3.4.14
Oil Spill
In BP oil disaster, appeals court rules claimants need not prove direct
harm
Mark Schleifstein
The Times-Picayune
March 03, 2014 at 11:49 PM
A divided panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday that
businesses seeking money as part of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill
settlement need not prove they were directly harmed by the accident and its
aftermath to collect payments. The ruling is likely to be appealed by BP to
the full 5th Circuit Court or the U.S. Supreme Court.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/03/appeals_court_rules_claimants.html#incart_river
Federal Court Rejects BP's Effort To Stop Payouts
Appeals Court Ruling Appears To Leave Oil Company on Hook for More Payments
Wall Street Journal
By TOM FOWLER
Updated March 3, 2014 8:53 p.m. ET
A federal appeals court rejected BP PLC's effort to stop Gulf Coast
businesses from collecting payouts from the Deepwater Horizon settlement
fund, even when they can't directly trace their losses to the 2010 oil
spill.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303630904579417892569656078?mg=reno64-wsj
US court rejects BP appeal over Gulf spill losses
7:17am EST
Reuters
By Jonathan Stempel
March 4 (Reuters) - A divided U.S. appeals court on Monday rejected BP
Plc's bid to block businesses from recovering money over the 2010 Gulf of
Mexico oil spill, even if they could not trace their economic losses to the
disaster.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/04/bpspill-ruling-idUSL1N0M100F20140304
Dolphins exposed to Deepwater Horizon oil spill had more health problems
than others
Washington Post
By Jason G. Goldman, Published: March 3 E-mail the writer
Researchers studying sea life in the aftermath of the 2010 oil spill in the
Gulf of Mexico say that bottlenose dolphins in Louisiana's Barataria Bay
were suffering from a host of maladies, including lung disease and adrenal
problems.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/dolphins-exposed-to-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill-had-more-health-problems-than-others/2014/03/03/9931e8bc-9371-11e3-84e1-27626c5ef5fb_story.html
State
Harrison County to appeal MEMA decision on pier funding
Sun Herald
BY LAUREN WALCK
Harrison County may not get reimbursed for the $174,000 it spent to repair
the Jim Simpson fishing pier in Long Beach after Hurricane Isaac.
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency sent a letter advising that the
county was ineligible for FEMA funding, and the Board of Supervisors voted
Monday to appeal that decision.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/03/5385207/harrison-county-to-appeal-mema.html
WDAM Viewpoint- Sewage Issue
By Joe Sciortino, General Manager
Today's Viewpoint is about the Hattiesburg sewage treatment issue. The foul
odor that stinks up Hattiesburg on a recurring basis and the discussion of
what to do about it has been around for what many would consider a long
time.
http://www.wdam.com/story/24876281/wdam-viewpoint-saluting-first-responders
Alcorn to sell tract after trash deal reached
The Associated Press
March 4, 2014
CORINTH, MISS. — The Alcorn County Board of Supervisors has declared a
129-acre site surplus to its needs and will offer the property for sale.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/04/5386734/alcorn-to-sell-tract-after-trash.html
Lowndes County Neighborhoods May Get Relief for Sewage Issues
WCBI
COLUMBUS, MS(WCBI) – A Lowndes County neighborhood with a history of sewage
and drainage problems could get some relief. The county and Columbus Light
and Water are putting together a state and federal grant proposal to extend
sewer service to areas along Kimberly and Pecan drives as well as part of
Pickensville road.
http://www.wcbi.com/wordpress/video-lowndes-county-neighborhoods-may-get-relief-for-sewage-issues
Regional
NC cites 5 Duke Energy plants for lacking permits
BY MICHAEL BIESECKER
Associated Press
RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina regulators have cited five more Duke Energy
power plants for lacking required storm water permits after a massive spill
at one of the company's coal ash dumps coated 70 miles of the Dan River in
toxic sludge.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/03/5385609/nc-cites-5-duke-energy-plants.html
National
EPA: New fuel standards could save lives, help clean air
Detroit Free Press
WASHINGTON — Federal regulators finalized on Monday fuel standards that
automakers expect will help them hit pollution and mileage targets, but
that the oil industry has argued could further raise fuel costs.
http://www.freep.com/article/20140303/BUSINESS0104/303030075/automakers-u-s-environmental-protection-agency-oil-industry
John Podesta: The man behind President Obama's new environmental push
Washington Post
By Juliet Eilperin,
New White House counselor John Podesta is playing a central role in pushing
the Obama administration to adopt a more aggressive posture on
environmental policies this year, including rules that would provide
greater protections for public lands, support for state and local efforts
to cut carbon emissions and stricter oversight of mining near pristine
waterways, according to a dozen administration officials and outside
allies.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/john-podesta-the-man-behind-president-obamas-new-environmental-push/2014/03/03/fa6ba57e-9f5a-11e3-b8d8-94577ff66b28_story.html
Foul Winter Takes a Toll on Wildlife
Nature Groups Rush to Aid Animals Hobbled by Snow and Ice; Rehab for Duck
No. 7
Wall Street Journal
MILWAUKEE—Last winter, the Wisconsin Humane Society treated half a dozen
ducks for various maladies related to the cold.
