2.5.2014
Oil Spill
Alabama tourism booming while Mississippi struggles
WLOX
BILOXI, MS (WLOX) -Nearly four years after the massive BP oil spill,
tourism is booming in one Gulf Coast state, and it's not Mississippi. New
numbers out this week show visitors to Alabama's beaches in 2013 broke
records. Hotel and condo revenue is up, along with retail sales.
http://www.wlox.com/story/24637172/alabama-tourism-booming-while-mississippi-struggles
State
Cleanup still underway after train derailment
Hattiesburg American
NEW AUGUSTA — Cleanup crews continue to deal with the mess left by last
week's train derailment in Perry County that spilled thousands of gallons
of hazardous materials.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20140205/NEWS01/302050006/Cleanup-still-underway-after-train-derailment?nclick_check=1
Ocean Beach Estates residents may have to give up septic tanks
WLOX
JACKSON COUNTY, MS (WLOX) -Hundreds of Jackson County residents in the
Ocean Beach Estates area could soon be forced to ditch their septic tanks
for new water, sewer hookups. The large subdivision located south of I-10
is one of several areas now under this mandate.
http://www.wlox.com/story/24634818/ocean-beach-estates-residents-may-have-to-give-up-septic-tanks
GTR Authority Awarded $90,000 waste tire grant
Daily Times Leader
The Golden Triangle Solid Waste Management Authority's (SWMA) coffer got a
little heavier after having recently been awarded a $90,000 Waste Tire
grant on behalf of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
(MDEQ).
http://www.dailytimesleader.com/content/gtr-authority-awarded-90000-waste-tire-grant
Pipeline bill has plenty of critics
Effect on private enterprise cited
Clarion Ledger
A bill making Mississippi's intrastate pipelines common carriers cleared a
Senate committee right as an influential energy policy organization issued
a white paper outlining the damage it says it would do to private energy
investment.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20140205/BIZ/302050018/Pipeline-bill-has-plenty-critics
Regional
Bogalusa paper mill discharge permits are subject of public hearing in
Slidell
Bob Warren
The Times-Picayune
February 03, 2014 at 4:13 PM
The state Department of Environmental Quality will hold the first of two
public meetings Tuesday in Slidell to gather comments on air and water
discharge permits for International Paper Co.'s Bogalusa mill. It's the
former Temple Inland plant, which burst into the news in 2011 when a
discharge at the mill fouled the Pearl River and killed hundreds of
thousands of fish.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/02/deq_to_conduct_hearing_on_boga.html#incart_river
Jindal coastal adviser Garret Graves resigns, effective Feb. 17
Mark Schleifstein
The Times-Picayune
February 04, 2014 at 8:17 PM
Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Chairman Garret Graves, who
managed the expansion of the authority into an office overseeing a
multi-billion-dollar Louisiana coastal restoration and hurricane levee
program, has resigned his position, effective Feb. 17.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/02/jindal_coastal_adviser_garret.html#incart_river
National
E.P.A. Staff Struggling to Create Pollution Rule
NY Times
By CORAL DAVENPORT
FEB. 4, 2014
WASHINGTON — In marathon meetings and tense all-day drafting sessions,
dozens of lawyers, economists and engineers at the Environmental Protection
Agency are struggling to create what is certain to be a divisive but
potentially historic centerpiece of President Obama's climate change
legacy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/05/us/epa-staff-struggling-to-create-rule-limiting-carbon-emissions.html?ref=earth&_r=0
EPA Draft Policy Document Says Science Justifies Stricter Ozone Air Quality
Standard
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Bloomberg
Feb. 3 — Scientific evidence supports setting a more stringent ozone air
quality standard, the Environmental Protection Agency said in a draft
document Feb. 3.
The EPA is in the process of deciding whether to revise the current ozone
national ambient air quality standard of 75 parts per billion, and a newly
released draft policy assessment said the EPA would be justified in setting
a standard between 60 ppb and 70 ppb.
http://www.bna.com/epa-draft-policy-n17179881852/
7 new 'climate hubs' to help rural areas adapt
BY JOSH LEDERMAN
Associated PressFebruary 4, 2014
WASHINGTON — Aiming to help rural communities deal with climate change, the
Obama administration is creating seven regional "climate hubs" that will
serve as clearinghouses for information and outreach about extreme weather
across the U.S.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/02/04/5311974/7-new-climate-hubs-to-help-rural.html
EPA Shifts Greenhouse Gas Permitting to Texas
By RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI
Associated Press
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency gave Texas authority over
greenhouse gas permitting on Tuesday, ending a long, often bitter battle
between the federal agency and the state.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/epa-shifts-greenhouse-gas-permitting-texas-22365051
EPA official's fraud fell through the cracks, documents show
Washington Post
By Lenny Bernstein and Ann E. Marimow,
A human resources official for the Environmental Protection Agency became
aware as early as 2008 of "problems" with a high-ranking official who
pleaded guilty last year to scamming the agency out of $900,000, according
to documents released Tuesday by Sen. David Vitter (R-La.).
