4.30.14
Oil Spill
BP intent on fighting disputed oil spill payment claims from businesses
Jennifer Larino
The Times-Picayune
April 29, 2014 at 4:29 PM
BP PLC told investors Tuesday (April 29) that it will continue to fight
compensation payments to businesses it believes did not suffer economic
losses tied to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The British oil giant did
not go so far as to estimate what the remaining claims could cost, though
it shed some light on what has been spent so far.
http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2014/04/bp_set_on_fighting_unfounded_o.html
BP oil spill claimant must return $357,000 payment, judge rules
Jennifer Larino
The Times-Picayune
April 29, 2014 at 7:53 PM
A federal judge has ordered a claimant at the center of an investigation
into alleged fraud in the BP oil spill settlement program to return a
$357,000 payment.
http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2014/04/federal_judge_rules_claimant_a.html
State
Trauma, tears and tenacity: Miss. regroups after tornadoes
Clarion Ledger
Tuesday was a day of regrouping across Mississippi as residents
reeled from the devastating strikes of Monday's tornadoes and
storms.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2014/04/30/trauma-tears-tenacity-miss-regroups-tornadoes/8498309/
Alligator gar anglers' best friend?
Clarion Ledger
He's big. He's bad. He takes no prisoners. And depending on where
you fish, he could be your best buddy.
He's the alligator gar.
The floodwaters of 2011 along the Mississippi River have long
receded, but one of the effects still lingers. With the water came
silver carp.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/outdoorsreport/2014/04/28/outdoors-carp-gar-alligator-fishing-mississippi-recreation/8403275/
Conservation groups oppose change in DMR rules
Sun Herald
BY PAUL HAMPTON
A Sierra Club official hopes to use changes to rules for fishing nets
proposed by the state Department of Marine Resources to force an outright
ban on gill and trammel nets.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/04/29/5533737/conservation-groups-oppose-change.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1&sp-tk=18169551193FAB13AE5226A8B4E4C462D1877E39ECE79BC100EB962209794B3081E3482029C544A9A5A5CA24A3D1037C6D88BDBC5C0AA20CC29A8E864DE1129DEB8482D7AEDC6F37BFD6562CC5B9203B4A44984EB79F6A1683A8933111FE366D032B1F6C8647D8A78680EE8EA0B7F5B58CC0489CE8476B5643A42D4D3E2349E6AFD0285C06BC6B9662A490849663A80CC4ABEFA9DC20B5A64C20C919FF5B5A39406A1A78
Shortened red snapper season frustrates fishermen
WLOX
BILOXI, MS (WLOX) -This year's fishing season for red snapper will last
just 11 days. And that decision has a lot of recreational fishermen upset
about the limited opportunity they'll have to catch the popular game fish.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25383595/shortened-red-snapper-season-frustrates-fishermen
Mississippi Power again raises cost of Kemper plant
Sun Herald
BY MARY PEREZ
Mississippi Power on Tuesday said the expected cost of the Kemper County
power plant rose $196 million in March, bringing the total increase for the
first three months of the year to $380 million.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/04/29/5533290/mississippi-power-raises-cost.html?sp=/99/184/185/
National
Supreme Court Revives EPA Rule on Air Pollution Across State Lines
Court's 6-2 Ruling Is Victory for Obama Administration; 28 States Will Have
to Reduce Power-Plant Emissions
Wall Street Journal
WASHINGTON—The Environmental Protection Agency can reinstate limits on
power-plant pollution that blows across state lines, the Supreme Court
ruled Tuesday, handing a defeat to electric utilities that opposed the
effort as costly regulatory overreach.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304163604579531594097453658?mg=reno64-wsj
Justices Back Rule Limiting Coal Pollution
By CORAL DAVENPORT
APRIL 29, 2014
NY Times
WASHINGTON — In a major victory for the Obama
administration, the Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the
authority of the Environmental Protection Agency to
regulate the smog from coal plants that drifts across
state lines from 28 Midwestern and Appalachian states to
the East Coast.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/30/us/politics/supreme-court-backs-epa-coal-pollution-rules.html?ref=earth&_r=0
Supreme Court upholds EPA rule limiting cross-state pollution
Washington Post
By Robert Barnes and Darryl Fears, Published: April 29
The Supreme Court on Tuesday resurrected an Environmental Protection Agency
rule targeting air pollution that drifts across state borders, handing the
Obama administration a victory on one of its major environmental efforts.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/court-upholds-epa-rule-on-cross-state-pollution/2014/04/29/7978fd14-cfce-11e3-b812-0c92213941f4_story.html
Documents contradict EPA on climate-rule delay
Politico
By: Erica Martinson
April 29, 2014 10:58 AM EDT
Newly released documents are fueling GOP questions about whether EPA put
politics ahead of policy by publishing a controversial climate rule so late
that it will allow red-state Senate Democrats to dodge a difficult vote.
