8/29/14
State
Asbestos still present on Horn Island
WLOX
HORN ISLAND, MS (WLOX) -Gulf Islands National Seashore Superintendent Dan
Brown announced Thursday that the National Park Service is continuing its
efforts to remove hazardous materials from Horn Island.
http://www.wlox.com/story/26396804/asbestos-still-present-on-horn-island
Fishermen very opinionated about Amendment 40
WLOX
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI (WLOX) -Reef Fish Amendment 40 was the topic of choice
for almost all of those who came out to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery
Council's town hall meeting Wednesday night.
http://www.wlox.com/story/26389596/fishermen-very-opinionated-about-amendment-40
National
EPA blasts 'myths' on water jurisdiction rule
The Hill
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hit back Thursday after a top
Republican accused it of trying to take over large pieces of private land
and water.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/216202-epa-blasts-myths-on-water-jurisdiction-rule
Obama pushes green standards for everything but kitchen sink
The Hill
The Obama administration is working on new efficiency standards for
seemingly every appliance but the kitchen sink.
http://thehill.com/regulation/energy-environment/216186-obama-pushes-green-standards-for-everything-but-kitchen-sink
California Drought Squeezes Wells
State Considers Regulating Groundwater Use for First Time
Wall Street Journal
TEMPLETON, Calif.—After the water level in their well dropped by 70 feet
over a decade, Jan and Gary Seals two years ago lowered the pump in the
shaft as far as it would go—to a depth of almost 500 feet.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/california-drought-squeezes-wells-1409268495
Opinion
EPA's 111(d) Proposal: What Does It Mean for Mississippi?
MS Energy Institute Cost Impact Analysis of EPA 111(d) Proposal
· EPA recently proposed to require that states enact programs to
reduce carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants.
· Mississippi Energy Institute (MEI) estimates minimum incremental
capital costs associated with the proposal at $14.2 billion for
Mississippi. In other words, Mississippi electric ratepayers would spend
an extra $14 billion to construct facilities not likely to be built unless
compelled by federal mandate.
· With the regulated period running 2020-2030, plans would
necessarily be completed within 3 years, and associated construction would
start by 2017 or 2018 in order to begin compliance by 2020.
· Of the $14.2 billion, over 98% of the costs will go to build
electric power generating facilities to meet new generation mix "goals",
and since natural gas generation is high in each case, virtually all of the
added costs are due to meeting aggressive renewable energy production
targets as existing coal plants are prematurely retired.
· In this analysis, MEI did not include normal generation or
infrastructure costs likely to be incurred with or without the EPA rule.
Within the regulatory period, a certain amount of capital will be required
to maintain, update, and expand Mississippi's electric power
infrastructure. These costs to ratepayers are unknown but expected.
Examples include the Kemper County generation facility,
transmission/distribution maintenance and expansion, the installation of
pollution control equipment required by other EPA rules, MPSC energy
efficiency program costs, the closure of old and inefficient power plants,
and the addition of new power plants to meet new power demands with a
growing population and economy.
· EPA proposes Mississippi reach the "goals" in a combination of
ways, including; electric power use reductions through energy efficiency
programs, the closure of all existing coal power plants, and the addition
of renewable generation sources.
· To comply with the EPA proposal, total capacity in Mississippi
will be about 2000 MW higher than the base case due to the requirement of
installing large amounts of intermittent generation sources, like wind and
solar (3000 MW solar and 800 MW wind to meet renewable target set by EPA).
· Land requirements for 3000MW of solar capacity = 21,000 acres;
800MW of wind capacity = 48,000 acres.
http://www.mei.ms/2014/08/26/epas-111d-proposal-mean-mississippi/
Press Releases
Gov. Bryant Issues Delta Sustainable Water Resources Task Force Executive
Order
(JACKSON, Miss.) – Gov. Phil Bryant issued an executive order this week
establishing the Governor's Delta Sustainable Water Resources Task Force.
Under the direction of the Executive Director of the Mississippi Department
of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), the task force is charged to work together
to ensure that the Delta will have future sustainable water supplies.
