3.31.14
Oil Spill
Alvin submersible will give researchers view of effects of BP oil spill
Sun Herald
BY PATRICK OCHS
GULFPORT -- Nearly four years after oil first spewed into the Gulf of
Mexico from the blown-out Macondo wellhead, researchers representing major
universities from across the Southeast will depart Gulfport and got to the
site to document the potential recovery.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/29/5455088/alvin-submarine-to-allow-researchers.html
Famous submarine Alvin comes to Gulfport
WLOX
GULFPORT, MS (WLOX) -A well known submarine has taken up temporary
residence in Gulfport. The submersible vehicle, known as Alvin, was built
back in the 1960s. Since then, it has been an invaluable tool for deep sea
research and exploration.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25109538/famous-submarine-alvin-comes-to-gulfport
AG Hood says he's following law with execution
Natchez Democrat
Published 12:01am Saturday, March 29, 2014
…Hood also said he hopes the State of Mississippi will soon be given a
trial date to seek damages from BP for the 2010 Gulf oil spill.
http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/2014/03/29/ag-hood-says-hes-following-law-with-execution/
Why does the U.S. Chamber oppose small businesses harmed by BP disaster?
The Hill
By Robert Weissman
A giant, foreign, repeat-criminal enterprise inflicted massive economic
injury on thousands and thousands of American businesses.
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/judicial/201843-why-does-the-us-chamber-oppose-small-businesses-harmed-by-bp#.UzTrcOYxOKQ.twitter
State
Bill introduced requiring EPA to analyze economic impact of Clean Air Act
MBJ
by Wally Northway
Published: March 28,2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Roger Wicker
(R-Miss) are cosponsoring legislation that would prohibit the Environmental
Protection Agency from finalizing any major Clean Air Act regulation
without considering its economic impact.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2014/03/28/senators-introduce-bill-requiring-epa-analyze-economic-impact-clean-air-act/
DeSoto Ranger District to honor Wilderness Act
Clarion Ledger
The Wilderness Act was passed in 1964 to preserve some of the last wild
areas in the nation.
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the public is invited to DeSoto National
Forest to enjoy the wild and scenic land.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20140330/sports08/303300004/desoto-ranger-district-honor-wilderness-act
Regional
U.S. shrimp processors reported less shrimp in 2012 than any time in past
decade
Benjamin Alexander-Bloch
The Times-Picayune
March 28, 2014 at 8:47 AM
The amount of shrimp processed in the United States continues to decline,
as the U.S. shrimp processing sector reported a smaller amount of processed
shrimp in 2012 than any time in the past decade, according to a recent
Southern Shrimp Alliance study. The study analyzed data provided to the
alliance by the National Marine Fisheries Service.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/03/us_shrimp_processors_reported.html#incart_river
Irrigation making inroads in Alabama as water supplies dwindle in the
Southwest
By Brad Harper
Montgomery Advertiser
Published: Sunday, March 30, 2014 at 4:00 p.m.
MONTGOMERY | With water supplies dwindling and land worn from overuse,
agriculture in the arid Southwest has a problem that could soon affect the
entire nation.
Some experts believe the answer lies in better irrigation for the
Southeast, particularly in Alabama.
http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20140330/news/140339999?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
National
EPA faces bipartisan backlash on Capitol Hill
The Hill
By Timothy Cama
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is facing a backlash from both
Republicans and Democrats over its proposal to cut funding for programs
favored on Capitol Hill.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/202068-epa-faces-bipartisan-backlash
White House targets methane gas emissions
Washington Post
By Juliet Eilperin,
The Obama administration outlined a new strategy Friday for addressing
methane, signaling it may move to regulate a potent greenhouse gas released
into the air from hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/white-house-targets-methane-gas-emissions/2014/03/28/1c93b498-b685-11e3-b84e-897d3d12b816_story.html
White House: EPA to study methane, possible regulations
AP
The White House announced a wide-ranging plan Friday aimed at cutting
methane emissions from oil and gas drilling, landfills and other sources.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/03/28/white-house-epa-to-study-methane-possible-regulations/
White House tackles methane emissions in sweeping strategy
The Hill
By Laura Barron-Lopez
The Obama administration is ordering federal agencies to take on emissions
of the potent greenhouse gas methane in an effort to fight climate change.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/202038-white-house-drops-strategy-to-reduce-methane-emissions
W.H. methane strategy next step in climate plan
Politico
By: Andrew Restuccia
March 31, 2014 05:12 AM EDT
The White House has gotten a mixed response from industry and a mostly
positive reaction from greens since unveiling the latest step in President
Barack Obama's climate strategy: a plan for reducing emissions of methane,
a potent greenhouse gas produced by everything from natural gas development
to dairy farming.
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/03/wh-methane-strategy-next-step-in-climate-plan-105178.html?hp=r7
EPA Begins to Address Biomass Emissions in Permits Following Court Decision
Friday, March 28, 2014
Bloomberg
March 26 --The Environmental Appeals Board partially remanded an air
pollution permit for a waste-to-energy facility in Puerto Rico after it
failed to account for greenhouse gas emissions from biomass.
http://www.bna.com/epa-begins-address-n17179889189/
ANALYSIS-The tally is in: Ethanol 'blend wall' cost refiners at least $1.35
bln
Reuters
By Cezary Podkul
NEW YORK, March 31 (Reuters) - Last year's spike in the price of ethanol
blending credits cost independent refiners at least $1.35 billion, more
than three times as much as the year before, according to a Reuters' review
of securities filings.
http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/03/31/rins-spike-costs-idINL1N0MO2B620140331
Fracking's Earthquake Risks Push States to Collaborate
Bloomberg
By Jim Efstathiou Jr. March 27, 2014
Several U.S. states are banding together to combat the mounting risks of
earthquakes tied to the disposal of wastewater from hydraulic fracturing
for natural gas.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-03-27/fracking-s-earthquake-risks-push-states-to-collaborate
Washington state mudslide a deadly reminder of no national system to
monitor such hazards
The Associated Press
March 30, 2014 at 9:18 PM
SEATTLE — People living in the path of a deadly Washington state landslide
had virtually no warning before a wall of mud, trees and other debris
thundered down the mountain. Some of the homeowners didn't even know the
hillside could give way at any time.
http://blog.al.com/wire/2014/03/washington_state_landslide_a_d.html#incart_river
Wyoming sues EPA over regional haze
March 29, 2014 12:00 pm • By LAURA HANCOCK Casper Star-Tribune
CASPER — The state of Wyoming sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
on Friday, challenging the federal agency's plan to control regional haze.
http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming/wyoming-sues-epa-over-regional-haze/article_4ae61c28-fdfa-5c10-bc41-0f1e986e3e6a.html
New state agency may oversee fertilizer runoff
By Anne Saker
The Columbus Dispatch • Monday March 31, 2014 5:45 AM
The state has proposed moving oversight of farmland manure runoff — the
stuff that helps toxic algae spread in Ohio's lakes — from the Department
of Natural Resources to the Department of Agriculture.
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/03/31/new-agency-may-oversee-waste-runoff.html
Teen to government: Change your typeface, save millions
CNN
(CNN) -- An e. You can write it with one fluid swoop of a pen or one tap of
the keyboard. The most commonly used letter in the English dictionary.
Simple, right?
Now imagine it printed out millions of times on thousands of forms and
documents. Then think of how much ink would be needed.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/27/living/student-money-saving-typeface-garamond-schools/index.html?c=homepage-t&page=0
Press Releases
COCHRAN SAYS ALLEGED IRREGULARITIES IN FEMA FLOOD MAP PROCESS ARE TROUBLING
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) today issued the
following statement regarding an investigation launched into alleged
irregularities by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in determining
National Flood Insurance Program flood maps:
"The American people, especially those who rely on flood insurance, should
be able to trust the reliability of the Federal Emergency Management Agency
flood map process. The investigation into possible misdeeds in that
process is a serious matter. The entire National Flood Insurance Program
depends on the federal government using objective, accurate and sound
engineering practices when creating flood maps. I am troubled by the
allegations in this matter and hope they are quickly resolved."
Cochran serves on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee with jurisdiction
over the FEMA and its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security.
As one of the Senate's leaders on flood disaster policy, the Senator has
worked to ensure that FEMA utilizes sound mapping methods to make flood
insurance rate determinations.
In the recent debate on legislation to stop unaffordable insurance rate
increases associated with the implementation of the Biggert-Waters Flood
Insurance Reform Act of 2012, Cochran argued that, "Before we let these
rates devalue private property and perhaps even devastate local economies,
we need to be absolutely sure our practices and procedures are as sound as
possible." (http://1.usa.gov/1aZBKjQ)
In 2012, Cochran went to bat for Mississippi residents in the vicinity of
the Ross Barnett Reservoir, who maintained that FEMA erroneously placed
several subdivisions in special flood hazard zones, resulting in their
flood insurance premiums to skyrocket. Only after an inquiry from Cochran
did FEMA acknowledge and correct some of the inaccurate flood maps.
The Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act enacted last week, which
Cochran helped write, includes provisions to hold FEMA accountable for
faulty mapping practices, to fast-track affordability studies, and to
reimburse homeowners who appeal incorrect maps.
LINK:
• NBC News: "FBI Investigates FEMA Flood Map Changes After NBC News
Report"http://nbcnews.to/1hFuSLM
###
All Terrain Vehicle Usage At Corps Lakes
Vicksburg, Miss...Over the past several years, all terrain vehicle (ATV)
recreational riding has become increasingly popular at the Mississippi
lakes. The numerous acres of mudflats and miles of shoreline during low
lake levels provide great riding opportunities for ATV enthusiasts.
The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District has instituted an
educational campaign to remind users of the safety and environmental
concerns associated with ATV usage. This campaign is an educational program
dedicated to increasing public awareness of how to enjoy the great outdoors
while minimizing the impacts of ATV use. Before operating an ATV, it is
recommended that operators attend an approved ATV training course. Riders
should always wear the appropriate safety gear to include a helmet and
protective eyewear.
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 36 states that it is unlawful to
operate an ATV in a careless, negligent or reckless manner. Visitors are
reminded to follow and obey all rules and regulations of ATV usage. All ATV
operators must practice safety procedures while riding for recreational or
work-related purposes. Operation of any motorized vehicle while under the
influence of alcohol is illegal and constitutes careless and reckless
operation. A common practice called "SKIMMING" is a violation of CFR Title
36. Skimming is bringing an ATV to a high rate of speed and hydroplaning
across water.
Due to streambed damage and destruction to sensitive aquatic plants and
animal life, state law prohibits streambed ATV riding.
In addition, destruction, defacement, removal or any alteration of any
public property to include natural formations, mineral deposits, historical
and archaeological features are prohibited. These features include
materials from old house sites, arrowheads and other Native American
artifacts, and Native American paleontological resources.
Strict enforcement of all rules and regulations is intended to provide a
safe environment for ATV operation. The improper use of ATV's can cause
rutting and destroy sensitive wetland habitat, erode creek banks, and
destroy native plant species allowing invasive plant species to thrive.
Operators who refuse to follow established/posted rules and regulations
will be cited and subject to pay all fines, appear before a Federal
Magistrate, and suffer banishment from all Mississippi lakes.
ATV riding information can be obtained through Tread Lightly at
www.treadlightly.org or the ATV Safety Institute at www.atvsafety.org.
Monday, March 31, 2014
Friday, March 28, 2014
News Clippings 3.28.14
3.28.2014
Oil Spill
Resiliency Plan heads to council
Houma Courier
By Jacob Batte
Published: Thursday, March 27, 2014 at 8:15 p.m.
A plan to help Lafourche Parish expand, attract new residents and maintain
a high quality of life is headed to the Parish Council.
http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20140327/ARTICLES/140329521/-1/entertainment02?Title=Resiliency-Plan-heads-to-council
State
Gov. Bryant leaves CMR nominee up to Senate committee
Sun Herald
BY PAUL HAMPTON
JACKSON -- Gov. Phil Bryant will let the Senate Committee on Ports and
Marine Resources decide which of his two nominees to the Commission on
Marine Resources will get the job.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/27/5449575/gov-bryant-leaves-cmr-nominee.html?sp=/99/184/208/
Regional
Interior conservation funds: La $21M, Miss $14M
The Associated Press
March 28, 2014
NEW ORLEANS — Louisiana is getting $21.3 million and Mississippi $14.4
million for wildlife and fisheries conservation projects from the federal
Interior Department.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/28/5451832/interior-conservation-funds-la.html?sp=/99/184/218/
Halcon's Wilson Says Tuscaloosa Shale Among Last Big Shale Finds
Bloomberg
By Bradley Olson - Mar 24, 2014
Floyd Wilson, the wildcatter who helped discover the fastest-growing U.S.
oil field, says a prospect called the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale is among the
last great fields that may emerge in the U.S. energy renaissance.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-25/halcon-s-wilson-says-tuscaloosa-shale-among-last-big-shale-finds.html
Louisiana $50 billion coastal restoration plan would inject billions more
into economy every year, study finds
Katherine Sayre
The Times-Picayune
March 27, 2014 at 10:42 PM
Under Louisiana's $50 billion, 50-year coastal restoration plan, the
economy would see a boost from construction, cost savings from lower
insurance and less hurricane damage, and the creation of a coastal science
industry with the potential for being a global leader, according to a
report released Thursday.
http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2014/03/louisiana_50_billion_coastal_r.html#incart_river
National
EPA, Corps of Engineers unveil proposed rule for protecting U.S. waters
Delta Farm Press
Forrest Laws
Wed, 2014-03-26 18:37
Farm-state lawmakers condemn new proposed rule
The long-awaited showdown between EPA and farm groups and crop protection
organizations over the Environmental Protection Agency's interpretation of
Clean Water Act language protecting the "waters of the United States" has
begun.
http://deltafarmpress.com/government/epa-corps-engineers-unveil-proposed-rule-protecting-us-waters
FBI Investigates FEMA Flood Map Changes After NBC News Report
NBC
BY BILL DEDMAN
FBI agents are interviewing employees at FEMA in an investigation of
unusual changes in federal flood insurance maps that benefited oceanfront
condo buildings with a history of flooding, according to sources familiar
with the investigation.
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/fbi-investigates-fema-flood-map-changes-after-nbc-news-report-n62906
Investigation far from over in Houston oil spill
BY PAUL J. WEBER
Associated PressMarch 28, 2014
AUSTIN, TEXAS — The barge operator that spilled nearly 170,000 gallons of
tar-like oil into the Houston Ship Channel, closing one of the nation's
busiest seaports for several days, will be fined by Texas regulators
regardless of the outcome of state and federal investigations.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/28/5451713/investigation-far-from-over-in.html?sp=/99/102/
Opinion
Our view: Who stands for the environment?
