3.19.2014
Oil Spill
Louisiana on track to have more than $2 billion in coastal restoration
projects built or under construction by 2015, state official says
Mark Schleifstein
The Times-Picayune
March 18, 2014 at 8:46 PM
Louisiana has $489 million of coastal restoration projects under
construction, another $600 million worth of construction slated to begin
over the next two years, and has already completed close to $1 billion of
restoration work over the past few years, Coastal Protection and
Restoration Authorityexecutive director Kyle Graham said Tuesday.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/03/louisiana_on_track_to_have_mor.html
Interior delays hike in oil spill fines
The Hill
By Tim Devaney
The Interior Department is delaying a rule that would raise the penalties
on offshore facilities that are responsible for oil spills amidst pressure
from industry groups.
http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/energy-environment/201149-interior-department-delays-hike-in-oil-spill-fines
Deepwater, Center-Stage: Disaster Through Survivors' Eyes
NPR
by EVE TROEH
Eleven died and hundreds of millions of gallons of oil spilled into the
Gulf of Mexico when BP's Deepwater Horizon rig exploded in 2010. But
beneath the tragedy, there's a complex story about people's relationships
to oil. That's what's explored in Spill, a new play by one of the creators
of The Laramie Project.
http://www.npr.org/2014/03/18/291172169/deepwater-center-stage-disaster-as-told-by-those-who-were-there
How to trust BP again
March 18, 2014 @ 4:52 pm
Reuters
By Christine Bader
The Environmental Protection Agency is allowing BP to once again bid on new
leases in the Gulf of Mexico — which could happen [2] as early as
Wednesday.
http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2014/03/18/how-to-trust-bp-again/
State
North Lee gets nod to dig six wells
By Bobby Harrison
Daily Journal
JACKSON – A state permitting board on Monday discounted protests from the
city of Tupelo that the North Lee County Water Association's plan to dig
six new wells would have a negative impact on the Eutaw-McShan aquifer.
http://djournal.com/news/north-lee-gets-nod-dig-six-wells/
Turnout small at EPA meeting on Gulfport Superfund site
Sun Herald
BY LAUREN WALCK
GULFPORT -- Only a handful of people showed up Tuesday night for an
informal public meeting on the final stages of cleanup for the former
Chemfax Inc. property.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/18/5426369/turnout-small-at-epa-meeting-on.html
E.P.A. Holds Public Availability Session About Old Chemfax Property
WXXV
The Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.) held a public availability
session Tuesday evening at Cross Roads Elementary School in Gulfport.
Representatives from the E.P.A., the Mississippi Department of
Environmental Quality (M.D.E.Q.), and the Attorney General's office will
attend the meeting to talk about the old Chemfax site off of Three Rivers
Road.
http://www.wxxv25.com/news/local/story/E-P-A-Holds-Public-Availability-Session-About-Old/1wgF0qQ550WxzhSWaVwbIg.cspx
Mississippi Commission on Marine Resources proposal allows change in
fishermen's nets
Sun Herald
BY PAUL HAMPTON
GAUTIER -- Fisherman Richard Gable of Pass Christian said it took 30 years
but finally the Commission on Marine Resources listened to him.
Tuesday, his efforts paid off as the commission approved a change in its
rules for the nets Gable and up to 12 others use to fish the Mississippi
Sound.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/18/5426211/mississippi-commission-on-marine.html
DMR Director Says Personnel Board Exemption Would Help With Agency's Turn
Around
MPB
The Mississippi House and Senate disagree on whether the Department of
Marine Resources should be given a one-year exemption from oversight by the
state personnel board, which makes sure agencies are following the state's
hiring and firing rules. It also gives employees a mechanism for due
process if they are terminated.
http://mpbonline.org/News/article/dmr_director_says_personnel_board_exemption_would_help_with_agencys_turn_ar
Legislative oversight could be coming to the DMR
WLOX
GAUTIER, MS (WLOX) -Scandals at the Mississippi Department of Marine
Resources have left a mark on the agency, a mark that Executive Director
Jamie Miller has been trying to erase during his 11 months on the job.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25008510/does-the-dmr-need-legislative-oversight
Future of Lowndes Co. plant in doubt
KiOR could default if financing plan fails
Clarion Ledger
Alternative fuel manufacturer KiOR Inc. is putting its $225 million plant
in Lowndes County in "idle" state until it can raise financing for more
research and plant improvements.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20140319/NEWS/303180042/Future-Lowndes-Co-plant-doubt
Gulfport approves agreements ending harbor lawsuit with Hosemann
Sun Herald
BY ANITA LEE
GULFPORT -- The city and Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann ended a
lawsuit Tuesday when the council approved agreements that establish the
city's ownership and control of dry land around the harbor, including Jones
Park.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/18/5426328/gulfport-approves-agreements-ending.html
National
White House to Introduce Climate Data Website
NY Times
By CORAL DAVENPORT
MARCH 19, 2014
WASHINGTON — President Obama wants Americans to see how
climate change will remake their own backyards — and to
make it as easy as opening a web-based app.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/20/us/politics/white-house-to-introduce-climate-data-website.html?ref=earth&_r=0
Obama administration unveils climate change data initiative
AP
WASHINGTON – The Obama administration hopes to fight global warming with
the geeky power of numbers, maps and even gaming-type simulations.
