8.5.14
State
Mississippi Power converting Gulfport plant from coal to gas
Sun Herald
BY MARY PEREZ
GULFPORT -- The Sierra Club has agreed to withdraw all of its lawsuits
against Mississippi Power and stay away from upcoming prudence hearings on
the Kemper power plant in exchange for Mississippi Power discontinuing the
use of coal at Plant Watson in Gulfport and two other plants, plus several
additional concessions.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/08/04/5728808/mississippi-power-converting-its.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1
Mississippi Power going coal-free at Plant Watson
WLOX
By next spring, Mississippi Power will stop using coal at Plant Watson in
Gulfport. The move is part of a settlement with the Sierra Club. In
exchange, the environmental group has agreed to withdraw all pending legal
and regulatory challenges against Mississippi Power's Kemper project and
Plant Daniel.
http://www.wlox.com/story/26190738/mississippi-power-going-coal-free-at-plant-watson
Rutledge Holds Out Hope for Long Creek
WTOK
Lauderdale County officials and the city of Meridian are still looking for
ways to fix a problem with the dam at the Long Creek Reservoir.
http://www.wtok.com/home/headlines/Rutledge-Holds-Out-Hope-for-Long-Creek-269902131.html
'Settling the waters' may be one of tools for addressing water
conservation, runoff issues in Delta
Delta Farm Press
Mon, 2014-08-04 11:34
Could a material called polyacrylamide or PAM become one of the tools that
could help Mississippi Delta growers address the issues of a declining
Delta alluvial aquifer and nutrient runoff into the Mississippi River and
the Gulf of Mexico?
http://deltafarmpress.com/irrigation-technology/settling-waters-may-be-one-tools-addressing-water-conservation-runoff-issues-d
Harrison County Supervisors vote on controversial project
WLOX
A proposed dirt pit has caused quite the controversy in Harrison County,
and brought a crowd to the Harrison County Courthouse for a Board of
Supervisors meeting Monday.
http://www.wlox.com/story/26194663/harrison-county-supervisors-vote-on-controversial-project
Oil Spill
Causes of fish skin lesions ruled out, except for BP oil spill, new study
says
Mark Schleifstein
The Times-Picayune
August 05, 2014 at 2:05 AM
A team of scientists studying the cause of skin lesions found on fish in
the Gulf of Mexico in 2011 and 2012 have been unable to rule out toxic
chemicals contained in oil released during the BP Deepwater Horizon oil
spill as their cause, according to a peer reviewed study released Monday
(Aug. 4).
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/08/causes_of_fish_skin_lesions_ru.html#incart_river
Where's the Money? RESTORE Act
WKRG
Remember the RESTORE Act? It was the much celebrated legislation Washington
passed to spell out how the billions in dollars in fine money from the BP
oil spill could be spent by the five gulf states impacted by the disaster.
http://www.wkrg.com/story/26193754/wheres-the-money-restore-act
Fishing areas closed since BP spill reopen Monday
WVUE
NEW ORLEANS, LA (WVUE) -Four areas of the Gulf and inshore waters closed
since the BP oil spill reopened Monday. It's another sign of recovery, but
some say it's still too slow.
http://www.wlox.com/story/26193944/fishing-areas-closed-since-bp-spill-reopen-monday
Reader: Work together on coastal restoration
Clarion Ledger
Brad Young, executive director, Mississippi Wildlife Federation, Madison
Recently the Senate Commerce Committee met with the Gulf Coast
Ecosystem Restoration Council. It was made clear that the funds from
the RESTORE Act should be put to work. The sportsmen of Mississippi
thank Senator Wicker for his role to pass the Act and for his
engagement during the hearing.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/opinion/readers/2014/08/04/reader-work-together-coastal-restoration/13604201/
Regional
Gulf's low-oxygen 'dead zone' covers 5,052 square miles along Louisiana's
coast
Mark Schleifstein
The Times-Picayune
August 04, 2014 at 4:00 PM
This year's low-oxygen "dead zone" along Louisiana coast covers 5,052
square miles, an area the size of the state of Connecticut but about 800
square miles less than the 2013 dead zone, according to a week-long survey
released Monday.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/08/low_oxygen_dead_zone_covers_50.html#incart_river
National
Historic deal for Corps dam pollution
Nigel Duara
Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — For the first time in its history, the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers will have to disclose the amount of pollutants its dams
are sending into waterways in a groundbreaking legal settlement that could
have broad implications for the Corps' hundreds of dams nationwide.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_26273398/apnewsbreak-corps-agrees-monitor-dam-pollution
Federal officials, lawmakers to tour to promote conservation fund
The Hill
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell will join lawmakers and local officials to
tour the country this week to promote the Land and Water Conservation Fund
and push for its reauthorization.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/214287-federal-officials-lawmakers-to-tour-to-promote-conservation-fund
Texas City Goes High-Tech to Limit Water Loss
Wichita Falls Covers Reservoir with Polymer-Water Mix to Cut the Rate of
Evaporation by About 10%
Wall Street Journal
As the Southwest U.S. grapples with a devastating drought, one Texas city
is undertaking an experiment to conserve its rapidly depleting water
supply.
