3.13.14
Oil Spill
Appeals court reverses decision in RESTORE Act suit
By Apalachicola Times
Published: Wednesday, March 12, 2014 at 09:52 AM.
On Feb. 26, Florida's First District Court of Appeals handed the city of
Apalachicola a victory in a suit against the county over the process by
which RESTORE Act funds will be administered.
http://www.apalachtimes.com/news/law-enforcement/appeals-court-reverses-decision-in-restore-act-suit-1.289951
Ex-BP engineer hopes for acquittal or new trial in hearing on his
obstruction conviction
AP
NEW ORLEANS – A former BP engineer is returning to federal court as he
seeks to undo his obstruction of justice conviction in the government's
investigation of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/03/13/ex-bp-engineer-hopes-for-acquittal-or-new-trial-in-hearing-on-his-obstruction/
State
Can Kemper become the first US power plant to use 'clean coal'?
A $5bn facility to capture carbon and pump it underground could provide a
lifeline for the dirtiest of fossil fuels, but many remain unconvinced
The Guardian
Suzanne Goldenberg
The massive block of steel towers and pipes rises out of the morning fog
like a sci-fi fantasy. But this coal-fired power plant could help save the
climate, or at least that's the hope of the Obama administration.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/mar/12/kemper-us-power-plant-coal-carbon
Highway reopens as cleanup continues
Hattiesburg American
Interstate 59 was reopened Wednesday evening as crews continued cleanup
efforts at the site of an overturned tanker near U.S. 11, exit 60.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20140313/NEWS01/303130020/Highway-reopens-cleanup-continues
Officials working to clean up potentially dangerous chemical spill in
Hattiesburg
WDAM
HATTIESBURG, MS (WDAM) -Emergency officials finished offloading dangerous
chemicals from an overturned tanker on I-59 in Hattiesburg at 1:30 p.m. on
Wednesday.
http://www.wdam.com/story/24954447/officals-working-to-clean-up-potentially-dangeous-chemical-spill-in-hattiesburg
I-59 Shutdown Affects Motorists, Businesses
WHLT
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - It's been a hectic day for drivers in Hattiesburg.
Parts of Interstate 59 were shutdown due to a truck that overturned last
night.
http://www.whlt.com/story/24959974/i-59-shutdown-affects-motorists-businesses
New project manager for Waggoner ready to expand services to South
Mississippi
The Journal of South Mississippi BusinessMarch 12, 2014
Billy Waits has recently become senior project manager for Waggoner
Engineering in South Mississippi.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/12/5410322/new-project-manager-for-waggoner.html
Keep Monroe County Beautiful hosts kickoff breakfast
Monroe Journal
by Ray Van Dusen | 6:30 am | March 13, 2014
ABERDEEN – With the looming first day of spring approaching, Keep Monroe
County Beautiful hosted its kickoff breakfast Thursday, March 6 that
particularly recognized law enforcement. Monroe County has consecutively
been chosen by the Mississippi Department of Transportation as cleanest
county in the state through the sheriff's department's inmate trash pickup
program.
http://monroecountyjournal.com/2014/03/13/keep-monroe-county-beautiful-hosts-kickoff-breakfast/
Supervisors ignite new interest in county beautification
Monroe Journal
by Ray Van Dusen | 6:00 am | March 13, 2014
ABERDEEN – Inspired by the previous day's Keep Monroe County Beautiful
kickoff breakfast, District 3 supervisor Carol Crawford launched a
discussion Friday regarding the county's litter issue during the board of
supervisors meeting.
http://monroecountyjournal.com/2014/03/13/supervisors-ignite-new-interest-county-beautification/
County Supervisor Urges Residents to Stop Littering
WCBI
NORTHEAST, Miss. (WCBI)- District 3 Supervisor Carol Crawford is disgusted
at the sight of food bags and beer cans tossed up and down Monroe County
roads.
http://www.wcbi.com/wordpress/video-county-supervisor-urges-residents-to-stop-littering
Apartment residents complain of raw sewage
WLBT
JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) -Residents of a west Jackson apartment
complex complain that they are living around raw sewage.A viewer at Camelot
Apartments on Robinson Street would not appear on camera but said raw
sewage has been bubbling from a manhole since December.
http://www.msnewsnow.com/story/24960492/raw-sewage-complaint-at-apartment-complex
Sand beach crews busy preparing for tourist season
WLOX
BILOXI, MS (WLOX) -Harrison County workers are busy preparing 26 miles of
sand beach for the summer tourist season. Sand beach Director Chuck Loftis
says the popular tourist attraction is in good shape following a tough
winter.