Commercial Dispatch
March 27, 2014 10:24:20 AM
Earlier this week, The Dispatch was the first to report on Columbus Light &
Water's refusal to process KiOR's wastewater. The news was the latest in a
string of bad news for the Texas-based public company, which has invested
over $200 million in its Columbus plant. KiOR is idling that plant and may
be facing bankruptcy without a significant capital investment, according to
the company's annual report which was filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission earlier this month.
http://www.cdispatch.com/opinions/article.asp?aid=32178
Press Releases
COCHRAN & WICKER COSPONSOR BILL TO FORCE EPA TO CONSIDER ECONOMIC IMPACT OF
CLEAN AIR RULES
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Roger
Wicker (R-Miss) today said they are cosponsoring legislation that would
prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from finalizing any major
Clean Air Act regulation without considering its economic impact.
The EPA Employment Impact Analysis Act (S.2161) was introduced
Wednesday by Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.). It would force the EPA to
adhere to Section 321(a) of the Clean Air Act, which requires EPA to
conduct continuing evaluations of potential loss of jobs that result from
enforcement of the Clean Air Act.
"Federal regulations have real consequences including the jobs lost
and costly compliance burdens on businesses," Cochran said.
"Unfortunately, it is needed because of the Obama administration's belief
that it has free rein to implement the Clean Air Act in ways that are
extraordinarily costly. We have experienced this first-hand in Mississippi
when the administration failed to give adequate consideration to the
economic impact of the nonattainment ozone designation in DeSoto County."
"EPA's rapid expansion should not move forward without full
knowledge of how its existing rules are impacting American jobs," said
Wicker, who serves on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
(EPW). "EPA is legally obligated to analyze its policies' cost to the
economy and ought to comply with the law."
Inhofe, a senior member on the EPW Committee, included in the
legislation examples of instances where the EPA did not follow Clean Air
Act requirements for ongoing reviews of regulations it initially indicated
would create increase employment but ended up eliminating jobs. Some of
these examples include the agency's rules on cross state air pollution and
Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) regulations for boilers and
utilities.
In recent years, Cochran and Wicker have been critical of EPA
regulatory efforts regarding ozone rulings affecting DeSoto County, as well
as Boiler MACT regulations for fossil fuel and biomass-fueled boilers.
Cochran and Wicker are among 29 original cosponsors to the S.2161,
which has been referred to the EPW Committee. Other cosponsors include
Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), John Boozman (R-Ark.),
Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), Dan Coats (R-Ind.), Tom
Coburn (R-Okla.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz
(R-Texas), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Lindsey Graham
(R-S.C.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Jonnie Isakson (R-Ga.), Mike Johanns
(R-Neb.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.),
Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Sens. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Pat Roberts (R-Kansas),
Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), John
Thune (R-S.D.), and David Vitter (R-La.).
###
EPA Agreement with Vehicle and Engine Company Requires Imports to Meet
Federal Emission Limits
WASHINGTON -- American Lifan Industry, Inc., an Ontario, California-based
vehicle and engine importer, has agreed to ensure that future imports meet
federal emission standards after illegally importing and selling nearly
28,000 highway motorcycles, recreational vehicles, and engines manufactured
in China that did not comply with Clean Air Act standards to limit harmful
pollution.
The company will pay $630,000 in civil penalties and will also post a
$300,000-$500,000 bond to satisfy any future potential penalties related to
importation of model year 2014, 2015, and 2016 vehicles manufactured by
China Lifan Industry (Group) Co., Ltd or affiliated companies. This is the
first time that the EPA has secured such a bond in a Clean Air Act
settlement.
"Mobile sources of pollution can threaten the clean air that we all depend
on for active, healthy lives," said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator
of EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "EPA will continue
to hold importers of foreign-made vehicles accountable for meeting U.S.
emission limits put in place to protect Americans from harmful air
pollution."
The settlement, approved yesterday by the Agency's Environmental Appeals
Board, alleges that the company violated the Clean Air Act by importing and
selling over 6,700 highway motorcycles, recreational vehicles, and engines
that lack the required certification indicating that emissions meet federal
standards. The EPA also alleges that the company failed to provide
purchasers with the full emissions warranty required by the Clean Air Act;
imported and sold vehicles without proper emission labels; and failed to
follow recordkeeping requirements.
EPA's investigation showed that the company obtained certificates of
conformity for numerous vehicles without conducting required emissions
testing. In October 2013, EPA voided 45 invalid certificates of conformity
held by the company, which affected over 21,000 additional model year
2006-2011 highway motorcycles and recreational vehicles.
The EPA and U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Bureau of Customs and
Border Protection discovered the violations through inspections conducted
at the Dallas/Fort Worth Service Port and the Los Angeles/Long Beach
Seaport, and through a comprehensive review of documents provided by the
company.
The Clean Air Act requires that all vehicles have EPA-issued certificates
of conformity, warranty, and labeling prior to being imported or sold in
the United States to demonstrate that they meet federal emission standards.
Engines that do not have proper emissions controls can emit excess carbon
monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides which can cause respiratory
illnesses, aggravate asthma and contribute to the formation of ground level
ozone or smog.
This settlement is part of EPA's ongoing effort to ensure that all vehicles
imported into the U.S. meet federal limits for emissions of harmful
pollution. In a similar action last month, a Chinese company, CFMOTO, and
its U.S. distributor agreed to implement corrective measures related to the
illegal import of over 12,000 recreational vehicles and highway
motorcycles.
American Lifan, based in Dallas, Texas until 2013, imports highway
motorcycles, recreational vehicles, gasoline engines, and gasoline-powered
generators, manufactured by Lifan Industry (Group) Co., Ltd., Chongqing
Lifan Industry (Group) Imp. & Exp. Co., Ltd., China Lifan Industry (Group)
Co., Ltd. and Chongqing Lifan Power Co., Ltd.
More information for prospective importers on Clean Air Act requirements:
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/imports/
Certificates of conformity voided by the EPA:
http://epa.gov/otaq/motor-void.htm
More information on the settlement:
http://www2.epa.gov/enforcement/american-lifan-industry-inc-settlement
Testimony of EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy Before House Appropriations
Committee on Proposed FY 2015 Budget
WASHINGTON – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina
McCarthy testified today before the House Interior, Environment, and
Related Agencies Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee at a
hearing to discuss EPA's proposed FY 2015 budget.
Administrator McCarthy's testimony:
Chairman Calvert, Ranking Member Moran, and members of the Committee, thank
you for the opportunity to appear before you to discuss the Environmental
Protection Agency's proposed FY 2015 budget. I'm joined by the Agency's
Acting Chief Financial Officer, Maryann Froehlich.
EPA's budget request of $7.890 billion for the 2015 fiscal year starting
October 1, 2014 reflects our ongoing efforts to meet the challenges facing
the agency today and into the future. Despite these challenges, we remain
dedicated to protecting public health and the environment, and we know we
must target staff and resources and find new ways to fulfill our mission.
We will focus those resources in a way that will allow EPA to be more
effective and efficient.
The FY 2015 budget reflects a strategic approach to our budget planning
process, looking toward the future rather than continuing to simply react
to tough budget choices with cuts across the Agency. The FY 2015 budget
request does this in the following ways:
• It reflects EPA's incorporation of new technologies and new
regulatory and non-regulatory approaches that can help us maintain our
efficiency and effectiveness.
• It strengthens EPA's partnership with public health and
environmental protection partners in states, tribes and local communities
with a focus on aligning our resources, avoiding duplication, and
identifying and closing any gaps in the broader environmental enterprise
system.
• It invests our funds and leverages funds of our partners where
it makes the most sense and gets the biggest bang for the buck.
Following the framework of priorities laid out in the FY 2014 - 2018
Strategic Plan and working within our budget, we are committed to ensuring
the staff we have in program areas and regions make the most sense and will
have the most impact.
EPA has already taken steps toward proactive management of our operating
budget. Through the VERA/VSIP process, we have begun to accelerate
attrition within EPA both at headquarters and the regions toward a ceiling
of 15,000 nonrefundable FTE's.
Our FY 2015 budget relies on a reduced workforce focused on programs,
policies, and regulations that matter most to public health and the
environment. This is not simply about cutting the workforce to save costs.
We are reshaping the workforce and our work to meet current and future
challenges. Doing this includes making key investments.
It makes long-term fiscal sense to invest the cost savings achieved --
through a smaller workforce and improved use of technology -- to work
smarter and more effectively. This approach will keep EPA strong, focused
on science and the law, and transparent in addressing environmental
challenges and the results we have achieved.
This budget will provide the support we need to move forward by targeting
real progress in priority areas: communities, climate change and air
quality, toxics and chemical safety, and clean water.
Building on current work on the ground in our communities, we are asking
for $7.5 million and 64 staff in FY 2015 to work toward efforts that will
make a difference in people's everyday lives and in their communities.
Those efforts include providing green infrastructure technical assistance
for up to 100 communities that will promote cost-effective approaches to
water management.
This budget request furthers our environmental justice efforts. The
protections provided by our national environmental laws must be accessible
to everyone. We will do more to partner with states, tribes, and local
governments and other federal agencies to better coordinate and leverage
resources supporting community efforts.
Addressing the threat from a changing climate is one of the greatest
challenges of this and future generations. The request for climate change
and air quality is $1.03 billion—over $41 million more than fiscal year
2014. And it designates $199.5 million specifically for climate change
work.
Building on existing efforts and base budget resources, the Agency has
added $10 million and dedicates 24 FTE's in FY 2015 to support the
President's climate action plan. $2 million is designated for technical
assistance for adaptation planning for water utilities at greatest risk
from storm surges. Research and development efforts will focus on support
tools for at-risk communities and tribes in preparing for the impacts of
climate change.
The Agency will focus resources on the development of common sense and
achievable greenhouse gas standards for power plants—the single largest
source of carbon pollution. The President's budget provides support for the
states to help them meet their obligations under Section 111 of the Clean
Air Act with regard to cutting carbon emissions.
This request also supports the President's interagency methane strategy and
the President's recently announced directive to EPA to develop phase 2 fuel
efficiency and greenhouse gas standards for heavy-duty vehicles. EPA also
will be implementing a range of activities in support of the President's
call to cut energy waste in homes, businesses, and factories.
Chemicals and toxic substances are prevalent in our everyday lives. The EPA
budget requests almost $673 million to support work to reduce the risk and
increase the safety of chemicals and prevent pollution for all Americans
and especially children.
We are requesting $23 million and 24 FTE in FY 2015 to support activities
under the President's executive order on chemical safety, as well as Agency
efforts on chemical prioritization, air toxics, radon, and volatile organic
compounds in drinking water. $5 million in resources for air toxics work
will enhance our capabilities to design effective regulations and continue
developing the national air toxics assessment.
The nation's water resources are the lifeblood of our communities. The FY
2015 budget recognizes the long-term benefits of healthy aquatic systems
for all aspects of our daily lives.
The Agency is directing $8 million and 10 FTE to advance clean water.
Resources are also proposed for the municipal separate storm sewer systems
program for technical support to communities that must develop effective
stormwater permits for the first time.
We are requesting $1.775 billion for the clean water and drinking water
state revolving funds. Although this is a more than a $580 million decrease
over FY 2014 levels, federal capitalization of the SRFs totals over $22
billion since FY 2009, if you include the FY 2015 request. The FY 2015
budget seeks to ensure that federal dollars provided through the fund lead
to the design, construction, and support of sustainable water
infrastructure.
The EPA is looking toward future ways to better serve the American people
by employing technology where it can be used more effectively. E-Enterprise
is a major joint initiative between EPA and states to modernize our
business practices and to increase responsiveness. This effort holds the
promise of increased effectiveness and savings for businesses as well as
government. The agency is expanding efforts in the second year of the
multi-year E-Enterprise business model including focusing people and
resources to accelerate development of the E-Manifest system and associated
rule-making work. For example, the benefits of implementing the E-Manifest
system include annual savings estimated at $75 million for over 160,000
waste handlers. Transitioning from a paper-based system saves time and
effort for every person who used to handle that paper.
In addition, EPA is making changes to long-standing business practices such
as contracts, grants management, and the regulation development process.
One important area of emphasis is improving freedom of information act
(FOIA) and records management.
In FY 2015, the Agency is requesting over $1.33 billion to continue to
apply the most effective response approaches for cleanups under RCRA,
Superfund, Leaking Underground Storage Tank, and other authorities. This
strategy will help ensure land is returned to beneficial use in the most
effective way. $1.16 billion is requested for Superfund which includes a
$43.4 million increase for remedial work and an increase of $9.2 million
for emergency response and removal.
In this budget, we hold firm our priority support for state and tribal
partners, the primary implementers and front line of environmental
programs. Funding for state and tribal assistance grants – or STAG – is
once again the largest percentage of the EPA's budget request and
prioritizes funding for state categorical grants.
The FY 2015 budget includes a total of $1.13 billion in categorical grants
– a net $76 million increase over FY 2014.
• Within that total is over $96 million for tribal general
assistance program grants – a $31 million increase over FY 2014.
• We also included an $18 million increase for pollution control
(Section 106),
• There is a $16 million increase for environmental information
grants.
• There is a $15 million increase for state and local air quality
management in our request.
Science is the foundation of our work at the EPA. And science is supported
by the President's request of $537.3 million. In FY 2015, the EPA is
focusing research on the most critical issues facing the Agency.
These include efforts to: advance chemical prioritization and predictive
toxicology, help communities make sustainable decisions regarding
environmental protection and resilience, and inform regional and community
level strategies for the use of green infrastructure and other innovative
alternative practices.
The EPA continues to focus on reducing its physical footprint and achieving
greater energy efficiency. Since 2006, the EPA has released approximately
428 thousand square feet of space nationwide, resulting in a cumulative
annual rent avoidance of over $14.6 million.
The EPA continues to eliminate programs that have served their purpose,
accomplished their mission, or are duplicative. The FY 2015 budget
eliminates a number of such programs totaling nearly $56 million. These
include beaches protection categorical grants, state indoor radon grants,
and diesel emissions reductions assistance grants.
Recognizing the importance of the two-year budget agreement congress
reached in December, which the President's budget adheres to, levels are
not sufficient to expand opportunity to all Americans or to drive the
growth our economy needs.
For that reason, across the federal government, the budget also includes a
separate, fully paid for $56 billion opportunity, growth, and security
initiative. This initiative—split evenly between defense and non-defense
funding—shows how additional discretionary investments in FY 2015 can spur
economic progress, promote opportunity, and strengthen national security.
• Within the initiative is $1 billion for a climate resilience
fund, through which the budget will invest in research and unlock data to
better understand and prepare for impacts of a changing climate. These
investments will also fund breakthrough technologies and resilient
infrastructure.
• Within the climate resilience fund, EPA will support a nation
better prepared for the impacts of climate change—with $10 million for
protecting and enhancing coastal wetlands, and $5 million to support urban
forest enhancement and protection.
We have made some very difficult choices in this budget. But we need to
look realistically at challenges we face in the future and make sure we
have the best tools and people in the right places to make the most
difference. Our final FY 2015 budget reflects a balanced approach to
accomplishing this.
Thank you for the opportunity to touch upon some of the highlights of EPA's
FY 2015 budget request in my testimony today. I look forward to answering
your questions.
Oil Spill
Resiliency Plan heads to council
Houma Courier
By Jacob Batte
Published: Thursday, March 27, 2014 at 8:15 p.m.
