Tuesday, September 30, 2014

News Clippings 9.30.14

9.30.14



State





Pascagoula offering environmental agency grants for property owners

WLOX


PASCAGOULA, MS (WLOX) -Property owners in Pascagoula, who want to either
develop or sell their property, but suspect the property has environmental
issues, may apply for a grant for an environmental assessment.
http://www.wlox.com/story/26655838/pascagoula-offering-environmental-agency-grants-for-property-owners





Oil Spill





Judge reconsiders ruling as oil spill workers await fate


WWL


NEW ORLEANS -- Mark Mead and two buddies were fishing less than 20

miles away when the Deepwater Horizon oil rig burst into flames and

lit up the night sky.



http://www.wwltv.com/story/news/gulf-oil-spill/2014/09/29/oil-spill-workers/16453949/





National





EPA chief Gina McCarthy asks water professionals to back new wetland rules

Mark Schleifstein



The Times-Picayune



September 29, 2014 at 4:58 PM



Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy came to New

Orleans on Monday to ask 18,000 water and wastewater professionals for help

in supporting the agency's controversial "Waters of the U.S." rule.

http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/09/epa_administrator_gina_mccarth_2.html#incart_river





Auditors fault EPA for lax chemical safeguards
The Hill




The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) doesn't do enough to stop
hundreds of hazardous chemicals from getting into waterways via sewage
plants, a watchdog report found.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/219233-auditors-fault-epa-for-lax-chemical-safeguards





Press releases





Communities recovering from natural disasters have an important choice:
rebuild damaged areas as they were, or change investments and policies to
be more resilient to future environmental and economic shocks?

This decision will impact how communities are able to recover from future
disasters, and ensure that investments made today withstand the impacts
that may come with climate change.

A new grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) is designed to help communities understand the
implications of these choices, and how to remain resilient in the face of
natural disasters for decades to come.

Join us for a webinar exploring the details of HUD's new National Disaster
Resilience Competition. This free, online event will take place on
Wednesday, October 8, 2014 at 1 PM EDT.


|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=liGZCYFomyoT3sQiMlGrxPpIh5Xjum3j|
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Speaking on the call will be Danielle Arigoni, Deputy Director of HUD's
Office of Economic Resilience; Jessie Handforth Kome, Deputy Director of
HUD's Office of Block Grant Assistance in Community Planning & Development;
and Ilana Preuss, Vice President and Chief of Staff at Smart Growth
America.

Hear details about the grant competition, what factors HUD will use to
score applications, and ideas to spur your own community's discussions
around resilience.

Monday, September 29, 2014

News Clippings 9/29/14

9/29/14



State





Port of Gulfport achieves "Green Marine" designation

WLOX


GULFPORT, MS (WLOX) -The Port of Gulfport is committed to "going green".
But in this case, it's more than just a slogan. The port has been
recognized for its environmental stewardship.
http://www.wlox.com/story/26639896/port-of-gulfport-achieves-green-marine-designation





Gulfport's state port goes green
SUN HERALDSeptember 26, 2014



GULFPORT -- The state port celebrated its designation Friday morning as one

of the country's first saltwater ports to be Green Marine-certified.

http://www.sunherald.com/2014/09/26/5821177_gulfports-state-port-goes-green.html?sp=/99/100/&rh=1





Port of Gulfport Awarded Green Marine Certification
WXXV


After the BP oil spill damaged much of the environment on the Gulf Coast,
the Port of Gulfport is taking steps toward protecting our natural
resources.
http://www.wxxv25.com/news/local/story/Port-of-Gulfport-Awarded-Green-Marine/wPNyrLs6pkesfDEuxKjwew.cspx





Jackson has $12 million shortfall in water and sewer fund


Clarion Ledger


Jackson probably needs to raise water rates because there is an

approximately $12 million deficit in the water and sewer revenue

compared to debt, the city's new public works director says.



http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/2014/09/25/jackson-has-12-million-shortfall-in-water-and-sewer-fund/16243913/





Adams County residents can opt out of recycling
The Associated PressSeptember 29, 2014



NATCHEZ, MISS. — Adams County residents who don't want to go green will

have an opportunity to let others take their place in a county recycling

program.

http://www.sunherald.com/2014/09/29/5826480/adams-county-residents-can-opt.html?sp=/99/184/218/




HPD Drug Dropoff Day

WDAM




Drug Dropoff Day at the Hattiesburg Police department brought in about 200
pounds of out-of-date and unwanted prescription drugs during the
semi-annual event.http://www.wdam.com/story/26644560/hpd-drug-dropoff-day





Mississippi Department of Marine Resources opening more waters for

shrimping on Monday

The Associated Press



BILOXI, Miss. - The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources will open

additional waters for shrimping on Monday, Sept. 29, according to a news

release.

http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/09/department_of_marine_resources_3.html





Regional





Kentucky AG Conway criticizes EPA pollution plan
BY CHRIS ADAMS

McClatchy Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway and a dozen of his peers

from across the country are pushing hard against a recently proposed carbon

pollution rule, saying it would require states to undertake a massive

overhaul of their energy sectors but give them far too little time to do

so.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/09/26/241228_kentucky-ag-conway-criticizes.html?rh=1





National





Week ahead: EPA on the clock for climate, water rules
The Hill




Coming off a week of events dedicated to fighting global warming, the
administration is now hunkering down to finalize and promote policies that
are the pillars of President Obama's climate legacy.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/219154-week-ahead-epa-on-the-clock-for-climate-water-rules





EPA chief: Don't believe hype about states resisting climate rules
The Hill




Environmental Protection Agency chief Gina McCarthy said there is a
"different" discussion going on behind closed doors about the
administration's proposed carbon pollution rules than the one being
broadcast.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/219061-epa-chief-dont-believe-hype-about-pushback-on-climate-rule





Obama faces hard sell on climate fund
The Hill




President Obama is facing international pressure to contribute to a $100
billion-a-year fund to help poor countries deal with climate change, but
Republicans are likely to stand in the way, endangering his efforts on a
key legacy issue.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/219069-obama-faces-hard-sell-on-global-climate-fund





Mining for sand for fracking holds risks for communities, study says


LA Times



As a domestic energy boom driven by hydraulic fracturing spreads, so could

strip-mining for sand needed for the controversial production process,

introducing risks to water, air, public health and property values,

according to a report issued Thursday.

http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-fracking-sand-mining-20140925-story.html







Opinion





Reeves: Hearings look to build on budget successes


Tate Reeves


Clarion Ledger


Tuesday marks the start of creating a 2016 state budget that funds

priorities like education, job growth and public safety while

eliminating waste and inefficiencies.

http://www.clarionledger.com/story/opinion/columnists/2014/09/27/reeves-hearings-look-build-budget-successes/16357389/

Friday, September 26, 2014

News Clippings 9/26/14

9/26/14



Oil Spill




2010 BP oil spill still having an impact on commercial fishing

Houma Courier


By Jordan Gribble
Published: Thursday, September 25, 2014 at 4:06 p.m.



Commercial catches for several varieties of seafood have decreased since

the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, Louisiana Department of Wildlife

and Fisheries officials said.

http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20140925/NEWS0101/140929738/-1/opinion?Title=2010-BP-oil-spill-still-having-an-impact-on-commercial-fishing






Regional





Georgia official blasts Obama Administration over new water rules

By Kristina Torres

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution



Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens blasted the Obama Administration in a

letter Thursday to state lawmakers, saying proposed new rules about which

bodies of water federal officials oversee under the Clean Water Act "would

drastically and unlawfully expand federal control over Georgia's water

resources."

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/georgia-official-blasts-obama-administration-over-/nhTt9/





National





EPA chief says to expect 'changes' in final climate rule
The Hill




There will be "changes" made in the Obama administration's proposal to cut
carbon pollution from existing power plants, according to Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) chief Gina McCarthy.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/218975-epa-chief-says-to-expect-changes-in-final-climate-rule





EPA chief: Climate skeptics 'sad'
The Hill




Environmental Protection Agency chief Gina McCarthy on Thursday made a
forceful case for action on climate change, arguing moves should be made
not "despite the economy" but "because of it."
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/218875-epa-chief-climate-skeptics-hiding-behind-the-economy





Watchdog faults EPA on failed asbestos tests
The Hill




The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) internal watchdog criticized it
for mismanaging tests on methods for demolishing buildings with asbestos.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/218964-watchdog-faults-epa-on-failed-asbestos-tests





Opinion





SUN HERALD | Editorial: Miller steers the DMR in the right direction




Jamie Miller still hears jokes about the bad old days at the Mississippi

Department of Marine Resources. "Everyone likes to make jokes," he says.

"Can I get a boat ride? You're the director. Can you send a cooking team?"

http://www.sunherald.com/2014/09/25/5820503/sun-herald-editorial-miller-steers.html?sp=/99/728/




Press Releases


EPA Proposes Standards to Reduce Mercury Discharges from Dental Offices

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today proposed
standards under the Clean Water Act to help cut discharges of dental
amalgam to the environment. Amalgam is a mixture of mercury and other
metals that dentists use to fill cavities. Mercury is discharged when
dentists remove old fillings or remove excess amalgam when placing a new
filling.

Studies show about half the mercury that enters Publicly Owned Treatment
Works (POTWs) comes from dental offices. Mercury from amalgam can then make
its way into the environment in a number of ways, including through
discharge to water bodies. Contact with some microorganisms can help create
methylmercury, a highly toxic form of mercury that builds up in fish,
shellfish and fish-eating animals. Fish and shellfish are the main sources
of human exposure to methylmercury.

In response, many states and localities have implemented amalgam
discharge-cutting programs requiring amalgam separators and other Best
Management Practices in dentist offices. The American Dental Association
(ADA) also recommends separators and other Best Management Practices for
amalgam.

EPA expects compliance with this proposed rule would cut metal discharge to
POTWs, half of it from mercury, by at least 8.8 tons a year.

"This is a common sense rule that calls for capturing mercury at a
relatively low cost before it is dispersed into the POTW," said Kenneth J.
Kopocis, deputy assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Water. "The
rule would strengthen human health protection by requiring removals based
on the use of a technology and practices that approximately 40 percent of
dentists across the country already employ thanks to the ADA and our state
and local partners."

