10.28.2014
State
Pascagoula's Mississippi Phosphates files Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Fertilizer plant plagued with environmental, financial issues, worked with
special CEO to turn things around
Sun Herald
BY KAREN NELSON
PASCAGOULA -- Mississippi Phosphates Corp., a major fertilizer plant in
east Jackson County that has been plagued with environmental issues in
recent years, filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy Monday with the U.S. Bankruptcy
Court in Gulfport.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/10/27/5879210_pascagoulas-mississippi-phosphates.html?sp=/99/100/&rh=1
Fertilizer maker files bankruptcy
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
A Pascagoula fertilizer plant that has faced environmental scrutiny has
filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, saying it needs debt relief.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article3406062.html
Mississippi Phosphates in Pascagoula files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Mississippi Press
April M. Havens
October 27, 2014 at 4:30 PM
PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- Mississippi Phosphates Corp., a 200-employee
diammonium phosphate fertilizer manufacturer in east Jackson County, has
filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/10/mississippi_phosphates_in_pasc.html#incart_river
Mississippi Phosphates files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
WLOX
PASCAGOULA, MS (WLOX) -No layoffs. No furloughs. That's the word from
Mississippi Phosphates as the company files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy.
http://www.wlox.com/story/27053088/mississippi-phosphates-files-for-chapter-11-bankruptcy
Cochran calls on EPA for review of Yazoo Backwater Project
MBJ
October 27,2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) is asking for an
independent peer review of the decision that halted completion of the Yazoo
Backwater Project, a flood control project for the lower Mississippi Delta.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2014/10/27/cochran-calls-epa-review-yazoo-backwater-project/
A safe water draw?
Ernest Herndon
Enterprise-Journal
October 27, 2014
LAKE MARY — A popular fishing lake in western Wilkinson County could
provide water for oilfield fracking in southwest Mississippi without
harming the lake's recreational value, a Wilkinson official said.
http://www.enterprise-journal.com/news/article_68086664-5e08-11e4-9afe-bfccdc88cdd5.html
Harper calls TMS 'game- changer'
Ernest Herndon
Enterprise-Journal
October 27, 2014
LAKE MARY — The Tuscaloosa Marine Shale was a major topic at a fundraiser
for Congressman Gregg Harper, who will be on the ballot in the Nov. 4
general election.
http://www.enterprise-journal.com/news/article_83b74de2-5e0a-11e4-a2e2-83ed3c45c081.html
Residents fed up with Turkey Creek contamination
WLOX
GULFPORT, MS (WLOX) -Turkey Creek in Gulfport has been the center of
several problems for its surrounding communities for some time. Those
neighborhoods are now calling for action.
http://www.wlox.com/story/27054868/residents-fed-up-with-turkey-creek-contamination
EPA leads effort to build federal support for Turkey Creek, North Gulfport
SUN HERALD
October 27, 2014
GULFPORT -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is working with Turkey
Creek and North Gulfport leaders to start a Federal Interagency Working
Group on Environmental Justice that would focus federal resources on the
community's economic, developmental, environmental, housing and other
needs.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/10/27/5879872_epa-leads-effort-to-build-federal.html?sp=/99/184/&rh=1
BlueFire Renewables could get $270M to build Fulton plant
Daily Journal
Posted on October 27, 2014.
BlueFire Renewables could get as much as $270 million from China's Export
Import Bank to finish building its cellulosic-ethanol plant in Fulton
http://bizbuzz.djournal.com/2014/10/27/bluefire-renewables-get-much-270m-fulton-plant/
Go green!
WTVA
TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) -- What better way to learn about the environment than
to pickup trash, right?!
That's a lesson being taught at Parkway Elementary in Tupelo.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/Go-green/jLQaRYsC30aIGRb8Sk_mdw.cspx
Louisiana, Mississippi among the worst states for energy efficiency,
website reports
Ben Myers
The Times-Picayune
October 27, 2014 at 10:12 AM
Louisiana is tied for 44th in the nation when it comes to energy
efficiency, as determined by the American Council for an Energy Efficient
Economy, according to Climate Central, a climate science journalism
website.
(Read the Climate Central article)
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/10/louisiana_mississippi_among_th.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Oil Spill
BP oil spill left 'bathtub ring' on sea floor the size of Rhode Island, new
research shows
The Associated Press
October 27, 2014 at 3:21 PM
WASHINGTON -- The BP oil spill left an oily "bathub ring" on the sea floor
that's about the size of Rhode Island, new research shows.
