7/21/2014
State
Lauderdale County Gets Grant from MDEQ
WTOK
The state of Mississippi has awarded a grant to Lauderdale County to help
address the problem of illegal dumping.
http://www.wtok.com/home/headlines/Lauderdale-County-Gets-Grant-from-MDEQ-267089961.html
Action Report: Lift station nearing completion after 3 years
WLOX
William and Shirley Windham first contacted me in April of 2013. The
retired school teachers said a lift station project that began in 2011 had
stalled for about a year.
http://www.wlox.com/story/26057210/action-report-follow-up-biloxi-lift-station-nearing-completion-after-3-years
Biloxi to hold public meeting about $355M infrastructure project
WLOX
The City of Biloxi is getting closer to beginning the largest phase of its
multimillion dollar infrastructure project. This Thursday night, the city
will host a community meeting to prepare residents for what is in store.
http://www.wlox.com/story/26066014/biloxi-to-hold-public-meeting-about-355m-infrastructure-project
Complaint filed against DMR over tracking of agency expenses
Sun Herald
BY ANITA LEE
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources failed to track all expenses
it paid for accounting and other professional services under a contract
with Horne LLP of Jackson, according to a complaint filed with the state
auditor.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/07/18/5704745/complaint-filed-against-dmr-over.html?sp=/99/184/832/
Severstal selling plants, including Severstal Columbus
by Associated Press
Published: July 21,2014
COLUMBUS — Russian steel company Severstal is exiting the U.S. market,
selling a pair of steel plants to AK Steel and Steel Dynamics for about
$2.33 billion.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2014/07/21/severstal-selling-plants-including-severstal-columbus/
Mississippi Delta declared national treasure by U.S. Department of Interior
The Mississippi Press
GREENVILLE, Mississippi -- The attributes of the Delta and the challenges
it faces are inevitably linked.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/07/mississippi_delta_declared_nat.html#incart_river
Oil Spill
Newly-discovered Gulf crustacean named after Deepwater Horizon oil spill
researcher
Mississippi Press
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas -- A newly-discovered deep-sea crustacean has been
named in honor of Dr. Paul Montagna, Endowed Chair for Ecosystem Studies
and Modeling at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, for his long and distinguished career
studying marine ecosystem dynamics in the Gulf of Mexico.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/07/newly-discovered_gulf_crustace.html#incart_river
$15M earmarked for La.'s Gulf oil spill litigation
AP
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Lawmakers added $15 million Friday to the attorney
general's budget to pay for Louisiana's ongoing legal case against BP for
damages caused by the 2010 Gulf oil spill.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/energy/article/15M-earmarked-for-La-s-Gulf-oil-spill-litigation-5631026.php
Regional
EPA: Duke Done Dredging Coal Ash From NC River
AP
Duke Energy has completed removal of large pockets of coal ash from the Dan
River months after a massive spill at a North Carolina power plant, federal
environmental officials said Thursday.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/epa-duke-dredging-coal-ash-nc-river-24603534
Project at Ky. coal plant to trap carbon dioxide
The Associated PressJuly 21, 2014
HARRODSBURG, KY. — Kentucky elected officials and representatives from the
U.S. Department of Energy will visit a central Kentucky coal power plant to
tout a project that will capture and store carbon dioxide emissions.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/07/21/5707178/project-at-ky-coal-plant-to-trap.html?sp=/99/102/
National
Farm groups marshaling support to scrap EPA's proposed water rule
Delta Farm Press
Hembree Brandon
Fri, 2014-07-18 09:26
Agricultural organizations are marshaling forces to defeat a proposed rule
by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Corps of Engineers that
would expand the regulatory authority of those agencies under the Clean
Water Act, with significant impact on U.S. farming practices, they say.
http://deltafarmpress.com/government/farm-groups-marshaling-support-scrap-epa-s-proposed-water-rule
Senate panel to probe EPA's power plant rule
The Hill
By Benjamin Goad
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy will testify
next week in defense of the Obama administration's proposal to impose new
greenhouse gas limits on power plants currently in operation.
http://thehill.com/regulation/212662-senate-panel-to-probe-epas-power-plant-rule
$2.9 million deal reached in W.Va. chemical spill
The Hill
Plaintiffs' attorneys have reached a $2.9 million lawsuit settlement deal
with the company responsible for a West Virginia chemical spill that
contaminated the drinking water for about 300,000 residents near
Charleston.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/212738-29-million-deal-reached-in-wva-chemical-spill
Opinion
U.S. water quality: No day at the beach
Denver Post
Andrea Gelfuso Goetz
Colorado Voices
What do you pack for a day at the shore? How about a hepatitis shot,
antibiotic ointment, and a vomit bucket?
