News Clippings 10/31/13

10/31/13



Oil Spill





"Operation 111" Aims to Ensure Gulf Restoration Money Will Actually Help
the Gulf
Field and Stream
By Bob Marshall

Honey, as we all know, attracts bears. But it also attracts flies, ants,
roaches and plenty of other things we don't really want around.
http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/conservationist/2013/10/operation-111-aims-ensure-gulf-restoration-money-will-actually-help-gu



Top Interior official on offshore drilling to move posts

The Hill

By Laura Barron-Lopez


A top Interior Department official brought on in the aftermath of the BP
Deepwater Horizon oil spill is leaving his post, The Houston Chronicle
reports.

http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/188693-top-interior-official-on-offshore-drilling-to-move-posts





State





MS buys 2,500 acres of mostly Hancock Co. marshland

WLOX

HANCOCK COUNTY, MS (WLOX) -If you are a Mississippian, congratulations on
being the new owner of nearly 2,500 acres of land in Hancock County.
http://www.wlox.com/story/23830837/ms-buys-2500-acres-of-mostly-hancock-co-marshland





Mississippi acquires nearly 2,500 acres of Hancock County marshland

Mississippi Press

April M. Havens

October 30, 2013 at 2:17 PM



To help guarantee the preservation of Mississippi's natural resources,

Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann announced today the acquisition of

2,483 acres of pristine marshland at the mouth of the Pearl River in

Hancock County.

http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/10/mississippi_acquires_nearly_25.html#incart_river





State acquires marshland in Hancock County


Sun Herald
By ROBIN FITZGERALD — rfitzgerald@sunherald.com


GULFPORT -- Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann has announced the

acquisition of 2,483.5 acres in southwest Hancock County in a purchase that

aims to preserve the culture and environment of the coastal region and

maintain it for public use.

http://www.sunherald.com/2013/10/30/5071838/state-acquires-marshland-in-hancock.html





Mississippi's wetlands grows


By Jennifer Lenain
The Picayune Item


HANCOCK COUNTY — The state of Mississippi acquired 2,483 acres of marshland
at the mouth of the Pearl River in Hancock County on Wednesday.
http://picayuneitem.com/local/x134994144/Mississippis-wetlands-grows/?state=taberU



PSC to fight EPA on new rules
DeSoto Times


Published: Thursday, October 31, 2013 1:05 AM CDT


Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley recently won a 2-1 vote on the
Mississippi Public Service Commission to fight the Environmental Protection
Agency's newest rounds of federal regulations aimed at the American coal
industry and traditional coal power generation.
http://www.desototimes.com/articles/2013/10/31/news/doc5271aac2b132c190396861.txt



Then & Now: Hercules' Hattiesburg facility
Hattiesburg American



Before building a Hattiesburg plant in the 1920s, California Powder Works

renamed itself Hercules to emphasize the potency of the explosive black

powder it produced.

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20131031/NEWS01/310310009/Then-Now-Hercules-Hattiesburg-facility




Sonar reveals full picture of underwater debris near bridge

WLOX

BILOXI, MS (WLOX) -A 15 foot long piece of concrete is hiding just two feet
below the water's surface near the Biloxi-Ocean Springs Bridge. That's what
a crew from the Department of Marine Resources discovered Wednesday using a
sidescan sonar. There's also a bit of rebar in the water.
http://www.wlox.com/story/23834890/sonar-reveals-full-picture-of-underwater-debris-near-bridge





Judge will rule later in Sun Herald's lawsuit against DMR, state auditor
Sun Herald
By ANITA LEE — calee@sunherald.com


BAY ST. LOUIS -- After a day-long hearing closed to the public for several

hours, Chancery Judge Jennifer Schloegel said Wednesday she will rule later

on a public records lawsuit the Sun Herald filed in January against the

state Department of Marine Resources and State Auditor's Office.

http://www.sunherald.com/2013/10/30/5071695/sun-herald-in-court-asking-judge.html







National





AAA: New fuel regulations could increase gas prices at pump

The Hill

By Julian Hattem

New fuel regulations could drive up gas prices if they require car owners
to use a "potentially damaging" type of gasoline that could hurt cars'
engines, according to AAA.
http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/pending-regs/188391-aaa-new-fuel-regulations-could-increase-gas-prices-pump





Opinion





Propane industry wants a place in alternative-fuels debate
Clarion Ledger

Jeff Ayres




Use the word "propane" in front of people, and most of them may think of

the tanks containing the fuel long seen on the sides of houses and service

stations in rural areas.



But industry leaders say the fuel has a decidedly 21st century use and

purpose: as an alternative fuel source for companies losing thousands of

dollars each year running their vehicle fleets on gasoline or diesel.

http://blogs.clarionledger.com/theprofitmargin/2013/10/30/propane-industry-wants-a-place-in-alternative-fuels-debate/







Press Releases





State of Mississippi makes Significant Land Acquisition in Hancock County


Hancock Co., Miss.-Further guaranteeing the preservation of Mississippi's
natural resources, Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann announced the
acquisition of 2483 acres of pristine marsh land located at the mouth of
the Pearl River in Hancock County.


"For the second time this year, we were able to acquire heritage properties
for the Tidelands Preserve on behalf of the State of Mississippi. The
Baldwin property was acquired with federal funding and private donations-no
State dollars were used to purchase this property," says Secretary of State
Delbert Hosemann. "Our Agency has been trying to purchase this property
for almost fifteen (15) years because of its high conservation value."


Formerly owned by the Baldwin family, the newly acquired land is located in
southwest Hancock County fronting the Pearl River for two (2) miles at the
junction with the Mississippi Sound.


"This property located in southwest Hancock County is a key acquisition for
the state of Mississippi and its residents," said Jamie Miller, Executive
Director of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. "This pristine
marsh is in the Coastal Preserves and provides critical nursery habitat for
gulf seafood and acts as a buffer from storms. By owning it, we will be
better able to manage and enhance those functions."


The total purchase price of the Baldwin Property is $1,167,868.38. Funding
available for the purchase is as follows:
* Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP federal grant)
$554,758.38
* Nature Conservancy (dedicated to coastal preserve lands)
$613,110.00


The former owners of the Baldwin property also donated an additional
five-acre parcel valued at $310,000 to the acquisition.


The "Baldwin" property fills a gap between properties already owned by the
State and will be managed by the State of Mississippi as part of the
Mississippi Coastal Preserve System.
http://www.sos.ms.gov/news_press_release.aspx?id=544

News Clippings 10/30/13

10/30/2013



Oil Spill





BP chief: 'Much less rocky road'
The Hill




BP CEO Bob Dudley has a message: We're back. Or getting there, anyway.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/188468-bp-chief-%E2%80%98much-less-rocky-road%E2%80%99






Has BP Finally Moved Past the Deepwater Horizon Disaster?

Wall Street Cheat Sheet


BP stock advanced as much a 4 percent in early trading on Tuesday after the

multinational oil and gas company reported third-quarter financial results.

Consolidated underlying replacement cost profit — an accounting method that

adjusts for the constantly fluctuating price of oil, similar to "last in,

first out" — fell 26 percent on the year to $3.7 billion.

http://wallstcheatsheet.com/stocks/has-bp-finally-moved-past-the-deepwater-horizon-disaster.html/?a=viewall







State





Will curbside recycling ever return to Hancock County?

WLOX


HANCOCK COUNTY, MS (WLOX) -How can we improve recycling efforts in
Mississippi? That's one of the questions that will be answered at a
statewide, three day conference sponsored by the Mississippi Recycling
Coalition.
http://www.wlox.com/story/23812699/will-curbside-recycling-ever-return-to-hancock-county





Kemper plant cost nears $5 billion with latest overrun


AP



Mississippi Power Co. says the expected cost of the power plant it's

building in Kemper County has risen another $150 million because of

schedule delays.

http://www.clarionledger.com/viewart/20131030/NEWS01/310300028/Kemper-plant-cost-nears-5-billion-latest-overrun






Spill on I-10 exit ramp was rock salt





Sun Herald





JACKSON COUNTY -- Further examination of a substance that fell from a truck

and spilled on the exit 75 off-ramp at Interstate 10 on Tuesday revealed it

was rock salt, MDEQ spokesman Robbie Wilbur said.

http://www.sunherald.com/2013/10/29/5070404/around-south-mississippi.html





I-10 ramp at exit 75 remains open after non-hazardous spill



WLOX




What looked like chemicals spilled on an I-10 off ramp in Jackson County
caused some anxiety Tuesday afternoon. The three piles of sandy white
substance turned out to be nothing more than rock salt according to the
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.
http://www.wlox.com/story/23820100/chemical-spill-closes-i-10-ramp-at-exit-75



Tornado drill today in Mississippi


Clarion Ledger



Mississippi will conduct a statewide tornado drill at 9:15 a.m. today.



This is part of Tornado Preparedness Week in Mississippi being observed

through Friday.

http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20131030/NEWS/131030001/Tornado-drill-today-Mississippi?nclick_check=1




New requirements for controlling beaver population


AP




CORINTH, Miss. (AP) — Sign-up begins Monday for a federal beaver control
program run by the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/New-requirements-for-controlling-beaver-population/zPWOEPzEZkOwQ_l6FR6oCw.cspx




National





Lawmakers Join Rally Against 'War on Coal' at Capitol
Wall Street Journal


Several thousand members of the coal-mining industry and its affiliates

staged a protest on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Tuesday afternoon,

decrying environmental regulations they say are putting them out of

business.