This action also represents one way that the United States is meeting the
goals of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, an international environmental
agreement that addresses human activities contributing to widespread
mercury pollution, which impacts the American public. EPA's proposed rule
supports a Convention measure to promote the use of best environmental
practices in dental facilities to reduce releases of mercury compounds to
water and land.

The proposed rule would require all affected dentists to control mercury
discharges to POTWs. Specifically, it would require them to cut their
dental amalgam discharges to a level achievable through the use of the best
available technology (amalgam separators); and the use of other Best
Management Practices. The proposed rule would allow dentists to demonstrate
compliance by installing, operating and maintaining amalgam separators. It
would declare dental practices whose existing separators do not remove the
percentage of amalgam in the proposed requirements as meeting the proposed
requirements for the life of the existing separator. Finally, it would
limit dental dischargers' reporting requirements to annual certification
and recordkeeping in lieu of wastewater monitoring.

Finally, EPA is proposing to streamline dental sector oversight
requirements to cut implementation and oversight costs of the proposed rule
to states and localities by $47 million annually.

The agency will accept public comments on the proposal for 60 days
following publication in the Federal Register. A public hearing is also
scheduled for November 10 at 1 p.m. in the William J. Clinton East
Building, Room 1153. The agency expects to finalize the rule in September
2015.

More information:http://water.epa.gov/scitech/wastetech/guide/dental/

Thursday, September 25, 2014

FREE WEBINAR: Developing Your #Brownfield Grant Proposal - Oct. 7, 2014, 9AM EDT

Please find the Webinar details for Developing your Proposal portion of the
2014 EPA Region 4 #Brownfields Workshop being held in Atlanta.

Webinar details
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Assessment and Cleanup
Grant Guidelines -
A Detailed Review of Developing your Proposal Package
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
9:00 am to 11:30 am EST
Webinar link: https://epa.connectsolutions.com/r4bf/
Audio: 1-866-299-3188 / code: 404-562-8534
OR stream through your computer speakers
Registration in advance is not necessary

News Clippings 9/25/14

9/25/14



State





Water pollution alleged

Oil company working in area accused of Jones Co. groundwater pollution

Posted: Monday, September 22, 2014

Ernest Herndon | Enterprise-Journal

A company involved in the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale oilfield in southwest
Mississippi is accused of polluting soil and groundwater in southeast
Mississippi.

Comstock Oil & Gas is one of several companies named in a civil lawsuit in
Jones County Circuit Court accused of operating illegal oilfield waste
disposal wells.

Residents Tay and Deidra Baucum filed the lawsuit earlier this year against
Petro Harvestor Oil & Gas Co. LLC, Petro Harvester Operating Co. LLC,
Champion Oilfield Service LLC, Boots Smith Oilfield Services LLC, Jerry
Huddleston and Gary McAdams, as well as Comstock.

So far as is known, only Comstock is active in southwest Mississippi. The
Frisco, Texas, company is drilling a well in Wilkinson County and has pads
in place for another well there and one in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana.
The company also has numerous oil wells permitted or pending in Mississippi
and Louisiana.

According to the lawsuit, which represents one side of a legal argument:
"For several decades the defendants, both in concert and separately, have
engaged in systematic and illegal dumping and disposal of oil field
petroleum waste and associated petroleum drilling waste both on the
plaintiffs' property, on the adjoining property owned or controlled by the
defendants, and in the subterranean ground and aquifer. Defendants have
separately and in concert dumped, drilled, pumped and buried oil field
waste."

The suit also accuses the companies of disposing of waste without permits,
and of storing leaky tanks, drums and other toxic materials on the
property.

The Baucums are represented by attorney Gerald Maples of New Orleans.

Contacted by the Enterprise-Journal, a Comstock spokesman declined to
comment since the case is in litigation.

Mississippi Oil and Gas Board attorney Howard Leach said his department
sent a field inspector and a field director to the Baucums' property.

"They don't see anything that leads them to believe there would be any
danger there," Leach said.

The Baucums failed to provide any chemical analyses of their water source
to the Oil and Gas Board, he said.

"We're not saying that something hasn't been done," Leach added.

He said he knew of no unpermitted disposal wells in the state.

As far as possible implications for southwest Mississippi, Leach said, "The
board is looking very carefully at what all these companies are doing down
in the TMS play in southwest Mississippi because it's such a high profile
deal, and if the board sees anything comparable to this, the board will
simply not tolerate it. The board will issue a cease-and-desist order
because we realize this will come back on us."

He said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency delegates authority to the
state Oil and Gas Board to permit and regulate disposal wells.

"The reason that we look at them so closely is that that's all ultimately
federal," Leach said.

Andrew Whitehurst of the Gulf Restoration Network, an environmental
organization, has written about the Jones County case in his blogs, and
warns about possible ramifications for southwest Mississippi.

"Since 1996 this disposal well (in Jones County) has allowed salt water,
produced during drilling operations, combined with oil and drilling fluids
to be injected into the earth 4,020 feet down a 'dry hole' oil well from
1992 that was drilled to 11,500 feet and partially plugged with cement,"
Whitehurst wrote in a Sept. 2 blog at www.healthygulf.org.

"Salt water and other fluids have moved downslope from unlined waste pits
at the well site and maybe from the injection well itself. This has added
toxins and high levels of salt to their (Baucums') soil, killing trees
along the path of seepage. A creek runs farther down the slope, and is
likely also receiving polluted groundwater and runoff. Buried waste drums
have also been discovered on the Baucum property in the woods next to the
injection well."

In a Sept. 15 follow-up blog, Whitehurst added:

"This situation in Laurel should be of concern to operators in the
Southwest Mississippi counties. There, hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in
the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale formation may lead companies to work in haste
and with minimal caution when drilling and completing wells and disposing
of waste fluids. Landowners with oil and gas leases must also be vigilant
about what companies are doing on their properties. Clearly, unlined
surface pits should never be used to hold any oilfield waste, chemicals or
drilling fluids. Fluid spills on the ground should also be reported and
managed aggressively."

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has worked with the Oil
and Gas Board on a variety of cases, including the one in Jones County,
said MDEQ communications director Robbie Wilbur.

With the increase in oil activity in the state, Wilbur said the two
agencies "have worked jointly to evaluate the effectiveness of existing
regulations for both agencies to minimize environmental impacts from such
operations. For example, modern storage pits, where allowed, now typically
require synthetic liners to prevent migration of material into the soil or
groundwater. Since the early days of oil and gas exploration and
production, the technologies along with the rules and regulations have
advanced considerably to be more protective of the environment."

"As to companies engaged in the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale play in Southwest
Mississippi, MDEQ is very active in its regulatory role and oversight to
protect human health and the environment," Wilbur said.


http://www.enterprise-journal.com/news/article_f6d6dd28-4277-11e4-8f54-1f5896ceba50.html





Waste errors corrected
Tate County Democrat
9/23/2014


Aluminum Extrusions President John King says all errors have been corrected
after the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) recently
fined the company $24,640 for mishandling hazardous waste and not
conducting required inspections.
http://www.thedemocrat.com/contentitem/379469/2368/waste-errors-corrected




Countywide clean-up day set for Saturday
Neshoba Democrat
By DUNCAN DENT


A countywide cleanup day, organized by city and county officials in
conjunction with the Community Development Partnership, will give residents
an opportunity to dispose of unwanted debris which is typically a
challenge, officials said.
http://neshobademocrat.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=297&ArticleID=33643



Conservation Group Visits Mississippi


WCBI


CALEDONIA, MISS. (WCBI) – We play in them, fish along them and use them to
water our crops and livestock, but seldom do we think much about taking
care of them. A national conservation group hopes to work with local
agencies to expand public awareness about how to keep area streams as
natural resources.


http://www.wcbi.com/wordpress/video-conservation-group-visits-mississippi





Prescription Drug Take Back is Saturday in Pearl River Co.

WLOX


PEARL RIVER COUNTY, MS (WLOX) -This Saturday the Pearl River County
Sheriff's Department will take part in the nationwide, "Prescription Drug
Take Back Event".
http://www.wlox.com/story/26621295/prescription-drug-take-back-is-saturday-in-pearl-river-co





City of Laurel hosts unused medication disposal day

WDAM





On September 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Laurel Police Department in
conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration will give the public
an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of
potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.
http://www.wdam.com/story/26617338/city-of-laurel-hosts-drug-take-back-day





Drop drop-off program returns this Saturday

Itawamba County Times


Prescription drug abuse has been classified as an epidemic by the Center of

Disease Control, and Mississippi is certainly not immune.

http://itawambatimes.com/2014/09/24/drop-drop-program-returns-saturday/






Oil Spill





Federal judge rejects BP's request for repayment on oil spill claims

Jennifer Larino



The Times-Picayune



September 24, 2014 at 3:08 PM



A federal judged Wednesday (Sept. 24) ruled that BP has no right to recover

more than $185 million the company says was overpaid to claimants under its

oil spill settlement. BP said it plans to appeal the decision.

http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2014/09/federal_judge_rejects_bps_requ.html#incart_river





Businesses won't have to return BP spill payouts
BY JANET MCCONNAUGHEY AND JONATHAN FAHEY

The Associated Press



NEW ORLEANS — A federal judge has ruled that BP must stand by the agreement

made with the companies it compensated for losses after the 2010 Gulf oil

spill despite the oil giant saying some claims were overestimated.

http://www.sunherald.com/2014/09/25/5818786/businesses-wont-have-to-return.html?sp=/99/102/





Federal judge delays ruling on BP oil spill medical claims

Jennifer Larino



The Times-Picayune



September 24, 2014 at 5:40 PM



A federal judge on Wednesday (Sept. 24) put off a ruling on an

interpretation of the BP oil spill medical settlement that could delay or

cut payments to thousands of cleanup workers.

http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2014/09/federal_judge_delays_ruling_on.html#incart_river





National





Administration pitches economic benefits of fighting climate change
The Hill




The Obama administration is putting economics front and center in its fight
for climate regulations, trying to show what it says are the costs of
inaction and the benefits of rules.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/218852-administration-pitches-economic-benefits-of-climate-change





Obama seeks $900M for conservation program
The Hill




The Obama administration is pulling out the stops to renew and expand a
little-known program that uses offshore drilling revenue for conservation.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/218798-obama-seeks-900m-for-conservation




Federal Officials Outline Great Lakes Strategy


Lake Erie Algal Bloom Prompted Water Ban in Toledo, Ohio
Wall Street Journal


After growing fears about invasive species and toxic algal blooms, the

Obama administration said Wednesday more needs to be done during the next

five years to protect the Great Lakes, the Earth's largest source of fresh

surface water.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/federal-officials-outline-great-lakes-strategy-1411581647







Opinion





Litter can pose threat to wildlife, pets outdoors
Trash is more than just unsightly
Jim Miller


Clinton News


People discard millions of tons of trash daily in recycling containers or

garbage cans, but unfortunately, many people leave trash in other places,

where it can harm wildlife and pets.

http://www.clintonnews.com/article/20140922/LIFE/309220001/Litter-can-pose-threat-wildlife-pets-outdoors




Drowning our property rights: EPA's misuse of the Clean Water Act
The Hill


By Sen. David Vitter (R-La.)


