State
Mississippi projects part of nearly $1 billion public-private conservation
partnerships
MiBJ
January 14, 2015
Mississippi, the 49 other states and Puerto Rico will receive more than
$370 million in federal funding for 115 high-impact conservation projects
as part of the new Regional Conservation Partnership Program.
http://msbusiness.com/businessblog/2015/01/14/mississippi-projects-part-nearly-1-billion-public-private-conservation-partnerships/
State alleges fraud by KiOR, files suit
Clarion Ledger
Mississippi is suing executives from KiOR and its primary investor,
alleging they committed fraud to secure a state loan by
intentionally misrepresenting the capability of technology that
would produce crude oil from biomass.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/money/business/2015/01/14/state-alleges-fraud-kior-files-suit/21790421/
Reservoir gas pipeline fire extinguished
Clarion Ledger
Many residents in the Ross Barnett Reservoir area were awakened by
their windows rattling on Wednesday when a natural gas pipeline
exploded on Three Prong Road.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2015/01/14/reservoir-explosion/21740325/
Regional
New widespread federal program to focus conservation efforts at the local
level
Jan 14, 2015Brad Haire
Southeast Farm Press
As part of a new federal push to improve U.S. water quality, support
wildlife habitat and enhance the environment at the local and regional
levels, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the USDA Regional
Conservation Partnership Program, or RCPP, which uses $370 million in 2014
Farm Bill funds for 115 projects spearheaded and designed by regional
partners across all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
http://southeastfarmpress.com/government/new-widespread-federal-program-focus-conservation-efforts-local-level
National
EPA Set to Regulate Oil and Gas Methane Emissions
Proposal Would Be First-Ever Direct Regulation on Methane
Wall Street Journal
WASHINGTON—The Obama administration unveiled plans Wednesday to regulate
methane emissions from the nation's oil and natural-gas industry for the
first time, a move aimed at meeting climate-change goals while not
hampering the nation's energy boom.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/epa-set-to-regulate-oil-and-gas-methane-emissions-1421239861?autologin=y
5 QUESTIONS ABOUT METHANE EMISSIONS
The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday announced the first-ever
federal standards to cut methane emissions from the nation's oil and
natural-gas industry as part of President Barack Obama's climate-change
agenda. Here are five questions about the gas.
14 JAN 2015 2:25PM
Wall Street journal
BY AMY HARDER
http://blogs.wsj.com/briefly/2015/01/14/5-questions-about-methane-emissions/
5 Things to Know About Obama's Next Climate Move: Methane
WASHINGTON — Jan 14, 2015, 3:38 PM ET
By DINA CAPPIELLO Associated Press
The Obama administration on Wednesday announced its latest move to combat
global warming, this time trying to rein in heat-trapping methane gas that
escapes from oil and gas fields.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/things-obamas-climate-move-methane-28226837?singlePage=true
New regs for Thursday: Organic foods, school meals, air pollution
The Hill
Thursday's edition of the Federal Register contains new rules for organic
foods, school and day care meal requirements, air pollution, and chemicals
found in consumer products.
http://thehill.com/regulation/229462-new-regs-for-thursday-organic-foods-school-meals-air-pollution
California new pesticide regulations are the nation's strictest
The Associated Press
January 14, 2015 at 10:21 AM
Farmers in California now must abide by the nation's strictest rules for a
widely used pesticide under heightened regulations designed to protect
farmworkers and people who live and work near the fields where it is used.
http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/01/california_new_pesticide_regul.html#incart_river
Press Releases
EPA Releases 2013 Toxics Release Inventory National Analysis
WASHINGTON -- Similar to previous years, in 2013, most of the toxic
chemical waste managed at industrial facilities in the U.S. was not
released into the environment, according to the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency's (EPA) annual Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) report. The
report, published today, shows that approximately 22 billion pounds— or 84
percent— of the 26 billion pounds of toxic chemical waste were instead
managed through the use of preferred practices such as recycling. Of the 4
billion pounds that were disposed of or otherwise released to the
environment, 66 percent went to land, 19 percent to air, 5 percent to
water, and 10 percent was transferred to other facilities.
From 2012 to 2013, the amount of toxic chemicals managed as waste by the
nation's industrial facilities increased by 4 percent. This increase
includes the amount of chemicals recycled, treated, and burned for energy
recovery, as well as the amount disposed of or otherwise released into the
environment. In TRI, a "release" generally refers to a chemical that is
emitted to the air, water, or placed in some type of land disposal. Most of
these releases are subject to a variety of regulatory requirements designed
to limit human and environmental harm.
"We all have a right to know what toxic chemicals are being used and
released into our environment, and what steps companies are taking to
reduce their releases to the environment or, better yet, prevent waste from
being generated in the first place." said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy.
"The TRI Program tracks this information and makes it accessible to
citizens and communities. And I'm pleased to see that TRI data show such a
commitment to release reductions and pollution prevention on the part of
many industrial facilities."
TRI data is submitted annually to EPA, states, and tribes by facilities in
industry sectors such as manufacturing, metal mining, electric utilities,
and commercial hazardous waste. Under the Emergency Planning and Community
Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), facilities must report their toxic chemical
releases for the prior year to EPA by July 1 of each year. The Pollution
Prevention Act of 1990 also requires facilities to submit information on
pollution prevention and other waste management activities related to TRI
chemicals.
Over the past 10 years, total disposal or other releases to the environment
have decreased 7 percent, despite a 15 percent increase from 2012 to 2013.
The most recent increase was primarily due to increases in on-site land
disposal from the metal mining sector, as has been the case in previous
years. Metal mines typically handle large volumes of material. In this
sector, a small change in the chemical composition of the deposit being
mined can lead to big changes in the amount of toxic chemicals reported
nationally.
