5.15.14
State
Tornado recovery costs adding up for cities, residents
Cost of cleanup supplemented by state, federal funds
WAPT
JACKSON, Miss. —People and cities hit hard by the tornado are starting to
feel the financial pinch in the second week of recovery.
http://www.wapt.com/news/tornado-recovery-costs-adding-up-for-cities-residents/25985630
Debris removal begins in Itawamba County
Itawamba County Times
Work on removing debris left in the wake of the April 28 tornado has begun
in Itawamba County.
http://itawambatimes.com/2014/05/14/debris-removal-begins-itawamba-county/
Water contact advisories issued by state DEQ
Sun Herald
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has issued another
round of contact advisories for Coast waters.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/14/5574674/around-south-mississippi.html?sp=/99/184/
KiOR's future remains in doubt
May 14, 2014 10:14:36 AM
Commercial Dispatch
William Browning - wbrowning@cdispatch.com
KiOR issued its report on the first quarter of 2014 to the Securities and
Exchange Commission on Monday and the company again stated that it has
concerns about its biofuel operation's future.
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=33379
Aberdeen seeks MDA grant for sewer improvements
Monroe Journal
by Ray Van Dusen | 6:00 am | May 12, 2014
ABERDEEN – The City of Aberdeen is applying for a $450,000 Mississippi
Development Authority Community Development Block Grant to update sewer
infrastructure in a seven to eight block area off of High Street.
http://monroecountyjournal.com/2014/05/12/aberdeen-seeks-mda-grant-sewer-improvements/
Old pipes damage Shaw infrastructure
Bolivar Commercial
by Paisley Boston
05.14.14 - 08:43 pm
For the past several months Shaw has been under a boil water notice but
according to Public Works Manager Keith Thomas, his department has been
making tremendous progress.
http://www.bolivarcom.com/view/full_story/25110533/article-Old-pipes-damage-Shaw-infrastructure?instance=latest_articles
Toyota's wood duck nesting project part of efforts to preserve environment
New Albany Gazette
In addition to rolling out a plethora of Toyota Corollas every day, the
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Mississippi, Inc. facility in Blue Springs is
also deemed the model sustainable assembly plant for North American
operations.
http://newalbanygazette.com/2014/05/09/toyotas-wood-duck-nesting-project-part-efforts-preserve-environment/
Regional
Gulf recreational red snapper season reduced to 9 days
Press-Register
Jeff Dute
May 14, 2014 at 2:33 PM
It's official - the 2014 recreational red snapper season in the Gulf of
Mexico is nine days long.
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/05/gulf_recreational_red_snapper.html#incart_river
National
Bakken Crude Is Highly Volatile, Oil Study Shows
Data Released by Refiners Group Confirm Earlier Findings on Petroleum From
Shale Deposit
Wall Street Journal
Data released by a lobbying group for oil refiners confirmed that crude
from the Bakken shale in North Dakota is very volatile and contains high
levels of combustible gases.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304908304579562471022167310?mg=reno64-wsj
Biodiesel producers cut back due to US policies, report says
The Hill
Almost eight in 10 biodiesel producers in the United States have cut back
production this year due to uncertainty over federal policies that
encourage making the fuels, the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) said.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/206152-biodiesel-producers-cut-back-due-to-us-policies-report-says
Oil Spills on Los Angeles Streets
Crude Oil Is Knee-High in Some Areas in Suburb of Glendale
AP
LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles Fire Department says a ruptured oil pipe near
the suburb of Glendale has spilled about 50,000 gallons of crude oil onto
streets.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/50-000-gallons-of-oil-spills-on-los-angeles-street-1400150447
Press Releases
Follow Us to EPA Southeast's New Twitter Handle
Contact: Davina Marraccini, 404-562-8293 (direct), 404-562-8400 (main),
marraccini.davina@epa.gov
ATLANTA – EPA Southeast's regional Twitter account has officially moved. In
keeping with EPA national naming conventions, the former regional Twitter
handle, @USEPASoutheast, has been changed to @EPASoutheast.
As of May 2014, @EPASoutheast has over 1,700 followers, including the
Council on Environmental Quality at the White House. EPA Southeast's
Twitter channel is the best source for up-to-the-minute news from the
agency, including all the ways federal employees are making a visible
difference in communities across the Southeast. EPA Southeast also tweets
about free resources designed to help individuals, families, businesses and
organizations become more environmentally sustainable. And followers can
receive job listings, grant opportunities, meeting and event announcements,
and much more.
Each month, EPA spotlights a particular environmental or health-related
issue on its Twitter channel. For example, the month of May is Asthma
Awareness Month. EPA Southeast Twitter followers can learn about
environmental Asthma triggers and how best to manage these triggers.
During natural disasters and other emergencies, followers can count on this
useful tool to get timely information about how they can protect
themselves, their families and the environment. First responders and the
public can respond to EPA Southeast's tweets in order to share information
immediately, greatly increasing situational awareness during an emergency
event.
Connect with EPA Region 4 on Facebook: www.facebook.com/eparegion4
And on Twitter: @EPASoutheast
EPA Extends Comment Period for Proposed New Safety Measures to Protect Farm
Workers from Pesticide Exposure
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is extending
the comment period for the proposed revisions to the agricultural Worker
Protection Standard for an additional 60 days, until August 18, 2014, in
response to requests from growers, industry, farmworker advocates and
states for additional time to provide input.
"The opportunity to revise the rule may not come again for some time, so we
are committed to getting it right," said Jim Jones, Assistant Administrator
for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. "Updating the
20-year old regulation to provide more protections to the nation's two
million farm workers and their families from pesticide exposure is a
priority for EPA."
The proposed changes provide significant improvements to worker training
regarding the safe use of pesticides, including how to prevent and
effectively treat pesticide exposure. Increased training from every five
years to every year and signage would help farmworkers protect themselves
and their families from pesticide exposure.
Workers and others near treated fields would be better protected from
pesticide overspray and fumes. In addition, the EPA has proposed that
children under 16 be legally barred from handling all pesticides. These
revisions protect workers while ensuring agricultural productivity and
preserving the traditions of and exemptions for family members working on
family farms.
To learn more and provide comments in English and Spanish:
http://www.epa.gov/oppfead1/safety/workers/proposed/index.html
