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
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|USDA Provides Assistance to Agricultural Producers to Improve Water Quality |
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| Priority Watersheds Including Chesapeake, Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico and |
| Mississippi Targeted |
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|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. |
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|"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." |
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|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. |
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|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. |
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|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. |
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|"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." |
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|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. |
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|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. |
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|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. |
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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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