In several different ways, President Obama's Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is using and abusing the Clean Water Act to improperly block
economic development projects and take away Americans' property rights.


http://thehill.com/opinion/op-ed/218663-drowning-our-property-rights-epas-misuse-of-the-clean-water-act

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

News Clippings 9/24/14

9/24/14



State





Third-party damage greatest threat to pipeline safety


Clarion Ledger


Eight people awoke on Feb. 4, 1986, got dressed, ate breakfast,

kissed their loved ones and went to work in downtown Crystal Springs

at the 3-year-old pre-fab metal building that, later that afternoon,

would erupt into a raging inferno and kill them all.



http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2014/09/23/third-party-damage-greatest-threat-pipeline-safety/16137069/





Harrison County Farm provides outdoor classroom for conservation

WLOX


HARRISON COUNTY, MS (WLOX) -Near perfect weather on the first day of fall
provided a great opportunity for an outdoor classroom. That's what hundreds
of Long Beach fourth graders enjoyed Tuesday at the Harrison County farm.
http://www.wlox.com/story/26608192/fourth-graders-learn-conservation-at-harrison-county-farm





Oil Spill





4 things to know about the BP oil spill court hearings on Wednesday

Jennifer Larino

The Times-Picayune

September 23, 2014 at 4:42 PM



A federal judge in New Orleans is set to hold hearings on a range of legal

disputes related to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, including whether or

not BP has the right to recover what it says were overpayments under its

settlement program.

http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2014/09/4_things_to_know_about_the_bp.html#incart_river




Barbier to hear arguments over repayment of oil spill settlement money


by Associated Press
Published: September 24,2014

NEW ORLEANS — The federal judge for Gulf of Mexico oil spill cases was set
to hear arguments today about whether BP PLC should get back hundreds of
millions of dollars from businesses that got settlement payments between
August 2012 and October 2013.

http://msbusiness.com/blog/2014/09/24/barbier-hear-arguments-repayment-oil-spill-settlement-money/





Regional




Water management plan will be unveiled Friday



Experts tapped by Bentley to attend symposium at University of Alabama
By Jason Morton
The Tuscaloosa News


Published: Monday, September 22, 2014 at 10:00 p.m.



Members of a statewide water policy group will present their

recommendations for the formation of an Alabama water management plan this

week at the Bryant Conference Center.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20140922/NEWS/140929891/1007?Title=Water-management-plan-will-be-unveiled-Friday






Opinion






EPA pulls back on West Virginia farm's stormwater runoff case

Southeast Farm Press


American Farm Bureau


Tue, 2014-09-23 11:14



The Environmental Protection Agency decided not to appeal a key federal

ruling in favor of West Virginia farmer Lois Alt. The American Farm Bureau

says it highlights the cynicism that drives the agency's water agenda.


http://southeastfarmpress.com/government/epa-pulls-back-west-virginia-farms-stormwater-runoff-case





Press Releases






EPA Recognizes Manufacturing, Retail Leaders in Electronics Recycling
Challenge



WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognized
leading electronics manufacturers and retailers for their outstanding
achievements in used electronics stewardship under the Sustainable
Materials Management (SMM) Electronics Challenge. Leaders from Best Buy,
Dell, LG Electronics, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, Sprint and Staples gathered
in Washington, D.C. to celebrate their environmental achievements, which
include diverting more than 220,000 metric tons of used electronics to
third party certified recyclers in 2013 -- an increase of 7.6 percent since
2012.The amount of greenhouse gas emissions saved from this increase is
equivalent to removing more than 8,500 passenger cars from the road for one
year.

"Electronics are made of valuable resources such as precious metals,
copper, plastic and glass – all of which require energy to extract and
manufacture," said Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator for EPA's
Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. "Improper handling of
discarded electronics can result in serious health consequences to
communities and workers. The efforts by these leaders to collect, track and
recycle used electronics is a great step towards addressing these public
health concerns, conserving materials, and reducing greenhouse gas
emissions."


EPA also recognized Best Buy, Dell, Sprint, and Samsung as SMM Electronics
Champion award winners for demonstrating significant environmental, social
and economic outcomes for their organizations and the public that go above
and beyond the requirements of the SMM Electronics Challenge.


The United States generates almost 3.4 million tons of electronic waste per
year—and that number is only growing. By participating in the SMM
Electronics Challenge, leaders in the electronics industry are rethinking
business as usual as they commit to increasing the amount of used
electronics they collect and, in addition, sending 100 percent of used
electronics to third-party certified refurbishers and recyclers. Through
this Challenge, the EPA is providing a transparent and measurable way for
companies to endorse safe and environmentally protective practices for the
refurbishment and recycling of used electronics, and to publicly show
progress toward recycling goals.


The SMM Electronics Challenge supports President Obama's "National Strategy
for Electronics Stewardship" as it embodies efforts to increase safe and
effective handling of used electronics in the United States.


In the November 2010 Presidential Proclamation for America Recycles Day,
the President established the Interagency Task Force on Electronics
Stewardship with the EPA as one of the lead agencies. The Task Force
released the National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship report in 2011
outlining the federal government's plan to enhance the management of
electronics throughout the product lifecycle - from the design to the
eventual recycling or disposal of a product.


More information on the SMM Electronics Challenge:
http://www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/smm/electronics/index.htm
More information on the National Strategy:
http://www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/materials/ecycling/taskforce/index.htm
More information on certified recycling:
http://www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/materials/ecycling/certification.htm





EPA's SmartWay Honors Green Freight Industry Leaders


WASHINGTON – The EPA today announced the 2014 winners of the coveted
SmartWay Excellence Awards. The awards honor freight industry companies who
model environmental leadership and innovation as they move goods across
America.


Winners are in the top 5 percent of SmartWay performers in improving fuel
efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and reducing air pollution.


"For over ten years SmartWay partners have shown how reducing carbon
pollution is good for business and good for the environment," said Janet
McCabe, acting assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air and
Radiation. "The SmartWay partners that we recognize today are examples of
how American companies are cutting costs, saving fuel and reducing
pollution while meeting the needs of their customers."


The annual SmartWay Excellence Award honors top truck, intermodal and rail
carrier partners that are setting efficiency benchmarks in how they move
products and supplies. Shipping and logistics partners are recognized for
superior efficiency and additional actions to reduce freight emissions
through effective collaboration, advanced technology and operational
practices, a robust system for validating and reporting their SmartWay
data, and communications and public outreach. SmartWay Excellence Award
recipients for shipper and logistic companies are being recognized at the
Council of Supply Chain Management Conference in San Antonio, Texas.


The shipper and logistic awardees are as follows:


Hewlett-Packard, Lowe's Companies, Inc., The Home Depot U.S.A., Inc., Johns
Manville, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, SC Johnson and Son, Inc., Nordstrom,
Inc., Expeditors International of Washington, Inc., Menlo Logistics, Ryder
Supply Chain Solutions, and ShipCarsNow.


The SmartWay program launched in 2004 to help the freight industry improve
its environmental performance. Clean air achievements through SmartWay
include reducing over 50 million metric tons of carbon dioxide which is
equivalent to emissions from over 120 million barrels of oil or the
emissions from 10 million cars for one year. SmartWay has also reduced
roughly 738,000 tons of nitrogen oxide, and 37,000 tons of particulate
matter, helping to protect the health and well-being of citizens.


More information on SmartWay: http://www.epa.gov/smartway/

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

News Clippings 9/23/14

9/23/14



State





Jackson County could face environmental 'legal ramifications' from disposal

of waste diesel on farm

Mississippi Press

Gareth Clary

September 22, 2014 at 4:45 PM

PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- Jackson County could face "legal ramifications"

for environmental violations related to the disposal of 200 gallons of

waste diesel fuel that has become the center of controversy over the past

week.

http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/09/jackson_county_could_face_envi.html#incart_river





Jackson County diesel fuel went to Britt campaign supporter
Sun Herald

BY ANITA LEE



Jackson County Sheriff Charles Britt knew old diesel fuel was going to a

campaign supporter, a deputy fired over the transaction says, but Britt

contends he knew only that the old fuel was being given to a "little old

man" who sprayed it at his farm to kill grass.

http://www.sunherald.com/2014/09/22/5814138/britt-campaign-supporter-given.html?sp=/99/184/201/




Britt says he's 'not a politician,' withdraws from Jackson County sheriff's
race amidst turmoil
Sun Herald

BY ANITA LEE



Interim Jackson County Sheriff Charles Britt has withdrawn from the

sheriff's race over a secretly recorded tape about the department's

improper disposal of diesel fuel.

http://www.sunherald.com/2014/09/22/5813908/britt-withdraws-from-jackson-county.html?sp=/99/184/201/




State's complaints could be trouble for Obama's global warming plans
BY GREG GORDON

McClatchy Washington Bureau



WASHINGTON -- If the response from top Mississippi politicians to President

Barack Obama's central plan to combat global warming is emblematic,

Republican-run states could wage a fierce fight against the

administration's proposed rule to slash carbon emissions from existing

power plants by 2030.

http://www.sunherald.com/2014/09/22/5814894/states-complaints-could-be-trouble.html




Crystal Springs to pay fine over untreated sewage
The Associated Press



CRYSTAL SPRINGS, MISS. — The City of Crystal Springs is paying a $5,000

civil fine because of overflows from its wastewater lagoons.

http://www.sunherald.com/2014/09/23/5815029/crystal-springs-to-pay-fine-over.html?sp=/99/184/218/




MDEQ fines metalworking firm over hazardous waste


by Associated Press
Published: September 22,2014

SENATOBIA — A Senatobia metalworking firm is paying $24,640 civil fine for
failing to conduct inspections and mishandling hazardous waste.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2014/09/22/mdeq-fines-metalworking-firm-hazardous-waste/



Doctor working for Moss Point firm 'manufactured' lung disease diagnoses,

appeals court rules

The Associated Press

September 23, 2014 at 6:46 AM



JACKSON, Mississippi -- Mississippi's Court of Appeals says the state Board

of Medical Licensure can discipline a radiologist for making what a federal

judge found to be thousands of "manufactured" lung disease diagnoses.

http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/09/doctor_working_for_moss_point.html#incart_river





Oil Spill







UF researchers find residue from BP spill

Gainesville Sun


By Jeff Schweers
Published: Monday, September 22, 2014 at 8:54 p.m.



