State
Kemper-related electric rates too high, business orgs tell Mississippi
Supreme Court
Mississippi Press
April M. Havens
March 30, 2015 at 10:14 AM
JACKSON, Mississippi -- Leaders of three of Mississippi's top business
organizations are asking the state Supreme Court to rehear a recent case
regarding electric rates designed to help pay for Mississippi Power's
Kemper County energy facility.
http://www.gulflive.com/news/index.ssf/2015/03/business_leaders_ask_mississip.html#incart_river
Mississippi lakes highly-rated for crappie fishing
WLBT
Five Mississippi lakes have been listed as the top three fisheries to visit
for trophy-size crappie according to a recent survey by Josh Gowan with
Wired2fish.com.
http://www.msnewsnow.com/story/28647643/mississippi-lakes-highly-rated-for-crappie-fishing
Lawmakers argue over borrowing, pet projects
Clarion Ledger
Lawmakers put the finishing touches on a $6.27 billion state budget
Monday, with soaring Medicaid costs absorbing most of the state's
recent revenue growth.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2015/03/30/lawmakers-argue-borrowing-pet-projects/70700840/
Oil Spill
BP spill continues to threaten Gulf wildlife, National Wildlife Federation
says
Mark Schleifstein
The Times-Picayune
March 30, 2015 at 1:06 PM
The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill continues to pose a significant threat
to wildlife in and around the Gulf of Mexico, with at least 20 species
seeing continued problems five years after the accident, according to a
report released Monday (Mar. 30) by the National Wildlife Federation.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2015/03/bp_spill_posing_ongoing_threat.html#incart_most_shared-environment
Report: Wildlife Still Feeling Impact from BP Oil Spill
WUSF
Five years after the BP oil spill, the environmental impacts are still
being felt.
According to a report released Monday by the National Wildlife Federation,
animals such as dolphins were found dead at four times the historic rates
in 2014. The group believes the oil spill may be to blame.
http://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/post/report-wildlife-still-feeling-impact-bp-oil-spill
Report: Problems linger in Gulf of Mexico long after 2010 Deepwater Horizon
explosion
Baton Rouge Advocate
By AMY WOLD
Researchers expect it will take years, possibly even decades, to learn the
full ecological impact of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil disaster, but some
problem areas have already been identified and need to be addressed,
according to a report from the National Wildlife Federation.
http://theadvocate.com/news/11920358-123/report-problems-linger-in-gulf
BP says spill fine could bust its U.S. oil business
By Collin Eaton
Houston Chronicle
BP says even a fraction of the $13.7 billion in fines it could face for the
Deepwater Horizon disaster could threaten the solvency of its U.S. oil arm
and cut deep into spending that props up the Gulf Coast economy.
http://www.expressnews.com/business/eagle-ford-energy/article/BP-says-spill-fine-could-bust-its-U-S-oil-6168919.php
Regional
Throw out EPA greenhouse gas emissions rule because of missed deadline,
Atty. Gen. Buddy Caldwell demands
Mark Schleifstein
The Times-Picayune
March 30, 2015 at 8:35 PM
The federal Environmental Protection Agency missed a key deadline in
adopting regulations requiring power plants to reduce emissions of carbon
dioxide and other greenhouse gases, and should be thrown out, Attorney Gen.
Buddy Caldwell said in a Wednesday (Mar. 25) letter to EPA Administrator
Gina McCarthy.
But EPA officials said in a statement Monday afternoon that the agency
isn't required to withdraw the rule because of a missed deadline.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2015/03/throw_out_epa_greenhouse_gas_e.html#incart_most_shared-environment
National
The EPA Defends the Clean Power Plan
Gina McCarthy says the plan is constitutional, necessary and respectful of
states
Wall Street Journal
The Environmental Protection Agency has rolled out an ambitious Clean Power
Plan to get states to cut their carbon emissions. And it has run up against
a chorus of critics charging the agency with vast overreach.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-epa-defends-the-clean-power-plan-1427770859
Emissions vs. Efficiency: The Battle Rages
The energy sector is being buffeted in many ways—but that's creating
opportunities
Wall Street Journal
Coal consumption globally—and all that pollution—just keeps growing, thanks
largely to economic expansion in China and India. But is there a safe role
for coal in the U.S. energy mix?
http://www.wsj.com/articles/emissions-vs-efficiency-the-battle-rages-1427770857
EPA's McCarthy: Keystone alone wouldn't be climate disaster
Politico
EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said Monday that building the Keystone XL
pipeline alone would not be a disaster for the climate, as some opponents
of the project contend.
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/03/gina-mccarthy-keystone-climate-116514.html?hp=b1_c1
Energy's New Legal Threat: Earthquake Suits
In key test for industry, Oklahoma homeowner blames quake damages on
wastewater wells
Wall Street Journal
PRAGUE, Okla.—After an earthquake toppled her chimney, sending rocks
crashing through the roof and onto her legs, Sandra Ladra didn't blame an
act of God. She sued two energy companies, alleging they triggered the 2011
quake by injecting wastewater from drilling deep into the ground.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/frackings-new-legal-threat-earthquake-suits-1427736148
U.S. oil production jump hit 100-year high in 2014, report says
Jennifer Larino
The Times-Picayune
March 30, 2015 at 11:34 AM
U.S. oil production increased 1.2 million barrels per day in 2014, the
largest production spike in more than a century, according to new
government data.
