4.3.14
Oil Spill
Guest Column: Let's ensure RESTORE funds are spent wisely
The Advertiser
The last decade has been a trying one for the people of Louisiana.
Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Ike took hundreds of lives and destroyed
billions of dollars of property in our state. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon
oil spill was the largest offshore spill in American history, and
Louisiana's coast bore the brunt of the damage. All of this occurred, of
course, against the background of the deepest economic contraction since
the Great Depression.
http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20140402/OPINION/304020039/Guest-Column-Let-s-ensure-RESTORE-funds-spent-wisely?nclick_check=1
State
Mississippi Power: Kemper construction slows, costs rise
Sun Herald
BY MARY PEREZ
Weather and a turnover of workers has slowed work at the Kemper County coal
gasification plant this winter, pushing up the cost of construction,
Mississippi Power said Wednesday.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/04/02/5464788/mississippi-power-kemper-construction.html?sp=/99/184/185/
Costs rise another $177 million at Mississippi Power's new Kemper County
plant
The Associated Press
April 02, 2014 at 11:12 AM
JACKSON, Mississippi — The Southern Co. says it will cost at least another
$177 million to finish the power plant it's building in eastern
Mississippi's Kemper County, pushing the total cost above $5.2 billion
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-business/2014/04/costs_rise_another_177_million.html#incart_river
Kemper Costs Rise to $5.2 Billion
BY EVELINA BURNETT | PUBLISHED 02 APR 2014
MPB
Mississippi Power has raised the cost of finishing its Kemper county power
plant by another $177 million. That's on top of a $40 million over-run
announced in January. As MPB's Evelina Burnett reports, the project's price
tag is now almost twice initial estimates.
http://mpbonline.org/News/article/kemper_costs_rise_to_5.2_billion
More wells need in voluntary metering program
Hembree Brandon
Delta Farm Press
Apr 2, 2014
As of mid-March, only six of 17 Mississippi Delta counties had met the goal
of 5 percent voluntary metering of irrigation water wells under a
compliance option offered by the Mississippi Department of Environmental
Quality.
http://deltafarmpress.com/management/more-wells-need-voluntary-metering-program
Equipment failures giving SCUA headaches
Stone County Enterprise
By Jody O'Hara
WIGGINS - If it's not a drip field laid too shallow or a lagoon liner with
tears, it's a pressure valve blowing its top.
The latest in a string of equipment problems caused the Stone County
Utility Authority to try and figure out who's at fault and who should pay
for repairs Monday.
http://www.stonecountyenterprise.com/article_2071.shtml
Biodiesel plant fire ruled an accident
By Dennis Seid
Daily Journal
NEW ALBANY – The January fire and explosion at JNS Biofuels plant has been
ruled an accident by the state fire marshal, although investigators could
not pinpoint a specific cause.
http://djournal.com/news/biodiesel-plant-fire-ruled-accident/
South Mississippi lawmakers don't want nuclear waste storage in Mississippi
Sun Herald
BY PAUL HAMPTON
Four South Mississippi lawmakers are asking the state House to oppose
storing nuclear waste anywhere in the state.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/04/02/5466917/south-mississippi-lawmakers-dont.html?sp=/99/184/208/
MDEQ: Stretch of Pass Christian beach closed to public
WLOX
PASS CHRISTIAN, MS (WLOX) -State health officials are saying one stretch of
beach in Pass Christian is not safe and to stay away. The Mississippi
Department of Environmental Quality issued a beach closure Wednesday for
the stretch of beach spanning from Fort Henry to Elliot Avenue.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25146692/mdeq-stretch-of-pass-christian-beach-closed-to-public
MDEQ closes five beaches
Sun Herald
High bacterial levels have led the state Department of Environmental
Quality to close five Coast beaches.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/04/02/5466913/around-south-mississippi.html?sp=/99/184/
City clean up urged
Grenada Star
Grenada could be a cleaner city, according Mayor Billy Collins, that's why
he's calling on all citizens take a few minutes and beautify their
surroundings.
http://www.grenadastar.com/contentitem/369747/1218/city-clean-up-urged
Miss. creating tax-free weekend for guns, ammo
AP
JACKSON — Mississippi will remove its 7 percent state sales tax on guns,
ammunition, archery equipment and some hunting supplies the first weekend
of each September.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/viewart/20140402/NEWS01/304020028/Miss-creating-tax-free-weekend-guns-ammo
Wildlife Mississippi works to enhance beauty of nature to parks and
properties
Monroe Journal
by Emily Tubb
AMORY – With at least one in every 20 jobs in Mississippi relying on a
healthy outdoor environment, the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation,
or Wildlife Mississippi, is a nonprofit organization that focuses primarily
on restoring native prairies, wetlands and streams to ensure the state's
quality of life will make a good place to live and raise a family.
