State
Puppet shows on water cost taxpayers $410K
Clarion Ledger
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality awarded a
$96,000 no-bid contract for a traveling puppet show touting the
importance of clean water to school-aged children.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2014/12/20/puppet-shows-water-cost-taxpayers/20706751/?from=global&sessionKey=&autologin
=
State awards billions in no-bid contracts
Clarion Ledger
State government spends billions of taxpayers' dollars — nearly $6.5
billion in the last four years — through "no-bid" contracts, with
little oversight or transparency.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2014/12/20/state-awards-billions-bid-contracts/20656949/
Auditor's no-bid contracts raise questions
Clarion Ledger
In the fallout from the prisons' bribery-kickback scandal, Gov. Phil
Bryant said he will work with State Auditor Stacey Pickering to
strengthen controls over contracts throughout state government.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2014/12/20/auditors-bid-contracts-raise-questions/20702661/
State contracts: Where should Miss. look for reform?
Clarion Ledger
The governor, lawmakers and a task force are vowing to reform
Mississippi's purchasing and contracting after a bribery-kickback
scandal in the state's prisons system.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2014/12/21/state-contracts-miss-look-reform/20747823/
Website not designed to track no-bid contracts
Clarion Ledger
The scope and scale of the state's multibillion-dollar business with
preferred vendors remains shrouded in darkness despite a 2008 law
demanding transparency in government spending.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2014/12/21/website-designed-track-bid-contracts/20747775/
Consultants to ask for treatment decision in February
Hattiesburg American
The City of Hattiesburg will be presented with a short list of
potential solutions for its malfunctioning wastewater treatment
system in January, and city officials will be asked to make a
decision in February.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story/news/local/hattiesburg/2014/12/20/hattiesburg-wastewater-decision-february/20715365/
DeSoto wastewater board gets good plant inspection, finds project savings
Commercial Appeal
DeSoto County's wastewater management board got good year-end news on two
fronts: A surprise state inspection of the Short Fork treatment plant for
Southaven resulted in a good report, and completion of the Camp Creek
overflow project resulted in a surplus.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/local-news/desoto/desoto-wastewater-board-gets-good-plant-inspection-finds-project-savings_88416285
Old Town eateries debate trash plan
Sea Coast Echo
By Dwayne Bremer
Dec 19, 2014, 18:55
Most downtown restaurant owners are against the idea of the city providing
space for Dumpster pads; however city leaders are not ready to trash the
idea and some have even called for an expansion of the service.
http://www.seacoastecho.com/article_8464.shtml#.VJTKH4DOMA
Christmas tree recycling program begins Dec. 26
WLOX
Christmas is right around the corner, and officials are urging you to start
thinking about what to do with your tree after the holidays. Recycling is
one option.
http://www.wlox.com/story/27658899/christmas-tree-recycling-program-begins-dec-26
Another company stops oil drilling in Mississippi due to falling prices
The Associated Press
December 21, 2014 at 8:53 PM
MCCOMB, Mississippi -- A second oil company is stopping drilling in the
Tuscaloosa Marine Shale because of falling oil prices.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/12/another_company_stops_oil_dril.html#incart_river
Timber holds No. 2 ag commodity spot in Mississippi
Clarion Ledger
STARKVILLE – A production bump has helped forestry maintain its
status as Mississippi's second largest agricultural commodity.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/money/business/2014/12/20/timber-holds-ag-commodity-spot-mississippi/20699197/
Ex-MBN chief taking on Mississippi's prison system
Clarion Ledger
Marshall Fisher, the former head of the state Bureau of Narcotics,
is Gov. Phil Bryant's choice to clean up the state Department of
Corrections in the wake of alleged corruption that toppled its
former commissioner.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2014/12/19/ex-mbn-chief-taking-mississippis-prison-system/20648289/
Oil Spill
U.S. Seeks BP Fine of Up to $18 Billion for Gulf Oil Spill Disaster
Bloomberg
By Laurel Brubaker Calkins December 19, 2014
The government wants BP Plc (BP/) to pay $16 billion to $18 billion in
water-pollution fines for the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history
while seeking more than $1 billion from the co-owner of the blown-out well
that caused the 2010 Gulf of Mexico disaster.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-12-19/bp-gulf-spill-pollution-fine-up-to-18-billion-sought-by-u-dot-s
June 8 deadline set for BP settlement claims
The Associated Press
December 21, 2014 at 8:32 AM
NEW ORLEANS -- People and businesses who lost money because of the 2010
Gulf of Mexico oil spill have until June 8 to file claims.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/12/june_8_deadline_set_for_bp_set.html#incart_river
National
