State
D'Iberville agrees to sell Ocean Expo land in whale of a deal
Sun Herald
BY MARY PEREZ
D'IBERVILLE -- In a multi-part deal, D'Iberville officials agreed Tuesday
to sell the Ocean Expo site along Interstate 10 to Ramco Real Estate for
$7.6 million.
http://www.sunherald.com/2015/02/24/6088649_diberville-agrees-to-sell-ocean.html?rh=1
CMR looks at oyster dredge comparison
WLOX
Is a certain type of oyster dredge doing unnecessary harm to the reefs in
Mississippi? The Commission on Marine Resources is addressing that concern.
The CMR has been investigating this issue since last summer.
http://www.wlox.com/story/28191718/cmr-looks-at-oyster-dredge-comparison
City prepares to fix sewage problem
Natchez Democrat
http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/2015/02/25/city-prepares-to-fix-sewage-problem/
New leader chosen for Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway board
The Associated Press
COLUMBUS, MISS. — The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority
has hired an Alabama man as its new administrator.
http://www.sunherald.com/2015/02/25/6089463/new-leader-chosen-for-tennessee.html
Oil Spill
BP challenges ruling over size of 2010 oil spill
Jennifer Larino
The Times-Picayune
February 24, 2015 at 12:07 PM
BP is challenging a January ruling over the size of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico
oil spill as it seeks to lower its civil penalty for the disaster. BP faces
up to $13.7 billion in federal fines.
http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2015/02/bp_oil_spill_size_ruling_appea.html#incart_river
22 RESTORE proposals weighed
Panama City News Herald
By JOHN HENDERSON
Published: Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at 19:19 PM.
PANAMA CITY — A citizens advisory committee heard pitches Tuesday from
organizations vying for a share of a $6.3 million pie of money expected to
come to Bay County next year from Deepwater Horizon oil spill damages.
http://www.newsherald.com/news/government/22-restore-proposals-weighed-1.442525
National
Obama vetoes Keystone XL pipeline bill
Fox News
President Obama on Tuesday followed through on his vow to veto
bipartisan-backed legislation authorizing the Keystone XL pipeline, marking
his first veto of the Republican-led Congress and only the third of his
presidency.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/02/24/obama-to-usher-in-new-phase-presidency-with-keystone-veto/?intcmp=latestnews
GOP attacks EPA on 'secret science'
The Hill
Republican lawmakers introduced new legislation Tuesday aimed at shining a
light on the science behind the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA)
regulations.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/233714-gop-attacks-epa-on-secret-science
House passes bill to study algal toxins in drinking water
The Hill
The House passed legislation on Tuesday directing the Environmental
Protection Agency to study how to test drinking water for algal toxins.
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/233741-house-passes-bill-to-study-algal-toxins-in-drinking-water
Federal EPA to oversee pesticide inspections in North Dakota
AP
A federal audit has concluded that acceptable pesticide inspections haven't
been conducted in North Dakota for years, possibly endangering the public.
http://www.wral.com/federal-epa-to-oversee-pesticide-inspections-in-north-dakota/14467222/
Press Releases
UPS, Bank of America, SC Johnson among 16 Organizations across the U.S.
Recognized for Climate Action
EPA also recognizes Chevrolet Clean Energy Campus Campaign, San Diego
Regional Climate Collaborative in new Innovative Partnerships Category
WASHINGTON – From an innovative partnership enabling colleges to sell
carbon credits to fund clean energy projects on campuses to some of the
country's leading corporations setting and exceeding aggressive emission
reduction goals, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Climate
Leadership Award winners announced today are demonstrating that innovative
actions to combat climate change are smart business decisions. Sixteen
organizations and one individual representing a wide array of industries
from finance and manufacturing to retail and technology show exemplary
corporate, organizational, and individual leadership in response to climate
change.
"I am proud to recognize our Climate Leadership Award winners for their
actions to reduce the harmful carbon pollution that's fueling climate
change," said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. "Our winners are
demonstrating that a healthy environment and a strong economy go hand in
hand. These organizations are providing the leadership, commitment, and
solutions needed to cut greenhouse gas emissions and meet head on the
challenge of a changing climate."
EPA's Center for Corporate Climate Leadership, in partnership with the
Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO), the Center for Climate and
Energy Solutions (C2ES), and The Climate Registry (TCR), announced the
fourth annual Climate Leadership Award winners.
The 2015 Climate Leadership Award recipients are:
· Innovative Partnerships Certificate (new category): This award
recognizes organizations working collaboratively on leading edge
climate initiatives with established objectives to measurably address
greenhouse gas reduction goals and/or adaptation and resilience
activities. This year's recipients include:
o ChevroletClean Energy Campus Campaign (Detroit, Mich.): The
Chevrolet Campus Clean Energy Campaign marks the first time
college campuses have been able to use carbon performance
methodologies to earn revenue via GHG reductions that result
from on-campus efficiency and clean energy. The Campaign set a
100 percent absolute GHG reduction goal through 2014 (2012 base
year).
