State
Security threat 'a significant event' at Chevron refinery
BY KAREN NELSON
Sun Herald
PASCAGOULA -- An April 6 security threat to Chevron's Pascagoula Refinery
"was a pretty significant event," a representative of the refinery told
emergency planners in Jackson County on Thursday.
http://www.sunherald.com/2015/04/23/6191562_security-threat-a-significant.html?rh=1
"Stink Fest" continues awareness of Hattiesburg waste water issues
WDAM
The second annual Hattiesburg Stink Fest kicks off Friday, April 24, in
hopes of raising awareness to the ongoing issue of the city's struggle to
repair its waste waster treatment and meet EPA standards.
http://www.wdam.com/story/28885610/stink-fest-continues-awareness-of-hattiesburg-waste-water-issues
County recycling program starts Saturday
Meridian Star
By Jeff Byrd
Friday, April 24, 2015 4:04 am
The Lauderdale County Board of Supervisor's recycling program will
start Saturday morning at 9 at the Lauderdale County Agri-Center.
http://www.meridianstar.com/news/county-recycling-program-starts-saturday/article_15f350f8-ea37-11e4-8ef9-13fe9035f324.html
Pascagoula volunteers to plant 1 acre of urban forest at IG Levy Park
Mississippi Press
April M. Havens
April 23, 2015 at 6:06 PM
PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- The city of Pascagoula and volunteers from
multiple community organizations are partnering to bring improvements to
the Whitehead Lake watershed this Friday.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2015/04/pascagoula_volunteers_to_plant.html#incart_river
Mississippi Power announces plans for largest utility-scale solar projects
in the state
Mississippi Press
April 23, 2015 at 11:08 AM
GULFPORT, Mississippi -- Mississippi Power is partnering with two solar
businesses and the U.S. Navy to build utility-scale solar electric
generating farms at two different locations in the company's service
territory.
http://www.gulflive.com/news/index.ssf/2015/04/mississippi_power_announces_pl.html#incart_river
State has authority to buy old Wright & Ferguson site
Clarion Ledger
The state now has the authority to purchase the old Wright &
Ferguson Funeral Home in downtown Jackson, pending available
funding.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2015/04/23/state-authority-buy-old-wright-ferguson-site/26256333/
Oil Spill
FIVE YEARS LATER: THE FUTURE OF RESTORATION AND RESEARCH
Posted by Evelina Burnett
MPB
The work to restore the Gulf of Mexico from the Deepwater Horizon drilling
disaster is just beginning. As MPB's Evelina Burnett reports in the final
part of our week-long series, what we know about the massive oil spill and
its effects is also expected to grow.
http://www.mpbonline.org/blogs/news/2015/04/24/five-years-later-the-future-of-restoration-and-research/
Regional
CCA files suit to stop divvying up of recreational red snapper quota
Todd Masson
The Times-Picayune
April 23, 2015 at 7:01 PM
The Coastal Conservation Association has filed suit to block a move by the
Department of Commerce to grant special red snapper-fishing privileges to
the Gulf of Mexico charter-fishing fleet.
http://www.nola.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2015/04/red_snapper_sector_separation.html#incart_river
National
Obama looks to farmers, foresters to fight climate change
The Hill
The Obama administration announced a suite of voluntary programs Thursday
aimed at getting farmers, ranchers and foresters to adopt more
environmentally friendly practices.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/239887-obama-looks-to-farmers-foresters-to-fight-climate-change
EPA reveals more than 1,000 pages of texts, phone records from chief
The Hill
The Obama administration revealed late Thursday more than 1,000 pages of
text messages and cell phone records from Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) head Gina McCarthy.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/239937-epa-reveals-more-than-1000-pages-of-texts-phone-records-from-chief
New Rules, Cheap Energy Heighten Battle Between Coal and Gas
Heated words on both sides at energy conference
Wall Street Journal
HOUSTON—Tough new environmental rules and cheap energy prices are
heightening the battle between coal miners and natural-gas pumpers over
which fuel will dominate the U.S. power market.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/new-rules-cheap-energy-heighten-battle-between-coal-and-gas-1429802782
Troubling Interdependency of Water and Power
NY Times
In Modesto, Calif., utility records chart an 18 percent
rise in farmers' energy use in 2014 compared with 2013. No
evidence shows exactly why this happened, but California's
drought, now in its fourth year, sent many farmers to
their wells to pump from hidden aquifers water that
normally would be found at ground level.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/23/business/energy-environment/troubling-interdependency-of-water-and-power.html?ref=earth&_r=0
Press Releases
MDEQ officials visit MSU, discuss research programs
By Nathan Gregory
MSU Ag Communications
MISSISSIPPI STATE, Miss. -- Mississippi State University project updates
and future programs to address environmental issues were the focus of a
campus visit by officials from the Mississippi Department of Environmental
Quality (MDEQ).