On the surface, it appears that the dispersants used to break up the 200

million gallons of oil spilled following the Deepwater Horizon explosion of

2010 did their job.

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20140922/ARTICLES/140929911?Title=UF-researchers-find-residue-from-BP-spill






Regional





Martineau to lead Environmental Counsel of States

AP




NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Environmental Council of the States has elected
Tennessee's Bob Martineau as its new president.
http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/26600807/martineau-to-lead-environmental-counsel-of-states





National





Obama offers climate change help to other nations
BY JOSH LEDERMAN

Associated Press



WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is pledging new U.S. help for other

nations struggling to address global warming, as heads of state from around

the world converge for a major summit on climate change.



http://www.sunherald.com/2014/09/23/5815143/obama-offers-climate-change-help.html?sp=/99/184/208/





Treasury Secretary Says U.S. Must Act Now on Climate Change



Jacob Lew Says Economic Cost of Inaction or Delay Is 'Far Greater' Than
Action
Wall Street Journal



WASHINGTON—U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, in a speech on Monday, said

the U.S. must act now on climate change to avoid economic hardships that

will grow with inaction.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/treasury-secretary-says-u-s-must-act-now-on-climate-change-1411427437





Press Releases






The Weeks Bay Foundation, Inc. Receives $270,566 to Increase Awareness and
Action on Gulf Issues


Contact Information:
Jason McDonald, (404) 562-9203 (Direct), (404) 562-8400 (Main)
mcdonald.jason@epa.gov



Stennis Space Center, MS – The U.S. EPA Gulf of Mexico Program recently
announced that the Weeks Bay Foundation, Inc. (Weeks Bay) has received a
$270,566 through a cooperative agreement for the project "A Gulf of Mexico
Coastal Training Initiative." This project will be directed under the
leadership of Michael Shelton, Coastal Training Program Coordinator of
Weeks Bay Foundation, Inc.

"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," said Ben Scaggs, Director
of the U.S. EPA Gulf of Mexico Program. "We look forward to the sustainable
environmental results that will be accomplished through this cooperative
agreement with the Weeks Bay Foundation, Inc."

The Gulf of Mexico Coastal Training Initiative will offer targeted and
technical assistance to resource managers and decision-makers on the Gulf
Coast. The training events and technical assistance will employ proven
educational methodologies to increase regional awareness and action on
program priorities and strategic goals identified by the EPA Gulf of Mexico
Program and the region's coastal decision-makers. Weeks Bay will hold 15
workshops on the Gulf Coast, provide technical assistance to five coastal
communities over three years, as well as engage local communities and raise
awareness of environmental issues Gulf-wide.

"The Gulf National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERR) regional partnership
is well positioned to address coastal resource management issues that have
impacts on a regional level through locally based training and technical
assistance," said Shelton. "The primary outcome of the NERRs and GMP
initiative is improved decision-making in the management of coastal
resources."

This cooperative agreement will further the strategic goals and objectives
of Gulf of Mexico Program and lead to a healthy and prosperous ecosystem.

For more information about the Gulf of Mexico Program, please call
228-688-3726 or visit our web site at http://www.epa.gov/gmpo.







EPA Announces Grant Opportunities to Reduce Diesel Emissions at Ports



WASHINGTON - Today, EPA announced the availability of up to $5 million in
grant funding to establish clean diesel projects aimed at reducing
emissions from marine and inland water ports located in areas of poor air
quality.


"Communities surrounding ports often face serious air quality and other
environmental challenges, " said Janet McCabe, Acting Assistant
Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation. "By working with fleet
owners to replace or update older equipment with cleaner technologies, we
can find collaborative solutions that foster both economic growth and
improve public health."


Older diesel engines emit large amounts of air pollutants such as nitrogen
oxides (NOX) and particulate matter (PM). These pollutants are linked to a
range of serious health problems including asthma, lung and heart disease,
and other respiratory ailments. Most of the country's busiest ports are
located near large metropolitan areas and, as a result, people in
neighboring communities are exposed to high levels of diesel emissions.
Since most ships and equipment at ports run on diesel engines, clean diesel
projects at ports will produce immediate emissions reductions and provide
health benefits to those living and working in the area.


This is the second grant competition to focus on reducing emissions at
ports under the Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA). Under this
competition, EPA anticipates awarding between two and five assistance
agreements. Applicants may request up to $2 million in funding toward
eligible projects. Port authorities, governmental or quasi-governmental
public agencies that operate ports, and state and local governments with
jurisdiction over transportation or air quality are eligible to apply.
Community groups, terminal operators, shipping carriers, and other related
entities are encouraged to participate through partnerships with eligible
applicants. Projects may include drayage trucks, marine engines,
locomotives, and cargo handling equipment at marine or inland water ports.
Funding is limited to projects at ports located in areas of poor air
quality, as determined by the Administrator. The list of eligible areas
for this RFP can be found at
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/ports/documents/fy14-ports-county-area-list.pdf.


All proposals must be received by December 11, 2014. For more information
and to access the Request for Proposals and other documents, please visit
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/ports/ports-dera-rfp.htm.








EPA Encourages Homeowners to Care for Their Septic Systems During
SepticSmart Week


WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hold its second
annual SepticSmart Week September 22-26. SepticSmart Week outreach
activities encourage homeowners and communities to care for and maintain
their septic systems. Nearly one-quarter of all American households depend
on septic systems to treat their wastewater.


Failure to maintain septic system can lead to back-ups and overflows that
pollute local waterways, create dead zones, raise water treatment costs and
endanger human health. Pollutants such as nitrogen, phosphorus and fecal
bacteria can enter ground and surface waters from septic systems. Such
pollutants affect drinking water, lakes, rivers and estuaries. The algal
blooms they may generate can produce toxins harmful to human, animals and
marine life.


Data collected by states attribute septic systems and other onsite
wastewater treatment methods to water quality impairments in 22,909 miles
of rivers and streams; 199,995 acres of lakes, reservoirs and ponds; and
72,320 acres of wetlands. By properly maintaining their septic systems,
homeowners can help reduce these numbers.


"When homeowners protect their septic systems, it's good for their health,
their neighbors' health, and their pocketbooks," said Ken Kopocis, Deputy
Assistant Administrator in EPA's Office of Water. "Not only is EPA directly
educating homeowners on septic maintenance, but we are also coordinating
with states and municipalities to do the same."


During SepticSmart Week, EPA will provide homeowners with tips for septic
maintenance, including:


· Protect It and Inspect It:


· Think at the Sink:


· Don't Overload the Commode:


· Don't Strain Your Drain:


· Shield Your Field:


EPA's SepticSmart program educates homeowners about proper septic system
care and maintenance all year long. In addition, it serves as an online
resource for industry practitioners, local governments and community
organizations, providing access to tools to educate clients and residents.


For more information, visit: www.epa.gov/septicsmart

Monday, September 22, 2014

News Clippings 9/22/14

9/22/14



State





Engineer: McComb neighborhood likely contaminated


Engineers have told officials in McComb that groundwater in the

Burglund neighborhood probably has been contaminated by a former

creosote plant and an old oil plant.

http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2014/09/20/engineer-mccomb-neighborhood-likely-contaminated/15987961/







Jamie Miller cleaning house at Department of Marine Resources
Director cleaning house to break with agency's scandalous past
Sun Herald

BY PAUL HAMPTON



BILOXI — The makeover of the state Department of Marine Resources is nearly

finished.