http://monroecountyjournal.com/2014/03/28/wildlife-mississippi-works-enhance-beauty-nature-parks-properties/
Regional
New Yorker magazine discovers nutria dog treats in Baton Rouge
Mark Schleifstein
The Times-Picayune
April 02, 2014 at 2:32 PM
Freelance writer Mary Ann Sternberg writes in The New Yorker about the
latest effort to market the meat from nutria that are being killed in south
Louisiana in an attempt to kill the wetland-chomping invasive species.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/04/new_yorker_magazine_discovers.html#incart_river
National
E.P.A. Faulted for Failure to Report Risks
NY Times
By CORAL DAVENPORT
APRIL 2, 2014
The Environmental Protection Agency failed to consistently disclose health
risks, including possible cancer risks, to research study participants who
were exposed to dangerous pollutants, an agency watchdog report has found.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/03/us/epa-faulted-for-failure-to-report-risks.html?ref=earth&_r=0
Report: EPA fails to disclose risks in human tests
BY DINA CAPPIELLO
Associated PressApril 2, 2014
WASHINGTON — An internal investigation issued Wednesday found that the
Environmental Protection Agency failed to disclose long-term cancer risks
and a small chance of death to 81 human test subjects who consented to
breathe in diesel exhaust and other pollutants during experiments.
http://www.kentucky.com/2014/04/02/3175326/report-epa-fails-to-disclose-risks.html
Watchdog: EPA human test subjects not always told about lethal risks of
studies
By Judson Berger
Published April 02, 2014
FoxNews.com
The Environmental Protection Agency has been testing the impact of
pollutants on human subjects without always telling them about the risks of
heavy exposure -- risks that include cancer, and even death.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/04/02/watchdog-epa-human-test-subjects-not-always-told-about-lethal-risks-studies/?intcmp=latestnews
House Dems ask EPA to investigate nat gas drilling's connection to water
contamination
The Hill
By Timothy Cama
Eight Democrats in the House have asked Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) to reopen its investigations into water contamination incidents in
Wyoming, Pennsylvania and Texas that they say may have been connected to
natural gas drilling, including hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/202491-dem-reps-ask-epa-to-investigate-nat-gas-drillings-connection-to-water
Environmentalists sue EPA over regional haze plan
BY BENJAMIN STORROW
STAR-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Last week, Wyoming sued the Environmental Protect Agency over its regional
haze plan, claiming the regulations went too far. This week,
environmentalists sued the EPA claiming the regulations didn't go far
enough.
http://trib.com/business/energy/morning-energy-roundup-environmentalists-sue-epa-over-regional-haze-plan/article_03568858-b8ff-5b43-be20-c3e42f74887c.html
Press Releases
Gov. Bryant Comments on 2014 Legislative Session
Fiscally Conservative Budget and Strong Public Safety Reforms among
Priorities
JACKSON—The Mississippi Legislature adjourned this evening, sine die,
meaning lawmakers have completed their business for the 2014 regular and
extraordinary legislative sessions. Gov. Phil Bryant had called on
lawmakers to adopt strong, fiscally conservative savings policies and
comprehensive public safety reforms, and those items were among the
measures the Legislature passed.
"When I issued my Executive Budget Recommendation for fiscal year 2015, I
urged lawmakers to take a financially responsible step and fill
Mississippi's Rainy Day Fund. We filled this savings account while I was
lieutenant governor, and I am very pleased the Legislature has heeded my
call to do so again. Instead of spending every dollar, we will put nearly
$400 million in the state's savings account if revenue collections meet
expectations. This cushion will help protect our budget if the national
economy begins to slow again."
"My budget also modeled spending no one-time sources of revenue on
recurring expenses. Paying recurring bills with one-time funding sources
can lead to fiscal cliffs and budget shortfalls, and it can also negatively
impact Mississippi's credit rating. I appreciate the Legislature's effort
in passing a budget that follows this same fiscally conservative practice."
Last summer, Gov. Bryant pledged that the 2014 legislative session would
also focus on public safety. The Legislature passed the governor's public
safety priorities, including:
Appropriating $6.9 million to conduct a school to train more Highway Patrol
troopers. The current Highway Patrol force is approximately 150 officers
short, and more than 120 officers serving on the force are
retirement-eligible. The funding will provide training vehicles, uniforms,
weapons and other equipment for about 60 new troopers. The funding will
also cover the salaries for the new officers for the remainder of the
fiscal year in which they graduate.
Enacting comprehensive "Right on Crime" criminal justice reforms (House
Bill 585) that will help Mississippi avoid about $266 million in projected
increases to corrections costs over the next decade. The reforms included
in the bill:
o restore certainty and clarity to Mississippi's sentencing
system by establishing minimum percentages of sentences that
inmates must serve before becoming eligible for release;
o expand judicial discretion to impose research-proven
alternatives to incarceration;
o create statewide standards for drug courts and establish a
veterans' court system; and
o ensure the quality and sustainability of the reforms by
creating an oversight council and requiring the tracking of
outcomes.
Providing funding to hire 16 additional assistant district attorneys in
high-case load districts throughout the state.
Providing funding to cover relocation for the State Crime Lab as it
transitions to a new, state-of-the art facility. The new facility will
allow the lab to process more evidence for more cases.