http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2015/03/us_oil_production_century_spik.html#incart_river
New regs for Tuesday: Explosions, gasoline containers, efficiency
The Hill
Tuesday's edition of the Federal Register contains new explosion-protection
standards for offshore drilling units, child-resistant requirements for
portable gasoline containers and energy conservation standards for
residential boilers.
http://thehill.com/regulation/237350-new-regs-for-tuesday-explosions-gasoline-containers-efficiency
Press Releases
EPA Takes Action to Protect the Public from an Unregistered Pesticide
EPA issues order to stop the sale of BioStorm and NanoStrike
Contact Information: Dawn Harris Young, (404) 562-8421 (Direct), (404)
562-8400 (Main), harris-young.dawn@epa.gov
ATLANTA - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued an
order to Nano Defense Solutions, Inc. in Saint Augustine, Fla. to stop the
sale of "BioStorm" and "NanoStrike." BioStorm and NanoStrike are products
that are being marketed by the company for use in sites that include
hospitals and athletic facilities.
The company claims in advertisements and brochures that BioStorm and
NanoStrike use silver nanoparticle as an active ingredient and that these
products are highly effective against bacteria, viruses, fungi, algae and
yeasts. The company also makes unsubstantiated efficacy claims that
"BioStorm and NanoStrike are designed to swiftly eradicate all
microorganisms and keep surfaces free of colonization for up to a full
year". Such public health claims can only be made on products that have
been properly tested and are registered with the EPA.
Under federal pesticide law, products that contain a pesticide as an active
ingredient or claim to kill or repel bacteria or germs are considered
pesticides and must be registered with the EPA prior to distribution or
sale. The Agency will not register a pesticide until it has been determined
that it will not pose an unreasonable risk when used according to the label
directions.
The EPA is committed to ensuring that products making public health claims
in the marketplace meet stringent effectiveness and safety standards, since
the public cannot readily determine with the naked eye the effectiveness
and safety of antimicrobial pesticides. Due to potential human health
implications if the pesticides are not effective or meet our safety
standards, the EPA continues to place a priority on actions regarding
non-complying pesticides.
For additional information about pesticides, visit:
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/.
EPA Seeks Input for Potential Rule Banning or Restricting the Use of
N-Methylpyrrolidone (NMP) and Methylene Chloride for Use in Paint and
Coating Removal
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking
nominations from individuals who represent small businesses, small
governments, and small not-for-profit organizations to provide input to a
federal panel that will explore risk reduction in the use of NMP and
methylene chloride for paint or coating removal.
This panel will focus on the agency's development of a proposed rule to
reduce the risk of NMP and methylene chloride in paint and coating removal
as appropriate to reduce risks posed for their occupational or consumer
use.
The Regulatory Flexibility Act requires agencies to establish a Small
Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) Panel for rules that may have a significant
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. The SBAR panel
will include federal representatives from the Small Business Administration
(SBA), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and EPA.
Small Entity Representatives (SERs) will be selected by the SBAR Panel to
provide comments on behalf of their company, community, or organization and
advise the panel on the potential impacts of the proposed rule on small
entities. EPA is seeking self-nominations directly from the small entities
that may be subject to the rule requirements. Other representatives, such
as trade associations that exclusively or primarily represent potentially
regulated small entities, may also serve as SERs.
SERs provide advice and recommendations to the panel. The SERs participate
in consultations with the SBAR Panel via telephone, webinar, or in person
in one or two meetings and are given an opportunity to submit written
comments to the Panel. Self-nominations may be submitted through the link
below and must be received by April 10, 2015.
Nominate yourself as a Small Entity Representative:
http://www.epa.gov/rfa/tsca-6a-paint-remover.html
More about the Small Business Advocacy Review process:
http://www.epa.gov/sbrefa/faq.htm
EPA Seeks Input for Potential Rule Banning or Restricting the Use of
Trichloroethylene (TCE) as a Commercial Degreaser, Spotting Agent in Dry
Cleaning, and in Certain Consumer Products
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking
nominations from individuals who represent small businesses, small
governments, and small not-for-profit organizations to provide input to a
federal panel that will explore risk reduction in the use of
Trichloroethylene (TCE).
This panel will focus on the agency's development of a proposed rule to
reduce the risks resulting from the use of TCE as a commercial degreaser,
as a spotting agent in dry cleaning, and in certain consumer products as
appropriate to reduce risks posed from its commercial and consumer use.
The Regulatory Flexibility Act requires agencies to establish a Small
Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) Panel for rules that may have a significant
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. The SBAR panel
will include federal representatives from the Small Business Administration
(SBA), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and EPA.
Small Entity Representatives (SERs) will be selected by the SBAR Panel to
provide comments on behalf of their company, community or organization and
advise the panel about the potential impacts of the proposed rule on small
entities. EPA is seeking self-nominations directly from the small entities
that may be subject to the rule requirements. Other representatives, such
as trade associations that exclusively or primarily represent potentially
regulated small entities, may also serve as SERs.
SERs provide advice and recommendations to the panel. The SERs participate
in consultations with the SBAR Panel via telephone, webinar, or in person
in one or two meetings and are given an opportunity to submit written
comments to the Panel. Self-nominations may be submitted through the link
below and must be received by April 10, 2015.
Nominate yourself as a Small Entity Representatives:
http://www.epa.gov/rfa/tsca-6a-tce.html
More about the Small Business Advocacy Review process:
http://www.epa.gov/sbrefa/faq.htm