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2013/10/29/rally-against-war-on-coal-at-capitol/?KEYWORDS=coal







Rep. Rahall on EPA coal tour: 'Good grief, they are going to San Francisco'

The Hill

By Ben Geman


Coal country lawmakers from both parties said Tuesday that the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is turning a blind eye to their
states as it crafts carbon emissions limits for power plants.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/188510-rep-rahall-on-epa-coal-tour-%E2%80%98good-grief-they-are-going-to-san-francisco%E2%80%99






U.S. to Cut Back Funds For Coal Plants Overseas

Wall Street Journal


By
KEITH JOHNSON
Oct. 29, 2013 6:28 p.m. ET

The Obama administration, which is already planning to crack down on

coal-fired power plants at home, also wants to cut off public financing for

coal plants overseas.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304470504579166033143397114?KEYWORDS=coal






A Nuclear Cleanup Effort Leaves Questions Lingering at Scores of Old Sites



Years Later, the Legacy of the U.S. Arms Buildup Remains Near Homes, Parks
and Malls
Wall Street Journal


It was a discovery that helped launch the nuclear age. On the eve of

America's entry into World War II, scientists isolated plutonium in a small

room in UC Berkeley's Gilman Hall. To make sure the moment wasn't

forgotten, Room 307 was designated a National Historic Landmark.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887323342404579079483154040874?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_4




Organic standards for farm-raised fish come slowly
Politico
By: Jenny Hopkinson
October 30, 2013 05:09 AM EDT


Farm-raised fish is one of the few types of food not currently available at
the grocery store with a U.S. Department of Agriculture organic label on
it, but the agency shouldn't be in too much of a rush to rectify that, a
handful of organic and consumer advocacy groups warn.
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/10/organic-standards-for-aquaculture-are-slow-moving-99057.html?hp=r15




Opinion





Oubre: Maintaining a healthy Gulf Coast is key to local economy

Houston Chronicle
Funds from oil spills should help bolster resources, industries
By Sinclair Oubre
October 29, 2013 6:53pm



Texas' natural treasures are essential drivers of the state's economy.
That's why major cities and counties along the Texas coast passed
resolutions last month calling for decision makers to invest money from the
2010 Gulf oil spill in projects that protect the coast against further
environmental and economic damage.
http://www.chron.com/opinion/outlook/article/Oubre-Maintaining-a-healthy-Gulf-Coast-is-key-to-4937133.php






New EPA Rules Will Kill Clean Coal



Technology for carbon capture could be a boon if regulators give it time.
Wall Street Journal


By ROBERT M. DUNCAN
Oct. 29, 2013 7:20 p.m. ET

In an astounding paradox of modern politics, the Obama administration

continues to promote green-energy technologies while also working hard to

kill at least one of them. The proof lies in the administration's carbon

regulations on coal power plants announced on Sept. 20. The rules would

wipe out the development of ecologically important carbon capture and

storage technologies.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304171804579121393922993208?KEYWORDS=coal

News Clippings 10/29/13

10.29.13



State





Gaillet out as Jackson Public Works director
Jackson mayor wants a change
Clarion Ledger


Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba has dismissed Public Works Director Dan

Gaillet, signaling that a long-anticipated overhaul of the department is

underway.

http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20131029/NEWS/310280040/Gaillet-out-Jackson-Public-Works-director?nclick_check=1







Eutaw-McShan aquifer means good water for Columbus
Commercial Dispatch
October 28, 2013 9:55:53 AM
Nathan Gregory - ngregory@cdispatch.com

EDITOR'S NOTE: There are few infrastructure systems as critical to a
community's health and prosperity as a city's water supply. Beginning with
Sunday's look at the Columbus wastewater treatment facilities, The Dispatch
continues an examination of three critical aspects of the water system with
today's look at the city's water supply.


Mitchell Brown makes sure Columbus residents have clean water to drink.

He does this by overseeing the city's two water treatment and distribution
plants and the equipment that processes raw water from 1,000 feet
underground into something fit for consumption.

http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=28304





DMR investigates underwater debris field

WLOX



BILOXI, MS (WLOX) -The DMR is warning boaters to avoid an area near the
Biloxi-Ocean Springs Bridge. An underwater debris field, just north of the
bridge span, poses a real danger to navigation.
http://www.wlox.com/story/23808389/dmr-investigates-underwater-debris-field







Regional





Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge management to be discussed at Nov. 18

public meeting

Mark Schleifstein

The Times-Picayune

October 28, 2013 at 6:34 PM



The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service will hold a public meeting in mid-November

to discuss how best to manage the Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge near

St. Francisville, which is home to the largest American bald cypress tree

east of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2013/10/cat_island_national_wildlife_r.html#incart_river





National





Coal-state lawmakers seek to block EPA power plant rules


Fox News


A pair of coal-state lawmakers introduced legislation on Monday that would
scale back the Environmental Protection Agency's push to impose carbon
dioxide limits on power plants.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/10/29/coal-state-lawmakers-push-to-block-epa-power-plant-rules/?intcmp=latestnews





Bipartisan duo launch attack on EPA climate rules
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 10/28/13 05:33 PM ET


Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) are floating
legislation to greatly scale back Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
carbon emissions rules for new coal-fired power plants.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/331007-bipartisan-duo-launch-attack-on-epa-coal-rules





Opinion





Direct fine monies to coastal environmental restoration
Clarion Ledger


Written by Captain Louis Skrmetta



After almost 40 years of ferrying passengers out to the barrier islands, I

know better than most that a healthy Gulf and Sound is essential to

Mississippi's economy.

http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20131029/OPINION/310290009/Direct-fine-monies-coastal-environmental-restoration?gcheck=1







Sid Salter: Examine underlying costs of federal budget cuts on the state
Clarion Ledger


Politicians talk earnestly, passionately and with historical flourishes

about cutting federal spending.

http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20131027/OPINION/310270012/Sid-Salter-Examine-underlying-costs-federal-budget-cuts-state







Press Releases





TORNADO PREPAREDNESS WEEK DECLARED

PEARL – Gov. Phil Bryant has proclaimed the week of Oct. 28 to Nov. 1 as
Tornado Preparedness Week in Mississippi.

Every year tornadoes pose one of the biggest threats to our state. The
months of November and March see the second highest average number of
tornadoes annually in the state of Mississippi behind April.

Tornadoes spawn from powerful thunderstorms and can cause deaths and
devastate neighborhoods in seconds, sometimes with little to no warning.
Between 1950 and 2012, Mississippi was struck by 229 tornadoes in the month
of November.

"We saw how effective preparedness can be during the Pine Belt tornadoes
back in February as hundreds of homes were destroyed, but there was not one
death," said Mississippi Emergency Management Agency Director Robert
Latham. "When our citizens know what to do, lives are saved and all we have
to do is go in and help with rebuilding."

The National Weather Service will conduct a statewide tornado drill at 9:15
a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30. The NWS will use the Routine Weekly Test on NOAA
weather radios to simulate an actual tornado warning. All local emergency
managers, schools, businesses and residents throughout the state are
encouraged to participate in this drill.

A tornado appears as a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud that extends from a
thunderstorm to the ground with whirling winds that can reach in excess of
200 miles per hour. Damage paths can be in excess of one mile wide and 50
miles long. Mississippi averages 29 tornadoes and seven deaths per year
since 1950, according to the weather service.

"Over the past 20 years, about 80 percent of tornadoes during the month of
November have occurred at night, and more than half of the tornadoes in
December and January have also occurred at night. This presents a
challenge to our residents to remain weather aware during the overnight
hours," said NWS Jackson Meteorologist in Charge Alan Gerard. "A NOAA
Weather Radio is the best way to make sure that you receive a warning when
asleep."

For more information, contact MEMA External Affairs at 866-920-MEMA (6362),
or visit us online at www.msema.org. You may also visit the National
Weather Service for more tornado preparedness information at
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jan/?n=swad

A copy of Gov. Bryant's proclamation is attached.

###



|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Secretary Vilsack Highlights First-Ever Report on USDA Efforts to Expand |
| Agroforestry Practices on Farms, Ranches and Woodlands |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
|WASHINGTON, October 28, 2013 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today |
|released the first-ever report on USDA's role advancing agroforestry. |
|Agroforestry: USDA Reports to America details how agroforestry practices are|
|helping farmers, ranchers and woodland owners enhance agricultural |
|productivity, protect the environment and increase profits. |
| |
| |
|"USDA has invested less than one percent of its budget into tree-based |
|practices. Yet that small investment allows us to help create private goods |
|and public services that reap great rewards, including reduced greenhouse |
|gas emissions and more resilient agricultural lands," Vilsack said. |
|"However, much work remains to promote and sustain agroforestry practices, |
|which have great potential to promote economic growth and job creation in |
|rural communities." |
| |
| |
|Agroforestry is a management approach that intentionally combines |
|agriculture and forestry to create more sustainable land-use systems. Over |
|the last five years, USDA has assisted landowners financially and with |
|technical guidance to establish roughly 336,000 acres of windbreaks, |
|riparian forest buffers and alley cropping; about 2,000 acres of |
|silvopasture; and about 500 acres of forest farming. Those acres represent |
|less than 1 percent of the potentially suitable land for applying those |
|practices, suggesting there is an opportunity to significantly expand the |
|application of agroforestry in the United States. |
| |
| |
|"Agroforestry provides benefits beyond rural areas," Vilsack said. "In |
|suburban areas, agroforestry practices can improve wildlife habitat, |
|mitigate the movement of odors and dust, serve as noise barriers and act as |
|filters that help keep water clean." |
| |
| |
|Agroforestry: USDA Reports to America is a cross-Departmental effort from |
|eight agencies serving on the Agroforestry Executive Steering Committee: |
|Agricultural Marketing Service; Agricultural Research Service; Farm Service |
|Agency; National Agricultural Statistics Service; National Institute of Food|
|and Agriculture; Natural Resources Conservation Service; Rural Development; |
|and U.S. Forest Service. These agencies work closely with the USDA National |
|Agroforestry Center to advance the science, practice and application of |
|agroforestry, and guide implementation of the USDA Agroforestry Strategic |
|Framework. A longer version of the report will be posted by USDA soon. |
| |
| |
|With the release of this report on agroforestry, USDA wants to start a |
|national conversation about agroforestry with producers, landowners, |
|communities and young people - America's future farmers. |
| |
| |
|"Our goal is and always has been to help landowners understand that trees - |
|and other permanent vegetation - planted in the right place for the right |
|reason, will add value to their lands," said Wayne Honeycutt, USDA Natural |
|Resources Conservation Service Deputy Chief for Science and Technology, who |
|chairs USDA's Agroforestry Executive Steering Committee. "Through the |
|report, we are able to show landowner successes. In some cases, family farms|
|have been saved and woodlands spared from development. We hope by showing |
|these stories, more landowners will see the potential for their operations."|
| |
| |
|To access the report, visit www.usda.gov/agroforestry. Send comments and |
|questions about the report and USDA's role in agroforestry to |
|agroforestry@USDA.gov. |
| |
| |
|# |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|

News Clippings 10.28.13

10.28.2013



State





Natchez Teams for Recycling Grants


The Associated Press

NATCHEZ, MISS. ? Natchez is partnering with Brookhaven and possibly another

local government to apply for a grant to start a regional recycling

initiative.

http://www.sunherald.com/2013/10/28/5064483/natchez-teams-for-recycling-grants.html







Brownfields meetings set in Pascagoula





Sun Herald





PASCAGOULA -- The city plans a brownfields Public Outreach meeting Monday

at the Pascagoula Senior Center at 5 p.m. to inform residents of the

brownfields grant the city has been awarded, and to solicit feedback on

possible sites to include in the brownfields redevelopment project.

http://www.sunherald.com/2013/10/24/5058189/around-south-mississippi.html?sp-tk=07A9CBDEF6837F55E91F1E2E698386A045D3FD536D4BECE9D5CEC4FE07A3B2568DF15BAAFDC6848A836FADFA9A586400F72FDE297E595920DDB80B3FABD338B998C6306F4C4A35633D5E041C9384010E61ED9586A4943A4DD0344CF91BCE5D8DE62519E2012EA1C929040444682E0299B17E1038549CAB8031B14349F2219E46B1D4DFDF99F3FC6771469F9308DB19CB65B62AC0891FA6D5AE2792588E15CD3CB1EB58F8





Waterworks: Lagoons are Columbus' ace in the hole
Commercial Dispatch
October 26, 2013 11:27:16 PM
Nathan Gregory - ngregory@cdispatch.com

■ EDITORS NOTE: There are few infrastructure systems as critical to a
community's health and prosperity as a city's water supply. Beginning
today, the Dispatch takes a closer look at three critical elements in that
system in a three-part series that begins with a look at the wastewater
system.


