5.30.14
Oil Spill
Justices Scalia, Alito may have conflicts in BP claims case, websites say
Jennifer Larino
The Times-Picayune
May 29, 2014 at 4:16 PM
It's not year clear whether the U.S. Supreme Court will weigh in on the
complex litigation surrounding settlement payments related to BP's 2010
Gulf of Mexico oil spill. But there are already calls for two of the nine
justices in the nation's highest court to step down from the case.
http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2014/05/critics_say_justices_scalia_al.html
Four years after oil spill, $5M BP gift to Texas unspent
Houston Chronicle
By Brian M. Rosenthal
AUSTIN – Nearly four years after receiving $5 million from BP to help clean
the Texas coast after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Gov. Rick Perry's
office has not spent the money and only recently mentioned it to lawmakers
in a budget plan.
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Four-years-after-oil-spill-5M-BP-gift-to-Texas-5514498.php
State
Mississippi Phosphates puts emergency bypass in place as citizens discuss
pollution at Pascagoula town hall meeting
Mississippi Press
Gareth Clary
May 29, 2014 at 11:55 PM
PASCAGOULA, Mississippi - Mississippi Phosphates filed an incident report
with the U.S. Coast Guard National Response Center on Wednesday regarding
the runoff from its sulfuric acid plant into a storm drain, and the company
has now put an emergency bypass into place, according to documents obtained
by The Mississippi Press.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/05/mississippi_phosphates_puts_em.html#incart_river
East Pascagoula resident told to call 911 about air issues
Sun Herald
BY KAREN NELSON
PASCAGOULA -- Myrie Jeter asked her city councilman Thursday night if there
isn't a way to alert east Pascagoula residents when nearby industry is
releasing dangerous emissions.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/29/5611404/east-pascagoula-resident-told.html?sp=/99/184/
Kerr-McGee settlement proceeds despite objections
Commercial Dispatch
May 29, 2014
Nathan Gregory
A U.S. bankruptcy judge has accepted Anadarko Petroleum Corporation's
proposed $5.15 billion settlement to clean up former Kerr-McGee sites
around the country and compensate those who have suffered negative health
effects despite objections saying it was not enough.
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=33748
Waste-to-Energy Company Sets Eyes on Golden Triangle
WCBI
CLAY COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) — "It's guaranteed to work."
Ted McManus is CEO of Renewable Resource Solutions, a $90 Million project
that's privately funded and based out of Utah. Their goal: turning solid
waste into sustainable fuel.
http://www.wcbi.com/wordpress/waste-to-energy-company-sets-eyes-on-golden-triangle
MDWFP: Walleye fish stocked in Monroe County river
WTVA
JACKSON, Miss. (WTVA) -- The fish are more plentiful in the Buttahatchie
River.
Approximately 54,000 Gulf Coast strain walleye fish were recently placed in
the Monroe County river by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife,
Fisheries and Parks.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/MDWFP-Walleye-fish-stocked-in-Monroe-County-river/tF8TvUiBCkSElP2TgNZ9vw.cspx
Farm bill creates new critical conservation areas
by MBJ Staff
Published: May 28,2014
AROUND MISSISSIPPI — Mississippi has two new conservation partnerships
aimed at ensuring the long-term viability of the Mississippi River and the
long leaf pine forests to the state.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2014/05/28/farm-bill-creates-new-critical-conservation-areas/
National
EPA's Approach on Carbon Limits to Spark Court Challenges
Agency to Rely on Little-Used Provision to Cut Power Plants' Greenhouse
Gases
Wall Street Journal
The expected legal battle over the Obama administration's coming limits on
carbon emissions from existing power plants could provide a rarity for
environmental litigation: a case for which there is scant court precedent.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/epas-approach-on-carbon-limits-to-spark-court-challenges-1401406854
Industry Worries About Carbon-Cuts Proposal
Coal, Utility Lobbyists Want EPA's Carbon-Reduction Rates Based on Older,
Higher Emission Numbers
Wall Street Journal
WASHINGTON—The coal and utility industries are increasingly worried about
the Obama administration's coming climate-change rule, especially the
baseline period from which reduction targets will be calculated.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/industry-worries-about-carbon-cuts-proposal-1401403823
Eight states set goal of 3.3M zero-pollution cars
USA Today
Eight states, including California and New York, are vowing to collaborate
to put 3.3 million electric cars on their roads and highways by 2025.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2014/05/30/states-zero-pollution-cars/9756493/
Biodiesel producers push for higher mandate
The Hill
The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) and 117 companies wrote a letter to
President Obama Thursday asking him to increase the biodiesel blending
mandate for this year from what the Environmental Protection Agency
proposed.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/207568-biodiesel-producers-push-for-higher-mandate
Cow blamed for causing spill in oil patch
AP
BISMARCK, N.D. – North Dakota regulators say a cow is suspected of causing
a spill of natural gas liquids near a tributary of the Little Missouri
River.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/05/30/cow-blamed-for-causing-spill-in-oil-patch/?intcmp=latestnews
Friday, May 30, 2014
Thursday, May 29, 2014
News Clippings 5/29/14
5.29.14
Oil Spill
Study estimates BP spill killed more birds than earlier thought
Audubon chief: Avian deaths a 'massive blow' to Coast ecosystem
Sun Herald
BY CHRISTINA STEUBE
Between 600,000 and 800,000 birds have died along the Gulf Coast as a
result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, according to a study to
be released this summer by the Marine Ecology Progress Series.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/28/5608290/study-estimates-bp-spill-killed.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1
Sarasota Researcher Studies Health Of Dolphins Following Deepwater Horizon
Oil Spill
WGCU
A researcher in Sarasota is helping federal officials figure out whether
dolphins were affected by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
http://news.wgcu.org/post/sarasota-researcher-studies-health-dolphins-following-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill
Appeals court says BP must resume paying claims while waiting for U.S.
Supreme Court review
The Associated Press
May 28, 2014 at 2:17 PM
NEW ORLEANS -- BP PLC must resume paying claims while it asks the U.S.
Supreme Court to review its settlement with businesses over the 2010 Gulf
of Mexico oil spill, a federal appeals court panel said Wednesday.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/05/appeals_court_says_bp_must_res.html#incart_river
State
MDEQ chief Trudy Fisher announces she'll resign
BY JEFF AMY
Associated Press
May 28, 2014
JACKSON -- Trudy Fisher, Mississippi's top environmental regulator, will
resign her post at the state Department of Environmental Quality at the end
of the summer.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/28/5608297/mdeq-chief-trudy-fisher-announces.html?sp=/99/184/
Trudy Fisher to step down as head of MDEQ
WLOX
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI (WLOX) -After serving as Executive Director for the
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality for nearly eight years,
Trudy Fisher is stepping down from her position later this summer. Fisher
made the announcement to MDEQ employees through an email on Wednesday.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25633505/trudy-fisher-to-step-down-as-head-of-mdeq
Head of Miss. environmental agency to resign
Clarion Ledger
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality chief Trudy Fisher
announced in an email to employees Wednesday she will resign her
position later this summer after eight years on the job.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2014/05/28/mdeq-head-to-resign/9679139/
Oxford to help others recycle
Grant allows city to share successful program
Oxford Eagle
BY ALYSSA SCHNUGG
The city of Oxford's award-winning recycling program has been used as a
role model around the state in recent years, and now, thanks to a grant
from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Oxford can help
surrounding communities increase their own recycling programs.
The inaugural Regional Recycling Cooperative Grant was awarded to four
communities around the state, including Oxford, which will receive
$227,160. The funds will be used to develop or enhance recycling systems
in their region to help achieve the state's waste reduction and recycling
goal by 25 percent.
"We are very excited," Oxford Solid Waste Superintendent Amberlyn Liles
said. "This is the largest grant we've ever received in the 12 years I've
been with the city."
Liles said the grant will go toward education and equipment to help its
regional partners — Panola County, University of Mississippi, Calhoun City
and Yalobusha County — expand their recycling programs.
"We want Oxford to be a support system to them and have our program bleed
into their communities," she said.
"Some of them may not be able open their own recycling facility due to
cost, but this could help them collect recyclables from their residents and
bring them to ours," Liles said.
The grant will also help purchase special bins to be used at large
festivals around the region.
"We are excited to launch this new grant program and to work with these
cities and their partners to expand recycling services and recycling access
in the state," Trudy Fisher, MDEQ executive
director, said. "Increasing the access to recycling to more Mississippians
means that more materials can be diverted from landfills and put back into
manufacturing uses where the materials can be used over and over again.
"The continued use of recycled materials in manufacturing has multiple
benefits such as conserving raw material resources, reducing our reliance
on imports from
other countries, conserving energy, reducing pollution, reducing our
reliance on landfills, and gaining the economic benefit of using materials
multiple times rather than simply disposing of the materials."
The project also includes adding recycling collection stations on the Ole
Miss campus, the development of a recycling education and outreach
campaign, recycling drop-off containers for partner communities, curbside
recycling bins for Oxford, and new equipment to transport
recycling containers to the Oxford materials recovery facility.
For more information on the city's recycling program, contact Liles at
amberlyn@oxfordms.net or
call 232-2745.
Gautier, Biloxi among Mississippi communities receiving $400,000
brownfields grants from EPA
Mississippi Press
May 28, 2014 at 10:13 AM
ATLANTA, Ga. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today
that it plans to award five communities in Mississippi with brownfields
grants for new investments to provide communities with funding necessary to
clean and redevelop contaminated properties, boost local economies and
create jobs while protecting human health.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/05/gautier_biloxi_among_mississip.html#incart_river
Dolphins are dying in fresh water and scientists are asking why
WLOX
HARRISON COUNTY, MS (WLOX) -Scientists say government red tape is keeping
them from trying to figure out why more dolphins are migrating to where
they don't belong and dying because of it. The Institute for Marine Mammal
Studies said this year there has been an increase in dolphins migrating
into rivers and bayous, places where these salt water animals can't
survive.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25635324/more-dolphins-dying-from-migrating-to-freshwater-scientists-dont-know-why
Snow cones promote recycling
The Panolian
Cadet Girl Scout Hannah Coyle deposits bottles in the plastic bin at the
Batesville recycling center on Van Voris Wednesday. Scouts from Troop 10580
will be at the center Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. offering free snow
cones to anyone who brings in their recyclables. The girls will assist in
sorting and depositing recyclables in the correct bins. Panola County's
solid waste department operates the center.
http://www.panolian.com/68864/1180/breaking-news-2
3 former DMR employees plead guilty, sentenced
Sun Herald
BY ANITA LEE
BILOXI -- Three former employees of the state Department of Marine
Resources pleaded guilty to felonies Wednesday, admitting they were falsely
reimbursed for travel expenses, but none will serve prison time.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/28/5607731/3-former-dmr-employees-plead-guilty.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1
3 former DMR employees plead guilty to state charges
WLOX
BILOXI, MS (WLOX) -Three former Mississippi Department of Marine Resources
employees pleaded guilty in state court to felony charges on Wednesday
stemming from their roles in receiving payment for false travel expenses.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25636264/3-former-dmr-employees-plead-guilty-to-state-charges
Regional
USDA grant to help farmers address water quality issues in 174 watersheds
May 28, 2014Forrest Laws | Delta Farm Press
Farmers' efforts to address the nutrient runoff problem got a boost from an
announcement that USDA will provide $33 million to help them make
conservation improvements to enhance water quality in 174 watersheds across
the nation.
http://deltafarmpress.com/government/usda-grant-help-farmers-address-water-quality-issues-174-watersheds
EPA leader talks climate change, water rules
By JENNIFER KAY, Associated Press
MIAMI (AP) — A shift in the political conversation on climate change will
come from engaging local communities seeking solutions to the problems
they're already experiencing, the Environmental Protection Agency's
regional administrator for the Southeast said Wednesday.
http://www.seattlepi.com/news/science/article/EPA-leader-talks-climate-change-water-rules-5510302.php
National
President Said to Be Planning to Use Executive Authority on Carbon Rule
NY Times
By CORAL DAVENPORTMAY 28, 2014
WASHINGTON — President Obama will use his executive
authority to cut carbon emissions from the nation's
coal-fired power plants by up to 20 percent, according to
people familiar with his plans, and will force industry to
pay for the pollution it creates through cap-and-trade
programs across the country.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/29/us/politics/obama-to-offer-rules-to-sharply-curb-power-plants-carbon-emissions.html?ref=earth&_r=0
Looming EPA power plant rules fuel industry concerns
Fox News
Lawmakers and Washington interest groups are engaged in a battle over
whether looming EPA rules will help or hurt as President Obama prepares to
announce a highly anticipated performance standard for power plants June 2.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/05/29/obama-preparing-to-announce-performance-standard-for-power-plants/?intcmp=latestnews
Chamber: Costs of EPA climate rule could top $50 billion a year
The Hill
The country's largest business lobby warned Wednesday that the Obama
administration's proposal to impose new limits on greenhouse gas emissions
from power plants could eclipse $50 billion in annual costs through 2030.
http://thehill.com/regulation/207384-chamber-epas-climate-rules-cost-could-top-50b-a-year
Obama confident on EPA
The Hill
The Obama administration is confident that sweeping new rules it is set to
announce on coal-fired power plants will survive court challenges from
opponents.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/207497-obama-confident-on-epa
EPA grows its climate change trends list
The Hill
The Environmental Protection Agency added four new trends to its growing
list of indicators this year that signal climate change is happening now.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/207489-epa-adds-lyme-disease-wildfires-to-climate-change-indicators
Report: Power plants reducing emissions
The Hill
The country's top 100 electricity producers have reduced emissions of major
pollutants in recent years, showing that they could likely handle the new
limits on carbon dioxide coming soon from the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), according to a new report.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/207421-report-power-plants-already-reducing-ghg-emissions
White House touts energy policies as rules loom
BY JIM KUHNHENN
Associated PressMay 29, 2014
WASHINGTON — Setting the stage for upcoming restrictions on coal-fired
power plants, the Obama administration is making a concerted effort to cast
its energy policy as an economic success that is creating jobs, securing
the nation against international upheavals and shifting energy use to
cleaner sources.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/29/5608843/white-house-touts-energy-policies.html?sp=/99/184/208/
Seafood industry under threat from climate change and ocean acidification,
report states
Benjamin Alexander-Bloch
The Times-Picayune
May 28, 2014 at 3:54 PM
The global seafood industry is under threat from climate change and ocean
acidification, and reducing CO2 emissions is required to safeguard the
industy's future, according to a report jointly published Wednesday by the
Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, the University of Cambridge's Institute
for Sustainability Leadership and Cambridge's Judge Business School.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/05/seafood_industry_under_threat.html#incart_river
Press Releases
EPA Awards Nearly $2 Million in Brownfields Grants to Cleanup and
Revitalize Communities in Mississippi
Contact Information: James Pinkney, (404) 562-9183 (Direct), (404) 562-8400
(Main) pinkney.james@epa.gov
(Atlanta - May 28, 2014) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
announced today that it plans to award two communities in Mississippi with
brownfields grants for new investments to provide communities with funding
necessary to clean and redevelop contaminated properties, boost local
economies and create jobs while protecting human health.
