State
Car crashes into chlorine tank; 6 transported to hospitals
Sun Herald
BY ROBIN FITZGERALD
GULFPORT -- Police closed Lorraine Road in Gulfport for a little more than
two hours Monday after a car on Seaway Road crossed Lorraine Road and
struck a building, causing a chlorine leak and a public-safety threat.
http://www.sunherald.com/2015/03/02/6098505_happening-now-part-of-lorraine.html?rh=1
Toyota supplier earns ISO certification
By M. Scott Morris
Daily Journal
BALDWYN – Auto Parts Manufacturing Mississippi spent the past year
conducting a detail-oriented examination of its impact on the environment.
http://djournal.com/news/toyota-supplier-earns-iso-certification/
Diamondhead Water & Sewer District gets new commissioner; Seymour backs off
investigation
Sun Herald
BAY ST. LOUIS -- Hancock County supervisors appointed a new member to the
Diamondhead Water & Sewer District board on Monday, filling the vacancy
left by a commissioner's resignation last month.
http://www.sunherald.com/2015/03/02/6099135/diamondhead-water-sewer-district.html
War on Litter
DeSoto to crack down on litterbugs
DeSoto Times
By ROBERT LEE LONG
Published: Tuesday, March 3, 2015 1:05 AM CST
While the nation has unofficially declared a war on the terrorist group
ISIS and is wrapping up two wars abroad, the DeSoto County Board of
Supervisors on Monday declared a war on a stubborn foe — litter.
http://www.desototimes.com/articles/2015/03/03/news/doc54f511bc77584768814948.txt
Ground near I-220 sliding away
WAPT
The ground near a Jackson interstate is sliding away.
Viewers alerted 16 WAPT News about the mudslide late last week.
http://www.wapt.com/news/central-mississippi/jackson/ground-near-i220-sliding-away/31581486
Dirt mining still under advisement by Lamar Co. Board of Supervisors
WDAM
http://www.wdam.com/story/28241824/dirt-mining-still-under-advisement-by-lamar-co-board-of-supervisors
City eyes $140K yearly in energy savings
By William Moore
Daily Journal
TUPELO – An upgrade to more efficient lighting at athletic fields, parks
and government buildings could save the city of Tupelo $140,000 or more
each year for the next two decades.
http://djournal.com/news/city-eyes-140k-yearly-in-energy-savings/
Parts of natural gas pipeline in Rankin Co. to be replaced
Clarion Ledger
An attorney from Gulf South Pipeline appeared before Rankin county
officials on Monday to announce the company will be replacing
segments of natural gas pipeline in the area.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2015/03/02/gulf-south-pipeline-rankin/24262413/
Oil Spill
Agency seeks input on Louisiana's Center for Excellence operations
Baton Rouge Advocate
By AMY WOLD
A draft proposal on how Louisiana's Center for Excellence, to be funded
under the RESTORE Act, will operate and distribute grants is now open for
public comment until April 17.
http://theadvocate.com/news/11741570-123/agency-seeks-input-on-louisianas
Regional
Louisiana oyster lease rates, diversions, lifting moratorium discussed in
audit
Benjamin Alexander-Bloch
The Times-Picayune
March 02, 2015 at 4:16 PM
Louisiana oyster lease rates, the possible impact of proposed sediment
diversions on the crop, and the potential for lifting a moratorium on new
private leases and opening up additional oyster cultivation areas all were
discussed in a report released Monday (March 2) by Legislative Auditor
Daryl Purpera.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2015/03/louisiana_oysters_leases_diver.html#incart_river
EPA ozone proposal already negatively impacting Baton Rouge area business,
BRAC analysis shows
Renita D. Young
The Times Picayune
March 02, 2015 at 6:03 PM
The controversy over a proposal to lower the ozone emissions standard is
already costing the Baton Rouge area business, a new analysis of Brookings
Institution data by the Baton Rouge Area Chamber shows.
http://www.nola.com/business/baton-rouge/index.ssf/2015/03/proposed_epa_ozone_regulations_baton_rouge_brac.html
Local, state groups oppose new air quailty rules
Daily Comet
By Aaren Gordon
Published: Monday, March 2, 2015 at 4:57 p.m.