E.P.A. Issues Rules on Disposal of Coal Ash to Protect Water Supply
NY Times
WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday
announced the first federal guidelines for disposing of
coal ash, instructing power plants to implement safeguards
against contaminating nearby water supplies.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/20/us/epa-issues-new-rules-on-disposal-of-coal-ash.html?ref=earth&_r=0
Coal-ash dumps to face restrictions six years after billion-gallon spill in
Tennessee
Washington Post
Millions of tons of coal ash produced by power companies each year will
come under stricter controls of new federal regulations intended to prevent
disasters such as the 2008 dike failure that released a billion gallons of
toxic slurry into two Tennessee rivers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/coal-ash-dumps-to-face-restrictions-six-years-after-billion-gallon-spill-in-tennessee/2014/12/19/c07ae0ce-87bb-11e4-9534-f79a23c40e6c_story.html
EPA Releases New Standards For Coal Ash
Electric Utilities May Have to Shut Down Some Pools Containing Ash Slurry
Wall Street Journal
Electric utilities will probably have to shut down some pools containing
waste ash from coal-fired power plants under new rules released by federal
regulators Friday.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/epa-releases-new-standards-for-coal-ash-1419025468?KEYWORDS=epa
Lawmakers press Obama to rescind climate rule
The Hill
A group of bipartisan lawmakers is urging President Obama to withdraw the
administration's climate regulation on carbon pollution from existing power
plants.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/227742-lawmakers-press-obama-to-rescind-climate-rule
Opinion
State bid laws in need of fundamental overhaul: Our view
Clarion Ledger
Following indictments against former Department of Corrections
Commissioner Chris Epps on charges that he awarded contracts to
vendors in exchange for financial kickbacks, The Clarion-Ledger set
out to review all no-bid contracts let by the state. What we found
was astonishing.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/opinion/editorials/2014/12/20/our-view-state-bid-laws-need-fundamental-overhaul/20707875/
Press Releases
Common sense, pragmatic rules to protect against structural failure, water
and air pollution
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced
the first national regulations to provide for the safe disposal of coal
combustion residuals (coal ash) from coal-fired power plants. The final
rule establishes safeguards to protect communities from coal ash
impoundment failures, like the catastrophic Kingston, Tenn., spill in 2008,
and establishes safeguards to prevent groundwater contamination and air
emissions from coal ash disposal.
"EPA is taking action to protect our communities from the risk of
mismanaged coal ash disposal units, and putting in place safeguards to help
prevent the next catastrophic coal ash impoundment failure, which can cost
millions for local businesses, communities and states," said EPA
Administrator Gina McCarthy. "These strong safeguards will protect drinking
water from contamination, air from coal ash dust, and our communities from
structural failures, while providing facilities a practical approach for
implementation."
EPA has been studying the effects of coal ash disposal on the environment
and public health for many years. In the wake of the failure of the TVA
coal ash pond in Kingston, TN, EPA began a multi-year effort to help ensure
the safety of the nation's coal ash disposal facilities, including
assessing more than 500 facilities across the country. Improperly
constructed or managed coal ash disposal units have been linked to nearly
160 cases of harm to surface or ground water or to the air. EPA carefully
evaluated more than 450,000 comments on the proposed rule, testimony from
eight public hearings, and information gathered from three notices
soliciting comment on new data and analyses.
Improperly constructed or managed coal ash disposal units have resulted in
the catastrophic failure of surface impoundments, damages to surface water,
groundwater and the air. The first federal requirements for impoundments
and landfills to address these risks include:
· The closure of surface impoundments and landfills that fail to meet
engineering and structural standards and will no longer receive coal
ash;
· Reducing the risk of catastrophic failure by requiring regular
inspections of the structural safety of surface impoundments;
· Restrictions on the location of new surface impoundments and
landfills so that they cannot be built in sensitive areas such as
wetlands and earthquake zones;
· Protecting groundwater by requiring monitoring, immediate cleanup of
contamination, and closure of unlined surface impoundments that are
polluting groundwater;
· Protecting communities using fugitive dust controls to reduce
windblown coal ash dust;
· Requiring liner barriers for new units and proper closure of surface
impoundments and landfills that will no longer receive CCRs.
In response to comments received on the proposal, the final rule makes a
number of changes by providing greater clarity on technical requirements
for coal ash landfills and surface impoundments under Subtitle D of the
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the nation's primary law for
regulating solid waste.