Senior staff members from the MDEQ divisions for pollution control,
geology, and land and water resources presented a seminar Monday and
Tuesday on their roles and priorities as the agency charged with protecting
Mississippi's air, land and water. MSU faculty members presented updates on
programs ranging from the MSU Extension Service to the university's Gulf
Coast Community Design Studio in Biloxi.
Greg Bohach, vice president for the MSU Division of Agriculture, Forestry
and Veterinary Medicine, said the two-day event was an opportunity for MDEQ
and Mississippi State to provide updates on areas of mutual interest, such
as environmental issues and research conducted to address them.
"The university, including our Delta Research and Extension Center, has
worked with MDEQ over the years to inform growers about ways to improve
irrigation efficiency and water quality while maintaining profitability,"
Bohach said. "We also remain in close collaboration with MDEQ through the
activities of our Water Resources Research Institute, along with numerous
other projects."
Existing partnerships between MDEQ and MSU include projects with the
university's Bagley College of Engineering, Department of Geosciences,
Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, Forest and
Wildlife Research Center, Gulf Coast Community Design Studio, and Research
and Education to Advance Conservation and Habitat program.
Kay Whittington, chief of the MDEQ Office of Land and Water Resources, said
the visit was a chance for agency officials to speak with MSU researchers
and Extension experts about environmental concerns of chief importance to
the state.
"I think we've been very fortunate to already have a great relationship,"
Whittington said. "This has been a wonderful opportunity to hear more
in-depth about some of the things we do not have a chance to see outside
the realm of people we were already working with. It is important for us to
learn about the wide variety of research and activities that can help us
address some of our highest priority needs related to research and issues
that we face in the environmental arena."
David Shaw, vice president for research and economic development at MSU,
said the partnership between the university and MDEQ includes funded
research projects, academic and outreach collaborations, and intern and
co-op programs.
"We want to learn about what MDEQ's pressing needs and priorities are so we
can generate new ideas and design research and Extension programs to be
able to address those priorities," Shaw said. "Our faculty are going to
jump at that opportunity."
New Public-Private Partnership Provides Incentives to Landowners to Restore
Wetlands in the Mississippi Delta
Washington — Eleven Mississippi Delta counties will benefit from a new
public-private partnership created today in a signing ceremony in Yazoo
City, Mississippi. Officials from the USDA, the state of Mississippi and
The Nature Conservancy met to create the first ever Mississippi Delta
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). The program offers private
landowners incentives to voluntarily implement conservation practices that
will restore bottomland hardwood wetland forests, increase wildlife habitat
and improve water quality. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) provides private
funding through a partnership that includes the Walton Family Foundation,
and Entergy Mississippi, while public program support comes from
conservation partners Delta Wildlife, Mississippi Department of
Environmental Quality, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Mississippi Soil
and Water Conservation Commission.
The program seeks to initially enroll 4,000 acres in the following
conservation practices: CP 22 (Riparian Forest Buffer), CP 23 (Wetland
Restoration), and CP 31 (Bottomland Hardwood Timber Establishment on
Wetlands). Counties eligible for enrollment are: Bolivar, Coahoma, Holmes,
Humphreys, Issaquena, Leflore, Sharkey, Sunflower, Tallahatchie,
Washington, and Yazoo. Land in these counties meeting USDA standard
eligibility requirements will qualify for enrollment in the Mississippi
Delta CREP. The program will provide an increased Signing Incentive Payment
of up to $200 per newly enrolled acre plus the standard incentives per acre
that accompany each practice. Private landowners will enter into contract
periods lasting between 14 to 15 years. Over the course of the contracts,
the partnership will provide participants with the standard annual rental
payments and cost-share assistance for installing approved conservation
practices. By doing so, the state seeks to restore wetlands, improve water
quality and establish, preserve and/or enhance wildlife habitat.
Sign-up for Mississippi Delta CREP will begin April 27, 2015, and continue
until enrollment goals are attained and/or as long as there is statutory
authority for such CRP enrollment. More information on Mississippi Delta
CREP is available at local FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and
Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation District offices. Information may
also be found on FSA's website at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/conservation.