"Not only are these funds protecting the environment and public health by
helping communities clean up blighted toxic waste sites, there are new job
growth opportunities for local economies to leverage through these
investments," said Gina McCarthy, EPA Administrator. "With cities looking
at how to combat the impacts of climate change, it's more important than
ever for communities to innovate new ways to retrofit formerly polluted,
unused sites for renewable energy use."
The Mississippi brownfield grant recipients are:
· City of Biloxi, Biloxi, MS ($200,000 assessment grant for petroleum
and 200,000 assessment grant for hazardous substances)
· City of Corinth, Corinth, MS ($200,000 assessment grant for petroleum
and 200,000 assessment grant for hazardous substances)
· City of Gautier, Gautier, MS ($200,000 assessment grant for petroleum
and 200,000 assessment grant for hazardous substances)
· City of Laurel, Laurel, MS ($200,000 assessment grant for petroleum
and 200,000 assessment grant for hazardous substances)
· Monroe County ($350,000 assessment grant for hazardous substances)
EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other
stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and
sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield site is real property, the
expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the
presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or
contaminant. In 2002, the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields
Revitalization Act was passed to help states and communities around the
country clean up and revitalize brownfields sites. Under this law, EPA
provides financial assistance to eligible applicants through four
competitive grant programs: assessment grants, revolving loan fund grants,
cleanup grants, and job training grants. Additionally, funding support is
provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate
mechanism.
A total of approximately $23.5 million is going to communities that have
been impacted by plant closures. Other selected recipients include tribes
and communities in 44 states across the country; and at least 50 of the
grants are going to HUD-DOT-EPA grant recipient communities.
Since the inception of the EPA's Brownfields program in 1995, cumulative
brownfield program investments have leveraged more than $21 billion from a
variety of public and private sources for cleanup and redevelopment
activities. This equates to an average of $17.79 leveraged per EPA
brownfield dollar expended. These investments have resulted in
approximately 93,000 jobs nationwide. These projects demonstrate the
positive impact a small investment of federal brownfields funding can have
on community revitalization through leveraging jobs, producing clean
energy, and providing recreation opportunities for surrounding
neighborhoods. EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and
other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up,
and sustainably reuse brownfields sites.
More information on brownfields grants by state:
http://cfpub.epa.gov/bf_factsheets/
More information on EPA's brownfields:
Program http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/
Success Stories http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/success/index.htm
Benefits
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/overview/Brownfields-Benefits-postcard.pdf
EPA Report Shows Impact of Changing Climate on Americans' Health and
Environment
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released
the third edition of a report, Climate Change Indicators in the United
States. The report pulls together observed data on key measures of our
environment, including U.S. and global temperature and precipitation, ocean
heat and ocean acidity, sea level, length of growing season, and many
others. With 30 indicators that include over 80 maps and graphs showing
long-term trends, the report demonstrates that climate change is already
affecting our environment and our society.
"These indicators make it clear that climate change is a serious problem
and is happening now here in the U.S. and around the world," said Janet
McCabe, acting assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air and
Radiation. "Everything we do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare
for the changes that are already underway will help us safeguard our
children's future."
The third edition of the Indicators report, which was last published in
2012, adds additional years of data and four new indicators: Lyme disease,
heating and cooling degree days, wildfires, and water level and temperature
in the Great Lakes. In addition, the report adds four new features that
connect observed data records to local communities and areas of interest,
including cherry blossom bloom dates in Washington D.C., timing of ice
breakup in two Alaskan rivers, temperature and drought in the Southwest,
and land loss along the mid-Atlantic coast.
Consistent with the recently released National Climate Assessment, this
report presents clear evidence that the impacts of climate change are
already occurring across the United States. The report shows evidence that:
· Average temperatures have risen across the contiguous 48 states since
1901, with an increased rate of warming over the past 30 years. Seven
of the top 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 1998.
· Tropical storm activity in the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean, and the
Gulf of Mexico has increased during the past 20 years.
· Along the U.S. coastline, sea level has risen the most along the
Mid-Atlantic coast and parts of the Gulf Coast, where some stations
registered increases of more than 8 inches between 1960 and 2013.
· Glaciers have been melting at an accelerated rate over the past
decade. The resulting loss of ice has contributed to the observed
rise in sea level.
· Every part of the Southwest experienced higher average temperatures
between 2000 and 2013 than the long-term average dating back to 1895.
Some areas were nearly 2 degrees F warmer than average.
· Since 1983, the United States has had an average of 72,000 recorded
wildfires per year. Of the 10 years with the largest acreage burned,
nine have occurred since 2000, with many of the largest increases
occurring in western states.
· Water levels in most of the Great Lakes have declined in the last few
decades.
The report also looks at some of the ways that climate change may
affect human health and society using key indicators related to Lyme
disease incidence, heat-related deaths, and ragweed pollen season.
For example, unusually hot summer temperatures have become more
common which can lead to increased risk of heat-related deaths and
illness. Warmer temperatures and later fall frosts also allow ragweed
plants to produce pollen later into the year, potentially prolonging
allergy season for millions of people.
EPA compiles decades of observed data in cooperation with a range of
federal government agencies, nongovernmental organizations,
universities, and other institutions. The Indicators report focuses
on long-term trends for key measures of our environment for which
high-quality data exist. Each indicator and the report itself were
peer-reviewed by independent experts, and extensive technical
documentation accompanies the report.
Information about the Climate Change Indicators report:
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/indicators.html
Information about climate change: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange
EPA Funds University Research on Cleaner Fuel Burning to Improve Air
Quality
The World Health Organization estimates that cookstove smoke accounts for
over 4 million premature deaths annually
WASHINGTON –Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
announced new funding for six universities to research cleaner technologies
and fuels for cooking, lighting, and heating homes that will help improve
air quality and protect the health of Alaska Natives and people across the
developing world.
"Health and environmental impacts of air pollution and climate expand
beyond the borders of any one country," said EPA Administrator Gina
McCarthy. "This research funding seeks to provide new tools to reduce
health risks for the nearly three billion people around the world who are
exposed to household air pollution from crude stoves."
Researchers at universities in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois
and Minnesota will receive $9 million in grant funding. Researchers are
evaluating the climate benefits of cleaner cooking methods. Traditional
cookstoves are a major source of black carbon, an air pollutant that not
only has serious human health impacts, but also affects climate, including
increased temperatures, accelerated ice and snow melt and changes in the
pattern and intensity of precipitation.
This Science to Achieve Results (STAR) funded research will focus on
measuring and communicating the benefits of adopting cleaner cooking,
heating, and lighting practices.
Grants were awarded to the following universities:
· $1,495,454 to University of California, Berkeley, Calif. - will
explore the relationship between household and village-scale
pollution to understand the effectiveness of cookstove interventions.
· $1,500,000 to University of Colorado Boulder, Colo. will use small,
inexpensive sensors to better monitor human exposure to residential
burning pollution. They will also collect data through health
assessments and outdoor air quality measurements in Ghana.
· $1,500,000 to Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo. – will
use cookstove interventions in China, India, Kenya, and Honduras to
explore the emissions, chemistry, and movement of indoor cookstove
smoke, as well as conduct health assessments and model exposures to
improve understanding of climatic impacts of stove interventions.
· $1,499,998 to University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Ill. – will
investigate how local resources affect community acceptance of
heating stove interventions, and how measurements will help
understand air quality and climatic benefits of cookstove
interventions in Alaska, Nepal, Mongolia, and China.
· $1,489,388 to University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn. - will
measure changes in air quality and health outcomes from cleaner
cooking and heating technologies and will conduct modeling to assess
regional weather, air quality impacts, human exposure and health
impacts of a rural cookstove intervention in China.
· $1,499,985 to Yale University, New Haven, Conn. – will use
socioeconomic analyses, emissions and pollution measurements, and
global climate modeling to investigate the impacts of cookstove
interventions in India.
The announcement was made by Administrator Gina McCarthy at the Global
Alliance for Clean Cookstoves reception, an initiative led by the United
Nations Foundation. As a founding member of the Alliance, EPA plays an
important role in the organization's activities.
EPA is a leader in cleaner cookstove research, helping to support the
development of international cookstove standards, conducting research on
emissions and performance of cleaner cookstoves and improving our knowledge
of the health effects from exposure to cookstove emissions.
The Alliance is a public-private partnership that seeks to save lives,
improve livelihoods, empower women, and protect the environment by creating
a thriving global market for clean and efficient household cooking
solutions. Its goal: 100 million homes adopting clean cooking solutions by
2020.
More Information on EPA's grants:
http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/display.rfa/rfa_id/563
More information on the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves:
http://www.cleancookstoves.org/
Oil Spill
Study estimates BP spill killed more birds than earlier thought
Audubon chief: Avian deaths a 'massive blow' to Coast ecosystem
Sun Herald
BY CHRISTINA STEUBE
Between 600,000 and 800,000 birds have died along the Gulf Coast as a
result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, according to a study to
be released this summer by the Marine Ecology Progress Series.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/28/5608290/study-estimates-bp-spill-killed.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1
Sarasota Researcher Studies Health Of Dolphins Following Deepwater Horizon
Oil Spill
WGCU
A researcher in Sarasota is helping federal officials figure out whether
dolphins were affected by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
http://news.wgcu.org/post/sarasota-researcher-studies-health-dolphins-following-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill
Appeals court says BP must resume paying claims while waiting for U.S.
Supreme Court review
The Associated Press
May 28, 2014 at 2:17 PM
NEW ORLEANS -- BP PLC must resume paying claims while it asks the U.S.
Supreme Court to review its settlement with businesses over the 2010 Gulf
of Mexico oil spill, a federal appeals court panel said Wednesday.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/05/appeals_court_says_bp_must_res.html#incart_river
State
MDEQ chief Trudy Fisher announces she'll resign
BY JEFF AMY
Associated Press
May 28, 2014
JACKSON -- Trudy Fisher, Mississippi's top environmental regulator, will
resign her post at the state Department of Environmental Quality at the end
of the summer.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/28/5608297/mdeq-chief-trudy-fisher-announces.html?sp=/99/184/
Trudy Fisher to step down as head of MDEQ
WLOX
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI (WLOX) -After serving as Executive Director for the
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality for nearly eight years,
Trudy Fisher is stepping down from her position later this summer. Fisher
made the announcement to MDEQ employees through an email on Wednesday.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25633505/trudy-fisher-to-step-down-as-head-of-mdeq
Head of Miss. environmental agency to resign
Clarion Ledger
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality chief Trudy Fisher
announced in an email to employees Wednesday she will resign her
position later this summer after eight years on the job.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2014/05/28/mdeq-head-to-resign/9679139/
Oxford to help others recycle
Grant allows city to share successful program
Oxford Eagle
BY ALYSSA SCHNUGG
The city of Oxford's award-winning recycling program has been used as a
role model around the state in recent years, and now, thanks to a grant
from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Oxford can help
surrounding communities increase their own recycling programs.
The inaugural Regional Recycling Cooperative Grant was awarded to four
communities around the state, including Oxford, which will receive
$227,160. The funds will be used to develop or enhance recycling systems
in their region to help achieve the state's waste reduction and recycling
goal by 25 percent.
"We are very excited," Oxford Solid Waste Superintendent Amberlyn Liles
said. "This is the largest grant we've ever received in the 12 years I've
been with the city."
Liles said the grant will go toward education and equipment to help its
regional partners — Panola County, University of Mississippi, Calhoun City
and Yalobusha County — expand their recycling programs.
"We want Oxford to be a support system to them and have our program bleed
into their communities," she said.
"Some of them may not be able open their own recycling facility due to
cost, but this could help them collect recyclables from their residents and
bring them to ours," Liles said.
The grant will also help purchase special bins to be used at large
festivals around the region.
"We are excited to launch this new grant program and to work with these
cities and their partners to expand recycling services and recycling access
in the state," Trudy Fisher, MDEQ executive
director, said. "Increasing the access to recycling to more Mississippians
means that more materials can be diverted from landfills and put back into
manufacturing uses where the materials can be used over and over again.
"The continued use of recycled materials in manufacturing has multiple
benefits such as conserving raw material resources, reducing our reliance
on imports from
other countries, conserving energy, reducing pollution, reducing our
reliance on landfills, and gaining the economic benefit of using materials
multiple times rather than simply disposing of the materials."
The project also includes adding recycling collection stations on the Ole
Miss campus, the development of a recycling education and outreach
campaign, recycling drop-off containers for partner communities, curbside
recycling bins for Oxford, and new equipment to transport
recycling containers to the Oxford materials recovery facility.
For more information on the city's recycling program, contact Liles at
amberlyn@oxfordms.net or
call 232-2745.
Gautier, Biloxi among Mississippi communities receiving $400,000
brownfields grants from EPA
Mississippi Press
May 28, 2014 at 10:13 AM
ATLANTA, Ga. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today
that it plans to award five communities in Mississippi with brownfields
grants for new investments to provide communities with funding necessary to
clean and redevelop contaminated properties, boost local economies and
create jobs while protecting human health.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/05/gautier_biloxi_among_mississip.html#incart_river
Dolphins are dying in fresh water and scientists are asking why
WLOX
HARRISON COUNTY, MS (WLOX) -Scientists say government red tape is keeping
them from trying to figure out why more dolphins are migrating to where
they don't belong and dying because of it. The Institute for Marine Mammal
Studies said this year there has been an increase in dolphins migrating
into rivers and bayous, places where these salt water animals can't
survive.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25635324/more-dolphins-dying-from-migrating-to-freshwater-scientists-dont-know-why
Snow cones promote recycling
The Panolian
Cadet Girl Scout Hannah Coyle deposits bottles in the plastic bin at the
Batesville recycling center on Van Voris Wednesday. Scouts from Troop 10580
will be at the center Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. offering free snow
cones to anyone who brings in their recyclables. The girls will assist in
sorting and depositing recyclables in the correct bins. Panola County's
solid waste department operates the center.
http://www.panolian.com/68864/1180/breaking-news-2
3 former DMR employees plead guilty, sentenced
Sun Herald
BY ANITA LEE
BILOXI -- Three former employees of the state Department of Marine
Resources pleaded guilty to felonies Wednesday, admitting they were falsely
reimbursed for travel expenses, but none will serve prison time.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/28/5607731/3-former-dmr-employees-plead-guilty.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1
3 former DMR employees plead guilty to state charges
WLOX
BILOXI, MS (WLOX) -Three former Mississippi Department of Marine Resources
employees pleaded guilty in state court to felony charges on Wednesday
stemming from their roles in receiving payment for false travel expenses.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25636264/3-former-dmr-employees-plead-guilty-to-state-charges
Regional
USDA grant to help farmers address water quality issues in 174 watersheds
May 28, 2014Forrest Laws | Delta Farm Press
Farmers' efforts to address the nutrient runoff problem got a boost from an
announcement that USDA will provide $33 million to help them make
conservation improvements to enhance water quality in 174 watersheds across
the nation.
