6/18/14
Oil Spill
Feds want time to decide on retrial for ex-BP engineer
The Associated Press
June 17, 2014 at 6:31 PM
Federal prosecutors are asking a judge for additional time to decide
whether they should appeal an order throwing out the conviction of a former
BP engineer in connection with the 2010 Gulf oil spill investigation.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/06/feds_want_time_to_decide_on_re.html#incart_river
State
Where it goes: Tupelo debris piled 50 feet high at rubbish site
By Dennis Seid
Daily Journal
SALTILLO – Under a 5-acre hill lie millions of pounds of debris from the
April 28 tornado.
http://djournal.com/news/goes-tupelo-debris-piled-50-feet-high-rubbish-site/
Mississippi Water Conservation project announced
Hattiesburg American
The Mississippi Delta Sustainable Water Resources Task Force
recently a sign-up for the Mississippi Water Conservation Management
Project through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program of the
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story/news/2014/06/17/mississippi-water-conservation/10672761/
Gulfport council moves forward with $30 million water, sewer bond issue
Rate hike part of proposal
Sun Herald
BY MARY MARGARET HALFORD
GULFPORT -- The city is a step closer to working on up to $30 million in
projects after the City Council passed a bond issue Tuesday. With that will
come water- and sewer-rate hikes, but city officials are unsure of how much
those will be.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/06/17/5654422/gulfport-council-to-consider-30m.html?sp=/99/184/185/
Old Sewer Lines a Major Problem in Small Towns
WCBI
WINONA, Miss. (WCBI)- "It's just a big inconvenience."
Brittany Hardin feels trapped whenever she steps outside.
http://www.wcbi.com/wordpress/video-old-sewer-lines-a-major-problem-in-small-towns
Tensions fly in Lumberton council meeting over possible dump site
WDAM
According to a notice of intent, a permit for Rolloff Recycling Center was
received on March 28th for a solid waste processing facility off Yawn
School Road in Lumberton. According to Mayor Ben Winston, Lumberton was not
informed by Lamar County until June 10. One woman says the citizens were
informed by a piece of paper posted at the library on Tuesday.
http://www.wdam.com/story/25801521/lamar-county-residents-outraged-over-miscommunication
Application process begins for federal conservation initiative
by MBJ Staff
Published: June 17,2014
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI — The United States Department of Agriculture Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications for the
Upper Black Creek Watershed Initiative through the Environmental Quality
Incentives Program (EQIP).
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2014/06/17/application-process-begins-federal-conservation-initiative/
MEI tour aims at landing chemical manufacturers
by MBJ Staff
Published: June 18,2014
JACKSON — The Mississippi Energy Institute, partnering with the Mississippi
Development Authority and seven local economic development organizations,
recently led a tour from the Gulf Coast to the Delta evaluating potential
sites for chemical manufacturing facilities.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2014/06/18/mei-tour-aims-landing-chemical-manufacturers/
National
Recycling Vexes Rural Areas
Houses Too Far Apart for Pickup, Dumps Too Cheap; Drowning in Plastic
Bottles
Wall Street Journal
CHARLESTON, W.Va.—Residents in this rural, mountainous region consumed at
least 20 million bottles of water after a chemical spill contaminated the
water supply earlier this year.
…Mississippi recently awarded $1 million in grants to four communities
seeking to build "hub-and-spoke" networks, which could pool their
collection to make recycling financially viable, according to the
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/recycling-vexes-rural-areas-1403050978
EPA's McCarthy: No 'war on coal'
The Hill
By Timothy Cama
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chief Gina McCarthy Tuesday sought to
clarify recent comments on her agency's power plant emissions rules, saying
she is not waging a "war on coal."
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/209634-epas-mccarthy-no-war-on-coal
Senate sends Obama bill to research algae harm on fish
The Hill
By Ramsey Cox
The Senate accepted House changes Tuesday to a bill that requires the
administration to report to Congress on the harmful effects too much algae
are having on fish.
