Oil Spill
Blood tests show elevated health risks for Gulf spill cleanup workers
Posted on September 16, 2013 at 11:01 pm by Jennifer A. Dlouhy
Houston Chronicle
People hired to clean up Gulf of Mexico beaches and marshes during the 2010
oil spill have significantly altered blood profiles that put them at
increased risk of developing liver cancer, leukemia and other disorders,
according to a report published Tuesday.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2013/09/16/blood-tests-suggest-elevated-health-risk-for-spill-cleanup-workers/
State
Canebrake road damaged
Hattiesburg American
A 30-foot crack running across the top of Canebrake Lake Dam does not
appear to have affected the integrity of the structure, but the roadway
will remain closed for repairs likely until the end of the week.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20130917/NEWS01/309170014/Canebrake-road-damaged
5 injured in Wayne Co. oil well explosion
Hattiesburg American
Officials are trying to piece together what caused an oil well explosion
that injured five workers Monday morning in Wayne County.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20130917/NEWS01/309170009/5-injured-Wayne-Co-oil-well-explosion
Oil well explosion near Waynesboro injures 5
The Associated Press
September 16, 2013 at 3:09 PM
WAYNESBORO, Mississippi -- Five workers have been injured in an explosion
at an oil well near Waynesboro.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/09/oil_well_explosion_near_waynes.html#incart_river
Mississippi officials say unspent Katrina money targeted
The Associated Press
September 16, 2013 at 5:23 PM
JACKSON, Mississippi -- Mississippi officials said millions of dollars in
federal aid still unspent years after Hurricane Katrina doesn't spell
trouble with the recovery effort, disputing a watchdog report that found
among things that jobs' creation was still lagging at the Port of Gulfport.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/09/mississippi_officials_say_unsp.html#incart_river
Gulf Regional Planning Commission sets public meetings in Pascagoula, Ocean
Springs for review of 'Plan for Opportunity'
Mississippi Press
September 16, 2013 at 2:11 PM
GULFPORT, Mississippi -- A consortium led by the Gulf Regional Planning
Commission and other community partners is nearing the completion of the
region's first ever comprehensive sustainability plan, the Plan for
Opportunity.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/09/gulf_regional_planning_commiss.html#incart_river
Budget hearings: 2 state agencies actually request less
Clarion Ledger
Leaders of several state agencies asked lawmakers for more money on Monday,
the start of annual budget hearings before the Joint Legislative Budget
Committee.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20130917/NEWS01/309170019/Budget-hearings-2-state-agencies-actually-request-less
Regional
EPA finds 'severe deficiencies' with Louisville's air-monitoring network;
state issues second failing audit
Courier-Journal
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has confirmed "severe
deficiencies" in Louisville's air monitoring network(Embedded image moved
to file: pic19895.jpg), even as state officials have issued another new
audit that finds more problems with local air pollution data.
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20130916/NEWS01/309160075/EPA-finds-severe-deficiencies-Louisville-s-air-monitoring-network?nclick_check=1
National
Methane emissions from onshore natural gas drilling found lower than
estimates
Washington Post
By Steven Mufson,
A new study by the University of Texas at Austin shows that methane
emissions from onshore natural gas drilling are much lower than previous
estimates, in part because of the effectiveness of techniques required by
the Environmental Protection Agency for completing a well and bringing it
into production.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/study-finds-methane-emissions-from-onshore-natural-gas-drilling-lower-than-estimates/2013/09/16/6913c4c0-1f09-11e3-94a2-6c66b668ea55_print.html
Study: Natural gas industry can cut fracking emissions
USA Today
The booming U.S. production of natural gas can be less
environmentally harmful than estimated if gas companies take certain
steps to cut greenhouse gas emissions, says a major study Monday
that was done with industry participation.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/16/natural-gas-industry-fracking-methane-greenhouse-gas-emissions/2811193/
U.S. Overstates Leaks by Gas-Drillers, Says Study
University of Texas Researchers Challenge Methane Emissions by Fracking
Wall Street Journal
Natural-gas drilling sites aren't leaking as much methane into the
atmosphere as the federal government and critics of hydraulic fracturing
had believed, according to the first study of emissions at multiple
drilling sites.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323981304579079400039800412.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5
California poised to become first state to impose full ban on lead bullets
Fox News
California is on the verge of becoming the first state to impose a full ban
on hunting with lead bullets -- with environmentalists and gun-rights
advocates squaring off as Gov. Jerry Brown decides whether to sign the
legislation.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/09/16/california-poised-to-be-first-state-to-impose-statewide-ban-on-lead-bullets/?intcmp=latestnews
Press releases
EPA Marks Pollution Prevention (P2) Week with Renewed Emphasis on Reducing
Carbon Pollution
WASHINGTON — During Pollution Prevention (P2) Week, September 16-22, the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) encourages Americans to prevent
or reduce pollution at the source. This year's pollution prevention week
comes just three months after President Obama's speech at Georgetown
University where he outlined his Climate Action Plan to reduce carbon
pollution that causes climate change.
