11/6/14
State
Hub City eyeing Brownfield grant
Hattiesburg American
Over the past few years, Hattiesburg has become more fervent in
demanding the rehabilitation of derelict private properties
throughout the city.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story/news/local/2014/11/05/hattiesburg-cleanup-grant/18563105/
Fire departments respond to equipment fire at Mississippi Power's Plant
Daniel
Mississippi Press
April M. Havens
November 05, 2014 at 4:41 PM
ESCATAWPA, Mississippi -- Fire departments are responding to an equipment
fire at Mississippi Power Co.'s Plant Victor Daniel on Miss. 63, company
representatives confirmed today.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/11/fire_departments_respond_to_eq.html#incart_river
Magnolia State gem, mineral, jewelry show returns to Jackson County on
Friday
Mississippi Press
April M. Havens
November 05, 2014 at 12:35 PM
PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- The Mississippi Gulf Coast Gem and Mineral
Society's 25th annual Magnolia State Gem, Mineral, & Jewelry Show will take
place this week in Jackson County.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-living/2014/11/magnolia_state_gem_mineral_jew.html
CMR to allow limited oyster dredging season
WLOX
PASS CHRISTIAN, MS (WLOX) -Fishermen in Mississippi will be allowed to
dredge for oysters this year. The Commission on Marine Resources voted
2-to-1 on Wednesday afternoon to allow a limited season for oyster
dredging. But there are restrictions.
http://www.wlox.com/story/27294164/cmr-to-allow-limited-oyster-dredging-season
Bruce Alderman Award $1 Million Contract to Address Sewer System
WCBI
BRUCE, Miss. (WCBI) — Bruce aldermen have awarded a $1 million contract for
major upgrades to the city's aging sewage system.
http://www.wcbi.com/wordpress/bruce-aldermen-award-1-million-contract-to-address-sewage-system
Nissan pledges expansion at its Canton plant
The Associated Press
November 05, 2014 at 4:10 PM
CANTON, Mississippi -- Nissan Motor Co. says it wants to produce 507,000
vehicles a year at its Mississippi plant by 2017, an expansion that would
add about 1,000 employees to the current 6,300 workers at the complex.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-business/2014/11/nissan_pledges_expansion_at_it.html#incart_river
Epps resigns, feds investigate, move to seize property
Clarion Ledger
State Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps has abruptly resigned amid
a federal investigation and the U.S. Attorney's Office has moved to
seize his $359,000 Flowood home, his beachfront condo in Pass
Christian and two Mercedes Benz sedans.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/politicalledger/2014/11/05/epps-resigning-corrections/18538947/
Oil Spill
Feds' offshore training center scuttled, ex-chief says
WWL
NEW ORLEANS – A training center -- touted as central to the federal
government's efforts to improve offshore drilling safety after the
2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion -- failed to get off the ground,
and its former director blames Gulf of Mexico regulators for
undermining reforms.
http://www.wwltv.com/story/news/gulf-oil-spill/2014/11/05/offshore-training-center-scuttled/18563747/
Local, state and federal governments await oil spill payout
Tri-Parish Times
By RICHARD FISCHER
November 5, 2014 1:02 pm
As dollars get set to flow to the gulf region as part of Clean Water Act
penalties via the RESTORE Act, the Houma Navigation Canal Lock project is
one of two Louisiana projects for which money has already been set aside,
and many more projects are sure to follow.
http://www.tri-parishtimes.com/news/article_552f2948-651e-11e4-addd-17d4c3e47967.html
National
EPA Refinery Proposal Could Cost Industry Billions, Add Carbon Emissions,
Industry Says
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Bloomberg
Nov. 4 — An Environmental Protection Agency proposed rule (RIN 2060-AQ75)
targeting emissions of hazardous air pollutants from petroleum refineries
could cost the industry more than $20 billion and increase greenhouse gas
emissions, according to industry groups.
http://www.bna.com/epa-refinery-proposal-n17179910947/
Climate change supporters suffer losses
The Hill
Despite millions spent to make climate change a wedge issue during the
midterms, environmentally friendly candidates didn't fare well on Election
Day.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/223028-did-climate-change-win-at-the-ballot-box
Midterm Elections 2014: Republicans' Agenda Takes Shape
Wall Street Journal
Energy
As one of their first moves, GOP senators are expected to come out strongly
against Mr. Obama's most consequential energy and environment policies,
with Mr. McConnell vowing to hold votes on the Keystone XL pipeline and
legislation to pare back the administration's proposed carbon-emissions
rules.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/midterm-elections-2014-republicans-agenda-takes-shape-1415235922
Mixed results for local anti-fracking measures
The Hill
Voters in some localities in Texas, Ohio and California voted to ban or put
new restrictions on hydraulic fracturing for oil and natural gas, though
other ballot measures in those states failed.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/223072-mixed-results-for-local-anti-fracking-measures
Press releases
USDA Seeks Comments on New Conservation Stewardship Rule
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2014 –As the U.S. Department of Agriculture's rapid
implementation of the 2014 Farm Bill continues, Agriculture Secretary Tom
Vilsack has announced proposed changes to the Conservation Stewardship
Program (CSP), one of USDA's largest conservation programs for working
agricultural lands.
"Farmers, ranchers, and non-industrial forestland owners enrolled in the
Conservation Stewardship Program are our nation's conservation leaders as
they go the extra mile to conserve our natural resources," Vilsack said.
"This program continues to enable owners and managers of private lands to
reach the next level of conservation."
The rule also establishes the role of CSP as one of the programs to help
the Regional Conservation Partnership Program accomplish its purposes.
Vilsack said participants will be delivering more conservation benefits
than ever under the revised program rules.
USDA published an interim final rule containing the statutory changes to
CSP in the Federal Register today. USDA is seeking public comment on the
rule through Jan. 5, 2015. The public comments will be used to finalize the
interim final rule.
The CSP interim final rule can be viewed at nrcs.usda.gov and the Federal
Register. USDA will publish a final rule, which will establish the
program's policy for the life of the 2014 Farm Bill.
USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) administers CSP, which
pays participants for conservation performance — the better the
performance, the higher the payment. In CSP, producers install conservation
enhancements to make positive changes in soil, water, and air quality;
water quantity; plant and animal resources; and energy conservation. More
than 64 million acres have been enrolled in the program since the launch of
the program in 2009.
Vilsack said NRCS is working to simplify the administrative complexity of
CSP by streamlining the regulation.
For more on technical and financial assistance available through
conservation programs, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/GetStarted or a local USDA
service center.
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