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/04/epa-climate-rule-delay-documents-106141.html?hp=r10
Press Releases
UPDATED STORM DAMAGE REPORTED TO MEMA
PEARL – The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency has received reports of
at 12 deaths and widespread damages related to the severe weather and
tornadoes that moved through the state Monday.
The counties reporting storm-related deaths are as follows:
· Issaquena: One death.
· Lee: One death.
· Rankin: One death.
· Winston: Nine deaths.
National Weather Service survey crews have confirmed tornadoes touched down
in at least three counties. Crews have rated the tornado in Tupelo as an
EF-2 with winds between 111 to 135 mph. Due to some areas being
inaccessible survey teams will look at additional damages to determine if
the tornado may have been stronger. In Winston County NWS surveyors
determined damages are the result of an EF-4 tornado with winds estimated
between 166 to 200 mph. In Rankin County NWS survey teams have determined
an EF-3 tornado with winds between 136-165 mph touched down Monday evening.
The primary focus of emergency crews is search and rescue in the affected
areas. MEMA area coordinators have been dispatched to Itawamba, Lee and
Winston counties to assist with operations.
The counties reporting damages are as follows:
· Choctaw-: Several roads affected by flash flooding.
· Desoto: Several roads affected by flash flooding.
· Grenada: Eight homes minor damage.
· Hinds: Several homes damaged, trees and power lines down, roads
affected by flash flooding.
· Itawamba: Several Homes damaged and roads affected by debris and
flash flooding.
· Jones: Homes damaged and roads affected by flash flooding.
· Leake: Several homes damaged.
· Lee: Major damage in the City of Tupelo. Reports of extensive home
damage in the area.
· Lowndes: 35 homes with major damage. 55 homes with minor damage and
one business was destroyed.
· Madison: Several roads closed due to damage.
· Montgomery: Two homes destroyed, one with major damage and eight
homes with minor damage.
· Neshoba: Several roads closed due to debris and flooding.
· Newton: Four homes destroyed and four homes with major damage. Eight
homes suffered minor damage and four homes were affected. Five roads
received major damage and another six had minor damage.
· Quitman: Trees and power lines down in the Marks community.
· Rankin: One death in Richland. Highland Park Trailer Park: 37 mobile
homes destroyed, 12 with major damage, 11 with minor damage and 59
affected. Numerous injuries reported from this location. Additional
damage surveys are underway in other parts of the county.
· Scott: One home destroyed and one home with minor damage. One
business received minor damage and three people were injured. One
person remains hospitalized.
· Simpson: Two homes were destroyed, five homes with major damage and
15 homes with minor damage.
· Warren: Four homes with major damage and three homes sustained minor
damage.
· Wayne: Several homes affected and roads closed due to flooding.
· Winston: Seven deaths and numerous injuries. Major damage near
Louisville. The Winston Medical Center has been damaged. Several
homes have been destroyed.
Three shelters are open in Lee and Winston counties:
· Columbus- Southside Baptist Church 100 Nashville Ferry Rd. East
· Louisville- First Methodist Church, 300 W. Main St.
· Louisville- First Baptist Church, 305 S. Church Ave.
· Pearl- Pearl Community Center next to City Hall 2420 Old Brandon Rd.
· Tupelo- BanccorpSouth Building, 375 E. Main St.
Gov. Phil Bryant has declared a State of Emergency Monday to make state
resources available to assist affected areas.
As of 4 p.m. approximately 27,350 customers are without power in the state.
The Mississippi National Guard is assisting with response efforts in Lee
and Winston counties. The Mississippi Highway Patrol has also dispatched
teams to affected areas.
Volunteers interested in assisting affected communities may sign up at
http://volunteermississippi.org/2014/04/2014-tornado-relief/. Residents
are urged not to self-deploy but to sign up and assist with the coordinated
volunteer relief effort.
Much of the state is still under a tornado watch with the possibility of
tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, damaging winds, heavy rain and flooding
and dangerous lightning. Residents should monitor local media, social media
or other technology for current weather conditions and notifications.
MEMA urges the public to report damages to your local Emergency Management
Agency. For a list of contact numbers for your county, visit
www.msema.org/local-ema. For more information, go to MEMA's website at
www.msema.org or download the MEMA mobile app on your iOS or Android
device.
The best way to get up-to-date information is to "Like" MEMA on Facebook,
or "Follow" us on twitter.
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