3.18.14
Oil Spill
BP asks full 5th Circuit to hear causation appeal
WWL
NEW ORLEANS -- BP asked Monday for the full 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to
hear its argument that businesses seeking compensation for oil spill losses
should have to prove those losses came from the effects of the spill, and
not from some other factor.
http://www.wwltv.com/news/local/BP-asks-full-5th-Circuit-to-hear-causation-appeal-250703841.html
Students crowd-source to raise money for oil spill dispersant experiments
Mark Schleifstein
The Times-Picayune
March 17, 2014 at 2:01 PM
A chemical engineering professor at Columbia University is using an unusual
method – crowd-funding – to underwrite the cost of experiments aimed at
finding a more natural and safer way of dispersing oil from spills, like
the one caused by the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/03/students_crowd-source_to_raise.html
State
EPA will hold public meeting on Superfund site in Gulfport
Sun Herald
BY LAUREN WALCK
GULFPORT -- Long-term cleanup of chemicals remaining in the soil of the old
Chemfax Inc. property is set to begin this month and the Environmental
Protection Agency is holding a meeting today to discuss it with the public.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/17/5423311/epa-will-hold-public-meeting-on.html?sp-tk=8EEF6B00164F2590B5EA53700FC1E24BB394589612177AA8F4C45A12380419E7519A05533AEC9979E379D79057F28980D4B63A3E27D5E307CB6D11B5ADE4259D5E4D141B3669EF3CFE00F2016435A6842B989826B89D0AC4F02274746838485E5AE09048E1662533DBAC82728B1C1B2999E1447F851E9687CFE0C9B2CD6A5C02A25A0BA238BC76CF5CD87DF04B69F9E84DCF83F0D04195B424DF01F17F1006B39309E64E
Surface Water Treatment Plant Groundbreaking Set for March 20th
WXXV
The new Surface Water Treatment Plant will serve residents in the eastern
Jackson County communities of Escatawpa, Helena, Big Point, and possibly
Wade and Hurley. The $9.2 million construction project will treat an
average of 1 million gallons of water from the Pascagoula River per day. As
demand increases, the plant can be upgraded in the future to treat an
average of 2 million gallons per day.
http://www.wxxv25.com/news/local/story/Surface-Water-Treatment-Plant-Groundbreaking-Set/xpinl3jzaEutHKk732ahbA.cspx
Drainage projects in south Jackson County subdivisions pared down
Sun Herald
BY KAREN NELSON
JACKSON COUNTY -- The Natural Resource Conservation Service has given
Jackson County an extra two months to line up drainage projects that would
help with street and property flooding in the sprawling subdivision of Gulf
Park Estates south of U.S. 90 and east of Ocean Springs.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/17/5423296/drainage-projects-in-south-jackson.html
KiOR Puts Columbus Plant in Idle State
WCBI
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) — Kior says it has "substantial doubts" about its
ability to continue to operate.
Today's disclosure came in the company's end-of-the-year financial filings
with the Security's Exchange Commission.
http://www.wcbi.com/wordpress/kior-puts-columbus-plant-in-idle-state
National
Spill Stirs Watchdog to Act
EPA Bid for Rules on Coal-Ash Waste Gains Steam After North Carolina
Accident
Wall Street Journal
By VALERIE BAUERLEIN
March 17, 2014 7:40 p.m. ET
EDEN, N.C.—Beneath the surface of the Dan River, which flows along the
foothills on the Virginia state line, lie the soggy remnants of a coal-ash
spill that is roiling the political landscape in the state and the
regulatory environment nationwide.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303287804579445270913926520?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5&mg=reno64-wsj
OMB Begins Review of Long-Delayed Revisions to Hazardous Waste Exemptions
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Bloomberg
March 17 --The White House Office of Management and Budget began its review
March 15 of a long-delayed proposal from the Environmental Protection
Agency that would revise a 2008 Bush-era rule exempting certain recycled
materials from hazardous waste regulation, according to OMB's website.
http://www.bna.com/omb-begins-review-n17179885754/
White House to host event on climate change resilience
The Hill
By Timothy Cama
Top Obama administration officials will gather Wednesday to discuss efforts
in government and the private sector to prepare for the effects of climate
change.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/201023-white-house-to-host-event-on-climate-change-resilience
More likely to say global warming exaggerated, Gallup polling suggests
The Hill
By Timothy Cama
Forty-two percent of Americans believe news reports exaggerate the
seriousness of global warming, while fewer people think the seriousness is
generally correct or underestimated, a Gallup Inc. poll found.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/201013-gallup-more-likely-to-say-global-warming-exaggerated
Opinion
LAYNE BRUCE: Advances in transparency
BY LAYNE BRUCE
A Sun Herald ForumMarch 17, 2014
Well, that's more like it.