The Reynolds R. Ridgley Wastewater Treatment Plant in Columbus has the
capacity to treat 10 million gallons of wastewater a day. It typically sees
6-8 million gallons on a daily basis.
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=28264





Pearl River lake meeting set for Tuesday

By Jennifer Lenain
The Picayune Item


PICAYUNE ? The Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District
will host a public meeting Tuesday evening at Margaret Reed Crosby Memorial
Library to discuss plans to alleviate flooding and create a lake in the
Jackson metropolitan area.
http://picayuneitem.com/local/x134990200/Pearl-River-lake-meeting-set-for-Tuesday/?state=taberU






Curbside recycling getting underway in Picayune

By Jennifer Lenain
The Picayune Item


PICAYUNE ? City-wide curbside recycling is set to begin the second week of
November.
http://picayuneitem.com/local/x252037244/Curbside-recycling-getting-underway-in-Picayune



Drug Enforcement Encourages Safe Disposal of Unused Prescriptions





MPB



The number of overdose deaths from prescription drugs in Mississippi has
grown ten-fold since 1990. That's according to the Mississippi Department
of Health.

http://mpbonline.org/News/article/drug_enforcement_encourages_safe_disposal_of_unused_prescriptions





Mississippi auditor seeks secret hearing in Sun Herald's attempt to get DMR
records
Sun Herald

By PAUL HAMPTON ? jphampton@sunherald.com


GULFPORT -- The State Auditor's Office wants a secret hearing on its

attempt to seal records from the Department of Marine Resources

investigation.

http://www.sunherald.com/2013/10/25/5060268/state-auditor-seeks-secret-hearing.html?sp-tk=C1094B02EE2B87CE885F624E9FD7384A0352EB96B61B802BF5A8692AFD2DE265121754BD1A46DC978B379CAC89A0C8BBC84FDB83993215BAA4D44348259BF9F24E32D6BCB2500B2BC27FAE869AFE4058736AB74541A9E4B70209AD0C0790A375ADDF29A4D2CDD9691DBA4DE65ADE0977B42F8B59B035D51B21D20FC7AF216E7B2A59A7525EFCD69B8B75BD7ECD1AC4C6057488E6ED188A83B54E6B91377B7223E49637F4





People on the Move: Ducks Unlimited
Clarion Ledger


Tom Moorman has been selected to serve as director of operations for Ducks
Unlimited's Southern Region. Moorman will oversee DU's conservation
delivery in 13 states. He was the leader of DU's Gulf Coast Oil Spill
Response Team.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20131027/BIZ/310270048/People-Move-Ducks-Unlimited?nclick_check=1





Regional





Eco laws broken repeatedly by businesses, government agencies in SC
The State

By SAMMY FRETWELL ? sfretwell@thestate.com


South Carolina's effort to enforce environmental laws hasn't stopped

companies and government agencies from repeatedly breaking rules to protect

the air, land and water during the past two decades.

http://www.thestate.com/2013/10/26/3061455/eco-laws-broken-repeatedly-by.html







National





Coal advocates to storm Capitol Hill
The Hill
By Laura Barron-Lopez - 10/25/13 11:31 AM ET


Coal executives and miners will storm the Capitol next week to put pressure
on Congress and the White House over regulatory policies that they say are
killing jobs.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/330621-coal-advocates-to-storm-capitol-hill


Dems tell White House to speed up fracking guidance
The Hill
By Julian Hattem - 10/25/13 01:24 PM ET


House Democrats want the Obama administration to finalize tough guidance
for hydraulic fracturing operations, also known as fracking, that use
diesel to develop oil and natural-gas resources.
http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/pending-regs/330659-dems-tell-white-house-to-speed-up-fracking-guidance


Businesses flock to White House ahead of biofuel rule
The Hill
By Julian Hattem - 10/25/13 03:35 PM ET


Officials at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) have been busy
meeting with chemical and energy companies in recent days, ahead of the
expected release of new biofuel standards.
http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/energyenvironment/330695-businesses-flock-to-white-house-ahead-of-biofuel-rule-



Oil industry says EPA may need to go further to reduce ethanol requirements
Des Moines Register

Despite growing evidence that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will
reduce the amount of renewable fuels that must be blended into the
country's motor fuel supply in 2014, the petroleum industry warned Thursday
the agency may not go far enough to give refiners "more breathing room."
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20131024/BUSINESS01/131024029/Oil-industry-says-EPA-may-need-to-go-further-to-reduce-ethanol-requirements?nclick_check=1



Energy Boom Puts Wells In America's Backyards

Wall Street Journal
By
RUSSELL GOLD and
TOM MCGINTY
Oct. 25, 2013 11:09 p.m. ET

Over the summer, something sprang up in the view from Dorsey Johnson's back

deck north of Denver, where she watches sunsets over Colorado's front

range.



It was a noisy, towering rig, drilling a new oil well.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB20001424052702303672404579149432365326304




Polls show energy doesn't spark Americans' interest
Politico
By: Darren Goode
October 28, 2013 05:03 AM EDT


The U.S. is a rising energy power with soaring oil and gas production and
lots of big decisions to make about pipelines, fracking, the future of wind
and solar power, and how to tackle climate change.
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/10/polls-show-energy-doesnt-spark-americans-interest-98904.html?hp=r5





Scientists dig for fossils in LA a century later
By ALICIA CHANG ? AP Science Writer

LOS ANGELES ? Surrounded by a gooey graveyard of prehistoric beasts, a

small crew diligently wades through a backlog of fossil finds from a

century of excavation at the La Brea Tar Pits in the heart of Los Angeles.

http://www.sunherald.com/2013/10/28/5064331/scientists-dig-for-fossils-in.html






If Only Hunters Could Sell Venison



Could loosening rules on deer meat help combat a suburban scourge?


Wall Street Journal



By
JIM STERBA
Oct. 18, 2013 8:49 p.m. ET

What explains the fact that we have a glut of white-tailed deer in this

country, yet an estimated 85% of the venison sold in restaurants and at

meat counters is imported from farms in New Zealand?

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304410204579139424081224050?mod=WSJ_Books_LS_Books_5





Press Releases





EPA Awards $400,000 to Communities to Reduce Water Pollution, Build
Resilience to Climate Change

Communities in Rhode Island, Michigan, Nebraska, Indiana, Arizona, and
South Carolina will receive funding for green infrastructure

WASHINGTON ? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced
$400,000 to help six communities expand their use of green infrastructure
to reduce water pollution and boost resilience to the impacts of climate
change. The funding is in support of President Obama's Climate Action Plan,
which directs federal agencies to identify climate-resilient investments
such as agency grants and technical assistance for communities across the
country.

"Investing in green infrastructure pays off for our environment and our
economy. It reduces water pollution and energy consumption. It creates jobs
and boosts local economic activity," said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy.
"And these investments help local communities build resilient systems to
protect from severe storms, floods, and other impacts of climate change."

This new funding continues the agency's support for communities using green
infrastructure to reduce water pollution and protect human health while
increasing economic activity and neighborhood revitalization, job creation,
energy savings, and open space. Green infrastructure builds resilience to
the impacts of climate change, particularly by reducing the burden on local
water infrastructure.

Green infrastructure decreases pollution to local waterways by treating
rain where it falls and keeping polluted stormwater from entering sewer
systems. Green infrastructure tools and techniques include green roofs,
permeable materials, alternative designs for streets and buildings, trees,
rain gardens and rain harvesting systems. Communities are increasingly
using innovative green infrastructure to supplement or substitute for
"gray" infrastructure such as pipes, filters, and ponds.

The six new communities to receive assistance include:

- Providence, R.I. ($75,000) ? Assistance will support the design and
construction of up to four public green infrastructure practices, with
associated operation and maintenance plans, as well as public outreach
efforts to help educate the public about green infrastructure practices.

- Detroit, Mich. ($65,000) ? Assistance will help develop a range of green
infrastructure alternatives to meet polluted runoff reduction targets and
contribute to regional revitalization.

- Lincoln, Neb. ($65,000) ? Assistance will help develop a menu of green
infrastructure options for the Antelope Creek Watershed Basin Management
Plan, which seeks to improve water quality in a highly urbanized creek in
the center of the city.

- Gary, Ind. ($65,000) ? Assistance will help develop strategies to meet
water quality goals through retrofitting underutilized parcels with green
infrastructure. EPA assistance may also help develop a green infrastructure
jobs training program.

- Pima County, Ariz. ($65,000) ? Assistance will help complete a green
infrastructure guidance manual addressing selection, design, construction,
and maintenance of green infrastructure practices, and assess the costs and
multiple benefits of green infrastructure practices in a desert
environment.

- Spartanburg, S.C. ($65,000) ? Assistance will support the development of
conceptual designs for green infrastructure practices throughout the
Northside Community, a low-income community located in the headwaters of
the impaired Fair Forest Creek that is targeted for revitalization.

In the last two years, EPA has provided $1.35 million to more than 20
communities for green infrastructure. To share lessons learned from green
infrastructure projects, EPA is releasing a series of reports highlighting
the work of communities that received technical assistance from the agency
in 2012, including Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Portland.

EPA has also released a new report analyzing the economic benefits of green
infrastructure in 13 locations to help utilities, states, municipalities,
and other stormwater professionals understand the potential financial
benefits in their communities. Green infrastructure typically can cost less
than traditional water infrastructure. Locations in the report include
Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn. Milwaukee, Wis., Portland, Ore., and West
Union, Iowa.

