State
Officials Gather Funds to Save Long Creek Reservoir
WTOK
Officials say they now believe they have more options in saving(Embedded
image moved to file: pic18190.jpg) the Long Creek Reservoir. During
Tuesday's Council meeting the council was told by public works that the
dam's problems could not be solved without lowering the reservoir as a
concern for public safety.
http://www.wtok.com/home/headlines/Officials-Gather-Funds-to-Save-Long-Creek-Reservoir-270400161.html
Leaders call for expedited LNG exports, point to proposed $8 billion
project in Pascagoula
Mississippi Press
April M. Havens
August 07, 2014 at 6:34 PM
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Sens. Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker, Rep. Steven Palazzo
and Gov. Phil Bryant are calling on the Obama Administration to expedite
approval of project applications to export liquefied natural gas.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/08/senators_call_for_expedited_ln.html#incart_river
Hearing again delayed on Miss. Power Kemper costs
AP
The Mississippi Public Service Commission has delayed hearings on
whether Mississippi Power Co. has spent prudently in building the
$5.5 billion Kemper County power plant.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/money/business/2014/08/07/hearing-delayed-miss-power-kemper-costs/13758651/
Ex-DMR exec Ziegler pleads guilty to helping conceal mail fraud
Sun Herald
BY PAUL HAMPTON
Former Department of Marine Resources chief of staff Joe Ziegler pleaded
guilty Thursday to misprision, or helping conceal, a felony, a
representative of the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/08/07/5734656/ziegler-pleads-guilty-to-helping.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1
Oil Spill
Florida Counties Plan For Oil Spill Money
WUWF
County Commissioners from across Florida's Gulf Coast met at the Hilton on
Pensacola Beach Thursday morning to talk about for money from fines
collected because of the Deepwater Oil Spill. This meeting took on added
urgency because some of that money may soon be available.
http://wuwf.org/post/florida-counties-plan-oil-spill-money
Oil spill fine money closer to reality
Houma Courier
By Xerxes Wilson
Published: Thursday, August 7, 2014 at 12:00 p.m.
Sediment pipelines are among items on local officials' wish lists as
another round of oil-spill restoration money comes into sight.
http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20140807/ARTICLES/140809762?Title=Oil-spill-fine-money-closer-to-reality
National
EPA taps new No. 2 in staff shuffle
The Hill
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) named Lisa Feldt as acting deputy
administrator on Tuesday, replacing the outgoing second in command.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/214630-epa-taps-new-no-2-in-staff-shuffle
Bill would increase national recycling efforts
The Hill
Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.) has introduced legislation that would boost
standards for recycling.
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/214612-bill-would-increase-national-recycling-efforts
New regs for Friday: Soda vending machines, emergency vehicle emissions,
sea lions
The Hill
Emissions: The Environmental Protection Agency is moving forward with new
emissions rules for emergency vehicles, the agency said Thursday.
http://thehill.com/regulation/214575-new-regs-for-friday-soda-vending-machines-emergency-vehicle-emissions-sea-lions
Press releases
Mississippi Leaders Advocate Growth of LNG Export Market
U.S. Department of Energy Approval Could Spur Major Investment on
Mississippi Gulf Coast
JACKSON—Gov. Phil Bryant, Sen. Thad Cochran, Sen. Roger Wicker and
Congressman Steven Palazzo have joined to advocate the growth of the export
market for liquefied natural gas. More efficient, timelier approval of LNG
export projects by U.S. Department of Energy could spur significant LNG
export growth in Mississippi.
Gulf LNG Liquefaction Company, LLC., in Pascagoula, Miss., has indicated
that DOE approval of its request to export liquefied natural gas could lead
to $8 billion in facility investments. Gov. Bryant toured the Gulf LNG
facility Thursday.
"Mississippi is well positioned as a leader in the energy economy. We enjoy
an abundance of natural resources and have been rated among the top places
in the world for oil and gas investment by the Fraser Institute. In
addition to seeing increased growth from production and extraction,
Mississippi can also capture growth through the export market," Gov. Bryant
said. "Efficient and timely approval of LNG export projects by the U.S.
Department of Energy could have a significant impact on the U.S. energy
landscape and could spur the largest economic development project the
Mississippi Gulf Coast has seen in recent years if the Gulf LNG facility in
Pascagoula is approved to begin exporting liquefied natural gas. I am
working closely with Mississippi's congressional leaders to make this
project a reality as soon as possible."