http://deltafarmpress.com/government/usda-grant-help-farmers-address-water-quality-issues-174-watersheds
EPA leader talks climate change, water rules
By JENNIFER KAY, Associated Press
MIAMI (AP) — A shift in the political conversation on climate change will
come from engaging local communities seeking solutions to the problems
they're already experiencing, the Environmental Protection Agency's
regional administrator for the Southeast said Wednesday.
http://www.seattlepi.com/news/science/article/EPA-leader-talks-climate-change-water-rules-5510302.php
National
President Said to Be Planning to Use Executive Authority on Carbon Rule
NY Times
By CORAL DAVENPORTMAY 28, 2014
WASHINGTON — President Obama will use his executive
authority to cut carbon emissions from the nation's
coal-fired power plants by up to 20 percent, according to
people familiar with his plans, and will force industry to
pay for the pollution it creates through cap-and-trade
programs across the country.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/29/us/politics/obama-to-offer-rules-to-sharply-curb-power-plants-carbon-emissions.html?ref=earth&_r=0
Looming EPA power plant rules fuel industry concerns
Fox News
Lawmakers and Washington interest groups are engaged in a battle over
whether looming EPA rules will help or hurt as President Obama prepares to
announce a highly anticipated performance standard for power plants June 2.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/05/29/obama-preparing-to-announce-performance-standard-for-power-plants/?intcmp=latestnews
Chamber: Costs of EPA climate rule could top $50 billion a year
The Hill
The country's largest business lobby warned Wednesday that the Obama
administration's proposal to impose new limits on greenhouse gas emissions
from power plants could eclipse $50 billion in annual costs through 2030.
http://thehill.com/regulation/207384-chamber-epas-climate-rules-cost-could-top-50b-a-year
Obama confident on EPA
The Hill
The Obama administration is confident that sweeping new rules it is set to
announce on coal-fired power plants will survive court challenges from
opponents.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/207497-obama-confident-on-epa
EPA grows its climate change trends list
The Hill
The Environmental Protection Agency added four new trends to its growing
list of indicators this year that signal climate change is happening now.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/207489-epa-adds-lyme-disease-wildfires-to-climate-change-indicators
Report: Power plants reducing emissions
The Hill
The country's top 100 electricity producers have reduced emissions of major
pollutants in recent years, showing that they could likely handle the new
limits on carbon dioxide coming soon from the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), according to a new report.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/207421-report-power-plants-already-reducing-ghg-emissions
White House touts energy policies as rules loom
BY JIM KUHNHENN
Associated PressMay 29, 2014
WASHINGTON — Setting the stage for upcoming restrictions on coal-fired
power plants, the Obama administration is making a concerted effort to cast
its energy policy as an economic success that is creating jobs, securing
the nation against international upheavals and shifting energy use to
cleaner sources.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/29/5608843/white-house-touts-energy-policies.html?sp=/99/184/208/
Seafood industry under threat from climate change and ocean acidification,
report states
Benjamin Alexander-Bloch
The Times-Picayune
May 28, 2014 at 3:54 PM
The global seafood industry is under threat from climate change and ocean
acidification, and reducing CO2 emissions is required to safeguard the
industy's future, according to a report jointly published Wednesday by the
Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, the University of Cambridge's Institute
for Sustainability Leadership and Cambridge's Judge Business School.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/05/seafood_industry_under_threat.html#incart_river
Press Releases
EPA Awards Nearly $2 Million in Brownfields Grants to Cleanup and
Revitalize Communities in Mississippi
Contact Information: James Pinkney, (404) 562-9183 (Direct), (404) 562-8400
(Main) pinkney.james@epa.gov
(Atlanta - May 28, 2014) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
announced today that it plans to award two communities in Mississippi with
brownfields grants for new investments to provide communities with funding
necessary to clean and redevelop contaminated properties, boost local
economies and create jobs while protecting human health.
"Not only are these funds protecting the environment and public health by
helping communities clean up blighted toxic waste sites, there are new job
growth opportunities for local economies to leverage through these
investments," said Gina McCarthy, EPA Administrator. "With cities looking
at how to combat the impacts of climate change, it's more important than
ever for communities to innovate new ways to retrofit formerly polluted,
unused sites for renewable energy use."
The Mississippi brownfield grant recipients are:
· City of Biloxi, Biloxi, MS ($200,000 assessment grant for petroleum
and 200,000 assessment grant for hazardous substances)
· City of Corinth, Corinth, MS ($200,000 assessment grant for petroleum
and 200,000 assessment grant for hazardous substances)
· City of Gautier, Gautier, MS ($200,000 assessment grant for petroleum
and 200,000 assessment grant for hazardous substances)
· City of Laurel, Laurel, MS ($200,000 assessment grant for petroleum
and 200,000 assessment grant for hazardous substances)
· Monroe County ($350,000 assessment grant for hazardous substances)
EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other
stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and
sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield site is real property, the
expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the
presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or
contaminant. In 2002, the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields
Revitalization Act was passed to help states and communities around the
country clean up and revitalize brownfields sites. Under this law, EPA
provides financial assistance to eligible applicants through four
competitive grant programs: assessment grants, revolving loan fund grants,
cleanup grants, and job training grants. Additionally, funding support is
provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate
mechanism.
A total of approximately $23.5 million is going to communities that have
been impacted by plant closures. Other selected recipients include tribes
and communities in 44 states across the country; and at least 50 of the
grants are going to HUD-DOT-EPA grant recipient communities.
Since the inception of the EPA's Brownfields program in 1995, cumulative
brownfield program investments have leveraged more than $21 billion from a
variety of public and private sources for cleanup and redevelopment
activities. This equates to an average of $17.79 leveraged per EPA
brownfield dollar expended. These investments have resulted in
approximately 93,000 jobs nationwide. These projects demonstrate the
positive impact a small investment of federal brownfields funding can have
on community revitalization through leveraging jobs, producing clean
energy, and providing recreation opportunities for surrounding
neighborhoods. EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and
other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up,
and sustainably reuse brownfields sites.
More information on brownfields grants by state:
http://cfpub.epa.gov/bf_factsheets/
More information on EPA's brownfields:
Program http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/
Success Stories http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/success/index.htm
Benefits
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/overview/Brownfields-Benefits-postcard.pdf
EPA Report Shows Impact of Changing Climate on Americans' Health and
Environment
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released
the third edition of a report, Climate Change Indicators in the United
States. The report pulls together observed data on key measures of our
environment, including U.S. and global temperature and precipitation, ocean
heat and ocean acidity, sea level, length of growing season, and many
others. With 30 indicators that include over 80 maps and graphs showing
long-term trends, the report demonstrates that climate change is already
affecting our environment and our society.
"These indicators make it clear that climate change is a serious problem
and is happening now here in the U.S. and around the world," said Janet
McCabe, acting assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air and
Radiation. "Everything we do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare
for the changes that are already underway will help us safeguard our
children's future."
The third edition of the Indicators report, which was last published in
2012, adds additional years of data and four new indicators: Lyme disease,
heating and cooling degree days, wildfires, and water level and temperature
in the Great Lakes. In addition, the report adds four new features that
connect observed data records to local communities and areas of interest,
including cherry blossom bloom dates in Washington D.C., timing of ice
breakup in two Alaskan rivers, temperature and drought in the Southwest,
and land loss along the mid-Atlantic coast.
Consistent with the recently released National Climate Assessment, this
report presents clear evidence that the impacts of climate change are
already occurring across the United States. The report shows evidence that:
· Average temperatures have risen across the contiguous 48 states since
1901, with an increased rate of warming over the past 30 years. Seven
of the top 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 1998.
· Tropical storm activity in the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean, and the
Gulf of Mexico has increased during the past 20 years.
· Along the U.S. coastline, sea level has risen the most along the
Mid-Atlantic coast and parts of the Gulf Coast, where some stations
registered increases of more than 8 inches between 1960 and 2013.
· Glaciers have been melting at an accelerated rate over the past
decade. The resulting loss of ice has contributed to the observed
rise in sea level.
· Every part of the Southwest experienced higher average temperatures
between 2000 and 2013 than the long-term average dating back to 1895.
Some areas were nearly 2 degrees F warmer than average.
· Since 1983, the United States has had an average of 72,000 recorded
wildfires per year. Of the 10 years with the largest acreage burned,
nine have occurred since 2000, with many of the largest increases
occurring in western states.
· Water levels in most of the Great Lakes have declined in the last few
decades.
The report also looks at some of the ways that climate change may
affect human health and society using key indicators related to Lyme
disease incidence, heat-related deaths, and ragweed pollen season.
For example, unusually hot summer temperatures have become more
common which can lead to increased risk of heat-related deaths and
illness. Warmer temperatures and later fall frosts also allow ragweed
plants to produce pollen later into the year, potentially prolonging
allergy season for millions of people.
EPA compiles decades of observed data in cooperation with a range of
federal government agencies, nongovernmental organizations,
universities, and other institutions. The Indicators report focuses
on long-term trends for key measures of our environment for which
high-quality data exist. Each indicator and the report itself were
peer-reviewed by independent experts, and extensive technical
documentation accompanies the report.
Information about the Climate Change Indicators report:
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/indicators.html
Information about climate change: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange
EPA Funds University Research on Cleaner Fuel Burning to Improve Air
Quality
The World Health Organization estimates that cookstove smoke accounts for
over 4 million premature deaths annually
WASHINGTON –Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
announced new funding for six universities to research cleaner technologies
and fuels for cooking, lighting, and heating homes that will help improve
air quality and protect the health of Alaska Natives and people across the
developing world.
"Health and environmental impacts of air pollution and climate expand
beyond the borders of any one country," said EPA Administrator Gina
McCarthy. "This research funding seeks to provide new tools to reduce
health risks for the nearly three billion people around the world who are
exposed to household air pollution from crude stoves."
Researchers at universities in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois
and Minnesota will receive $9 million in grant funding. Researchers are
evaluating the climate benefits of cleaner cooking methods. Traditional
cookstoves are a major source of black carbon, an air pollutant that not
only has serious human health impacts, but also affects climate, including
increased temperatures, accelerated ice and snow melt and changes in the
pattern and intensity of precipitation.
This Science to Achieve Results (STAR) funded research will focus on
measuring and communicating the benefits of adopting cleaner cooking,
heating, and lighting practices.
Grants were awarded to the following universities:
· $1,495,454 to University of California, Berkeley, Calif. - will
explore the relationship between household and village-scale
pollution to understand the effectiveness of cookstove interventions.
· $1,500,000 to University of Colorado Boulder, Colo. will use small,
inexpensive sensors to better monitor human exposure to residential
burning pollution. They will also collect data through health
assessments and outdoor air quality measurements in Ghana.
· $1,500,000 to Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo. – will
use cookstove interventions in China, India, Kenya, and Honduras to
explore the emissions, chemistry, and movement of indoor cookstove
smoke, as well as conduct health assessments and model exposures to
improve understanding of climatic impacts of stove interventions.
· $1,499,998 to University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Ill. – will
investigate how local resources affect community acceptance of
heating stove interventions, and how measurements will help
understand air quality and climatic benefits of cookstove
interventions in Alaska, Nepal, Mongolia, and China.
· $1,489,388 to University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn. - will
measure changes in air quality and health outcomes from cleaner
cooking and heating technologies and will conduct modeling to assess
regional weather, air quality impacts, human exposure and health
impacts of a rural cookstove intervention in China.
· $1,499,985 to Yale University, New Haven, Conn. – will use
socioeconomic analyses, emissions and pollution measurements, and
global climate modeling to investigate the impacts of cookstove
interventions in India.
The announcement was made by Administrator Gina McCarthy at the Global
Alliance for Clean Cookstoves reception, an initiative led by the United
Nations Foundation. As a founding member of the Alliance, EPA plays an
important role in the organization's activities.
EPA is a leader in cleaner cookstove research, helping to support the
development of international cookstove standards, conducting research on
emissions and performance of cleaner cookstoves and improving our knowledge
of the health effects from exposure to cookstove emissions.
The Alliance is a public-private partnership that seeks to save lives,
improve livelihoods, empower women, and protect the environment by creating
a thriving global market for clean and efficient household cooking
solutions. Its goal: 100 million homes adopting clean cooking solutions by
2020.
More Information on EPA's grants:
http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/display.rfa/rfa_id/563
More information on the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves:
http://www.cleancookstoves.org/
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
News Clippings 5/28/14
5.28.14
State
Group concerned with air pollution encourages residents to attend town hall
meeting
Air-quality issues created by industry will be on agenda
BY KAREN NELSON AND TAMMY LEYTHAM
Sun Herald
May 27, 2014
PASCAGOULA -- The newly formed group Concerned Citizens of Cherokee is
urging residents who live in or around Ward 3 in southeast Pascagoula to
attend a town hall meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday at Ingalls Avenue Baptist
Church.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/27/5605022/group-concerned-with-air-pollution.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1
Abuses to end Lamar County public recycling program
Hattiesburg American
Lamar County's public recycling efforts will be phased out over the
next few weeks because of misuse and abuse of the
less-than-two-year-old program.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story/news/local/lamar-county/0001/01/01/lamar-county-recycling/9643963/
Memorial Day visitors leave beach trashed in Waveland
WLOX
HANCOCK COUNTY, MS (WLOX) -Crews in Hancock County spent the day cleaning
up the mess left behind by locals and tourists who celebrated their
Memorial Day holiday on the beaches. So far, they've picked up enough
garbage to fill three large dumpsters. County leaders say it's time and
man-power that could have gone elsewhere.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25624782/memorial-day-visitors-leave-beach-trashed-in-waveland
Senators write letter to EPA administrator over regulations
by MBJ Staff
Published: May 27,2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Growing concern among farmers, ranchers, rural
communities and agriculture interests has led U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran
(R-Miss.) and Republican members of the Senate Agriculture Committee to
seek answers on a wide assortment of environmental regulations planned by
the Obama administration.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2014/05/27/senators-write-letter-epa-administrator-regulations/
Judge holds Pickering in contempt in DMR records case
Sun Herald
BY PAUL HAMPTON
GULFPORT -- A chancery court judge found Auditor Stacey Pickering and his
office in contempt of court for improperly withholding public records from
the Sun Herald and abusing the grand jury system in the process.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/27/5604566/judge-holds-pickering-in-contempt.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1
National
Obama will let states decide how to cut greenhouse gas emissions
BY SEAN COCKERHAM
McClatchy Washington Bureau
May 27, 2014
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is about to unveil the centerpiece of
his agenda to fight climate change, a much anticipated rule to slash the
emissions of planet-warming gases from power plants.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/27/5604171/obama-will-let-states-decide-how.html?sp=/99/102/
Report: EPA power plant rules may aid health
USA Today
As the Obama administration readies its proposal for limiting carbon
dioxide emissions from existing power plants, new research says
strong rules could offer health benefits by reducing air pollutants.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/05/27/epa-power-plant-rules-could-protect-health/9631491/
Supreme Court won't review EPA haze cases
The Hill
The Supreme Court Tuesday rejected an appeal of the Environmental
Protection Agency's (EPA) haze reduction programs for Oklahoma and North
Dakota, leaving intact lower court rulings that found in the EPA's favor.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/207284-supreme-court-wont-review-epa-haze-case
Court Sides With EPA on Not Setting New Standard
WASHINGTON May 27, 2014 (AP)
By PETE YOST Associated Press
A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the Environmental Protection
Agency was justified in not establishing a new air quality standard for
acid rain.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/court-sides-epa-setting-standard-23881996
Oil lobby warns ozone rule will hurt businesses
The Hill
Prominent oil lobby American Petroleum Institute warned Tuesday that if the
administration tightens federal standards for smog, roughly 94 percent of
the U.S. would be "closed for business."