A plan to help Lafourche Parish expand, attract new residents and maintain
a high quality of life is headed to the Parish Council.
http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20140327/ARTICLES/140329521/-1/entertainment02?Title=Resiliency-Plan-heads-to-council
State
Gov. Bryant leaves CMR nominee up to Senate committee
Sun Herald
BY PAUL HAMPTON
JACKSON -- Gov. Phil Bryant will let the Senate Committee on Ports and
Marine Resources decide which of his two nominees to the Commission on
Marine Resources will get the job.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/27/5449575/gov-bryant-leaves-cmr-nominee.html?sp=/99/184/208/
Regional
Interior conservation funds: La $21M, Miss $14M
The Associated Press
March 28, 2014
NEW ORLEANS — Louisiana is getting $21.3 million and Mississippi $14.4
million for wildlife and fisheries conservation projects from the federal
Interior Department.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/28/5451832/interior-conservation-funds-la.html?sp=/99/184/218/
Halcon's Wilson Says Tuscaloosa Shale Among Last Big Shale Finds
Bloomberg
By Bradley Olson - Mar 24, 2014
Floyd Wilson, the wildcatter who helped discover the fastest-growing U.S.
oil field, says a prospect called the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale is among the
last great fields that may emerge in the U.S. energy renaissance.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-25/halcon-s-wilson-says-tuscaloosa-shale-among-last-big-shale-finds.html
Louisiana $50 billion coastal restoration plan would inject billions more
into economy every year, study finds
Katherine Sayre
The Times-Picayune
March 27, 2014 at 10:42 PM
Under Louisiana's $50 billion, 50-year coastal restoration plan, the
economy would see a boost from construction, cost savings from lower
insurance and less hurricane damage, and the creation of a coastal science
industry with the potential for being a global leader, according to a
report released Thursday.
http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2014/03/louisiana_50_billion_coastal_r.html#incart_river
National
EPA, Corps of Engineers unveil proposed rule for protecting U.S. waters
Delta Farm Press
Forrest Laws
Wed, 2014-03-26 18:37
Farm-state lawmakers condemn new proposed rule
The long-awaited showdown between EPA and farm groups and crop protection
organizations over the Environmental Protection Agency's interpretation of
Clean Water Act language protecting the "waters of the United States" has
begun.
http://deltafarmpress.com/government/epa-corps-engineers-unveil-proposed-rule-protecting-us-waters
FBI Investigates FEMA Flood Map Changes After NBC News Report
NBC
BY BILL DEDMAN
FBI agents are interviewing employees at FEMA in an investigation of
unusual changes in federal flood insurance maps that benefited oceanfront
condo buildings with a history of flooding, according to sources familiar
with the investigation.
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/fbi-investigates-fema-flood-map-changes-after-nbc-news-report-n62906
Investigation far from over in Houston oil spill
BY PAUL J. WEBER
Associated PressMarch 28, 2014
AUSTIN, TEXAS — The barge operator that spilled nearly 170,000 gallons of
tar-like oil into the Houston Ship Channel, closing one of the nation's
busiest seaports for several days, will be fined by Texas regulators
regardless of the outcome of state and federal investigations.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/28/5451713/investigation-far-from-over-in.html?sp=/99/102/
Opinion
Our view: Who stands for the environment?
Commercial Dispatch
March 27, 2014 10:24:20 AM
Earlier this week, The Dispatch was the first to report on Columbus Light &
Water's refusal to process KiOR's wastewater. The news was the latest in a
string of bad news for the Texas-based public company, which has invested
over $200 million in its Columbus plant. KiOR is idling that plant and may
be facing bankruptcy without a significant capital investment, according to
the company's annual report which was filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission earlier this month.
http://www.cdispatch.com/opinions/article.asp?aid=32178
Press Releases
COCHRAN & WICKER COSPONSOR BILL TO FORCE EPA TO CONSIDER ECONOMIC IMPACT OF
CLEAN AIR RULES
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Roger
Wicker (R-Miss) today said they are cosponsoring legislation that would
prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from finalizing any major
Clean Air Act regulation without considering its economic impact.
The EPA Employment Impact Analysis Act (S.2161) was introduced
Wednesday by Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.). It would force the EPA to
adhere to Section 321(a) of the Clean Air Act, which requires EPA to
conduct continuing evaluations of potential loss of jobs that result from
enforcement of the Clean Air Act.
"Federal regulations have real consequences including the jobs lost
and costly compliance burdens on businesses," Cochran said.
"Unfortunately, it is needed because of the Obama administration's belief
that it has free rein to implement the Clean Air Act in ways that are
extraordinarily costly. We have experienced this first-hand in Mississippi
when the administration failed to give adequate consideration to the
economic impact of the nonattainment ozone designation in DeSoto County."
"EPA's rapid expansion should not move forward without full
knowledge of how its existing rules are impacting American jobs," said
Wicker, who serves on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
(EPW). "EPA is legally obligated to analyze its policies' cost to the
economy and ought to comply with the law."
Inhofe, a senior member on the EPW Committee, included in the
legislation examples of instances where the EPA did not follow Clean Air
Act requirements for ongoing reviews of regulations it initially indicated
would create increase employment but ended up eliminating jobs. Some of
these examples include the agency's rules on cross state air pollution and
Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) regulations for boilers and
utilities.
In recent years, Cochran and Wicker have been critical of EPA
regulatory efforts regarding ozone rulings affecting DeSoto County, as well
as Boiler MACT regulations for fossil fuel and biomass-fueled boilers.
Cochran and Wicker are among 29 original cosponsors to the S.2161,
which has been referred to the EPW Committee. Other cosponsors include
Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), John Boozman (R-Ark.),
Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), Dan Coats (R-Ind.), Tom
Coburn (R-Okla.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz
(R-Texas), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Lindsey Graham
(R-S.C.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Jonnie Isakson (R-Ga.), Mike Johanns
(R-Neb.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.),
Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Sens. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Pat Roberts (R-Kansas),
Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), John
Thune (R-S.D.), and David Vitter (R-La.).
###
EPA Agreement with Vehicle and Engine Company Requires Imports to Meet
Federal Emission Limits
WASHINGTON -- American Lifan Industry, Inc., an Ontario, California-based
vehicle and engine importer, has agreed to ensure that future imports meet
federal emission standards after illegally importing and selling nearly
28,000 highway motorcycles, recreational vehicles, and engines manufactured
in China that did not comply with Clean Air Act standards to limit harmful
pollution.
The company will pay $630,000 in civil penalties and will also post a
$300,000-$500,000 bond to satisfy any future potential penalties related to
importation of model year 2014, 2015, and 2016 vehicles manufactured by
China Lifan Industry (Group) Co., Ltd or affiliated companies. This is the
first time that the EPA has secured such a bond in a Clean Air Act
settlement.
"Mobile sources of pollution can threaten the clean air that we all depend
on for active, healthy lives," said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator
of EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "EPA will continue
to hold importers of foreign-made vehicles accountable for meeting U.S.
emission limits put in place to protect Americans from harmful air
pollution."
The settlement, approved yesterday by the Agency's Environmental Appeals
Board, alleges that the company violated the Clean Air Act by importing and
selling over 6,700 highway motorcycles, recreational vehicles, and engines
that lack the required certification indicating that emissions meet federal
standards. The EPA also alleges that the company failed to provide
purchasers with the full emissions warranty required by the Clean Air Act;
imported and sold vehicles without proper emission labels; and failed to
follow recordkeeping requirements.
EPA's investigation showed that the company obtained certificates of
conformity for numerous vehicles without conducting required emissions
testing. In October 2013, EPA voided 45 invalid certificates of conformity
held by the company, which affected over 21,000 additional model year
2006-2011 highway motorcycles and recreational vehicles.
The EPA and U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Bureau of Customs and
Border Protection discovered the violations through inspections conducted
at the Dallas/Fort Worth Service Port and the Los Angeles/Long Beach
Seaport, and through a comprehensive review of documents provided by the
company.
The Clean Air Act requires that all vehicles have EPA-issued certificates
of conformity, warranty, and labeling prior to being imported or sold in
the United States to demonstrate that they meet federal emission standards.
Engines that do not have proper emissions controls can emit excess carbon
monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides which can cause respiratory
illnesses, aggravate asthma and contribute to the formation of ground level
ozone or smog.
This settlement is part of EPA's ongoing effort to ensure that all vehicles
imported into the U.S. meet federal limits for emissions of harmful
pollution. In a similar action last month, a Chinese company, CFMOTO, and
its U.S. distributor agreed to implement corrective measures related to the
illegal import of over 12,000 recreational vehicles and highway
motorcycles.
American Lifan, based in Dallas, Texas until 2013, imports highway
motorcycles, recreational vehicles, gasoline engines, and gasoline-powered
generators, manufactured by Lifan Industry (Group) Co., Ltd., Chongqing
Lifan Industry (Group) Imp. & Exp. Co., Ltd., China Lifan Industry (Group)
Co., Ltd. and Chongqing Lifan Power Co., Ltd.
More information for prospective importers on Clean Air Act requirements:
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/imports/
Certificates of conformity voided by the EPA:
http://epa.gov/otaq/motor-void.htm
More information on the settlement:
http://www2.epa.gov/enforcement/american-lifan-industry-inc-settlement
Testimony of EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy Before House Appropriations
Committee on Proposed FY 2015 Budget
WASHINGTON – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina
McCarthy testified today before the House Interior, Environment, and
Related Agencies Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee at a
hearing to discuss EPA's proposed FY 2015 budget.
Administrator McCarthy's testimony:
Chairman Calvert, Ranking Member Moran, and members of the Committee, thank
you for the opportunity to appear before you to discuss the Environmental
Protection Agency's proposed FY 2015 budget. I'm joined by the Agency's
Acting Chief Financial Officer, Maryann Froehlich.
EPA's budget request of $7.890 billion for the 2015 fiscal year starting
October 1, 2014 reflects our ongoing efforts to meet the challenges facing
the agency today and into the future. Despite these challenges, we remain
dedicated to protecting public health and the environment, and we know we
must target staff and resources and find new ways to fulfill our mission.
We will focus those resources in a way that will allow EPA to be more
effective and efficient.
The FY 2015 budget reflects a strategic approach to our budget planning
process, looking toward the future rather than continuing to simply react
to tough budget choices with cuts across the Agency. The FY 2015 budget
request does this in the following ways:
• It reflects EPA's incorporation of new technologies and new
regulatory and non-regulatory approaches that can help us maintain our
efficiency and effectiveness.
• It strengthens EPA's partnership with public health and
environmental protection partners in states, tribes and local communities
with a focus on aligning our resources, avoiding duplication, and
identifying and closing any gaps in the broader environmental enterprise
system.
• It invests our funds and leverages funds of our partners where
it makes the most sense and gets the biggest bang for the buck.
Following the framework of priorities laid out in the FY 2014 - 2018
Strategic Plan and working within our budget, we are committed to ensuring
the staff we have in program areas and regions make the most sense and will
have the most impact.
EPA has already taken steps toward proactive management of our operating
budget. Through the VERA/VSIP process, we have begun to accelerate
attrition within EPA both at headquarters and the regions toward a ceiling
of 15,000 nonrefundable FTE's.
Our FY 2015 budget relies on a reduced workforce focused on programs,
policies, and regulations that matter most to public health and the
environment. This is not simply about cutting the workforce to save costs.
We are reshaping the workforce and our work to meet current and future
challenges. Doing this includes making key investments.
It makes long-term fiscal sense to invest the cost savings achieved --
through a smaller workforce and improved use of technology -- to work
smarter and more effectively. This approach will keep EPA strong, focused
on science and the law, and transparent in addressing environmental
challenges and the results we have achieved.
This budget will provide the support we need to move forward by targeting
real progress in priority areas: communities, climate change and air
quality, toxics and chemical safety, and clean water.
Building on current work on the ground in our communities, we are asking
for $7.5 million and 64 staff in FY 2015 to work toward efforts that will
make a difference in people's everyday lives and in their communities.
Those efforts include providing green infrastructure technical assistance
for up to 100 communities that will promote cost-effective approaches to
water management.
This budget request furthers our environmental justice efforts. The
protections provided by our national environmental laws must be accessible
to everyone. We will do more to partner with states, tribes, and local
governments and other federal agencies to better coordinate and leverage
resources supporting community efforts.
Addressing the threat from a changing climate is one of the greatest
challenges of this and future generations. The request for climate change
and air quality is $1.03 billion—over $41 million more than fiscal year
2014. And it designates $199.5 million specifically for climate change
work.
Building on existing efforts and base budget resources, the Agency has
added $10 million and dedicates 24 FTE's in FY 2015 to support the
President's climate action plan. $2 million is designated for technical
assistance for adaptation planning for water utilities at greatest risk
from storm surges. Research and development efforts will focus on support
tools for at-risk communities and tribes in preparing for the impacts of
climate change.
The Agency will focus resources on the development of common sense and
achievable greenhouse gas standards for power plants—the single largest
source of carbon pollution. The President's budget provides support for the
states to help them meet their obligations under Section 111 of the Clean
Air Act with regard to cutting carbon emissions.
This request also supports the President's interagency methane strategy and
the President's recently announced directive to EPA to develop phase 2 fuel
efficiency and greenhouse gas standards for heavy-duty vehicles. EPA also
will be implementing a range of activities in support of the President's
call to cut energy waste in homes, businesses, and factories.
Chemicals and toxic substances are prevalent in our everyday lives. The EPA
budget requests almost $673 million to support work to reduce the risk and
increase the safety of chemicals and prevent pollution for all Americans
and especially children.
We are requesting $23 million and 24 FTE in FY 2015 to support activities
under the President's executive order on chemical safety, as well as Agency
efforts on chemical prioritization, air toxics, radon, and volatile organic
compounds in drinking water. $5 million in resources for air toxics work
will enhance our capabilities to design effective regulations and continue
developing the national air toxics assessment.
The nation's water resources are the lifeblood of our communities. The FY
2015 budget recognizes the long-term benefits of healthy aquatic systems
for all aspects of our daily lives.
The Agency is directing $8 million and 10 FTE to advance clean water.
Resources are also proposed for the municipal separate storm sewer systems
program for technical support to communities that must develop effective
stormwater permits for the first time.
We are requesting $1.775 billion for the clean water and drinking water
state revolving funds. Although this is a more than a $580 million decrease
over FY 2014 levels, federal capitalization of the SRFs totals over $22
billion since FY 2009, if you include the FY 2015 request. The FY 2015
budget seeks to ensure that federal dollars provided through the fund lead
to the design, construction, and support of sustainable water
infrastructure.
The EPA is looking toward future ways to better serve the American people
by employing technology where it can be used more effectively. E-Enterprise
is a major joint initiative between EPA and states to modernize our
business practices and to increase responsiveness. This effort holds the
promise of increased effectiveness and savings for businesses as well as
government. The agency is expanding efforts in the second year of the
multi-year E-Enterprise business model including focusing people and
resources to accelerate development of the E-Manifest system and associated
rule-making work. For example, the benefits of implementing the E-Manifest
system include annual savings estimated at $75 million for over 160,000
waste handlers. Transitioning from a paper-based system saves time and
effort for every person who used to handle that paper.
