6.2.2014
Oil Spill
BP and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries debate fishing areas
still closed from oil spill
Benjamin Alexander-Bloch
The Times-Picayune
May 30, 2014 at 4:06 PM
Following a Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries statement this
week labeling shrimp from areas still closed from the 2010 BP Deepwater
Horizon oil spill a "public health risk," BP took the offensive stating it
was "at a complete loss to understand the basis for LDWF's actions."
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/05/bp_and_louisiana_department_of.html#incart_river
Louisiana lawmakers divide expected oil spill recovery funds
AP
BATON ROUGE — Louisiana lawmakers want to steer Gulf oil spill recovery
money to help refill the state's "rainy day" fund and an elderly trust fund
that was raided to fill budget holes.
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/viewart/20140531/NEWS01/305310034/Louisiana-lawmakers-divide-expected-oil-spill-recovery-funds
July 9 hearing set in BP employees' criminal case
AP
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals court has set a July 9 hearing in the
manslaughter case against two BP employees charged in connection with the
2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion that killed 11 offshore rig workers.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/texas/article/July-9-hearing-set-in-BP-employees-criminal-case-5518588.php
State
Judge will not dismiss DEQ public records lawsuit
Clarion Ledger
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality failed to
convince a judge that its wholesale redaction of invoices totaling
some $6 million didn't violate the state Public Records Act.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2014/05/30/judge-will-dismiss-deq-public-records-lawsuit/9799811/
Gulfport works to tackle illegal dumping problem
WLOX
GULFPORT, MS (WLOX) -If you live in Gulfport, you know that the city is
tackling illegal dumping by giving residents a more convenient way to get
rid of items they don't want. Keep Gulfport Clean and Green is a city wide
anti-litter campaign and part of the strategy to create a cleaner city by
temporarily placing dumpsters in residential neighborhoods.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25656178/gulfport-tries-to-tackle-illegal-dumping
Mississippi red snapper count begin Sunday night, forms available
Mississippi Press
May 31, 2014 at 7:57 AM
BILOXI, Mississippi -- The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources is
asking recreational fishermen to participate in a voluntary reporting
program for red snapper during the 2014 season.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/05/mississippi_red_snapper_count.html
ANALYSIS: Despite officials acting in 'bad faith,' DMR records reach
newspaper
Sun Herald
BY ANITA LEE
More than 17 months after the Sun Herald requested business records from
what was then a scandal-ridden agency, the state Department of Marine
Resources, those records have finally reached the newspaper's office.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/30/5614030/despite-officials-acting-in-bad.html?sp=/99/184/832/
Regional
Louisiana's regulation and inspection of oil and gas wells, including
'orphaned' wells, is inadequate, Legislative Auditor finds
Mark Schleifstein
The Times-Picayune
June 02, 2014 at 6:16 AM
The state Department of Natural Resources' Office of Conservation is doing
an inadequate job of regulating and inspecting the state's oil and gas
wells, and is not properly overseeing a growing number of "orphaned" wells
abandoned by private operators, according to a report released Monday by
Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/06/louisianas_regulation_and_insp.html#incart_river
National
EPA seeks to cut power plant carbon by 30 percent
BY DINA CAPPIELLO
Associated Press
June 2, 2014
WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday will roll out a
plan to cut carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by 30 percent by
2030, setting the first national limits on the chief gas linked to global
warming.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/06/02/5617949/epa-seeks-to-cut-power-plant-carbon.html?sp=/99/102/
EPA to Seek 30% Cut in Emissions at Power Plants
Plan Sets in Motion Main Piece of President's Climate-Change Agenda
Wall Street Journal
WASHINGTON—The Environmental Protection Agency will propose mandating power
plants cut U.S. carbon-dioxide emissions 30% by 2030 from levels of 25
years earlier, according to people briefed on the rule, an ambitious target
that marks the first-ever attempt at limiting such pollution.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/epa-carbon-emissions-rules-carry-political-risks-for-some-democrats-1401658355
Q&A: What Will EPA's Climate-Change Rule Do?
