9/9/14
State
Parts of Biloxi and Pass Christian beaches closed
WLOX
BILOXI, MS (WLOX) -The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
(MDEQ) has closed parts of the beaches in Pass Christian and Biloxi.
http://www.wlox.com/story/26478576/parts-of-biloxi-and-pass-christian-beaches-closed
MDEQ closes beaches in Biloxi, Pass Christian
Sun Herald
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality issued preemptive beach
closures Monday for a section of beach in Biloxi from Beauvoir east to
Sadler Beach Drive. A closure was also issued for Station 7 in Pass
Christian, which spans from Espy Avenue to Hayden Avenue.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/09/08/5788708/around-south-mississippi.html?sp=/99/184/
Oil Spill
Ruling On BP Oil Spill Could Mean More Restoration Money For Mississippi
MPB
A judge's ruling that oil giant BP acted with "gross negligence" in the
massive 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill could mean as much as $18 billion in
additional penalties. MPB's Evelina Burnett looks at the potential impact
in Mississippi.
http://mpbonline.org/News/article/ruling_on_bp_oil_spill_could_mean_more_restoration_money_for_mississippi
British government backs BP in spill dispute
Houston Chronicle
By Collin Eaton
The British government is taking up the cause of BP, as the London-based
oil company fights U.S. court rulings it says have required it to pay
damages to parties that can't link their losses to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico
oil spill.
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/British-government-backs-BP-in-spill-dispute-5742909.php
Wisner Donation land agreement with BP doesn't require oil removal, federal
judge says
Mark Schleifstein
The Times-Picayune
The Wisner Donation trust fund is likely to get less than half of its
demands that BP restart a program to remove oil from its property along the
Caminada/Fourchon Beach waterfront in Lafourche Parish, according to a
series of recommendations made Friday (Sept. 5) by a federal magistrate
judge.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/09/wisner_donation_land_access_ag.html#incart_river
National
White House threatens to veto bill to kill EPA water rule
The Hill
The Obama administration issued a veto threat Monday for a bill that would
block the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from moving forward on a
rule to redefine its jurisdiction over streams and ponds.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/217009-white-house-threatens-to-veto-bill-to-kill-epa-water-rule
EPA tries again to explain water jurisdiction rule
The Hill
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released seven pages of questions
and answers Monday on its proposal to redefine which lakes and streams it
can regulate.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/216968-epa-tries-again-to-explain-water-jurisdiction-rule
Global warming seen threat to half of all bird species
BY DARRYL FEARS
The Washington Post
WASHINGTON — By the turn of the century, global warming will threaten the
survival of more than half of all species of birds in the United States and
Canada, a new report says.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/09/09/5788895/global-warming-seen-threat-to.html?sp=/99/184/767/312/
Press releases
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| USDA Provides $328 Million to Conserve Wetlands and Farmland, Boost Economy |
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| Farm Bill program will benefit wildlife and outdoor recreation activity in California |
| Bay Delta Region, Mississippi, Red River Basins and others |
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|WASHINGTON, Sept. 8, 2014 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that $328|
|million in conservation funding is being invested to help landowners protect and |
|restore key farmlands, grasslands and wetlands across the nation. The USDA initiative |
|will benefit wildlife and promote outdoor recreation and related sectors of the |
|economy. |
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|"Conservation easements help farmers and ranchers protect valuable agricultural lands |
|from development, restore lands that are best suited for grazing, and return wetlands |
|to their natural conditions," Vilsack said. "These easements are making a dramatic and |
|positive impact for our food supply, rural communities and species habitat." |
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|The funding is provided through the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), |
|which was created in the 2014 Farm Bill to protect critical wetlands and encourage |
|producers to keep lands in farming and ranching. Approximately 380 projects nationwide |
|were selected to protect and restore 32,000 acres of prime farmland, 45,000 acres of |
|grasslands and 52,000 acres of wetlands. A summary of ACEP funding provided to each |
|state can be found online. |
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|In addition to protecting cropland and critical habitats, conservation strengthens |
|outdoor recreation and helps boost the economy. According to the National Fish and |
|Wildlife Federation, annual United States conservation spending totals $38.8 billion, |
|but it produces $93.2 billion of economic output throughout the economy - 2.4 times |
|more than what is put in. This output takes the form of more than 660,500 jobs, $41.6 |
|billion in income and a $59.7 billion contribution to national Gross Domestic Product, |
|or GDP. |
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|Through ACEP, private or tribal landowners and eligible conservation partners working |