Wichita Falls is mixing a biodegradable polymer with water and applying it
to the surface of the Lake Arrowhead reservoir in hopes of reducing the
rate of evaporation by about 10%.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/texas-city-goes-high-tech-to-limit-water-loss-1407197840
Press Releases
The Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium Receives $88,474 to Reduce the
Gulf Hypoxic Zone
Contact information: Danielle Jackson, (404) 562-9182 (Direct), (404)
562-8400 (Main), Jackson.Danielle@epa.gov
Stennis Space Center, MS – The Gulf of Mexico Program recently announced
that the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) has received an
$88,474 cooperative agreement for the project "Vessel Supplemental Support
for 2014 Shelf wide Hypoxia Cruise." Dr. Nancy Rabalais, Executive Director
and Professor of LUMCON, will provide the leadership for this project.
This cooperative agreement will further the strategic goals and objectives
of Gulf of Mexico Program and lead to a healthy and prosperous ecosystem.
Ben Scaggs, Director of the U.S. EPA Gulf of Mexico Program said "The Gulf
of Mexico Program is committed to supporting our partners in addressing our
mutual goals of improving, protecting and restoring the health and
productivity of the Gulf of Mexico. We look forward to the sustainable
environmental results that will be accomplished through this cooperative
agreement with the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium."
"The supplemental funding provided by the Gulf of Mexico Program in support
of the summer 2014 shelf wide hypoxia cruise will enable the 30th such
cruise to be completed," said Dr. Rabalais, chief scientist. The mostly
NOAA-funded research programs have conducted many such cruises over the
years in support of better understanding the dynamics of hypoxia on the
north-central Gulf coast adjacent to the discharge of fresh water and
nutrients from the Mississippi River, and in support of the management
plans of the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force
(Hypoxia Task Force). Dr. Rabalais added, "A 30-year record of any
environmental baseline is rare, and the Gulf of Mexico Program's support
makes this a reality."
The Vessel Supplemental Support for 2014 Shelf wide Hypoxia Project will
support a shelf wide hypoxia cruise in 2014. Future and long-term support
for a mid-summer hypoxia mapping cruise remains a critical component of
supporting the goals of the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Nutrient
Management Task Force (Hypoxia Task Force), which is co-chaired by NOAA and
EPA. The 2014 shelf wide hypoxia cruise will fulfill a 30-year baseline in
support of the Hypoxia Task Force's environmental goals.
Information on the Gulf of Mexico Program: http://www.epa.gov/gmpo.
Connect with EPA Region 4 on Facebook: www.facebook.com/eparegion4
And on Twitter: @USEPASoutheast
###
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| New USDA Conservation Partnership Program Receives Nearly 600 Initial Proposals |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Secretary Vilsack: Overwhelming Interest Illustrates Eagerness Across the Country to |
| Partner, Invest in Cleaner Land and Water |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
|WASHINGTON, Aug. 4, 2014 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said today that USDA's new|
|Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), which brings together businesses, |
|tribes, communities and other non-government partners to invest in conservation |
|efforts, has drawn an overwhelming response from partners across the nation. Nearly |
|5,000 organizations partnered together to submit nearly 600 pre-proposals by the July |
|deadline. |
| |
| |
|"This program is an entirely new approach to conservation," Secretary Vilsack said. "By|
|establishing new public-private partnerships, we can have an impact that's well beyond |
|what the Federal government could accomplish on its own. And we put our partners in the|
|driver's seat, allowing them to find creative solutions to the conservation issues in |
|their local areas. The overwhelming response to this new effort illustrates an |
|eagerness across country to partner and invest in innovative conservation projects." |
| |
| |
|The RCPP is a way for private companies, tribes, local communities and non-government |
|partners to collaborate and invest in cleaner water and air, healthier soil and |
|enhanced wildlife habitat. It will allow USDA to partner with third parties or work |
|directly with producers in watersheds and other critical conservation areas to leverage|
|private sector funding to maximize conservation investments. |
| |
| |
|USDA has invested more than $12.5 billion in Farm Bill conservation programs since |
|2009. RCCP is also one way that the Obama Administration's National Drought Resilience |
|Partnership can support state, local and tribal efforts to plan and manage for long |
|term drought resilience. |
| |
| |
|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. |
| |
| |
|To learn about technical and financial assistance available through conservation |
|programs, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/GetStarted or local USDA service center. |
| |
| |
|# |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