http://www.wlox.com/story/24959471/sand-beach-crews-busy-preparing-for-tourist-season
Ocean Springs High School to become first in state with aquaculture
greenhouse
Mississippi Press
Warren Kulo
March 12, 2014 at 1:24 PM
OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- Come next fall, students at Ocean Springs
High School will be able to study marine life up close, thanks to the
construction of an aquaculture greenhouse on the school grounds
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/03/ocean_springs_high_school_to_b.html#incart_river
Numbers are in for Hattiesburg's Shred Day
Hattiesburg American
The State Attorney General's Office has released the numbers for
Hattiesburg's Community Shred Day which was held earlier this month.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20140312/NEWS01/140312001/Numbers-Hattiesburg-s-Shred-Day
National
House committee launches investigation into EPA climate regulations
Fox News
The House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday launched an
investigation into the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed
greenhouse gas standards that would limit the amount of carbon new power
plants can emit.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/03/13/house-committee-launches-investigation-into-epa-climate-regs/?intcmp=latestnews
House GOP launches probe into EPA rule
The Hill
By Laura Barron-Lopez
House Republicans launched a probe into a key pillar of the Obama
administration's climate change regulations on Wednesday.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/200633-house-gop-launches-probe-into-epa-climate-rule
Senate GOP pushes bill curbing natural gas flaring
The Hill
By Laura Barron-Lopez
Three Republican senators are pushing legislation that fast-tracks permits
for natural gas pipelines in an effort to curb gas flaring.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/200576-senate-republicans-push-bill-curbing-natural-gas-flaring
E.P.A.'s Proposed Rules on Water Worry Farmers
By RON NIXON
MARCH 12, 2014
NY Times
Water rarely flows in one of the streambeds — it really
seems to be little more than a small ditch — that Dean
Lemke points out to a visitor on his 800-acre farm in
Dows, Iowa.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/13/us/politics/environmental-protection-agency-water-rules.html?hpw&rref=us&_r=0
Press Releases
EPA Awards More than $500,000 to Schools to Help Reduce Children's Exposure
to Pesticides
Integrated pest management practices are shown to reduce pesticide use
WASHINGTON -- Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
announced three grants to facilitate integrated pest management practices
in schools. This funding will help reduce student's exposure to pests and
pesticides in the nation's schools, while saving money, energy and
pesticide treatment costs.
"Children are among the most vulnerable members of our society, and it's
EPA's job to protect them from harmful chemicals," said James Jones,
Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution
Prevention. "We aim to help schools implement sustainable pest management
practices to create a healthier environment for our children and teachers."
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) reduces pesticide use, helps to eliminate
pests and saves schools money. For example, 18 schools in Monroe County,
Indiana have reduced both pesticide use and pest control costs by 90
percent using IPM practices. This approach has the potential to reach all
15,000 school districts and improve the health and well-being of the 49
million children attending public and tribal schools in the United States.
IPM measures help prevent pests from becoming a threat by taking action to
address the underlying causes that enable pests to thrive in schools. These
actions, such as repairing water leaks, adding weather stripping to
windows, and installing door sweeps, reduce pesticide use and treatment
costs while reducing water and energy costs. The IPM common-sense approach
is a stark contrast to conventional pest management in which an
exterminator uses pesticides school-wide on a regular schedule, potentially
exposing school children, teachers and staff to pesticides, with little
emphasis on removing the underlying conditions that make it inviting to
pests.
The three grants will be awarded to:
TheTexas A&M Agrilife Extension to develop a central, internet-based hub
for materials and phone apps that will give school districts the
information and tools they need to adopt an IPM program. While the project
aims to reach 1 percent of schools (552,350 students) within three years,
it has the potential to reach all of the 15,000 school districts
nation-wide and the 49 million children attending US public schools.
The University of Arizona to develop and carry out a pilot training and
certification program for school staff (custodians, kitchen staff, and
school administrators) in eight states and four tribes, working with five
other universities and stakeholders. Once finalized, the materials will be
made available to schools nation-wide through partners.
The Michigan State University to help 5 percent of Michigan and Indiana
schools adopt IPM through hands-on education, training and
coalition-building, including web-based trainings and a website. About
135,000 children may be protected.
For additional information on the three funded grants and IPM in schools,
visit: www.epa.gov/pestwise/ipminschools/grants.
More information on IPM in schools can be found at
www.epa.gov/pesticides/ipm.
Mississippi's Unemployment Rate Falls to Lowest Level Since November 2008
JACKSON— Bureau of Labor Statistics figures released today by the
Mississippi Department of Employment Security show that Mississippi's
seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January 2014 was 7.5 percent—the
lowest the state has seen since November 2008, when the rate was also 7.5
percent. The unemployment rate in Mississippi has fallen by 2.2 percentage
points under Governor Phil Bryant's term.
The BLS figures also show that in January 2014, there were 10,000 more jobs
in Mississippi than there had been in January 2013.
"Our relentless commitment to economic development and our dedication to
building a strong business climate in Mississippi are yielding results,"
Gov. Phil Bryant said. "I set a goal of seeing the unemployment rate in
Mississippi fall to at least 7.5 percent, and preliminary figures show we
have reached that benchmark. This success motivates us to continue working
hard to connect even more Mississippians with jobs.
"We know that the task will not always be easy. The administration in
Washington continues to push job-killing policies and to burden businesses
with onerous mandates, so jobs figures could fluctuate during this time of
uncertainty. However, I said when I became governor that my first job was
to make sure that every Mississippian who wants a job can find one, and
that remains my chief priority."
For Job Seekers
In his 2014 State of the State Address, Gov. Bryant announced a
cutting-edge website and mobile application to connect job seekers and
employers in Mississippi. More than 27,000 job openings are currently
posted on the site at www.mississippiworks.org.
The Mississippi Department of Employment Security and the Governor's Job
Fair Network will host the Mississippi Employment Expo on Wednesday, March
19 from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Mississippi Trademart in Jackson. A list
of upcoming job fairs is posted at www.mississippiworks.org and at
www.jobfairs.ms.gov.
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