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/207293-oil-lobby-warns-ozone-rule-will-hurt-businesses
USDA Seeks Partnerships to Protect Soil, Water
By JOHN FLESHER AP Environmental Writer
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is teaming with businesses, nonprofits
and others on a five-year, $2.4 billion program that will fund locally
designed soil and water conservation projects nationwide, Secretary Tom
Vilsack said Tuesday.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/usda-seeks-partnerships-protect-soil-water-23879819
Angry mothers meet U.S. EPA over concerns with Roundup herbicide
Reuters
Tue, May 27 2014
By Carey Gillam
May 27 (Reuters) - Questions about Roundup, the world's most popular
herbicide, are on the agenda at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Tuesday when regulators meet with a group of mothers, scientists,
environmentalists and others who say they are worried about Roundup
residues found in breast milk.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/27/monsanto-roundup-epa-idUSL1N0OD0KQ20140527
Opinion
SUN HERALD | Editorial: DEQ should share warnings about air quality
May 27, 2014
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality regularly and routinely
issues advisories about water quality, especially along the shoreline of
the Coast. The DEQ should be just as forthcoming about problems with air
quality on the Coast.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/27/5604765/sun-herald-editorial-deq-should.html?sp=/99/728/
Press Releases
COCHRAN: FOREST RESTORATION FUNDS BUILT INTO FY2015 AG BILL
Senate Appropriations Committee Moves to Aid Tornado Relief Efforts in
Mississippi
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), a senior member of
the Senate Appropriations Committee, today reported that the Senate has
moved to replenish Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) emergency accounts that will be used to assist
Mississippians in recovering from recent tornado damage.
Cochran said the FY2015 Agriculture Appropriations Bill, which gained
Senate committee approval late last week, allots emergency funding to clear
out application backlogs and provide initial relief from the tornado
disasters. The bill provides $15 million to the FSA for the Emergency
Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) as major disaster funding to help land
owners restore forests and forest resources damaged by natural disasters.
"Early damage assessments show significant tornado damage and losses to
forested areas. The funding allocations in the bill are intended to ensure
that the FSA and NRCS have the resources to help Mississippi and other
areas where disastrous weather causes economic and ecological losses," said
Cochran, who helped craft the bill as a member of the Senate Agriculture
Appropriations Subcommittee.
Mississippi currently has one backlogged project requiring an estimated
$100,000 in EFRP funding. Overall, the FSA has an $8.75 million national
backlog for EFRP. The remaining $6.25 million in funding allotted in the
Senate bill would go toward landowner applications upon the assessment of
recent tornado damage.
In addition to the EFRP funding, the bill also provides $110 million for
the NRCS Emergency Watershed Protection Program and $11.7 million for the
FSA Emergency Conservation Program to help producers rehabilitate farmland
damaged by natural disasters such as tornadoes and hurricanes.
Cochran indicated that there is hope that the Senate will debate FY2015
appropriations bills in June and July.
###
EPA Adds Clothes Dryers to Energy Star Program, Increasing Energy
Efficiency of New Appliances
WASHINGTON –The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today
the first-ever Energy Star label for clothes dryers. If all residential
clothes dryers sold in the U.S. meet these new requirements, the utility
cost savings will grow to more than $1.5 billion each year and more than 22
billion pounds of annual greenhouse gas emissions would be prevented.
Informed by extensive input from manufacturers, retailers, the U.S.
Department of Energy and environmental groups, the new specifications will
recognize a selection of highly efficient electric, gas, and compact dryers
that will use approximately 20% less energy than what is required by the
minimum efficiency standards effective in 2015. In 2013 alone, Americans,
with the help of Energy Star, saved $30 billion on their utility bills and
prevented greenhouse gas emissions equal to those of 38 million homes.
"The addition of clothes dryers expands the range of Energy Star products
to include one of the most energy-intensive home appliance not yet covered
by the program," said U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. "Working with
industry on innovative approaches to address our changing climate, we are
helping consumers select more energy efficient appliances, save money and
reduce greenhouse gas emissions."
Over 80% of U.S. homes have a clothes dryer, and these appliances account
for approximately six percent of residential electricity consumption. Dryer
models that meet the new Energy Star requirements are likely to have
improved auto termination sensors, which help reduce energy use by more
effectively ending the drying cycle once clothes are dry. Among the more
efficient gas and electric dryers that will earn the Energy Star, consumers
should expect to encounter a promising new technology. Heat pump dryers
recapture the hot air used by the dryer and pump it back into the drum to
dry more clothes. By re-using most of the heat, it creates a heat pump
dryer that is more efficient and avoids the need for ducts leading heat out
of the laundry room.
This new Energy Star specification also establishes optional "connected"
criteria for residential clothes dryers. Energy Star dryers with connected
functionality will offer consumers convenience and energy-savings features,
such as an alert indicating there is a performance issue or feedback to
consumers on the energy-efficiency of different cycle selections. These
products will also be "smart grid" ready, meaning they will give consumers
the option to connect their dryer with their local utility to save money on
their energy bills, where those services are offered, and also facilitate
broader electric power system efficiency.
To earn the Energy Star label, products must be certified by an
EPA-recognized third party, based on testing in an EPA-recognized
laboratory. In addition, manufacturers of the products must participate in
verification testing programs operated by recognized certification bodies.
Products, homes and buildings that earn the Energy Star label prevent
greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy efficiency requirements
set by the U.S. EPA. From the first Energy Star qualified computer in 1992,
the label can now be found on products in more than 70 different
categories, with more than 4.5 billion sold over the past 20 years. Over
1.5 million new homes and 23,000 office buildings, schools and hospitals
have earned the Energy Star label.
Learn more: http://www.energystar.gov/products/specs/node/117
State
Group concerned with air pollution encourages residents to attend town hall
meeting
Air-quality issues created by industry will be on agenda
BY KAREN NELSON AND TAMMY LEYTHAM
Sun Herald
May 27, 2014
PASCAGOULA -- The newly formed group Concerned Citizens of Cherokee is
urging residents who live in or around Ward 3 in southeast Pascagoula to
attend a town hall meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday at Ingalls Avenue Baptist
Church.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/27/5605022/group-concerned-with-air-pollution.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1
Abuses to end Lamar County public recycling program
Hattiesburg American
Lamar County's public recycling efforts will be phased out over the
next few weeks because of misuse and abuse of the
less-than-two-year-old program.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story/news/local/lamar-county/0001/01/01/lamar-county-recycling/9643963/
Memorial Day visitors leave beach trashed in Waveland
WLOX
HANCOCK COUNTY, MS (WLOX) -Crews in Hancock County spent the day cleaning
up the mess left behind by locals and tourists who celebrated their
Memorial Day holiday on the beaches. So far, they've picked up enough
garbage to fill three large dumpsters. County leaders say it's time and
man-power that could have gone elsewhere.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25624782/memorial-day-visitors-leave-beach-trashed-in-waveland
Senators write letter to EPA administrator over regulations
by MBJ Staff
Published: May 27,2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Growing concern among farmers, ranchers, rural
communities and agriculture interests has led U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran
(R-Miss.) and Republican members of the Senate Agriculture Committee to
seek answers on a wide assortment of environmental regulations planned by
the Obama administration.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2014/05/27/senators-write-letter-epa-administrator-regulations/
Judge holds Pickering in contempt in DMR records case
Sun Herald
BY PAUL HAMPTON
GULFPORT -- A chancery court judge found Auditor Stacey Pickering and his
office in contempt of court for improperly withholding public records from
the Sun Herald and abusing the grand jury system in the process.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/27/5604566/judge-holds-pickering-in-contempt.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1
National
Obama will let states decide how to cut greenhouse gas emissions
BY SEAN COCKERHAM
McClatchy Washington Bureau
May 27, 2014
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is about to unveil the centerpiece of
his agenda to fight climate change, a much anticipated rule to slash the
emissions of planet-warming gases from power plants.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/27/5604171/obama-will-let-states-decide-how.html?sp=/99/102/
Report: EPA power plant rules may aid health
USA Today
As the Obama administration readies its proposal for limiting carbon
dioxide emissions from existing power plants, new research says
strong rules could offer health benefits by reducing air pollutants.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/05/27/epa-power-plant-rules-could-protect-health/9631491/
Supreme Court won't review EPA haze cases
The Hill
The Supreme Court Tuesday rejected an appeal of the Environmental
Protection Agency's (EPA) haze reduction programs for Oklahoma and North
Dakota, leaving intact lower court rulings that found in the EPA's favor.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/207284-supreme-court-wont-review-epa-haze-case
Court Sides With EPA on Not Setting New Standard
WASHINGTON May 27, 2014 (AP)
By PETE YOST Associated Press
A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the Environmental Protection
Agency was justified in not establishing a new air quality standard for
acid rain.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/court-sides-epa-setting-standard-23881996
Oil lobby warns ozone rule will hurt businesses
The Hill
Prominent oil lobby American Petroleum Institute warned Tuesday that if the
administration tightens federal standards for smog, roughly 94 percent of
the U.S. would be "closed for business."
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/207293-oil-lobby-warns-ozone-rule-will-hurt-businesses
USDA Seeks Partnerships to Protect Soil, Water
By JOHN FLESHER AP Environmental Writer
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is teaming with businesses, nonprofits
and others on a five-year, $2.4 billion program that will fund locally
designed soil and water conservation projects nationwide, Secretary Tom
Vilsack said Tuesday.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/usda-seeks-partnerships-protect-soil-water-23879819
Angry mothers meet U.S. EPA over concerns with Roundup herbicide
Reuters
Tue, May 27 2014
By Carey Gillam
May 27 (Reuters) - Questions about Roundup, the world's most popular
herbicide, are on the agenda at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Tuesday when regulators meet with a group of mothers, scientists,
environmentalists and others who say they are worried about Roundup
residues found in breast milk.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/27/monsanto-roundup-epa-idUSL1N0OD0KQ20140527
Opinion
SUN HERALD | Editorial: DEQ should share warnings about air quality
May 27, 2014
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality regularly and routinely
issues advisories about water quality, especially along the shoreline of
the Coast. The DEQ should be just as forthcoming about problems with air
quality on the Coast.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/27/5604765/sun-herald-editorial-deq-should.html?sp=/99/728/
Press Releases
COCHRAN: FOREST RESTORATION FUNDS BUILT INTO FY2015 AG BILL
Senate Appropriations Committee Moves to Aid Tornado Relief Efforts in
Mississippi
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), a senior member of
the Senate Appropriations Committee, today reported that the Senate has
moved to replenish Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) emergency accounts that will be used to assist
Mississippians in recovering from recent tornado damage.
Cochran said the FY2015 Agriculture Appropriations Bill, which gained
Senate committee approval late last week, allots emergency funding to clear
out application backlogs and provide initial relief from the tornado
disasters. The bill provides $15 million to the FSA for the Emergency
Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) as major disaster funding to help land
owners restore forests and forest resources damaged by natural disasters.
"Early damage assessments show significant tornado damage and losses to
forested areas. The funding allocations in the bill are intended to ensure
that the FSA and NRCS have the resources to help Mississippi and other
areas where disastrous weather causes economic and ecological losses," said
Cochran, who helped craft the bill as a member of the Senate Agriculture
Appropriations Subcommittee.
Mississippi currently has one backlogged project requiring an estimated
$100,000 in EFRP funding. Overall, the FSA has an $8.75 million national
backlog for EFRP. The remaining $6.25 million in funding allotted in the
Senate bill would go toward landowner applications upon the assessment of
recent tornado damage.
In addition to the EFRP funding, the bill also provides $110 million for
the NRCS Emergency Watershed Protection Program and $11.7 million for the
FSA Emergency Conservation Program to help producers rehabilitate farmland
damaged by natural disasters such as tornadoes and hurricanes.
Cochran indicated that there is hope that the Senate will debate FY2015
appropriations bills in June and July.
###
EPA Adds Clothes Dryers to Energy Star Program, Increasing Energy
Efficiency of New Appliances
WASHINGTON –The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today
the first-ever Energy Star label for clothes dryers. If all residential
clothes dryers sold in the U.S. meet these new requirements, the utility
cost savings will grow to more than $1.5 billion each year and more than 22
billion pounds of annual greenhouse gas emissions would be prevented.
Informed by extensive input from manufacturers, retailers, the U.S.
Department of Energy and environmental groups, the new specifications will
recognize a selection of highly efficient electric, gas, and compact dryers
that will use approximately 20% less energy than what is required by the
minimum efficiency standards effective in 2015. In 2013 alone, Americans,
with the help of Energy Star, saved $30 billion on their utility bills and
prevented greenhouse gas emissions equal to those of 38 million homes.
"The addition of clothes dryers expands the range of Energy Star products
to include one of the most energy-intensive home appliance not yet covered
by the program," said U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. "Working with
industry on innovative approaches to address our changing climate, we are
helping consumers select more energy efficient appliances, save money and
reduce greenhouse gas emissions."
Over 80% of U.S. homes have a clothes dryer, and these appliances account
for approximately six percent of residential electricity consumption. Dryer
models that meet the new Energy Star requirements are likely to have
improved auto termination sensors, which help reduce energy use by more
effectively ending the drying cycle once clothes are dry. Among the more
efficient gas and electric dryers that will earn the Energy Star, consumers
should expect to encounter a promising new technology. Heat pump dryers
recapture the hot air used by the dryer and pump it back into the drum to
dry more clothes. By re-using most of the heat, it creates a heat pump
dryer that is more efficient and avoids the need for ducts leading heat out
of the laundry room.
This new Energy Star specification also establishes optional "connected"
criteria for residential clothes dryers. Energy Star dryers with connected
functionality will offer consumers convenience and energy-savings features,
such as an alert indicating there is a performance issue or feedback to
consumers on the energy-efficiency of different cycle selections. These
products will also be "smart grid" ready, meaning they will give consumers
the option to connect their dryer with their local utility to save money on
their energy bills, where those services are offered, and also facilitate
broader electric power system efficiency.
To earn the Energy Star label, products must be certified by an
EPA-recognized third party, based on testing in an EPA-recognized
laboratory. In addition, manufacturers of the products must participate in
verification testing programs operated by recognized certification bodies.
