6/27/14
Oil Spill
Final plan for $627 million Phase III BP oil spill early restoration
projects released
Mark Schleifstein
The Times-Picayune
June 26, 2014 at 1:41 PM
The final plan and accompanying environmental impact statement for the $627
million, 44-project Phase III BP oil spill early restoration plan were made
available to the public on federal and state websites Wednesday (June 25).
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/06/final_plan_for_627_million_pha.html#incart_river
Dispersant chemical found in beach oil patties four years after BP
Deepwater Horizon oil spill, new study says
Mark Schleifstein
The Times-Picayune
June 26, 2014 at 6:41 PM
Traces of a chemical contained in dispersants used to break up oil during
the 87-day BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 were found in material
deposited on deepwater corals six months after the spill, and in weathered
oil patties on Gulf Coast beaches four years later, according to a
scientific letter published online this week in Environmental Science &
Technology, the peer-reviewed research journal of the American Chemical
Society.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/06/dispersant_chemical_found_in_b.html#incart_river
State
A Q&A with Gov. Phil Bryant — Energy, oil and other things
MBJ
by Ted Carter
Published: June 26,2014
Gov. Phil Bryant earlier this month delivered a keynote address to oil
company executives and others gathered in Houston for the Tuscaloosa Marine
Shale Summit.
Upon his return, the governor's office agreed to answer a series of
questions on the subject of the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2014/06/26/qa-gov-phil-bryant-energy-oil-things/
Repairs expected soon for pair of Lamar County dams
Hattiesburg American
PURVIS – Bids to repair a pair of diminished dams in the Lake Serene
system are expected to be let next month, though Lamar County will
have to do it with three contracts instead of two.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story/news/local/lamar-county/2014/06/26/don-walker-lake-serene-dams-repairs-lamar-county/11428499/
Big investment in Halcón drilling reflects confidence in a lucrative TMS
MBJ
by Ted Carter
Published: June 26,2014
A private equity firm's pledge to invest up to $400 million in Halcón
Resources' deep drilling in Mississippi and Louisiana could lead to a
doubling of Halcón's 2015 operations in the region.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2014/06/26/big-investment-halcon-drilling-reflects-confidence-lucrative-tms/
CMR votes to give the DMR right to extend recreational red snapper season
in July in state waters
Mississippi Press
Al Jones
June 26, 2014 at 5:52 PM
BILOXI, Mississippi - The Mississippi Commission on Marine Resources voted
Thursday to give Jamie Miller, the current executive director of the
Mississippi Department of Marine Resources in Biloxi, the option to extend
the recreational red snapper season within state waters.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-sports/2014/06/cmr_votes_to_give_the_dmr_righ.html#incart_river
Keith Davis named DMR's new Chief of Marine Patrol
Mississippi Press
Warren Kulo
BILOXI, Mississippi --Moss Point Police Chief Keith Davis has been named
the new Chief of Marine Patrol for the Mississippi Department of Marine
Resources.
Davis resigned from the MPPD June 12 and his last day is Friday. He begins
his new job Tuesday.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/06/keith_davis_named_dmrs_new_chi.html#incart_river
Gulfport dredging project to begin in September
WLOX
GULFPORT, MS (WLOX) -A project to dredge the ship channel at the Port of
Gulfport will begin in September. The port authority board on Thursday
approved an agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers to proceed.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25883031/gulfport-dredging-project-to-begin-in-september
National
White flag waved by U.S. EPA on Texas environmental air permitting issue
Austin American-Statesman
Marking an end to bitter debate between federal and state regulators, the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday gave final approval to
Texas' flexible permit program.
http://www.statesman.com/weblogs/salsa-verde/2014/jun/26/white-flag-waved-us-epa-texas-environmental-air-pe/
DOE project hits carbon-capture milestone
The Hill
The Department of Energy (DOE) touted the carbon-capture technology it is
funding Thursday, saying a project at a hydrogen production facility in
Port Arthur, Texas, has now captured more than 1 million tons of carbon
dioxide.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/210681-doe-project-hits-carbon-capture-milestone
Norfolk Southern to Require Legal Protection Against Older Tank Cars
Change Would Take Effect Nine Days After Anniversary of Lac-Mégantic
Derailment and Explosion
Wall Street Journal
Norfolk Southern Corp. NSC -0.65% has become the first big American freight
railroad to require its customers to give the railroad legal protection
against damages from fires, explosions or the release of hazardous
materials carried in tank cars that don't meet the rail industry's latest
standards.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/norfolk-southern-to-require-legal-protection-against-older-tank-cars-1403822751
Air Pollution Spikes In Homes Near Fracking Wells
Forbes
Levels of particulate matter spike at night inside homes near gas wells in
Southwest Pennsylvania, the director of an environmental health monitoring
project said Wednesday.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2014/06/26/air-pollution-spikes-in-homes-near-fracking-wells/
FEDS NIX EAGLE PENALTIES FOR CALIFORNIA WIND FARM
AP
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — A California wind farm will become the first in the
nation to avoid prosecution if eagles are injured or die when they run into
the giant turning blades, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Thursday.
