State
Mayor: Titan Tire Property Could Become Surplus
Natchez Democrat
http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/2015/07/17/mayor-titan-tire-property-could-become-surplus/
Latimer man arrested for stealing $30,000 in items from county landfill
Mississippi Press
Warren Kulo
July 16, 2015 at 1:45 PM
VANCLEAVE, Mississippi -- A Latimer man has been arrested in connection
with the theft of $30,000 worth of dump truck tires and batteries from the
Jackson County Landfill in Vancleave.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2015/07/latimer_man_arrested_for_steal.html#incart_river
Campbell new deputy Ag Commissioner
Clarion Ledger
John Gordon Campbell of Greenville has been named the new Deputy
Commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/2015/07/16/campbell-new-deputy-ag-commissioner/30263677/
Oil Spill
Jackson County to receive $2.44 million from BP, school district $1.4
million, Moss Point $338,435
Mississippi Press
Warren Kulo
July 16, 2015 at 4:03 PM
PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- Jackson County joined its four municipalities
Thursday in announcing a settlement with BP over economic damages suffered
as a result of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2015/07/jackson_county_to_receive_244.html#incart_river
Ocean Springs accepts $852,000 to settle with BP, school district gets $1
million
Mississippi Press
Warren Kulo
July 16, 2015 at 2:38 PM
OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- The City of Ocean Springs has agreed to
settle its claim against BP for $852,000 and another $1 million for the
Ocean Springs school district for economic and other losses suffered as a
result of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2015/07/ocean_springs_accepts_852000_t.html#incart_river
City of Gautier settles BP claim for $1.7 million, Pascagoula gets $2.05
million
Mississippi Press
Warren Kulo
July 16, 2015 at 4:08 PM
GAUTIER, Mississippi -- The City of Gautier has agreed to settle its claim
against BP for $1.7 million for economic losses suffered as a result of the
2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Mayor Gordon Gollott announced Thursday.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2015/07/city_of_gautier_settles_bp_cla.html#incart_river
More South Mississippi cities, counties, schools settle with BP
Sun Herald
Several more communities in South Mississippi announced Thursday they have
settled their claims against BP for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in
2010.
http://www.sunherald.com/2015/07/16/6324095/more-south-mississippi-cities.html
Poll shows Gulf Coast voters want BP settlement money spent on the
environment, moreso among GOP voters than Democrats
Al.com
John Sharp
July 16, 2015 at 5:16 PM
A new poll shows that an increasing majority of Gulf Coast voters support
using the government's $18.7 billion settlement with BP on coastal
restoration and conservation projects, and that more Republican voters than
Democrats prioritize the spending on restoration over infrastructure.
http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2015/07/poll_shows_gulf_coast_voters_w.html
Regional
Arkansas Attorney General calls EPA haze plan arbitrary
AP
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge
says the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency acted arbitrarily when
it issued a federal plan to reduce haze in Arkansas and Missouri
wilderness areas.
http://www.thv11.com/story/news/local/little-rock/2015/07/16/arkansas-attorney-general-calls-epa-haze-plan-arbitrary/30276705/
National
Feds unveil regs to protect streams, critics say coal country jobs at risk
Fox News
The Obama administration proposed new regulations Thursday meant to protect
America's streams from coal-mining debris, but Republicans charged that the
measures were yet another attack on coal country that would cost jobs.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/07/17/feds-unveil-regs-to-protect-streams-critics-see-bid-to-crush-coal-country/?intcmp=latestnews
Watchdog: EPA should do more on fracking chemicals
The Hill
The EPA's internal watchdog recommended Thursday that it improve oversight
of the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/248224-watchdog-epa-should-do-more-on-fracking-chemicals
EPA Sues Truck Maker Navistar Over Engines in 2010 Trucks
Environmental regulator says engines didn't comply with stricter rules on
exhaust pollution
Wall Street Journal
Truck maker Navistar International Corp. built thousands of heavy-duty
trucks in 2010 with engines from 2009 that didn't comply with stricter
government regulations on exhaust pollution, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency alleged in a lawsuit filed Wednesday against the company.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/epa-sues-truck-maker-navistar-over-engines-in-2010-trucks-1437015157
U.S. likely to bar oil-waste dumping into 10 California aquifers
SF Chronicle
By David R. Baker
July 16, 2015
Oil companies will probably have to stop injecting their wastewater into 10
Central Valley aquifers that the state has let them use for years, in the
latest fallout from a simmering dispute over whether California has
adequately protected its groundwater from contamination.