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/epa-officials-fraud-fell-through-the-cracks-documents-show/2014/02/04/f9954412-8dac-11e3-833c-33098f9e5267_print.html
Senate Clears Five-Year Farm Bill
Obama Poised to Sign Hard-Fought Measure That Revamps Agriculture Supports,
Cuts Food Stamps
Wall Street Journal
WASHINGTON—The Senate approved a five-year farm bill Tuesday, ending a
nearly three-year slog in Congress to overhaul agriculture support programs
and food-stamp funding.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304626804579363111972493066?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5
Firms Fined Over Volatile Oil on Rails
Wall Street Journal
RUSSELL GOLD
Updated Feb. 4, 2014 7:19 p.m. ET
Federal regulators proposed civil penalties against three oil companies for
allegedly failing to test North Dakota crude properly, which could have led
to putting volatile oil into railroad tank cars too weak to handle it.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304626804579363291090361518?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5
Tiny Fish Makes Big Comeback in Oregon
Oregon Chub Is First Fish Proposed for Removal From Endangered-Species List
Thanks to Recovery
Wall Street Journal
PORTLAND, Ore.—The Oregon chub made history Tuesday, as the minnow became
the first fish proposed for removal from the federal endangered-species
list thanks to its recovery.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304851104579363130438625084?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5
Opinion
Sid Salter: Farm Bill's passage a testament to Cochran experience,
seniority
Clarion Ledger
Mississippi's agriculture and forestry industries are a $7.3 billion
business, employing almost one-third of Mississippi workers on 30 million
acres.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20140205/COL1008/302050010/Sid-Salter-Farm-Bill-s-passage-testament-Cochran-experience-seniority?odyssey=mod|
newswell|text|Columnists|p
Press Releases
EPA's 2012 Toxics Release Inventory Shows Air Pollutants Continue to
Decline
WASHINGTON - Total releases of toxic chemicals decreased 12 percent from
2011-2012, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA)
annual Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) report released today. The decrease
includes an eight percent decline in total toxic air releases, primarily
due to reductions in hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions.
"People deserve to know what toxic chemicals are being used and released in
their backyards, and what companies are doing to prevent pollution," said
EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. "By making that information easily
accessible through online tools, maps, and reports, TRI is helping protect
our health and the environment."
The 2012 data show that 3.63 billion pounds of toxic chemicals were either
disposed or otherwise released into the environment through air, water, and
land. There was also a decline in releases of HAPs such as hydrochloric
acid and mercury, which continues a long-term trend. Between 2011 and 2012,
toxic releases into surface water decreased three percent and toxic
releases to land decreased 16 percent.
This is the first year that TRI has collected data on hydrogen sulfide.
While it was added to the TRI list of reportable toxic chemicals in a 1993
rulemaking, EPA issued an Administrative Stay in 1994 that deferred
reporting while the agency completed further evaluation of the chemical.
EPA lifted the stay in 2011. In 2012, 25.8 million pounds of hydrogen
sulfide were reported to TRI, mainly in the form of releases to air from
paper, petroleum, and chemical manufacturing facilities.
Another new addition to TRI reporting is a requirement for each facility
located in Indian country to submit TRI reports to EPA and the appropriate
tribe, and not the state where the facility is geographically located. EPA
finalized this requirement in a 2012 rule aimed at increasing tribal
participation in the TRI Program.
This year's TRI national analysis report includes new analyses and
interactive maps for each U.S. metropolitan and micropolitan area, new
information about industry efforts to reduce pollution through green
chemistry and other pollution prevention practices, and a new feature about
chemical use in consumer products.
The annual TRI report provides citizens with critical information about
their communities. The TRI Program collects data on certain toxic chemical
releases to the air, water, and land, as well as information on waste
management and pollution prevention activities by facilities across the
country.
The data are submitted annually to EPA, states, and tribes by facilities in
industry sectors such as manufacturing, metal mining, electric utilities,
and commercial hazardous waste. Many of the releases from facilities that
are subject to TRI reporting are regulated under other EPA program
requirements designed to limit harm to human health and the environment.
Also available is the expanded TRI Pollution Prevention (P2) Search Tool,
which now allows users to graphically compare facilities within the same
industry using a variety of environmental metrics.
Under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA),
facilities must report their toxic chemical releases to EPA by July 1 of
each year. The Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 also requires facilities to
submit information on waste management activities related to TRI chemicals.
More information on the 2012 TRI analysis, including metropolitan and
micropolitan areas is available at www.epa.gov/tri/nationalanalysis.
More information on facility efforts to reduce toxic chemical releases,
including the new P2 facility comparison report, is available at
www.epa.gov/tri/p2.