Implementation of these technical requirements will be reported through
comprehensive and regular disclosure to states, and communities to enable
them to monitor and oversee these requirements. The rule requires that
power plant owners and operators provide detailed information to citizens
and states to fully understand how their communities may be impacted. The
rule sets out new transparency requirements, including recordkeeping and
reporting requirements, as well as the requirement for each facility to
post specific information to a publicly-accessible website. This will
provide the public with information such as annual groundwater monitoring
results, and corrective action reports, coal ash fugitive dust control
plans, and closure completion notifications.
This final rule also supports the responsible recycling of coal ash by
distinguishing safe, beneficial use from disposal. In 2012, almost 40
percent of all coal ash produced was recycled (beneficially used), rather
than disposed. Beneficial use of coal ash can produce positive
environmental, economic and performance benefits such as reduced use of
virgin resources, lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduced cost of coal ash
disposal, and improved strength and durability of materials.
EPA is committed to working closely with our state partners on
implementation of this rule. To ease implementation and harmonize the
regulatory requirements for coal ash landfills and surface impoundments,
EPA encourages states to adopt the federal minimum criteria, revise their
Solid Waste Management Plans (SWMPs) and submit these revisions to EPA for
approval. A revised and approved SMWP will signal EPA's opinion that the
state SWMP meets the federal criteria.
EPA Takes Action to Protect Public from Harmful Lead Exposure
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced
62 enforcement actions that require renovation contractors and training
providers to protect people from harmful exposure to lead dust and debris,
as required by EPA's Lead-based Paint Renovation, Repair, and Painting
(RRP) standards.
The enforcement actions include 55 settlements and six complaints issued
between February and October 2014 for renovations performed on pre-1978
homes and child-care facilities. All of the settlements require that the
alleged violators certify their compliance with RRP standards and, in most
cases, pay civil penalties. In two of the settlements, the violators
agreed to fund voluntary lead abatement supplemental environmental
projects, which require the removal of lead-based paint and
post-construction testing to ensure that no hazardous conditions remain.
The settlements led to $213,171 in civil penalties and the violators coming
into compliance with federal law. These recent actions are in addition to
EPA's settlement with Lowe's Home Improvement in April 2014, which included
a $500,000 civil penalty as well as implementation of a corporate-wide RRP
compliance program.
"Children are most vulnerable to the dangers of lead paint exposure,
especially those in predominantly minority and low-income communities,
where housing is more likely to contain lead-based paint," said Cynthia
Giles, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Enforcement and
Compliance Assurance. "These cases to enforce the RRP rule are vitally
important to improving compliance among companies that handle lead-based
paint. This leads to safer communities, healthier children and a level
playing field for companies that follow the law."
Lead dust and debris from improper renovation activities on properties
built prior to 1978 is a major source of lead exposure that can cause lead
poisoning. Although using lead-based paint in dwellings was prohibited
after 1978, it is still present in more than 30 million homes across the
nation, in all types of communities. The RRP Rule provides important
protections for children and others vulnerable to lead exposure. Even low
levels of lead in the blood of children can result in behavior and learning
problems, lower IQ and hyperactivity, slowed growth, hearing problems and
anemia. In rare cases, ingestion of lead can cause seizures, coma and even
death.
The RRP Rule, which is part of the federal Toxic Substances Control Act, is
intended to ensure that owners and occupants of pre-1978 "target housing"
and "child-occupied facilities" receive information on lead-based paint
hazards before renovations begin, that individuals performing such
renovations are properly trained and certified, and that renovators and
workers follow specific lead-safe work practices during renovations to
reduce the potential for exposure to lead.
The penalties in the settlements address the cited violations. Enforcement
penalties also help deter violations by others in the regulated industry,
and level the playing field for complying companies, since the fines help
eliminate the financial advantage a violator may derive from non-compliance
which, otherwise, would allow the violator to underbid its complying
competitors.
Contractors that are certified under EPA's RRP standards are encouraged to
display EPA's "Lead-Safe" logo on worker's uniforms, signs, websites, and
other material, as appropriate. Consumers can protect themselves by looking
for the logo before hiring a home contractor, and by being generally aware
of whether a renovator is following lead-safe work practices when working
on their property. Those practices, such as what a renovator must do to
minimize lead dust dispersion, are outlined in EPA's Renovate Right lead
hazard information pamphlet, available at
http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/documents/renovaterightbrochure.pdf
Renovators are required to give the pamphlet to property owners and
occupants within 60 days before starting any renovation.
