State
Magnolia tackles sewage dilemma
Justin Vicory
Enterprise-Journal
Wednesday, May 6, 2015 2:45 pm
Facing the possibility of environmental fines of $500 to $2,500 a day,
Magnolia officials said Tuesday they plan to explore all options in their
attempt to address expensive wastewater treatment issues.
http://www.enterprise-journal.com/news/article_817e9418-f428-11e4-b692-fb9562f10c13.html?_dc=492502030218.0201
SCUA to consider partial privatization
Stone County Enterprise
By Jody O'Hara
Apr 30, 2015, 11:24
Clearwater Solutions, the wastewater operator for the Stone County Utility
Authority, presented a tentative proposal to privatize both of the
authority's wastewater treatment plants Monday.
http://www.stonecountyenterprise.com/article_2594.shtml
Officials Request Residents Know Which Items Can Be Recycled
Natchez Democrat
http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/2015/05/07/officials-request-residents-know-which-items-can-be-recycled/
MDEQ: Don't swim in these waters
WLOX
HARRISON COUNTY, MS (WLOX) -If you are planning to hit the beach, there are
three sections of water in the Mississippi Sound that you want to avoid in
Harrison County.
http://www.wlox.com/story/28996350/mdeq-dont-swim-these-waters
Walt's Look Around: Is there a volcano under Jackson?
WLBT
People are still talking about last Saturday night's earthquake. It makes
you wonder what's down below. Obviously something big enough to cause a
small earthquake. But that's nothing compared to what the City of Jackson
is sitting right on top of.
http://www.msnewsnow.com/story/28996345/walts-look-around-jackson-volcano
Anti-litter week coming up soon
Grenada Star
For the past dozen years, Anti-litter Week has been a big event for the
Civic Pride Committee.
http://www.grenadastar.com/contentitem/394590/1218/antilitter-week-coming-up-soon
Madison Mega Site unveiling Thursday
Clarion Ledger
The location formerly known as Panther Creek Commerce Center will
officially be rebranded Thursday in an attempt to land biotech
industries and advanced manufacturers.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2015/05/06/madison-mega-site-unveiling-thursday/70920436/
Oil Spill
Claims administrator in oil spill case gets subpoena power
WDSU
The administrator of claims arising from a settlement over economic damages
caused by the 2010 BP oil spill has been granted subpoena power.
http://www.wdsu.com/news/local-news/new-orleans/claims-administrator-in-oil-spill-case-gets-subpoena-power/32853486
BP shutters biofuel plant in Jennings, lays off workers
Jennifer Larino
The Times-Picayune
May 06, 2015 at 6:00 PM
BP will lay off 56 Louisiana workers over the next two months as it shuts
down a biofuels demonstration plant in Jennings. The closure comes as the
British oil giant trims its global footprint amid rising costs from the
2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill and low oil prices.
http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2015/05/bp_closes_jennings_biofuel.html#incart_river
Regional
Local ozone level OK as EPA considers changes
Shreveport Times
The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality often uses
Shreveport as its statewide "poster child" on how other metropolitan
areas can combat ozone concerns.
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/local/2015/05/06/ozone-shreveport-epa-deq/70896708/
National
Carbon dioxide hits new milestone
The Hill
Global carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere surpassed 400 parts per
million in March for the first time on record, federal researchers said.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/241193-carbon-dioxide-hits-new-milestone
EPA Suggests Triggers for Warning of Algae in Drinking Water
AP
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released the first nationwide
guidelines Wednesday for determining when algal toxins have reached
dangerous levels in public water systems and do-not-drink warnings might be
needed.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/epa-suggests-triggers-warning-algae-drinking-water-30848704
GAO: Gov't waste of natural gas costing taxpayers millions
AP
Significant amounts of natural gas on federal lands are being wasted,
costing taxpayers tens of millions of dollars each year and adding to
harmful greenhouse gas emissions, a congressional investigation has found.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/06/gao-govt-waste-natural-gas-costing-taxpayers-millions/
Press Releases
NOAA announces long-term Gulf of Mexico ecosystem
research priorities
RESTORE Act Science Program defines roadmap for Gulf activities
May 6, 2015
As part of the final version of the science plan for the NOAA RESTORE Act
Science Program, today NOAA announced 10 long-term research priorities in
the Gulf of Mexico, including how the Gulf's waters, natural resources,
fisheries and coastal communities are all interconnected. NOAA's program
supports research on the Gulf's long-term ecological sustainability and its
fisheries.
"Addressing the recommendations provided during the public comment period
has resulted in a stronger science plan," said Becky Allee, Ph.D., lead
author of the NOAA RESTORE Act Science Program. "We look forward to
continued dialogue with those who care about the Gulf of Mexico, the impact
this program can have on the region, and to working with the research and
resource management communities to address the priorities captured in the
plan."
Among the key research priorities identified in the plan are:
· Addressing the needs of fisheries and other natural resource managers
with ready to use models, decision support tools, and new monitoring
technologies;
· Focusing on developing a more complete understanding of how the
waters of the Gulf of Mexico, its natural resources, including
fisheries, and its coastal communities are connected;
· Seeking to improve the capacity to predict the impact of climate
change and severe weather on the Gulf of Mexico and its natural
resources; and
· Recognizing the importance of developing indicators for measuring the
long-term status and health of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem including
fisheries.
In making its selection of long-term research priorities, NOAA considered
specific management or restoration needs in the Gulf region that fit the
requirements for the science program outlined in the RESTORE Act (Resources
and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies
of the Gulf Coast States).
NOAA also sought to avoid duplicating the priorities of other Gulf science
programs, especially those created in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil
spill, such as the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, the National Academy
of Sciences Gulf Research Program, and those funded through the on-going
Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment.
NOAA received 20 sets of comments from organizations and private citizens
during a public comment period on a draft version of the science plan at
the end of 2014, totaling 241 recommendations altogether. An overview of
the response to comments NOAA received can be found in the Federal Register
noticeannouncing the plan's release.
The final plan clarified NOAA's role in the program, added information on
how the program will turn the long-term research priorities into future
funding opportunities, and added information on general areas where future
projects may be located.
The plan also shows how the program will be administered and will work with
partners. The long-term research priorities in the science plan will serve
as the basis for future federal funding opportunities administered through
the NOAA RESTORE Act science program. NOAA anticipates that the science
plan and its research priorities will be evaluated and updated every five
years.
The NOAA program will be funded by 2.5 percent of the Gulf Coast
Restoration Trust Fund, established by the RESTORE Act, which comprises 80
percent of Clean Water Act civil penalties recovered from parties
responsible for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. On February 19, 2013, a
federal judge approved a $1 billion civil settlement with Transocean, as a
responsible party for the oil spill. This settlement provides the NOAA
Restore Act Science Program with approximately $20 million plus 25 percent
of any interest accrued from the portion of the settlement deposited into
the Trust Fund.
Additional funding may become available from settlements with or judgments
against other parties deemed responsible by the courts for the Deepwater
Horizon oil spill.
The mission of the NOAA RESTORE Act Science Program is to increase
understanding of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem, including its fisheries, and
to support its restoration and sustainability through research,
observation, monitoring, and technology development.
