State
Deer Island pier project to increase public access
WLOX
Increasing public access to nearby Deer Island. That's the main purpose of
a project to build a new public pier on the island. Secretary of State,
Delbert Hosemann, held a news conference Tuesday afternoon to discuss plans
for the pier.
http://www.wlox.com/story/28923941/deer-island-pier-project-to-increase-public-access
Deer Island access could come by end of year
Sun Herald
BY PAUL HAMPTON
BILOXI -- A state pier on Deer Island should be finished late this year and
a ferry to the island in place a short time later, Secretary of State
Delbert Hosemann said Tuesday.
http://www.sunherald.com/2015/04/28/6199481_deer-island-access-could-come.html?rh=1
Sewage leak fixed after running into Hattiesburg creek
WDAM
A line break at a manhole at the former Inn on the Hill in Hattiesburg
caused an overflow into Mixon's Creek, which runs into the Bouie River.
http://www.wdam.com/story/28923161/sewage-leak-fixed-after-running-into-hattiesburg-creek
Oil Spill
BP profits fall amid oil price slide
USA Today
British energy giant BP p.l.c .(BP) reported a steep decline in
first-quarter profits Tuesday, showing the financial impact of the
global slide in oil prices.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2015/04/28/bp-lower-earnings/26498249/
U.K. Tells BP it Would Oppose Foreign Takeover of the Company
Government wants oil giant to remain a British company with global clout
Wall Street Journal
LONDON—The U.K. government told BP PLC that it would oppose any potential
foreign takeover of the company because it wants the oil giant to remain a
British company with global clout.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-k-tells-bp-it-would-oppose-foreign-takeover-of-the-company-1430087446
Regional
Backing Up: Suit Pushes Memphis Sewer Work
WHBQ
Spring storms in Memphis can cause havoc on the roadways, play tricks on
your hair, and what's much worse, cause nasty sewage backups in basements
across the city. The reason? The city's sewage system, which in many parts
of town dates back more than a century, is leaking like a sieve.
http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/story/28911091/backing-up-suit-pushes-memphis-sewer-work
National
Senators vote to block EPA's use of 'secret science'
The Hill
A Senate committee voted Tuesday to prohibit the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) from using 'secret science' to back its regulations.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/240365-senators-vote-to-block-epas-use-of-secret-science
Oklahoma Senate sends anti-EPA bill to governor's desk
Tulsa World
By BARBARA HOBEROCK
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Senate sent Gov. Mary Fallin a bill Tuesday
touted as a means to challenge a pollution rule by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/capitol_report/senate-sends-anti-epa-bill-to-governor-s-desk/article_b8193f06-fea1-5d22-be7e-e0146043d417.html
U.S. court throws out challenge to EPA truck emission rules
Reuters
A federal court has rejected a challenge to the first U.S. greenhouse gas
emission standards for heavy trucks, ruling that the plaintiffs had failed
to show how the court
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/28/usa-energy-trucks-idUSL1N0XP0IZ20150428
Press Releases
Agricultural Land Easements Webinar
Jackson, Miss. – The United States Department of Agriculture/Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will host a live webinar for land
trusts , non-profit organizations, landowners and other entities that are
interested in participating in the Agricultural Conservation Easement
Program's Agricultural Land Easements (ACEP-ALE).
This webinar will provide ACEP-ALE information and eligibility requirements
to interested individuals or groups. NRCS personnel will be available to
answer questions on the ACEP-ALE application and ranking process. All
eligibility requirements are set forth by NRCS national headquarters.
Under ACEP-ALE, NRCS provides cost-share assistance to eligible entities to
purchase agricultural land easements from eligible landowners to protect
the agricultural use, including grazing uses, and related conservation
values on eligible lands.
The online sessions will be held Monday, May 4, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. CDT.
Registration for the webinar is obtained via:
http://techoutreach.msucares.com/webinars/usdanrcs-conservation-programs-acep-working-lands-wildlife
.
Participants will identify themselves to enable NRCS staff and moderators
to interact and answer question more effectively.
For more ACEP-ALE information, contact Ronald McCain, NRCS Easement
Specialist, 601-965-5205, EXT 154.
EPA Recognizes Efforts of More Than 400 Federal Facilities for Green
Leadership: Reducing Pollution, Conserving Energy and Saving Money
WASHINGTON – Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
recognizes the efforts of more than 400 federal facilities that took steps
to reduce pollution, support renewable energy, and operate more efficiently
in 2014 as part of the Federal Green Challenge (FGC), resulting in an
estimated cost savings to U.S. taxpayers of more than $24 million. The
reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from participating facilities is
equivalent to annual emissions from 190,000 passenger vehicles.
"The agencies who participate in EPA's Federal Green Challenge are green
leaders, reducing pollution, realizing significant cost savings, and making
green improvements that will leave a healthier planet for future
generations," said Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator of EPA's
Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. "The awards recognize the
commitment from these federal agencies to being good neighbors and
environmental leaders in their communities."
A national effort under EPA's Sustainable Materials Management Program, the
FGC allows federal offices or facilities to pledge participation in
reducing the federal government's environmental impact.
The FGC supports Executive Order 13693, Planning for Federal Sustainability
in the Next Decade, which outlines aggressive new efficiency standards for
Federal Agencies, as well as its earlier versions.
Within the target areas, challenge participants in FY14:
- diverted over 390,000 tons of Municipal Solid Waste and Construction &
Demolition waste from landfills;
- saved nearly 80 million gallons of water;
- saved 107 million cubic feet of natural gas;
- reduced fleet distance traveled by 12.3 million miles;
- sent 450 tons of end of life electronics to third party certified
recyclers;
- avoided purchasing 15,000 pounds of office paper; and
- saved U.S. taxpayers over $24 million.
Agencies strive for annual improvements in selected target areas (Waste,
Electronics, Purchasing, Water, Energy and/or Transportation) and report
their improvements to EPA, demonstrating the financial and environmental
benefits of their actions. For the third year in a row, EPA is recognizing
facilities for annual improvements.
The 2015 National Awardees are:
Improvement by Target Area - highest increased percentage over previous
year
Waste: Southern Arizona VA Health Care System, Department of Veterans
Affairs, Tucson, Ariz.
Electronics: Western Laboratory, Drug Enforcement Administration,
Department of Justice, San Francisco, Calif.
Purchasing: U.S. Courthouse, General Services Administration, Los Angeles,
Calif.
Energy: Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, U.S. Marine Corps, Department of
Defense, San Diego, Calif.
Water: Oregon Caves National Monument, National Park Service, Department of
the Interior, Cave Junctions, Ore.
Transportation:
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Department of Energy, Golden, Colo.
- Minneapolis VA Healthcare System, Department of Veterans Affairs,
Minneapolis, Minn.
- Capulin Volcano National Monument, National Park Service, Department of
the Interior, Capulin, N.M.
More information on the Federal Green Challenge:
http://www.epa.gov/fgc/awards/2015.html