Adopting SB 2430, a measure to require DNA testing of certain felony
offenders so law enforcement officials can determine if the offenders are
linked to other open cases.
Providing additional funding for Mississippi's drug court system. Drug
courts provide incarceration alternatives and treatment opportunities for
low-level offenders. The courts are proven to help reduce recidivism.
"We are working tirelessly to improve our economy in Mississippi, and we
have also begun implementing transformational change in our public
education system thanks to major reforms passed last year. Ensuring public
safety is equally vital to our state's success. I am very proud of what we
have accomplished this year—from adopting policies that require violent
criminals to serve at least 50 percent of their sentences to reaching our
goal of training more troopers to protect lives and investigate crimes, I
believe we have taken strong steps to protect Mississippi communities."
The Legislature adopted additional measures supported by Gov. Bryant,
including bills to:
· · strengthen Mississippi's pro-business jobs and economic
development climate,
· · require public colleges and universities to develop plans to
address teen pregnancy among students (SB 2563),
· · provide $1.3 million to allow high school juniors to take the
ACT test in lieu of other high school exit exams,
· · protect gun owner rights (House Bill 314) and provide a sales
tax holiday for sportsmen and sportswomen (SB 2425),
· · require drug screenings for TANF applicants (House Bill 49),
· · ban abortions after 20 weeks (HB 1400),
· · and add the national motto "In God We Trust" to the
Mississippi state seal (SB 2681).
"All in all, this has been a very productive, positive session for
Mississippi, and I appreciate the leadership of House Speaker Philip Gunn
and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves. The legislative process is not always easy, and I
thank these two dynamic leaders for their efforts on behalf of
Mississippians."
###
Governor Bryant Signs Bill Giving Mississippi Sportsmen Annual Tax Holiday
JACKSON—Gov. Phil Bryant today signed into law Senate Bill 2425, giving
Mississippi sportsmen an annual tax free holiday in September. The
Mississippi Second Amendment Weekend holiday will include sales tax
exemption on individual sales of firearms, ammunition, archery equipment
and certain hunting supplies. The annual holiday will occur on the first
Friday of each September until midnight on the following Sunday.
During State Fiscal Year 2013, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife,
Fisheries and Parks sold more than 425,000 resident hunting and fishing
licenses.
"Many Mississippians share my strong belief in the Second Amendment and
love the outdoors," Gov. Bryant said. "This tax holiday will help ensure
Mississippians continue to enjoy our state's great outdoor heritage for
years to come. I thank the Mississippi Legislature for their hard work on
this bill and for supporting Mississippi sportsmen and sportswomen."
Senate Bill 2425 passed both the House and Senate with strong bipartisan
support.
The National Rifle Association also supports the measure.
"On behalf of the NRA's five million members, we want to thank Governor
Bryant for supporting this tax holiday for Mississippi's sportsmen," noted
Chris W. Cox, executive director of the National Rifle Association's
Institute for Legislative Action. "This new law pays tribute to
Mississippi's hunting heritage and our Second Amendment Rights. We look
forward to the celebration of these freedoms when Mississippi gun owners
and sportsmen visit their local firearms and sporting goods retailers in
September, "added Cox.
The law will go into effect July 1, 2014, and the first tax holiday weekend
will be September 5-7, 2014.
###
EPA Seeks Small Entity Participation on Upcoming Medium- and Heavy-Duty
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is inviting
small businesses, governments, and not-for-profit organizations to
participate as Small Entity Representatives (SERs) for a Small Business
Advocacy Review (SBAR) Panel. This panel will focus on the agency's
proposed extension of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles' greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions standards beyond model year 2018.
EPA is working jointly with the National Highway Transportation Safety
Administration (NHTSA), which expects to propose coordinated fuel
efficiency standards, and in consultation with the California Air Resources
Board (ARB). EPA and NHTSA standards would further reduce GHG emissions and
fuel consumption through the application of advanced, cost-effective
technologies. This action could affect manufacturers of a wide range of
on-road vehicles, from semi-trucks and their trailers to the largest pickup
trucks and vans, along with all types and sizes of work trucks and buses.
This action would not regulate truck operators or truck dealers.
The Regulatory Flexibility Act requires the EPA to establish a Small
Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) Panel for rules that may have a significant
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. The SBAR Panel
will include federal representatives from the Small Business Administration
(SBA), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and EPA.
The panel members ask a selected group of SERs to provide advice and
recommendations on behalf of their company, community, or organization to
inform the panel members about the potential impacts of the proposed rule
on small entities.
EPA seeks self-nominations directly from the small entities that may be
subject to the rule requirements. Other representatives, such as trade
associations that exclusively or at least primarily represent potentially
regulated small entities, may also serve as SERs.
Self-nominations may be submitted through the link below and must be
received by April 16, 2014.
Nominate yourself as a SER: http://www.epa.gov/rfa/heavy-duty-phase2.html
More information, including the February 2014 Presidential Announcement of
this effort: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/climate/regs-heavy-duty.htm.