http://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/U-S-likely-to-bar-oil-waste-dumping-into-10-6389677.php
Opinion
Michigan v. EPA and the future of Chevron deference
By Jonathan R. Nash, contributor
The Hill
In Michigan v. EPA, the Supreme Court late last month invalidated the
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) choice not to consider costs in
determining whether to regulate hazardous air pollutants from power plants.
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/the-judiciary/248040-michigan-v-epa-and-the-future-of-chevron-deference
Press Releases
National Water Quality Initiative Targets Three Watersheds in Mississippi
Jackson, Miss. July 10, 2015 - Producers in three impaired watersheds are
eligible to apply for funds through the National Water Quality Initiative.
The three watersheds chosen in Mississippi include Chase Bayou, a tributary
of Sammy Creek in Adams County; Porter Bayou, a tributary of the Big
Sunflower River in Bolivar and Sunflower Counties; and North Tippah Creek,
a tributary of the Tippah River in Benton and Tippah Counties.
Through this effort, eligible producers in select watersheds will invest in
voluntary conservation actions to help provide cleaner water for their
neighbors and communities. The selected watersheds were identified with
help from state agencies, partners, and the Natural Resource Conservation
Service (NRCS) State Technical Committee.
"Water is our greatest natural resource and nothing can survive without
it," said State Conservationist Kurt Readus. "The National Water Quality
Initiative will further NRCS' partnership efforts to improve water quality
using voluntary actions on private lands. This initiative is a focused
approach in areas facing significant natural resource challenges. It
bolsters the positive results of landscape conservation initiatives NRCS
and its partners already have underway."
Using funds from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, NRCS will
provide producers with funding and advice for the installation of
conservation practices such as cover crops, filter strips and terraces in
watersheds with impairments where the federal investment can make a
difference to improve water quality.
Producers should check with their local NRCS office to determine if they
are located in a selected watershed. NRCS accepts applications for
financial assistance on a continuous basis throughout the year. All
applications for funding consideration, during FY 2015, must be received by
August 21, 2015.
For additional information on the 2015 National Water Quality Initiative
signup, contact the Adams, Benton, Bolivar, Sunflower or Tippah NRCS
offices at http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?agency=nrcs.
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Available Funding and Changes to USDA's |
| Biorefinery and Biobased Product Program |
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| |
|WASHINGTON, July 16, 2015 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA|
|is accepting applications for funding under a program that supports the production of |
|advanced biofuels, renewable chemicals, and biobased product manufacturing. |
| |
| |
|"This critical financing will enhance our efforts to build a robust, rural bioeconomy |
|by helping to expand the availability of biobased products and to increase the number |
|of commercial-scale biorefineries in the country," Vilsack said. "In addition to the |
|available funding, I am proud to announce that USDA has significantly improved the |
|biorefinery program to help create lasting job opportunities in rural America." |
| |
| |
|USDA is making the funding available through the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and |
|Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program. It was formerly known as the |
|Biorefinery Assistance Program. |
| |
| |
|The new program provides loan guarantees of up to $250 million to construct and |
|retrofit commercial-scale biorefineries and to develop renewable chemicals and biobased|
|product manufacturing facilities. Vilsack and USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service |
|Administrator Lillian Salerno today hosted a seminar at USDA headquarters to discuss |
|changes to the program and the opportunities available to produce more biobased |
|products. |
| |
| |
|Two funding cycles are being held. Applications for round one are due October 1. |
|Applications for the second round are due April 1, 2016. For information on how to |
|apply, see page 38432 of the July 6, 2015 Federal Register. |
| |
| |
|USDA has made significant improvements to the program. Biorefineries are now able to |
|receive funding to produce more renewable chemicals and other biobased products in |
|addition to advanced biofuels. |
| |
| |
|Also, biobased product manufacturing facilities are eligible to convert renewable |
|chemicals and other biobased outputs into "end-user" products. Further, USDA has |
|streamlined the application process. |
| |
| |
|Sapphire Energy's "Green Crude Farm" in Columbus, N.M., is an example of how USDA |