More information on the green infrastructure assistance, progress reports
and strategy:
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/greeninfrastructure/gi_support.cfm.

More information on the economic benefits case studies:
http://www.epa.gov/nps/lid.

News Clippings 10/25/13

10.25.2013



Oil Spill






Can Ballpark Fix Biloxi's Blues?


Debate Emerges Over How to Use Oil-Spill Recovery Funds; 'Restore Our
Ecosystem'

Wall Street Journal


BILOXI, Miss.—Billions of dollars in BP payments after theDeepwater Horizon

oil spill have gone toward everything from coastal restoration to

compensating fishermen and dolphin research.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304330904579136111859450806





Bay leaders prepare for anticipated BP Restore Act funds

WLOX


BAY ST. LOUIS, MS (WLOX) -BP Restore Act funds are expected to bring
millions of dollars to coastal communities. Bay St. Louis city leaders are
now in the process of developing a wish list for capital improvement
projects they'd liked to see take shape with that money.
http://www.wlox.com/story/23784109/bay-prepares-to-spend-large-wave-of-oil-spill-money





State





Port of Gulfport could be 1st on the Gulf to be green certified

WLOX
GULFPORT, MS (WLOX) -The State Port at Gulfport is considering plans for
"going green."
http://www.wlox.com/story/23783272/port-of-gulfport-could-be-1st-on-the-gulf-to-be-green-certified





New Program Aimed to Improve Gautier's Water and Sewer


WLOX


Video Only


http://www.wlox.com/category/240214/video-center?clipId=9450763&autostart=true





MDA hosts propane autogas roadshow
Clarion Ledger



MDA is working with the Southeast Propane Autogas Development Program on a

roadshow Wednesday that will give fleet managers and operators a chance to

learn more about propane autogas.

http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20131025/BIZ/310250029/MDA-hosts-propane-autogas-roadshow







DMR divers will check out metal hazard in Biloxi Bay
Sun Herald
By KAREN NELSON — klnelson@sunherald.com


BILOXI -- A thick steel bar, the type that's used to reinforce large pieces

of concrete, is sticking out of the water at low tide on the north side of

the Biloxi Bay Bridge, about 200 yards off the Biloxi shore.

http://www.sunherald.com/2013/10/24/5058366/dmr-will-check-out-rebar-protruding.html







Regional





Environmentalists fear streamlining in water resources bills could lead to

projects like MRGO

Bruce Alpert

Times-Picayune

October 24, 2013 at 6:44 PM



WASHINGTON -- Regulatory streamlining provisions in both House- and

Senate-passed water resources bills could lead to poorly conceived projects

like the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO), environmental advocates said

Thursday.

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/10/environmentalists_fear_streaml.html#incart_river





National





Major pension funds want climate study
Ask for details on transition to cleaner energy
AP


PITTSBURGH — Some of the largest pension funds in the U.S. and the world

are worried that major fossil fuel companies may not be as profitable in

the future because of efforts to limit climate change, and they want

details on how the firms will manage a long-term shift to cleaner energy

sources.

http://www.clarionledger.com/viewart/20131025/BIZ/310250016/Major-pension-funds-want-climate-study







Gina McCarthy, Obama's Environmental Watchdog
Mens Journal
By JEFF GOODELL Nov 2013

Gina McCarthy spent her childhood swimming in the polluted waters of Boston
Harbor. Now she's fighting for a clean world for everyone.
In July, Gina McCarthy, 59, was confirmed as the new head of the
Environmental Protection Agency.
http://www.mensjournal.com/magazine/gina-mccarthy-obamas-environmental-watchdog-20131023





EPA chief Gina McCarthy on maintaining a 'diverse energy mix' for America


PBS News Hour


JUDY WOODRUFF: Now we turn to energy and the environment and to the crucial

and often controversial role of the EPA.

Ray Suarez begins with some background on the agency and its new leader.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/government_programs/july-dec13/epa_10-24.html





U.S. Aluminum-Can Recycling Hits 20-Year High


Rate Is Equivalent to 67% of Cans Produced in 2012

Wall Street Journal



NEW YORK—The rate at which the U.S. recycled aluminum cans in 2012 hit a

20-year high, reflecting metal companies' stepped-up efforts in recent

years to procure and process scrap.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304799404579155693070050648?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5







Press Releases





EPA Announces Funding for Students' Innovative Green Technologies

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced
the 2013 recipients of EPA's People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Phase I
grants. Forty teams of graduate and undergraduate students from across the
country are each receiving a $15,000 grant for research proposals that
develop solutions to real-world environmental challenges.

"The P3 program offers a unique opportunity for students to develop and
showcase innovative designs for environmental solutions," said Lek Kadeli,
principal deputy assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Research and
Development. "As we enter the 10th year of the program, the ingenuity and
passion of the students continue to provide solutions that protect health
and the environment while spurring economic development."

This year's P3 Phase I teams come from 34 universities in 26 states. Their
projects cover a variety of environmental and health topics, such as the
creation of additives that allow for eco-friendly degradation of mulch, a
sustainable water treatment facility for communities with arsenic in their
groundwater, mobile phone apps for citizen scientists to monitor the health
of habitats and streams, and biodegradable food packaging.

Some past P3 winners have gone on to start their own businesses. In 2004,
an award-winning P3 team from Oberlin College launched Lucid Design, Inc.,
a company that designs and sells real-time energy management systems.
Lucid's clients range from Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits and
universities to K-12 schools. With 26 employees, the company averages $1.5
million in annual revenue helping clients change their behavior to reduce
energy consumption.

Each team will use the award to develop their projects throughout the
academic year. In the spring, they will travel to Washington, D.C., to
participate in the annual National Sustainable Design Expo. While at the
Expo, teams will share their designs and compete for EPA's P3 Award and a
Phase II grant of up to $90,000 to further develop their projects. Team
projects are judged by a panel of environmental experts. In the past, P3
Phase II teams have gone on to create small businesses, which are helping
to further America's green economy.

More information on the 2013 Phase I P3 awardees:
http://www.epa.gov/ncer/p3/current/
More information on the P3 program: http://www.epa.gov/P3
To learn more about Lucid Design visit:
http://www.luciddesigngroup.com/index.html (not an EPA website; learn more:
http://www2.epa.gov/webguide/exit-epa )

News Clippings 10.24.13

10.24.2013



Oil Spill





Interior close to floating new offshore drilling rule
The Hill


By Ben Geman - 10/23/13 03:15 PM ET


A top Interior Department official said the department is close to
finishing a draft rule that toughens standards for subsea "blowout
preventers," the type of device that failed to halt BP's runaway Gulf of
Mexico oil well in 2010.

http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/330189-interior-close-to-floating-new-offshore-drilling-rule





State





Amory firm paying $40,000 environmental fine
AP



AMORY, Miss. (AP) — An Amory steel tube maker is paying a nearly $40,000
civil fine for storing hazardous waste too long.


True Temper Sports agreed in September to pay the Mississippi Department of
Environmental Quality $39,655 for holding eight drums of hazardous waste
longer than the 90 days allowed under federal rules.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/Amory-firm-paying-40-000-environmental-fine/6VcezWCMLE2JuzsW1kwOzw.cspx




Aberdeen aldermen accept resolution to proceed on Brownfields assessment
grant

Monroe Journal



by Ray Van Dusen | 6:00 am | October 23, 2013



ABERDEEN – The board of aldermen took the lead Oct. 15 in pursuing the

beginning phases of a Brownfields grant by unanimously accepting a

resolution to move forward.

http://monroecountyjournal.com/2013/10/23/aberdeen-aldermen-accept-resolution-proceed-brownfields-assessment-grant/







Orange flags flying soon
DeSoto Times
By ROBERT LEE LONG
Published: Thursday, October 24, 2013 1:05 AM CDT



HERNANDO— Beginning soon, motorists driving around the historic courthouse
Square in Hernando can glance up at the flagpole in front of the DeSoto
County Administration Building to see if orange flags are flying just below
the Mississippi State flag.

No, the orange flags don't mean that University of Tennessee fans have
commandeered the flagpole.

Instead, the county's Ozone Action Committee is seeking to warn residents
when ozone levels are particularly high.
http://www.desototimes.com/articles/2013/10/24/news/doc52686b3d67a95344124058.txt





Chemical spill cleaned up on Hwy 49 in Gulfport

WLOX


GULFPORT, MS (WLOX) -Highway 49 in Gulfport was shut for about 10 minutes
Wednesday morning while emergency crews cleaned up a chemical spill. It
happened near the intersection of Hwy 49 and O'Neal Road.
http://www.wlox.com/story/23768340/chemical-spill-cleaned-up-on-hwy-49-in-gulfport





75 gallons of hydrochloric acid byproduct leaked at U.S. 49 in Gulfport
Sun Herald
By ROBIN FITZGERALD — rfitzgerald@sunherald.com


GULFPORT -- About 75 gallons of a byproduct of hydrochloric acid leaked

from ruptured barrels being hauled Wednesday on U.S. 49 in an incident that

temporarily shut down a section of highway just south of O'Neal Road.





http://www.sunherald.com/2013/10/23/5053358/us-49-in-gulfport-re-opens-after.html






Smoke closes section of Hwy 90 in Gautier Wednesday afternoon

WLOX


GAUTIER, MS (WLOX) -Traffic is flowing once again on Highway 90 in Gautier,
but it was a different story Wednesday afternoon. Smoke from a woods fire
created dangerous driving conditions, forcing officials to close a portion
of the busy roadway right around the time many people were leaving work.
http://www.wlox.com/story/23771968/smoke-closes-section-of-hwy-90-in-gautier-wednesday-afternoon





Saturday is Prescription Drug Take Back Day

WLBT


JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) -Law enforcement agencies say parents
can help prevent possible overdoses by safely disposing of medications they
no longer use.


http://www.msnewsnow.com/story/23775764/saturday-is-prescription-drug-take-back-day





Drop off your drugs this Saturday

Itawamba County Times



by Adam Armour | 7:00 am | October 24, 2013



Head into the bathroom. Now, open up the cabinet where the medicine is kept

— prescription and over-the-counter alike — and start checking some dates.

See what's in there that isn't being used, is half empty or expired.