When Executive Director Jamie Miller took over a little less than a 18

months ago, the agency was a mess. Its director and several high-ranking

employees were under investigation by state and federal authorities. Rumors

were swirling. Jokes were told.

http://www.sunherald.com/2014/09/20/5811727/miller-cleaning-house-at-department.html?sp=/99/184/832/




DMR's new NERR manager ready to welcome company to Coast estuary
Sun Herald

BY PAUL HAMPTON



Ayesha Gray followed a winding path to her new job as manager of the Grand

Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve east of Pascagoula.

http://www.sunherald.com/2014/09/20/5811573/new-nerr-manager-ready-for-company.html?sp=/99/184/832/




DMR Marine Patrol's Davis says professionalism is his goal
Sun Herald

BY PAUL HAMPTON



BILOXI -- There are some pretty fancy public-safety buildings on the Coast,

courtesy of Hurricane Katrina and the rebuilding fueled by federal dollars.

http://www.sunherald.com/2014/09/20/5811572/davis-says-professionalism-is.html?sp=/99/184/832/




Toyota volunteers – 850 strong – make an impact


By Lynn West



New Albany Gazette



BLUE SPRINGS – Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi team members Saturday

proved they are not only good neighbors but also an active part of the

community.

http://djournal.com/news/toyota-volunteers-850-strong-make-impact/



Oil Spill


MISSISSIPPI EDITION - FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19TH

SEGMENT 1: BP SPILL WELL CAPPED 4 YEARS AGO
MPB


Audio


http://www.mpbonline.org/blogs/mississippiedition/mississippi-edition-friday-september-19th/





BP says oil spill trial's penalty phase should not be cut short

Jennifer Larino

The Times-Picayune

September 19, 2014 at 11:40 AM



BP told a federal judge in New Orleans this week that it would need at

least three weeks to defend itself during a trial to set penalties stemming

from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The oil giant said his filing was a

response to suggestions that the trial may be cut short, and that doing so

would be "premature at this time."

http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2014/09/bp_says_oil_spill_trial_penalt.html





Federal judge scolds BP for 'college term paper' trick in oil spill filing

Jennifer Larino

The Times-Picayune

September 19, 2014 at 2:38 PM



A federal judge overseeing Gulf oil spill litigation chastised BP's lawyers

this week for using a tactic to squeeze more words into a 35-page-limited

court filing, breaking court rules.

http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2014/09/federal_judge_scolds_bp_for_br.html





New indictment against ex-BP exec
AP



NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal grand jury has issued a new indictment against
a former BP executive charged with obstructing a congressional
investigation into the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

http://www.wdef.com/news/state/story/New-indictment-against-ex-BP-exec/Lfc0xC2vjkC45xEpW9ARBA.cspx






Applications will soon arrive for $500 million Gulf study program



30-year research initiative in response to BP oil disaster

Baton Rouge Advocate

By AMY WOLD

The National Academy of Sciences expects to start taking applications this

fall for the $500 million assigned to the 30-year Gulf Research Program,

set up as a result of criminal settlements from the Deepwater Horizon

disaster in 2010.

http://theadvocate.com/news/10280444-123/applications-will-soon-arrive-for





Regional





Oystermen fear closing of Apalachicola Bay


AP




APPALACHICOLA, Fla. -- Seafood workers and oyster harvesters say they are

worried about the future of Apalachicola Bay.

http://www.sunherald.com/2014/09/20/5810512_oystermen-fear-closing-of-apalachicola.html?sp=/99/184/&rh=1




National





Marches on global warming draw tens of thousands

The Associated Press



NEW YORK — Tens of thousands of activists walked through Manhattan on

Sunday, warning that climate change is destroying the Earth — in stride

with demonstrators around the world who urged policymakers to take quick

action.

http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/09/march_on_global_warming_expect.html#incart_river






Dangers Aside, Railways Reshape Crude Market



Shipping Crude by Rail Expands as New Pipelines Hit Headwinds and Train
Companies Reap Revenue
Wall Street Journal


In May 2008, a locomotive with a grizzly bear painted on its side pulled

into a railroad siding next to an abandoned grain elevator in the ghost

town of Dore, N.D. The engine, property of the Yellowstone Valley Railroad,

hitched up a couple of tank cars of crude from nearby oil wells and set off

on a thousand-mile journey to Oklahoma.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/dangers-aside-railways-reshape-crude-market-1411353150





California Coastal Agency Takes on a Novel Role



Conservancy Office to Invest in Campground, for a Share of the Revenue
Wall Street Journal


AVILA BEACH, Calif.—A state agency charged with conserving California's

scenic coast is investing in a proposed shoreline development, part of a

novel partnership that could serve as a national model.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/california-coastal-agency-takes-on-a-novel-role-1411345457

Friday, September 19, 2014

News Clippings 9.19.14

9/19/14



State





Grant could help Cherokee neighborhood residents monitor air
Sun Herald

BY TAMMY LEYTHAM



PASCAGOULA -- After years of dealing with thick dust, strong, acrid smells

and health problems, residents of a southeast Pascagoula neighborhood may

soon know what's in their air.

http://www.sunherald.com/2014/09/18/5807968_grant-could-help-cherokee-neighborhood.html?sp=/99/100/&rh=1




New bio mass technology on display for Wayne County poultry farmers



WDAM





Wayne County poultry farmers are getting a look at a new alternative energy
technology which uses wood industry waste to heat chicken houses.
http://www.wdam.com/story/26568828/new-bio-mass-technology-on-display-for-wayne-county-poultry-farmers




Building artificial dunes, what works?

WLOX




As Sand Beach crews continue their efforts to battle erosion on the beach,
officials are also looking at some techniques used previously. You may
recall last winter an artificial dune was built on the beach in Gulfport.


http://www.wlox.com/story/26567225/building-artificial-dunes





1 fired after auditor's probe into Jackson County Sheriff's Department,

involves disposal of diesel

Mississippi Press

April M. Havens



PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- The state auditor's investigation into the

Jackson County Sheriff's Department involves the improper disposal of

diesel fuel and resulted in one employee being fired, Sheriff Charles Britt

said today.

http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/09/auditors_investigation_into_ja.html#incart_river





Oil Spill





Agency can look at rig owner's role in oil spill

The Associated Press

September 18, 2014 at 6:34 PM



A federal appeals court in New Orleans has upheld a federal safety board's

right to investigate the role of Transocean Deepwater Drilling Corp. in the

2010 Gulf of Mexico oil disaster.

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2014/09/agency_can_look_at_rig_owners.html#incart_river





National




Ag commissioners petition for withdrawal of Waters of the U.S. Rule


by MBJ Staff
Published: September 18,2014

JACKSON — At the annual meeting of the National Association of State
Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), NASDA members, which include
Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Cindy Hyde-Smith,
unanimously called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers to withdraw the proposed Waters of the U.S. Rule.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2014/09/18/ag-commissioners-petition-withdrawl-waters-u-s-rule/




Beer fight brewing over EPA rule
The Hill




A battle is brewing in the beer industry over a new regulation from the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that spells out the agency's
authority to regulate bodies of water.
http://thehill.com/regulation/energy-environment/218249-beer-fight-brewing-over-epa-rule





Ninety percent of EPA stimulus funding for diesel reduction program
misspent


Fox News


Over 90 percent of funding for a diesel reduction program paid for by the
stimulus law was misspent, according to a report by the Environmental
Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Inspector General (OIG).
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/09/18/ninety-percent-epa-stimulus-funding-for-diesel-reduction-program-misspent/
?





Opinion





SUN HERALD | Editorial: CMR snubs its scientists




Despite evidence from scientists at the Department of Marine Resources that

supported just a one-week oyster harvesting season, one member of the

Commission on Marine Resources talked his colleagues into unanimously

scheduling a harvest that could stretch into winter.

http://www.sunherald.com/2014/09/18/5807059/sun-herald-editorial-cmr-snubs.html?sp=/99/728/







Press Releases





Southeast Diesel Collaborative Leadership Award Winners Announced

Contact Information: Jason McDonald, (404) 562-9203 (Direct), (404)
562-8400 (Main) mcdonald.jason@epa.gov

ATLANTA – This week at the Southeast Diesel Collaborative (SEDC) 9th Annual
Partners Meeting in Atlanta, GA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) Region 4 Regional Administrator Heather McTeer Toney and Office of
the EPA Administrator Acting Senior Advisor on Environmental Justice
Mustafa Ali, on behalf of the SEDC, presented the SEDC Leadership Awards to
the 2013 winners. The SEDC Leadership Awards recognize exemplary
achievements improving air quality where we live, learn, work, and play by
reducing diesel emissions. The awardees are:

Holmes Company of Jackson, Inc., Richland, Mississippi - SEDC Industry
Leadership Award for

· Significantly reducing diesel emission rates for the overall fleet by
13.9% in total,
· Equipping 10 tractor trailer units with battery air conditioner units
during 2013, increasing the use of these units to nearly 25% of their
current fleet,
· Educating their employees and business partners on benefits of
improving the environment for their company.

DeKalb County, Georgia Sanitation Department - SEDC Community Leadership
Award for

· Reducing emissions from vehicles serving DeKalb County communities by
adding 24 compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles to their fleet in
2013, bringing their current total to 72 vehicles, significantly
decreasing overall fuel costs for the fleet,
· Operating a landfill methane gas collection and processing facility
to lower emissions and provide renewable natural gas via pipeline to
supply six CNG fueling stations in DeKalb County,
· Opening its own CNG refueling station at Seminole Road Landfill in
October 2012 to collect waste gas to use in their own vehicles that
collect and handle the garbage, promoting the business case for using
municipal waste as a renewable transportation fuel.
June Blotnick, Clean Air Carolina, Charlotte, NC - SEDC Visionary Champion
Leadership Award for

· Serving as Executive Director of Clean Air Carolina since 2005, where
she has been instrumental in the North Carolina Clean Diesel Program,
assisting school systems across the state in accessing federal and
state funds for school bus retrofits and promoting idle reduction
with the "Turn Off Your Engine" campaign,
· Promoting clean construction practices to over 300 hospitals, 200
colleges and universities, and multiple municipalities in NC,
including developing a toolkit of resources with the Clean Air Task
Force and working with construction companies on diesel pollution
impacts,
· Successfully collaborating with New Belgium Brewery in Asheville,
Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, City of Charlotte, North
Carolina Division of Air Quality, and others on use of cleaner
construction equipment, developing policies, and promoting projects
and opportunities for cleaner air.

The efforts by Holmes Company of Jackson, the DeKalb County, Georgia
Sanitation Department, and June Blotnick of Clean Air Carolina demonstrated
exemplary leadership in the use of latest clean diesel technologies, and
serve as a role model for others to follow in effective collaboration and
partnership to reduce diesel emissions.

This is the sixth year the SEDC Leadership Council has presented the
Leadership Awards to recognize exemplary projects in emissions reductions
in EPA Region 4. Nominated parties are judged on their effectiveness in
meeting the SEDC's goal to reduce emissions from existing diesel engines
and the work done in several sectors to reduce these emissions. Previous
years' winners include United Parcel Service, Coca Cola Enterprises, Ingram
Barge Company, Staples, Saddle Creek Logistics Services, North Carolina
Solar Center, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Miami-Dade
County, Florida Government, Alabama Department of Transportation, Georgia
Ports Authority, Kentucky Clean Fuels Coalition, and Mecklenburg County,
North Carolina GRADE Program.