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/209690-senate-sends-obama-bill-to-research-algae-harm-on-fish
Idaho Aims to Control Water Pollution Permits
AP
BOISE (AP) — Idaho hopes to take control of water pollution permits from
the federal Environmental Protection Agency, which operates only three
other state programs in the nation.
http://magicvalley.com/news/local/idaho-aims-to-control-water-pollution-permits/article_9bbf925e-f678-11e3-83c3-0019bb2963f4.html
Obama wants to create world's largest ocean preserve
Obama wants to keep wide swath of ocean off limits
BY JOSH LEDERMAN
Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama is looking to create the largest
marine preserve in the world by protecting a massive stretch of the Pacific
Ocean from drilling, fishing and other actions that could threaten
wildlife, the White House said.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/06/17/5655322/obama-wants-to-create-worlds-largest.html?sp=/99/102/
Opinion
SUN HERALD | Editorial: Walker and Janus have 'a price to pay'
U.S. District Court Judge Keith Starrett sent a resoundingly clear message
from his courtroom in Hattiesburg on Tuesday that there should be no
tolerance for betraying the public's trust.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/06/17/5655082/sun-herald-editorial-walker-and.html?sp=/99/728/
Press Releases
Governor Bryant to Deliver Keynote Address at Tuscaloosa Marine Shale E&P
Summit
JACKSON—Gov. Phil Bryant will deliver the keynote address at the second
Tuscaloosa Marine Shale E&P Summit in Houston, Texas, on June 18. The
summit, which runs from June17-19, brings together industry leaders to
discuss the latest activity, technology and practices in the Tuscaloosa
Marine Shale.
The Tuscaloosa Marine Shale is an oil and gas shale formation that spans
portions of southwest Mississippi. Recent advances in extraction technology
have lead to an increase in oil production in the TMS, with more than 1
million barrels produced from Mississippi wells in the past several years,
primarily in Amite and Wilkinson Counties. Extraction in shale oil plays
around the country has accounted for the majority of recent growth in U.S.
domestic oil production.
As part of his "Energy Works" agenda, Gov. Bryant has lead efforts to build
a favorable development climate in the TMS. In 2013, the governor supported
and signed into law a measure to reduce the severance tax on horizontally
drilled wells, and during the 2014 legislative session, he supported and
signed a measure to create more manageable drilling timelines for well
operators and owners.
For more information about the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale E&P Summit, visit
http://www.infocastinc.com/events/Tuscaloosa
For more information on Mississippi's energy landscape, visit
http://www.mississippi.org/energy/.
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EPA Selects Six Universities to Help Find New Uses for Toxics Data
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today
its selection of academic partners for the 2014 Toxics Release Inventory
(TRI) University Challenge, a project designed to find innovative ways to
increase public awareness of industrial releases of toxic chemicals in
communities and around the country.
"For more than 25 years, EPA has gathered critical environmental data to
provide communities with information that empowers them to protect their
air, water, and land," said Renee P. Wynn, acting assistant administrator
for EPA's Office of Environmental Information. "Through the 2014 TRI
University Challenge, we hope to raise student awareness of environmental
data and programs while improving research on our environmental challenges
to further our work to protect human health and the environment."
TRI provides communities with information about toxic chemical releases to
the air, water, and land, as well as what industries are doing to reduce
and prevent these releases. TRI helps industry, government,
non-governmental organizations, and the public make more informed decisions
to protect their health and environment.
The TRI University Challenge is open to anyone affiliated with an
accredited college or university. The selected projects for 2014 were
proposed by faculty and students from Drew University, Southeastern
Louisiana University, the State University of New York at Plattsburgh,
Tennessee State University, the University of California Los Angeles, and
the University of South Carolina.
Through these partnerships, EPA will work with six diverse academic
institutions to develop practical and replicable projects focused on data
visualization and analytics for improving the presentation and
understanding of TRI data.
The 2014 TRI University Challenge follows the successful 2013-2014
Challenge, in which eight academic partners collaborated with EPA on
projects related to environmental education, pollution prevention,
stakeholder engagement, and data mash-ups.
While there is no financial award for this Challenge, academic partners
will receive support from TRI Program staff and national recognition by
being featured on the TRI University Challenge website. In addition,
partners will be encouraged to pursue opportunities to speak at relevant
conferences and events.
The selected projects will begin in the fall of 2014 and are expected to
conclude at the end of the academic year in the summer of 2015.
More information on the TRI University Challenge:
www.epa.gov/tri/university
More information about TRI: www.epa.gov/tri