Chances are, there are several.

http://itawambatimes.com/2013/10/24/drop-drugs-saturday/






Nuclear ideas for Mississippi discussed at Rotary
Winston County Journal
October 18, 2013

The head of the privately funded Mississippi Energy Institute explained to

the Louisville Rotary Club, the institute work on bringing jobs and other

opportunities to the state with a "nuclear option."

http://winstoncountyjournal.com/?p=5337





Regional





New $3.7 million restoration award announced, this time from pesticide


settlement


Gulf Coast News


Washington, D.C. – Federal and state agencies last week announced a new
$3.7 million award for restoration of Alabama natural resources. The funds
come as part of a $5 million settlement with BASF following pesticide
releases into the Mobile Bay watershed which began 60 years ago.
http://www.gulfcoastnewstoday.com/gulf_visitor_guide/article_af89d562-3bfa-11e3-810d-0019bb2963f4.html





Tons of drugs expected to be turned in to DEA this weekend. Where do they

go?

Al.com



Mike Oliver



October 23, 2013 at 2:21 PM



BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- In April, people turned in 371 tons of drugs at

5,800 sites nationwide, overseen by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2013/10/tons_of_drugs_expected_to_be_t.html#incart_river







National







Greenhouse gas emissions from power plants declined from 2011 to 2012, EPA
says

Washington Post


By Lenny Bernstein, Published: October 23

Greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and other industrial facilities

declined by 4.5 percent from 2011 to 2012 as utilities continued to switch

from coal to natural gas to generate electricity and produced slightly less

power overall, the Environmental Protection Agency reported Wednesday.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-power-plants-declined-from-2011-to-2012-epa-says/2013/10/23/4d8715a0-3c18-11e3-a94f-b58017bfee6c_story.html







Power plant carbon emissions fall 10 percent
The Hill


By Laura Barron-Lopez - 10/23/13 01:58 PM ET


A shift by utilities to cleaner burning natural gas helped carbon
pollution from power plants fall over the last three years, according to
data released by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Wednesday.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/330169-power-plant-carbon-emissions-fall-10-percent





Nearly united House backs new water projects bill
By HENRY C. JACKSON — Associated Press

WASHINGTON — After weeks of intense partisan fights, the House is showing

it can come together on major legislation after all.

http://www.sunherald.com/2013/10/24/5055252/nearly-united-house-backs-new.html







W.Va. chicken farmer wins EPA lawsuit over runoff


By VICKI SMITH, Associated Press
Updated 3:47 pm, Wednesday, October 23, 2013



MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has no

legal right to force a West Virginia poultry grower to obtain water

pollution permits for runoff from her Hardy County farm because it is

routine stormwater discharge, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/science/article/W-Va-chicken-farmer-wins-EPA-lawsuit-over-runoff-4920110.php




Taking out the rivers' trash, one piece at a time


CNN


Memphis, Tennessee (CNN) -- In the past 15 years, Chad Pregracke has helped
pull more than 67,000 tires from the Mississippi River and other waterways
across the United States.
But that's just scratching the surface.
He's also helped retrieve 218 washing machines, 19 tractors, 12 hot tubs,
four pianos and almost 1,000 refrigerators.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/18/us/cnnheroes-pregracke-rivers-garbage/index.html?hpt=hp_t2





Greens slam Coke, Pepsi for oil sands crude in trucks
Poltico
By: Andrew Restuccia
October 24, 2013 05:06 AM EDT


The Sierra Club is taking on the kings of the soft-drink world.


The environmental group and the conservation group ForestEthics are running
ads in USA Today this week that call on Coca-Cola and Pepsi to end their
reliance on fuel derived from Canadian oil-sands crude when shipping their
products around the U.S.
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/10/sierra-club-coca-cola-pepsi-oil-use-98757.html?hp=r11




Press Releases





EPA Releases Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data from Large Facilities

Carbon pollution from power plants declines 10 percent from 2010 due to
growing use of natural gas

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released
its third year of greenhouse gas data detailing carbon pollution emissions
and trends broken down by industrial sector, greenhouse gas, geographic
region, and individual facility. The data, required to be collected
annually by Congress, highlight a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions as
more utilities switch to cleaner burning natural gas.

"EPA is supporting President Obama's Climate Action Plan by providing the
high-quality data necessary to help guide common-sense solutions to address
climate change," said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. "Putting this data
in the hands of the public increases transparency, supports accountability,
and unlocks innovation."

Greenhouse gases emitted through human activities such as transportation
and power generation are the primary driver of recent climate change, which
threatens the health and welfare of Americans—by increasing the likelihood
of hotter, longer heat waves, fueling more frequent and intense extreme
weather events, and worsening ground level ozone, an air pollutant that
causes respiratory and cardiovascular health problems.

EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program collects annual greenhouse gas
information from over 8,000 facilities in the largest emitting industries,
including power plants, oil and gas production and refining, iron and steel
mills, and landfills. In addition, the program is receiving data on the
increasing production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
predominantly used in refrigeration and air-conditioning. The Greenhouse
Gas Reporting Program is the only program that collects facility-level
greenhouse gas data from major industrial sources across the United States.


The 2012 data show that in the two years since reporting began, emissions
from power plants have decreased 10 percent. This is due to a switch from
coal to natural gas for electricity generation and a slight decrease in
electricity production. Fossil-fuel fired power plants remain the largest
source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. With just under 1,600 facilities
emitting over 2 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2012, these plants
account for roughly 40 percent of total U.S. carbon pollution.

The data are accessible through EPA's online data publication tool, FLIGHT,
which is available for both desktop and mobile devices. This year, with
three years of data for most sources, FLIGHT has been updated with new
features, including the ability to view trend graphs by sector and
facility, and download charts and graphs for use in presentations and
reports. The data are also published through EnviroFacts, which allows the
public to download data for further analyses.

Access EPA's GHG Reporting Program Data and Data Publication Tool:
http://www.epa.gov/ghgreporting/

Access EnviroFacts:
http://epa.gov/enviro/





EPA Recognizes WaterSense Partners of the Year for their Efforts in
Promoting Water Efficiency



WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recognizing
its 2013 WaterSense Partners of the Year, including two partners who
received the first-ever WaterSense Sustained Excellence awards in
recognition of their continuous high level of support. The Partner of the
Year awards program recognizes the commitment of WaterSense partners in
promoting water efficiency to the American public. The award winners'
efforts, along with those of more than 2,700 other WaterSense partners,
have helped Americans save 487 billion gallons of water and $8.9 billion in
water and energy bills.



"All of our WaterSense partners have taken steps to reduce our nation's
water use, but several stood out in 2012 for their commitment to the
WaterSense program and collaborative efforts to promote WaterSense-labeled
products, new homes and outreach and educational programs," said EPA's
acting Assistant Administrator for Water Nancy Stoner. "We are pleased to
honor these organizations which have consistently supported our mission to
protect the future of our nation's water supply."



The following partners were formally recognized for their water-saving
efforts during the WaterSmart Innovations Conference in Las Vegas, Nev., at
a special awards ceremony cosponsored by the Alliance for Water Efficiency
and Southern Nevada Water Authority.



Sustained Excellence Award Winners:





Kohler Co., a three-time WaterSense Manufacturer Partner of the Year and
two-time Excellence Award winner, continued to drive demand for
WaterSense-labeled products in 2012. Kohler crisscrossed the country to
promote its WaterSense-labeled products at industry shows in Orlando,
Chicago and San Francisco and even made a stop at Home Depot's 2012 Earth
Day Celebration in New York City's Times Square to demonstrate the flushing
power of its WaterSense-labeled toilets.



Lowes, Inc., a three-time WaterSense Retailer Partner of the Year and 2011
Excellence Award winner, helped Americans become more water-efficient in
2012 by increasing its online inventory of WaterSense-labeled products,
promoting bilingual WaterSense marketing materials, and developing a
smartphone application to help employees find WaterSense-labeled product
rebates for customers.



Partners of the Year:



Promotional Partner of the Year: Athens-Clarke County (Georgia) Public
Utilities Department piloted a commercial program to educate restaurant
owners on the benefits of WaterSense-labeled products and celebrated Fix a
Leak Week 2012 by holding workshops and installing WaterSense-labeled
fixtures in a community building that reduced its water use by 50 percent.



Large Manufacturer Partner of the Year: Delta Faucet Company conducted a
coast-to-coast collaborative effort with a variety of WaterSense partners
and stakeholders during Fix a Leak Week 2012. Delta installed its
WaterSense-labeled plumbing fixtures in 1,900 housing units in 10 cities
across the country, resulting in more than 7 million gallons in estimated
annual water savings.



Small Manufacturer Partner of the Year: Niagara Conservation Corp.
partnered with local utilities and plumbers to develop Niagara Green City,
a program promoting water- and energy-efficient products, and assembled
plumbing kits with WaterSense-labeled products for local utilities to
distribute throughout their communities.

Retailer Partner of the Year: The Home Depot was recognized by EPA for the
second consecutive year for its efforts to promote WaterSense in all of its
U.S. stores, as well as online. The Home Depot's "Eco Options" website,
featuring WaterSense-labeled products and water savings calculators,
garnered more than 2.5 million hits in 2012.



Builder Partner of the Year: KB Home, now a three-time WaterSense Builder
Partner of the Year, continued to break new ground in 2012 with the
construction of WaterSense-labeled new homes across the country. KB Home
continued to raise the bar by building its first ZeroHouse 2.0 model in the
Washington, D.C., area to also earn the WaterSense label.



Professional Certifying Organization Partner of Year: The Irrigation
Association (IA) received its first WaterSense Partner of Year award in the
professional certifying organization category for encouraging irrigators to
become certified through its WaterSense-labeled programs, introducing
WaterSense-labeled irrigation controllers to thousands of industry
stakeholders, and assisting WaterSense in continued work toward labeling
soil moisture-based control technologies.



Irrigation Partner of Year: John Taylor, the president of Taylor Irrigation
Service, Inc., in Houston, Texas, and a certified irrigation auditor,
overhauled his company's business model in 2012 to focus on promoting
water-smart landscaping and efficient irrigation practices, including
WaterSense-labeled irrigation controllers.



Six Excellence Awards were also given at the conference to partners for
their outstanding contributions in specific program areas:



• City of Boulder (Colo.) Department of Public Works/Utilities for
Excellence in Promoting WaterSense-labeled Products
• Colorado Springs (Colo.) Utilities for Excellence in Strategic
Collaboration
• Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, and Town of Sharon, Mass., for
Excellence in Education and Outreach
• Sonoma-Marin (Calif.) Saving Water Partnership for Excellence in
Promoting WaterSense and Water-Efficient Irrigation Practices
• Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver (Colo.) for Excellence in
Construction of Affordable WaterSense-labeled New Homes



Learn more about the 2013 Sustained Excellence Award winners, WaterSense
Partners of the Year, and Excellence Award winners at
www.epa.gov/watersense.



WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by EPA, seeks to protect the
future of our nation's water supply by offering people a simple way to use
less water with water-efficient products, new homes, and services.