The White House on Wednesday announced an initiative to provide private
companies and local governments better access to already public climate
data. The idea is that with that localized data they can help the public
understand the risks they face, especially in coastal areas where flooding
is a big issue.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/03/19/obama-administration-unveils-climate-change-data-initiative/?intcmp=latestnews
Democrats armed with wealth of EPA records
Little trace of FOIA requests from Republicans
Washington Times
With midterm elections not far off, Democratic opposition researchers are
armed with thousands of pages of records obtained from the Environmental
Protection Agency through the Freedom of Information Act, far outpacing
known Republican efforts to pry information loose from the agency, records
show.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/mar/18/epa-gives-campaign-paper-trail-to-democrats-little/print/
Press Releases
Mississippi River Commission schedules high-water inspection trip
VICKSBURG, Miss., March 2014 -- The Mississippi River Commission will
conduct its annual high-water inspection trip on the Mississippi River
April 7-11, 2014.
Four public meetings have been scheduled aboard the Motor Vessel
MISSISSIPPI in selected towns along the river so commission members have
the opportunity to meet with local partners, stakeholders and residents and
hear their concerns, ideas and issues. The meeting places, dates and times
are as follows:
* April 7 9:00 a.m. Tiptonville, Tenn.
(Riverfront Park)
* April 8 9:00 a.m. Helena, Ark. (Helena
Harbor Boat Ramp)
* April 9 9:00 a.m. Greenville, Miss. (City
Front)
* April 11 9:00 a.m. New Orleans, La. (Thalia
Street Wharf, Port of New Orleans)
All meetings are open to the public. Anyone with an interest is invited to
present their views and suggestions on matters affecting the water
resources infrastructure needs in the valley, including flood control and
the Mississippi River and Tributaries project, environmental issues,
recreation, navigation and others.
The agenda for each public meeting will be as follows:
1. Summary report by president of the commission on national and regional
issues affecting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and commission programs
and projects on the Mississippi River and its tributaries.
2. District commander's overview for the commission on current project
issues in the respective district area.
3. Presentations to the commission by local organizations and members of
the public giving views or comments on any issue affecting the programs or
projects of the commission and the Corps of Engineers.
The MRC, established in 1879, is composed of seven members, each nominated
by the President of the United States and vetted by the Senate. Three of
the organization's members are officers of the Corps of Engineers; one
member is from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and
three members are civilians, two of whom are civil engineers.
General duties of the commission include recommendation of policy and work
programs, the study of and reporting upon the necessity for modifications
or additions to the flood control and navigation project, recommendation
upon any matters authorized by law, and making semi-annual inspection
trips. The duties of the commission include the entire length of the
Mississippi River from its headwaters at Lake Itasca, Minn., to Head of
Passes, La., where the Mississippi River empties into the Gulf of Mexico.
The purpose of the public meetings is to maintain a dialogue, an exchange
of viewpoints and ideas flowing between the watershed interests, the public
and the Corps. Presentations by the public are made orally, but a copy of
the remarks should be presented to the commission for the official record
and written response.
The public hearing process is unique to the Mississippi River Commission
and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The benefits of hearing the issues
and concerns first hand through the public hearing process are invaluable
to the commission and the Corps. Also, the interaction with congressional,
federal and state interests, local boards and non-government organizations
and the public is crucial to the decision-making process for the nation's
water resources.
Since 1879, the seven-member Presidentially appointed Mississippi River
Commission has developed and matured plans for the general improvement of
the Mississippi River from the Head of Passes to the Headwaters. The
Mississippi River Commission brings critical engineering representation to
the drainage basin, which impacts 41% of the United States and includes
1.25 million square miles, over 250 tributaries, 31 states and two
Canadian provinces.
Listening, Inspecting, Partnering and Engineering since 1879.
- end –
EPA Calls for 2014 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award Nominations
New green chemistry technologies promote new products and markets
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is asking
companies or institutions to nominate their innovative technologies for the
2014 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards. EPA is looking for
nominations from companies and institutions that have developed safer
chemical processes and products that may reduce the generation and use of
chemicals that are hazardous to people's health and the environment.
"The Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards recognize innovative
technologies that are making chemicals and chemical processes safer, more
efficient, or cleaner. These game-changing technologies are having real
world results with significant reductions in waste and greenhouse gas
emissions as well as substantial savings of water and other resources,"
said Jim Jones, EPA's assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical
Safety and Pollution Prevention. "As an added benefit, these technologies
often result in reduced costs, increased market opportunities, or both. EPA
is complementing the Award Program by providing a forum for winners and
nominees to focus on maximizing their investment in green chemistry."