In addition, EPA is making changes to long-standing business practices such
as contracts, grants management, and the regulation development process.
One important area of emphasis is improving freedom of information act
(FOIA) and records management.
In FY 2015, the Agency is requesting over $1.33 billion to continue to
apply the most effective response approaches for cleanups under RCRA,
Superfund, Leaking Underground Storage Tank, and other authorities. This
strategy will help ensure land is returned to beneficial use in the most
effective way. $1.16 billion is requested for Superfund which includes a
$43.4 million increase for remedial work and an increase of $9.2 million
for emergency response and removal.
In this budget, we hold firm our priority support for state and tribal
partners, the primary implementers and front line of environmental
programs. Funding for state and tribal assistance grants – or STAG – is
once again the largest percentage of the EPA's budget request and
prioritizes funding for state categorical grants.
The FY 2015 budget includes a total of $1.13 billion in categorical grants
– a net $76 million increase over FY 2014.
• Within that total is over $96 million for tribal general
assistance program grants – a $31 million increase over FY 2014.
• We also included an $18 million increase for pollution control
(Section 106),
• There is a $16 million increase for environmental information
grants.
• There is a $15 million increase for state and local air quality
management in our request.
Science is the foundation of our work at the EPA. And science is supported
by the President's request of $537.3 million. In FY 2015, the EPA is
focusing research on the most critical issues facing the Agency.
These include efforts to: advance chemical prioritization and predictive
toxicology, help communities make sustainable decisions regarding
environmental protection and resilience, and inform regional and community
level strategies for the use of green infrastructure and other innovative
alternative practices.
The EPA continues to focus on reducing its physical footprint and achieving
greater energy efficiency. Since 2006, the EPA has released approximately
428 thousand square feet of space nationwide, resulting in a cumulative
annual rent avoidance of over $14.6 million.
The EPA continues to eliminate programs that have served their purpose,
accomplished their mission, or are duplicative. The FY 2015 budget
eliminates a number of such programs totaling nearly $56 million. These
include beaches protection categorical grants, state indoor radon grants,
and diesel emissions reductions assistance grants.
Recognizing the importance of the two-year budget agreement congress
reached in December, which the President's budget adheres to, levels are
not sufficient to expand opportunity to all Americans or to drive the
growth our economy needs.
For that reason, across the federal government, the budget also includes a
separate, fully paid for $56 billion opportunity, growth, and security
initiative. This initiative—split evenly between defense and non-defense
funding—shows how additional discretionary investments in FY 2015 can spur
economic progress, promote opportunity, and strengthen national security.
• Within the initiative is $1 billion for a climate resilience
fund, through which the budget will invest in research and unlock data to
better understand and prepare for impacts of a changing climate. These
investments will also fund breakthrough technologies and resilient
infrastructure.
• Within the climate resilience fund, EPA will support a nation
better prepared for the impacts of climate change—with $10 million for
protecting and enhancing coastal wetlands, and $5 million to support urban
forest enhancement and protection.
We have made some very difficult choices in this budget. But we need to
look realistically at challenges we face in the future and make sure we
have the best tools and people in the right places to make the most
difference. Our final FY 2015 budget reflects a balanced approach to
accomplishing this.
Thank you for the opportunity to touch upon some of the highlights of EPA's
FY 2015 budget request in my testimony today. I look forward to answering
your questions.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
News Clippings 3.27.14
3.27.2014
State
Congress Is Forcing Team Obama to Withhold Funding From the South
The administration has a plan to give more money to Southern states for
clean-air protection, but lawmakers block it every year.
National Journal
Roger Wicker has a bone to pick with the Obama administration.
The Southeast—the region that the Mississippi Republican senator calls
home—has 20 percent of the nation's people. But when it comes time for the
administration to dole out cash for a clean-air program, the Southeast only
gets 12 percent of the program's funding, Wicker said.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/congress-is-forcing-team-obama-to-withhold-funding-from-the-south-20140327
South Mississippi charter boat captains upset over possible CMR nominee
Sun Herald
BY PAUL HAMPTON
JACKSON -- The Coast's charter boat captains aren't happy with the man they
believe will be the nominee to represent them on the Commission on Marine
Resources and they're letting the governor know it.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/26/5448341/charter-boat-captains-upset-over.html
Mayors push to protect Mississippi River
Hattiesburg American
WASHINGTON — Mississippi mayors from cities along the Mississippi River
joined others Wednesday in calling for Congress to support $400 million in
the administration's fiscal 2015 budget to help fund disaster prevention
efforts.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20140327/NEWS01/303270016/Mayors-push-protect-Mississippi-River
Department of Energy pulls BlueFire funding
Itawamba County Times
by Adam Armour | 7:00 am | March 26, 2014
BlueFire Renewables is appealing a decision to pull federal funding for its
$300 million Fulton cellulose plant.
http://itawambatimes.com/2014/03/26/department-energy-pulls-bluefire-funding/
New life for Oma sewer district
Lawrence County Press
Two weeks can make a huge difference in the life of a project in Lawrence
County.
The Lawrence County Board of Supervisors voted Monday to breath new life
into the belabored Oma Sewer project.
http://lawrencecountypress.com/contentitem/369348/1181/new-life-for-oma-sewer-district
Records disputes could go to Miss. ethics group
AP
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Mississippi Ethics Commission could gain power to
settle disputes over requests for public records.
Senators passed the final version of Senate Bill 2507 on Wednesday, sending
it to Gov. Phil Bryant.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Records-disputes-could-go-to-Miss-ethics-group-5350963.php
People moving into South Mississippi
5 of 6 counties notch gains since 2010
Sun Herald
BY MARY MARGARET HALFORD
The population of Harrison County is steadily growing, and the number of
people in all but one of the six southernmost counties is on the rise,
according to numbers being released by the U.S. Census Bureau today.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/26/5448806/people-moving-into-south-mississippi.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1
Regional
How Human Activity Can Cause "Dead Zones" in the Gulf of Mexico
KIII
HOUSTON (Kiii News) -Leading conservationists and officials representing
all the states bordering the Gulf of Mexico have been attending a special
conference in Houston.
http://www.kiiitv.com/story/25080781/how-human-activity-can-cause-dead-zones-in-the-gulf-of-mexico
National
GOP slams EPA for overreach
The Hill
By Laura Barron-Lopez
Republicans are hitting the Environmental Protection Agency for its latest
regulation on streams and wetlands.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/201826-gop-slams-epa-for-overreach
Republicans question EPA head on fake CIA agent case
The Hill
By Timothy Cama
Senate Republicans used a Wednesday hearing about the Environmental
Protection Agency's (EPA) budget to criticize EPA Administrator Gina
McCarthy over the agency's handling of former employee and fake CIA agent
John Beale.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/201820-republicans-question-epa-head-on-fake-cia-agent-case
Coast Guard: BP Let 9 to 18 Barrels of Oil in Lake
By RICK CALLAHAN
Associated Press
An initial assessment of a Lake Michigan oil spill shows that between nine
and 18 barrels of crude oil entered the lake following a malfunction at oil
giant BP's sprawling northwestern Indiana refinery, the U.S. Coast Guard
said Wednesday.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/coast-guard-bp-18-barrels-oil-lake-23071759
Energy boom spurs growth west of the Mississippi
BY JESSE J. HOLLAND
Associated PressMarch 26, 2014
WASHINGTON — America's energy boom is fueling population growth west of the
Mississippi River.
New 2013 census information released Thursday shows that 6 of the 10
fastest-growing metropolitan areas and 8 of the 10 fastest-growing counties
in the country are located in or near the oil- and gas-rich fields of the
Great Plains and Mountain West.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/26/5448445/energy-boom-spurs-growth-west.html?sp=/99/184/208/
Press Releases
COCHRAN WARY OF EPA EFFORT TO CLARIFY CLEAN WATER REGULATIONS
Senator, Long Opposed to EPA Regulatory Overreach, Encourages Public Review
& Comment
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), ranking member on
the Senate Agriculture Committee, today questioned the intent of a proposed
rule to clarify the reach of the Clean Water Act over streams and wetlands,
and encouraged the agriculture and business communities to weigh in on the
environmental regulatory proposal.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, on Tuesday released a proposed rule intended to clarify the
definitions of waters subject to government oversight under the Clean Water
Act. The announcement of the new rule, titled "Waters of the United States
Proposed Rule," opens a 90-day public comment period.
"While I am suspect of the impact and objectives of this rulemaking, I give
the agency some credit for finally choosing to use the rulemaking process
and allow for public input as Congress intended. I encourage citizens to
carefully review this proposal and weigh in with EPA to ensure that
regulations like this one are based on sound science, consider economic
impacts, and demonstrate common sense," Cochran said.
The veteran Mississippi lawmaker has been critical of actions taken by the
EPA in recent years to expand the extent to which the Clean Water Act can
be used to tighten federal control over waterways in a manner that could
unfairly interfere with agriculture, homebuilding and other land-intensive
industries.
"Over the past five years the EPA has demonstrated a willingness to expand
its regulatory reach, ignore common sense and, at times, exceed any
rational reading of the law. Its actions have increased the regulatory
burdens and costs on farmers, ranchers, businesses and other job creators,"
Cochran said. "Stakeholders in Mississippi and elsewhere should take a
very close look at this latest EPA regulatory effort."
Cochran has worked against the use of an EPA-Army Corps of Engineers
guidance document, issued outside of the regular federal rulemaking
process, to expand government regulation waterways. In June 2013, the
Senator cosponsored the Preserve the Waters of the U.S. Act (S.1006), which
would prevent the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers from using a guidance
document finalized in February 2012 to change legal responsibilities under
the Clean Water Act. It also stops the two agencies from issuing similar
guidance in the future.
LINKS
• Waters of the United States Proposed Rule: http://1.usa.gov/1eL673C
• Statement on Preserve the Waters of the U.S. Act, June 2013:
http://1.usa.gov/12sPaHl
###
http://www.cochran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=7e13ae72-78d9-4ff2-83ff-cb89f2402a6e
Celebrate the Gulf Marine Education Festival
returns to Pass Christian's War Memorial Park April 5
BILOXI, Miss. – Come out and enjoy two free festivals at one time! For
a fun and educational event for the whole family, visit the 23rd annual
Celebrate the Gulf Marine Education Festival on Saturday, April 5, 2014,
from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The award-winning Celebrate the Gulf will be held
in conjunction with Art in the Pass at War Memorial Park, located on
Beach Boulevard in Pass Christian, Miss. Enjoy lively, hands-on exhibits
that highlight the benefits of a healthy Gulf of Mexico. Touch tanks,
live animals, Raptor Road Show/Birds of Prey, plus fishing rodeo for
youth, 12 and under.
"Celebrate the Gulf is an event designed to educate our youth about
marine life and the environment," said Jamie Miller, executive director
of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. "Children are never
too young to learn about our coastal resources and how to protect them.
This is a great family event, and DMR is pleased to be part of it."
Visit more than 20 Celebrate the Gulf exhibits related to the wise use,
preservation or conservation of our valuable aquatic and coastal
resources. Children and adults alike will get to experience everything
from crawling through the ever-popular "Turtle Hurdle" to visiting a
special touch tank full of marine creatures, sponsored by the Institute
for Marine Mammal Studies. Participants will also participate in many
hands-on activities involving native plants, birds and marine life. A
special Raptor Road Show presented by the Environmental Studies Center
from Mobile, Ala., will also be offered periodically throughout the
festival.
"Prizes will be awarded to the schools that send the most students to
the Celebrate the Gulf event," said Jennifer Buchanan, education
coordinator for the MDMR's Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
(NERR). "So come on out and have fun while supporting your school."
As a special treat for our young fishers, the Mississippi Department of
Marine Resources in association with the Coastal Conservation
Association (CCA) of Mississippi and the Celebrate the Gulf Marine
Education Festival, will be hosting a FREE junior fishing rodeo on the
western side of the Pass Christian Harbor on Saturday, April 5, 2014,
from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. for children 12 and under. Every child who fishes
will win a prize. Prizes will be awarded at Celebrate the Gulf Marine
Education Festival in Pass Christian's War Memorial Park after the
fishing rodeo. For more information on Celebrate the Gulf and the free
junior fishing rodeo, call Jennifer Buchanan at 228-475-7047 or
jen.buchanan@dmr.ms.gov.
Sponsors of Celebrate the Gulf include the Mississippi Department of
Marine Resources, Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve,
Mississippi Power Company, Ingalls Shipbuilding, City of Pass Christian,
Chevron Pascagoula Refinery, Gulf of Mexico Program, Coastal
Conservation Association of Mississippi, and DuPont.
Our sister festival, Art in the Pass, is taking place on the same site
both Saturday and Sunday. Art in the Pass is celebrating its 17th
anniversary this year. Attracting a sophisticated, buying public and a
talented group of national artists, this juried art festival has grown
from a few local artists presenting their works to more than 100
exhibiting artists. The art festival will take place between 10 a.m. and
5 p.m. April 5 and 6.
—MORE—
Celebrate the Gulf Marine Educational Festival returns April 5—page 2 of
2
Art in the Pass' Marine Cuisine Pavilion will feature the culinary arts,
focusing on Mississippi Gulf Fresh Seafood. Activities will include free
cooking demonstrations and tasting samples provided by local chefs and
the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources Seafood Marketing
Program.
The Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is located near
the community of Pecan in southeast Jackson County and includes wetlands
and waterways from Bang's Lake to the Alabama state line. A major goal
of the Reserve is to provide for research coordination and dissemination
of scientific data to the community and local decision-makers to provide
sound information on which to base management decisions. Visit the
NERR's website at www.grandbaynerr.org.
The 18,000-acre reserve is home to several rare or endangered plant and
animal species and serves as an essential nursery habitat for numerous
important commercial and recreational fish species. The Reserve is
managed through state-federal partnership between the Mississippi
Department of Marine Resources and its local partners—Mississippi
Secretary of State's Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mississippi
State University and the Nature Conservancy—and the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources is dedicated to
enhancing, protecting and conserving marine interests of the state by
managing all marine life, public trust wetlands, adjacent uplands and
waterfront areas to provide for the optimal commercial, recreational,
educational and economic uses of these resources consistent with
environmental concerns and social changes. Visit the DMR online at
www.dmr.ms.gov.
2014 Celebrate the Gulf Exhibitors
· Institute for Marine Mammal Studies
· Gulf Coast Council Federation of Fly Fishers
· Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR):
- MDMR Invasive Species Program
- MDMR Seafood Technology Bureau
- MDMR Marine Patrol
- MDMR/Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
· Mississippi Power's Renew Our Rivers
· Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) Coastal Basin
Team
· Adopt-A-Stream Mississippi-Mississippi Wildlife Federation/MDEQ
· NOAA Fisheries
· Wolf River Conservation Society
· Gulf of Mexico Program - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
· Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge - U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service
· The Nature Conservancy
· Pass Christian Public Library
· Dauphin Island Sea Lab
· Mississippi Coast Audubon
· McCoy's River and Marsh Tours
· Lynn Meadows Discovery Center
· City of Pass Christian Code Enforcement Office
· MDMR Lyman Fish Hatchery and University of Southern Mississippi Gulf
Coast Research Laboratory
· Northern Gulf Institute
· Wildlife Care & Rescue Center, Inc.