Air releases from industrial facilities increased by 1 percent from 2012 to
2013, mainly due to increases from chemical manufacturing facilities and
electric utilities that also experienced an increase in production. From
2012 to 2013, releases to water decreased by 2 percent, primarily due to
decreases from the primary metals sector.
The TRI report is available in a new interactive, Web-based format that
features analyses and interactive maps showing data at a state, county,
city, and zip code level. In addition, information about industry efforts
to reduce pollution is accessible through the expanded TRI Pollution
Prevention (P2) Search Tool, where the public can now identify P2 successes
and compare environmental performance among facilities and companies that
provide data to the TRI program.
To access the 2013 TRI National Analysis report, including long-term trends
and localized analyses, visit www.epa.gov/tri/nationalanalysis.
More information on facility efforts to reduce toxic chemical releases,
including the new P2 parent company comparison report, is available at
www.epa.gov/tri/p2.
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| Agriculture Secretary Announces Funding for 115 Conservation Projects in 50 |
| States--Farm Bill Initiative Marks New Era for Conservation efforts |
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| Partners More than Double Financial Impact of Today's Announcement |
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|PHOENIX, Ariz., Jan. 14, 2015 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that |
|115 high-impact projects across all 50 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico will |
|receive more than $370 million in Federal funding as part of the new USDA Regional |
|Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). In addition, these projects will leverage an |
|estimated $400 million more in partner contributions—for a total of nearly $800 |
|million—to improve the nation's water quality, support wildlife habitat and enhance the|
|environment. Vilsack made the announcement near Phoenix, where the new program will |
|invest in a project with five local partners to clean and conserve water along the |
|Verde River, a tributary of the Colorado River. |
| |
| |
|"This is an entirely new approach to conservation efforts," said Vilsack. "These |
|partnerships empower communities to set priorities and lead the way on conservation |
|efforts important for their region. They also encourage private sector investment so we|
|can make an impact that's well beyond what the Federal government could accomplish on |
|its own. We're giving private companies, local communities, and other non-government |
|partners a way to invest in a new era in conservation that ultimately benefits us all. |
|These efforts keep our land resilient and water clean, and promote economic growth in |
|agriculture, construction, tourism, outdoor recreation, and other industries." |
| |
| |
|"As venture capitalists provide financial resources to burgeoning, high-potential |
|growth startups, USDA must lead in a new venture conservationist movement that empowers|
|and launches new, high-opportunity startup partnerships that deliver locally-led |
|conservation solutions," said Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Jason|
|Weller. "RCPP puts our partners in the driver's seat. Projects are led locally, and |
|demonstrate the value of strong public-private partnerships that deliver solutions to |
|natural resource challenges." |
| |
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|RCPP competitively awards funds to conservation projects designed by local partners |
|specifically for their region. Eligible partners include private companies, |
|universities, non-profit organizations, local and tribal governments and others joining|
|with agricultural and conservation organizations and producers to invest money, |
|manpower and materials to their proposed initiatives. With participating partners |
|investing along with the Department, USDA's $1.2 billion in funding over the life of |
|the five-year Farm Bill program can leverage an additional $1.2 billion from partners |
|for a total of $2.4 billion for conservation. Through RCPP, partners propose |
|conservation projects to improve soil health, water quality and water use efficiency, |
|wildlife habitat, and other related natural resources on private lands. |
| |
| |
|In addition to supporting local conservation goals, clean land and water investments |
|create jobs in local communities. Conservation work involves building and maintaining |
|infrastructure, such as building terraces in fields or restoring wetlands, which |
|requires the hiring of contractors, engineers, scientists, and others. A 2013 study |
|commissioned by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation estimates that conservation |
|activities supported more than 660,000 jobs. Conservation also provides an economic |
|boost by spurring local tourism. Cleaner water and enhanced wildlife habitat provide |
|additional opportunities for hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation. The outdoor |
|recreation economy supports 6.1 million direct jobs, $80 billion in federal, state, and|
|local tax revenue, and $646 billion in spending each year. |
| |
| |
|The RCPP project in Arizona that Secretary Vilsack announced today will help restore |
|habitat for fish and wildlife along the Verde River and encourage more sustainable use |
|of water in the area. The Nature Conservancy will work with NRCS and Friends of Verde |
|River Greenway, Verde Natural Resource Conservation District, Arizona Game and Fish |
|Department and Tamarisk Coalition to enhance 6,000 acres of riparian habitat and |
|improve irrigation on 1,000 farmland acres. |
| |
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|A complete list of the projects and their descriptions is available on the NRCS website|
|. |
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|New RCPP projects throughout the country will support a wide array of agricultural and |
|natural resource activities, from helping farmers improve their drought resiliency to |
|protecting drinking water supplies. They are also providing habitat for many at-risk |
|species such as sage grouse and supporting the expansion of environmental markets. All |
|of these investments will benefit ranching and farming operations that will in turn |
|help address natural resource needs. |
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|More than 600 pre-proposals were submitted for RCPP in 2014. |
| |
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|"With so many strong project proposals, the selection process was extremely |
|competitive. RCPP is a 5-year, $1.2 billion USDA opportunity. Projects not selected in |
|this first year may be eligible in subsequent years," Chief Weller said. The Chief also|
|noted that NRCS personnel will work with applicants who did not receive funding during |
|this round of awards to strengthen their applications for future funding rounds. The |
|next announcement of program funding for fiscal year 2016 will be made later in the |
|year. Today's announcement includes funding allocated for the first two years of the |
|program. |
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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. |
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