News Clippings 10.23.13

10.23.2013



State






Greenville aircraft painting firm fined $19,000 over environmental records
and permit problems


AP


GREENVILLE, Mississippi — A Greenville aircraft painting firm is paying a
$19,000 civil fine for failing to maintain records and renew its
environmental permit on time


Leading Edge Aviation Services agreed in September to pay the fine to the
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.
http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/d78ede1f300d481d8fc8e99ce99ed0de/MS--Leading-Edge-Aviation-Fine/#.UmfDsvkqjzY



KiOR secures funding to increase biofuels production


by Associated Press
Published: October 22,2013

COLUMBUS — A Texas-based company has secured funding to proceed with plans
to double the production capacity at its biofuels production facility in
Columbus.

http://msbusiness.com/blog/2013/10/22/kior-secures-funding-increase-biofuels-production/





National





House water bill debate steers clear of EPA battle
The Hill


By Ben Geman - 10/23/13 07:59 AM ET


House debate on a big water infrastructure bill won't include votes on
various amendments to roll back the Environmental Protection Agency's
powers under the Clean Water Act.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/330053-house-water-bill-debate-steers-clear-of-epa-battle





Chemical safety groups push for action ahead of agency recommendations
The Hill


By Ben Goad - 10/22/13 12:16 PM ET


Health, safety and environmental organizations called Tuesday upon
supporters to press the White House to impose new chemical regulations in
the wake of April's deadly fertilizer plant explosion in Texas.
http://thehill.com/video/campaign/329847-chemical-safety-groups-push-for-action-ahead-of-agency-recommendations





Press releases






EPA Honors Freight Industry Leaders for Environmental Achievements / EPA
SmartWay Program Has Saved 65 Million Barrels of Oil since 2004
Release Date: 10/22/2013
Contact Information: CONTACT: Julia P. Valentine, valentine.julia@epa.gov,
202-564-0496, 202-564-4355


WASHINGTON -- EPA is honoring 55 companies as industry leaders in supply
chain environmental and energy efficiency with its 2013 SmartWay Excellence
Awards. These awards go to companies that have demonstrated outstanding
achievements in reducing carbon pollution and other harmful emissions as
they move goods across the U.S. more efficiently.


"This year's SmartWay Excellence Award recipients show that reducing carbon
pollution is good for business and good for the environment," said Gina
McCarthy, Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "They're
showing how SmartWay business leaders can outcompete the rest of the world
while reducing costs and improving the fuel and freight efficiency of their
transportation operations."


The annual SmartWay Excellence Award honors top truck, intermodal and rail
carrier partners that are setting efficiency benchmarks in how they move
products and supplies. Shipping and logistics partners also are recognized
for superior efficiency and additional actions to reduce freight emissions
through effective collaboration, advanced technology and operational
practices, a robust system for validating and reporting their SmartWay data
and communications and public outreach. SmartWay Excellence Award
recipients were recognized at the annual conference of the Council of
Supply Chain Management Professionals in Denver, Colorado.


EPA launched the SmartWay partnership program in 2004 to help the freight
industry improve environmental performance. Since then, SmartWay Partners
have saved 65 million barrels of oil. This is equivalent to taking over 5
million cars off the road for an entire year. SmartWay's clean air
achievements (28 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, 478,000 tons
nitrogen oxides, and 22,000 tons of particulate matter reduced) help to
protect the health and well-being of citizens and provide for a more
competitive business environment.


More information on SmartWay: http://www.epa.gov/smartway/


List of Excellence Award recipients:
http://www.epa.gov/smartway/partner-resources/awards.htm



###





U.S. National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week Goes Global
Release Date: 10/22/2013
Contact Information: Cathy Milbourn (News Media Only)
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 – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), are partnering with the Global Alliance to
Eliminate Lead Paint, to announce the Lead Poisoning Prevention Week of
Action. This is the first time National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week will
be recognized internationally. More than 35 countries from across the world
will take action and hold public awareness activities during this week.


"This year's theme, 'Lead-Free Kids for a Healthy Future,' underscores the
importance of testing your home for lead and understanding how to prevent
harmful exposures. Given that lead impacts children around the world, we
are pleased to help National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week go global this
year," said Jim Jones, EPA's assistant administrator for the Office of
Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. "Joining with other countries to
raise awareness about protecting children from the harmful exposure to lead
will have a long-term positive effect on the health of children worldwide."


This year, the partners will work to raise awareness about lead paint
poisoning worldwide and the need to eliminate lead in paint. The goal
during this International Week of Action is to reduce lead exposure and
raise public awareness through activities that will take place in more than
35 countries. EPA translated educational materials on the hazards of lead
poisoning and provided customized materials for international activities
and events.


Examples of international activities include:


· national outreach campaigns conducted by the Georgian and South African
governments;
· a medical professionals' conference in India,
· the release of a report on the lead content of household paints offered
for sale in the Philippines; and,
· outreach by the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Health
Organization.


In the United States, paint containing lead was effectively banned for
residential use in 1978. However, sources of children's exposure to lead
from paint can still be found in some older buildings. Despite the
continued presence of lead in the environment, lead poisoning is entirely
preventable. Here are some simple tips to help protect your children:



· If you live in a home built before 1978, have your home inspected for
lead.
· Get your child tested. Even if your young children seem healthy, ask your
doctor to test them for lead exposure.
· Get the facts. Visit: http://www2.epa.gov/lead or 1-800-424-LEAD.
For more information about the U.S. National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week
and a map of Lead Week Activities occurring in the United States and around
the world, visit:
http://www2.epa.gov/lead/lead-poisoning-prevention-week
For more information about the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint
visit:
http://www.unep.org/hazardoussubstances/Home/tabid/197/hazardoussubstances/LeadCadmium



###

News Clippings 10.22.13

10.22.2013



Oil Spill





Federal judge sets rules for submission of summary documents in BP oil

spill trial

Mark Schleifstein

The Times-Picayune

October 21, 2013 at 5:05 PM



U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier has ordered parties in the second phase of

the BP oil spill trial, which ended Friday, to submit summaries of the

evidence presented in the trial and proposed "findings of fact and

conclusions of law" by Dec. 20, with responses to the post-trial briefs to

be filed by Jan. 24, 2014.

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2013/10/federal_judge_sets_rules_for_s.html





Federal judge mandates changes to rules for business claims in BP

settlement, reacting to appeals court ruling

Mark Schleifstein

The Times-Picayune

October 21, 2013 at 8:17 PM



A federal judge in New Orleans is extending a pause on payments for some

business losses tied to BP's Deepwater Horizon oil spill, while ordering

the claims administrator to adjust the rules for some companies in response

to a federal appeals court ruling earlier this month.

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2013/10/federal_judge_orders_changes_b.html#incart_river





Judge orders oil spill claims chief to set terms
WWL


NEW ORLEANS – BP and private plaintiffs have been fighting for a year over
how to interpret their own oil spill claims settlement agreement, so it's
little wonder that both sides have now repeatedly failed to agree on which
claims they're even fighting over.
http://www.wwltv.com/news/eyewitness/davidhammer/Judge-orders-oil-spill-claims-chief-to-set-terms-gets-no-help-from-BP-plaintiffs-228691411.html





State





Officials Work On Lake Serene Dam

WHLT




LAMAR COUNTY, Miss. - Lamar County officials along with the Mississippi
Department of Environmental Quality are still working to fix the crack in
the Lake Serene Dam.
http://www.whlt.com/story/23749728/official-work-on-lake-serene-dam





Jackson and Harrison Counties Are Striving to be Green
WXXV


Waste Pro is in talks about building a recycling plant here on the Coast.
Right now, all Waste Pro recycling is transported out of the state to
Theodore, Alabama to be processed.
http://www.wxxv25.com/news/local/story/Jackson-and-Harrison-Counties-Are-Striving-to-be/Vox6qGCdAkKH3HW9FoV_Tg.cspx





Longleaf pine program takes applications


The Associated Press

JACKSON, MISS. — The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and

Parks is taking applications for a cost-share longleaf pine restoration

program on private lands.

http://www.sunherald.com/2013/10/22/5048894/longleaf-pine-program-takes-applications.html










Pascagoula River provides endless wildlife opportunities



By STEVE MCCALL — Special to the Sun Herald


Meandering through George and Jackson counties the Pascagoula River offers

a variety of wildlife options for every outdoor fancy. For 80 miles, you

can fish, hunt, hike, birdwatch, kayak, canoe, or more, through pristine

wildlife that gives you a feel of taking you back centuries.

http://www.sunherald.com/2013/10/19/5042993/pascagoula-river-provides-endless.html





Census shows carpooling on the rise in South Mississippi
Sun Herald


Hope and Brad Shonk took a leap of faith in July 2012.





With gas prices holding strong, the couple had an epiphany of sorts and

decided to sever ties with her Jeep. Instead, they carpool.

http://www.sunherald.com/2013/10/21/5048701/census-shows-carpooling-on-the.html







National





US carbon dioxide pollution down 3.8 percent
By SETH BORENSTEIN — AP Science Writer

WASHINGTON — The United States cut its energy-related carbon dioxide

pollution by 3.8 percent last year, the second biggest drop since 1990, the

Department of Energy said Monday.

http://www.sunherald.com/2013/10/21/5048168/us-carbon-dioxide-pollution-down.html








GOP lawmakers grill EPA on water reg 'power grab'


Fox News


Calling the plan a "massive power grab," Republican lawmakers are asking
the Environmental Protection Agency to explain why it's in such a rush to
implement a federal regulation which they argue could have a major impact
on private property rights.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/10/21/gop-lawmakers-grill-epa-on-water-reg-power-grab/?intcmp=latestnews





Energy Department looks deeper into oil-and-gas drilling boom
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 10/21/13 09:49 AM ET

The Energy Department is taking a closer look at the future of oil-and-gas
drilling in regions where hydraulic fracturing has enabled surging
production.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/329561-energy-department-looks-deeper-into-oil-and-gas-drilling-boom

News Clippings 10.21.13

10.21.2013



Oil Spill





Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality Wants Input After the BP
Oil Spill
WXXV


The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality or MDEQ, has just
launched a new web portal for public use. MDEQ Executive Director, Trudy
Fisher, is committed to the public being involved with restoring the coast
after the BP oil spill.
http://www.wxxv25.com/news/local/story/Mississippi-Department-of-Environmental-Quality/_Jk_HHx1HEG7YhR--lavlA.cspx





Testimony ends in second phase of federal BP trial; judge to set schedule

for penalty phase

Mark Schleifstein



The Times-Picayune



October 18, 2013 at 9:56 PM



The second phase of the multi-billion-dollar civil damages trial of BP and

its drilling partners came to an end Friday afternoon, with a last round of

arguments over how to measure the millions of barrels of oil released into

the Gulf of Mexico after the April 2010 Macondo well blowout.

