SUN HERALD | Editorial: Fisher promises accountability
January 8, 2014
Foresight may never be as good as hindsight, but it ought to be a lot
better than it has been when public agencies spend millions of dollars in
South Mississippi.
So we were especially pleased this week to hear Trudy Fisher stress
accountability in spending the money that will be awarded to the state from
the penalties associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/01/08/5243938/sun-herald-editorial-fisher-promises.html
Freeh asks judge to rescind oil spill award
AP
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A former FBI director investigating alleged misconduct
inside the settlement program for compensating victims of BP's 2010 Gulf
oil spill has concluded that a claimant at the center of the investigation
was awarded more than $357,000 based on fraudulent information.
http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_268748/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=JTXNyRVy
State
MDA says Katrina projects ready South Mississippi for growth
Sun Herald
BY ANITA LEE
GULFPORT -- Hurricane Katrina recovery projects in South Mississippi should
be wrapped up within the next 18 months, allowing the state to sell
businesses on investing in the Coast, representatives of the Mississippi
Development Authority told the Sun Herald this week.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/01/08/5244442/mda-says-katrina-projects-ready.html
Kemper plant an 'economic Katrina,' opponents say
Sun Herald
BY CHRISTINA STEUBE
PASCAGOULA -- A group says Mississippi Power's Kemper County power plant
project would be a business bust for the southern part of the state,
calling it an "economic Katrina."
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/01/08/5243546/opponent-of-kemper-plant-speak.html
Business Owner Says Litter Sends Trashy Image
WTOK
A resident and business owner in Marion is complaining about trash
littering Dale Drive/Highway 45 that he says gives people the wrong
impression about Lauderdale County.
http://www.wtok.com/home/headlines/Business-Owner-Says-Litter-Sends-Trashy-Image-239339941.html
Regional
Outrage or praise, Gulf Council wants public input on federal fisheries
management
Press-Register
Jeff Dute
January 09, 2014 at 7:30 AM
MOBILE, Alabama -- Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council personnel and
Alabama Marine Resources Division representatives will be on hand at the
Five Rivers Delta Resource Center Thursday evening to take public input on
federal fisheries management in the Gulf of Mexico.
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/01/outrage_or_praise_gulf_council.html#incart_river
Intensive review begins of Louisiana's plans to rebuild ravaged coastal
wetlands
Mark Schleifstein
The Times-Picayune
January 08, 2014 at 10:17 PM
A panel of scientists and engineers from across the nation began a review
of Louisiana's plans to build diversions of sediment and freshwater along
the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers on Wednesday with a day-long review
of the uncertainty remaining in those plans.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/01/intensive_review_begins_of_lou.html#incart_river
National
EPA publishes emissions rule to GOP's dismay
The Hill
By Laura Barron-Lopez
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its rule limiting
carbon emissions from new power plants on Wednesday to the dismay of coal
advocates and the GOP.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/194865-epa-publishes-emissions-rule-for-new-plants-to-gops-dismay
WH: Polar temps part of climate change
The Hill
By Laura Barron-Lopez
The White House is firing back at climate change deniers' claims that the
polar vortex is a sign global warming doesn't exist.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/194853-white-house-global-warming-is-weakening-the-polar-vortex
Earthquake expert acknowledges fracking risks
UT researcher says dangers known since 1960s
KXAN
The decision by the state to hire a seismologist comes amidst growing
concerns that natural gas fracking caused several dozen recent earthquakes
near Dallas-Ft. Worth.
http://www.kxan.com/news/texas/earthquake-expert-acknowledges-fracking-risks
Why a Bag Tax Works Better Than a Reusable Bag Bonus
Wall Street Journal
By DAVID WESSEL
Government policies, no matter how well-intentioned, often fail to achieve
their goals. Practitioners of the rapidly expanding field of behavioral
economics, which seeks to better understand why people do what they do, are
laboring to change that.
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2014/01/08/why-a-bag-tax-works-better-than-a-reusable-bag-bonus/?dsk=y
Opinion
SUN HERALD | Editorial: Fisher promises accountability
January 8, 2014
Foresight may never be as good as hindsight, but it ought to be a lot
better than it has been when public agencies spend millions of dollars in
South Mississippi.
So we were especially pleased this week to hear Trudy Fisher stress
accountability in spending the money that will be awarded to the state from
the penalties associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/01/08/5243938/sun-herald-editorial-fisher-promises.html
Hotel/convention project at Gulf State Park is a perfect use of NRDA oil
spill money (Opinion from Bob Higgins)
AL.com
January 08, 2014 at 10:05 AM
By Bob Higgins
The Coastal Resiliency Coalition fully supports the Gulf State Park
Enhancement Project as a very proper use of NRDA (Natural Resource Damage
Assessment) funds.
http://www.al.com/opinion/index.ssf/2014/01/hotelconvention_project_at_gul.html
House looks at 'sue and settle'
The Hill
By William Yeatman
Republican leadership in the House of Representatives has scheduled floor
action this week on H.R. 2279, the Reducing Excessive Deadline Obligations
(REDO) Act. 'Redo' is an apt acronym for this worthy bill, which would
afford Congress an opportunity to revise a decades-old mistake, and thereby
strike at the heart of an insidious legal strategy known as "sue and
settle."