Products, homes and buildings that earn the Energy Star label prevent
greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy efficiency requirements
set by the U.S. EPA. From the first Energy Star qualified computer in 1992,
the label can now be found on products in more than 70 different
categories, with more than 4.5 billion sold over the past 20 years. Over
1.5 million new homes and 23,000 office buildings, schools and hospitals
have earned the Energy Star label.
Learn more: http://www.energystar.gov/products/specs/node/117
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
News Clippings 5/27/14
5.27.14
Oil Spill
Oyster harvesters alarmed at finding fewer oysters
WWL
As his son hauls in an oyster dredge from the floor of Barataria Bay,
lifelong oyster harvester Mitch Jurisich, normally an optimistic man, is
worried that the size of the catch is shrinking.
http://www.wwltv.com/news/local/Oyster-Harvesters-Alarmed-At-Finding-Fewer-Oysters-260320441.html
State
Tornado damage will have small impact on landfill
Commercial Dispatch
May 24, 2014
Nathan Gregory - ngregory@cdispatch.com
The amount of debris from tornadoes in East Columbus and Lowndes County
last month will have a minimal but noticeable impact on the lifespan of the
two cells at the city landfill.
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=33666
Poplarville Recycling project
Picayune Item
Saturday, May 24, 2014
The city of Poplarville is in the process of coordinating a recycling
program for residents of the city and surroundingareas. City officials
unveiled the program's major components, which involves solar-powered waste
collectors, portable recycling units and transportation of materials to a
recycling facility through the support of Poplarville Rotary Club and the
cooperation of Pearl River Community College Truck Driving students.
http://picayuneitem.com/2014/05/poplarville-recycling-project/
Kemper County plant costs rise above $5B
WAPT
KEMPER COUNTY, Miss. —The Mississippi Power Company is building an electric
generating plant in Kemper County that is now estimated to cost more than
$5 billion.
http://www.wapt.com/whos-accountable/kemper-county-plant-costs-rise-above-5b/26183712
Rehabilitated Kemp's Ridley Turtles get another chance at life
WLOX
GULFPORT, MS (WLOX) -The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies released 10
rehabilitated Kemp's Ridley Turtles on Saturday morning with the help of
some young volunteers.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25604945/huge-crowd-gathers-for-turtle-release
DuPont DeLisle to get new mission
WLOX
DELISLE, MS (WLOX) -DuPont is taking steps to give its DeLisle plant a new
purpose. Company leaders say the West Harrison County facility could become
a major player in helping the corporation reach its bottom line. That is if
a new product line is produced there.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25595338/dupont-delisle-to-get-new-mission
More than $10-milliion spent on disaster assistance in Mississippi
WLOX
JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) -Federal assistance approved for
disaster survivors in 12 Mississippi counties has reached more than $10
million.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25601071/more-than-10-milliion-spent-on-disaster-relief-in-mississippi
South Mississippi loses warrior for environment, social justice
Sun Herald
BY ANITA LEE
GULFPORT -- Linda St. Martin was a warrior.
She fought for women's rights. She fought for education. She fought for the
environment. And she stood up for those who had no voice.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/23/5597543/coast-loses-warrior-for-environment.html
Regional
Farmers face risks in using too little nitrogen as well as too much
Delta Farm Press
Much has been said about farmers applying too much fertilizer and its
impact on the Hypoxia Zone in the northern Gulf of Mexico. But there's also
an economic risk when growers don't apply enough, Cliff Snyder, nitrogen
program director, International Plant Nutrition Institute, says.
http://deltafarmpress.com/management/farmers-face-risks-using-too-little-nitrogen-well-too-much
Can US eliminate invasive species by eating them?
AP
HOUSTON (AP) -- It seems like a simple proposition: American lakes, rivers
and offshore waters are filling up with destructive fish and crustaceans
originally from other parts of the world, many of them potential sources of
food.
http://www.gulflive.com/food/2014/05/can_us_eliminate_invasive_spec.html#incart_river
National
EPA Set to Unveil Climate Proposal
States Would Get Flexibility in Meeting Emissions Benchmarks
Wall Street Journal
WASHINGTON—The Obama administration will next week unveil a cornerstone of
its climate-change initiative with a proposed rule aimed at allowing states
to use cap-and-trade systems, renewable energy and other measures to meet
aggressive goals for reducing carbon emissions by existing power plants.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304811904579585843675203708?mg=reno64-wsj
Lawmakers: EPA cutting corners on water rule
The Hill
By Benjamin Goad - 05/23/14
A group of House Republicans accused the Environmental Protection Agency on
Friday of shirking its responsibility to assess the economic impacts of
proposed regulations that would expand federal oversight of smaller bodies
of water.
http://thehill.com/regulation/207088-lawmakers-epa-cutting-corners-on-contentious-water-rule
Plants prepare long-term nuclear waste storage
AP
WATERFORD, Conn. – Nuclear power plants across the United States are
building or expanding storage facilities to hold their spent fuel —
radioactive waste that by now was supposed to be on its way to a
national dump.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story/news/nation/2014/05/26/nuclear-waste-storage/9609391/
Seven states running out of water
USA Today
The United States is currently engulfed in one of the worst droughts
in recent memory. More than 30% of the country experienced at least
moderate drought as of last week's data.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/05/25/states-running-out-of-water/9506821/
Oil Spill
Oyster harvesters alarmed at finding fewer oysters
WWL
As his son hauls in an oyster dredge from the floor of Barataria Bay,
lifelong oyster harvester Mitch Jurisich, normally an optimistic man, is
worried that the size of the catch is shrinking.
http://www.wwltv.com/news/local/Oyster-Harvesters-Alarmed-At-Finding-Fewer-Oysters-260320441.html
State
Tornado damage will have small impact on landfill
Commercial Dispatch
May 24, 2014
Nathan Gregory - ngregory@cdispatch.com
The amount of debris from tornadoes in East Columbus and Lowndes County
last month will have a minimal but noticeable impact on the lifespan of the
two cells at the city landfill.
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=33666
Poplarville Recycling project
Picayune Item
Saturday, May 24, 2014
The city of Poplarville is in the process of coordinating a recycling
program for residents of the city and surroundingareas. City officials
unveiled the program's major components, which involves solar-powered waste
collectors, portable recycling units and transportation of materials to a
recycling facility through the support of Poplarville Rotary Club and the
cooperation of Pearl River Community College Truck Driving students.
http://picayuneitem.com/2014/05/poplarville-recycling-project/
Kemper County plant costs rise above $5B
WAPT
KEMPER COUNTY, Miss. —The Mississippi Power Company is building an electric
generating plant in Kemper County that is now estimated to cost more than
$5 billion.
http://www.wapt.com/whos-accountable/kemper-county-plant-costs-rise-above-5b/26183712
Rehabilitated Kemp's Ridley Turtles get another chance at life
WLOX
GULFPORT, MS (WLOX) -The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies released 10
rehabilitated Kemp's Ridley Turtles on Saturday morning with the help of
some young volunteers.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25604945/huge-crowd-gathers-for-turtle-release
DuPont DeLisle to get new mission
WLOX
DELISLE, MS (WLOX) -DuPont is taking steps to give its DeLisle plant a new
purpose. Company leaders say the West Harrison County facility could become
a major player in helping the corporation reach its bottom line. That is if
a new product line is produced there.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25595338/dupont-delisle-to-get-new-mission
More than $10-milliion spent on disaster assistance in Mississippi
WLOX
JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) -Federal assistance approved for
disaster survivors in 12 Mississippi counties has reached more than $10
million.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25601071/more-than-10-milliion-spent-on-disaster-relief-in-mississippi
South Mississippi loses warrior for environment, social justice
Sun Herald
BY ANITA LEE
GULFPORT -- Linda St. Martin was a warrior.
She fought for women's rights. She fought for education. She fought for the
environment. And she stood up for those who had no voice.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/23/5597543/coast-loses-warrior-for-environment.html
Regional
Farmers face risks in using too little nitrogen as well as too much
Delta Farm Press
Much has been said about farmers applying too much fertilizer and its
impact on the Hypoxia Zone in the northern Gulf of Mexico. But there's also
an economic risk when growers don't apply enough, Cliff Snyder, nitrogen
program director, International Plant Nutrition Institute, says.
http://deltafarmpress.com/management/farmers-face-risks-using-too-little-nitrogen-well-too-much
Can US eliminate invasive species by eating them?
AP
HOUSTON (AP) -- It seems like a simple proposition: American lakes, rivers
and offshore waters are filling up with destructive fish and crustaceans
originally from other parts of the world, many of them potential sources of
food.
http://www.gulflive.com/food/2014/05/can_us_eliminate_invasive_spec.html#incart_river
National
EPA Set to Unveil Climate Proposal
States Would Get Flexibility in Meeting Emissions Benchmarks
Wall Street Journal
WASHINGTON—The Obama administration will next week unveil a cornerstone of
its climate-change initiative with a proposed rule aimed at allowing states
to use cap-and-trade systems, renewable energy and other measures to meet
aggressive goals for reducing carbon emissions by existing power plants.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304811904579585843675203708?mg=reno64-wsj
Lawmakers: EPA cutting corners on water rule
The Hill
By Benjamin Goad - 05/23/14
A group of House Republicans accused the Environmental Protection Agency on
Friday of shirking its responsibility to assess the economic impacts of
proposed regulations that would expand federal oversight of smaller bodies
of water.
http://thehill.com/regulation/207088-lawmakers-epa-cutting-corners-on-contentious-water-rule
Plants prepare long-term nuclear waste storage
AP
WATERFORD, Conn. – Nuclear power plants across the United States are
building or expanding storage facilities to hold their spent fuel —
radioactive waste that by now was supposed to be on its way to a
national dump.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story/news/nation/2014/05/26/nuclear-waste-storage/9609391/
Seven states running out of water
USA Today
The United States is currently engulfed in one of the worst droughts
in recent memory. More than 30% of the country experienced at least
moderate drought as of last week's data.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/05/25/states-running-out-of-water/9506821/
Friday, May 23, 2014
News Clippings 5/23/14
5.23.14
Oil Spill
Three Years After Oil Spill, Lawmakers Learn About $5 Million BP Gave To
Governor's Office
Texas Public Radio
Typically, money slated for the state budget is handled by the Legislature.
But yesterday the Texas House Appropriations and Natural Resources
Committee found out about $5 million paid to the state of Texas by British
Petroleum following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
http://tpr.org/post/three-years-after-oil-spill-lawmakers-learn-about-5-million-bp-gave-governors-office
State
Acid mist forced MDEQ to shut down Pascagoula's Mississippi Phosphates
plant
Sun Herald
BY KAREN NELSON
PASCAGOULA -- The air was so bad at times last summer along Bayou Casotte
the state Department of Environmental Quality shut down both of Mississippi
Phosphates' sulfuric acid plants with a cease-and-desist order. That's a
punitive measure the agency rarely uses on industry.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/22/5595306/acid-mist-forces-mdeq-to-shut.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1
Recycling projects expand with MDEQ funding
WTVA
OXFORD, Miss. (WTVA) -- Recycling efforts in Oxford are set to expand with
the funding of a $227,160 grant.
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality awarded the funds for a
project to enhance the curbside recycling system in Oxford and to expand
recycling access in its partnering communities.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/Recycling-projects-expand-with-MDEQ-funding/6c2GSQ5rsEKFDBxx_ELBZw.cspx
Greenwood, McComb, Natchez, Oxford gain MDEQ grants
MBJ
Four community projects in the state have been awarded Regional Recycling
Cooperative Grants by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.
The more than $1 million in grants will be used to fund regional
cooperative recycling projects in Greenwood, McComb, Natchez and Oxford.
http://msbusiness.com/businessblog/2014/05/22/greenwood-mccomb-natchez-oxford-gain-mdeq-grants/
Popular beach spots in Biloxi, Gulfport cleared for swimming
WLOX
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI (WLOX) -Three busy sections of the beach in Harrison
County are now clear for beachgoers, and just in time for the big holiday
weekend.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25592389/popular-beach-spots-in-biloxi-gulfport-cleared-for-swimming
Senators urge EPA to extend coal-fired power plant comment period
WDAM
Most of us don't think twice before cutting on a light, or powering up our
laptops. Electricity doesn't come from some magic generator in the walls of
our homes; it comes from places like the J.T. Dudley Senior Generation
Complex, one of South Mississippi's power plants.
http://www.wdam.com/story/25593550/power-plant-steaming-over-epa-regulations
EPA task force recruits MSU to battle farmland runoff into river
by Associated Press
Published: May 21,2014
STARKVILLE ? A task force established by the Environmental Protection
Agency to curtail farmland pollution that flows into the Mississippi River
has reached an agreement with 12 universities, including one in
Mississippi.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2014/05/21/epa-task-force-recruits-msu-battle-farmland-runoff-river/
State Wants To Hear From Fishermen About Oyster, Blue Crab
MPB
The Department of Marine Resources wants to hear from Mississippi oyster
and blue crab fishermen on its plans for almost $11 million of recovery
money the state is receiving.
http://mpbonline.org/News/article/state_wants_to_hear_from_fishermen_about_oyster_blue_crab
Gulf LNG to begin pre-filing review with FERC on potential $8 billion
export expansion at Pascagoula terminal
Mississippi Press
April M. Havens
May 22, 2014 at 10:41 PM
PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- Gulf LNG Liquefaction Co., which wants to add
liquefaction and export capabilities to the $1 billion liquefied natural
gas storage terminal in Pascagoula, received permission this week from the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to begin its pre-filing review
process.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/05/gulf_lng_to_begin_pre-filing_r.html#incart_river
Regional
Most Mississippi River Basin States Have Completed Plans to Control
Nutrient Pollution
Bloomberg
May 21 ? Ten of the 12 states participating in a federal-state task force
to tackle hypoxia in the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico have
submitted either draft or final plans to reduce nutrient runoff into the
basin, according to the task force co-chairman.
http://www.bna.com/mississippi-river-basin-n17179890697/
Researcher, Birmingham native recounts how Facebook changed the way we look
at tornado debris
Al.com
Leigh Morgan
May 22, 2014 at 8:01 AM
He was only 4 years old, but it's the kind of thing you remember.
John Knox was watching a baseball game at Rickwood Field in August 1969
when lightning struck.
He looked up and saw chairs flying off the roof, then promptly hid under
his seat as what was possibly a funnel cloud went by.
http://blog.al.com/wire/2014/05/researcher_birmingham_native_r.html#incart_river
National
Forty-five U.S. senators seek extra time for input on EPA carbon rule
Reuters
Thu, May 22 2014
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Environmental Protection Agency should double
the amount of time the public will have to give input on its forthcoming
proposal that will aim to cut carbon pollution from power plants
nationwide, 45 U.S. senators urged on Thursday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/22/us-epa-climatechange-idUSBREA4L18V20140522
Secrecy of Oil-by-Train Shipments Causes Concern Across the U.S.
Crude-by-Rail Has Jumped in Shale Boom, but Towns en Route Don't Get Data
They Need for Safety
Wall Street Journal
Emergency responders in Cincinnati know that trains full of crude oil have
been rumbling through their city; they can see mile-long chains of black
tank cars clacking across bridges over the Ohio River.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303749904579577861760037536?mg=reno64-wsj
Opinion
The EPA's Carbon Capture Flip-Flop
One of the agency's own regional offices and a panel of EPA judges have
ruled that the policy is too expensive.