PHOTO CREDIT: Photo courtesy of MDMR/Grand Bay NERR
PHOTO CAPTION: Festival-goers of all ages enjoy the Raptor Road Show
presented by the Environmental Studies Center from Mobile, Ala. during last
year's Celebrate the Gulf Festival Marine Education Festival. This year's
free festival is set for April 5 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at War Memorial
Park in Pass Christian.
—END—
Testimony of EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy Before Senate Environment and
Public Works Committee on Proposed FY 2015 Budget
WASHINGTON – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina
McCarthy testified before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public
Works today at a hearing to discuss EPA's proposed FY 2015 budget.
Administrator McCarthy's remarks:
Chairman Boxer, Ranking Member Vitter, and members of the Committee, thank
you for the opportunity to appear before you to discuss the Environmental
Protection Agency's proposed FY 2015 budget. I'm joined by the Agency's
Acting Chief Financial Officer, Maryann Froehlich.
EPA's budget request of $7.890 billion for the 2015 fiscal year starting
October 1, 2014 reflects our ongoing efforts to meet the challenges facing
the agency today and into the future. Despite these challenges, we remain
dedicated to protecting public health and the environment, and we know we
must target staff and resources and find new ways to fulfill our mission.
We will focus those resources in a way that will allow EPA to be more
effective and efficient.
The FY 2015 budget reflects a strategic approach to our budget planning
process, looking toward the future rather than continuing to simply react
to tough budget choices with cuts across the Agency. The FY 2015 budget
request does this in the following ways:
- It reflects EPA's incorporation of new technologies and new regulatory
and non-regulatory approaches that can help us maintain our efficiency and
effectiveness.
- It strengthens EPA's partnership with public health and environmental
protection partners in states, tribes and local communities with a focus on
aligning our resources, avoiding duplication, and identifying and closing
any gaps in the broader environmental enterprise system.
- It invests our funds and leverages funds of our partners where it makes
the most sense and gets the biggest bang for the buck.
Following the framework of priorities laid out in the FY 2014 - 2018
Strategic Plan and working within our budget, we are committed to ensuring
the staff we have in program areas and regions make the most sense and will
have the most impact.
EPA has already taken steps toward proactive management of our operating
budget. Through the VERA/VSIP process, we have begun to accelerate
attrition within EPA both at headquarters and the regions toward a ceiling
of 15,000 nonrefundable FTE's.
Our FY 2015 budget relies on a reduced workforce focused on programs,
policies, and regulations that matter most to public health and the
environment. This is not simply about cutting the workforce to save costs.
We are reshaping the workforce and our work to meet current and future
challenges. Doing this includes making key investments.
It makes long-term fiscal sense to invest the cost savings achieved --
through a smaller workforce and improved use of technology -- to work
smarter and more effectively. This approach will keep EPA strong, focused
on science and the law, and transparent in addressing environmental
challenges and the results we have achieved.
This budget will provide the support we need to move forward by targeting
real progress in priority areas: communities, climate change and air
quality, toxics and chemical safety, and clean water.
Building on current work on the ground in our communities, we are asking
for $7.5 million and 64 staff in FY 2015 to work toward efforts that will
make a difference in people's everyday lives and in their communities.
Those efforts include providing green infrastructure technical assistance
for up to 100 communities that will promote cost-effective approaches to
water management.
This budget request furthers our environmental justice efforts. The
protections provided by our national environmental laws must be accessible
to everyone. We will do more to partner with states, tribes, and local
governments and other federal agencies to better coordinate and leverage
resources supporting community efforts.
Addressing the threat from a changing climate is one of the greatest
challenges of this and future generations. The request for climate change
and air quality is $1.03 billion—over $41 million more than fiscal year
2014. And it designates $199.5 million specifically for climate change
work.
Building on existing efforts and base budget resources, the Agency has
added $10 million and dedicates 24 FTE's in FY 2015 to support the
President's climate action plan. $2 million is designated for technical
assistance for adaptation planning for water utilities at greatest risk
from storm surges. Research and development efforts will focus on support
tools for at-risk communities and tribes in preparing for the impacts of
climate change.
The Agency will focus resources on the development of common sense and
achievable greenhouse gas standards for power plants—the single largest
source of carbon pollution. The President's budget provides support for the
states to help them meet their obligations under Section 111 of the Clean
Air Act with regard to cutting carbon emissions.
This request also supports the President's interagency methane strategy and
the President's recently announced directive to EPA to develop phase 2 fuel
efficiency and greenhouse gas standards for heavy-duty vehicles. EPA also
will be implementing a range of activities in support of the President's
call to cut energy waste in homes, businesses, and factories.
Chemicals and toxic substances are prevalent in our everyday lives. The EPA
budget requests almost $673 million to support work to reduce the risk and
increase the safety of chemicals and prevent pollution for all Americans
and especially children.
We are requesting $23 million and 24 FTE in FY 2015 to support activities
under the President's executive order on chemical safety, as well as Agency
efforts on chemical prioritization, air toxics, radon, and volatile organic
compounds in drinking water. $5 million in resources for air toxics work
will enhance our capabilities to design effective regulations and continue
developing the national air toxics assessment.
The nation's water resources are the lifeblood of our communities. The FY
2015 budget recognizes the long-term benefits of healthy aquatic systems
for all aspects of our daily lives.
The Agency is directing $8 million and 10 FTE to advance clean water.
Resources are also proposed for the municipal separate storm sewer systems
program for technical support to communities that must develop effective
stormwater permits for the first time.
We are requesting $1.775 billion for the clean water and drinking water
state revolving funds. Although this is a more than a $580 million decrease
over FY 2014 levels, federal capitalization of the SRFs totals over $22
billion since FY 2009, if you include the FY 2015 request. The FY 2015
budget seeks to ensure that federal dollars provided through the fund lead
to the design, construction, and support of sustainable water
infrastructure.
The EPA is looking toward future ways to better serve the American people
by employing technology where it can be used more effectively. E-Enterprise
is a major joint initiative between EPA and states to modernize our
business practices and to increase responsiveness. This effort holds the
promise of increased effectiveness and savings for businesses as well as
government. The agency is expanding efforts in the second year of the
multi-year E-Enterprise business model including focusing people and
resources to accelerate development of the E-Manifest system and associated
rule-making work. For example, the benefits of implementing the E-Manifest
system include annual savings estimated at $75 million for over 160,000
waste handlers. Transitioning from a paper-based system saves time and
effort for every person who used to handle that paper.
In addition, EPA is making changes to long-standing business practices such
as contracts, grants management, and the regulation development process.
One important area of emphasis is improving freedom of information act
(FOIA) and records management.
In FY 2015, the Agency is requesting over $1.33 billion to continue to
apply the most effective response approaches for cleanups under RCRA,
Superfund, Leaking Underground Storage Tank, and other authorities. This
strategy will help ensure land is returned to beneficial use in the most
effective way. $1.16 billion is requested for Superfund which includes a
$43.4 million increase for remedial work and an increase of $9.2 million
for emergency response and removal.
In this budget, we hold firm our priority support for state and tribal
partners, the primary implementers and front line of environmental
programs. Funding for state and tribal assistance grants – or STAG – is
once again the largest percentage of the EPA's budget request and
prioritizes funding for state categorical grants.
The FY 2015 budget includes a total of $1.13 billion in categorical grants
– a net $76 million increase over FY 2014.
• Within that total is over $96 million for tribal general
assistance program grants – a $31 million increase over FY 2014.
• We also included an $18 million increase for pollution control
(Section 106),
• There is a $16 million increase for environmental information
grants.
• There is a $15 million increase for state and local air quality
management in our request.
Science is the foundation of our work at the EPA. And science is supported
by the President's request of $537.3 million. In FY 2015, the EPA is
focusing research on the most critical issues facing the Agency.
These include efforts to: advance chemical prioritization and predictive
toxicology, help communities make sustainable decisions regarding
environmental protection and resilience, and inform regional and community
level strategies for the use of green infrastructure and other innovative
alternative practices.
The EPA continues to focus on reducing its physical footprint and achieving
greater energy efficiency. Since 2006, the EPA has released approximately
428 thousand square feet of space nationwide, resulting in a cumulative
annual rent avoidance of over $14.6 million.
The EPA continues to eliminate programs that have served their purpose,
accomplished their mission, or are duplicative. The FY 2015 budget
eliminates a number of such programs totaling nearly $56 million. These
include beaches protection categorical grants, state indoor radon grants,
and diesel emissions reductions assistance grants.
Recognizing the importance of the two-year budget agreement congress
reached in December, which the President's budget adheres to, levels are
not sufficient to expand opportunity to all Americans or to drive the
growth our economy needs.
For that reason, across the federal government, the budget also includes a
separate, fully paid for $56 billion opportunity, growth, and security
initiative. This initiative—split evenly between defense and non-defense
funding—shows how additional discretionary investments in FY 2015 can spur
economic progress, promote opportunity, and strengthen national security.
• Within the initiative is $1 billion for a climate resilience
fund, through which the budget will invest in research and unlock data to
better understand and prepare for impacts of a changing climate. These
investments will also fund breakthrough technologies and resilient
infrastructure.
• Within the climate resilience fund, EPA will support a nation
better prepared for the impacts of climate change—with $10 million for
protecting and enhancing coastal wetlands, and $5 million to support urban
forest enhancement and protection.
We have made some very difficult choices in this budget. But we need to
look realistically at challenges we face in the future and make sure we
have the best tools and people in the right places to make the most
difference. Our final FY 2015 budget reflects a balanced approach to
accomplishing this.
Thank you for the opportunity to touch upon some of the highlights of EPA's
FY 2015 budget request in my testimony today. I look forward to answering
your questions.
State
Congress Is Forcing Team Obama to Withhold Funding From the South
The administration has a plan to give more money to Southern states for
clean-air protection, but lawmakers block it every year.
National Journal
Roger Wicker has a bone to pick with the Obama administration.
The Southeast—the region that the Mississippi Republican senator calls
home—has 20 percent of the nation's people. But when it comes time for the
administration to dole out cash for a clean-air program, the Southeast only
gets 12 percent of the program's funding, Wicker said.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/congress-is-forcing-team-obama-to-withhold-funding-from-the-south-20140327
South Mississippi charter boat captains upset over possible CMR nominee
Sun Herald
BY PAUL HAMPTON
JACKSON -- The Coast's charter boat captains aren't happy with the man they
believe will be the nominee to represent them on the Commission on Marine
Resources and they're letting the governor know it.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/26/5448341/charter-boat-captains-upset-over.html
Mayors push to protect Mississippi River
Hattiesburg American
WASHINGTON — Mississippi mayors from cities along the Mississippi River
joined others Wednesday in calling for Congress to support $400 million in
the administration's fiscal 2015 budget to help fund disaster prevention
efforts.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20140327/NEWS01/303270016/Mayors-push-protect-Mississippi-River
Department of Energy pulls BlueFire funding
Itawamba County Times
by Adam Armour | 7:00 am | March 26, 2014
BlueFire Renewables is appealing a decision to pull federal funding for its
$300 million Fulton cellulose plant.
http://itawambatimes.com/2014/03/26/department-energy-pulls-bluefire-funding/
New life for Oma sewer district
Lawrence County Press
Two weeks can make a huge difference in the life of a project in Lawrence
County.
The Lawrence County Board of Supervisors voted Monday to breath new life
into the belabored Oma Sewer project.
http://lawrencecountypress.com/contentitem/369348/1181/new-life-for-oma-sewer-district
Records disputes could go to Miss. ethics group
AP
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Mississippi Ethics Commission could gain power to
settle disputes over requests for public records.
Senators passed the final version of Senate Bill 2507 on Wednesday, sending
it to Gov. Phil Bryant.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Records-disputes-could-go-to-Miss-ethics-group-5350963.php
People moving into South Mississippi
5 of 6 counties notch gains since 2010
Sun Herald
BY MARY MARGARET HALFORD
The population of Harrison County is steadily growing, and the number of
people in all but one of the six southernmost counties is on the rise,
according to numbers being released by the U.S. Census Bureau today.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/26/5448806/people-moving-into-south-mississippi.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1
Regional
How Human Activity Can Cause "Dead Zones" in the Gulf of Mexico
KIII
HOUSTON (Kiii News) -Leading conservationists and officials representing
all the states bordering the Gulf of Mexico have been attending a special
conference in Houston.
http://www.kiiitv.com/story/25080781/how-human-activity-can-cause-dead-zones-in-the-gulf-of-mexico
National
GOP slams EPA for overreach
The Hill
By Laura Barron-Lopez
Republicans are hitting the Environmental Protection Agency for its latest
regulation on streams and wetlands.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/201826-gop-slams-epa-for-overreach
Republicans question EPA head on fake CIA agent case
The Hill
By Timothy Cama
Senate Republicans used a Wednesday hearing about the Environmental
Protection Agency's (EPA) budget to criticize EPA Administrator Gina
McCarthy over the agency's handling of former employee and fake CIA agent
John Beale.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/201820-republicans-question-epa-head-on-fake-cia-agent-case
Coast Guard: BP Let 9 to 18 Barrels of Oil in Lake
By RICK CALLAHAN
Associated Press
An initial assessment of a Lake Michigan oil spill shows that between nine
and 18 barrels of crude oil entered the lake following a malfunction at oil
giant BP's sprawling northwestern Indiana refinery, the U.S. Coast Guard
said Wednesday.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/coast-guard-bp-18-barrels-oil-lake-23071759
Energy boom spurs growth west of the Mississippi
BY JESSE J. HOLLAND
Associated PressMarch 26, 2014
WASHINGTON — America's energy boom is fueling population growth west of the
Mississippi River.
New 2013 census information released Thursday shows that 6 of the 10
fastest-growing metropolitan areas and 8 of the 10 fastest-growing counties
in the country are located in or near the oil- and gas-rich fields of the
Great Plains and Mountain West.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/26/5448445/energy-boom-spurs-growth-west.html?sp=/99/184/208/
Press Releases
COCHRAN WARY OF EPA EFFORT TO CLARIFY CLEAN WATER REGULATIONS
Senator, Long Opposed to EPA Regulatory Overreach, Encourages Public Review
& Comment
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), ranking member on
the Senate Agriculture Committee, today questioned the intent of a proposed
rule to clarify the reach of the Clean Water Act over streams and wetlands,
and encouraged the agriculture and business communities to weigh in on the
environmental regulatory proposal.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, on Tuesday released a proposed rule intended to clarify the
definitions of waters subject to government oversight under the Clean Water
Act. The announcement of the new rule, titled "Waters of the United States
Proposed Rule," opens a 90-day public comment period.