The study by David Valentine, the chief scientist on the federal damage
assessment research ships, estimates that about 10 million gallons of oil
coagulated on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico around the damaged Deepwater
Horizons oil rig.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/10/bp_oil_spill_left_bathtub_ring.html#incart_river
BP spill left 'bathtub ring' of oil across more than 1,200 square miles of
Gulf seafloor, new study says
Mark Schleifstein
The Times-Picayune
October 27, 2014 at 10:15 PM
Scientists have found evidence of a "bathtub ring" of oil particles from
the BP Deepwater Horizon spill covering more than 1,200 square miles of the
Gulf of Mexico's seafloor, according to a study published online Monday
(Oct. 27) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/10/bp_spill_left_bathtub_ring_of.html#incart_river
US ag secy: new Gulf oil spill recovery program
BY JANET MCCONNAUGHEY
Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS — A new $40 million partnership will give money for
conservation projects to landowners in states affected by BP's 2010 oil
spill in the Gulf of Mexico, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/10/28/5879622/us-ag-secy-new-gulf-oil-spill.html?sp=/99/184/218/
We'll sue BP in Montgomery next year, and lawmakers could put lawsuit cash
into General Fund, says Luther Strange (with video)
Al.com
Jim Stinson
October 27, 2014 at 8:26 PM
MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Attorney General Luther Strange told the Alabama
Media Group on Monday that he expects to be in court with BP next year,
suing over the state's losses when it had to shut down its coastline in the
Gulf of Mexico after the oil spill in 2010.
http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2014/10/well_sue_bp_in_montgomery_next.html
BP Third-Quarter Profit Falls
Energy Giant Gives First Indication of How Big Oil is Coping With Falling
Oil Prices
Wall Street Journal
LONDON— BP PLC posted a big fall in third-quarter profit from a year
earlier, giving the first indication of how big oil companies are
weathering falling oil prices.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/bp-third-quarter-profit-falls-1414481139?KEYWORDS=BP
National
EPA Adds 23 Chemicals, Including BPA, to Key List for Scrutiny, Possible
Action
Bloomberg
The Environmental Protection Agency has added 23 chemicals—including
bisphenol A (BPA), seven phthalates and two flame retardants—to a key list
of chemicals that will have particular uses carefully scrutinized for
possible regulation or other controls.
http://www.bna.com/epa-adds-23-n17179910646/
Greens to spend record $85M in midterms
The Hill
Environmental groups are on track to spend more than $85 million on key
races this year, more than ever before, according to an internal memo.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/221992-green-groups-set-to-spend-record-85m-in-midterms
Opinion
The Other Senate Nuclear Option
The midterms might mean finally ending Harry Reid's blockade of Yucca
Mountain.
Wall Street Journal
By GLENN MCCULLOUGH JR.
Oct. 26, 2014 7:35 p.m. ET
Much is at stake as Americans vote on Nov. 4. While different races have
different issues, the nuclear-energy world is watching to see which party
will control the Senate. If Majority Leader Harry Reid becomes minority
leader, he would likely no longer be able to sustain opposition to Yucca
Mountain, the Energy Department's chosen nuclear repository.
http://m.wsj.com/articles/glenn-mccullough-midterms-yucca-mountain-and-the-other-senate-nuclear-option-1414366541?mobile=y
Press releases
EPA Meets with Leaders in Gulfport to Lay Groundwork for Federal Working
Group to Address Community Concerns
ATLANTA – Today and tomorrow, officials from the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) are meeting with leaders from the Turkey Creek and
North Gulfport communities in Gulfport, Miss. to lay the groundwork for a
Federal Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice (EJ IWG), an
initiative to focus resources from multiple federal agencies to help meet
economic, environmental and community needs.
The Turkey Creek and North Gulfport communities, whose settlements pre-date
the establishment and incorporation of the city of Gulfport, are united in
their efforts to address their environmental and cultural concerns. These
two communities have banded together through the Turkey Creek Watershed
Partnership to collaboratively address environmental issues on a watershed
scale. The team includes over 50 individuals representing more than 20
city, county and state agencies, local and regional non-profit
organizations, churches, citizen groups and homeowners. The EJ IWG would
expand the effort to include more federal support.
"By combining resources, EPA together with our federal partners can make a
real difference," said Acting EPA Deputy Regional Administrator Anne Heard.
"These investments will help Turkey Creek realize its vision for a more
sustainable future."
EPA representatives participated in a resident-led tour today of points of
interest in the Forrest Heights, North Gulfport and Turkey Creek
communities, including several environmental cleanup sites and areas
planned for development. They also sat in on a Turkey Creek Watershed
Partnership meeting, and are meeting one-on-one with key leaders to discuss
the community's concerns, including potential environmental degradation
associated with infrastructure and commercial development plans, lack of
affordable housing and green jobs, and plans for Natural Resource Damage
Assessment Funds.
EPA, working alongside its community partners, intends to convene the first
community-wide EJ IWG meeting in Turkey Creek during early 2015. The goal
of the meeting is to work with other federal agencies to assist with
revitalization efforts that will make a visible difference in the
communities impacted by potential environmental concerns, blight and
degradation. The EJ IWG meeting will include time for the agencies in
attendance to share information on resources and technical assistance
available to support the needs of Turkey Creek.
The EJ IWG was established in 1994 under Executive Order 12898. It is
comprised of 17 federal agencies and White House offices to guide, support,
and enhance federal environmental justice and community-based activities.
The EJ IWG works to strengthen community access to federal programs and
expertise by eliminating barriers, making connections and avoiding
duplication.