Between mid-February and September 30, 2014, EPA settled enforcement
actions with, or issued complaints against, the companies below. In the
following settlements, the companies paid civil penalties in excess of
$10,000, respectively:
Student Works Painting, Inc. d.b.a. College Works Painting (CA) paid a
$39,532 fine for violating work practice and recordkeeping requirements.
Manhattan Construction Co. and Ark Wrecking Co. (OK) paid a $24,038 penalty
for violating requirements for certification, information distribution,
ensuring personnel were certified or properly trained, and ensuring that a
certified renovator was assigned and performed required tasks.
Z&B Holdings, LLC d/b/a Berry Door & Window (MO) paid a $23,300 fine for
failing to comply with information distribution and recordkeeping
requirements, and failing to assign a certified renovator.
Goldman Enterprises Inc., d/b/a Paul Davis Restoration of Kansas City (MO)
paid a $16,710 penalty for failure to comply with work practice standards.
Groen Builders, Inc. (NH) paid a $14,950 penalty for violating
certification and information distribution requirements, failing to ensure
personnel were properly certified or trained, failing to assign a certified
renovator, and failing to comply with work practice standards.
Tilt-In Window and Siding Co. / NJ Window & Siding Co. (NJ) paid a fine of
$12,504 for failure to comply with certification, information distribution,
work practice, and recordkeeping requirements.
EPA entered into expedited settlement agreements with the 22 companies
below. These agreements allow violators to quickly resolve certain minor
lead-based paint offenses (not including work practice violations) with a
reduced penalty, typically $2,000 or less.
Tim Jones New Look Remodeling Co. (CT)
Construction Education Foundation of Minnesota (MN)
Holman Brothers Painting (OH)
Think People, Inc. (IL)
Gunton Corporation (OH)
Builders License Training Institute (MI)
Midwest Training Services LLC (MI)
Kaplan AEC Education (WI)
Vinyl Sash of Flint, Inc. (MI)
Wonder Makers Environmental (MI)
ETC Training Services Group (MI)
Greentree Environmental Services Inc. (IN)
AB Builders (CA)
A&D Construction (CA)
CF Contracting (CA)
Cogent Construction and Consulting (CA)
EF Brett (CA)
Nema Construction (CA)
Regency Construction (CA)
Southland Management (CA)
Welliver Construction (CA)
Dakota Remodeling LLC (OR)
In the following 27 settlements, the companies paid fines less than
$10,000, generally because the penalty was reduced for an inability to pay.
Every case obtains compliance with RRP standards.
CDL Commercial, LLC (CT)
East Coast Pros (CT)
Gerard Therrien (NH)
Alstar Construction, Inc. (NJ)
AZ Water Man Corp. (NY)
JC Painter (NY)
Raymond Demers (NY)
APM Vocational Institute (VA)(Settlement)
Moyer Holdings Corp.,T/A Window World of Lehigh Valley (PA)
Santos D. Flores Svc. Inc. (MD)
Windows R Us, LLC (PA)
Clear Choice Windows & Sliding, Inc. (IL)
Jim Knibbs Building & Remodeling, Inc. (MI)
Michiana Window World, Inc. (IN)
Richmond's Complete Home Improvement (ID)
ACE Service Team, LLC (MO)
Brackmann Construction Inc. (MO)
Douglas Thoman Construction (NE)
First Choice Builders LLC d/b/a Intext Builders (NE)
Jaime Diosdado (MO)
JDC Construction & Remodeling LLC (MO)
Kansas City Home Doctor, Inc. (MO)
MCB, LLC (NE)(Settlement)
Mesa Enterprises, LLC (MO)
M&L Construction Co., Inc. (MO)
Aesthetica Painting & Contracting, LLC (CO)
Vanguard Construction Companies, Ltd. (CO)
EPA issued Complaints against the following six companies:
John Fogg Jr. Enterprises, LLC (CT)
Waterway Realty LLC (NH)
Creative Home Builders (MO)
Dynamic Construction and Roofing, LLC (FL)
Matthew Andersen d/b/a Andersen Painting (NE)
Zane Inc. d/b/a ServPro of Freemont/ NW Omaha, Inc. (NE)
More information about these actions is available at
http://www2.epa.gov/enforcement/lead-renovation-repair-and-painting-rule-december-2014
More information about the RRP Rule and how contractors can get certified
is available at www.epa.gov/lead.