Organized in early 2006 by EPA Region 4, the Southeast Diesel Collaborative
has enjoyed unprecedented success in bringing together over 900 partners
from federal, state and local governments, organizations, industry and
academia to reduce diesel engine emissions across the eight southeastern
states. Focused on promoting energy independence, a cleaner environment and
growing, sustainable economies, this partnership offers wide ranging health
and economic benefits to the public fleet, freight and non-road sectors.

The Southeast Diesel Collaborative is part of EPA's National Clean Diesel
Campaign, a program combining regulatory measures with voluntary
initiatives to reduce the pollution emitted from diesel engines across the
country. Visit the Southeast Diesel Collaborative website at:
www.southeastdiesel.org.



###



USDA Invests $68 Million in 540 Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
Projects Nationwide
Funding includes loan guarantees and grants for solar energy to create
jobs, promote energy independence and advance the use of renewable fuels


BUNN, N.C., Sept. 18, 2014 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today
announced that USDA is investing in 540 renewable energy and energy
efficiency projects nationwide.

"These loan guarantees and grants will have far-reaching impacts
nationwide, particularly in the rural communities where these projects are
located," Vilsack said. "Investing in renewable energy and energy
efficiency will continue the unprecedented increase in home-grown energy
sources and American energy independence we've seen in recent years. This
is creating jobs, providing new economic opportunities and leading the way
to a more secure energy future."

Secretary Vilsack made the announcement while in North Carolina to
highlight USDA's investments in rural renewable energy projects, as part of
the Obama Administration's 'all-of-the-above' energy strategy. It is the
most recent of a series of USDA actions to strengthen the country's energy
sector. Two weeks ago, Vilsack announced a $105 million loan guarantee to a
company that will produce jet fuel from municipal solid waste.

Today's funding is being provided through USDA Rural Development's Rural
Energy for America Program (REAP). REAP was created by the 2008 Farm Bill
and was reauthorized by the recently passed 2014 Farm Bill.

The announcement comes on a day when President Obama is announcing new
executive actions to further advance the development of solar technologies
across the country. These new investments in solar will reduce America's
energy consumption, cut carbon pollution by nearly 300 million metric tons
– equivalent to taking more than 60 million cars off the road for a year –
and save businesses nearly $45 billion on their energy bills. The renewed
effort to invest in solar energy also includes commitments from a broad
coalition of 50 public and private sector partners, including leading
industry, community development organizations and housing providers in 28
states. To learn more about this new Obama Administration initiative to
increase the use of solar power, visit the White House website.

"USDA is proud to play a key role in Obama Administration's efforts to
promote the use of solar technologies," Vilsack said. "Of the REAP projects
funded today, 240 projects are for solar investments of $5.2 million in
grants and $55.3 million in loans."

During Secretary Vilsack's trip to North Carolina, he visited Progress
Solar in Bunn, N.C., which received a $3.4 million REAP loan guarantee in
2012 for installation of a solar array. Progress Solar now produces enough
solar energy to power 540 average-sized homes each year. The 4.5 megawatt
array was developed by North Carolina-based O2 Energies, Inc. The Progress
Solar site is a dual-use solar power plant and a working farm where a 10th
generation farming family raises free range sheep and lambs. The project
serves as a test site for herd management best practices on a solar farm,
and the goal is to model future collaborative efforts that marry
solar-energy production with agriculture production. This is the seventh
solar farm venture that O2 Energies has developed in North Carolina.

In North Carolina alone, Vilsack announced $55.3 million in new REAP
program loan guarantees and grants for 22 solar energy projects. For
example, USDA is awarding a $3 million loan guarantee to Broadway Solar
Center, LLC to help finance a 5 megawatt solar array in Columbus County, a
$4.9 million loan guarantee for a similar project in Hertford County and a
$2.1 million guarantee for a project in Warren County.

In total, Vilsack announced $68 million in REAP loan guarantees and grants
today. Funding is contingent upon the recipients meeting the terms of the
loan or grant agreement.

Eligible agricultural producers and rural small businesses may use REAP
funds to make energy efficiency improvements or install renewable energy
systems including solar, wind, renewable biomass (including anaerobic
digesters), small hydroelectric, ocean energy, hydrogen, and geothermal.

Since the start of the Obama Administration, REAP has supported more than
8,800 renewable energy and energy efficiency projects nationwide. During
this period, USDA has provided more than $276 million in grants and $268
million in loan guarantees to agricultural producers and rural small
business owners.

President Obama's historic investments in rural America have made our rural
communities stronger. Under his leadership, these investments in housing,
community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have empowered rural
America to continue leading the way – strengthening America's economy,
small towns and rural communities.

#

Thursday, September 18, 2014

News Clippings 9.18.14

9/18/14



State





What you need to know about plastic in your toothpaste


Clarion Ledger


Did you know there may be plastic in your toothpaste?



Crest confirmed that the company does put plastic beads into two of

its toothpastes after a Chicago television station investigation.



http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2014/09/17/crest-toothpaste-changing-ingredients/15767163/






SCUA sniffs out sewage smell
Stone County Enterprise



By Jody O'Hara




An odor problem associated with a sewage lift station has been determined
to have been caused by air release valves in a force main of the S-9
wastewater treatment facility.
http://www.stonecountyenterprise.com/article_2281.shtml





Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve hosts 'Seaside with a

Scientist' on Sept. 27

Mississippi Press

April M. Havens



MOSS POINT, Mississippi -- The Grand Bay National Estuarine Research

Reserve in Moss Point will host a free Seaside with a Scientist event Sept.

27 in honor of National Estuaries Day.

http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/09/grand_bay_national_estuarine_r_2.html#incart_river





Riding ATVs in public streams is illegal

by Ray Van Dusen



Monroe Journal



Fisheries Biologists with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries

and Parks (MDWFP) want to remind All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) drivers that

riding in streambeds can be harmful to fish habitat and fish, and may be

unlawful.

http://monroecountyjournal.com/2014/09/14/riding-atvs-public-streams-illegal/







Oil Spill





State launches user-friendly oil spill project map


Pensacola News Journal


Trying to keep track of the projects funded by Deepwater Horizon oil

spill funds is not an easy task even for government officials close

to the action, let alone the public.



http://www.pnj.com/story/news/local/environment/2014/09/17/state-launches-user-friendly-oil-spill-project-map/15801845/





Regional





Red tide creeps across Gulf of Mexico toward northwest Florida

The Associated Press

September 17, 2014 at 1:47 PM



It's like Florida's version of The Blob. Slow moving glops of toxic algae

in the northeast Gulf of Mexico are killing sea turtles, sharks and fish,

and threatening the waters and beaches that fuel the region's economy.

http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/09/red_tide_florida_gulf_mexico.html#incart_river





National





Thune bill would head off potential EPA ozone rule
The Hill




Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) introduced a bill Wednesday to prevent the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from lowering the standard for
ground-level ozone.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/218022-thune-bill-would-head-off-potential-epa-ozone-rule

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

News Clippings 9/17/14

9/17/14



State





Sand erosion-control project on beach in Biloxi
Sand erosion-control project on beach in Biloxi moves into gear
Sun Herald

BY JOHN FITZHUGH



BILOXI -- Harrison County Sand Beach is taking another stab at controlling

erosion, this time from the water side.

http://www.sunherald.com/2014/09/16/5803787/sand-erosion-control-project-on.html?sp=/99/184/




The CMR expects another tough oyster season

WLOX


PASS CHRISTIAN, MS (WLOX) -There are no oysters being unloaded at the Pass
Christian docks right now, but those in the seafood industry were
anticipating that would change in just a few weeks.
http://www.wlox.com/story/26549224/oyster-season-expected-to-be-another-rough-one




Severstal completes the sale of Columbus plant to Steel Dynamics


by Associated Press
Published: September 17,2014

COLUMBUS — Russian steel company Severstal has completed its sale of a pair
of steel plants to AK Steel and Steel Dynamics.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2014/09/17/severstal-completes-sale-columbus-plant-steel-dynamics/




Oil Spill





Minn. DNR Requests Compensation From BP Gulf Oil Spill
WCCO



MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — In a clear, blue autumn sky, hundreds of American

white pelicans soar in a circulating pattern above the Mississippi River

flyway.

The majestic birds with the eight-foot wingspan are slowly meandering their

way along the annual fall migration to the Gulf of Mexico(Embedded image

moved to file: pic04827.jpg).

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2014/09/16/minn-dnr-requests-compensation-from-bp-gulf-oil-spill/





DEP & FWC to Host Deepwater Horizon Webinar


WTXL


TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - The Florida Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
(FWC) are hosting a deepwater horizon RESTORE Act funding and projects
webinar.
http://www.wtxl.com/news/dep-fwc-to-host-deepwater-horizon-webinar/article
_d84f9a4a-3e0b-11e4-adad-0017a43b2370.html






Regional





Meet the small-town Alabama mayor on President Obama's climate preparedness

task force

Press-Register



Dennis Pillion



PERDIDO BEACH, Alabama -- Perdido Beach Mayor Patsy Parker may be more

comfortable in the renovated residence that serves as the Perdido Beach

Town Hall and Council Chambers, but the mayor of the small Baldwin coastal

community of 581 residents is stepping into the national conversation as a

member of President Barack Obama's State, Local and Tribal Leaders Task

Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience.

http://www.al.com/news/beaches/index.ssf/2014/09/meet_the_small-town_alabama_ma.html#incart_river







National





Obama unveils major new effort to tackle climate change
The Hill




The Obama administration is taking new steps to phase out the production of
a well-known chemical coolant used in refrigerators and air conditioners
that has been tied to global warming.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/217811-obama-targets-popular-coolant-in-effort-to-fight-climate-change





EPA extends climate rule comment period
The Hill




The Obama administration on Tuesday added more time to the clock for the
public to comment on the president's signature climate rule on existing
power plants.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/217872-administration-pushes-climate-rule-comment-period-back





LANDMARK FRACKING STUDY FINDS NO WATER POLLUTION


BY KEVIN BEGOS

ASSOCIATED PRESS



PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The final report from a landmark federal study on

hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, found no evidence that chemicals or

brine water from the gas drilling process moved upward to contaminate

drinking water at a site in western Pennsylvania.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GAS_DRILLING_WATER_CONTAMINATION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT






California to restrict groundwater pumping
The Hill




California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) plans to sign a law Tuesday to regulate
groundwater pumping in an attempt to mitigate the effects of the state's
historic drought.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/217816-california-to-restrict-groundwater-pumping





Curtain, reviews come down on taxpayer-funded climate change musical


Fox News


The curtain has come down on Climate Change: The Musical and reviews of the
taxpayer-funded play about global warming are downright icy.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/09/17/curtain-reviews-come-down-on-taxpayer-funded-climate-change-musical/?intcmp=latestnews





Press Releases





EPA Awards Mississippi Conference of Black Mayors a 2014 Environmental
Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement



CONTACT: Jason McDonald, (404) 562-9203 (Direct), (404) 562-8400 (Main)
mcdonald.jason@epa.gov



ATLANTA – Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced
today a competitive cooperative agreement with the Mississippi Conference
of Black Mayors (MCBM) to reduce lead exposure and mitigate the negative
impacts of old, inadequate housing stock for low-income, minority families
and children throughout the Mississippi Delta. The agreement is one of 12
EPA has reached with community-based organizations nationwide, totaling
about $1.4 million in funding, under this initiative.