Wall Street Journal
By BRIAN H. POTTS
May 22, 2014 7:18 p.m. ET
With great fanfare, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed a rule
last fall that would require all newly built coal-fired power plants in the
U.S. to install an expensive new technology called carbon capture and
storage, or CCS. Although the technology has never been installed on a
large-scale power plant anywhere in the world, it theoretically will
separate the primary greenhouse gas?carbon dioxide?from the plant's exhaust
and pump it to underground reservoirs for storage.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303480304579575993716327878?mg=reno64-wsj
Press Releases
MDEQ Announces Regional Recycling Cooperative Grant Awards
Provided to Greenwood, McComb, Natchez, Oxford and Partners
(JACKSON, Miss.) -- The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
(MDEQ) announced today the award of the agency's inaugural Regional
Recycling Cooperative Grants to four community projects in the state. More
than $1 million in grants will be used to fund regional cooperative
recycling projects in the Cities of Greenwood, McComb, Natchez, and Oxford.
Each of the grant recipients, along with their partner communities, will
use the grant funding to develop or enhance recycling systems in their
region to help achieve the state waste reduction and recycling goal of 25
percent.
"We are excited to launch this new grant program and to work with these
cities and their partners to expand recycling services and recycling access
in the state. Increasing the access to recycling to more Mississippians
means that more materials can be diverted from landfills and put back into
manufacturing uses where the materials can be used over and over again.
The continued use of recycled materials in manufacturing has multiple
benefits such as conserving raw material resources, reducing our reliance
on imports from other countries, conserving energy, reducing pollution,
reducing our reliance on landfills, and gaining the economic benefit of
using materials multiple times rather than simply disposing of the
materials," said Trudy Fisher, MDEQ Executive Director.
●The City of Greenwood, in partnership with Leflore County and the Cities
of Itta Bena, Sidon, and Indianola, will receive a grant award in the
amount of $399,700 to increase and expand recycling efforts in the region.
The current recycling system consists of drop-off recycling locations
within the city and throughout the county. Funds will be used to provide
curbside recycling in parts of Greenwood with plans to expand the service
throughout the city. Additionally, new drop-off locations will be
developed in each of the partner communities. Grant funds will also be
used to acquire curbside recycling bins, drop-off recycling containers for
partner communities, and vehicles and equipment to facilitate the expansion
of the collection and processing of additional recyclable materials.
●The City of McComb, in partnership with Pike County and the Cities of
Osyka, Magnolia, and Summit, will receive a grant award in the amount of
$123,916 to expand current recycling efforts in Pike County. The project
involves establishing recycling drop-off stations in all of the partner
communities and recycling drop-off containers for the public placed in
centrally accessible locations. In addition, a public education and
outreach program will be developed to inform residents and area schools of
the benefits of recycling and the importance of their participation in the
program.
●The City of Natchez, along with the City of Brookhaven and Wilkinson
County, will use the grant award of $317,162 to enhance the current
curbside recycling programs in the City of Natchez and the City of
Brookhaven. Additional recycling collection points will be established for
the general public in Wilkinson County and at strategic locations at local
college campuses, the regional airport, the port commission, the convention
center, and other high visibility locations in Natchez. Recycling
collection containers placed at these locations will provide greater public
access to recycling in public venues and maximize material collection. A
public education and outreach campaign will be developed to promote these
expanded recycling efforts by the partner communities and to help the
public understand the benefits of recycling and the importance of their
participation.
●The City of Oxford, in partnership with the City of Batesville, Panola
County, Lafayette County, the University of Mississippi, and Calhoun City,
receives a grant award of $227,160 to enhance the curbside recycling system
in the City of Oxford and to expand recycling access in each partner
community. The project includes adding recycling collection stations on
the Ole Miss campus, the development of a recycling education and outreach
campaign, recycling drop-off containers for partner communities, curbside
recycling bins for the City of Oxford, and new equipment to transport
recycling containers to the Oxford materials recovery facility.
These grant awards are the final step of the Funding Opportunity
Announcement released by MDEQ last year to assist communities in achieving
the state waste reduction and recycling goal of 25 percent. MDEQ expects
to make additional Regional Recycling Cooperative Grants to local
governments in the future and will provide a second Funding Opportunity
Announcement as these funds become available.
# # #
EPA and Duke Energy enter Agreement to Cleanup Coal Ash Release in the Dan
River
Contact Information: James Pinkney, (404) 562-9183 (Direct), (404) 562-8400
(Main) pinkney.james@epa.gov
(Atlanta, GA ? May 22, 2014) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency signed an enforceable agreement with Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC
(Duke) to perform a comprehensive assessment, determine the location of
coal ash deposits and to remove deposits along the Dan River as deemed
appropriate by EPA in consultation with the US Fish and Wildlife Service as
a result of the coal ash spill that occurred at the Dan River Steam Station
on February 2, 2014.
Under the Administrative Order and Agreement on Consent (Order), entered
into under the Superfund law, EPA will oversee the cleanup and Duke will
reimburse EPA for its oversight costs.
"EPA will work with Duke Energy to ensure that cleanup at the site, and
affected areas, is comprehensive based on sound scientific and ecological
principles, complies with all Federal and State environmental standards,
and moves as quickly as possible," said EPA Regional Administrator Heather
McTeer Toney. "Protection of public health and safety remains a primary
concern, along with the long-term ecological health of the Dan River."
Since the contamination extended into Virginia, and because removal and
assessment work will occur in both North Carolina and Virginia, the Order
will be signed by both EPA Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Region Superfund
Division Directors. In addition, the Order also requires Duke to reimburse
all past EPA response costs, as well as all future oversight costs in
connection with the Site.
Duke's work will be subject to review and approval by EPA, in consultation
with the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources and
Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality, to ensure full compliance
with Superfund law. Once removal activities are complete, Duke will be
required to assess any remaining contamination to determine whether
additional actions may be needed.
Coal ash at the site contains arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead,
mercury, nickel, selenium and zinc, which are hazardous substances as
defined under the Superfund law. The terms of the Order require that the
disposal of coal ash from the spill meet specific protective disposal
standards for landfills, such as synthetic liners, leachate collection
systems and groundwater monitoring.
For additional information about the Order and EPA's response, visit:
http://epa.gov/region4/duke-energy/index.html.
###
Oil Spill
Three Years After Oil Spill, Lawmakers Learn About $5 Million BP Gave To
Governor's Office
Texas Public Radio
Typically, money slated for the state budget is handled by the Legislature.
But yesterday the Texas House Appropriations and Natural Resources
Committee found out about $5 million paid to the state of Texas by British
Petroleum following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
http://tpr.org/post/three-years-after-oil-spill-lawmakers-learn-about-5-million-bp-gave-governors-office
State
Acid mist forced MDEQ to shut down Pascagoula's Mississippi Phosphates
plant
Sun Herald
BY KAREN NELSON
PASCAGOULA -- The air was so bad at times last summer along Bayou Casotte
the state Department of Environmental Quality shut down both of Mississippi
Phosphates' sulfuric acid plants with a cease-and-desist order. That's a
punitive measure the agency rarely uses on industry.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/22/5595306/acid-mist-forces-mdeq-to-shut.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1
Recycling projects expand with MDEQ funding
WTVA
OXFORD, Miss. (WTVA) -- Recycling efforts in Oxford are set to expand with
the funding of a $227,160 grant.
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality awarded the funds for a
project to enhance the curbside recycling system in Oxford and to expand
recycling access in its partnering communities.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/Recycling-projects-expand-with-MDEQ-funding/6c2GSQ5rsEKFDBxx_ELBZw.cspx
Greenwood, McComb, Natchez, Oxford gain MDEQ grants
MBJ
Four community projects in the state have been awarded Regional Recycling
Cooperative Grants by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.
The more than $1 million in grants will be used to fund regional
cooperative recycling projects in Greenwood, McComb, Natchez and Oxford.
http://msbusiness.com/businessblog/2014/05/22/greenwood-mccomb-natchez-oxford-gain-mdeq-grants/
Popular beach spots in Biloxi, Gulfport cleared for swimming
WLOX
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI (WLOX) -Three busy sections of the beach in Harrison
County are now clear for beachgoers, and just in time for the big holiday
weekend.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25592389/popular-beach-spots-in-biloxi-gulfport-cleared-for-swimming
Senators urge EPA to extend coal-fired power plant comment period
WDAM
Most of us don't think twice before cutting on a light, or powering up our
laptops. Electricity doesn't come from some magic generator in the walls of
our homes; it comes from places like the J.T. Dudley Senior Generation
Complex, one of South Mississippi's power plants.
http://www.wdam.com/story/25593550/power-plant-steaming-over-epa-regulations
EPA task force recruits MSU to battle farmland runoff into river
by Associated Press
Published: May 21,2014
STARKVILLE ? A task force established by the Environmental Protection
Agency to curtail farmland pollution that flows into the Mississippi River
has reached an agreement with 12 universities, including one in
Mississippi.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2014/05/21/epa-task-force-recruits-msu-battle-farmland-runoff-river/
State Wants To Hear From Fishermen About Oyster, Blue Crab
MPB
The Department of Marine Resources wants to hear from Mississippi oyster
and blue crab fishermen on its plans for almost $11 million of recovery
money the state is receiving.
http://mpbonline.org/News/article/state_wants_to_hear_from_fishermen_about_oyster_blue_crab
Gulf LNG to begin pre-filing review with FERC on potential $8 billion
export expansion at Pascagoula terminal
Mississippi Press
April M. Havens
May 22, 2014 at 10:41 PM
PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- Gulf LNG Liquefaction Co., which wants to add
liquefaction and export capabilities to the $1 billion liquefied natural
gas storage terminal in Pascagoula, received permission this week from the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to begin its pre-filing review
process.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/05/gulf_lng_to_begin_pre-filing_r.html#incart_river
Regional
Most Mississippi River Basin States Have Completed Plans to Control
Nutrient Pollution
Bloomberg
May 21 ? Ten of the 12 states participating in a federal-state task force
to tackle hypoxia in the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico have
submitted either draft or final plans to reduce nutrient runoff into the
basin, according to the task force co-chairman.
http://www.bna.com/mississippi-river-basin-n17179890697/
Researcher, Birmingham native recounts how Facebook changed the way we look
at tornado debris
Al.com
Leigh Morgan
May 22, 2014 at 8:01 AM
He was only 4 years old, but it's the kind of thing you remember.
John Knox was watching a baseball game at Rickwood Field in August 1969
when lightning struck.
He looked up and saw chairs flying off the roof, then promptly hid under
his seat as what was possibly a funnel cloud went by.
http://blog.al.com/wire/2014/05/researcher_birmingham_native_r.html#incart_river
National
Forty-five U.S. senators seek extra time for input on EPA carbon rule
Reuters
Thu, May 22 2014
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Environmental Protection Agency should double
the amount of time the public will have to give input on its forthcoming
proposal that will aim to cut carbon pollution from power plants
nationwide, 45 U.S. senators urged on Thursday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/22/us-epa-climatechange-idUSBREA4L18V20140522
Secrecy of Oil-by-Train Shipments Causes Concern Across the U.S.
Crude-by-Rail Has Jumped in Shale Boom, but Towns en Route Don't Get Data
They Need for Safety
Wall Street Journal
Emergency responders in Cincinnati know that trains full of crude oil have
been rumbling through their city; they can see mile-long chains of black
tank cars clacking across bridges over the Ohio River.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303749904579577861760037536?mg=reno64-wsj
Opinion
The EPA's Carbon Capture Flip-Flop
One of the agency's own regional offices and a panel of EPA judges have
ruled that the policy is too expensive.
Wall Street Journal
By BRIAN H. POTTS
May 22, 2014 7:18 p.m. ET
With great fanfare, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed a rule
last fall that would require all newly built coal-fired power plants in the
U.S. to install an expensive new technology called carbon capture and
storage, or CCS. Although the technology has never been installed on a
large-scale power plant anywhere in the world, it theoretically will
separate the primary greenhouse gas?carbon dioxide?from the plant's exhaust
and pump it to underground reservoirs for storage.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303480304579575993716327878?mg=reno64-wsj
Press Releases
MDEQ Announces Regional Recycling Cooperative Grant Awards
Provided to Greenwood, McComb, Natchez, Oxford and Partners
(JACKSON, Miss.) -- The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
(MDEQ) announced today the award of the agency's inaugural Regional
Recycling Cooperative Grants to four community projects in the state. More
than $1 million in grants will be used to fund regional cooperative
recycling projects in the Cities of Greenwood, McComb, Natchez, and Oxford.
Each of the grant recipients, along with their partner communities, will
use the grant funding to develop or enhance recycling systems in their
region to help achieve the state waste reduction and recycling goal of 25
percent.
"We are excited to launch this new grant program and to work with these
cities and their partners to expand recycling services and recycling access
in the state. Increasing the access to recycling to more Mississippians
means that more materials can be diverted from landfills and put back into
manufacturing uses where the materials can be used over and over again.
The continued use of recycled materials in manufacturing has multiple
benefits such as conserving raw material resources, reducing our reliance
on imports from other countries, conserving energy, reducing pollution,
reducing our reliance on landfills, and gaining the economic benefit of
using materials multiple times rather than simply disposing of the
materials," said Trudy Fisher, MDEQ Executive Director.
●The City of Greenwood, in partnership with Leflore County and the Cities
of Itta Bena, Sidon, and Indianola, will receive a grant award in the
amount of $399,700 to increase and expand recycling efforts in the region.
The current recycling system consists of drop-off recycling locations
within the city and throughout the county. Funds will be used to provide
curbside recycling in parts of Greenwood with plans to expand the service
throughout the city. Additionally, new drop-off locations will be
developed in each of the partner communities. Grant funds will also be
used to acquire curbside recycling bins, drop-off recycling containers for
partner communities, and vehicles and equipment to facilitate the expansion
of the collection and processing of additional recyclable materials.
●The City of McComb, in partnership with Pike County and the Cities of
Osyka, Magnolia, and Summit, will receive a grant award in the amount of
$123,916 to expand current recycling efforts in Pike County. The project
involves establishing recycling drop-off stations in all of the partner
communities and recycling drop-off containers for the public placed in
centrally accessible locations. In addition, a public education and
outreach program will be developed to inform residents and area schools of
the benefits of recycling and the importance of their participation in the
program.
●The City of Natchez, along with the City of Brookhaven and Wilkinson
County, will use the grant award of $317,162 to enhance the current
curbside recycling programs in the City of Natchez and the City of
Brookhaven. Additional recycling collection points will be established for
the general public in Wilkinson County and at strategic locations at local
college campuses, the regional airport, the port commission, the convention
center, and other high visibility locations in Natchez. Recycling
collection containers placed at these locations will provide greater public
access to recycling in public venues and maximize material collection. A
public education and outreach campaign will be developed to promote these
expanded recycling efforts by the partner communities and to help the
public understand the benefits of recycling and the importance of their
participation.
