment.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/07/drilling_for_relief_well_on_da.html#incart_river
Coal ash bill likely dead on arrival in Senate
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 07/30/13 12:36 PM ET
A House-passed bill that would limit the Environmental Protection Agency's
ability to regulate coal ash likely isn't going anywhere in the Senate.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/314351-coal-ash-bill-likely-dead-on-arrival-in-senate
States worry that federal action could limit their control of chemicals
July 30
BY ERIKA BOLSTAD
McClatchy Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — It sounds good: the Chemical Safety Improvement Act, a
proposed law with bipartisan support giving the Environmental Protection
Agency more authority to regulate dangerous chemicals.
http://www.kansascity.com/2013/07/30/4378411/states-worry-that-federal-action.html
EPA informs Jindal of St. Bernard's final sulfur dioxide overage
designation
Benjamin Alexander-Bloch
The Times-Picayune
July 31, 2013 at 3:37 AM
The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has informed Gov.
Bobby Jindal that St. Bernard Parish has finally been found in violation of
hourly sulfur dioxide emission standards adopted in 2010.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2013/07/epa_informs_jindal_of_st_berna.html
Area west of Mississippi River added to impaired waters list
Baton Rouge Advocate
BY AMY WOLD
The nation's top environmental agency has placed the coastline of Louisiana
west of the Mississippi River on the list of impaired waterways in
Louisiana in what some consider a symbolic move to bring attention to the
dead zone problem in the Gulf of Mexico.
http://theadvocate.com/home/6648318-125/area-west-of-mississippi-river
Obama taps Interior official for deputy secretary post
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 07/30/13 07:14 PM ET
President Obama will nominate Michael Connor to be deputy secretary of the
Interior Department, a promotion from his current job heading Interior's
water and hydropower agency called the Bureau of Reclamation.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/314519-obama-taps-interior-official-for-deputy-secretary-post
Opinion
SUN HERALD | Editorial: Role of state agencies needs overhaul
The Mississippi Legislature estimated there would be a little more than $5
billion in the state's general fund during the current fiscal year. It
appropriated that amount on everything from the arts and agriculture to
wildlife and workers compensation.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/07/30/4835809/sun-herald-editorial-role-of-state.html
Press Releases
COMMERCIAL PLASTICS RECYCLING ANNOUNCES NEW MISSISSIPPI FACILITY
(BAY ST. LOUIS, MS) — Commercial Plastics Recycling, Inc. recently
announced the Company's expansion of its post-industrial plastic recycling
operations to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. The new recycling operations are
located in a 30,000 square foot facility on 33 acres with rail siding
inside the Port Bienville Industrial Park.
The plant handles post-industrial and post-commercial plastics such as PET,
HDPE, ABS, HIPS, LDPE, PP, PVC, SAN and PC. Capabilities currently in place
include shredding, grinding and screening with room for additional
equipment and growth. The Company has extensive experience in assisting
both small and large corporations with their recycling programs. The Bay St
Louis facility is the latest plant for CPR, Inc. which is headquartered in
Tampa, Florida with facilities in North Carolina and West Virginia. For
more information on the company, visit their website at www.cprinc.net.
The Mississippi Recycling Coalition is pleased to welcome CPR, Inc. to the
state of Mississippi and looks forward to the company building successful
operations here. MRC is committed to helping expand and establish recycling
industries and businesses in our State. For more information on joining
MRC, visit our website at www.msrecycles.org.
Nissan to Locate Supplier Park near Canton, Miss., Facility
CANTON, Miss.—Gov. Phil Bryant and officials from Nissan announced today
the company will construct a Nissan Supplier Park near the company's Canton
vehicle assembly plant. The expansion will support 800 jobs, including 400
newly created supplier jobs and 400 hires Nissan has made since June 1 in
anticipation of the project.
The supplier park project represents a company investment of more than $50
million and is Nissan's first major supplier park located in North America.
Construction of a more than 1 million square-foot integrated logistics
center off Nissan Parkway and infrastructure improvements to an existing
supplier logistics center at the Canton plant will accommodate future
supplier operations.
"For a decade, Nissan has been a loyal corporate partner and has created
thousands of jobs for Mississippians," Gov. Bryant said. "The addition of
the new supplier park will bring more manufacturing-related jobs to
Mississippi and serves to strengthen our growing automotive sector. I am
grateful to Nissan for demonstrating to the world that 'Mississippi Works.'
Great things are taking place in our state, and I wish Nissan many more
years of growth and success in Canton."
"Today, we begin an exciting new chapter in Mississippi as we continue our
localization and investment efforts in the United States," said Nissan Vice
President for Total Delivered Cost Dan Bednarzyk. "Today's groundbreaking
supports our efforts to bring more Nissan cars and trucks to our plant in
Mississippi, and means more Mississippi jobs. Additionally, the supplier
park will help make us more globally competitive in our Canton Mississippi
plant."
The Mississippi Development Authority provided assistance in support of the
integrated logistics center for site preparation and infrastructure. To
assist with the renovation of the supplier logistics center, MDA provided
assistance for building upgrades, modifications and worker training.
Madison County provided assistance for the project, as well.
"In the 10 years since it began operations, Nissan has become the
cornerstone for Mississippi's automotive industry and has created a model
for manufacturing in our state today," said MDA Executive Director Brent
Christensen. "It is a big part of our mission to assist great companies
such as Nissan as they grow and create job opportunities for Mississippi's
residents, and we thank our partners in Madison County who worked with us
to help make this project possible."
Nissan employs more than 5,600 team members at its Canton plant. The
company first announced plans to construct the manufacturing plant in 2000,
and it began production in 2003. The facility has built more than 2.3
million vehicles, with current production of the award-winning Altima,
Sentra compact sedan, Armada full-size SUV, Xterra mid-size SUV, Titan and
Frontier pickup trucks and NV full-size commercial cargo and passenger
vans.
Nissan's crossover model, the Murano, will become the ninth vehicle
produced at the Canton plant beginning in 2014.
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