"These cooperative agreements empower communities to implement
environmental protection projects locally," said EPA Administrator Gina
McCarthy. "With these agreements, EPA advances our commitment to
communities by providing financial and technical assistance to take action
against environmental harm."

The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (EJCPS) Cooperative
Agreement Program provides funding for non-profit and tribal organizations
to partner with stakeholders from across industry, government, and academia
to develop and implement solutions that significantly address environmental
and/or public health issues in American communities.

Through its "Mississippi Delta Child Lead Reduction Plan", the MCBM will
create a network of African American mayors, health care providers, and
community members. These groups will be tasked with increasing community
awareness and education about the harmful effects of lead exposure, common
sources of household sources of lead, and preventative techniques. This
collaborative effort seeks to develop and implement a "Lead Contamination
Action Plan" that will help to identify the homes that have significant
exposures, work with area health care facilities to test children's toys
and clothing for lead residue, and develop and implement lead abatement
measures.

In 2003, EPA's Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) launched the first
solicitation for the EJCPS Cooperative Agreement Program. Since the
Program's inception, EPA has provided funding to 50 projects to help
communities understand and address exposure to environmental harms and
risks. Each of this year's recipients are awarded up to $120,000 to support
two-year projects, including identifying and reducing sources of air
pollution, reducing lead exposure in homes of low-income residents, and the
cleanup and repurposing of community dump sites. Projects must use the
Collaborative Problem Solving model, comprised of seven elements of a
successful collaborative partnership, to address local environmental and/or
public health issues.

Environmental justice is defined as the fair treatment and meaningful
involvement of all people, regardless of race or income, in the
environmental decision-making process. These awards represent EPA's
commitment to promoting localized, community-based actions to address
environmental justice issues.

Please visit
http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/resources/publications/grants/cps-project-abstracts-2014.pdf
for a complete listing of the 2014 Environmental Justice Collaborative
Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement recipients and project descriptions.

In the fall of 2014, EPA plans to release a Request for Applications for
the fiscal year 2015 Environmental Justice Small Grants Program. A schedule
of pre-application teleconference calls will be announced at that time.

More information about EPA's Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem
Solving Cooperative Agreement Program:
http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/grants/ej-cps-grants.html







USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Announces Recipients Of New
Conservation Innovation Grants








Jackson, Miss— The United States Department of Agriculture/Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has awarded Conservation Innovation
Grants (CIGs) to the B.F. Smith Foundation-Delta F.A.R.M. in the amount of
$438,750 and to the Holmes County Food Hub for $640,775.





Under CIG, Environmental Quality Incentives Program funds are used to award
competitive grants to non-Federal governmental or nongovernmental
organizations, Tribes, or individuals. At least 50 percent of the total
cost of CIG projects must come from non-federal matching funds, including
cash and in-kind contributions provided by the grant recipient. Grantees
must work with producers and forestland owners to develop and demonstrate
the new technologies and approaches. The grants are funded through the
Environmental Quality Incentives Program.





The Delta F.A.R.M. Program began operation in the summer of 1998. The
organization serves the farmers and landowners of the Mississippi Delta by
providing technical information on conservation practices and promoting
their current conservation efforts.



The Holmes County Food Hub started in 2013 and assists small famers with
marketing and promoting their Mississippi grown products to schools
throughout Mississippi. They also promote new technologies to small farmers
such as sub surface irrigation and poly-culture crop growth.



"We are excited to see receipt of CIG's in Mississippi,�
�� stated Mississippi
NRCS State Conservationist Kurt Readus. "It will help provide innovative
ways to promote sustainable agriculture throughout our great state."





NRCS provides funding opportunities for agriculturalists and others through
various programs. CIG enables NRCS to work with other public and private
entities to accelerate technology transfer and adoption of promising
technologies to address some of the Nation's most pressing natural resource
concerns. CIG will benefit agricultural producers by providing more options
for environmental enhancement and compliance with Federal, State, and local
regulations.





The funding was made possible by the 2014 Farm Bill. For more information,
visit www.usda.gov/farmbill.


To locate your nearest NRCS office, visit;
http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app






EPA Announces New Actions to Curb Potent Greenhouse Gases


EPA GreenChill Partners Join Industry Leaders to Drive the Transition to
Climate-friendly Refrigerants


WASHINGTON – Building on the President's Climate Action Plan, EPA
Administrator Gina McCarthy joined private and public sector leaders at the
White House today to recognize progress and take new steps to curb
emissions of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), potent greenhouse gases used in
refrigeration and air conditioning. Administrator McCarthy announced
additional EPA actions to reduce HFC emissions and encouraged private
sector investment in HFC-free technology.


"The good progress we are making on restoring the earth's ozone layer would
not have been possible without a strong public-private sector partnership,
"
said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. "I know by working together again we
can tackle the challenges of climate change and meet the President's goal
to curb emissions of the most potent greenhouse gases."


EPA announced three new actions that will help support a smooth transition
to climate-friendly alternatives to HFCs, including:


· listing additional fluorinated and non-fluorinated chemicals as
acceptable alternatives in a variety of industry applications;


· identifying refrigerant management options to reduce HFC emissions
from air conditioning and refrigeration equipment; and


· organizing with stakeholder engagement a series of sector-specific
workshops on seeking transitions away from high global warming
potential HFCs.


The new efforts build upon progress and commitments already made under
EPA's GreenChill partnership, which works with the supermarket industry to
transition to climate-friendly refrigerants, reduce the amount of
refrigerant used, and eliminate harmful refrigerant leaks. If supermarkets
nationwide reduce refrigerant leaks to the current GreenChill Partner
average of 12.4 percent, they could generate annual cost savings of over
$100 million across the industry while preventing the annual emission of
about 27 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2eq), which
is equal to emissions from the generation of electricity use by more than
3.7 million homes annually.


At the roundtable gathering, GreenChill Partners Target and Hillphoenix
announced new commitments and technologies to curb potent greenhouse gases.
Target announced that it is expanding its use of HFC-free refrigeration
systems, partnering with chemical producers to test the next generation of
climate-friendly refrigerants, and working with a beverage cooler
manufacturer to test HFC-free solutions this fall. Hillphoenix announced
that it is commercializing a new, more energy efficient, HFC-free CO2
booster system, and introducing an HFC-free hydrocarbon self-contained door
case. Kroger and Port Townsend Food Co-op of Port Townsend, Wash., also
announced that they joined EPA's GreenChill Partnership.


Other private sector efforts provide a strong foundation for future
progress. EPA recently recognized 13 EPA GreenChill Partners with the
following environmental achievement awards:


Best Corporate Emissions Rate: For the second consecutive year, Stater
Bros. Markets earned the Partnership's most prestigious award for lowering
its already low refrigerants emissions rates across all their stores.


Most Improved Emissions Rate: Buehler's Fresh Foods was honored with the
Most Improved Emissions Rate award for achieving the Partnership's largest
refrigerant leak rate reduction from 2012 to 2013.


Superior Goal Achievement: The seven Superior Goal Achievement winners met
challenging goals to reduce their refrigerant emissions. Winners include
Brookshire Grocery Company, Buehler's Fresh Foods, Food Lion, King Kullen,
Meijer, Sweetbay, and Weis Markets. King Kullen earned an Exceptional Goal
Achievement award for meeting a second, more ambitious corporate goal for
reducing refrigerant emissions.


Distinguished Partner: Raley's was honored with the Distinguished Partner
award for demonstrating extraordinary leadership and initiative during the
year to further the GreenChill mission.


GreenChill's Store Certification Program recognized stores for meeting
strict performance criteria that demonstrate their refrigeration system has
minimal impacts on the ozone layer and climate. GreenChill presented the
following store certification awards:


Best of the Best Award: The Whole Foods Market store in Brooklyn, N.Y.,
was honored for installing the most environmentally friendly refrigeration
system of the 94 stores that earned GreenChill Certification over the last
year. The Whole Foods store features an advanced centralized refrigeration
system that uses only carbon dioxide as the refrigerant, which will lower
the climate impact of refrigerant emissions by thousands of times compared
with other common refrigerants used in supermarkets.


Store Certification Excellence Award: Hillphoenix, Publix Super Markets,
and Sprouts Farmer Market earned the award for achieving more GreenChill
Store Certifications than their peers over the past year. The friendly
store certification competition between Sprouts Farmer Market and Publix
Super Markets resulted in 27 and 26 store certifications, respectively.
Hillphoenix, as a leading refrigeration system manufacturer, was
responsible for installing systems that met the stringent GreenChill
certification criteria in 67 stores.


Store Re-Certification Award: For five consecutive years the five
supermarkets who received this award met GreenChill's stringent
certification criteria. Winners include a Weis Markets store in Hanover,
Pa., a Food Lion store in Columbia, S.C., a Sprouts Farmers Market store in
San Diego, Calif., and two Publix Super Markets stores, in Winter Haven,
Fla., and Suwanee, Ga.