|with landowners can request assistance from USDA to protect and enhance agricultural |
|land through an agricultural or wetland easement. |
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|These easements deliver many long-term benefits. For example, this year's projects |
|will: |
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| · Improve water quality and wetland storage capacity in the California Bay Delta |
| region; |
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| · Reduce flooding along the Mississippi and Red rivers; |
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| · Provide and protect habitat for threatened, endangered and at-risk species |
| including sage grouse, bog turtles, Florida panthers, Louisiana black bear, and |
| whooping cranes to recover populations and reduce regulatory burdens; and |
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| · Protect prime agricultural land under high risk of development in urban areas to |
| help secure the nation's food supply and jobs in the agricultural sector. |
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|ACEP consolidates three former Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) easement |
|programs – Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program, Grasslands Reserve Program and |
|Wetlands Reserve Program – into two components. One component protects farmlands and |
|grasslands, and the other protects and restores agricultural wetlands. |
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|"The 2014 Farm Bill streamlined USDA's major easement programs into one, putting the |
|important benefits of protecting farmlands, grasslands and wetlands all under one roof |
|to make it as easy as possible for landowners to participate," Vilsack said. |
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|Find more information on ACEP here. To learn about technical and financial assistance |
|available through conservation programs, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/GetStarted or local |
|USDA service center. |
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|President Obama and his administration have supported historic investments in |
|conserving clean air, land and water through programs like ACEP, USDA's innovative new |
|Regional Conservation Partnership Program, and many others. ACEP is also one of the |
|many steps USDA is taking to create modern solutions to the challenge of climate change|
|as part of President Obama's Climate Action Plan. The Administration's plan responsibly|
|cuts carbon pollution, slows the long-term effects of climate change, helps farmers and|
|others deal with the present-day impact of drought and other severe weather, increases |
|the availability of American grown renewable fuels. Additional information about all of|
|these efforts is available at www.usda.gov/climatesolutions. |
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|Today's announcement was made possible by the 2014 Farm Bill. The Farm Bill builds on |
|historic economic gains in rural America over the past five years, while achieving |
|meaningful reform and billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers. Since enactment, |
|USDA has made significant progress to implement each provision of this critical |
|legislation, including providing disaster relief to farmers and ranchers; strengthening|
|risk management tools; expanding access to rural credit; funding critical research; |
|establishing innovative public-private conservation partnerships; developing new |
|markets for rural-made products; and investing in infrastructure, housing and community|
|facilities to help improve quality of life in rural America. For more information, |
|visit: www.usda.gov/farmbill. |
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EPA Seeks Feedback from the Public on Proposed Label Options for Safer
Products
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is redesigning its
Design for the Environment Safer Product Label to better convey to
consumers that products bearing the label meet the program's rigorous
standard to be safer for people and the environment.
"We want consumers to be able to easily find safer products that work
well," said Jim Jones, Assistant Administrator for Office of Chemical
Safety and Pollution Prevention. "The agency wants to hear from the
American people on which designs will help people identify household
cleaning and other products that are safer for families and the
environment."
The redesigned label is intended to help consumers, businesses and
institutional buyers recognize products that have earned the EPA Safer
Product Label. All ingredients in products that earn the logo have
undergone a thorough evaluation to ensure they meet high standards for
safety and performance. When people use these products, they are protecting
their families and the environment by making safer chemical choices.
Over the past 15 years, the voluntary EPA Design for the Environment (DfE)
Safer Product Labeling Program has grown significantly. More than 2,500
products have earned the DfE label because they are formulated with the
safest possible ingredients for human health and the environment based on
the best available science and protective criteria. The program helps
partners drive change by providing technical tools, methodologies, and
expertise to move toward safer, more sustainable formulations.
The agency is also seeking input from a wide range of stakeholders,
including the chemical and product manufacturing industry, retailers,
consumers and environmental organizations. This input will help inform the
agency's selection of a new label.
Comment on the proposed designs up until October 31, 2014:
http://www.epa.gov/dfe/label
