State
Hinds Co. landfill stirs up more controversy
WLBT
A Hinds County landfill is again causing controversy. The Citizen's
Committee Against the Landfill is opposed to the Faircloth Rubbish Landfill
increasing 29 acres.
http://www.msnewsnow.com/story/28331445/hinds-co-landfill-stirs-up-more-controversy
Refilling process on Serene lakes could start soon
Hattiesburg American
Like many of her neighbors, Lisa Jordan is ready to see a lakefront
view again instead of the sea of grass and vegetation that has
appeared outside her window for more than two years.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story/news/local/lamar-county/2015/03/09/lake-serene-lakes-refilled/24677645/
Mississippi Power: First fire of Kemper County energy plant gasifiers a
success
Mississippi Press
April M. Havens
March 09, 2015 at 11:53 AM
Mississippi Power's Kemper County energy facility reached a significant
milestone last week with the first fire of the project's gasifiers.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-business/2015/03/mississippi_power_first_fire_o.html#incart_river
Mississippi plants make EPA list for energy savings
WTVA
JACKSON, Miss. (WTVA) -- Two Mississippi plants have made a U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency's list for their energy performance in
2014.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/Mississippi-plants-make-EPA-list-for-energy/6ftjwyfygEGCkic-ADcn4Q.cspx?rss=3033
Sentencing of former Harrison County supervisor Kim Savant delayed until
July
The Associated Press
March 09, 2015 at 1:16 PM
GULFPORT, Mississippi -- Sentencing for former Harrison County Supervisor
Kim Savant has been delayed until July 30.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2015/03/sentencing_of_former_harrison.html#incart_river
New blog showcases Miss. sights
Commercial Dispatch
March 9, 2015 9:57:19 AM
Mississippi State University employee Matt Warren has embarked on a new
project: taking high dynamic range (HDR) photos of the state.
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=40569
Oil Spill
Santa Rosa's oil spill money wish list
Pensacola News Journal
A pedestrian connector for the Milton and Bagdad areas,
renourishment of Navarre Beach and tourism promotion for major
events are among the list of ideas Santa Rosa County may include in
applications for about $4.3 million in the first round of RESTORE
Act funding.
http://www.pnj.com/story/news/local/santa-rosa/2015/03/09/santa-rosa-finalizing-restore-projects/24659619/
Regional
Arkansas joining states challenging EPA on emissions
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
WASHINGTON -- Arkansas has been allowed to intervene in a lawsuit
challenging a proposed Environmental Protection Agency rule limiting carbon
emissions nationwide, state Attorney General Leslie Rutledge announced
Monday.
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2015/mar/10/arkansas-joining-states-challenging-epa/
TVA to rely more on natural gas, renewable energy
AP
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The country's largest public utility will rely more
on natural gas and renewable energy in the future.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/TVA-to-rely-more-on-natural-gas-renewable-energy/mN9EpBccQUqhsXjlxXk-Yg.cspx
On climate change, Florida officials told to speak no evil
CNN
Maybe if nobody says it, it won't happen.
That appears to be the policy of Florida Gov. Rick Scott's administration,
according to a report from the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
that suggests state environmental officials were directed not to use the
term "climate change" after the Republican took office in 2011.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/09/politics/florida-officials-climate-change-banned/index.html
National
Farmers Put Down the Plow for More Productive Soil
NY Times
FORT WORTH — Gabe Brown is in such demand as a speaker
that for every invitation he accepts, he turns down 10
more. At conferences, like the one held here at a Best
Western hotel recently, people line up to seek his advice.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/10/science/farmers-put-down-the-plow-for-more-productive-soil.html?ref=science&_r=0
California lawmaker, researchers look to study impact of rising ocean
acidity
BY CHRIS ADAMS
McClatchy Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — A California congresswoman is pushing for more funding to
explore the potential for increasingly acidic oceans to harm sealife – and
the related fisheries – off her coast.
http://www.sunherald.com/2015/03/09/6111940/california-lawmaker-researchers.html
GOP threatens EPA chief with subpoena for missing texts
The Hill
The chairman of the House Science Committee is demanding that the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) turn over records on deleted text
messages.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/235094-gop-threatens-to-subpoena-epa-chief-on-missing-texts
Press Releases
Mississippi NRCS Assistance for Water Conservation
Jackson, Miss. – The United States Department of Agriculture/Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is currently accepting applications
for the Mississippi Water Conservation Management Project (MWCMP) through
the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Applications received
by April 17, 2015 will be considered in the first ranking period for the
MWCMP. There is no deadline for submission of an application.
The MWCMP is a voluntary conservation program that provides financial
assistance to eligible owners and operators of irrigated agricultural land
to address water conservation management resource concerns. The program
will focus on using management practices to address serious conservation
issues related to water quantity.
"This is an excellent opportunity to help our Mississippi producers
voluntarily address the critical water supply concerns in the Mississippi
Delta through this project", stated Kurt Readus, Mississippi NRCS State
Conservationist.
