State
Your Power Bill Could Be Affected by Federal Government Ruling
News MS
WASHINGTON, D.C.–Every power plant in Mississippi that uses coal to
generate power could be forced to shut down under new rules by the
Environmental Protection Agency, said Sen. Roger Wicker in Washington in a
Senate hearing Wednesday. If that did happen, that would, of course,
translate into changes in your power bill that Wicker believes could make
your electricity unaffordable.
http://www.newsms.fm/power-bill-affected-federal-government-ruling/
Lauderdale County Offers to Assist with Long Creek Reservoir
WTOK
Lauderdale County leaders(Embedded image moved to file: pic19906.jpg) say
they are working with Meridian city leaders to find a way to avoid draining
a local reservoir.
http://www.wtok.com/home/headlines/Lauderdale-County-Offers-to-Assist-with-Long-Creek-Reservoir--268547802.html
Utilities work set to disrupt East Biloxi
Sun Herald
BILOXI -- Residents and business owners were told Thursday to expect East
Biloxi north of the railroad tracks to be torn up for the next three years
as utilities that went under water during Hurricane Katrina are repaired or
replaced.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/07/24/5713434/utilities-work-set-to-disrupt.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1
Mississippi lawmakers renew call for performance-based budgeting
The Associated Press
JACKSON, Mississippi -- Top legislative Republicans are promising that
Mississippi will get performance-based budgeting right this time.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/07/mississippi_lawmakers_renew_ca.html#incart_river
Oil Spill
1,783 pounds of BP oil removed from seashore
Pensacola News Journal
Weather continues to hamper the cleanup of a large tar mat submerged
in the surf zone on the National Seashore's Fort Pickens beach.
http://www.pnj.com/story/news/local/environment/2014/07/24/tar-mat-cleanup-continues/13104479/
National
EPA climate rule economically feasible, study says
The Hill
Turning to renewable energy sources and energy efficiency programs is
becoming more and more economically feasible for utilities across the U.S.,
according to a new report.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/213254-epa-climate-rule-economically-feasible-study-says
Greens launch ad campaign to back EPA climate rule
The Hill
The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) launched an advertising campaign to
promote the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) rules to limit carbon
pollution from power plants and attack the proposal's opponents.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/213280-greens-launch-ad-campaign-to-back-epa-climate-rule
U.S. West States Met to Discuss EPA Emission Proposals
Bloomberg
By Lynn Doan - Jul 25, 2014
Top air regulators from 13 states across the western U.S. met in private
last week to talk about how they could work together on carbon-emissions
cuts proposed by the Obama administration.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-07-25/u-s-west-states-met-to-discuss-epa-emission-proposals.html
Foxx defends oil train regs from environmental, industry critics
The Hill
Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx is defending a proposed crackdown on
trains that carry crude oil shipments from environmental and industry
critics who are unhappy with the new rules.
http://thehill.com/policy/transportation/213270-foxx-defends-oil-train-regs-from-environmental-industry-critics
Satellites Show Major Southwest Groundwater Loss
Study Says Losses May Be Enough to Challenge Long-Term Water Supply in
Region
AP
SAN FRANCISCO—Groundwater losses from the Colorado River basin appear
massive enough to challenge long-term water supplies for the seven states
and parts of Mexico that it serves, according to a new study released
Thursday that used NASA satellites.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/satellites-show-major-southwest-groundwater-loss-1406240884
Radioactive Waste in St. Louis at Risk From Smoldering Trash
Garbage at Landfill Said to Encroach on Radioactive Waste on Site
Wall Street Journal
ST. LOUIS—Pressure is mounting to deal with the legacy of radioactive
contamination and possible damage to human health caused by work done in
this region for the U.S. nuclear-weapons program.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/radioactive-waste-in-st-louis-at-risk-from-smoldering-trash-1406219385
Press Releases
COCHRAN ADVOCATES WITHDRAWAL OF NEW EPA CARBON EMISSION RULES
Cosponsors Senate Resolution Condemning Rules as Offering "Essentially
Zero" Climate Change Benefits
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) today announced that
he is cosponsoring a Senate resolution that cites a litany of faults with
the Environmental Protection Agency's ongoing effort to finalize federal
regulations on carbon emissions that offer "essentially zero" chance of
altering global climate trends.
Cochran is an original cosponsor of S.Res.512, which was introduced
Wednesday by Senator David Vitter (R-La.). The resolution calls for the
EPA to withdraw its proposed rules and guidelines related to carbon dioxide
emissions from existing power plants.
"The Environmental Protection Agency is on a relentless quest to impose
strict carbon emissions rules no matter what the costs to families or the
nation's economic wellbeing. This resolution sends another strong message
to the administration that there is little appetite in Congress or with our
constituents for disruptive and overreaching regulations," Cochran said.
The resolution, which has 31 cosponsors, seeks the withdrawal of the EPA's
proposed rules titled "Carbon Pollution Emissions Guidelines for Existing
Stationary Sources: Electric Generating Units" and "Carbon Pollution
Standards for Modified and Reconstructed Stationary Sources: Electric
Generating Units."