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Senior White House Advisor Brian Deese Announce |
| Partnerships with Farmers and Ranchers to Address Climate Change |
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| |
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| Voluntary, Incentive-based Efforts Will Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Expand |
|Renewable Energy Production, Help Producers Boost their Operations and Grow the Economy|
| |
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| |
|Fact Sheet |
| |
| |
|EAST LANSING, Mich., April 23, 2015 -- In a speech today at Michigan State University, |
|Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack laid out a comprehensive approach to partner with |
|agricultural producers to address the threat of climate change. Building on the |
|creation of USDA's Climate Hubs last year, the new initiatives will utilize voluntary, |
|incentive-based conservation, forestry, and energy programs to reduce greenhouse gas |
|emissions, increase carbon sequestration and expand renewable energy production in the |
|agricultural and forestry sectors. Through these efforts, USDA expects to reduce net |
|emissions and enhance carbon sequestration by over 120 million metric tons of CO2 |
|equivalent (MMTCO2e) per year – about 2 percent of economy-wide net greenhouse |
|emissions – by 2025. That's the equivalent of taking 25 million cars off the road, or |
|the emissions produced by powering nearly 11 million homes last year. |
| |
| |
|The Secretary was joined at Michigan State by Brian Deese, Senior Advisor to the |
|President, as well as agricultural producers and other private partners. Deese noted |
|that last year, President Obama made a pledge to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions |
|in the range of 26-28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. Deese said that today's |
|announcement will help the American agriculture and forest sectors contribute to that |
|goal. |
| |
| |
|"American farmers and ranchers are leaders when it comes to reducing carbon emissions |
|and improving efficiency in their operations. That's why U.S. agricultural emissions |
|are lower than the global average," said Vilsack. "We can build on this success in a |
|way that combats climate change and strengthens the American agriculture economy. |
|Through incentive-based initiatives, we can partner with producers to significantly |
|reduce carbon emissions while improving yields, increasing farm operation's energy |
|efficiency, and helping farmers and ranchers earn revenue from clean energy |
|production." |
| |
| |
|"This is an innovative and creative effort to look across all of USDA's programs and |
|put forward voluntary and incentive-based programs that will increase the bottom lines |
|of ranchers and farmers while reducing net greenhouse gas emissions," said Deese. |
|"Taken together, these partnerships will reduce emissions by 120 million metric tons or|
|two percent of our economy-wide emissions in 2025 – exactly the collaborative, bold |
|action this moment demands of us." |
| |
| |
|The framework announced today consists of ten building blocks that span a range of |
|technologies and practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase carbon storage |
|and generate clean renewable energy. Through this initiative, USDA will use authorities|
|provided in the 2014 Farm Bill to offer incentives and technical assistance to farmers,|
|ranchers, and forest land owners. USDA intends to pursue partnerships and leverage |
|resources to conserve and enhance greenhouse gas sinks, reduce emissions, increase |
|renewable energy and build resilience in agricultural and forest systems. |
| |
| |
|USDA Building Blocks for Climate Action: |
| |
| |
|Soil Health: Improve soil resilience and increase productivity by promoting |
|conservation tillage and no-till systems, planting cover crops, planting perennial |
|forages, managing organic inputs and compost application, and alleviating compaction. |
|For example, the effort aims to increase the use of no-till systems to cover more than |
|100 million acres by 2025. |
| |
| |
|Nitrogen Stewardship: Focus on the right timing, type, placement and quantity of |
|nutrients to reduce nitrous oxide emissions and provide cost savings through efficient |
|application. |
| |
| |
|Livestock Partnerships: Encourage broader deployment of anaerobic digesters, lagoon |
|covers, composting, and solids separators to reduce methane emissions from cattle, |
|dairy, and swine operations, including the installation of 500 new digesters over the |
|next 10 years. |
| |
| |
|Conservation of Sensitive Lands: Use the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the |
|Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) to reduce GHG emissions through |
|riparian buffers, tree planting, and the conservation of wetlands and organic soils. |
|For example, the effort aims to enroll 400,000 acres of lands with high greenhouse gas |
|benefits into the Conservation Reserve Program. |
| |
| |
|Grazing and Pasture Lands: Support rotational grazing management on an additional 4 |
|million acres, avoiding soil carbon loss through improved management of forage, soils |
|and grazing livestock. |
| |
| |
|Private Forest Growth and Retention: Through the Forest Legacy Program and the |
|Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program, protect almost 1 million |
|additional acres of working landscapes. Employ the Forest Stewardship Program to cover |
|an average of 2.1 million acres annually (new or revised plans), in addition to the 26 |
|million acres covered by active plans. |
| |
| |
|Stewardship of Federal Forests: Reforest areas damaged by wildfire, insects, or |
|disease, and restore forests to increase their resilience to those disturbances. This |
|includes plans to reforest an additional 5,000 acres each year. |
| |
| |
|Promotion of Wood Products: Increase the use of wood as a building material, to store |
|additional carbon in buildings while offsetting the use of energy from fossil fuel. |
| |
| |
|Urban Forests: Encourage tree planting in urban areas to reduce energy costs, storm |
|water runoff, and urban heat island effects while increasing carbon sequestration, curb|
|appeal, and property values. The effort aims to plant an additional 9,000 trees in |
|urban areas on average each year through 2025. |
| |
| |
|Energy Generation and Efficiency: Promote renewable energy technologies and improve |
|energy efficiency. Through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Loan Program, work |
|with utilities to improve the efficiency of equipment and appliances. Using the Rural |
|Energy for America Program, develop additional renewable energy opportunities. Support |
|the National On-Farm Energy Initiative to improve farm energy efficiency through |
|cost-sharing and energy audits. |
| |
| |
|These efforts will provide economic and environmental benefits through efficiency |
|improvements, improved yields, and climate resilience while also reducing greenhouse |
|gas emissions and increasing carbon sequestration. For example, implementing no-till |
|practices can both increase carbon sequestration and improve the soil's water holding |
|capacity, reducing the vulnerability to drought and soil erosion. Likewise, adopting |
|the right timing, placement, source, and rate of nutrients can reduce input costs and |
|maintain agricultural yield while minimizing nitrous oxide emissions, a potent |
|greenhouse gas. |
| |
| |
|Addressing climate change is critical for future agricultural and forest health and |
|will require innovation, creativity, and consideration of all potential solutions. |
|Liquid renewable fuels (ethanol and biodiesel) are already supplying 10 percent of U.S.|
|transportation fuel needs. Great strides have been made to improve the performance of |
|the ethanol and biodiesel industry. The newest and most efficient ethanol plants |
|produce fuels that reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 40 percent, and there are |
|opportunities to improve performance even further. |
| |
| |
|Biomass can also contribute to heating, cooling and electric needs, offering a low-cost|
|option to reduce greenhouse gases. USDA is promoting a strategy that recognizes forest |
|stocks can reduce emissions by substituting for fossil fuels and energy intensive |
|materials. Doing so will create strong markets for wood materials, raise the value of |
|lands in forests, and encourage investment in forest regrowth and expansion. |
| |
| |
|USDA's strategy will be based on the following principles: |
| |
| |
| · Voluntary and incentive-based: Farmers, ranchers, and forest land owners are |
| stewards of the land. USDA has a track record of successful conservation though |
| voluntary programs designed to provide technical assistance for resource |
| management. These efforts fit within USDA's approach of "cooperative |
| conservation." |
| |
| |
| · Focused on multiple economic and environmental benefits: To be successful, the |
| proposed actions should provide economic and environmental benefits through |
| efficiency improvements, improved yields, or reduced risks. |
| |
| |
| · Meet the needs of producers: This strategy is designed for working farms, |
| ranches, forests, and production systems. USDA will encourage actions that |
| enhance productivity and improve efficiency. |
| |
| |
| · Cooperative and focused on building partnerships: USDA will seek out |
| opportunities to leverage efforts by industry, farm groups, conservation |
| organizations, municipalities, public and private investment products, tribes, |
| and states. |
| |
| |
| · Assess progress and measure success: USDA is committed to establishing |
| quantitative goals and objectives for each building block and will track and |
| report on progress. |
| |
| |
|America's farmers, ranchers and forest landowners have a track record of extraordinary |
|productivity gains and natural resource stewardship. Today, producers are working |
|alongside USDA and other partners to make their operations and communities more |
|resistant to a changing climate. Building on this legacy of partnership, efficiency and|
|innovation, said Vilsack, American agriculture and the Nation's forests can continue to|
|play an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing carbon |
|storage in our forests and our soils. U.S. producers and landowners are already global |
|leaders in sustainable land management and efficient production systems, and in turn |
|will continue to be global leaders in implementing climate change solutions. |
| |
| |
|# |
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