8.22.2013
Oil Spill
House Republicans raise funding questions on implementation of Restore Act
Bruce Alpert
Times-Picayune
August 21, 2013 at 6:16 PM
WASHINGTON - Two Louisiana congressmen Wednesday urged the Senate
Appropriations Committee to reconsider a spending bill that allocates $7.4
million in Restore Act funding to help the Treasury Department oversee
distribution of the law's funds to the five Gulf states.
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/08/funding_dispute_on_how_to_impl.html
Congressmen spar over BP money
Baton Rouge Advocate
by jordan blum
WASHINGTON — U.S. Reps. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, and Steve Scalise,
R-Jefferson, sent a letter Wednesday criticizing the Senate Appropriations
Committee for proposing to take $10.2 million out of the Gulf Coast
recovery pool from the BP oil disaster.
http://theadvocate.com/news/6843854-123/congressmen-spar-over-bp-money
US shuffles prosecution team in Gulf spill case against ex-BP engineer
Houston Chronicle
The Justice Department asked Wednesday that three federal prosecutors
handling the case against a former BP engineer charged with obstructing the
government's investigation of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill be
withdrawn from the case.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2013/08/21/us-shuffles-prosecution-team-in-gulf-spill-case-against-ex-bp-engineer/
State
Gautier seeks brownfield grant to revitalize contaminated sites
Mississippi Press
Joanne Anderson
August 21, 2013 at 7:04 PM
GAUTIER, Mississippi -- Petroleum contaminated sites like buried gas
station tanks and the creosote plant property would be prime candidates for
a revitalization program here if Gautier city officials are successful in
obtaining a $400,000 brownfield's grant from the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/08/gautier_seeks_brownfield_grant.html#incart_river
Pontotoc Lake level lowered by DEQ
Pontotoc Progress
by Regina Butler | 5:07 am | August 22, 2013
A Department of Environmental Quality inspection of the Pontotoc Lake
revealed that the lake was at a higher level than is allowed for the dam.
Harry Patterson, who is on the Chiwapa Drainage District Board, said the
DEQ did a more rigid inspection of the riser (spillway) recently, and saw
that there was some obstruction placed there that caused the water level to
be at a higher point than is allowed for the lake.
http://pontotoc-progress.com/2013/08/22/pontotoc-lake-level-lowered-by-deq/
Bayou Casotte fish kill followed discharge of acidic liquid from plant
Sun Herald
By CHRISTINA STEUBE — csteube@sunherald.com
The fish kill caused by low pH levels in Bayou Casotte has left a mess, and
the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and Mississippi
Phosphates Corp. are working to clean up the bayou.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/08/21/4892024/bayou-casotte-fish-kill-followed.html
Waste Pro to introduce new recycling carts in Jackson County's
unincorporated areas
Mississippi Press
August 21, 2013 at 11:29 AM
JACKSON COUNTY, Mississippi -- On Sept. 3, the new 35-gallon rolling
recycling carts will debut at the homes of residents in the unincorporated
areas of Jackson County.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-living/2013/08/waste_pro_to_begin_recycling_i.html#incart_river
County completes tornado clean-up with no outstanding debts
Chickasaw Journal
by Floyd Ingram | 12:55 PM | August 19, 2013
CHICKASAW COUNTY – The project is complete, the bills have been paid and
Chickasaw County has no debt on the books from the tornado of April 2011.
http://chickasawjournal.com/2013/08/19/county-completes-tornado-clean-up-with-no-outstanding-debts/
Friends of Boley set fall cleanup date
By Jennifer Lenain
The Picayune Item
PICAYUNE — Friends of Boley have set the date for the fall cleanup
"Cruisin' the Creek" for Oct. 5. The spring cleanup rescheduled for June 1,
was canceled due to high waters in the creek and safety concerns for
volunteers.
http://picayuneitem.com/local/x789510303/Friends-of-Boley-set-fall-cleanup-date/?state=taberU
Regional
New bluefin tuna rules proposed in Atlantic, Gulf
AP
NEW ORLEANS — Boats using surface fishing lines with miles of baited hooks
would get individual limits for bluefin tuna under rules proposed to end
the practice of dumping dead bluefin caught on hooks meant for other
species.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/viewart/20130821/NEWS01/130821016/New-bluefin-tuna-rules-proposed-Atlantic-Gulf-
Report blames wielding for fatal Gulf oilrig fire
by Associated Press
Published: August 21,2013
GULF OF MEXICO — A consultant's report for a Texas-based company says a
deadly 2012 explosion on its Gulf of Mexico oil platform off the Louisiana
coast happened when workers for a subcontractor used unsafe welding
practices.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2013/08/21/report-blames-wielding-for-fatal-gulf-oilrig-fire/
National
Obama's climate plan could cut power-plant emissions 26 percent. Or just 1
percent.