In nearly 20 findings, the resolution faults the EPA and Obama
administration for a broad interpretation of the Clean Air Act, for
disregarding the legislative process and for failing to complete a
cost-benefit analysis of the proposed rules.
The resolution states that "benefits from the proposed rules (as measured
by reductions in global average temperature, reductions in the rate of sea
level rise, increases in sea ice, or any other measurement related to
climate change) will be essentially zero."
The measure is also heavily critical of the costs that would be passed on
to consumers as the energy industry attempts to conform to the wide-ranging
regulations.
It asserts that "the proposed rules would result in a Federal takeover of
the electricity system of the United States leading to significant
increases in electricity rates and additional energy costs for consumers
and elimination of access to abundant, affordable power, putting the
manufacturing of the United States at a competitive disadvantage,
threatening the diversity and reliability of the electricity supply, and
undermining energy security."
Cochran's support for the resolution follows his signing a letter to
President Obama last month that called on his administration to withdraw
the proposed EPA rules to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from existing
power plants. (http://1.usa.gov/1ug0V0N)
A copy of S.Res.512 is available below.
###
EPA Seeks Comments on Potential Revisions to its Risk Management Program
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
published a Request for Information (RFI) to seek comment on potential
revisions to its Risk Management Program (RMP) regulations and related
programs to modernize its regulations as required under Executive Order
(EO) 13650: Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security.
"Chemical safety and security are a shared commitment among government,
industry, public interest groups and communities," said Mathy Stanislaus,
assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency
Response. "We are reaching out to all these partners to ask for their
suggestions and comments to help us improve the Risk Management Program,
and in turn improve safety and security of chemical facilities."
During the 90-day comment period, EPA asks for information and data on
specific regulatory elements and process safety management approaches to
enhance public health and safety, and aid local fire, police, and emergency
response personnel to prepare for and respond to chemical emergencies. The
information received will be used when reviewing chemical hazards covered
by the RMP and to determine how this program should be expanded to improve
chemical facility safety. The RFI does not commit the agency to rulemaking.
EO 13650 requires the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
and EPA to review the chemical hazards covered by their existing risk
management programs and develop options to improve those programs. OSHA
issued an RFI on potential changes to its Process Safety Management (PSM)
standard on December 9, 2013. EPA's RFI closely coordinates with the
potential changes to OSHA's PSM program for accident prevention measures.
The RFI addresses potentially updating the list of RMP regulated
substances, and adjusting threshold quantities and toxic endpoints based on
Acute Exposure Guideline Level (AEGL) toxicity values. The RFI seeks
comment on strengthening or clarifying several existing process safety
elements under the RMP including compliance audits, maintenance of safety
critical equipment, managing organizational changes, emergency response
capabilities, and incident investigation. It also seeks comment on adding
additional risk management program elements, such as consideration of using
inherently safer technology, process safety metrics, automated monitoring
of releases, emergency drills, stop work authority, and addressing facility
location (siting) risks. Some of the items under consideration were
discussed at the public listening sessions held on the EO or in comments
received on the January 2014 EO Section 6(a) options for policy,
regulations and standards modernization to improve chemical facility risk
management.
To view EPA's RFI and provide public comment, visit
http://www.epa.gov/emergencies/eo_improving_chem_fac.htm
The public will have 90 days to submit written comments online,
www.regulations.gov (the portal for federal rulemaking), or by mail.
EPA Issues Policy Supporting Tribal and Indigenous Communities
WASHINGTON – Today, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator
Gina McCarthy signed the EPA Policy on Environmental Justice for Working
with Federally Recognized Tribes and Indigenous Peoples, reinforcing the
agency's commitment to work with tribes on a government-to-government basis
when issues of environmental justice arise.
"All tribal and indigenous communities deserve environmental and public
health protection. Through this agreement, we are reinforcing our
commitment to tribal communities, especially in addressing issues of
Environmental Justice," said Administrator McCarthy. "We know that tribes
are uniquely impacted by a changing climate, which highlights the
importance of this agreement and other agency actions, including funding
research through the STAR Tribal health grants."
Over the past 20 years, the agency has made substantial progress in
developing both its tribal and environmental justice programs. Building on
EPA's Plan EJ 2014, the policy integrates 17 environmental justice and
civil rights principles. The plan also identifies existing informational
and resource tools to support EPA in its endeavor to make indigenous
regions environmentally safe.
This policy, started in 2011, was developed through tribal government
consultations, meetings with state and tribal organizations and three
public comment periods engaging indigenous communities and other
stakeholders.
More information on:
EPA Policy on Environmental Justice for Working with Federally Recognized
Tribes and Indigenous Peoples
http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/resources/policy/indigenous/ej-indigenous-policy.pdf
EPA's Plan EJ 2014
http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/resources/policy/plan-ej-2014/plan-ej-2011-09.pdf