"While I am suspect of the impact and objectives of this rulemaking, I give
the agency some credit for finally choosing to use the rulemaking process
and allow for public input as Congress intended. I encourage citizens to
carefully review this proposal and weigh in with EPA to ensure that
regulations like this one are based on sound science, consider economic
impacts, and demonstrate common sense," Cochran said.
The veteran Mississippi lawmaker has been critical of actions taken by the
EPA in recent years to expand the extent to which the Clean Water Act can
be used to tighten federal control over waterways in a manner that could
unfairly interfere with agriculture, homebuilding and other land-intensive
industries.
"Over the past five years the EPA has demonstrated a willingness to expand
its regulatory reach, ignore common sense and, at times, exceed any
rational reading of the law. Its actions have increased the regulatory
burdens and costs on farmers, ranchers, businesses and other job creators,"
Cochran said. "Stakeholders in Mississippi and elsewhere should take a
very close look at this latest EPA regulatory effort."
Cochran has worked against the use of an EPA-Army Corps of Engineers
guidance document, issued outside of the regular federal rulemaking
process, to expand government regulation waterways. In June 2013, the
Senator cosponsored the Preserve the Waters of the U.S. Act (S.1006), which
would prevent the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers from using a guidance
document finalized in February 2012 to change legal responsibilities under
the Clean Water Act. It also stops the two agencies from issuing similar
guidance in the future.
LINKS
• Waters of the United States Proposed Rule: http://1.usa.gov/1eL673C
• Statement on Preserve the Waters of the U.S. Act, June 2013:
http://1.usa.gov/12sPaHl
###
http://www.cochran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=7e13ae72-78d9-4ff2-83ff-cb89f2402a6e
Celebrate the Gulf Marine Education Festival
returns to Pass Christian's War Memorial Park April 5
BILOXI, Miss. – Come out and enjoy two free festivals at one time! For
a fun and educational event for the whole family, visit the 23rd annual
Celebrate the Gulf Marine Education Festival on Saturday, April 5, 2014,
from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The award-winning Celebrate the Gulf will be held
in conjunction with Art in the Pass at War Memorial Park, located on
Beach Boulevard in Pass Christian, Miss. Enjoy lively, hands-on exhibits
that highlight the benefits of a healthy Gulf of Mexico. Touch tanks,
live animals, Raptor Road Show/Birds of Prey, plus fishing rodeo for
youth, 12 and under.
"Celebrate the Gulf is an event designed to educate our youth about
marine life and the environment," said Jamie Miller, executive director
of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. "Children are never
too young to learn about our coastal resources and how to protect them.
This is a great family event, and DMR is pleased to be part of it."
Visit more than 20 Celebrate the Gulf exhibits related to the wise use,
preservation or conservation of our valuable aquatic and coastal
resources. Children and adults alike will get to experience everything
from crawling through the ever-popular "Turtle Hurdle" to visiting a
special touch tank full of marine creatures, sponsored by the Institute
for Marine Mammal Studies. Participants will also participate in many
hands-on activities involving native plants, birds and marine life. A
special Raptor Road Show presented by the Environmental Studies Center
from Mobile, Ala., will also be offered periodically throughout the
festival.
"Prizes will be awarded to the schools that send the most students to
the Celebrate the Gulf event," said Jennifer Buchanan, education
coordinator for the MDMR's Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
(NERR). "So come on out and have fun while supporting your school."
As a special treat for our young fishers, the Mississippi Department of
Marine Resources in association with the Coastal Conservation
Association (CCA) of Mississippi and the Celebrate the Gulf Marine
Education Festival, will be hosting a FREE junior fishing rodeo on the
western side of the Pass Christian Harbor on Saturday, April 5, 2014,
from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. for children 12 and under. Every child who fishes
will win a prize. Prizes will be awarded at Celebrate the Gulf Marine
Education Festival in Pass Christian's War Memorial Park after the
fishing rodeo. For more information on Celebrate the Gulf and the free
junior fishing rodeo, call Jennifer Buchanan at 228-475-7047 or
jen.buchanan@dmr.ms.gov.
Sponsors of Celebrate the Gulf include the Mississippi Department of
Marine Resources, Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve,
Mississippi Power Company, Ingalls Shipbuilding, City of Pass Christian,
Chevron Pascagoula Refinery, Gulf of Mexico Program, Coastal
Conservation Association of Mississippi, and DuPont.
Our sister festival, Art in the Pass, is taking place on the same site
both Saturday and Sunday. Art in the Pass is celebrating its 17th
anniversary this year. Attracting a sophisticated, buying public and a
talented group of national artists, this juried art festival has grown
from a few local artists presenting their works to more than 100
exhibiting artists. The art festival will take place between 10 a.m. and
5 p.m. April 5 and 6.
—MORE—
Celebrate the Gulf Marine Educational Festival returns April 5—page 2 of
2
Art in the Pass' Marine Cuisine Pavilion will feature the culinary arts,
focusing on Mississippi Gulf Fresh Seafood. Activities will include free
cooking demonstrations and tasting samples provided by local chefs and
the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources Seafood Marketing
Program.
The Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is located near
the community of Pecan in southeast Jackson County and includes wetlands
and waterways from Bang's Lake to the Alabama state line. A major goal
of the Reserve is to provide for research coordination and dissemination
of scientific data to the community and local decision-makers to provide
sound information on which to base management decisions. Visit the
NERR's website at www.grandbaynerr.org.
The 18,000-acre reserve is home to several rare or endangered plant and
animal species and serves as an essential nursery habitat for numerous
important commercial and recreational fish species. The Reserve is
managed through state-federal partnership between the Mississippi
Department of Marine Resources and its local partners—Mississippi
Secretary of State's Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mississippi
State University and the Nature Conservancy—and the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources is dedicated to
enhancing, protecting and conserving marine interests of the state by
managing all marine life, public trust wetlands, adjacent uplands and
waterfront areas to provide for the optimal commercial, recreational,
educational and economic uses of these resources consistent with
environmental concerns and social changes. Visit the DMR online at
www.dmr.ms.gov.
2014 Celebrate the Gulf Exhibitors
· Institute for Marine Mammal Studies
· Gulf Coast Council Federation of Fly Fishers
· Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR):
- MDMR Invasive Species Program
- MDMR Seafood Technology Bureau
- MDMR Marine Patrol
- MDMR/Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
· Mississippi Power's Renew Our Rivers
· Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) Coastal Basin
Team
· Adopt-A-Stream Mississippi-Mississippi Wildlife Federation/MDEQ
· NOAA Fisheries
· Wolf River Conservation Society
· Gulf of Mexico Program - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
· Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge - U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service
· The Nature Conservancy
· Pass Christian Public Library
· Dauphin Island Sea Lab
· Mississippi Coast Audubon
· McCoy's River and Marsh Tours
· Lynn Meadows Discovery Center
· City of Pass Christian Code Enforcement Office
· MDMR Lyman Fish Hatchery and University of Southern Mississippi Gulf
Coast Research Laboratory
· Northern Gulf Institute
· Wildlife Care & Rescue Center, Inc.
PHOTO CREDIT: Photo courtesy of MDMR/Grand Bay NERR
PHOTO CAPTION: Festival-goers of all ages enjoy the Raptor Road Show
presented by the Environmental Studies Center from Mobile, Ala. during last
year's Celebrate the Gulf Festival Marine Education Festival. This year's
free festival is set for April 5 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at War Memorial
Park in Pass Christian.
—END—
Testimony of EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy Before Senate Environment and
Public Works Committee on Proposed FY 2015 Budget
WASHINGTON – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina
McCarthy testified before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public
Works today at a hearing to discuss EPA's proposed FY 2015 budget.
Administrator McCarthy's remarks:
Chairman Boxer, Ranking Member Vitter, and members of the Committee, thank
you for the opportunity to appear before you to discuss the Environmental
Protection Agency's proposed FY 2015 budget. I'm joined by the Agency's
Acting Chief Financial Officer, Maryann Froehlich.
EPA's budget request of $7.890 billion for the 2015 fiscal year starting
October 1, 2014 reflects our ongoing efforts to meet the challenges facing
the agency today and into the future. Despite these challenges, we remain
dedicated to protecting public health and the environment, and we know we
must target staff and resources and find new ways to fulfill our mission.
We will focus those resources in a way that will allow EPA to be more
effective and efficient.
The FY 2015 budget reflects a strategic approach to our budget planning
process, looking toward the future rather than continuing to simply react
to tough budget choices with cuts across the Agency. The FY 2015 budget
request does this in the following ways:
- It reflects EPA's incorporation of new technologies and new regulatory
and non-regulatory approaches that can help us maintain our efficiency and
effectiveness.
- It strengthens EPA's partnership with public health and environmental
protection partners in states, tribes and local communities with a focus on
aligning our resources, avoiding duplication, and identifying and closing
any gaps in the broader environmental enterprise system.
- It invests our funds and leverages funds of our partners where it makes
the most sense and gets the biggest bang for the buck.
Following the framework of priorities laid out in the FY 2014 - 2018
Strategic Plan and working within our budget, we are committed to ensuring
the staff we have in program areas and regions make the most sense and will
have the most impact.
EPA has already taken steps toward proactive management of our operating
budget. Through the VERA/VSIP process, we have begun to accelerate
attrition within EPA both at headquarters and the regions toward a ceiling
of 15,000 nonrefundable FTE's.
Our FY 2015 budget relies on a reduced workforce focused on programs,
policies, and regulations that matter most to public health and the
environment. This is not simply about cutting the workforce to save costs.
We are reshaping the workforce and our work to meet current and future
challenges. Doing this includes making key investments.
It makes long-term fiscal sense to invest the cost savings achieved --
through a smaller workforce and improved use of technology -- to work
smarter and more effectively. This approach will keep EPA strong, focused
on science and the law, and transparent in addressing environmental
challenges and the results we have achieved.
This budget will provide the support we need to move forward by targeting
real progress in priority areas: communities, climate change and air
quality, toxics and chemical safety, and clean water.
Building on current work on the ground in our communities, we are asking
for $7.5 million and 64 staff in FY 2015 to work toward efforts that will
make a difference in people's everyday lives and in their communities.
Those efforts include providing green infrastructure technical assistance
for up to 100 communities that will promote cost-effective approaches to
water management.
This budget request furthers our environmental justice efforts. The
protections provided by our national environmental laws must be accessible
to everyone. We will do more to partner with states, tribes, and local
governments and other federal agencies to better coordinate and leverage
resources supporting community efforts.
Addressing the threat from a changing climate is one of the greatest
challenges of this and future generations. The request for climate change
and air quality is $1.03 billion—over $41 million more than fiscal year
2014. And it designates $199.5 million specifically for climate change
work.
Building on existing efforts and base budget resources, the Agency has
added $10 million and dedicates 24 FTE's in FY 2015 to support the
President's climate action plan. $2 million is designated for technical
assistance for adaptation planning for water utilities at greatest risk
from storm surges. Research and development efforts will focus on support
tools for at-risk communities and tribes in preparing for the impacts of
climate change.
The Agency will focus resources on the development of common sense and
achievable greenhouse gas standards for power plants—the single largest
source of carbon pollution. The President's budget provides support for the
states to help them meet their obligations under Section 111 of the Clean
Air Act with regard to cutting carbon emissions.
This request also supports the President's interagency methane strategy and
the President's recently announced directive to EPA to develop phase 2 fuel
efficiency and greenhouse gas standards for heavy-duty vehicles. EPA also
will be implementing a range of activities in support of the President's
call to cut energy waste in homes, businesses, and factories.
Chemicals and toxic substances are prevalent in our everyday lives. The EPA
budget requests almost $673 million to support work to reduce the risk and
increase the safety of chemicals and prevent pollution for all Americans
and especially children.
We are requesting $23 million and 24 FTE in FY 2015 to support activities
under the President's executive order on chemical safety, as well as Agency
efforts on chemical prioritization, air toxics, radon, and volatile organic
compounds in drinking water. $5 million in resources for air toxics work
will enhance our capabilities to design effective regulations and continue
developing the national air toxics assessment.
The nation's water resources are the lifeblood of our communities. The FY
2015 budget recognizes the long-term benefits of healthy aquatic systems
for all aspects of our daily lives.
The Agency is directing $8 million and 10 FTE to advance clean water.
Resources are also proposed for the municipal separate storm sewer systems
program for technical support to communities that must develop effective
stormwater permits for the first time.
We are requesting $1.775 billion for the clean water and drinking water
state revolving funds. Although this is a more than a $580 million decrease
over FY 2014 levels, federal capitalization of the SRFs totals over $22
billion since FY 2009, if you include the FY 2015 request. The FY 2015
budget seeks to ensure that federal dollars provided through the fund lead
to the design, construction, and support of sustainable water
infrastructure.
The EPA is looking toward future ways to better serve the American people
by employing technology where it can be used more effectively. E-Enterprise
is a major joint initiative between EPA and states to modernize our
business practices and to increase responsiveness. This effort holds the
promise of increased effectiveness and savings for businesses as well as
government. The agency is expanding efforts in the second year of the
multi-year E-Enterprise business model including focusing people and
resources to accelerate development of the E-Manifest system and associated
rule-making work. For example, the benefits of implementing the E-Manifest
system include annual savings estimated at $75 million for over 160,000
waste handlers. Transitioning from a paper-based system saves time and
effort for every person who used to handle that paper.
In addition, EPA is making changes to long-standing business practices such
as contracts, grants management, and the regulation development process.
One important area of emphasis is improving freedom of information act
(FOIA) and records management.
In FY 2015, the Agency is requesting over $1.33 billion to continue to
apply the most effective response approaches for cleanups under RCRA,
Superfund, Leaking Underground Storage Tank, and other authorities. This
strategy will help ensure land is returned to beneficial use in the most
effective way. $1.16 billion is requested for Superfund which includes a
$43.4 million increase for remedial work and an increase of $9.2 million
for emergency response and removal.
In this budget, we hold firm our priority support for state and tribal
partners, the primary implementers and front line of environmental
programs. Funding for state and tribal assistance grants – or STAG – is
once again the largest percentage of the EPA's budget request and
prioritizes funding for state categorical grants.
The FY 2015 budget includes a total of $1.13 billion in categorical grants
– a net $76 million increase over FY 2014.
• Within that total is over $96 million for tribal general
assistance program grants – a $31 million increase over FY 2014.
• We also included an $18 million increase for pollution control
(Section 106),
• There is a $16 million increase for environmental information
grants.
• There is a $15 million increase for state and local air quality
management in our request.
Science is the foundation of our work at the EPA. And science is supported
by the President's request of $537.3 million. In FY 2015, the EPA is
focusing research on the most critical issues facing the Agency.
These include efforts to: advance chemical prioritization and predictive
toxicology, help communities make sustainable decisions regarding
environmental protection and resilience, and inform regional and community
level strategies for the use of green infrastructure and other innovative
alternative practices.
The EPA continues to focus on reducing its physical footprint and achieving
greater energy efficiency. Since 2006, the EPA has released approximately
428 thousand square feet of space nationwide, resulting in a cumulative
annual rent avoidance of over $14.6 million.