Washington Post
By Brad Plumer, Updated: August 21, 2013
As part of its big push to address climate change, the Obama administration
is crafting rules to cut carbon-dioxide emissions from the nation's power
plants. One big unknown, however, is how much these regulations will
actually do. A lot? A little?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/08/21/obamas-climate-plan-could-cut-power-plant-emissions-1-percent-or-26-percent/?print=1
Lawmakers want answers on 'social cost of carbon' decision
The Hill
By Ben Goad - 08/21/13 12:27 PM ET
The top Republican and Democratic members of a House panel are requesting
information about the White House's move to increase damage estimates
related to carbon emissions — a metric used to support regulatory
decisions.
http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/energyenvironment/318057-lawmakers-want-answers-on-social-cost-of-carbon-decision-
Senate Dem announces bill to cut 'red tape' on marine debris funds
The Hill
By Ramsey Cox - 08/21/13 01:31 PM ET
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) announced Tuesday he will introduce a bill would
fund marine debris emergencies when Congress returns in September.
The Marine Debris Emergency Act would expedite grant funding through
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Marine Debris
program and prioritizes grants to communities facing severe debris events.
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/318079-senate-dem-announces-bill-to-cut-red-tape-on-marine-debris-funds
Thousands weigh in on proposed fracking rule
The Hill
By Julian Hattem - 08/21/13 12:09 PM ET
The Obama administration has received more than 5,000 comments on its
proposed regulation for hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, on public and
Native American lands.
http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/pending-regs/318051-thousands-weigh-in-on-proposed-fracking-rule-
Opinion
Editorial: BP oil spill dangers persisting
Wednesday, August 21, 2013 5:55pm
Tampa Bay Times
A new study by the University of South Florida underscores the need to
continue monitoring the impact of the 2010 BP oil spill. Researchers
testing the toxicity of the Gulf of Mexico found that a portion of the
spilled oil could have moved southeastward toward the Tampa Bay area,
potentially affecting marine life in ways that might not be known for
years. This is the latest reminder of the importance of tracking the
spill's long-term impact.
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-bp-oil-spill-dangers-persisting/2137646
Press Releases
Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council Posts Materials for August 28,
2013, Council Meeting
The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (Council) will meet on
Wednesday, August 28, 2013, at 1:00 p.m. CST to vote on the Initial
Comprehensive Plan: Restoring the Gulf Coast's Ecosystem and Economy (Plan
). The public is invited to attend the Council Meeting.
Today, the Council posted meeting materials on its website:
www.restorethegulf.gov.
August 28, 2013 Meeting Agenda
Draft Plan as published on May 23, 2013
Appendix A - Background Information - Preliminary List of Authorized but
Not Commenced Projects and Programs.
Public comments received: on May 23, 2013 the Gulf Coast Ecosystem
Restoration Council released the Draft Initial Comprehensive Plan for 30
days of public comment. After receiving numerous requests to extend the
public comment period, the Council extended the deadline to July 8, 2013.
The attached PDF files reflect the comments submitted to the Council by the
public.
· Comments received by mail
· Comments received by email (1)
· Comments received by email (2)
· Comments received through PEPC
· Form Letters received
Response to Public Comments document
Initial Comprehensive Plan
Initial Comprehensive Plan – Vietnamese translation
Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment
Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment
· Final PEA Table of Contents
· Final PEA
· Final PEA Summary-Vietnamese Translation
Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)
Additional translated materials will be available on this site shortly.
For more information about these materials, please contact the Council at
RestoreCouncil@doc.gov.
########
The meeting will take place at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, 601 Loyola Ave, New
Orleans, Louisiana. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, Chair of the
Council, will preside over the meeting and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal
will be in attendance as a Council member and host of the meeting. Council
representatives from the other Gulf States and participating federal
agencies will be in attendance.
Preregister for the Council meeting:
http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=b6avr5nab&oeidk=a07...
Pre-registration ends at midnight CST on August 25, 2013. On-site
registration will be available on August 28, 2013, beginning two hours
prior to the meeting start time.
In addition to voting on the Plan, the Council will hear from some of its
key restoration partners, including representatives from the Deepwater
Horizon Natural Resource Damage Trustees, the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
RESTORE Science Program about their Gulf restoration efforts.