Wall Street Journal
President Barack Obama is tackling climate change through regulation. With
a proposed rule being announced Monday, the Environmental Protection Agency
is using the Clean Air Act to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from
hundreds of power plants across the U.S. though complex proposal running
hundreds of pages. Here is a Q&A:
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2014/06/02/qa-what-will-epas-climate-change-rule-do/
States move to blunt Obama carbon reduction plan to be announced Monday
The Associated Press
June 01, 2014 at 8:07 PM
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- As President Barack Obama prepares to announce
tougher new air quality standards, lawmakers in several states already are
trying to blunt the impact on aging coal-fired power plants that feed
electricity to millions of consumers.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/06/states_move_to_blunt_obama_car.html#incart_river
Trying to Reclaim Leadership on Climate Change
NY Times
By JUSTIN GILLIS and HENRY FOUNTAIN
JUNE 1, 2014
At the end of his first year in office, President Obama
flew to Copenhagen and made a big promise: that the United
States would cut its greenhouse gas emissions
substantially by 2020 — a bold and risky pledge that
hinged on a balky Congress to make it possible. His
efforts became bogged down within months, and Mr. Obama's
pledge to the rest of the world soon looked like a pipe
dream.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/02/us/politics/obama-tries-to-reclaim-leadership-on-climate-change.html?ref=earth&_r=0
Obama administration to announce controversial emissions cap on power
plants
Published June 02, 2014
FoxNews.com
The Obama administration on Monday is set to announce the first-ever
national limits on carbon emissions from existing power plants, a
controversial regulation aimed at fulfilling a key plank of President
Obama's climate change agenda.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/06/02/obama-to-announce-rule-to-limit-emissions-from-fossil-burning-plants-part-his/
Fracking wells possible culprit of Texas earthquakes
USA Today
RENO, Texas — The first time the earth shook their home, David and
Meredith Hull thought it was a propane tank exploding outside, an
odd but rare phenomenon.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/06/01/earthquakes-texas-fracking-wells/9765659/
White House Proposes Updated Great Lakes Plan
By JOHN FLESHER AP Environmental Writer
The Obama administration on Friday proposed an updated five-year blueprint
for Great Lakes environmental protection that would put greater emphasis on
climate change and using science to choose cleanup projects.
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/administration-proposes-updated-great-lakes-plan-23929604
Press Releases
EPA Proposes First Guidelines to Cut Carbon Pollution from Existing Power
Plants
Clean Power Plan is flexible proposal to ensure a healthier environment,
spur innovation and strengthen the economy
WASHINGTON – At the direction of President Obama and after an unprecedented
outreach effort, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is today
releasing the Clean Power Plan proposal, which for the first time cuts
carbon pollution from existing power plants, the single largest source of
carbon pollution in the United States. Today's proposal will protect public
health, move the United States toward a cleaner environment and fight
climate change while supplying Americans with reliable and affordable
power.
"Climate change, fueled by carbon pollution, supercharges risks to our
health, our economy, and our way of life. EPA is delivering on a vital
piece of President Obama's Climate Action Plan by proposing a Clean Power
Plan that will cut harmful carbon pollution from our largest source--power
plants," said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. "By leveraging cleaner
energy sources and cutting energy waste, this plan will clean the air we
breathe while helping slow climate change so we can leave a safe and
healthy future for our kids. We don't have to choose between a healthy
economy and a healthy environment--our action will sharpen America's
competitive edge, spur innovation, and create jobs."
Power plants account for roughly one-third of all domestic greenhouse gas
emissions in the United States. While there are limits in place for the
level of arsenic, mercury, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particle
pollution that power plants can emit, there are currently no national
limits on carbon pollution levels.
With the Clean Power Plan, EPA is proposing guidelines that build on trends
already underway in states and the power sector to cut carbon pollution
from existing power plants, making them more efficient and less polluting.
This proposal follows through on the common-sense steps laid out in
President Obama's Climate Action Plan and the June 2013 Presidential
Memorandum.
By 2030, the steady and responsible steps EPA is taking will:
· Cut carbon emission from the power sector by 30 percent nationwide
below 2005 levels, which is equal to the emissions from powering more
than half the homes in the United States for one year;
· Cut particle pollution, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide by more
than 25 percent as a co-benefit;
· Avoid up to 6,600 premature deaths, up to 150,000 asthma attacks in
children, and up to 490,000 missed work or school days—providing up
to $93 billion in climate and public health benefits; and
· Shrink electricity bills roughly 8 percent by increasing energy
efficiency and reducing demand in the electricity system.