The MWCMP is only available in counties over the Mississippi River Valley
Aquifer (MRVA). These delta counties include Bolivar, Coahoma, Humphreys,
Issaquena, Leflore, Quitman, Sharkey, Sunflower, Tunica and Washington. The
program is also available in certain portions of the bluff counties over
the MRVA. These include portions of Carroll, Desoto, Grenada, Holmes,
Panola, Tallahatchie, Tate, Warren, Yazoo.
Owners and operators of irrigated agricultural lands are eligible to apply
for program benefits offered through the MWCMP. In order for a producer to
be considered for financial assistance, the land associated with a program
application must be located within the MRVA. Producers must also meet the
EQIP eligibility requirements to receive financial assistance through this
program.
Producers can apply for financial assistance by contacting the NRCS office
in their local USDA Service Center. To locate an office, please go to
http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app. For more information, visit
our website at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/site/ms/home/.
EPA Selects 20 Communities for Brownfield Grants to Revitalize Communities,
Strengthen Local Economies
The agency's Huntington, WV announcement highlights 21st Century
Manufacturing Tech Center
March 9, 2015
Contact Information: George Hull, Hull.george@epa.gov, 202-564-0790,
202-631-6957
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
announced the selection of 20 communities in 16 states receiving
approximately $4 million in Brownfields Area-Wide Planning (AWP) grants for
cleanup and reuse of Brownfields sites to revitalize communities and
strengthen local economies.
Modeled after New York State's Brownfields Opportunity Area (BOA) Program
and part of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities—a interagency
partnership between the U.S. Department of Transportation, Department of
Housing and Urban Development and EPA-- these grants recognize that
successful, sustained community revitalization, particularly in
economically distressed communities, occurs when neighborhood stakeholders,
local governments and the private sector are provided tools to develop a
shared plan for redevelopment and community-wide improvement.
The agency made the announcement at a press conference in Huntington,
W.Va.; the city plans to use its $200,000 AWP grant to help launch the
Advanced Manufacturing & Polymer Commercialization Center, a hi-tech campus
that will develop innovative new technologies, create new jobs, and lead to
the redevelopment of vacant and polluted brownfields on the Ohio River.
The EPA grant will help the city build a 21st century advanced
manufacturing economy.
"Every region of the country from the Pacific Northwest to the deep south
to the midwest Rust Belt and New England has communities that are new AWP
recipients, ranging from a community of just over 1000 people to large
urban neighborhoods," said Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator for
EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. "The selected grantees
have demonstrated a strong vision and partnership to catalyze brownfield
redevelopment as a pathway to transform their communities into vibrant
destinations for housing, manufacturing, and transit-oriented development."
"The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) has a longstanding and
productive history of working with the Environmental Protection Agency in
assisting communities undergoing economic transformation," said U.S.
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Jay Williams.
"EPA's Area Wide Planning grants can help identify potential areas for EDA
investment, both of which are intended to create conditions for private
investment and job creation."
"The Area Wide Planning Grants emerged out of the early years of the
HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership for Sustainable Communities," said Harriet
Tregoning, Director of the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Office of
Economic Resilience. "This year's awardees continue the tradition of
comprehensive approaches to community-based problem solving and
revitalization. We are thrilled to support our EPA colleagues as the
agencies work in partnership with local communities in places as diverse as
California's Central Valley, rural Washington, and the Bronx to build more
resilient communities that grow our nation's economy."
EPA is awarding up to $200,000 per recipient to work with communities on
Brownfields planning activities and reuse in conjunction with community
assets such as housing, recreation and open space, employment, education
and health facilities, social services, transportation options,
infrastructure and commerce needs. The area-wide planning approach
recognizes that revitalization of the area surrounding Brownfield sites is
also critical to the successful reuse of the property. The approach
enables local leaders to conduct a community-wide systematic approach to
identify uses and improvements in the area to foster public-private
redevelopment efforts. This inclusive, locally driven planning approach
advances health and equity by fostering plans for livable communities
through jobs, recreation, housing, and an increased tax base.
Considered reuses of Brownfield sites include advanced manufacturing
businesses, recreation hubs, mixed-income housing, community centers that
serve youth and unskilled workers, leveraging existing infrastructure to
support a walkable, transit-oriented community and capitalizing on Tax
Increment Finance (TIF) districts. This group is also leveraging
partnerships with local universities, community groups, local health
facilities, local businesses and other neighborhood-based nonprofit groups.
This is the third round of grants awarded under the Brownfields AWP
program. The 2010 pilot program, where approximately $4 million was awarded
to fund AWP plan development in 23 communities, has leveraged approximately
$418 million in infrastructure and project development investments.
Several of the selected communities—Milwaukee and Racine, Wisconsin;
Portland, Maine; Rochester, New York; and Pittsburg, Kansas-- participate
in the Economic Development Administration's (EDA) Investing in
Manufacturing Communities Partnership. Others are recipients or key
partners of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities. These programs
seek to leverage and build upon the resources already in the communities
and the AWP grants will complement these targeted efforts. Building on
federal partnership efforts, DOT has committed to prioritizing communities
who use the outcomes of the AWP process to inform subsequent transportation
projects in the DOT's TIGER grant selection process. Not only will this new
grant award ensure a robust approach to brownfields reuse, it may also
assist the community in securing additional resources to implement the
plan.