· o San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative (San Diego, Calif.): The
Climate Collaborative supports members in setting and meeting GHG
reduction targets via trainings and information on GHG inventory and
monitoring tools; sharing climate action plan templates; supporting
local governments in developing climate action plans; developing
capacity for local governments to implement measures in their climate
action plans; and more.
· Organizational Leadership Award: Bank of America (Charlotte, N.C.) is
being honored with this award for not only completing its own
comprehensive greenhouse gas inventory and setting an aggressive
emissions reduction goal, but also exemplifying extraordinary
leadership in its internal response to climate change through
engagement of its peers, competitors, partners, and supply chain, and
addressing climate risk in its enterprise strategies. Bank of America
issued the first corporate green bond to fund energy efficiency
projects in 2013. Bank of America is setting an absolute global
greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goal of 15 percent from 2010 levels
through 2015. This goal builds on a previous total reduction of 18
percent of its U.S. GHG emissions from 2004-2009.
· Excellence in Greenhouse Gas Management (Goal Achievement Award): The
following organizations are being honored for publicly reporting and
verifying organization-wide greenhouse gas inventories and achieving
publicly-set aggressive greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals:
o o The City and County of San Francisco;
o o The Clorox Company (Oakland, Calif.);
o o DPR Construction (Redwood City, Calif.);
o o SC Johnson (Racine, Wis.);
o o Sprint (Overland Park, Kan.); and
o o UPS (Atlanta).
· Individual Leadership Award: Mayor Bill Finch, City of Bridgeport,
Conn., is being recognized for demonstrating extraordinary leadership
in driving meaningful climate action within the Greater Bridgeport
community and throughout the City's operations. The Mayor is
implementing an emission reduction goal for the city of 10 percent
below 2007 levels by 2020.
· Excellence in Greenhouse Gas Management (Goal Setting Certificate):
The following organizations are being honored for publicly reporting
and verifying organization-wide greenhouse gas inventories and
publicly setting aggressive greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals:
o o Brown-Forman Corporation (Louisville, Ky.);
o o California Department of Water Resources;
o o Capital One Financial Corporation (McLean, Va.);
o o CH2M HILL (Englewood, Colo.);
o o The Clorox Company (Oakland, Calif.);
o o EMC Corporation (Hopkinton, Mass.);
o o The Hartford (Hartford, Conn.); and
o o Tiffany & Co. (New York).
"Climate change presents immense challenges across an incredible array of
sectors, geographic regions and job functions," said Daniel Kreeger,
executive director of the Association of Climate Change Officers. "The 2015
Climate Leadership Award winners have shown that incorporating climate into
decision making is critical to their organizational success and are raising
the bar on climate action."
"After the hottest year globally on record, action on climate change is
more urgent than ever," said Elliot Diringer, executive vice president of
C2ES. "We applaud the CLA winners for demonstrating the many paths forward
to a low-carbon future, and hope others follow their example."
"The Climate Registry is honored to recognize an impressive group of
climate champions for their dedication to and leadership in addressing
climate change in their operations," said David Rosenheim, executive
director of TCR. "This year's deserving award winners are leading the way
in reducing carbon pollution through greater transparency and consistent
data, demonstrating the path to a more sustainable future."
The awards were presented at the 2015 Climate Leadership Conference in
Arlington, Va.
EPA's Center for Corporate Climate Leadership establishes norms of climate
leadership by encouraging organizations with emerging climate objectives to
identify and achieve cost-effective GHG emission reductions, while helping
more advanced organizations drive innovations in reducing their greenhouse
gas impacts in their supply chains and beyond. The Center provides
technical tools, guidance, educational resources, and opportunities for
information sharing and peer exchange among organizations interested in
reducing the environmental impacts associated with climate change.
More information about the 2015 Climate Leadership Award winners:
www.epa.gov/climateleadership/awards/2015winners.html
More information about EPA's Center for Corporate Climate Leadership:
www.epa.gov/climateleadership
Governor Bryant Sets Special Election Date for 1st Congressional District
JACKSON—Gov. Phil Bryant today issued a Writ of Election, setting May 12 as
the special election date to fill the seat left vacant in Mississippi's 1st
Congressional District by the passing of U.S. Rep. Alan Nunnelee on Feb. 6.
"Alan Nunnelee served the people of Mississippi with integrity and
distinction," Gov. Bryant said. "We will remember him and miss him long
past this election."
The qualifying deadline for candidates is 5 p.m. on March 27.
If no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast in the special
election, a runoff election will be held June 2.
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