The Legislature has passed two very important bills on to Gov. Phil Bryant
for his consideration.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/17/5422886/layne-bruce-advances-in-transparency.html
Public's right to know improves accountability, as Mississippi cases show
The Associated Press
March 17, 2014 at 3:34 PM
OXFORD, Mississippi -- "Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a
people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the
power which knowledge gives."
James Madison
This statement by the author of the Bill of Rights reflects the core
rationale of the freedom of information movement to enact open meetings and
public records laws.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/03/publics_right_to_know_improves.html#incart_river
Press Releases
EPA Asks Americans to Join the Race to Stop Water Leaks
WaterSense celebrates Fix a Leak Week Beginning March 17
WASHINGTON – Easy-to-fix household leaks account for more than one trillion
gallons of water wasted each year across the United States, equal to the
annual household water use of more than 11 million homes. In the race
against water waste, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is
urging people to fix household water leaks during the sixth annual Fix a
Leak Week, March 17 through 23, 2014.
Water leaking from dripping faucets, showerheads and worn toilet flappers
in one average American home can account for more than 10,000 gallons of
water wasted every year, or the amount of water needed to wash 270 loads of
laundry. These types of leaks are often easily correctable, in many cases
requiring only a few tools and hardware that can pay for themselves in
water savings. Fixing household water leaks can save homeowners about 10
percent on their water bills.
"A household can waste thousands of gallons from leaky plumbing fixtures
and sprinkler systems, which is especially bad news if your community is
suffering from a drought," said Nancy Stoner, Acting Assistant
Administrator for EPA's Office of Water. "Three simple steps—checking for
leaks, twisting and tightening pipe connections, and replacing fixtures
where needed can help people conserve water and save money on their utility
bills."
Finding and fixing leaks is simple to do in three easy steps:
Check for leaks: Look for dripping faucets, showerheads and fixture
connections. Check toilets for leaks by putting a few drops of food
coloring in the tank at the back of the toilet and wait 10 minutes before
flushing to see if color shows up in the bowl. If there is color, the
toilet flapper likely needs to be replaced, which is an easy repair to
make. Check irrigation systems and spigots too.
Twist and tighten pipe connections: If your showerhead is dripping, make
sure there is a tight connection between the showerhead and the pipe stem.
It may just need a twist to tighten or some pipe tape to secure it.
Replace the fixture if necessary: If you're in the mood for an upgrade,
look for WaterSense-labeled models, which are independently certified to
use 20 percent less water and perform as well as or better than standard
models.
In keeping with this year's theme, "Chasing Leaks," partners of EPA's
WaterSense program are sponsoring running races, hands-on demonstrations,
student contests, and other community events to raise awareness about the
need to fix leaking plumbing and irrigation fixtures.
The following are just a few of the events WaterSense partners are holding
across the country to raise awareness during Fix a Leak Week:
New Jersey American Water is encouraging children to inspect their homes
for leaks through a "Pint-Sized Plumbers" photo contest, and the Milwaukee
Metropolitan Sewerage District is sponsoring a water conservation student
art and essay contest.
The Arizona Municipal Water Users Association is holding its third annual
"One for Water" four-mile race and family festival in Peoria, Arizona. The
association's mascot Leaky Loo McFlapper and Ewing Irrigation Products'
mascot Rowdy Rooter will serve as larger-than-life reminders that running
toilets and leaky sprinklers are only funny when they are costumes.
The Water Use Efficiency Team and Recreation & Parks Department in Santa
Rosa, California teamed up with the Sonoma-Marin Water Savings Partnership
to kick off Fix a Leak Week at the third annual St. Patrick's Day 5K race.
The City of Charlottesville, Virginia, is partnering with other local
agencies to host the Fix a Leak Family 5K featuring a running toilet, leak
detection kits, and hands-on demonstrations.
The Metropolitan North Georgia Planning District hosted a "Water Drop Dash"
5K race and water festival featuring water conservation education and
activities along the Chattahoochee River.
Visit the Fix a Leak Week 2014 Event Map on the WaterSense Facebook page at
www.facebook.com/EPAWatersense/app_137541772984354 to see if there is an
event in your community. To learn more about finding and fixing leaks,
visit www.epa.gov/watersense/fixaleak.