http://www.denverpost.com/voices/ci_26173061/u-s-water-quality-no-day-at-beach
Press Releases
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| Watershed Rehabilitation Funding to Repair Dams in 26 States |
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| Natural Resources Chief Joins House Ag Chairman to Highlight Projects that |
| will Protect Lives, Provide Jobs |
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|PERRY, Oklahoma, July 18, 2014 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today |
|announced that communities across the nation will benefit from a $262 |
|million investment to rehabilitate dams that provide critical infrastructure|
|and protect public health and safety. Natural Resources Conservation Service|
|(NRCS) Chief Jason Weller and Representative Frank Lucas, chairman of the |
|House Committee on Agriculture, were in Oklahoma to recognize the importance|
|of this announcement to agriculture and communities nationwide. |
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|"This investment will protect people and property from floods, help keep our|
|water clean, and ensure that critical structures continue to provide |
|benefits for future generations," Weller said. "Families, businesses and our|
|agriculture economy depend on responsible management of dams and watersheds,|
|and we are continuing to provide that support to these communities." |
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|A number of the projects to be funded are in Oklahoma and Weller noted that |
|the state had the first full watershed plan and structure completed by USDA |
|on private lands in the 1940s. The 2014 Farm Bill, signed into law by |
|President Obama earlier this year, increased the typical annual investment |
|in watershed rehabilitation by almost 21 fold, recognizing the critical role|
|of these structures in flood management, water supply, and agricultural |
|productivity. Earlier this week the President discussed the importance of |
|infrastructure to job creation and commerce, noting that "Funding |
|infrastructure projects helps our families, it fuels our economy, and it |
|better positions America for the future." |
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|From the 1940s through the 1970s, local communities using NRCS assistance |
|constructed more than 11,800 dams in 47 states. These watershed management |
|projects provide an estimated $2.2 billion in annual benefits in reduced |
|flooding and erosion damages, and improved recreation, water supplies and |
|wildlife habitat for an estimated 47 million Americans. |
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|Weller said that funding provided through today's announcement will provide |
|rehabilitation assistance for 150 dams in 26 states. Funds will be used for |
|planning, design or construction. Also, 500 dam sites will be assessed for |
|safety through NRCS' Watershed Rehabilitation Program. For a complete list |
|of the projects, please visit the FY 2014 Watershed Rehabilitation Projects |
|Funding Table page. The projects were identified based on recent |
|rehabilitation investments and the potential risks to life and property if a|
|dam failure occurred. Overall, an estimated 250 thousand people will benefit|
|as a result of improved flood protection made possible by these |
|rehabilitated dams. |
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|For example, Watershed Dam No. 62 in the Upper Black Bear Creek Watershed of|
|Noble County, Okla., will be included in a USDA-funded rehabilitation |
|partnership project. Currently awaiting rehabilitation design, the dam |
|provides protection against flooding to about 550 Oklahomans who live and |
|work downstream. Additionally, the dam protects seven county roads, one |
|state highway, two U.S. highways and an interstate highway that, together, |
|support about 16,200 vehicles daily. Among other critical infrastructure, |
|the dam also protects power lines and railroad tracks. The rehabilitation |
|project is expected to provide about $7.5 million in benefits including |
|flood damage reduction, water supply and recreational benefits. |
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|"These funds will go a long way towards improving the safety and continued |
|benefits provided by these watershed structures," Weller said. "We will work|
|closely with the local project sponsors to ensure that these dams continue |
|to protect and provide water for communities and agriculture." |
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|For more information, visit the Watershed Rehabilitation webpage or local |
|USDA service center. |
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|Today's announcement was made possible by the 2014 Farm Bill. The Farm Bill |
|builds on historic economic gains in rural America over the past five years,|
|while achieving meaningful reform and billions of dollars in savings for |
|taxpayers. Since enactment, USDA has made significant progress to implement |
|each provision of this critical legislation, including providing disaster |
|relief to farmers and ranchers; strengthening risk management tools; |
|expanding access to rural credit; funding critical research; establishing |
|innovative public-private conservation partnerships; developing new markets |
|for rural-made products; and investing in infrastructure, housing and |
|community facilities to help improve quality of life in rural America. For |
|more information, visit www.usda.gov/farmbill. |
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