●The City of Oxford, in partnership with the City of Batesville, Panola
County, Lafayette County, the University of Mississippi, and Calhoun City,
receives a grant award of $227,160 to enhance the curbside recycling system
in the City of Oxford and to expand recycling access in each partner
community. The project includes adding recycling collection stations on
the Ole Miss campus, the development of a recycling education and outreach
campaign, recycling drop-off containers for partner communities, curbside
recycling bins for the City of Oxford, and new equipment to transport
recycling containers to the Oxford materials recovery facility.
These grant awards are the final step of the Funding Opportunity
Announcement released by MDEQ last year to assist communities in achieving
the state waste reduction and recycling goal of 25 percent. MDEQ expects
to make additional Regional Recycling Cooperative Grants to local
governments in the future and will provide a second Funding Opportunity
Announcement as these funds become available.
# # #
EPA and Duke Energy enter Agreement to Cleanup Coal Ash Release in the Dan
River
Contact Information: James Pinkney, (404) 562-9183 (Direct), (404) 562-8400
(Main) pinkney.james@epa.gov
(Atlanta, GA ? May 22, 2014) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency signed an enforceable agreement with Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC
(Duke) to perform a comprehensive assessment, determine the location of
coal ash deposits and to remove deposits along the Dan River as deemed
appropriate by EPA in consultation with the US Fish and Wildlife Service as
a result of the coal ash spill that occurred at the Dan River Steam Station
on February 2, 2014.
Under the Administrative Order and Agreement on Consent (Order), entered
into under the Superfund law, EPA will oversee the cleanup and Duke will
reimburse EPA for its oversight costs.
"EPA will work with Duke Energy to ensure that cleanup at the site, and
affected areas, is comprehensive based on sound scientific and ecological
principles, complies with all Federal and State environmental standards,
and moves as quickly as possible," said EPA Regional Administrator Heather
McTeer Toney. "Protection of public health and safety remains a primary
concern, along with the long-term ecological health of the Dan River."
Since the contamination extended into Virginia, and because removal and
assessment work will occur in both North Carolina and Virginia, the Order
will be signed by both EPA Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Region Superfund
Division Directors. In addition, the Order also requires Duke to reimburse
all past EPA response costs, as well as all future oversight costs in
connection with the Site.
Duke's work will be subject to review and approval by EPA, in consultation
with the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources and
Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality, to ensure full compliance
with Superfund law. Once removal activities are complete, Duke will be
required to assess any remaining contamination to determine whether
additional actions may be needed.
Coal ash at the site contains arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead,
mercury, nickel, selenium and zinc, which are hazardous substances as
defined under the Superfund law. The terms of the Order require that the
disposal of coal ash from the spill meet specific protective disposal
standards for landfills, such as synthetic liners, leachate collection
systems and groundwater monitoring.
For additional information about the Order and EPA's response, visit:
http://epa.gov/region4/duke-energy/index.html.
###
Thursday, May 22, 2014
News Clippings 5.22.14
5.22.14
Oil Spill
BP to ask U.S. Supreme Court to resolve issue over claims process
The Associated Press
May 21, 2014 at 3:11 PM
NEW ORLEANS -- BP PLC said Wednesday it will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to
decide whether businesses must prove they were directly harmed by the 2010
Gulf Of Mexico oil spill to collect payments from a 2012 settlement.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/05/bp_to_ask_us_supreme_court_to.html#incart_river
State
DEQ defends redacting turned-over invoices
Clarion Ledger
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality argued in court
Wednesday that attorney-client privilege trumps the public's right
to know how tax dollars were spent at Sam's Club.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2014/05/21/deq-defends-redacting-turned-invoices/9405205/
Air quality around industrial plants scares Pascagoula residents
Sun Herald
BY KAREN NELSON
PASCAGOULA -- A neighborhood along Bayou Casotte, in the heart of the
state's most industrialized county, has been co-existing with industry for
decades.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/21/5592060/air-quality-around-industrial.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1
Response from plants around Bayou Casotte
VT Halter Marine
Walker Foster, vice president for government contracts, said the company
has responded by paving dirt spaces, watering the dirt parking lot and
engineering a containment area for sandblasting and painting that will cost
several million dollars.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/21/5592112/response-from-plants-around-bayou.html
Sewer levee breach in Poplarville
Picayune Item
A levee at an old unused sewage pond at the wastewater treatment plant in
south Poplarville was repaired Wednesday after it suffered a breech on
Tuesday afternoon, said Emergency Management Director Danny Manley.
http://picayuneitem.com/2014/05/sewer-levee-breach-in-poplarville/
City targeting illegal dumps for clean up
Grenada Star
5/20/2014
By GALEN HOLLEY
Unsightly, illegal dumping sites will soon be cleaned up if Grenada
receives a grant for which city officials have applied.
http://www.grenadastar.com/contentitem/372698/1218/city-targeting-illegal-dumps-for-clean-up
MDEQ lifts water-contact advisory in Jackson County
The state Department of Environmental Quality has lifted a water-contact
advisory in Jackson County.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/21/5591995/around-south-mississippi.html?sp=/99/184/
Debris removal reminders
WTVA
TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) -- ARX Disaster Management Vice President Brooks
Wallace wants people to remember a few things when putting debris out for
removal.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/Debris-removal-reminders/nCzHn7GVMkONVrkpYmF0Zw.cspx
NARUC lawsuit stops collections for Nuclear Waste Fund
by MBJ Staff
Published: May 21,2014
JACKSON — Thanks to the work of state utility commissions, this year
Mississippi ratepayers will have an estimated $3.7 million dollars in their
pockets which would otherwise go to the federal government, says Public
Service Commissioner Brandon Presley.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2014/05/21/naruc-lawsuit-stops-collections-nuclear-waste-fund/
National
EPA is readying climate rule for existing power plants as deadline nears
May 21, 2014 11:46 PM
By Juliet Eilperin
The Washington Post
WASHINGTON -- With less than two weeks to go, the Environmental Protection
Agency is readying a climate rule for existing power plants that requires
steep carbon reductions, while allowing states and companies broad
flexibility in how they limit their overall greenhouse gas emissions.
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/nation/2014/05/22/EPA-is-readying-climate-rule-for-existing-power-plants-as-deadline-nears/stories/201405220209
Cleaner air could mean higher electric bills
BY JONATHAN FAHEY
AP Energy WriterMay 21, 2014
NEW YORK -- Electricity prices are probably on their way up across much of
the U.S. as coal-fired plants, the dominant source of cheap power, shut
down in response to environmental regulations and economic forces.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/21/5591888/cleaner-air-could-mean-higher.html?sp=/99/102/
Press releases
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Task Force Announces Agreement
with 12 Universities to Further Water Pollution Reduction Programs and
Goals
The Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force today
announced a partnership with 12 land grant universities to support
state-level strategies and actions to curb water pollution. The agreement
is the first for the task force with non-governmental entities. The Hypoxia
Task Force is a partnership of five federal agencies, tribes, and
environmental quality, agricultural, and conservation agencies from 12
basin states working to address nutrient pollution and the hypoxic zone, or
dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.
The universities are: Purdue University, University of Illinois, University
of Arkansas, University of Kentucky, Mississippi State University, Ohio
State University, University of Tennessee, University of Missouri,
University of Minnesota, University of Wisconsin, Iowa State University and
Louisiana State University.
The universities are already conducting research on issues like soil
conservation, water quality and how nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus
travel in water bodies. University scientists and policy experts are
working to put science into practice by providing educational programs for
farmers, local businesses, and conservation and watershed management
professionals.
Individual states are already collaborating with their respective land
grant universities on local water quality research and agricultural
programs, but to date there has not been a specific focus on the goals and
activities of the task force or a formal process for sharing university
research and ideas across the 12 task force states. This new network will
bring additional expertise to help reduce nutrient runoff and advise the
task force and other national policy makers.
Nutrient pollution is one of America's most widespread, costly and
challenging environmental problems, and is caused by excess nitrogen and
phosphorus in the air and water. The impacts of nutrient pollution are
found in all types of water bodies. More than 100,000 miles of rivers and
streams, close to 2.5 million acres of lakes, reservoirs and ponds, and
more than 800 square miles of bays and estuaries in the United States have
poor water quality because of nutrient pollution.
For more information on the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed
Nutrient Task Force, visit
http://water.epa.gov/type/watersheds/named/msbasin/index.cfm
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|USDA Provides Assistance to Agricultural Producers to Improve Water Quality |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Priority Watersheds Including Chesapeake, Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico and |
| Mississippi Targeted |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
|LITTLE ROCK, Ark., May 21, 2014—Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced |
|today that $33 million in assistance will be provided to farmers and |
|ranchers to make conservation improvements that will improve water quality |
|in 174 watersheds. The announcement was made on the Secretary's behalf by |
|Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Ann Mills |
|during a Hypoxia Task Force meeting, held this week in Little Rock, Ark. |
| |
| |
|"This targeted approach provides a way to accelerate voluntary, private |
|lands conservation investments to improve water quality and to focus water |
|quality monitoring and assessment funds where they are most needed," Mills |
|said. "When hundreds of farms take action in one area, one watershed, it can|
|make a real difference to improving water quality." |
| |
| |
|Funding is provided through the National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI), |
|administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Now in |
|its third year, NWQI expanded to include more small watersheds across the |
|nation, and it builds on efforts to target high-impact conservation in areas|
|such as the Mississippi River basin, Gulf of Mexico, Chesapeake Bay and |
|Great Lakes. |
| |
| |
|While in Arkansas for the Hypoxia Task Force meeting, Deputy Under Secretary|
|Mills toured a farm to see firsthand how targeted water quality conservation|
|techniques are making a difference on the ground. Arkansas has three |
|watersheds in the NWQI, all of which drain to the Mississippi River and Gulf|
|of Mexico. |
| |
| |
|With the help of partners at the local, state and national level, NRCS |
|identified priority watersheds in each state where on-farm conservation |
|investments will deliver the greatest water quality benefits. State water |
|quality agencies and local partners also provide assistance with watershed |
|planning, additional dollars and assistance for conservation, along with |
|outreach to farmers and ranchers. Through NWQI, these partnerships are |
|growing and offering a model for collaborative work in other watersheds. |
| |
| |
|"The collaborative goal is to ensure people and wildlife have clean, safe |
|water," said NRCS Chief Jason Weller. "Water quality improvement takes time,|
|but by working together and leveraging our technical and financial |
|assistance, we are better able to help farmers and ranchers take voluntary |
|actions in improving water quality while maintaining or improving |
|agricultural productivity." |
| |
| |
|Eligible landowners will receive assistance under the Environmental Quality |
|Incentives Program for installing conservation systems that help avoid, trap|
|and control run-off in these high-priority watersheds. These practices may |
|include nutrient management, cover crops, conservation cropping systems, |
|filter strips, and in some cases, edge-of-field water quality monitoring. |
| |
| |
|Through several different processes, NRCS and partners are measuring the |
|effects of conservation practices on water quality. Edge-of-field monitoring|
|and an NRCS tool, Water Quality Index for Agricultural Runoff, help |
|landowners assess the positive impact of their conservation efforts. |
| |
| |
|NRCS has helped farmers install monitoring stations to measure the |
|effectiveness of conservation systems. Arkansas has 14 edge-of-field |
|monitoring stations, which help focus the right kind of conservation on the |
|right acres to improve water quality. |
| |
| |
|# |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
EPA ADVISES FACILITY OPERATORS TO MINIMIZE RELEASES DURING HAZARDOUS
WEATHER EVENTS
Contact: Dawn Harris Young, (404) 562-8421 (Direct), (404) 562-8400 (Main),
harris-young.dawn@epa.gov
ATLANTA – As hurricane season approaches, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is issuing a Hazardous Weather Release Prevention and
Reporting alert to remind facility operators of certain regulations that
require minimization of chemical releases during process shutdown
operations. This alert is designed to increase awareness among facility
operators about their obligation to operate facilities safely and report
chemical releases in a timely manner.
The alert specifies operational release minimization requirements and
clarifies reporting requirements, including exemptions. Unlike some
natural disasters, the onset of a hurricane is predictable and allows for
early preparations to lessen its effect on a facility. Before hurricane
force winds and associated storm surge flooding damage industrial
processes, the alert recommends that operators take preventive action by
safely shutting down processes, or otherwise operate safely under emergency
procedures.
The alert and requirements are available at
http://www.epa.gov/region4/r4_hurricanereleases.html.
In the event of a hazardous weather incident, please visit
http://www.epa.gov/naturalevents/ for updated emergency information.
Wicker Delivers Senate Speech in Support of Water Resources Bill
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., a member of the Senate
Committee on Environment and Public Works, today took to the Senate floor
in support of the House-Senate agreement on the "Water Resources
Development Act" (WRDA). The measure, which is likely to be voted on by the
Senate tomorrow, would enhance Mississippi's vast waterway infrastructure
and improve storm protection projects.
"This legislation is a great bipartisan accomplishment and a major win for
economic development," Wicker said. "In particular, I am encouraged by
reforms to the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, which promise to help our
ports with much-needed dredging. The fund, which was established for port
improvements, is currently underutilized.
"Using this money for its intended purpose would help facilitate critical
port upgrades – an especially important investment in preparation for the
upcoming completion of the Panama Canal expansion.
"A lapse in maintenance can become a vicious cycle, impairing a port's
ability to secure future maintenance dredging. Coastal ports, such as
Mississippi's Port of Gulfport, have been disadvantaged as a result. Thanks
to an amendment by Sen. Thad Cochran on crediting authority for navigation
projects, ports like the Port of Gulfport would have greater flexibility in
making dredging upgrades."
Last year, Wicker played a key role in drafting the Senate version of the
legislation. Following the House-Senate conference agreement last week, the
bill was passed by the House of Representatives yesterday by an
overwhelming vote of 412-4.
"Our ports and waterways are crucial to commerce, and our system of levees
protects us from natural disasters," Wicker continued. "These modernized
ports and commercial waterways are critical to maintaining competitiveness
in a global economy. They are essential to boosting trade and job growth
across the nation.
"The agreement on this new water resources bill – the first in seven years,
I might add – would accomplish a number of goals, from restructuring the
inland waterways system to completing storm protection projects. It would
help ensure U.S. industries have a reliable, navigable, and cost-effective
transportation network to do business.
"For our coastal communities, this 'Water Resources Development Act' would
also advance beneficial storm protection projects. Many of these projects,
developed after Hurricane Katrina under the Mississippi Coastal
Improvements Program, have been left unfinished. Their completion would
help create more resilient coastal communities and lower the risk of future
hurricane and storm damage."
Other provisions in the new water resources bill seek to ensure fiscal
responsibility by streamlining project requirements and timelines. This
means allowing greater private contributions to infrastructure repairs and
deauthorizing projects no longer in the national interest.