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2013/10/testimony_ends_in_second_phase.html#incart_river





Arguments conclude in BP trial on size of Gulf spill
Reuters


Fri, Oct 18 2013


By Kathy Finn

NEW ORLEANS, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Lawyers for BP Plc and the federal
government concluded their arguments on Friday in the second phase of a
trial to determine the size of the 2010 U.S. Gulf oil spill, a finding that
will be used to set a fine against BP under the Clean Water Act.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/18/bp-spill-trial-idUSL1N0I81SL20131018




High tides delay oil cleanup near Fourchon Beach

The Associated Press



October 19, 2013 at 8:10 AM



Authorities say more than two tons of matted tar, sand and other matter has

been hauled from an area near Fourchon Beach but high tides have delayed a

complete cleanup.

http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2013/10/high_tides_delay_oil_cleanup_n.html#incart_river





Oily Material Increasing Along Louisiana Coast




WRKF


Louisiana officials say they're not sure why there's been a surge of oily

material washing up on the coastline three years after the BP oil spill.

The amount is 20 times more than what was found over the same period last

year.

http://wrkf.org/post/oily-material-increasing-along-louisiana-coast





State





Drainage continuing at Lake Serene North
Hattiesburg American


County and state officials have brought in pumps in an effort to speed the

process of lowering the water level at Lake Serene North.

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20131018/NEWS01/131018011/Drainage-continuing-Lake-Serene-North-




EPA may penalize CL&W for sewage overflows
Commercial Dispatch
October 19, 2013 10:31:17 PM
Nathan Gregory

A "handful" of sanitary sewage overflows may turn out to be a "big deal"
for Columbus Light & Water.
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=28116



Wasted opportunity: Recycling not an option in much of rural Miss.
Clarion Ledger


Despite nationwide campaigns to raise environmental awareness, access to

recycling is still elusive for around half of Mississippi residents, a

statistic driven by a lack of recycling programs in the state's rural

areas.



http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013310190006





More than 15,000 pounds of litter removed at Coastal Cleanup
Sun Herald
By PATRICK OCHS — pochs@sunherald.com


The weather drenched the volunteers but it didn't dampen their

determination Saturday as 1,266 people turned out to participate in the

25th Coastal Cleanup.

http://www.sunherald.com/2013/10/19/5044419/coastal-cleanup-revs-up-in-south.html






Residents Clean Up Nettleton Community




WCBI



NETTLETON, Miss. (WCBI) – The City of Nettleton wants to look good.


That's why inmates from the Monroe County jail were among the volunteers
who took part in Saturday's city wide cleanup.


http://www.wcbi.com/wordpress/video-residents-clean-up-nettleton-community




Expo attendees see oil boom on the way





Daily Leader





Published 5:09pm Friday, October 18, 2013





SUMMIT – Emerging technology in the energy drilling business has led to

increased excitement, and a renewed enthusiasm concerning the ability to

extract energy reserves in southwest Mississippi.

http://dailyleader.com/2013/10/18/expo-attendees-see-oil-boom-on-the-way/





Crear: Turbine company spurns river for lake dams



AP





VICKSBURG, Miss. (AP) - A company has dropped plans to sink
power-generating turbines in the Mississippi River.




Retired Brig. Gen. Robert Crear has told a Vicksburg civic club that Free
Flow Power will place the turbines on existing dams, such as recreational
lakes maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Crear is a member of
the Boston-based company's board of directors.
http://www.wdam.com/story/23724971/crear-turbine-company-spurns-river-for-lake-dams





Regional





Less water use in Atlanta amid Georgia's water wars with Alabama, Florida

The Associated Press



October 19, 2013 at 2:42 PM



ATLANTA — Georgia's leaders say that conservation rules are reducing water

use in metro Atlanta as they fight with Florida over water rights, but it's

not entirely clear why consumption has dropped.

http://blog.al.com/wire/2013/10/less_water_use_in_atlanta_amid.html#incart_river





National





GOP: EPA move 'unprecedented'
The Hill


By Julian Hattem - 10/18/13 01:35 PM ET


Republican leaders of the House Science Committee are accusing the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of rushing a rule to establish broad
authority over streams and wetlands.
http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/pending-regs/329321-gop-accuse-epa-of-plotting-unprecedented-power-grab







American supermarkets failing to curb harmful CO2 emissions, study says



WTOP



Friday - 10/18/2013, 4:56pm ET


By LUCY WESTCOTT


WASHINGTON - America's 12 largest supermarkets and retailers are failing to
curb their hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) emissions, adding large amounts of
greenhouse gas to the environment, a new report published Thursday finds.

http://www.wtop.com/267/3485610/American-supermarkets-failing-to-curb-harmful-CO2-emissions-study-says








Opinion







Offshore drilling 'informational presentation' too far from Coast

By The Sun Herald



BILOXI — At a rather remote location in Jackson County, the Commission on
Marine Resources will be treated to an "informational presentation" on the
Mississippi Development Authority's burning desire to plant oil and gas
rigs and platforms in and around the Mississippi Sound and the barrier
islands.

http://picayuneitem.com/opinion/x252031363/Offshore-drilling-informational-presentation-too-far-from-Coast/?state=taberU





Press Releases






UPDATED: EPA to Hold Public Listening Sessions on Reducing Carbon Pollution
from Existing Power Plants

Sessions in Boston, Philadelphia Rescheduled Due to Government Shutdown

WASHINGTON – Following through on President Obama's Climate Action Plan,
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold 11 public
listening sessions across the country to solicit ideas and input from the
public and stakeholders about the best Clean Air Act approaches to reducing
carbon pollution from existing power plants. Power plants are the nation's
largest stationary source of carbon pollution, responsible for about one
third of all greenhouse gas pollution in the United States.

The President's Climate Action Plan takes steady and responsible steps to
cut the harmful carbon pollution that fuels a changing climate while
continuing to provide affordable, reliable energy. The feedback from these
11 public listening sessions will play an important role in helping EPA
develop smart, cost-effective guidelines that reflect the latest and best
information available. The agency will seek additional public input during
the notice and comment period once it issues a proposal, by June 2014.



The Clean Air Act gives both EPA and states a role in reducing air
pollution from power plants that are already in operation. The law directs
EPA to establish guidelines, which states use to design their own programs
to reduce emissions. Before proposing guidelines, EPA must consider how
power plants with a variety of different configurations would be able to
reduce carbon pollution in a cost-effective way.

For more information on these sessions and to register online, go to:
http://www2.epa.gov/carbon-pollution-standards/public-listening-sessions.
For those who cannot attend these sessions, input can be e-mailed to
carbonpollutioninput@epa.gov by November 8, 2013.

More information about EPA's carbon pollution standards for the power
sector: http://www2.epa.gov/carbon-pollution-standards

Public Sessions on Reducing Carbon Pollution from Existing Power Plants
(all times are local):

DATE: Wednesday, October 23, 2013
TIME: 9:00 am - 12 Noon; and 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm EDT
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA Region 2
290 Broadway, Room 27A
New York

DATE: October 23, 2013
TIMES: 2:00 – 5:00 pm; and 6:00 – 9:00 pm EDT
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA Region 4
Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center
Bridge Conference Rooms
61 Forsyth Street, S.W.
Atlanta

DATE: Wednesday, October 30, 2013
TIME: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm MDT (last 2 hours for call ins)
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA Region 8
1595 Wynkoop Street
Denver

DATE: Monday, November 4, 2013
TIME: 4:00 – 8:00 pm CDT
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA Region 7
11201 Renner Blvd.
Lenexa

DATE: Monday, November 4, 2013
TIME: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm EDT
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA New England
Memorial Hall
5 Post Office Square
Boston

DATE: Tuesday, November 5, 2013
TIME: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm PDT
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA Region 9
75 Hawthorne St.
San Francisco

DATE: Thursday, November 7, 2013
TIME: 9:00 am – 8:00 pm EDT
LOCATION:
US EPA Headquarters
William Jefferson Clinton East
1201 Constitution Ave.
Washington, DC

DATE: Thursday, November 7, 2013
TIME: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm CDT
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA Region 6
Auditorium- 1st floor
J. Erik Jonsson Central Library
1515 Young St.
Dallas

DATE: Thursday, November 7, 2013
TIME: 3:00 – 6:00 pm PDT
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA Region 10
Jackson Federal Bldg.
915 Second Ave.
Seattle



DATE: Friday, November 8, 2013
TIME: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm EDT
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA Region 3
William J. Green, Jr. Federal Building
600 Arch Street
Philadelphia


DATE: November 8, 2013
TIME: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm CDT
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA Region 5
Metcalfe Federal Building
Lake Michigan Room
77 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago






Mississippi Coastal Cleanup Day Nets 934 Bags of Trash

Despite heavy rains that persisted throughout the morning, more than
1,260 volunteers donned slickers, rain ponchos and even trash bags, to
clean Mississippi's beaches and waterways picking up marine litter at 49
designated cleanup sites Oct. 19 during the 25th annual Mississippi
Coastal Cleanup, part of the International Coastal Cleanup—the world's
largest volunteer effort to clean up the marine environment. During the
2013 Mississippi Coastal Cleanup, 1,266 volunteers picked up 934 bags of
trash, including 119 bags of recyclables, and 75 tires along nearly 95
miles of Coastal waterways in Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties,
totaling 15,135 pounds— that's 7.5 tons of marine litter. The cleanup is
organized by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and
Mississippi Marine Debris Task Force. The Mississippi Coastal Cleanup
recycling effort continues to grow with volunteers collecting
recyclables at 17 sites this year. Volunteers who participated at these
sites filed 119 bags with recyclable items such as cans and plastic.

The Mississippi Coastal Cleanup continues its partnership with
Mississippi Power's Renew Our Rivers program, who cleaned three coastal
sites on the days leading up to Saturday's cleanup removing 8.7 tons of
large unbaggable debris.
Both cleanup efforts combined resulted in 1,452 volunteers collecting
32,400 pounds of trash. This included items too large to fit in trash
bags such as household appliances. Other items found were: a recliner, a
large TV, a .22 caliber bullet, a 1-foot by 4-foot broken mirror, a live
opossum, a dead baby great blue heron, a refrigerator drawer, two
basketballs, a plastic hammer, six-pack holders and beer cans and at
Three Rivers Park in Gulfport—even the kitchen sink.

