State
Land application back in wastewater treatment picture
Hattiesburg American
Despite involvement in a brief marriage that led to a litigious
divorce, Groundworx LLC has reappeared in the picture as the City of
Hattiesburg searches for a solution to its wastewater woes.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story/news/local/hattiesburg/2015/05/02/land-application-back-conversation/26817087/
More 'flesh-eating bacteria' in Gulf of Mexico as waters warm up
Health officials say most people not at risk
BY ROBIN FITZGERALD
Sun Herald
The warming of Gulf Coast waters in summer's approach means an increase in
Vibrio vulnificus, often called "flesh-eating bacteria."
http://www.sunherald.com/2015/05/01/6205814_more-flesh-eating-bacteria-in.html?rh=1
Madison Co. earthquakes 'a wake-up' call
Clarion Ledger
No injuries or major damage were reported Saturday night when
earthquakes briefly shook Madison County, but they certainly serve
as a wake-up call, state emergency officials say.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2015/05/03/madison-co-earthquakes-wake-call/26851429/
Harrison County residents bring 300,000 pounds of waste to collection day
Residents bring 300,000 pounds of hazardous household waste to collection
day
BY JAMES SKRMETTA
Sun Herald
HARRISON COUNTY -- Mississippi Power hosted its 20th annual Bring It!
Hazardous Waste Collection Day for Harrison County residents early
Saturday.
http://www.sunherald.com/2015/05/02/6207977/harrison-county-residents-bring.html
Last Chance for Dumpster Days
Brookhaven Daily Leader
http://www.dailyleader.com/2015/05/01/last-chance-for-dumpster-days/
Pascagoula River lands national blueway
BY JAMES JONES
Sun Herald
Twenty two miles of the Pascagoula River in George County was designated as
a national blueway.
http://www.sunherald.com/2015/05/02/6207078/pascagoula-river-lands-national.html
'A small-town girl can beat all y'all;' Hancock High student's water
quality project goes global
Hancock High student's water quality project goes global
BY JUSTIN MITCHELL
Sun Herald
DIAMONDHEAD -- Hancock High School sophomore Adara Rutherford said she's
really bad at filling out the "About Me" sections on her social media
profiles. But the 16-year-old self-described hippie said she has a passion
for history, literature, music and the beach. In her free time, she's
usually reading, participating in the theater club after school,
re-tweeting New Zealand singer Lorde or admiring model Cara Delevingne's
eyebrows on Instagram.
http://www.sunherald.com/2015/05/02/6207954/a-small-town-girl-can-beat-all.html
Construction starts on Lake Serene dam | Gallery
Hattiesburg American
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/picture-gallery/news/2015/05/01/construction-starts-on-lake-serene-dam--gallery/26720507/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Wildlife rescue groups: Growing need for animal aid in South Mississippi
Rescue groups: Growing need for animal aid
BY REGINA ZILBERMINTS
Sun Herald
In a small building in Jackson County, Alison Sharpe walked a group of new
and experienced volunteers through the best ways to hold, feed, medicate
and house wildlife.
http://www.sunherald.com/2015/05/03/6208809/wildlife-rescue-groups-growing.html
Oil Spill
South Mississippian touts value of conservancy group's Gulf study proposal
BY JAMES SKRMETTA
Sun Herald
Gulf waters were laced with about 210 million gallons of oil five years ago
after the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster. Now, a conservancy group is
making a plea to study the waters before another disaster occurs.
http://www.sunherald.com/2015/05/01/6206235/south-mississippian-touts-value.html
BP oil spill: Claims administrator Patrick Juneau seeks subpoena power to
uncover fraud
Greg LaRose
The Times-Picayune
May 01, 2015 at 8:49 PM
The claims administrator for the multibillion-dollar BP oil spill
settlement is asking the federal judge overseeing the case to grant him
subpoena power to investigate fraudulent claims.
http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2015/05/bp_oil_spill_claims_administra_2.html
National
EPA Moves to Rescind Some Greenhouse Gas Permits Following Supreme Court
Decision
Bloomberg
The Environmental Protection Agency in a direct final rule detailed steps
that states may take to rescind some greenhouse gas permits in accordance
with a U.S. Supreme Court decision limiting the scope of the permitting
program.
http://www.bna.com/epa-moves-rescind-n17179926018/
House passes 2016 energy spending bill
The Hill
The House passed its second 2016 appropriations bill on Friday, this time
to fund the Department of Energy and water infrastructure projects.
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/240766-house-passes-16-spending-bill-for-energy-department
Oil train safety rules announced by U.S., Canada
The Associated Press
May 01, 2015 at 11:08 AM
WASHINGTON — Rail tank cars that are used to transport most crude oil and
many other flammable liquids will have to be built to stronger standards to
reduce the risk of catastrophic train crash and fire under a series of new
rules unveiled Friday by U.S. and Canadian transportation officials.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2015/05/oil_train_safety_rule_announce.html#incart_river
Press Releases
May 01 2015
COCHRAN TO EPA CHIEF: LISTEN TO FARMERS, BUSINESSES ON STRICTER CLEAN AIR
REGS
Urges Obama Administration to Stop Burdensome Regulations that Hamper
Economic Growth
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), chairman of the
Senate Committee on Appropriations, today stressed the need for the Obama
administration to do more to take economic realities and local conditions
into account as it tries to push new environmental regulations on
agriculture, small businesses and rural areas.
Following an Interior Appropriations Subcommittee hearing Wednesday on the
FY2016 budget for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Cochran
reiterated his belief that the agency should continue to engage
stakeholders as it tries to finalize stricter National Ambient Air Quality
Standards (NAAQS) by October.
"Many Mississippi farmers don't feel that the EPA has had many, if any,
hearings in public in the Mississippi Delta, where agriculture interests
are so important, to talk about the conflicts that are going to naturally
arise between new environmental mandates and the well-being of
agriculture," Cochran said.
"The EPA must do more to engage agriculture interests on how any new air
quality standards are going to affect the bottom line for our farmers and
ranchers," he said.
At the Wednesday hearing, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy told Cochran that
agriculture interests have provided significant comments on the NAAQS
proposal that will set more stringent outdoor air quality standards for
measuring concentrations of specific pollutants. Counties with ozone
levels above NAAQS are considered noncompliant, forcing states to implement
expensive plans in order to comply with these regulations.
Cochran stressed to McCarthy the fact that, "Mississippi, like much of the
Southeastern United States, has higher than average background, or natural,
ozone levels due to the agricultural and timber resources," all of which
must be taken into account as the EPA proposes its new, wide-ranging
regulations.
In 2008, the Obama administration lowered the permitted level of
ground-level ozone from 84 parts per billion (ppb) to 75 ppb. Despite not
having fully implemented 75 ppb standard, the administration in November
2014 proposed furthering lowering the permitted level to between 65 - 70
ppb. Currently, 227 counties in 27 states are considered noncompliant with
the standard.
According to EPA estimates, compliance with a 65 ppb standard would cost up
to $90 billion per year. The nonpartisan National Association of
Manufacturers (NAM) estimates that the proposed EPA rule would reduce U.S.
GDP by $140 billion per year and lead to 1.4 million fewer jobs per year.
In Mississippi alone, the regulations would require $19 billion in
compliance costs and result in over 13,000 lost job or job equivalents,
according to NAM.
"The Environmental Protection Agency missions of protecting human health
and preserving the environment are important. It is not unexpected that
EPA regulations sometimes run counter to our nation's economic interests.
The balancing of those economic and environmental interests in a
fair-minded way is something we must achieve," Cochran said.
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