10/14/2013
Oil Spill
Oil spill legal worries still haunt BP investors
Houston Chronicle
October 13, 2013 at 6:30 am by Collin Eaton
Before its Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico blew out in 2010, killing 11
workers and causing a massive oil gusher at the bottom of the ocean, BP
ruled the industry along with other Big Oil titans.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2013/10/13/oil-spill-legal-worries-still-haunt-bp-investors/
Federal judge orders BP, private plaintiffs to hammer out changes to
business claims rules
Mark Schleifstein
The Times-Picayune
October 11, 2013 at 10:08 PM
Attorneys for BP and private plaintiffs who entered into a
multibillion-dollar settlement of economic claims from the 2012 Deepwater
Horizon accident and oil spill have been given until 5 p.m. Tuesday (Oct.
15) to recommend new language to govern the way "business economic claims"
are paid under the settlement.
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2013/10/federal_judge_orders_bp_privat.html#incart_river
Shutdown delays BP lawsuit over federal contracts freeze
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 10/14/13 07:08 AM ET
A federal court has extended the Environmental Protection's Agency's (EPA)
looming deadline to respond to BP's lawsuit challenging the freeze on
winning new federal contracts that EPA imposed over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico
oil spill.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/328287-shutdown-delays-bp-lawsuit-over-federal-contracts-freeze
Karen pushes more oily debris onto La. beaches
Baton Rouge Advocate
By AMY WOLD
Even though Tropical Storm Karen was blown apart by upper level winds
before it could reach the Gulf Coast, the storm did push hundreds of pounds
of oily debris ashore.
http://theadvocate.com/news/7260190-123/more-oily-debris-pushed-onto
State
Whittington named water resources chief
The Associated Press
JACKSON, MISS. — Kay Whittington has been named director of the Office of
Land and Water Resources at the Mississippi Department of Environmental
Quality.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/10/12/5025828/whittington-named-water-resources.html
On the Move: Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
Clarion Ledger
• Kay Whittington of Jackson has been selected to serve as director of of
the state Department of Environmental Quality's Office of Land and Water
Resources. Whittington has been with DEQ 16 years and has served as chief
of the Basin Management Branch in the agency's Surface Water Division since
2009.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20131013/BIZ/310130016/On-Move-Mississippi-Department-Environmental-Quality
Kemper Coal Plant Nearing Completion
WTOK
The Kemper coal plant is nearing completion, but the original finish date
is pushed back after some rainy weather.
http://www.wtok.com/home/headlines/Kemper-Coal-Plant-Nearing-Completion-227610131.html
Mississippi Plant Shows the Cost of 'Clean Coal'
Wall Street Journal
By REBECCA SMITH and CAMERON MCWHIRTER
Oct. 13, 2013 7:23 p.m. ET
DE KALB, Miss.—For decades, the federal government has touted a bright
future for nonpolluting power plants fueled by coal. But in this rural
corner of eastern Mississippi, the reality of so-called clean coal isn't
pretty.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304795804579099220332096960?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_4
Energy group meeting on Miss. Coast
Board includes lawmakers, govs. from the South
Clarion Ledger
Gov. Phil Bryant will welcome more than 200 people to Biloxi on Sunday for
the Southern States Energy Board's annual meeting.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20131012/NEWS01/310120010/Energy-group-meeting-Miss-Coast
State's workforce aging, numbers flat
By Bobby Harrison
Daily Journal Jackson Bureau
JACKSON – One-third of Mississippi state government's workforce will be
eligible for retirement in the next five years.
http://djournal.com/news/states-workforce-aging-numbers-flat/
Regional
31 in Fla. infected by bacteria in salt water
By TAMARA LUSH
Associated Press
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Patty Konietzky thought the small purple lesion
on her husband's ankle was a spider bite. But when the lesion quickly
spread across his body like a constellation, she knew something wasn't
right.
http://www.wlox.com/story/23670132/31-in-fla-infected-by-bacteria-in-salt-water
National
EPA's McCarthy Says No Decision Made on Renewable Mandate
Bloomberg
By Mark Drajem - Oct 11, 2013
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has made no final decision about
its proposal for renewable fuel mandates for 2014, the agency's
administrator said today, responding to reports about a draft the EPA had
circulated.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2013-10-11/epa-s-mccarthy-says-no-decision-made-on-renewable-mandate.html
Opinion
SUN HERALD | Editorial: Will the DMR stand up to the MDA and keep offshore
drilling out of sight
Published: October 12, 2013
On Tuesday, 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://www.sunherald.com/2013/10/12/5024846/sun-herald-editorial-will-the.html
Press Releases
Southern States Energy Board to Host Conference on Mississippi Gulf Coast
JACKSON—Next week, Gov. Phil Bryant will welcome more than 200 attendees to
the annual meeting of the Southern States Energy Board. The Southern States
Energy Board Annual Meeting will hold policy briefings to showcase ideas
that members may take back to their states.
The Southern States Energy Board is a bipartisan, interstate compact that
includes governors and state legislators from the 16 Southern states,
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as a presidential
appointee. The Board's mission is to enhance economic development and the
quality of life in the South through innovations in energy and
environmental policies, programs and technologies.
Gov. Bryant serves as the board's chairman and said the organization has
been instrumental in showcasing Mississippi's diversity of resources and
proactive approach to energy conservation and efficiency as part of our
overall policy.
"I am honored to host the annual Southern States Energy Board on the
beautiful Mississippi Gulf Coast," Gov. Bryant said. "For our nation to
become more energy independent, we must recognize the importance of a
forward-thinking approach to energy and continue to develop a comprehensive
energy policy that works."
The three-day conference will focus on promoting pro-energy legislation,
encouraging job creation and innovation and reducing dependence on foreign
energy sources while preserving the environment.
Attendees will hear from former U.S. Sen. Trent Lott about his experience
as co-chairman of the Bipartisan Policy Center's Energy Project. Other
speakers include Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley, Alaska Governor Sean Parnell,
North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory, Entergy Chairman and CEO Leo Denault, BP
America Vice President Luke Keller and National Black Chamber of Commerce
CEO Harry Alford.
Southern States Energy Board Executive Director Ken Nemeth said, "The
members of the Southern States Energy Board are elated to be holding their
53rd annual meeting in Biloxi, Mississippi, at the beautiful Beau Rivage
Resort. Under the chairmanship of Governor Phil Bryant, the South's
leading governor on energy issues, the Board has experienced an outstanding
year that has featured a growing and diversified portfolio of major energy
projects and industry technologies that are developing throughout the
region. Our meeting theme, 'Energy Revolution in the South,' will showcase
this remarkable time, highlighting the expansion of energy resources and
economic development."
· Who: The Southern States Energy Board Annual Meeting
· When: Sunday, October 13 – Tuesday, October 15, 2013
· Where: Beau Rivage Resort, 875 Beach Blvd, Biloxi, MS 39530
For more information about the Southern States Energy Board, visit
http://www.sseb.org.
For media credential information, please contact Southern States Energy
Board: Heather Moody Breeden at 404.213.6052 or Breeden@sseb.org.
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