In 2011, MDEQ Executive Director Trudy Fisher formed an executive level
multi-agency and multi-organization task force that developed and
implemented actions to sustain water resources for agriculture, fisheries,
and wildlife in the Delta. The Governor's Executive Order establishing the
task force provides affirmation of the importance of this work and charges
the members to work in a unified and collaborative manner.
"The need for a sustainable water supply is always the lifeblood of any
region and is clearly of the utmost importance in Mississippi and the
Delta," Gov. Bryant said. "This task force will continue to bring regional
experts together from various public and private sectors to recommend
policies as it pertains to the aquifer and its water level. I look forward
to seeing the annual report in January from the task force and feel
confident in the individuals that will head this search for a solution."
More than 17,000 permitted irrigation wells in the shallow Mississippi
River Valley Alluvial Aquifer are used for irrigation and aquaculture and
pump approximately 1.5 billion gallons of groundwater each day. This
pumpage demand has exceeded the recharge to the aquifer resulting in
continuing overbalances of groundwater withdrawals versus aquifer recharge
and notable water-level declines in the aquifer.
"We have a clearly defined objective for sustainable water supplies in our
Delta, and we know there is urgency in finding solutions to the challenges
we are facing. Through a team effort this task force established by the
Governor will address the complex issues and find solutions that will
benefit the region and the state," said Trudy Fisher, MDEQ Executive
Director.
The task force is comprised of the Yazoo Mississippi Delta Joint Water
Management District, Delta Council, Delta F.A.R.M., Mississippi Farm
Bureau, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service, the Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation
Commission, and MDEQ.
A copy of the Governor's Executive Order is attached.
# # #
EPA Releases Three Final Chemical Risk Assessments
Agency identifies health concern from chemical used in paint strippers
WASHINGTON-- Today, EPA released three final risk assessments for specific
uses of three chemicals found in common household products. The risk
assessment for Dichloromethane (DCM), which is widely used in paint
stripping products, indicates health risks to both workers and consumers
who use these products, and to bystanders in workplaces and residences
where DCM is used. EPA estimates that more than 230,000 workers nationwide
are directly exposed to DCM from DCM-containing paint strippers.
"While EPA continues to support much needed reform of this country's
chemicals management legislation, we are also using our current authorities
as effectively as we can, which includes conducting risk assessments on
chemicals to determine if they are safe for the public," said Jim Jones,
Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution
Prevention. "Our review indicates that the use of DCM in paint strippers
pose risks to human health, so EPA is beginning an effort to determine
options for addressing the concern."
Risk assessments for the other two chemicals did not show concerns. The
other two looked at ecological risks of antimony trioxide (ATO) used as a
synergist in halogenated flame retardants and
1,3,4,6,7,8-Hexahydro-4,6,6,7,8,8,-hexamethylcyclopenta-[ã]-2-benzopyran
(HHCB) used as a fragrance ingredient in commercial and consumer products.
These final assessments and the recently released TCE risk assessment,
which identified concerns for certain uses, were developed as part of the
agency's Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Work Plan, which identified
chemicals for review and assessment of potential risks to people's health
and the environment. The risk assessments are based on the best available
information and were finalized after careful consideration of comments from
the public and experts during an independent, scientific peer review of the
assessments.
For DCM, EPA is considering a range of possible voluntary and regulatory
actions to address concerns and anticipates conducting a workshop in late
fall to engage key stakeholders and the public on potential alternatives
and risk reduction approaches.
In the meantime, EPA recommends that consumers check the label to determine
if the product contains Dichloromethane or Methylene Chloride. If so, EPA
recommends taking precautions that can reduce exposures, such as using the
product outside or in an extremely well-ventilated area and wearing
protective equipment.
EPA is also currently evaluating risks of another chemical in paint
strippers called N-Methylpyrrolidone (NMP). EPA released a draft risk
assessment for NMP which identified risks associated with use of
NMP-containing paint strippers. EPA does not expect the final risk
assessment to significantly change this conclusion, and therefore
recommends that those using NMP-containing paint strippers also take
measures to minimize exposure.
Additional information on these final risk assessments and other TSCA Work
Plan chemicals can be found at:
http://www.epa.gov/oppt/existingchemicals/pubs/riskassess.html