The EPA continues to eliminate programs that have served their purpose,
accomplished their mission, or are duplicative. The FY 2015 budget
eliminates a number of such programs totaling nearly $56 million. These
include beaches protection categorical grants, state indoor radon grants,
and diesel emissions reductions assistance grants.
Recognizing the importance of the two-year budget agreement congress
reached in December, which the President's budget adheres to, levels are
not sufficient to expand opportunity to all Americans or to drive the
growth our economy needs.
For that reason, across the federal government, the budget also includes a
separate, fully paid for $56 billion opportunity, growth, and security
initiative. This initiative—split evenly between defense and non-defense
funding—shows how additional discretionary investments in FY 2015 can spur
economic progress, promote opportunity, and strengthen national security.
• Within the initiative is $1 billion for a climate resilience
fund, through which the budget will invest in research and unlock data to
better understand and prepare for impacts of a changing climate. These
investments will also fund breakthrough technologies and resilient
infrastructure.
• Within the climate resilience fund, EPA will support a nation
better prepared for the impacts of climate change—with $10 million for
protecting and enhancing coastal wetlands, and $5 million to support urban
forest enhancement and protection.
We have made some very difficult choices in this budget. But we need to
look realistically at challenges we face in the future and make sure we
have the best tools and people in the right places to make the most
difference. Our final FY 2015 budget reflects a balanced approach to
accomplishing this.
Thank you for the opportunity to touch upon some of the highlights of EPA's
FY 2015 budget request in my testimony today. I look forward to answering
your questions.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
News Clippings 3.26.14
3.26.14
State
Columbus Light & Water to KiOR: No more water
Commercial Dispatch
March 25, 2014 10:19:39 AM
William Browning
KiOR has been told not to release anymore wastewater from its facility into
the Columbus water system because of potential harmful materials that could
be present in the Texas-based alternative fuel company's discharge water.
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=32114
Keep MS Beautiful plans largest cleanup in state
Bolivar Commercial
by Courtney Warren
03.25.14 - 05:32 pm
Keep Cleveland Beautiful, a group under the Cleveland-Bolivar County
Chamber of Commerce will hold a kickoff with Keep Mississippi Beautiful in
April and volunteers will cleanup and revamp specific areas in the city.
http://www.bolivarcom.com/view/full_story/24807095/article-Keep-MS-Beautiful-plans-largest-cleanup-in-state?instance=latest_articles
Miss. law could cut cost of getting public records
ASSOCIATED PRESS
March 25, 2014
JACKSON -- A new Mississippi law could decrease the amount of money people
pay to obtain public records.
Gov. Phil Bryant signed House Bill 928 on Monday, and it becomes law July
1.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/25/5445206/miss-law-could-cut-cost-of-getting.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1
National
EPA, Army Corps Propose New Rules Limiting Discharges
Aim to Put More Smaller Streams, Waterways and Wetlands Under Clean Water
Act
Wall Street Journal
WASHINGTON—The Obama administration Tuesday proposed new rules aimed at
putting more small bodies of water and wetlands under Clean Water Act
protections, a move criticized by business groups, Republicans and a few
Democrats.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303949704579461333790986144?mg=reno64-wsj
EPA proposes greater protections for streams, wetlands under Clean Water
Act
Washington Post
By Juliet Eilperin and Darryl Fears,
The Environmental Protection Agency proposed a rule Tuesday that would give
the federal government regulatory authority over millions of acres of
wetlands and about 2 million miles of streams.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/epa-proposes-greater-protections-for-streams-wetlands-under-clean-water-act/2014/03/25/4811cd36-b42c-11e3-b899-20667de76985_story.html
EPA Clarifies When Federal Water Permit are Required
Bloomberg
By Mark Drajem - Mar 25, 2014
The Obama administration proposed new rules to identify what waterways are
subject to federal regulation, adopting a revision that has been opposed by
farmers and builders.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-25/epa-clarifies-when-federal-water-permit-are-required.html
EPA: Oil spill affected half-mile of Lake Michigan
AP
March 25, 2014
WHITING, Ind. (AP) — Crews for oil giant BP worked Tuesday to clean up an
undetermined amount of crude oil that spilled into Lake Michigan and
affected about a half-mile section of shoreline near Chicago following a
malfunction at BP's northwestern Indiana refinery, officials said.
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2014-03-25/bp-assesses-refinery-oil-spill-in-lake-michigan
Texas regulators taking over greenhouse gas permits from EPA
Dallas Morning News
Texas regulators are to vote Wednesday on issuing greenhouse gas permits to
new or expanding industries — something they loudly refused to do three
years ago.
http://www.dallasnews.com/news/state/headlines/20140325-texas-regulators-taking-over-greenhouse-gas-permits-from-epa.ece
EPA, Phillips 66 settle Clean Air Act violations
UPI
March 25, 2014 at 9:36 AM
Daniel J. Graeber
March 25 (UPI) -- March 25 (UPI) -- The Environmental Protection Agency
said refining company Phillips 66 agreed to pay $500,000 and take steps to
reduce pollution in gasoline to settle a claim.
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2014/03/25/EPA-Phillips-66-settle-Clean-Air-Act-violations/8021395753680/
Press Releases
EPA and Army Corps of Engineers Clarify Protection for Nation's Streams and
Wetlands
Agriculture's Exemptions and Exclusions from Clean Water Act Expanded by
Proposal
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) today jointly released a proposed rule to
clarify protection under the Clean Water Act for streams and wetlands that
form the foundation of the nation's water resources. The proposed rule will
benefit businesses by increasing efficiency in determining coverage of the
Clean Water Act. The agencies are launching a robust outreach effort over
the next 90 days, holding discussions around the country and gathering
input needed to shape a final rule.
Determining Clean Water Act protection for streams and wetlands became
confusing and complex following Supreme Court decisions in 2001 and 2006.
For nearly a decade, members of Congress, state and local officials,
industry, agriculture, environmental groups, and the public asked for a
rulemaking to provide clarity.
The proposed rule clarifies protection for streams and wetlands. The
proposed definitions of waters will apply to all Clean Water Act programs.
It does not protect any new types of waters that have not historically been
covered under the Clean Water Act and is consistent with the Supreme
Court's more narrow reading of Clean Water Act jurisdiction.
"We are clarifying protection for the upstream waters that are absolutely
vital to downstream communities," said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy.
"Clean water is essential to every single American, from families who rely
on safe places to swim and healthy fish to eat, to farmers who need
abundant and reliable sources of water to grow their crops, to hunters and
fishermen who depend on healthy waters for recreation and their work, and
to businesses that need a steady supply of water for operations."
"America's waters and wetlands are valuable resources that must be
protected today and for future generations," said Assistant Secretary of
the Army (Civil Works) Jo-Ellen Darcy. "Today's rulemaking will better
protect our aquatic resources, by strengthening the consistency,
predictability, and transparency of our jurisdictional determinations. The
rule's clarifications will result in a better public service nationwide."
The health of rivers, lakes, bays, and coastal waters depend on the streams
and wetlands where they begin. Streams and wetlands provide many benefits
to communities – they trap floodwaters, recharge groundwater supplies,
remove pollution, and provide habitat for fish and wildlife. They are also
economic drivers because of their role in fishing, hunting, agriculture,
recreation, energy, and manufacturing.
About 60 percent of stream miles in the U.S only flow seasonally or after
rain, but have a considerable impact on the downstream waters. And
approximately 117 million people – one in three Americans – get drinking
water from public systems that rely in part on these streams. These are
important waterways for which EPA and the Army Corps is clarifying
protection.
Specifically, the proposed rule clarifies that under the Clean Water Act
and based on the science:
· Most seasonal and rain dependent streams are protected.
· Wetlands near rivers and streams are protected.
· Other types of waters may have more uncertain connections with
downstream water and protection will be evaluated through a case
specific analysis of whether the connection is or is not protecting
similarly situated waters in certain geographic areas or adding to
the categories of waters protected without case specific analysis.
The proposed rule preserves the Clean Water Act exemptions and exclusions
for agriculture. Additionally, EPA and the Army Corps have coordinated with
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop an interpretive rule
to ensure that 53 specific conservation practices that protect or improve
water quality will not be subject to Section 404 dredged or fill permitting
requirements. The agencies will work together to implement these new
exemptions and periodically review, and update USDA's Natural Resources
Conservation Service conservation practice standards and activities that
would qualify under the exemption. Any agriculture activity that does not
result in the discharge of a pollutant to waters of the U.S. still does not
require a permit.
The proposed rule also helps states and tribes – according to a study by
the Environmental Law Institute, 36 states have legal limitations on their
ability to fully protect waters that aren't covered by the Clean Water Act.
The proposed rule is supported by the latest peer-reviewed science,
including a draft scientific assessment by EPA, which presents a review and
synthesis of more than 1,000 pieces of scientific literature. The rule will
not be finalized until the final version of this scientific assessment is
complete.
Forty years ago, two-thirds of America's lakes, rivers and coastal waters
were unsafe for fishing and swimming. Because of the Clean Water Act, that
number has been cut in half. However, one-third of the nation's waters
still do not meet standards.
The proposed rule will be open for public comment for 90 days from
publication in the Federal Register. The interpretive rule for agricultural
activities is effective immediately.
More information: www.epa.gov/uswaters
Watch Administrator McCarthy's overview: http://youtu.be/ow-n8zZuDYc
Watch Deputy Chief of Staff Arvin Ganesan's explanation:
http://youtu.be/fOUESH_JmA0
State
Columbus Light & Water to KiOR: No more water
Commercial Dispatch
March 25, 2014 10:19:39 AM
William Browning
KiOR has been told not to release anymore wastewater from its facility into
the Columbus water system because of potential harmful materials that could
be present in the Texas-based alternative fuel company's discharge water.
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=32114
Keep MS Beautiful plans largest cleanup in state
Bolivar Commercial
by Courtney Warren
03.25.14 - 05:32 pm
Keep Cleveland Beautiful, a group under the Cleveland-Bolivar County
Chamber of Commerce will hold a kickoff with Keep Mississippi Beautiful in
April and volunteers will cleanup and revamp specific areas in the city.
http://www.bolivarcom.com/view/full_story/24807095/article-Keep-MS-Beautiful-plans-largest-cleanup-in-state?instance=latest_articles
Miss. law could cut cost of getting public records
ASSOCIATED PRESS
March 25, 2014
JACKSON -- A new Mississippi law could decrease the amount of money people
pay to obtain public records.
Gov. Phil Bryant signed House Bill 928 on Monday, and it becomes law July
1.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/25/5445206/miss-law-could-cut-cost-of-getting.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1
National
EPA, Army Corps Propose New Rules Limiting Discharges
Aim to Put More Smaller Streams, Waterways and Wetlands Under Clean Water
Act
Wall Street Journal
WASHINGTON—The Obama administration Tuesday proposed new rules aimed at
putting more small bodies of water and wetlands under Clean Water Act
protections, a move criticized by business groups, Republicans and a few
Democrats.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303949704579461333790986144?mg=reno64-wsj
EPA proposes greater protections for streams, wetlands under Clean Water
Act
Washington Post
By Juliet Eilperin and Darryl Fears,
The Environmental Protection Agency proposed a rule Tuesday that would give
the federal government regulatory authority over millions of acres of
wetlands and about 2 million miles of streams.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/epa-proposes-greater-protections-for-streams-wetlands-under-clean-water-act/2014/03/25/4811cd36-b42c-11e3-b899-20667de76985_story.html
EPA Clarifies When Federal Water Permit are Required
Bloomberg
By Mark Drajem - Mar 25, 2014
The Obama administration proposed new rules to identify what waterways are
subject to federal regulation, adopting a revision that has been opposed by
farmers and builders.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-25/epa-clarifies-when-federal-water-permit-are-required.html
EPA: Oil spill affected half-mile of Lake Michigan
AP
March 25, 2014
WHITING, Ind. (AP) — Crews for oil giant BP worked Tuesday to clean up an
undetermined amount of crude oil that spilled into Lake Michigan and
affected about a half-mile section of shoreline near Chicago following a
malfunction at BP's northwestern Indiana refinery, officials said.
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2014-03-25/bp-assesses-refinery-oil-spill-in-lake-michigan
Texas regulators taking over greenhouse gas permits from EPA
Dallas Morning News
Texas regulators are to vote Wednesday on issuing greenhouse gas permits to
new or expanding industries — something they loudly refused to do three
years ago.
http://www.dallasnews.com/news/state/headlines/20140325-texas-regulators-taking-over-greenhouse-gas-permits-from-epa.ece
EPA, Phillips 66 settle Clean Air Act violations
UPI
March 25, 2014 at 9:36 AM
Daniel J. Graeber
March 25 (UPI) -- March 25 (UPI) -- The Environmental Protection Agency
said refining company Phillips 66 agreed to pay $500,000 and take steps to
reduce pollution in gasoline to settle a claim.
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2014/03/25/EPA-Phillips-66-settle-Clean-Air-Act-violations/8021395753680/
Press Releases
EPA and Army Corps of Engineers Clarify Protection for Nation's Streams and
Wetlands
Agriculture's Exemptions and Exclusions from Clean Water Act Expanded by
Proposal
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) today jointly released a proposed rule to
clarify protection under the Clean Water Act for streams and wetlands that
form the foundation of the nation's water resources. The proposed rule will
benefit businesses by increasing efficiency in determining coverage of the
Clean Water Act. The agencies are launching a robust outreach effort over
the next 90 days, holding discussions around the country and gathering
input needed to shape a final rule.
Determining Clean Water Act protection for streams and wetlands became
confusing and complex following Supreme Court decisions in 2001 and 2006.
For nearly a decade, members of Congress, state and local officials,
industry, agriculture, environmental groups, and the public asked for a
rulemaking to provide clarity.
The proposed rule clarifies protection for streams and wetlands. The
proposed definitions of waters will apply to all Clean Water Act programs.
It does not protect any new types of waters that have not historically been
covered under the Clean Water Act and is consistent with the Supreme
Court's more narrow reading of Clean Water Act jurisdiction.
"We are clarifying protection for the upstream waters that are absolutely
vital to downstream communities," said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy.
"Clean water is essential to every single American, from families who rely
on safe places to swim and healthy fish to eat, to farmers who need
abundant and reliable sources of water to grow their crops, to hunters and
fishermen who depend on healthy waters for recreation and their work, and
to businesses that need a steady supply of water for operations."
"America's waters and wetlands are valuable resources that must be
protected today and for future generations," said Assistant Secretary of
the Army (Civil Works) Jo-Ellen Darcy. "Today's rulemaking will better
protect our aquatic resources, by strengthening the consistency,
predictability, and transparency of our jurisdictional determinations. The
rule's clarifications will result in a better public service nationwide."
The health of rivers, lakes, bays, and coastal waters depend on the streams
and wetlands where they begin. Streams and wetlands provide many benefits
to communities – they trap floodwaters, recharge groundwater supplies,
remove pollution, and provide habitat for fish and wildlife. They are also
economic drivers because of their role in fishing, hunting, agriculture,
recreation, energy, and manufacturing.