In addition to the Climate Action Plan, which outlines a number of common
sense steps the administration is taking to reduce carbon pollution like
increasing renewable energy and fuel efficiency, there are also a number of
steps Americans can take to reduce carbon pollution:
Save energy and money: Look for the Energy Star label to find energy
efficient electronics and appliances, which can save up to $400 a year per
household on energy bills and reduce carbon pollution from power
generation. http://www.energystar.gov/
Find a fuel efficient car — Public transit or biking to your destination
makes the most sense for the environment and your pocketbook, but the EPA
Green Vehicle Guide can help you choose a more fuel efficient car and
reduce air pollution from emissions and save money at the gas pump. The
program also certifies fleet vehicles for commercial use
http://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/Index.do, http://www.epa.gov/smartway
Pollution prevention week focuses on other ways to protect the environment.
In addition to reducing carbon pollution, Americans can reduce pollution
by:
Saving water: Look for the WaterSense label to find water efficient
products, which can save over 5,000 gallons of water per year per household
and keep water supplies at safe levels. Lower water levels can contribute
to higher concentrations of natural and human pollutants.
http://www.epa.gov/watersense
Picking safer products: Look for EPA's Design for the Environment (DfE)
Safer Product Label on more than 2,500 products for home and industrial
use. Choosing DfE-labeled products can prevent 40 pounds of potentially
harmful chemicals from being released into a home and the environment.
http://www.epa.gov/dfe
Using pesticides properly: If you need to manage pests in your home or
garden, be PestWise– you'll reduce risk to health and the environment from
chemicals and save money with informed strategies.
http://www.epa.gov/pestwise/live/index.html
Helping green the playing field — EPA just launched a new Green Sports
Resource Directory to help teams, leagues, facilities and fans green the
sports community. Visit the site to learn if your team is going green and
check back often— the page will continually be updated with new stats,
environmental victories and information. http://www2.epa.gov/green-sports
EPA also maintains the Greener Products Portal to help consumers, as well
businesses, and institutional buyers identify greener, safer and more
efficient products. The portal features all of EPA's eco-labeling
partnership programs, whose standards are based on scientific expertise and
use the best available data. http://www.epa.gov/greenerproducts
Each year, EPA's grant-funded pollution prevention programs alone report
reductions in hazardous emissions by hundreds of millions of pounds, save
hundreds of millions of gallons of water , save tens of millions of
dollars, and reduce a million or more metric tons of carbon pollution
equivalent that would otherwise contribute to climate change. The savings
from new results usually continue for years into the future, so the
cumulative impacts of these pollution prevention efforts over time become
even more significant.
By being aware of how we generate pollution in our daily lives and taking
steps to reduce impacts – by making greener product choices, and adopting
commonsense and cents-saving measures— we can each reduce our environmental
footprints and collectively improve the health of our communities and
country.
Connect with EPA on social media for more P2 tips everyday, look for
#P2Week and join the #SaferProducts Twitter Chat by following @EPAlive on
Tuesday September 17th at 2pm.
More on pollution prevention, P2 Week, and EPA's P2 programs:
http://www2.epa.gov/p2week
More on President Obama's Climate Action Plan:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/image/president27sclimateactionplan.pdf
September's Adventure Quencher:
Seaside with a Scientist
MOSS POINT, Miss. - In honor of National Estuaries Day, the Mississippi
Department of Marine Resources' Grand Bay National Estuarine Research
Reserve is hosting a special Seaside with a Scientist adventure on
Saturday, Sept. 28, from 8 a.m. until noon.
The event is free, and visitors will travel by boat through an estuary to
several habitats and observe firsthand how the reserve's scientists conduct
their research in the field. Scientists will be stationed on the boat, in
the water, in the marsh and on land to demonstrate their sampling
techniques. Participants also will learn how they can use the information
that the scientists collect to help protect our estuaries and other coastal
habitats.
Those who want to participate are encouraged to pre-register because space
is limited. Please call the reserve at 228-475-7047 or email the education
coordinator at jen.buchanan@dmr.ms.gov to reserve your spot today.
Everyone on this adventure will be required to wear a lifejacket. We have a
large number of adult lifejackets but parents are encouraged to bring
lifejackets for their children. Please wear closed-toed shoes—no
flip-flops. Check out our website, www.grandbaynerr.org , for directions to
the site.
National Estuaries Day is celebrated every year on the last Saturday in
September. To learn more about what you can do to celebrate National
Estuaries Day check out this website:
http://estuaries.noaa.gov/GetInvolved/Default.aspx?ID=153
The Grand Bay NERR is located in southeast Jackson County and includes
wetlands and waterways from Bang's Lake to the Alabama state line. The
18,000-acre reserve is home to several rare or endangered plant and animal
species and serves as an essential nursery habitat for numerous important
commercial and recreational fish species. The Reserve is managed through
state-federal partnership between the DMR and its local
partners—Mississippi Secretary of State's Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Mississippi State University and the Nature Conservancy—and the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources is dedicated to enhancing,
protecting and conserving marine interests of the state by managing all
marine life, public trust wetlands, adjacent uplands and waterfront areas
to provide for the optimal commercial, recreational, educational and
economic uses of these resources consistent with environmental concerns and
social changes. Visit the DMR online at www.dmr.ms.gov.