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| Secretary Vilsack Announces Regional Hubs to Help Agriculture, Forestry |
| Mitigate the Impacts of a Changing Climate |
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| 'Climate Hubs' will provide regional networks on climate science, |
| forecasting impacts as part of President's Climate Action Plan |
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|WASHINGTON, Feb. 5, 2014—Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today |
|the creation of the first ever Regional Hubs for Risk Adaptation and |
|Mitigation to Climate Change at seven locations around the country. "Climate|
|Hubs" will address increasing risks such as fires, invasive pests, |
|devastating floods, and crippling droughts on a regional basis, aiming to |
|translate science and research into information to farmers, ranchers, and |
|forest landowners on ways to adapt and adjust their resource management. In |
|his State of the Union Address, President Obama pledged that his |
|Administration will continue to do everything in its power to act on climate|
|change. Today's announcement is part of the President's Climate Action Plan |
|to responsibly cut carbon pollution, slow the effects of climate change and |
|put America on track to a cleaner environment. |
| |
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|"For generations, America's farmers, ranchers and forest landowners have |
|innovated and adapted to challenges. Today, they face a new and more complex|
|threat in the form of a changing and shifting climate, which impacts both |
|our nation's forests and our farmers' bottom lines," said Vilsack. "USDA's |
|Climate Hubs are part of our broad commitment to developing the next |
|generation of climate solutions, so that our agricultural leaders have the |
|modern technologies and tools they need to adapt and succeed in the face of |
|a changing climate." |
| |
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|The Secretary first announced his intention to create the Hubs last summer. |
|The Hubs will provide outreach and information to producers on ways to |
|mitigate risks; public education about the risks climate change poses to |
|agriculture, ranchlands and forests; regional climate risk and vulnerability|
|assessments; and centers of climate forecast data and information. They will|
|also link a broad network of partners participating in climate risk |
|adaptation and mitigation, including universities; non-governmental |
|organizations; federal agencies such as the Department of Interior and the |
|National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Native Nations and |
|organizations; state departments of environment and agriculture; research |
|centers; farm groups and more. |
| |
| |
|Across the country, farmers, ranchers and forest landowners are seeing an |
|increase in risks to their operations due to fires, increases in invasive |
|pests, droughts, and floods. For example, in the Midwest, growing seasons |
|have lengthened by almost two weeks since 1950. The fire season is now 60 |
|days longer than it was 30 years ago, and forests will become increasingly |
|threatened by insect outbreaks, fire, drought and storms over the next 50 |
|years. These events threaten our food supply and are costly for producers |
|and rural economies. Drought alone was estimated to cost the U.S. $50 |
|billion from 2011 to 2013. Such risks have implications not only for |
|agricultural producers, but for all Americans. |
| |
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|The Hubs were chosen through a competitive process among USDA facilities. In|
|addition to the seven Hubs, USDA is designating three Subsidiary Hubs ("Sub |
|Hubs") that will function within the Southeast, Midwest, and Southwest. The |
|Sub Hubs will support the Hub within their region and focus on a narrow and |
|unique set of issues relative to what will be going on in the rest of the |
|Hub. The Southwest Sub Hub, located in Davis, California, will focus on |
|specialty crops and Southwest forests, the Southeast Sub Hub will address |
|issues important to the Caribbean, and the Midwest Sub Hub will address |
|climate change and Lake State forests. |
| |
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|The following locations have been selected to serve as their region's center|
|of climate change information and outreach to mitigate risks to the |
|agricultural sector: |
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| · Midwest: National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment, |
| Agricultural Research Service, Ames, Iowa |
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| o Sub-Hub in Houghton, Mich. |
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| · Northeast: Northern Research Station, Forest Service, Durham, N.H. |
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| · Southeast: Southern Research Station, Forest Service, Raleigh, N.C. |
| |
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| o Sub-Hub in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico |
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| · Northern Plains: National Resources Center, Agricultural Research |
| Service, Fort Collins, Colo. |
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| · Southern Plains: Grazinglands Research Lab, Agricultural Research |
| Service, El Reno, Okla. |
| |
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| · Pacific Northwest: Pacific Northwest Research Station, Forest Service,|
| Corvallis, Ore. |
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| · Southwest: Rangeland Management Unit/Jornada Experimental Range, |
| Agricultural Research Service, Las Cruces, N.M. |
| |
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| o Sub-hub in Davis, Calif. |
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|"This is the next step in USDA's decades of work alongside farmers, ranchers|
|and forest landowners to keep up production in the face of challenges," |
|Vilsack said. "If we are to be effective in managing the risks from a |
|shifting climate, we'll need to ensure that our managers in the field and |
|our stakeholders have the information they need to succeed. That's why we're|
|bringing all of that information together on a regionally-appropriate |
|basis." |
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|The Climate Hubs will build on the capacity within USDA to deliver |
|science-based knowledge and practical information to farmers, ranchers and |
|forest landowners to support decision-making related to climate change |
|across the country. |
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|For more information, visit www.usda.gov/climatechange. |
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