Last year, Cochran and Wicker cosponsored the Expedited LNG for American
Allies Act of 2013 (S.192), which would require the Secretary of Energy to
allow approve exports of natural gas, including liquefied natural gas, to
NATO allies and Japan. Under current law, the Energy Secretary is only
required to approve exports to countries that have free trade agreements
with the United States that encompass trade in natural gas. This
bipartisan legislation is pending the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing
and Urban Affairs.
"Exporting liquefied natural gas produced by Americans to our allies can
strengthen our economy and our national security. For Mississippi, the
prospect of LNG exports from our coast would enhance job creation and grow
our economy," Sen. Cochran said. "The Obama administration needs to
abandon its reluctance to promote American energy and allow more liquefied
natural gas export projects to move forward."
"Mississippi is poised to take a leading role in exporting
American-produced LNG to the world market," Sen. Wicker said. "One such
project in Pascagoula has enormous economic potential for the community,
the state, and our country. Unfortunately, the Department of Energy
continues to drag its feet when processing LNG export applications. These
bureaucratic roadblocks are detrimental to our economy and national
security interests. I urge the Administration to loosen its grip on the
process and expedite these applications without delay."
"Enabling access of domestically produced natural gas to the international
energy market will produce net economic benefits in the United States,"
Congressman Palazzo said. "The expansion of LNG sales to foreign customers
will help grow the domestic market by encouraging greater investment in the
development of U.S. gas resources, which will lead to increased economic
development and a stable supply for U.S. customers."
###
Federal Report Highlights Five Years of Progress Providing Communities with
Affordable Housing, Efficient Transportation and Economic Growth
WASHINGTON – In celebration of the fifth anniversary of the Partnership for
Sustainable Communities, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released "Five Years of Learning from
Communities and Coordinating Federal Investments," a report demonstrating
how the three agencies are cooperating to help communities provide more
housing choices, make transportation systems more efficient and reliable,
and create vibrant neighborhoods that attract business development and jobs
while protecting the environment.
"The Partnership for Sustainable Communities is about achieving one goal:
expanding opportunity for American families," said HUD Secretary Julián
Castro. "These targeted investments are bringing more affordable housing
and transportation options, and more economic resilience to regions that
were hard hit by the economic crisis. In partnership with local leaders, I
am convinced that the investments our agencies have made will enhance the
health and wealth of communities for decades to come."
"The Partnership is helping us align our transportation investments with
the goals of providing affordable housing and preserving the environment,"
said DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx. "Together with HUD and EPA, we are making
fundamental changes in how we work together to benefit all Americans and
provide new ladders of opportunity for many."
"Communities know better than anyone else what they need," said EPA
Administrator Gina McCarthy. "Through the Partnership for Sustainable
Communities, we at the federal level are organizing ourselves to give
communities tools to address economic and environmental challenges in the
way that works best for them."
Since 2009, the Partnership for Sustainable Communities has been working to
ensure that HUD, DOT, EPA and other federal agency investments better serve
communities that were hard hit by the economic recession. Through its
efforts, more than $4 billion has been awarded to 1,000 communities in all
50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. In addition to funding, many
communities have also received technical assistance to help plan economic
development and leverage private and other public resources to maximize the
Partnership's investments. For example:
- Partnership-funded regional planning efforts in New York and New
Jersey laid a strong foundation for recovery from Superstorm Sandy
because communities in the region had already been collaborating on
development issues.
- Partnership grants helped Memphis, Tenn., create a master plan for
redeveloping the area around its airport, as well as develop a plan
to improve bike and pedestrian paths and spur revitalization in a
midtown neighborhood.
- Partnership funding helped the Thunder Valley Community
Development Corporation on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South
Dakota develop a regional plan to define the community's future. It
could be a model for other rural Native American communities as well.
The Partnership for Sustainable Communities has also fundamentally changed
the way that HUD, EPA and DOT evaluate and award competitive grants and
technical assistance. The three agencies collaborate to review and select
applications for many grants and technical assistance opportunities, such
as DOT's Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER)
Discretionary Grants, HUD's Community Challenge Grants, and EPA's
Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Grants. This collaboration ensures that
federal investments maximize resources for communities.
To download the report:
http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/pdf/partnership-accomplishments-report-2014.pdf