The last time Congress passed WRDA legislation was 2007. The law authorizes
the Army Corps of Engineers to participate in water conservation and the
development of infrastructure projects throughout the country.
http://www.wicker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=2dd1a795-7fc6-4aff-bee2-2521bb6d9a3f
May Is American Wetlands Month
Jackson, Miss—May 2014 is the 24th anniversary of American Wetlands Month
that celebrates the vital importance of wetlands in our environment and the
significant benefits they provide. Wetlands improve water quality,
increase water storage and supply, provide flood risk reduction and provide
critical habitat for plants, fish and wildlife.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) reminds farmers and ranchers (producers) that
it is important to remain in compliance with wetland and highly erodible
land (HEL) regulations required by the agricultural act (Farm Bill) of
2014.
Producers should work closely with their local NRCS conservationists to
ensure conservation compliance requirements are being met when any land use
changes on farming lands and ranching operations occur. Staff at the NRCS
service center will work one-on-one with producers to ensure that farming
operations will protect wetlands and other natural resources without
jeopardizing their USDA farm program benefits.
Wetland conservation compliance prohibits the conversion of wetlands into
lands capable of producing agricultural commodities.
HEL conservation compliance requires that highly erodible land be farmed
according to an approved plan that minimizes soil erosion and maintains a
certain level of crop residue.
Altering a wetland by draining, dredging, filling, leveling or removing
woody vegetation or the cultivation of grasslands will cause a loss of
eligibility of USDA agricultural program incentives and crop insurance
subsidies.
For more information about conservation compliance and how it impacts your
farm or ranch, visit your local USDA/NRCS Service Center. To locate a
service center visit our website.
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/contact/local/
####
Oil Spill
BP to ask U.S. Supreme Court to resolve issue over claims process
The Associated Press
May 21, 2014 at 3:11 PM
NEW ORLEANS -- BP PLC said Wednesday it will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to
decide whether businesses must prove they were directly harmed by the 2010
Gulf Of Mexico oil spill to collect payments from a 2012 settlement.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/05/bp_to_ask_us_supreme_court_to.html#incart_river
State
DEQ defends redacting turned-over invoices
Clarion Ledger
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality argued in court
Wednesday that attorney-client privilege trumps the public's right
to know how tax dollars were spent at Sam's Club.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2014/05/21/deq-defends-redacting-turned-invoices/9405205/
Air quality around industrial plants scares Pascagoula residents
Sun Herald
BY KAREN NELSON
PASCAGOULA -- A neighborhood along Bayou Casotte, in the heart of the
state's most industrialized county, has been co-existing with industry for
decades.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/21/5592060/air-quality-around-industrial.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1
Response from plants around Bayou Casotte
VT Halter Marine
Walker Foster, vice president for government contracts, said the company
has responded by paving dirt spaces, watering the dirt parking lot and
engineering a containment area for sandblasting and painting that will cost
several million dollars.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/21/5592112/response-from-plants-around-bayou.html
Sewer levee breach in Poplarville
Picayune Item
A levee at an old unused sewage pond at the wastewater treatment plant in
south Poplarville was repaired Wednesday after it suffered a breech on
Tuesday afternoon, said Emergency Management Director Danny Manley.
http://picayuneitem.com/2014/05/sewer-levee-breach-in-poplarville/
City targeting illegal dumps for clean up
Grenada Star
5/20/2014
By GALEN HOLLEY
Unsightly, illegal dumping sites will soon be cleaned up if Grenada
receives a grant for which city officials have applied.
http://www.grenadastar.com/contentitem/372698/1218/city-targeting-illegal-dumps-for-clean-up
MDEQ lifts water-contact advisory in Jackson County
The state Department of Environmental Quality has lifted a water-contact
advisory in Jackson County.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/21/5591995/around-south-mississippi.html?sp=/99/184/
Debris removal reminders
WTVA
TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) -- ARX Disaster Management Vice President Brooks
Wallace wants people to remember a few things when putting debris out for
removal.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/Debris-removal-reminders/nCzHn7GVMkONVrkpYmF0Zw.cspx
NARUC lawsuit stops collections for Nuclear Waste Fund
by MBJ Staff
Published: May 21,2014
JACKSON — Thanks to the work of state utility commissions, this year
Mississippi ratepayers will have an estimated $3.7 million dollars in their
pockets which would otherwise go to the federal government, says Public
Service Commissioner Brandon Presley.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2014/05/21/naruc-lawsuit-stops-collections-nuclear-waste-fund/
National
EPA is readying climate rule for existing power plants as deadline nears
May 21, 2014 11:46 PM
By Juliet Eilperin
The Washington Post
WASHINGTON -- With less than two weeks to go, the Environmental Protection
Agency is readying a climate rule for existing power plants that requires
steep carbon reductions, while allowing states and companies broad
flexibility in how they limit their overall greenhouse gas emissions.
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/nation/2014/05/22/EPA-is-readying-climate-rule-for-existing-power-plants-as-deadline-nears/stories/201405220209
Cleaner air could mean higher electric bills
BY JONATHAN FAHEY
AP Energy WriterMay 21, 2014
NEW YORK -- Electricity prices are probably on their way up across much of
the U.S. as coal-fired plants, the dominant source of cheap power, shut
down in response to environmental regulations and economic forces.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/21/5591888/cleaner-air-could-mean-higher.html?sp=/99/102/
Press releases
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Task Force Announces Agreement
with 12 Universities to Further Water Pollution Reduction Programs and
Goals
The Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force today
announced a partnership with 12 land grant universities to support
state-level strategies and actions to curb water pollution. The agreement
is the first for the task force with non-governmental entities. The Hypoxia
Task Force is a partnership of five federal agencies, tribes, and
environmental quality, agricultural, and conservation agencies from 12
basin states working to address nutrient pollution and the hypoxic zone, or
dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.
The universities are: Purdue University, University of Illinois, University
of Arkansas, University of Kentucky, Mississippi State University, Ohio
State University, University of Tennessee, University of Missouri,
University of Minnesota, University of Wisconsin, Iowa State University and
Louisiana State University.
The universities are already conducting research on issues like soil
conservation, water quality and how nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus
travel in water bodies. University scientists and policy experts are
working to put science into practice by providing educational programs for
farmers, local businesses, and conservation and watershed management
professionals.
Individual states are already collaborating with their respective land
grant universities on local water quality research and agricultural
programs, but to date there has not been a specific focus on the goals and
activities of the task force or a formal process for sharing university
research and ideas across the 12 task force states. This new network will
bring additional expertise to help reduce nutrient runoff and advise the
task force and other national policy makers.
Nutrient pollution is one of America's most widespread, costly and
challenging environmental problems, and is caused by excess nitrogen and
phosphorus in the air and water. The impacts of nutrient pollution are
found in all types of water bodies. More than 100,000 miles of rivers and
streams, close to 2.5 million acres of lakes, reservoirs and ponds, and
more than 800 square miles of bays and estuaries in the United States have
poor water quality because of nutrient pollution.
For more information on the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed
Nutrient Task Force, visit
http://water.epa.gov/type/watersheds/named/msbasin/index.cfm
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|USDA Provides Assistance to Agricultural Producers to Improve Water Quality |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Priority Watersheds Including Chesapeake, Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico and |
| Mississippi Targeted |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
|LITTLE ROCK, Ark., May 21, 2014—Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced |
|today that $33 million in assistance will be provided to farmers and |
|ranchers to make conservation improvements that will improve water quality |
|in 174 watersheds. The announcement was made on the Secretary's behalf by |
|Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Ann Mills |
|during a Hypoxia Task Force meeting, held this week in Little Rock, Ark. |
| |
| |
|"This targeted approach provides a way to accelerate voluntary, private |
|lands conservation investments to improve water quality and to focus water |
|quality monitoring and assessment funds where they are most needed," Mills |
|said. "When hundreds of farms take action in one area, one watershed, it can|
|make a real difference to improving water quality." |
| |
| |
|Funding is provided through the National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI), |
|administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Now in |
|its third year, NWQI expanded to include more small watersheds across the |
|nation, and it builds on efforts to target high-impact conservation in areas|
|such as the Mississippi River basin, Gulf of Mexico, Chesapeake Bay and |
|Great Lakes. |
| |
| |
|While in Arkansas for the Hypoxia Task Force meeting, Deputy Under Secretary|
|Mills toured a farm to see firsthand how targeted water quality conservation|
|techniques are making a difference on the ground. Arkansas has three |
|watersheds in the NWQI, all of which drain to the Mississippi River and Gulf|
|of Mexico. |
| |
| |
|With the help of partners at the local, state and national level, NRCS |
|identified priority watersheds in each state where on-farm conservation |
|investments will deliver the greatest water quality benefits. State water |
|quality agencies and local partners also provide assistance with watershed |
|planning, additional dollars and assistance for conservation, along with |
|outreach to farmers and ranchers. Through NWQI, these partnerships are |
|growing and offering a model for collaborative work in other watersheds. |
| |
| |
|"The collaborative goal is to ensure people and wildlife have clean, safe |
|water," said NRCS Chief Jason Weller. "Water quality improvement takes time,|
|but by working together and leveraging our technical and financial |
|assistance, we are better able to help farmers and ranchers take voluntary |
|actions in improving water quality while maintaining or improving |
|agricultural productivity." |
| |
| |
|Eligible landowners will receive assistance under the Environmental Quality |
|Incentives Program for installing conservation systems that help avoid, trap|
|and control run-off in these high-priority watersheds. These practices may |
|include nutrient management, cover crops, conservation cropping systems, |
|filter strips, and in some cases, edge-of-field water quality monitoring. |
| |
| |
|Through several different processes, NRCS and partners are measuring the |
|effects of conservation practices on water quality. Edge-of-field monitoring|
|and an NRCS tool, Water Quality Index for Agricultural Runoff, help |
|landowners assess the positive impact of their conservation efforts. |
| |
| |
|NRCS has helped farmers install monitoring stations to measure the |
|effectiveness of conservation systems. Arkansas has 14 edge-of-field |
|monitoring stations, which help focus the right kind of conservation on the |
|right acres to improve water quality. |
| |
| |
|# |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
EPA ADVISES FACILITY OPERATORS TO MINIMIZE RELEASES DURING HAZARDOUS
WEATHER EVENTS
Contact: Dawn Harris Young, (404) 562-8421 (Direct), (404) 562-8400 (Main),
harris-young.dawn@epa.gov
ATLANTA – As hurricane season approaches, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is issuing a Hazardous Weather Release Prevention and
Reporting alert to remind facility operators of certain regulations that
require minimization of chemical releases during process shutdown
operations. This alert is designed to increase awareness among facility
operators about their obligation to operate facilities safely and report
chemical releases in a timely manner.
The alert specifies operational release minimization requirements and
clarifies reporting requirements, including exemptions. Unlike some
natural disasters, the onset of a hurricane is predictable and allows for
early preparations to lessen its effect on a facility. Before hurricane
force winds and associated storm surge flooding damage industrial
processes, the alert recommends that operators take preventive action by
safely shutting down processes, or otherwise operate safely under emergency
procedures.
The alert and requirements are available at
http://www.epa.gov/region4/r4_hurricanereleases.html.
In the event of a hazardous weather incident, please visit
http://www.epa.gov/naturalevents/ for updated emergency information.
Wicker Delivers Senate Speech in Support of Water Resources Bill
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., a member of the Senate
Committee on Environment and Public Works, today took to the Senate floor
in support of the House-Senate agreement on the "Water Resources
Development Act" (WRDA). The measure, which is likely to be voted on by the
Senate tomorrow, would enhance Mississippi's vast waterway infrastructure
and improve storm protection projects.
"This legislation is a great bipartisan accomplishment and a major win for
economic development," Wicker said. "In particular, I am encouraged by
reforms to the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, which promise to help our
ports with much-needed dredging. The fund, which was established for port
improvements, is currently underutilized.
"Using this money for its intended purpose would help facilitate critical
port upgrades – an especially important investment in preparation for the
upcoming completion of the Panama Canal expansion.
"A lapse in maintenance can become a vicious cycle, impairing a port's
ability to secure future maintenance dredging. Coastal ports, such as
Mississippi's Port of Gulfport, have been disadvantaged as a result. Thanks
to an amendment by Sen. Thad Cochran on crediting authority for navigation
projects, ports like the Port of Gulfport would have greater flexibility in
making dredging upgrades."
Last year, Wicker played a key role in drafting the Senate version of the
legislation. Following the House-Senate conference agreement last week, the
bill was passed by the House of Representatives yesterday by an
overwhelming vote of 412-4.
"Our ports and waterways are crucial to commerce, and our system of levees
protects us from natural disasters," Wicker continued. "These modernized
ports and commercial waterways are critical to maintaining competitiveness
in a global economy. They are essential to boosting trade and job growth
across the nation.
"The agreement on this new water resources bill – the first in seven years,
I might add – would accomplish a number of goals, from restructuring the
inland waterways system to completing storm protection projects. It would
help ensure U.S. industries have a reliable, navigable, and cost-effective
transportation network to do business.
"For our coastal communities, this 'Water Resources Development Act' would
also advance beneficial storm protection projects. Many of these projects,
developed after Hurricane Katrina under the Mississippi Coastal
Improvements Program, have been left unfinished. Their completion would
help create more resilient coastal communities and lower the risk of future
hurricane and storm damage."
Other provisions in the new water resources bill seek to ensure fiscal
responsibility by streamlining project requirements and timelines. This
means allowing greater private contributions to infrastructure repairs and
deauthorizing projects no longer in the national interest.
The last time Congress passed WRDA legislation was 2007. The law authorizes
the Army Corps of Engineers to participate in water conservation and the
development of infrastructure projects throughout the country.
http://www.wicker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=2dd1a795-7fc6-4aff-bee2-2521bb6d9a3f
May Is American Wetlands Month
Jackson, Miss—May 2014 is the 24th anniversary of American Wetlands Month
that celebrates the vital importance of wetlands in our environment and the
significant benefits they provide. Wetlands improve water quality,
increase water storage and supply, provide flood risk reduction and provide
critical habitat for plants, fish and wildlife.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) reminds farmers and ranchers (producers) that
it is important to remain in compliance with wetland and highly erodible
land (HEL) regulations required by the agricultural act (Farm Bill) of
2014.
Producers should work closely with their local NRCS conservationists to
ensure conservation compliance requirements are being met when any land use
changes on farming lands and ranching operations occur. Staff at the NRCS
service center will work one-on-one with producers to ensure that farming
operations will protect wetlands and other natural resources without
jeopardizing their USDA farm program benefits.
Wetland conservation compliance prohibits the conversion of wetlands into
lands capable of producing agricultural commodities.
HEL conservation compliance requires that highly erodible land be farmed
according to an approved plan that minimizes soil erosion and maintains a
certain level of crop residue.
Altering a wetland by draining, dredging, filling, leveling or removing
woody vegetation or the cultivation of grasslands will cause a loss of
eligibility of USDA agricultural program incentives and crop insurance
subsidies.
For more information about conservation compliance and how it impacts your
farm or ranch, visit your local USDA/NRCS Service Center. To locate a
service center visit our website.
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/contact/local/
####
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