State
New Oktibbeha County EMA Director Hired
WCBI
BY JOEY BARNES · MAY 18, 2015
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Oktibbeha County supervisors named a new
Emergency Management Agency director on Monday night.
http://www.wcbi.com/local-news/new-oktibbeha-county-ema-director-hired/
Sludge Fight! West Rankin Utility Authority sues Jackson
Jackson Jambalaya
The West Rankin Utility Authority sued the city of Jackson in Rankin County
Circuit Court on April 14. West Rankin asks the court to return to it
"all amounts paid by the Authority to the City associated with the Sludge
Project" and cites "years of mismanagement at the Savanna Plant" as a basis
for the request.
http://www.kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2015/05/west-rankin-utility-authority-sues.html
Regional
Auditor: Oil companies pay too little for oyster damage
BY CAIN BURDEAU
Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS -- Oil companies that damage the state's public oyster grounds
-- for example when they drill wells and lay pipelines -- are not required
to pay enough in compensation to the state, according to a state
legislative auditor's report.
http://www.sunherald.com/2015/05/18/6233501/auditor-oil-companies-pay-too.html
National
Governors Largely Shrug Off McConnell's Call to Boycott Clean Power Plan
Compliance
Bloomberg
Oklahoma will not draft its own plan to implement the Environmental
Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan, but other governors appear to be
reluctant to heed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) call to
boycott compliance with the rule.
http://www.bna.com/governors-largely-shrug-n17179926620/
Why EPA's alleged 'war on coal' may actually be a war on wasting energy
Washington Post
The growing criticisms of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's plans
to cut greenhouse gas emissions have a common theme — the agency and the
president, it is often alleged, are waging a "war on coal." And indeed, if
the so-called "Clean Power Plan" is successfully implemented by the agency,
it's pretty clear that coal use will decline, even as we'll get more and
more of our electricity from natural gas and renewables (all trends that
have begun already anyway).
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/05/18/why-epas-alleged-war-on-coal-may-actually-be-a-war-on-energy-waste/
Regulators seek climate rule 'safety valve' to protect electric grid
The Hill
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) wants the Obama
administration's climate rule for power plants to include a "safety valve"
to protect electric reliability.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/242378-energy-regulators-suggest-safety-valve-in-epa-climate-rule
Critics Hear E.P.A.'s Voice in 'Public Comments'
NY Times
WASHINGTON — When the Environmental Protection Agency
proposed a major new rule intended to protect the nation's
drinking water last year, regulators solicited opinions
from the public. The purpose of the "public comment"
period was to objectively gauge Americans' sentiment
before changing a policy that could profoundly affect
their lives.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/19/us/critics-hear-epas-voice-in-public-comments.html?_r=0
Obama pushes to give states bigger role in species protection
The Hill
The Obama administration began rolling out a list of potential changes to
the Engendered Species Act (ESA) on Monday, the first step in what it says
will be a yearlong effort to overhaul a law that has gained the ire of
congressional Republicans.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/242381-obama-pushes-to-give-states-bigger-role-in-species-protection
New Texas law bans cities from banning fracking, drilling
The Associated Press
May 18, 2015 at 7:20 PM
AUSTIN, Texas — Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has signed into law a
prohibition on cities and towns imposing local ordinances preventing
fracking and other potentially environmentally harmful oil and natural gas
activities.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2015/05/new_texas_law_bans_cities_from.html#incart_river