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/194677-house-looks-at-sue-and-settle
Press Releases
(Embedded image moved to file: pic12859.jpg)
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
Phil Bryant, GOVERNOR
MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Trudy D. Fisher, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Robbie Wilbur
January 9, 2014 601/961-5277
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Trustees Extend Gulf Restoration Comment
Period to Feb. 19
(JACKSON, Miss.) -- Responding to requests from the public, the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustees
(Trustees) have extended the public review and comment period for the
Draft Programmatic and Phase III Early Restoration Plan and Draft Early
Restoration Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (draft). The
draft, which proposes $627 million in early restoration projects across
the Gulf states is now available for public review and comment through
Feb. 19 rather than Feb. 4, the original deadline.
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality's Executive Director
Trudy Fisher said, "It's important that the public be given adequate
time to review and comment on this document, and this extension insures
that we will go forward with thorough input from the public which is
essential to all restoration efforts.
"We want to hear what the people of Mississippi think of the Phase III
Proposed Early Restoration projects, and I would encourage everyone to
visit www.restore.ms to review the projects and leave their comments,"
said Fisher.
This marks the third and largest phase of early restoration to date.
Included in the draft are 44 proposed projects. Some aim to restore
barrier islands, dunes, marshes, shorelines, and oyster beds. Others,
such as boat ramps and park enhancements, seek to address the lost
recreational use of natural resources. The draft also proposes a
programmatic plan for continuing to pursue early restoration. The draft,
available at www.gulfspillrestoration. noaa.gov, includes the
programmatic plan and the complete list of proposed projects, with
locations and descriptions.
Of the $627 million, ecological projects comprise about $397 million,
which is approximately 63 percent of the total. Lost recreational use
projects make up the remaining $230 million. Both approaches meet
criteria under the Oil Pollution Act and other applicable laws and
guidelines.
Visit www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov to download an electronic copy of
the draft and to view a list of public libraries and community locations
across the Gulf in which copies of the draft have been placed for public
review.
In addition to verbal comments at public meetings, the public may submit
written comments:
• Online: www.restore.ms
• Online: www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov
• By U.S. Mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 49567,
Atlanta, GA 30345
Early restoration projects represent an initial step toward fulfilling the
responsible parties' obligation to pay for restoration of injured natural
resources. Ultimately, the responsible parties are obligated to compensate
the public for the full scope of natural resource injuries caused by the
spill, including the cost of assessment and restoration planning.
# # #
EPA Awards Almost Half a Million in Funding to Three Universities for
Projects to Reduce Pesticide Risk Including Risks to Bees
Louisiana State, Penn State and University of Vermont at the forefront of
groundbreaking technology
WASHINGTON --Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
announced agricultural grants for Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
practices to reduce the use of potentially harmful pesticides and lower
risk to bees all while controlling pests and saving money.
"These collaborative projects can provide innovative solutions to reduce
pesticide risks to pollinators and crops," said James Jones, assistant
administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.
"Initiatives such as these will encourage others to adopt promising
technologies and practices across the nation to reduce pesticide risks
while maximizing crop production and protecting public health."
IPM relies on easy-to-implement, environmentally-sensitive practices that
prevent pests from becoming a threat. These practices involve monitoring
and identifying pests and taking preventive action before pesticides are
used. If pesticides are needed, methods such as targeted spraying may be
used. These grants will expand public-private stewardship efforts and
reduce pesticide risk in agriculture.
The Agricultural IPM Grants are awarded to:
The Louisiana State University project to minimize impacts to bees from
insecticides used in mosquito control. Mosquito control is critical for
public health; however, insecticides can be hazardous to bees. Bees are
essential for crop production and ensuring a healthy food supply. Practices
and guidelines resulting from the project will be distributed to mosquito
control districts and beekeepers throughout the U.S.
The University of Vermont project to reduce pesticide use and improve pest
control while increasing crop yields on 75 acres of hops in the Northeast.
The awardees will also develop and distribute outreach materials to help
farmers adopt these practices. The project's goal is to reduce herbicide
and fungicide applications by 50 percent while decreasing downy mildew, a
plant disease.
The Pennsylvania State University project to protect bees and crops by
reducing reliance on neonicotinoid pesticide seed treatments and exploring
the benefits of growing crops without them. IPM in no-till grain fields
will be used to control slugs and other pests that damage corn and
soybeans. Researchers will share their findings with mid-Atlantic growers
and agricultural professionals.
Protection of bee populations is among EPA's top priorities. Some of the
factors that contribute to the decline in pollinators include: loss of
habitat, parasites and disease, genetics, poor nutrition and pesticide
exposure. EPA is engaged in national and international efforts to address
these concerns. The agency is working with beekeepers, growers, pesticide
manufacturers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and states to apply
technologies to reduce pesticide exposure to bees. These efforts will
advance best management practices, enhance enforcement and ensure that
real-world pollinator risks are accounted for in our pesticide regulatory
decisions.
IPM grants will supplement these efforts as well as providing solutions to
maximize crop production while minimizing the unintended impacts from
pesticides.
For more information on the EPA's Regional Agricultural IPM Grants:
http://www.epa.gov/pestwise/grants/regionalaggrants.html