The Clean Power Plan will be implemented through a state-federal
partnership under which states identify a path forward using either current
or new electricity production and pollution control policies to meet the
goals of the proposed program. The proposal provides guidelines for states
to develop plans to meet state-specific goals to reduce carbon pollution
and gives them the flexibility to design a program that makes the most
sense for their unique situation. States can choose the right mix of
generation using diverse fuels, energy efficiency and demand-side
management to meet the goals and their own needs. It allows them to work
alone to develop individual plans or to work together with other states to
develop multi-state plans.
Also included in today's proposal is a flexible timeline for states to
follow for submitting plans to the agency—with plans due in June 2016, with
the option to use a two-step process for submitting final plans if more
time is needed. States that have already invested in energy efficiency
programs will be able to build on these programs during the compliance
period to help make progress toward meeting their goal.
Since last summer, EPA has directly engaged with state, tribal, and local
governments, industry and labor leaders, non-profits, and others. The data,
information and feedback provided during this effort helped guide the
development of the proposal and further confirmed that states have been
leading the way for years in saving families and businesses money through
improving efficiency, while cleaning up pollution from power plants. To
date, 47 states have utilities that run demand-side energy efficiency
programs, 38 have renewable portfolio standards or goals, and 10 have
market-based greenhouse gas emissions programs. Together, the agency
believes that these programs represent a proven, common-sense approach to
cutting carbon pollution—one in which electricity is generated and used as
efficiently as possible and which promotes a greater reliance on
lower-carbon power sources.
Today's announcement marks the beginning of the second phase of the
agency's outreach efforts. EPA will accept comment on the proposal for 120
days after publication in the Federal Register and will hold four public
hearings on the proposed Clean Power Plan during the week of July 28 in the
following cities: Denver, Atlanta, Washington, DC and Pittsburgh. Based on
this input, EPA will finalize standards next June following the schedule
laid out in the June 2013 Presidential Memorandum.
In 2009, EPA determined that greenhouse gas pollution threatens Americans'
health and welfare by leading to long lasting changes in our climate that
can have a range of negative effects on human health and the environment.
Taking steady, responsible steps to cut carbon pollution from existing
power plants will protect children's health and will move our nation toward
a cleaner, more stable environment for future generations, while supplying
the reliable, affordable power needed for economic growth.
Fact sheets and details about the proposed rule available at:
http://www.epa.gov/cleanpowerplan
More information on President Obama's Climate Action Plan:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/climate-change
Video on today's announcement from Administrator Gina McCarthy:
http://www.epa.gov/
EPA and Reckitt Benckiser Inc. Reach Agreement to Cancel Certain
Rodenticide Products
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached
agreement with Reckitt Benckiser Inc. to cancel 12 d-CON mouse and rat
poison products that do not currently comply with EPA safety standards.
"Millions of households use mouse and rat poison products each year.
Canceling these products will help prevent risks to children, pets and
wildlife," said Jim Jones, Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of
Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. "This voluntary move will get us
far faster results than would otherwise be achieved through an
administrative process."
Before EPA tightened the safety standards for household rat and mouse
poison products, more than 10,000 children a year were accidentally
exposed. Since the new standard took effect, the number of children exposed
has decreased. The agency worked with a number of companies to develop
safer mouse and rat poison products that are effective, affordable and
widely available.
The cancellation of these 12 d-CON products that do not comply with current
standards will continue the trend of reduced exposure to children, pets and
wildlife. The company has agreed to stop production by the end of the year
and stop distribution to retailers by March 31, 2015. The new standards
require consumer mouse and rat poison products to be housed in protective
bait stations.
Pellets and other bait forms that cannot be secured in bait stations are
prohibited. EPA also prohibits the sale of products containing
brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difethialone and difenacoum to residential
consumers because of their greater risk to wildlife such as mountain lions,
eagles, wolves and foxes.
For more information, visit:
http://www2.epa.gov/rodenticides/canceling-some-d-con-mouse-and-rat-control-products
For a complete list of the homeowner use rat and mouse products that meet
EPA's safety standards, visit:
http://www2.epa.gov/rodenticides/choosing-bait-station-household-use