2015 Area-Wide Planning grants provide funding for the planning of the
following reuse activities:
· Camden Redevelopment Agency (NJ) - 60 mixed-income rental housing
units.
· City of Cheyenne, WY - Expanding greenspace, increasing housing
options and improving pedestrian amenities.
· City of Dubuque, IA - South Port area as a "new downtown
neighborhood", w/ expanded Mississippi Riverwalk in transit-oriented
environment. Estimate 300 new jobs and $100 M increase tax revenue.
· City of Duluth, MN - Attract new industrial-based businesses; turn
Raleigh St. into a Complete Street; public access to river and
recreation; and greenspace.
· City of Fresno, CA - Interest in economic redevelopment/attracting
new businesses with its location near highways; a focus on community
centers serving youth/unskilled workers; and building on city bicycle
and other pedestrian master plans.
· City of Hickory, NC – the reuse plan includes residential and
commercial projects to connect the industrial area and the
neighborhoods to the north.
· City of Huntington, WV - Anchor is Marshall U. baseball field; hub of
sports centers, recreation and area for advanced manufacturing - 3D
printing/engineering.
· City of Lawrence, MA - Recreation/open space, trail connectivity and
encouraging economic development.
· Redevelopment Authority of the City of Milwaukee - Estimate creating
approximately 1700 jobs in project area by focusing redevelopment on
manufacturing uses related to water technologies and others; creating
more public access points; preserving a bike trail and creating
additional habitat.
· City of New Bedford, MA - Recreational space and attracting economic
redevelopment – the city anticipates linking into commuter rail
scheduled to be built.
· City of Pittsburg, KS - Business and/or residential housing.
· City of Racine, WI - River access/trails, greenspace, capitalize on
TIF district to attract new investment/redevelopment.
· City of Rochester, NY - Housing, institutional or commercial reuse.
· City of Spokane, WA - Support existing Hillyard neighborhoods to
create a "live-and-work community." Take advantage of an
under-construction freeway and existing rail lines to become a
multi-modal freight hub and possibly some residential areas.
· City of St. Helens, OR - Public riverfront access, environmental
restoration, and economic development.
· City of Whitewright, TX - Expand business district for light
industrial and commercial use.
· Greater Portland Council of Governments (ME) - Options include
affordable housing,
an expansion of an existing urban farm, and/or the construction of a
new building with retail and commercial space.
· Mississippi Conference of Black Mayors - Use existing infrastructure
(buildings, sewers, road, electrical grids) to build a vibrant
downtown/college town. Increase use of local parks, reduce EJ issues.
· South Bronx Overall EDC (NY) - Increased housing options, attract
industrial businesses, create walkable, multi-modal transit oriented
community, and new greenspace.
· Temple University (PA) - Adaptive reuse of Orinka Mills site attract
new businesses/investment, public greenspace and urban garden;
possible housing options and link to subway stops.
More information on the grant recipients:
http://epa.gov/brownfields/areawide_grants.htm
More information on the Partnership for Sustainable Communities:
http://www.sustainablecommunities.gov/
Nominations Open for EPA Region 4 Rain Catcher Award - Deadline is April 17
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Mar. 9, 2015 Nominations Open for EPA Region 4 Rain
Catcher Award - Deadline is April 17, 2015 Contact Information: Dawn Harris
Young, EPA, (404) 562-8421 (Direct), (404) 562-8400 (Main),
harris-young.dawn@epa.gov
ATLANTA – For the second year in a row, the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is now accepting nominations for the Rain Catcher Awards for
excellence in the implementation of stormwater green infrastructure
projects during the last ten years (January 1, 2005 – January 1, 2015).
Award categories are available for Municipal, Commercial, Tribal, and
Neighborhood/Community levels.
Nominations are due to the agency by April 17, 2015. The awardees will be
honored at a ceremony in Atlanta, Ga. on June 16, 2015. For award criteria
and information on how to submit entries, visit EPA's Rain Catcher Award
web page at
http://www.epa.gov/region4/newsevents/Rain-Catcher-Awards-Nomination-Form.pdf
. The EPA Region 4 Rain Catcher Award recognizes excellence in the
implementation of stormwater green infrastructure practices. Green
infrastructure uses natural systems and/or engineered systems designed to
mimic natural processes to more effectively manage urban stormwater and
reduce receiving water impacts. EPA and its partner organizations have
promoted the use of green infrastructure for many years as part of a
comprehensive approach to achieving healthier waters. Green infrastructure
reduces the volume of stormwater discharges by managing rainwater close to
where it falls and removes many of the pollutants present in runoff, making
it an effective strategy for addressing wet weather pollution and improving
water quality.
