10/13/2014
State
Mississippi regulators mulling changes to oil drilling rules
The Associated Press
October 11, 2014 at 10:26 AM
JACKSON, Mississippi -- Southwest Mississippi is still waiting for an oil
boom to kick in fully, but a land rush is definitely on, and it's causing
state regulators to rethink their rules.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/10/mississippi_regulators_mulling.html
Local Company Uses Recycled Tires for a Good Cause
WXXV
Americans discard about 290 million used tires each year. In 1989, only 10%
of old tires were recycled, while the rest sat in landfills.
http://www.wxxv25.com/news/local/story/Local-Company-Uses-Recycled-Tires-for-a-Good-Cause/F4PDNiiuAkGO7lgPESMR3A.cspx
Oil Spill
Following the flow of oil spill fine money
Pensacola News Journal
Now that the $100 million in BP early restoration dollars have been
allocated with the Oct. 3 announcement that $42.1 million worth of
projects have been approved for the Pensacola area, the state along
with the counties impacted by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill
are focusing on how to spend future pots of oil spill fine money.
http://www.pnj.com/story/news/2014/10/12/following-flow-oil-spill-fine-money/17172905/
National
EPA readies major ozone rule change
The Hill
The Obama administration is preparing to unveil an air pollution rule
shortly after the midterm elections that could be among the most costly and
controversial in history.
http://thehill.com/regulation/energy-environment/220471-epa-readies-major-ozone-change
Republicans to Investigate Environmental Group's Influence on Carbon Rule
NY Times
WASHINGTON — Congressional Republicans are investigating
whether the Obama administration improperly colluded with
a prominent environmental advocacy group, the Natural
Resources Defense Council, as the Environmental Protection
Agency drafted major climate changeregulations.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/11/us/republicans-to-investigate-environmental-groups-influence-on-carbon-rule.html?ref=earth&_r=0
Major Investor Coalition Pushes EPA To Adopt 'Robust' Methane Regulations
Friday, October 10, 2014
Bloomberg
A coalition of investors with more than $300 billion in assets asked the
Environmental Protection Agency in an Oct. 9 letter to develop "robust"
methane emissions regulations for the oil and gas industry.
http://www.bna.com/major-investor-coalition-n17179896433/
Exxon, Chevron meet with White House over fracking regs
The Hill
Oil giants ExxonMobil, Chevron and Halliburton met with White House
staffers last week to talk about an upcoming federal fracking regulation
for operations on public lands.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/220382-exxon-chevron-meet-with-white-house-over-fracking-regs
Opinion
Three Things to Know About Obama's Newest Climate Plan
Bloomberg
By Mark Drajem - Oct 10, 2014
It's complicated.
Even by the standards of impenetrable 645-page environmental regulatory
proposals, President Barack Obama's plan to to cut carbon emissions from
power plants is a handful. Released in June, the proposal uses an intricate
formula to set the emissions reductions each state must achieve by 2030.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-10/three-things-to-know-about-obama-s-newest-climate-plan.html
Press Releases
Southern Miss College of Business Receives Grant to Study Impact of
Fracking on Transportation
The Department of Economic Development and Tourism within the College of
Business at The University of Southern Mississippi has received a federal
grant to study the impact of the increased use of hydraulic fracturing
(fracking) on freight transportation distribution patterns.
The grant comes from the United States Department of Transportation
Research and Innovative Technology Administration. The project is a
collaborative effort between Southern Miss, Vanderbilt University and the
University of Alabama at Huntsville as part of a National Center for
Freight and Infrastructure Research and Education (CFIRE) university
transportation center consortium research program. Vanderbilt will serve as
the project leader.
The ultimate goal of this project is to provide guidance for freight
transportation planners and policy makers in determining where to
concentrate their attention to mitigate safety and economic risks. The
Southern Miss team will focus on the emerging Tuscaloosa Marine Shale
region that stretches across Southwest Mississippi into Louisiana.
"The oil and gas boom in North Dakota and other shale plays across the
United States has put a tremendous strain on local roads," said Dr. Chad
Miller, associate professor and graduate coordinator of the Masters of
Science in Economic Development Program. "If we can predict the impact on
transportation in Southwest Mississippi of the impending oil and natural
gas boom there, we will be able to better plan for the future."
Studies show that the increasing production of domestic energy through the
use of fracking is altering local economies and corresponding freight
distribution patterns (highway, rail, marine, pipeline). The project will
assess the impact of fracking on freight transportation demand and
corresponding distribution patterns, for the purpose of identifying where
excess capacity has been created due to shifts in freight distribution
patterns.
"The key word is 'impact.' People are selecting USM and the College of
Business to help them understand and solve problems, to bring a new
perspective to the client's need for information," said Dr. Bill Smith,
chair of the Department of Economic Development and Tourism. "As our
reputation grows in response to performing our jobs well, we attract more
attention from the public and private sectors and enhance our ability to
recruit more gifted students."
The Center for Logistics, Trade and Transportation (CLTT) at Southern Miss
also will be heavily involved in the project. The CLTT, along with
Vanderbilt, are part of the National Center for Freight and Infrastructure
Research and Education university transportation consortium.
"Fracking in Mississippi will present great opportunities and challenges
particularly on the transportation arena," said Dr. Tulio Sulbaran, CLTT
director. "Fracking activities mainly relies on trucks which travel through
our roads providing job opportunities as well as additional demands on our
roads. The Center for Logistics, Trade and Transportation is excited about
the opportunity to research in detail the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale"
http://www.wdam.com/story/26766199/southern-miss-college-of-business-receives-grant-to-study-impact-of-fracking-on-transportation
