State
Waste grants issued for North Mississippi
WTVA
JACKSON, Miss. (WTVA) -- The Mississippi Department of Environmental
Quality has awarded two grants for waste disposal programs in north
Mississippi.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/Waste-grants-issued-for-North-Mississippi/YNcTp3TWmk2xTWZyrLhZ5w.cspx
Bid rejection proves costly
Justin Vicory
Enterprise-Journal
Tuesday, November 18, 2014 2:00 pm
LIBERTY — The Amite County School Board's decision to reject bids for oil
leases in hopes of holding out for more money has cost the district
anywhere from $1.8 million to $3.6 million, and district officials are
uncertain if they will see more bids.
http://www.enterprise-journal.com/news/article_930304a8-6f53-11e4-ae08-db5d97cd8732.html
CEO Shares His Plan for Aluminum Production
WCBI
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. – (WCBI) As the automotive industry seeks lighter,
stronger materials to improve gas mileage and safety, Dr. Roger Boggs,
founder and president of American Specialty Alloys is prepared to meet
those needs. With plans to settle in the Southeast, Boggs has had his eye
on Lowndes County since 2007. He came to work at what is now known as
Severstal. He decided to use similar technologies to make a the next
generation of aluminum products.
http://www.wcbi.com/wordpress/video-plant-ceo-shares-his-plan-for-aluminum-production
Oil Spill
Mississppi Awarded $28 Million for Gulf Restoration Projects
WXXV
This week, Mississippi was awarded $28 million more in settlements from the
BP oil spill. The money will be used to fund Gulf restoration projects with
decent paying jobs for years to come.
http://www.wxxv25.com/news/local/story/Mississppi-Awarded-28-Million-for-Gulf/zwtL6KFcJkOn9ysYBpwzzQ.cspx
AL.com's editorial board discusses ongoing efforts to restore the Gulf of
Mexico with officials from the state council
Michael Finch II
November 18, 2014 at 1:00 PM
MOBILE, Alabama -- As money flows from the companies liable for the oil
spill and down to the states, the Alabama Gulf Coast Recovery Council will
be a big player in determining how the cash is spent.
http://www.al.com/business/index.ssf/2014/11/alcoms_editorial_board_meets_t.html
Experts: Oil spill may have set back Texas sea turtles' recovery
Houston Chronicle
BROWNSVILLE - For two decades, Texas' official sea turtle made what
scientists considered a remarkable comeback from the verge of extinction,
as Kemp's ridley nests increased amid broad efforts to save the species.
Then in 2010, a fiery explosion on BP's Deepwater Horizon oil platform
dumped an estimated 4.1 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico just
as the turtle's nesting season was getting underway.
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/science-environment/article/Experts-Oil-spill-may-have-set-back-Texas-sea-5902475.php
BP appealing to have oil spill settlement administrator removed
by Associated Press
Published: November 19,2014
NEW ORLEANS — BP is heading to a federal appeals court in its effort to
oust the administrator of damage settlement claims arising from the 2010
Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2014/11/19/bp-appealing-oil-spill-settlement-administrator-removed/
Ga. Researchers given Gulf Coast research grant
AP
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) - University of Georgia officials say a group of
researchers has been given a multimillion dollar grant to continue studying
the environmental impact of oil seeping into the Gulf of Mexico.
http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/27423904/ga-researchers-given-gulf-coast-research-grant
South Florida researchers awarded $37.5 million to study BP oil spill
Miami Herald
Two South Florida universities will receive a total of $37.5 million to
continue researching the 2011 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the worst spill
in U.S. history that killed 11 workers, spewed 200 million gallons of crude
into the Gulf of Mexico and unleashed a host of environmental ills
scientists are still struggling to understand.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article4004493.html
National
White House clears EPA rewrite of hazardous waste rule
The Hill
The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved a
regulation that seeks to strengthen federal standards for recycling
hazardous waste.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/224538-white-house-clears-epa-rewrite-of-hazardous-waste-rule
House passes bill to reform EPA science panel
The Hill
The House on Tuesday passed legislation to overhaul the Environmental
Protection Agency's Scientific Advisory Board.
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/224615-house-passes-bill-to-reform-epa-science-panel
Health groups demand strict ozone standards
The Hill
Healthcare professionals want the EPA to adopt the strictest standards
possible for ozone pollution.
http://thehill.com/regulation/healthcare/224530-health-groups-demand-strict-ozone-pollution-standards
San Diego agrees to turn recycled wastewater into drinking water
Published November 19, 2014
Associated Press
SAN DIEGO – Acknowledging California's parched new reality, the city of
San Diego has embraced a once-toxic idea: turning sewer water into drinking
water.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/11/19/san-diego-agrees-to-turn-wastewater-into-drinking-water/?intcmp=latestnews
Colorado Set To Release Water Distribution Plan
Wall Street Journal
DENVER—Faced with a swelling population, Colorado officials want to change
how water is allocated here, altering a system that has depended on water
being piped from west of the Rocky Mountains to thirsty cities in the east,
creating tensions and drying up farmland.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/colorado-set-to-release-water-distribution-plan-1416398461
Press Releases
Mississippi Gulf Coast Awarded $28.8 Million for Restoration Projects
Cochran, Wicker, & Palazzo Praise Long-Term Recovery Efforts
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Roger Wicker
(R-Miss.), with Representative Steven Palazzo (R-Miss.), today announced
the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has awarded $28.8 million
for three projects to restore areas along the Mississippi Gulf Coast
affected by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
The funding is the second round of grants from the Foundation's Gulf
Environmental Benefit Fund, created as part of the settlement by the U.S.
Department of Justice, BP, and Transocean in the aftermath of the tragedy.
"Recovery from the long-term effects of the 2010 oil spill remains
a priority, and the projects in this round of funding will advance that
goal. The award of this settlement money demonstrates that the recovery
process, involving state and local officials, is moving forward as
planned," Cochran said.
"The restoration of Mississippi's Gulf Coast is imperative to preserving
one of our state's greatest resources," Wicker said. "These important
projects represent another big step forward in our recovery efforts. I
applaud our local, state, and federal partners for making today's
announcement possible."
"As a fourth generation resident of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, I would
consider the passage of the RESTORE Act one of my proudest achievements in
Congress," said Palazzo. "I'm pleased to see some of the initial funding
flowing to Mississippi for these restoration projects as our hard work
finally starts to come to fruition."
Mississippi's 2014 projects include:
· Utilization of dredge material for marsh restoration in coastal
Mississippi;
· Invasive species management on coastal state land; and
· Reef fish assessment for Mississippi coastal and near-shore Gulf
waters.
Additional information about NFWF's Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund in
Mississippi may be found here.
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