Nominations for innovative technologies that feature the design of greener
chemicals/products, greener chemical synthesis, or greener chemical
reactions are due to the agency by April 30, 2014. EPA anticipates
recognizing five award winning green chemistry technologies this fall.
Previous award winning technologies include an additive used during
aluminum production that prevents billions of pounds of CO2 emissions each
year, a water treatment system for industrial and commercial cooling
systems that uses less chemical additives and saves billions of gallons of
water a year, and a redesigned synthesis for a pharmaceutical ingredient
that prevents over one million of pounds of hazardous waste a year.
Since the inception of the awards 19 years ago, EPA has received more than
1500 nominations and presented awards to 93 technologies. The use of green
chemistry practices around the country has resulted in the elimination of
more than 826 million pounds of hazardous chemicals and solvents from
industrial processes and consumer products, savings of 21 billion gallons
of water, and the prevention of 7.9 billion pounds of carbon pollution
emissions to the air. Green chemistry technologies also offer significant
cost savings to companies due to reduced material needs, energy usage, and
compliance-related costs.
Information on past award winners and how to submit entries can be found
at: http://www2.epa.gov/green-chemistry
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| USDA Announces Support for Innovative, Sustainable Wood Building Materials |
| to Protect Environment and Create Jobs |
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|Secretary Vilsack: One of the world's oldest building materials is now also |
| one of its most advanced |
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|WASHINGTON, D.C., March 18, 2014 - At a meeting hosted by the White House |
|Rural Council today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a new |
|partnership to train architects, engineers and builders about the benefits |
|of advanced wood building materials, and plans for a forthcoming prize |
|competition to design and build high-rise wood demonstration projects. |
|Innovative use of wood products is already beginning to change the face of |
|construction across the country, and USDA is undertaking efforts to support |
|these advancements. These efforts also support President Obama's Climate |
|Action Plan goal of preserving the role of forests in mitigating climate |
|change. |
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|Wood may be one of the world's oldest building materials, but it is now also|
|one of the most advanced, said Vilsack. Building stronger markets for |
|innovative new wood products supports sustainable forestry, helps buffer |
|reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and puts rural America at the forefront of |
|an emerging industry. Presently, the market for wood and other related |
|forest products supports more than one million direct jobs, many in rural |
|America. As these markets expand, so will the economic opportunities. |
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|The new training program Secretary Vilsack announced today will include a $1|
|million investment from the Forest Service and will be done in partnership |
|with WoodWorks, a non -profit organization that provides technical support, |
|education, and resources related to the design of modern wood buildings for |
|architects, engineers, and developers. |
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|The Secretary also announced plans to launch a new prize competition, |
|expected to begin later this year, for developers, institutions, |
|organizations and design teams competing to demonstrate the architectural |
|and commercial viability of using sustainable wood products in high-rise |
|construction. The Department is planning to invest up to $1 million to |
|launch the competition. One non-profit partner, the Binational Softwood |
|Lumber Council, has committed an additional $1 million for the competition. |
|The competition will help spur increased sustainability in construction and |
|will give priority to applicants that source materials from rural domestic |
|manufacturers and domestic, sustainably-managed forests. |
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|Emerging engineered wood technologies can be used in industrial building |
|projects such as tall buildings and skyscrapers, as well as other projects. |
|By some industry estimates, a 3-5 story building made from emerging wood |
|technologies has the same emissions control as taking up to 550 cars of the |
|road for one year. Wood-based designs have also been demonstrated to improve|
|energy efficiency, thereby reducing energy consumption for heating and |
|cooling. |
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|Today's announcements were made as part of a the Building With Wood: Jobs |
|and the Environment workshop hosted by the White House Rural Council, which |
|included architects, builders, designers, wood manufactures, foresters, |
|state officials, university leaders and representatives from the USDA, |
|General Services Administration, Department of the Interior, Federal |
|Emergency Management Agency and Department of Defense. They also are part of|
|USDA's overall strategy to promote the use of wood as a green building |
|material. USDA's Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin has |
|invested over $2 million in research and technical support for emerging wood|
|technologies. The Forest Products Laboratory has created additional |
|opportunities for emerging wood technologies to be used in housing |
|developments and other green building demonstration projects. |
| |
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|When President Obama signed the 2014 Farm Bill in February he directed his |
|Administration, working through the White House Rural Council, to lead a new|
|Made in Rural America export and investment initiative. This initiative is |
|charged with bringing together federal resources to help rural businesses |
|and leaders take advantage of new investment opportunities and access new |
|customers and markets both at home and abroad. White House Rural Council |
|leadership on advanced wood products is an example of how the Administration|
|is moving forward on dual goals of domestic production and sustainability. |
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