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/feds-nix-wind-farm-penalties-eagle-deaths
Press Releases
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| Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces the 2014 National Urban and |
|Community Forestry Challenge Grants to Support Climate Resilience and Green |
| Infrastructure |
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|WASHINGTON, June 26, 2014 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today |
|announced the 2014 USDA Forest Service's National Urban and Community |
|Forestry Challenge grant recipients. The grants provide funding that will |
|help enhance urban forest stewardship, support new employment opportunities,|
|and help build resilience in the face of a changing climate. Close to 80 |
|percent of the U.S. population lives in urban areas and depends on the |
|essential ecological, economic, and social benefits provided by urban trees |
|and forests. Climate and extreme weather events pose threats to urban trees |
|and forests requiring increased investment in management, restoration and |
|stewardship. |
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|"Our urban and community forests provide clean water, clean air, energy |
|conservation and other important benefits for the health and economic |
|well-being of communities across the country," said Vilsack. "The grants |
|announced today will help catalyze investment and strengthen stewardship of |
|our urban forests to maintain their many contributions amid new risks from |
|climate change." |
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|In the United States alone, urban trees store over 708 million tons of |
|carbon and can help further reduce emissions by lowering electricity demand |
|for summer air conditioning and winter heating. Well maintained urban |
|forests can help address climate and extreme weather impacts through |
|reducing runoff, buffering high winds, controlling erosion, and minimizing |
|the impacts of drought. Urban forests also provide critical social and |
|cultural benefits that may strengthen community resilience to climate change|
|through promoting social interaction and community stability. |
| |
| |
|The grant proposals were recommended by the Secretary's National Urban and |
|Community Forestry Advisory Council and will address urban forest resiliency|
|to extreme weather events and the long-term impacts of climate change; |
|strategies for bolstering green jobs; and opportunities to use green |
|infrastructure to manage and mitigate stormwater and improve water quality. |
| |
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|Today's announcements were made in connection with the one-year anniversary |
|of President Obama's Climate Action Plan and support the plan's objectives |
|of maintaining the role of forests in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and |
|preparing communities for the impacts of a changing climate. Over the past |
|year, USDA has announced numerous initiatives in support of the President's |
|Climate Action Plan including the availability of over $320 million for |
|renewable energy and energy efficiency investments and the launch of the |
|first ever Regional Hubs that will help farmers, ranchers and forest |
|landowners get the information and data they need to make informed decisions|
|in response to a changing climate. USDA has also led efforts to address |
|risks and support recovery from severe wildfire and drought and has provided|
|over $740 million in assistance and disaster relief to support communities |
|and producers impacted by drought thus far in 2014. In addition, through the|
|2014 Farm Bill, USDA will invest $880 million dollars towards renewable |
|energy production such as wind and solar, advanced biofuel production, |
|energy efficiency for rural small businesses and farms as well as research |
|and development for fuels and products that replace petroleum and other |
|energy-intensive products. |
| |
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|The 2014 grant recipients are: |
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|Category 1: Making Urban Trees and Forests More Resilient to the Impacts of |
|Natural Disasters and the Long-term Impacts of Climate Change |
| |
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|University of Florida, Mobile Tree Failure Prediction for Storm Preparation |
|and Response; |
| |
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|Federal Grant Amount: $281,648 |
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|This proposed modeling system will assist urban forest managers in |
|predicting tree failure during storms by developing a data collection model |
|and a mobile Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping application to |
|quantify tree risk in communities. The results and a best management |
|practices manual will be made available to all researchers and professionals|
|through the International Tree Failure Database, providing the standardized |
|data needed to enhance our understanding of wind-related tree failure. |
| |
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|Category 2: Green Infrastructure Jobs Analysis |
| |
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|Jobs for the Future, Jobs for the Future Green Infrastructure Jobs Analysis |
| |
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|Federal Grant Amount: $175,000 |
| |
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|Jobs for the Future will conduct a labor market analysis that will build a |
|business case for important green infrastructure investments in our |
|communities. This will include strategies for expanding green infrastructure|
|job growth in both the private and public sectors. |
| |
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|Category 3: Utilizing Green Infrastructure to Manage and Mitigate Stormwater|
|to Improve Water Quality |
| |
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|University of South Florida, From Gray to Green: Tools for Transitioning to |
|Vegetation-Based Stormwater Management |
| |
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|Federal Grant Amount: $149,722 |
| |
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|Many communities lack systematic strategies to transition from the existing |
|conventional (gray) drainage systems to green infrastructure. This project |
|will provide natural resource managers, planners, and engineers with |
|decision-support tools to aid the strategic planning process for |
|transitioning to green infrastructure systems that emphasize trees and urban|
|forests. |
| |
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|University of Tennessee, Storm Water Goes Green: Investigating the Benefit |
|and Health of Urban Trees in Green Infrastructure Installations |
| |
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|Federal Grant Amount: $200,322 |
| |
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|The contribution of trees to storm water management is not well understood. |
|Project will demonstrate the role of trees in bio retention areas and |
|provide recommendations regarding system design and tree species selection |
|to maximize bio retention area functionality and tree health. |
| |
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|Center for Watershed Protection, Making Urban Trees Count: A Project to |
|Demonstrate the Role of Urban Trees in Achieving Regulatory Compliance for |
|Clean Water Research |
| |
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|Federal Grant Amount: $103,120 |
| |
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|Project will assist storm water managers with how to "credit" trees for |
|runoff and pollutant load reduction in order to compare with other best |
|management practices. A proposed design specification model for urban tree |
|planting will address crediting, verification, cost-effectiveness, and tree |
|health. |
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|For more information about the National Urban and Community Forestry |
|Advisory Council, please visit www.fs.fed.us/ucf/nucfac.html. |
| |
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|The mission of the U.S. Forest Service, an agency of the Department of |
|Agriculture, is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the |
|nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future |
|generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides |
|assistance to state and private landowners and maintains the largest |
|forestry research organization in the world. Public lands the U.S. Forest |
|Service manages contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year |
|through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of the |
|nation's clean water supply, a value estimated at $7.2 billion per year. The|
|agency also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 80 |
|percent of the 850 million forested acres within the U.S., of which 100 |
|million acres are urban forests where most Americans live. |
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