On a recent night this winter, a male, red-breasted merganser found huddled
against the side of a building was brought into the center for an infusion
of electrolytes and painkillers. He was this year's Duck No. 35.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304071004579411292859734918?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5&mg=reno64-wsj
Press Releases
EPA Sets Cleaner Fuel and Car Standards, Slashing Air Pollution and
Providing Health Benefits to Thousands
Release Date: 03/03/2014
Contact Information: Julia P. Valentine, (202) 564-0496; (202) 779-0084; (
valentine.julia@epa.gov) Espanol: Lina Younes, (202) 564-9924; (202)
494-4419; (younes.lina@epa.gov)
WASHINGTON – Based on extensive input from the public and a broad range of
stakeholders, including public health groups, auto manufacturers, refiners,
and states, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today finalized
emission standards for cars and gasoline that will significantly reduce
harmful pollution and prevent thousands of premature deaths and illnesses,
while also enabling efficiency improvements in the cars and trucks we
drive. These cleaner fuel and car standards are an important component of
the administration's national program for clean cars and trucks, which also
include historic fuel efficiency standards that are saving new vehicle
owners at the gas pump. Once fully in place, the standards will help avoid
up to 2,000 premature deaths per year and 50,000 cases of respiratory
ailments in children.
"These standards are a win for public health, a win for our environment,
and a win for our pocketbooks," said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. "By
working with the auto industry, health groups, and other stakeholders,
we're continuing to build on the Obama Administration's broader clean fuels
and vehicles efforts that cut carbon pollution, clean the air we breathe,
and save families money at the pump."
The final standards will quickly and effectively cut harmful soot, smog and
toxic emissions from cars and trucks. The Obama Administration's actions to
improve fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gases from these same vehicles
will also result in average fuel savings of more than $8,000 by 2025 over a
vehicle's lifetime. The fuel economy and greenhouse gas standards covering
model year vehicles from 2012-2025 are projected to save American families
more than $1.7 trillion in fuel costs.
Following a proven approach that addresses vehicles and fuels as an
integrated system, today's action will enable substantial pollution
reductions at low cost. The standards slash emissions of a range of harmful
pollutants that can cause premature death and respiratory illnesses,
reducing standards for smog-forming volatile organic compounds and nitrogen
oxides by 80 percent, establishing a 70 percent tighter particulate matter
standard and virtually eliminating fuel vapor emissions. These standards
will also reduce vehicle emissions of toxic air pollutants, such as benzene
by up to 30 percent.
The final fuel standards will reduce gasoline sulfur levels by more than 60
percent – down from 30 to 10 parts per million (ppm) in 2017. Reducing
sulfur in gasoline enables vehicle emission control technologies to perform
more efficiently. New low-sulfur gas will provide significant and immediate
health benefits because every gas-powered vehicle on the road built prior
to these standards will run cleaner – cutting smog-forming NOx emissions by
260,000 tons in 2018.
The Tier 3 standards cut tailpipe pollution where people live and breathe –
reducing harmful emissions along the streets and roadways that run through
our neighborhoods and near our children's schools. By 2018, EPA estimates
the cleaner fuels and cars program will annually prevent between 225 and
610 premature deaths, significantly reduce ambient concentrations of ozone
and reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by about 260,000 tons. That is about 10
percent of emissions from on-highway vehicles, with those reductions
reaching 25 percent (330,000 tons) by 2030.
By 2030, EPA estimates that up to 2,000 premature deaths, 50,000 cases of
respiratory ailments in children, 2,200 hospital admissions and
asthma-related emergency room visits, and 1.4 million lost school days,
work days and days when activities would be restricted due to air
pollution. Total health-related benefits in 2030 will be between $6.7 and
$19 billion annually. The program will also reduce exposure to pollution
near roads. More than 50 million people live, work, or go to school in
close proximity to high-traffic roadways, and the average American spends
more than one hour traveling along roads each day.
The final standards are expected to provide up to 13 dollars in health
benefits for every dollar spent to meet the standards, more than was
estimated for the proposal. The sulfur standards will cost less than a
penny per gallon of gasoline on average once the standards are fully in
place. The vehicle standards will have an average cost of about $72 per
vehicle in 2025. The standards support efforts by states to reduce harmful
levels of smog and soot and aids their ability to attain and maintain
science-based national ambient air quality standards to protect public
health, while also providing flexibilities for small businesses, including
hardship provisions and additional lead time for compliance.
EPA conducted extensive outreach with key stakeholders throughout the
development of the rule, held two public hearings in Philadelphia and
Chicago, and received more than 200,000 public comments. The final
standards are based on input from a broad range of groups, including state
and local governments, auto manufacturers, emissions control suppliers,
refiners, fuel distributors and others in the petroleum industry, renewable
fuels providers, health and environmental organizations, consumer groups,
labor groups and private citizens.
The final standards will work together with California's clean cars and
fuels program to create a harmonized nationwide vehicle emissions program
that enables automakers to sell the same vehicles in all 50 states. The
standards are designed to be implemented over the same timeframe as the
next phase of EPA's national program to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions from cars and light trucks beginning in model year 2017.
Together, the federal and California standards will maximize reductions in
GHGs, air pollutants and air toxics from cars and light trucks while
providing automakers regulatory certainty, streamlining compliance, and
reducing costs to consumers.
To meet the cleaner gasoline standards necessary to reduce tailpipe
emissions and protect public health, the agency has built in flexibility
and adequate time for refiners to comply. For those refineries that may
need it, the program would provide nearly six years to meet the standards.
To provide a smooth transition for refiners to produce cleaner gasoline,
the program is structured in a way that allows the industry to plan any
additional investments needed. In addition, the agency is giving special
considerations to small refiners, while offering provisions for compliance
assistance in the case of extreme hardship or unforeseen circumstances.
More information: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/tier3.htm