For more information about Federal Interagency Working Group on
Environmental Justice, visit:
http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/interagency/
COCHRAN CALLS FOR INDEPENDENT PEER REVIEW OF YAZOO BACKWATER PROJECT
Continual EPA Region IV Rebuff Halts Progress on Flood Control for
Mississippi Delta
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) today asked for an
independent peer review of the decision that halted completion of the Yazoo
Backwater Project, an important flood control project for the lower
Mississippi Delta.
Cochran requested approval for an independent peer review from Gina
McCarthy, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
following a lack of response from EPA Region IV to a recent and similar
recommendation from the Army Corps of Engineers. Completion of the
backwater pump project, authorized by Congress in 1941, was idled since the
project was administratively vetoed by the EPA in 2008 based on
recommendations by Region IV.
"I am writing to request that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's
Office of Water conduct an independent peer review of EPA Region IV's
recommended determination in 2008 to veto the final components of the Yazoo
Backwater Area Project," Cochran said.
"It is deeply concerning that the Southeastern Regional Office is unwilling
to allow independent experts who were not associated with the determination
to provide a fair and objective reevaluation of the 2008 determination.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – one of the world's largest and most
advanced construction agencies specializing in the design and construction
of flood protection systems – continues to affirm the vetoed proposal is
the option most capable of protecting Mississippians from devastating flood
damages while creating opportunities for environmental protection and
enhancement," he said.
Cochran said the scope of the project and ongoing flood risk in the Yazoo
River Basin further justifies an additional, independent review process.
Finishing the project, which has been constructed over the past seven
decades, would provide additional flood protection on more than 630,000
acres in the backwater area of the basin. The Senator raised the Yazoo
Backwater Project's potential at a July 2011 Senate hearing that addressed
the disaster conditions created in Mississippi during the floods of 2011.
"Those at risk deserve clarity from the EPA regarding its concerns about
the project's potential impact on certain waters of the United States.
Also, the public deserves certainty that EPA was correct in its estimates,"
Cochran asserted.
"Despite the various challenges and differences of opinions regarding this
issue, citizens of the lower Mississippi Delta still need the flood
protection the federal government has promised since 1941. It is
imperative that your Agency look further into Region IV's veto
determination, and begin proposing viable alternatives of its own until the
EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers can agree on an effective solution," he
concluded.
A copy of Cochran's Yazoo Backwater Area Project letter is available below.
###
http://www.cochran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=a60d052a-163f-4567-8d8b-8ce7949310b6
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| USDA Proposes Inclusion of New, Innovative Products in the BioPreferred Program |
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| 2014 Farm Bill provision increases availability of biobased forest products |
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|WASHINGTON, October 27, 2014 ─ As part of the continued rapid implementation of the 2014 Farm Bill, Agriculture|
|Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced proposed new actions to include new forest products in the BioPreferred® |
|program. The proposal also includes other traditional biobased products and other mature market products, which|
|have been produced in innovative ways. USDA seeks public comment for 60 days on the proposed rules published in|
|today's Federal Register. |
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|"Today, small businesses and global companies alike have harnessed the power of America's farms and forests to |
|create new and innovative biobased products that are used all around the world," said Vilsack. "The expanding |
|bioeconomy means more than just additional consumer choices, it also means new jobs." |
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|The proposed action responds to new requirements in the 2014 Farm Bill for USDA to promote biobased products, |
|including forest products, that apply an innovative approach to growing, harvesting, sourcing, procuring, |
|processing, manufacturing, or application of biobased products regardless of the date of entry into the |
|marketplace. The proposed rules provide the framework for implementing the new requirements, and will replace |
|previous regulatory provisions excluding mature market products. The action further revises the definition of |
|"biobased product" to state that the term includes forest products that meet biobased content requirements, |
|notwithstanding the market share the product holds, the age of the product, or whether the market for the |
|product is new or emerging. |
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|USDA's BioPreferred program works to increase the purchase and use of designated biobased products through a |
|preferred procurement initiative for Federal agencies. Designated products may also carry the voluntary "USDA |
|Certified Biobased Product" label, which is designed to promote the broad-scale marketing of biobased products |
|to consumers. Certified and designated products include construction, janitorial, and groundskeeping products |
|purchased by Federal agencies, to personal care and packaging products used by consumers every day. |
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|Today's announcement was made possible by the 2014 Farm Bill. The 2014 Farm Bill builds on historic economic |
|gains in rural America over the past five years, while achieving meaningful reform and billions of dollars in |
|savings for taxpayers. Since enactment, USDA has made significant progress to implement each provision of this |
|critical legislation, including providing disaster relief to farmers and ranchers; strengthening risk |
|management tools; expanding access to rural credit; funding critical research; establishing innovative |
|public-private conservation partnerships; developing new markets for rural-made products; and investing in |
|infrastructure, housing and community facilities to help improve quality of life in rural America. For more |
|information, visit www.usda.gov/farmbill. To read the proposed rule, see: |
|https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/10/27/2014-25427/voluntary-labeling-program-for-biobased-products|
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