About 60 percent of stream miles in the U.S only flow seasonally or after
rain, but have a considerable impact on the downstream waters. And
approximately 117 million people – one in three Americans – get drinking
water from public systems that rely in part on these streams. These are
important waterways for which EPA and the Army Corps is clarifying
protection.
Specifically, the proposed rule clarifies that under the Clean Water Act
and based on the science:
· Most seasonal and rain dependent streams are protected.
· Wetlands near rivers and streams are protected.
· Other types of waters may have more uncertain connections with
downstream water and protection will be evaluated through a case
specific analysis of whether the connection is or is not protecting
similarly situated waters in certain geographic areas or adding to
the categories of waters protected without case specific analysis.
The proposed rule preserves the Clean Water Act exemptions and exclusions
for agriculture. Additionally, EPA and the Army Corps have coordinated with
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop an interpretive rule
to ensure that 53 specific conservation practices that protect or improve
water quality will not be subject to Section 404 dredged or fill permitting
requirements. The agencies will work together to implement these new
exemptions and periodically review, and update USDA's Natural Resources
Conservation Service conservation practice standards and activities that
would qualify under the exemption. Any agriculture activity that does not
result in the discharge of a pollutant to waters of the U.S. still does not
require a permit.
The proposed rule also helps states and tribes – according to a study by
the Environmental Law Institute, 36 states have legal limitations on their
ability to fully protect waters that aren't covered by the Clean Water Act.
The proposed rule is supported by the latest peer-reviewed science,
including a draft scientific assessment by EPA, which presents a review and
synthesis of more than 1,000 pieces of scientific literature. The rule will
not be finalized until the final version of this scientific assessment is
complete.
Forty years ago, two-thirds of America's lakes, rivers and coastal waters
were unsafe for fishing and swimming. Because of the Clean Water Act, that
number has been cut in half. However, one-third of the nation's waters
still do not meet standards.
The proposed rule will be open for public comment for 90 days from
publication in the Federal Register. The interpretive rule for agricultural
activities is effective immediately.
More information: www.epa.gov/uswaters
Watch Administrator McCarthy's overview: http://youtu.be/ow-n8zZuDYc
Watch Deputy Chief of Staff Arvin Ganesan's explanation:
http://youtu.be/fOUESH_JmA0
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
News Clippings 3.25.14
3.25.14
Oil Spill
Fish Embryos Exposed to Oil From BP Spill Develop Deformities, a Study
Finds
NY Times
By MICHAEL WINES
MARCH 24, 2014
Embryos of tuna and amberjack that were exposed to crude
oil collected from the Deepwater Horizon spilldeveloped
heart and other deformities that would probably kill some
of the developing fish and shorten the lives of others, a
new study by a team of marine scientists reported on
Monday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/25/us/fish-embryos-exposed-to-oil-from-bp-spill-develop-deformities-a-study-finds.html?_r=0
BP oil spill linked to heart defects in tuna and amberjack, new study says
Mark Schleifstein
The Times-Picayune
March 25, 2014 at 1:00 AM
Oil from BP's Macondo well has again been linked to heart defects in
embryonic and newborn bluefin and yellowfin tuna and in amberjack, key
commercial, open water fish that were spawning in the Gulf of Mexico at the
time of the catastrophic blowout, according to a peer-reviewed lab study
released Monday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/03/bp_spill_oil_linked_to_heart_d.html#incart_river
Heart Defects in Gulf Tuna Seen Tied to 2010 BP Oil Spill
Bloomberg
By Jim Efstathiou Jr. March 25, 2014
Crude oil from BP Plc's 2010 Gulf of Mexico spill may have led to heart
defects and premature death for tuna, researchers backed by the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-03-24/fatal-heart-flaws-in-gulf-tuna-tied-to-bp-2010-macondo-oil-spill
Gulf spill still imperils tuna, other species
BY DARRYL FEARS
The Washington Post
March 24, 2014
The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill struck at the very heart of fish, a new
study says. Exposed to millions of gallons of crude, young tuna and
amberjack, some of the speediest predators in the ocean, developed heart
defects that are likely to limit their ability to catch food.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/24/5441875/gulf-spill-still-imperils-tuna.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1
Harrison County Cleans Up Tar Balls Found on Barrier Islands
WXXV
The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill left a deep and lasting impression on
the Gulf Coast. The impact of that spill is still being felt in
Mississippi. Residue from the spill was discovered in the Mississippi Sound
last week.
http://www.wxxv25.com/news/local/story/Harrison-County-Cleans-Up-Tar-Balls-Found-on/arj0cO7kJkeSlPekVOGt-Q.cspx
State
Plant Daniel scrubber project more than halfway complete, on track for 2016
completion
Mississippi Press
April M. Havens
March 24, 2014 at 5:38 PM
ESCATAWPA, Mississippi -- Plant Victor Daniel's new scrubber project is
just more than halfway complete, leaders said today, and construction is
expected to hit its peak with 600 workers this year.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/03/plant_daniel_scrubber_project.html#incart_river
Farmington plans sewer improvements
The Associated Press
March 25, 2014
FARMINGTON, MISS. — Farmington officials will open bids April 15 for
improvements to the city sewer system.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/25/5442212/farmington-plans-sewer-improvements.html?sp=/99/184/218/
New Report Says Shrimpers Throw Away More Than They Catch
MPB
BY EVELINA BURNETT | PUBLISHED 24 MAR 2014
A new report says shrimpers in the southeast throw away 64 percent of
everything they catch, including fish, sharks and turtles.
http://mpbonline.org/News/article/new_report_says_shrimpers_throw_away_more_than_they_catch
Palazzo asks FEMA to expedite funding
WLOX
HARRISON COUNTY, MS (WLOX) -Congressman Steven Palazzo is wading into the
fight between Harrison County and FEMA over funds to fix piers damaged in
Hurricane Isaac.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25062096/palazzo-asks-fema-to-expedite-funding
Get some training, get your oyster license
WLOX
BILOXI, MS (WLOX) -New federal regulations are now in place regarding the
oyster industry in Mississippi and other states. Anyone involved in the
industry in any capacity now has to receive specialized training in the
sanitary harvesting and transporting of the delicacy.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25057454/new-oyster-regulations-draw-a-crowd-at-dmr-meeting
Regional
TVA to discuss long-range energy resources plan
by Associated Press
Published: March 24,2014
NORTH MISSISSIPPI — The Tennessee Valley Authority is set to discuss
progress in updating the utilities long-range energy resources plan along
with more than 1,100 comments from the public.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2014/03/24/tva-discuss-long-range-energy-resources-plan/
Sanderson Farms recognized for water conservation
by MBJ Staff
Published: March 24,2014
LAUREL — Sanderson Farms Inc. has been recognized for its water
conservation efforts at one of the company's Texas-based poultry complexes
located in Bryan, Texas.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2014/03/24/sanderson-farms-recognized-water-conservation/
National
EPA's coal ash rule still not done
Politico
By: Erica Martinson
March 25, 2014 12:18 AM EDT
A month before President Barack Obama moved into the White House, a dike
failure sent 5.4 million cubic yards of black, sludgy ash spilling out of a
pond near a coal plant in Roane County, Tenn., wiping out 300 acres and
damaging homes.
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/03/epa-coal-ash-rule-104967.html
Supreme Court Rejects Arch Coal Challenge To EPA Powers On Permits
High Court Said It Wouldn't Review A 2013 Appeals Court Decision
Wall Street Journal
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review whether the
Environmental Protection Agency exceeded its powers when it retroactively
withdrew parts of a permit for a large mountaintop coal mine, a victory for
the Obama administration and environmental groups.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304679404579459153501860452?mg=reno64-wsj
Crews clean up oil spill in Texas shipping channel
BY JUAN A. LOZANO AND NOMAAN MERCHANT
The Associated Press
March 25, 2014
GALVESTON, TEXAS — Cannon booms reverberate across the Houston Ship
Channel, a scare tactic to keep birds away from oil-slicked beaches. On a
mainland shore near a line of refineries, crews scour the sand for
quarter-sized tar balls that have washed ashore.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/25/5442061/crews-clean-up-oil-spill-in-texas.html?sp=/99/184/767/312/
.
Opinion
DELBERT HOSEMANN: Public spaces must be preserved in new Bay St. Louis
harbor
Letter to the Editor, Sun Herald
The road to recovery after Katrina has not been easy for Bay St. Louis
residents. They have rebuilt their homes and property. They have watched
the cleanup of their city and waited patiently for the construction of the
new seawall and now a new harbor. They and their city and county leadership
have performed impossible tasks in an accelerated timeframe. They are an
example to all of Mississippi of perseverance, creativity and resolve.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/24/5441327/delbert-hosemann-public-spaces.html?sp=/99/728/
Oil Spill
Fish Embryos Exposed to Oil From BP Spill Develop Deformities, a Study
Finds
NY Times
By MICHAEL WINES
MARCH 24, 2014
Embryos of tuna and amberjack that were exposed to crude
oil collected from the Deepwater Horizon spilldeveloped
heart and other deformities that would probably kill some
of the developing fish and shorten the lives of others, a
new study by a team of marine scientists reported on
Monday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/25/us/fish-embryos-exposed-to-oil-from-bp-spill-develop-deformities-a-study-finds.html?_r=0
BP oil spill linked to heart defects in tuna and amberjack, new study says
Mark Schleifstein
The Times-Picayune
March 25, 2014 at 1:00 AM
Oil from BP's Macondo well has again been linked to heart defects in
embryonic and newborn bluefin and yellowfin tuna and in amberjack, key
commercial, open water fish that were spawning in the Gulf of Mexico at the
time of the catastrophic blowout, according to a peer-reviewed lab study
released Monday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/03/bp_spill_oil_linked_to_heart_d.html#incart_river
Heart Defects in Gulf Tuna Seen Tied to 2010 BP Oil Spill
Bloomberg
By Jim Efstathiou Jr. March 25, 2014
Crude oil from BP Plc's 2010 Gulf of Mexico spill may have led to heart
defects and premature death for tuna, researchers backed by the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-03-24/fatal-heart-flaws-in-gulf-tuna-tied-to-bp-2010-macondo-oil-spill
Gulf spill still imperils tuna, other species
BY DARRYL FEARS
The Washington Post
March 24, 2014
The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill struck at the very heart of fish, a new
study says. Exposed to millions of gallons of crude, young tuna and
amberjack, some of the speediest predators in the ocean, developed heart
defects that are likely to limit their ability to catch food.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/24/5441875/gulf-spill-still-imperils-tuna.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1
Harrison County Cleans Up Tar Balls Found on Barrier Islands
WXXV
The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill left a deep and lasting impression on
the Gulf Coast. The impact of that spill is still being felt in
Mississippi. Residue from the spill was discovered in the Mississippi Sound
last week.
http://www.wxxv25.com/news/local/story/Harrison-County-Cleans-Up-Tar-Balls-Found-on/arj0cO7kJkeSlPekVOGt-Q.cspx
State
Plant Daniel scrubber project more than halfway complete, on track for 2016
completion
Mississippi Press
April M. Havens
March 24, 2014 at 5:38 PM
ESCATAWPA, Mississippi -- Plant Victor Daniel's new scrubber project is
just more than halfway complete, leaders said today, and construction is
expected to hit its peak with 600 workers this year.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/03/plant_daniel_scrubber_project.html#incart_river
Farmington plans sewer improvements
The Associated Press
March 25, 2014
FARMINGTON, MISS. — Farmington officials will open bids April 15 for
improvements to the city sewer system.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/25/5442212/farmington-plans-sewer-improvements.html?sp=/99/184/218/
New Report Says Shrimpers Throw Away More Than They Catch
MPB
BY EVELINA BURNETT | PUBLISHED 24 MAR 2014
A new report says shrimpers in the southeast throw away 64 percent of
everything they catch, including fish, sharks and turtles.
http://mpbonline.org/News/article/new_report_says_shrimpers_throw_away_more_than_they_catch
Palazzo asks FEMA to expedite funding
WLOX
HARRISON COUNTY, MS (WLOX) -Congressman Steven Palazzo is wading into the
fight between Harrison County and FEMA over funds to fix piers damaged in
Hurricane Isaac.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25062096/palazzo-asks-fema-to-expedite-funding
Get some training, get your oyster license
WLOX
BILOXI, MS (WLOX) -New federal regulations are now in place regarding the
oyster industry in Mississippi and other states. Anyone involved in the
industry in any capacity now has to receive specialized training in the
sanitary harvesting and transporting of the delicacy.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25057454/new-oyster-regulations-draw-a-crowd-at-dmr-meeting
Regional
TVA to discuss long-range energy resources plan
by Associated Press
Published: March 24,2014
NORTH MISSISSIPPI — The Tennessee Valley Authority is set to discuss
progress in updating the utilities long-range energy resources plan along
with more than 1,100 comments from the public.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2014/03/24/tva-discuss-long-range-energy-resources-plan/
Sanderson Farms recognized for water conservation
by MBJ Staff
Published: March 24,2014
LAUREL — Sanderson Farms Inc. has been recognized for its water
conservation efforts at one of the company's Texas-based poultry complexes
located in Bryan, Texas.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2014/03/24/sanderson-farms-recognized-water-conservation/
National
EPA's coal ash rule still not done
Politico
By: Erica Martinson
March 25, 2014 12:18 AM EDT
A month before President Barack Obama moved into the White House, a dike
failure sent 5.4 million cubic yards of black, sludgy ash spilling out of a
pond near a coal plant in Roane County, Tenn., wiping out 300 acres and
damaging homes.
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/03/epa-coal-ash-rule-104967.html
Supreme Court Rejects Arch Coal Challenge To EPA Powers On Permits
High Court Said It Wouldn't Review A 2013 Appeals Court Decision
Wall Street Journal
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review whether the
Environmental Protection Agency exceeded its powers when it retroactively
withdrew parts of a permit for a large mountaintop coal mine, a victory for
the Obama administration and environmental groups.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304679404579459153501860452?mg=reno64-wsj
Crews clean up oil spill in Texas shipping channel
BY JUAN A. LOZANO AND NOMAAN MERCHANT
The Associated Press
March 25, 2014
GALVESTON, TEXAS — Cannon booms reverberate across the Houston Ship
Channel, a scare tactic to keep birds away from oil-slicked beaches. On a
mainland shore near a line of refineries, crews scour the sand for
quarter-sized tar balls that have washed ashore.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/25/5442061/crews-clean-up-oil-spill-in-texas.html?sp=/99/184/767/312/
.
Opinion
DELBERT HOSEMANN: Public spaces must be preserved in new Bay St. Louis
harbor
Letter to the Editor, Sun Herald
The road to recovery after Katrina has not been easy for Bay St. Louis
residents. They have rebuilt their homes and property. They have watched
the cleanup of their city and waited patiently for the construction of the
new seawall and now a new harbor. They and their city and county leadership
have performed impossible tasks in an accelerated timeframe. They are an
example to all of Mississippi of perseverance, creativity and resolve.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/24/5441327/delbert-hosemann-public-spaces.html?sp=/99/728/
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