During the International Coastal Cleanup, hundreds of thousands of
people across the world spend three hours combing the beaches and
waterways to pick up trash that pollutes our waters, harms marine life,
hampers tourism and poses health risks to beach-goers. During last
year's International Coastal Cleanup, more than 500,000 volunteers
worldwide removed more than 10 million pounds of debris from the ocean,
rivers, lakes and waterways.

"The purpose of the Mississippi Coastal Cleanup is to educate people on
the importance of keeping our communities and waterways clean to help
protect wildlife from litter that can choke animals or damage habitats,"
said Lauren Thompson, state coordinator for the Mississippi Coastal
Cleanup and public relations manager for the Mississippi Department of
Marine Resources.

The mission of the International Coastal Cleanup is to remove debris
from shorelines, bayous, bays, rivers, waterways and beaches; collect
valuable information on the amount and types of debris collected;
educate people on the issue of
Marine debris; and use the data collected to effect positive change.
Volunteers clean beaches and collect information on
what they find, using the International Coastal Cleanup Data Card, so
that sources of marine debris can be targeted for education or pollution
prevention campaigns. State coordinators mail the data cards to the
Ocean Conservancy in

—MORE—

Coastal Cleanup Nets 934 Bags of Trash – page 2 of 4

Washington, D.C. where the data is tabulated. Over the years, data from
the cleanups have been used to enact local, state, national, and even
international legislation and agreements.

After the Mississippi Coastal Cleanup, the Rotary clubs of Gulfport,
Orange Grove and Long Beach and RPM/Domino's Pizza treated 100
volunteers to pizza from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Jones Park in Gulfport.
Chiquita Fresh LLC, Coast Coca-Cola Bottling Co. and Academy Sports &
Outdoors also provided food and drink for the event.

In Jackson County, 400 volunteers received a free barbecue lunch of
pulled pork and beef brisket and chips at the Estuarine Education Center
at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Gautier courtesy of The
Shed Barbeque & Blues Joint. Coca-Cola Bottling Co., Consolidated
provided bottled water for the lunch.

In Hancock County, the Office of Congressman Steven Palazzo and the Bay
St. Louis Rotary Club treated volunteers to hotdogs at a cookout held at
the Washington St. Pavilion on the beach in Bay St. Louis.

Volunteers, who cleaned the beach and filled out data cards, documenting
what litters our shores and waterways, also received 25th Anniversary
Coastal Cleanup Croakies, compliments of Chevron Pascagoula Refinery.

"I was blown away by the number of volunteers who came out to clean
regardless of the weather. The community's commitment this event and our
environment is strong and I am grateful for the tremendous support that
the Department of Marine Resources receives from our sponsors,
volunteers and our partners with the Mississippi Marine Debris Task
Force, for making the 25th anniversary of the Mississippi Coastal
Cleanup an event to remember." Thompson said.

The Mississippi Coastal Cleanup's planning committee, the Mississippi
Marine Debris Task Force, is made up of representatives from BP; Chevron
Pascagoula Refinery; City of Biloxi; City of Gautier; City of Gulfport;
City of Moss Point; City of Ocean Springs; City of Pascagoula; Coastal
Conservation Association of Mississippi; Coastal Rivers; Delbert
Hosemann Secretary of State; D'Iberville Volunteers Foundation; DMR
Marine Patrol; Eco-Tours of South Mississippi; Grand Bay National
Estuarine Research Reserve; Gulf Environmental Associates; Gulf Islands
National Seashore; Hancock County Beautification Committee; Hancock
County Board of Supervisors; Hancock County Chamber of Commerce; Hancock
County Solid Waste; Hands On Mississippi; Harrison County Beautification
Commission; Harrison County Board of Supervisors; Harrison County Sand
Beach Department; Harrison County Utility Authority; Heritage Trails
Partnership; Ingalls Shipbuilding; Jackson County Board of Supervisors;
Jackson County Chamber of Commerce; Jackson County Solid Waste
Department; Keep Mississippi Beautiful; Keesler Air Force Base;
Mississippi Air National Guard CRTC-Gulfport; Mississippi-Alabama Sea
Grant Consortium; Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality;
Mississippi Department of Marine Resources; Mississippi Gulf Coast
Community College; Mississippi Power; Mississippi State University
Coastal Research & Extension Center; Naval Construction Battalion
Center; Office of Congressman Steven Palazzo; Pascagoula Elks 1120;
Rotary International District 6840; Sea Coast Echo; United Way of South
Mississippi Volunteer Gulf Coast; and University of Southern
Mississippi-Gulf Coast Research Laboratory.

Other sponsors include:

SEA TURTLE: Chevron Pascagoula Refinery; Matthews Brothers Inc.;
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality; Mississippi Department
of Marine Resources; Mississippi Power; The Shed Barbeque and Blues
Joint; The Bait Box


SHARK: Cable One Advertising; Delta Sanitation, A Waste-Pro Company;
Lamar Outdoor Advertising-Mississippi Gulf Coast; L&L Broadcasting LLC;
Ocean Conservancy; Parents&Kids Magazine; The Sun Herald; Waste
Management


DOLPHIN: Allen Beverages Inc.; Coast Coca-Cola Bottling Co., Inc.;
Coca-Cola Bottling Co., Consolidated; Fisher Safety; Mississippi
Beverage Association; RPM/Domino's Pizza; Ship Island Excursions


COBIA: Biloxi-D'Iberville Press; Chiquita Fresh LLC; Conrad Yelvington
Distributors, Inc.; K99FM, Magic 93.7, 92.5 The Beat and News Radio
104.9; Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Professional Division; Knight-Abbey
Printing and Direct Mail; Ocean Springs Gazette; Sea Coast Echo; WLOX-TV
13


MULLET: Academy Sports & Outdoors; Keep Mississippi Beautiful;
Mississippi Department of Transportation


Coastal Cleanup Nets 934 Bags of Trash – page 3 of 4

The preliminary cleanup site statistics for Hancock, Harrison, and
Jackson counties are as follows:
Hancock County: 11 sites, 123 volunteers collected 118 bags of trash
• McLeod State Park
10 volunteers, rained out
• 19th Street/Old Lazy River Road
2 volunteers and 1 bags
• Bayou LaCroix/603/Lagan/Central/Riverview/The Cave
5 volunteers and 3 bags
• Beach Boulevard across from Bay Waveland Yacht Club
5 volunteers and 3 bags
• Beach Boulevard: Our Lady of Gulf
5 volunteers and 7 bags
• Beach Boulevard: Bookter to Bay Oaks
20 volunteers and 15 bags
• Jordan River Shores and Bayou Talla
2 volunteers and 1 bag
• Beach Boulevard: Nicholson Avenue to Vacation Lane
2 volunteers and 6 bags
• Beach Boulevard: Bay Oaks Drive to Nicholson Avenue
25 volunteers and 19 bags
• Beach Boulevard: Buccaneer State Park
5 volunteers and 13 bags
• Depot District
1 volunteers and 1 bags
• Beach Boulevard: Pointset to mouth of Bayou Caddy
41 volunteers and 50 bags

Harrison County: 17 sites, 466 volunteers collected 288 bags of trash
• Deer Island and Biloxi Small Craft Harbor
26 volunteers and 6 bags
• Edgewater Mall
20 volunteers and 9 bags
• Forrest Avenue Pier
8 volunteers and 6 bags
• Hiller Park
11 volunteers and 6 bags
• Popp's Ferry Bridge Boat Launch
14 volunteers and 5 bags
• Porter Avenue/Lighthouse
34 volunteers and 15 bags
• Coast Coliseum Beach Comfort Station
4 volunteers and 2 bags
• D'Iberville Boat Launch
56 volunteers and 31 bags
• Lower Tuxachanie Creek
5 volunteers and 5 bags
• Courthouse Road
131 volunteers and 63 bags
• James Hill Park
6 volunteers and 2 bags
• Kremer Landing
3 volunteers and 2 bags
• Jones Park East
60 volunteers and 45 bags
• Long Beach Harbor/Pavilion
40 volunteers and 36 bags
• Pass Christian Harbor/Highway 90
28 volunteers and 16 bags
• Keegan Bayou
11 volunteers and 15 bags
• Three Rivers Park
9 volunteers and 24 bags

Jackson County: 21 sites, 677 volunteers collected 528 bags of trash
• Jackson County - Bluff Creek
17 volunteers and 11 bags
• Jackson County - Grand Bay NERR
3 volunteers and 3 bags
• Ocean Springs - Fort Bayou Boat Launch & Waterway
11 volunteers and 5 bags
• Ocean Springs - Gulf Park Estates Public Pier
129 volunteers and 67 bags
• Ocean Springs - East Beach
38 volunteers and 11 bags
• Ocean Springs - Front Beach Ocean Springs Yacht Club
129 volunteers and 61 bags
• Ocean Springs - Front Beach Harbor End
49 volunteers and 20 bags
• Ocean Springs - Graveline Bayou Beach Front
12 volunteers and 13 bags
• Ocean Springs - Fort Maurepas/Beach Front
29 volunteers and 11 bags
• Gautier - Gautier City Park
18 volunteers and 4 bags
• Gautier - Graveline Road/Shepard State Park
10 volunteers and 7 bags
• Gautier – Mary Walker waterways
2 volunteers and 3 bags
• Gautier – West Pascagoula River Bridge
29 volunteers and 13 bags
• Moss Point - I-10 Boat Launch
20 volunteers and 115 bags
• Moss Point - Hwy 63 Boat Launch
12 volunteers and 8 bags
• Moss Point - River Front
26 volunteers and 22 bags


Coastal Cleanup Nets 934 Bags of Trash – page 4 of 4


• Pascagoula - Old Spanish Fort
1 volunteers and 1 bags
• Pascagoula - I.G. Levy Park, N.
26 volunteers and 12 bags
• Pascagoula - Pascagoula Causeway & River Park
12 volunteers and 12 bags
• Pascagoula - Beach Park & Front
87 volunteers and 102 bags
• Pascagoula River Park
17 volunteers and 27 bags

In addition, the 49 total cleanup sites had 100 volunteers who served as
zone captains for each site.


RENEW OUR RIVERS CLEANUP SITES

Gulfport: 1 site; 50 volunteers collected 4.5 tons of trash
• Gulfport Lake/Industrial Seaway; cleaned Oct. 2

Pascagoula: 1 site; 80 volunteers collected 2.5 tons of trash
• Pascagoula River; cleaned Oct. 3

Picayune: 1 site; 62 volunteers collected 1.7 tons of trash
• Boley Creek; cleaned Oct. 12