Local and state groups are campaigning in growing numbers against stricter
federal ozone standards.
http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20150302/ARTICLES/150309928?Title=Local-state-groups-oppose-new-air-quailty-rules
National
Judge blasts EPA for 'suspicious' handling of conservative group's FOIA
Washington Post
A federal judge Monday blasted the Environmental Protection Agency for its
"suspicious" handling of a 2012 Freedom of Information Act request by a
conservative group for top officials' e-mails, saying the agency left "far
too much room" for the public to suspect official misconduct.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/judge-blasts-epa-for-suspicious-handling-of-conservative-groups-foia/2015/03/02/7f49fee0-c100-11e4-9ec2-b418f57a4a99_story.html
DeWine sues BP over $33 million from Ohio's fuel-tank clean-up fund
Columbus Dispatch
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is suing BP, alleging that it improperly
obtained $33 million from a state fund to clean up leaks from underground
fuel tanks.
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2015/03/02/ohio-ag-dewine-accuses-bp-of-double-dipping.html
EPA tackles emissions from refrigerators, air conditioners
The Hill
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is looking to cut down on
emissions from refrigerators.
http://thehill.com/regulation/234317-epa-tackles-emissions-from-refrigerators-air-conditioners
Press Releases
EPA Approves New Climate-Friendly Refrigerants
Rule supports president's Climate Action Plan by curbing emissions of
potent greenhouse gases
WASHINGTON – As part of President Obama's Climate Action Plan, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is increasing the options for
refrigerants used in various kinds of refrigeration and air conditioning
equipment in the United States that offer better climate protection without
harming the ozone layer. This final action addresses refrigerants under the
Climate Action Plan that calls on EPA's Significant New Alternatives Policy
(SNAP) Program to identify and approve additional climate-friendly
chemicals.
"Today's rule is an example of how we can turn the challenge of climate
change into an opportunity to innovate our way to a better future," said
EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. "By working together, businesses and EPA
are bringing new, climate-friendly refrigerants to market that better
protect our health and the environment."
Under the authority of the Clean Air Act, EPA's SNAP Program evaluates
substitute chemicals and technologies that are safe for the ozone layer.
This final rule expands the list of SNAP-approved substitutes to include
more low-global warming potential (GWP) alternatives that can replace both
the ozone-depleting substances and high-GWP hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). The
approved substitutes have GWPs that range from 3 to 675 and can replace
older compounds with GWPs between 1400 to 4000.
After receiving input from industry, environmental groups, and others, EPA
is approving additional low-GWP hydrocarbon refrigerants, subject to use
conditions, in the following refrigeration and air conditioning
applications:
• Ethane in very low temperature refrigeration and in non-mechanical heat
transfer;
• Isobutane in retail food refrigeration (stand-alone commercial
refrigerators and freezers) and in vending machines;
• Propane in household refrigerators, freezers, or combination
refrigerators and freezers, in vending machines, and in room air
conditioning units;
• The hydrocarbon blend R-441A in retail food refrigeration (stand-alone
commercial refrigerators and freezers), in vending machines and in room air
conditioning units; and
• HFC-32 (difluoromethane) in room air conditioning units. HFC-32 has
one-third the GWP of the conventional refrigerants currently being used in
room air conditioning units.
These refrigerants are already in use in many of these applications in
Europe and Asia.
In addition to adding these climate-friendly alternatives, EPA is also
exempting all of these substances, except HFC-32, from the Clean Air Act
venting prohibition, as current evidence suggests that their venting,
release, or disposal does not pose a threat to the environment.
Learn more about EPA's SNAP Program and this rule:
http://www.epa.gov/ozone/snap/index.html