More about the White House Industry Leader Roundtable and new private
sector commitments and executive actions to reduce HFC emissions:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/09/16/fact-sheet-obama-administration-partners-private-sector-new-commitments-


More about the GreenChill Partnership and award winners:
http://www2.epa.gov/greenchill.


More about SNAP: http://www.epa.gov/ozone/snap/





EPA Awards 2014 Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving
Cooperative Agreements

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today
competitive cooperative agreements with 12 community-based organizations
working to address environmental justice issues nationwide. The
Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (EJCPS) Cooperative
Agreement Program provides funding for non-profit and tribal organizations
to partner with stakeholders from across industry, government, and academia
to develop and implement solutions that significantly address environmental
and/or public health issues in American communities.


"These cooperative agreements empower communities to implement
environmental protection projects locally," said EPA Administrator Gina
McCarthy. "With these agreements, EPA advances our commitment to
communities by providing financial and technical assistance to take action
against environmental harm."


In 2003, EPA's Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) launched the first
solicitation for the EJCPS Cooperative Agreement Program. Since the
Program's inception, EPA has provided funding to 50 projects to help
communities understand and address exposure to environmental harms and
risks. Each of this year's recipients are awarded up to $120,000 to support
two-year projects, including identifying and reducing sources of air
pollution, reducing lead exposure in homes of low-income residents, and the
cleanup and repurposing of community dump sites. Projects must use the
Collaborative Problem Solving model, comprised of seven elements of a
successful collaborative partnership, to address local environmental and/or
public health issues.


Environmental justice is defined as the fair treatment and meaningful
involvement of all people, regardless of race or income, in the
environmental decision-making process. These awards represent EPA's
commitment to promoting localized, community-based actions to address
environmental justice issues.



The twelve cooperative agreements total about $1.4 million. The selected
recipients are:


· Montachusett Opportunity Council, Fitchburg, Massachusetts


· Partners for a Healthier Community, Inc., Springfield, Massachusetts


· Desarrollo Integral del Sur, Inc., Peñuelas, Puerto Rico


· Greensboro Housing Coalition, Greensboro, North Carolina


· Mississippi Conference of Black Mayors, Yazoo City, Mississippi


· Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision Project, Detroit, Michigan


· Groundwork New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana


· Trailnet, Inc., St. Louis, Missouri


· Conejos County Clean Water, Inc., Antonito, Colorado


· Environmental Health Coalition, San Diego, California


· Tolani Lake Enterprise, Navajo Nation, Northeast Arizona


· Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition, Seattle, Washington


Please visit
http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/resources/publications/grants/cps-project-abstracts-2014.pdf
for a complete listing of the 2014 Environmental Justice Collaborative
Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement recipients and project descriptions.


In the fall of 2014, EPA plans to release a Request for Applications for
the fiscal year 2015 Environmental Justice Small Grants Program. A schedule
of pre-application teleconference calls will be announced at that time.


More information about EPA's Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem
Solving Cooperative Agreement Program:
http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/grants/ej-cps-grants.html








EPA Proposes One Hazardous Waste Site in the Southeast to Superfund's
National Priorities List


Cleaning up hazardous waste sites protects human health, raises property
value, and facilitates the economic restoration of communities


Contact Information: James Pinkney, (404) 562-9183 (Direct), (404) 562-8400
(Main) pinkney.james@epa.gov


Atlanta - Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced
that it is proposing the 35th Avenue site in Birmingham, AL, a site that
pose risks to human health and the environment, to the National Priorities
List (NPL) of Superfund sites.


The Superfund program, a federal program established by Congress in 1980,
investigates and cleans up the most complex, uncontrolled or abandoned
hazardous waste sites in the country and converts them into productive
local resources by eliminating or reducing health risks and environmental
contamination associated with hazardous waste sites.


"Cleaning up hazardous waste sites protects our country's most vulnerable
populations, prevents diseases, increases local property values and
facilitates economic restoration of communities across America," said Mathy
Stanislaus, assistant administrator for the Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response. "By listing a site on the Superfund National Priorities
List, we're taking an important action to protect human health and
encourage economic restoration of communities."

Recent academic research, from the study Superfund Cleanups and Infant
Health, demonstrated that investment in Superfund cleanups reduces the
incidence of congenital abnormalities for those living within 5,000 meters
(or 5,468 yards) of a site. Another study conducted by researchers at Duke
and Pittsburgh Universities, concluded that making a site final on the NPL
may increase housing prices by signaling that a site has been placed on the
path towards remediation. Furthermore, the study found that once a site has
all cleanup remedies in place, nearby properties have a significant
increase in property values as compared to pre-NPL proposal values.

The Superfund program uses remedy effectiveness information to actively
manage site operations and refine remedial strategies in order to
efficiently move sites to completion. Today, more than 800 Superfund sites
across the nation support some type of continued use, active reuse or
planned reuse activities.

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act
(CERCLA), the law establishing the Superfund program, gives EPA the
authority to clean up releases of hazardous substances and directs EPA to
update the NPL at least annually to protect human health and the
environment with the goal of returning these sites to communities for
productive use. The NPL contains the nation's most serious uncontrolled or
abandoned hazardous waste sites. The list serves as the basis for
prioritizing both enforcement actions and long-term EPA Superfund cleanup
funding; only sites on the NPL are eligible for such funding.

Federal Register notices and supporting documents for the final and
proposed sites:http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/current.htm


Information about how a site is listed on the NPL:
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/npl_hrs.htm

Superfund sites in local communities:
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/index.htm

More information about the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), the law establishing the Superfund
program, can be found at:
http://epa.gov/superfund/policy/cercla.htm





EPA Adds Five, Proposes Three Hazardous Waste Sites to Superfund's National
Priorities List


Cleaning up hazardous waste sites protects human health, raises property
value, and facilitates the economic restoration of communities

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is
adding five hazardous waste sites that pose risks to human health and the
environment to the National Priorities List (NPL) of Superfund sites. In
addition, the agency is proposing to add three additional sites to the
list. The Superfund program, a federal program established by Congress in
1980, investigates and cleans up the most complex, uncontrolled or
abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country and converts them into
productive local resources by eliminating or reducing health risks and
environmental contamination associated with hazardous waste sites.


"Cleaning up hazardous waste sites protects our country's most vulnerable
populations, prevents diseases, increases local property values and
facilitates economic restoration of communities across America," said Mathy
Stanislaus, assistant administrator for the Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response. "By listing a site on the Superfund National Priorities
List, we're taking an important action to protect human health and
encourage economic restoration of communities."


Recent academic research, from the study Superfund Cleanups and Infant
Health, demonstrated that investment in Superfund cleanups reduces the
incidence of congenital abnormalities for those living within 5,000 meters
(or 5,468 yards) of a site. Another study conducted by researchers at Duke
and Pittsburgh Universities, concluded that making a site final on the NPL
may increase housing prices by signaling that a site has been placed on the
path towards remediation. Furthermore, the study found that once a site has
all cleanup remedies in place, nearby properties have a significant
increase in property values as compared to pre-NPL proposal values.


The following five sites have been added to the NPL:


· Indiana - North Shore Drive (ground water plume) in Elkhart, Ind.;


· Louisiana - Delta Shipyard (former boat cleaning and repair) in
Houma, La.;


· New Jersey - Pierson's Creek (chemical manufacturer) in Newark, N.J.;


· Pennsylvania - Baghurst Drive (ground water plume) in Harleysville,
Pa.; and


· Vermont - Jard Company, Inc. (former capacitor manufacturer) in
Bennington, Vt.


The following three sites have been proposed for addition to the NPL:


· Alabama - 35th Avenue (residential soil contamination) in Birmingham,
Ala.;


· Indiana - Kokomo Contaminated Ground Water Plume (ground water plume)
in Kokomo, Ind.; and


· Michigan - DSC McLouth Steel Gibraltar Plant (steel finishing
operation) in Gibraltar, Mich.


The sites announced today have characteristics and conditions that vary in
terms of size, complexity and when the contamination occurred, with some
sites involving recent contamination, among other factors. But as with all
NPL sites, EPA first works to identify companies or people responsible for
the contamination at a site, and requires them to conduct or pay for the
cleanup. For the newly listed sites without viable potentially responsible
parties, EPA will investigate the full extent of the contamination before
starting substantial cleanup at the site.


Past and current site uses include lead smelting, solvent handling, small
capacitor and motor manufacturing, and maritime-related activities. Site
contaminants are numerous with lead, arsenic and other metals;
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); and volatile organic compounds such as
trichloroethylene (TCE), as well as others. Contamination affects
residential yards, wetlands, surface water and groundwater, and soil.


For example, EPA added the Jard Company Inc. to the NPL. Polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs), used in the manufacturing process, were released into the
former building structure and soils on the property which contaminated area
groundwater. At the Delta Shipyard site, heavy metals and other hazardous
wastes were released from disposal ponds which contaminated area soils,
groundwater and surface waters. Without NPL site listing and cleanup,
contamination would continue to pose a risk to human health and the
environment.


The Superfund program uses remedy effectiveness information to actively
manage site operations and refine remedial strategies in order to
efficiently move sites to completion. Today, more than 800 Superfund sites
across the nation support some type of continued use, active reuse or
planned reuse activities.


The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act
(CERCLA), the law establishing the Superfund program, gives EPA the
authority to clean up releases of hazardous substances and directs EPA to
update the NPL at least annually to protect human health and the
environment with the goal of returning these sites to communities for
productive use. The NPL contains the nation's most serious uncontrolled or
abandoned hazardous waste sites. The list serves as the basis for
prioritizing both enforcement actions and long-term EPA Superfund cleanup
funding; only sites on the NPL are eligible for such funding.


Federal Register notices and supporting documents for the final and
proposed sites:
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/current.htm


Information about how a site is listed on the NPL:
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/npl_hrs.htm


Superfund sites in local communities:
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/index.htm


More information about the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), the law establishing the Superfund
program, can be found at:
http://epa.gov/superfund/policy/cercla.htm