|funding and partnerships with the private sector are helping to support the development|
|of biorefineries. In 2011, USDA provided Sapphire Energy a $54.5 million loan guarantee|
|to build a refined algal oil commercial facility. |
| |
| |
|The plant opened in May 2012 and is producing renewable algal oil that can be further |
|refined to replace petroleum-derived diesel and jet fuel. According to the company, |
|more than 600 jobs were created throughout the first phase of construction at the |
|facility, and 30 full-time employees currently operate the plant. After Sapphire |
|received additional equity from private investors, it repaid the remaining balance on |
|its USDA-backed loan in 2013. |
| |
| |
|USDA released a new report on June 17 that shows America's biobased industry is |
|generating substantial economic activity and creating American jobs. According to the |
|report, the U.S. biobased industry contributed four million jobs and nearly $370 |
|billion to the American economy in 2013 alone. |
| |
| |
|Today's funding announcement was made possible by the 2014 Farm Bill, which builds on |
|historic economic gains in rural America over the past five years while achieving |
|meaningful reform and billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers. USDA has made |
|significant progress to implement each provision of this critical legislation, |
|including providing disaster relief to farmers and ranchers; strengthening risk |
|management tools; expanding access to rural credit; funding critical research; |
|establishing innovative public-private conservation partnerships; developing new |
|markets for rural-made products; and investing in infrastructure, housing and community|
|facilities to help improve quality of life. |
| |
| |
|# |
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| USDA and NASA Expand Innovative Partnership to Better Predict Wildfires, Monitor |
| Drought from Space |
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| |
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| Updated Memorandum of Understanding strengthens research and data sharing, promotes |
| STEM and agriculture to younger generations |
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| |
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| |
|MOFFETT FIELD, California, July 16, 2015—Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden and|
|NASA Deputy Administrator Dava Newman today announced an expanded partnership between |
|the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Aeronautics and |
|Space Administration (NASA) designed to better protect America's working lands, predict|
|and prevent natural disasters, and inspire young people to pursue careers in science, |
|technology, engineering, mathematics and agriculture. |
| |
| |
|"Space is a unique laboratory that can be a gateway to solving some of the greatest |
|agricultural challenges of our time," says Deputy Secretary Harden. "This partnership |
|is a powerful opportunity for USDA and NASA to yield new tools and techniques to help |
|farmers and ranchers as they deal with the ongoing impacts of climate change and |
|drought. Perhaps most importantly, this partnership will expose more young people to |
|the power of science and innovation to solve some of the world's most pressing |
|challenges." |
| |
| |
|"There are many areas where NASA and USDA have overlapping interests," said NASA's |
|Deputy Administrator Dava Newman. "We can now better coordinate and build on the |
|resources of both NASA and the USDA to help learn more about our planet's vital |
|resources and inspire the next generation to become better stewards of our planet." |
| |
| |
|Among other things, the agreement will expand cooperation on space-borne remote sensing|
|efforts to gather soil moisture data. One potential outcome of the expanded partnership|
|between USDA and NASA could be using satellite data to create a series of soil moisture|
|maps for California that could be used to improve weather and water availability |
|forecasting and provide a drought early-warning system to producers, particularly in |
|California. |
| |
| |
|Under the new agreement, USDA now has expanded access to data from NASA satellites that|
|will help Forest Service fire fighters and first responders better detect wildfires and|
|predict their behavior. USDA and the Department of the Interior have spent nearly $1.5 |
|billion annually over the past decade on wildfire suppression, but this new technology |
|has the potential to stop wildfires before they start, saving money, land, and even |
|lives. |
| |
| |
|Deputy Secretary Harden and Deputy Administrator Newman were joined by California 4-H |
|members at NASA's Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, to sign a |
|Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) formalizing the expanded collaboration between USDA |
|and NASA. As hunger and climate change are rapidly escalating threats to public health |
|and national security, both NASA and USDA have a role to play in inspiring the next |
|generation of students to pursue careers in STEM and agricultural fields. |
| |
| |
|Ames Research Center, one of ten NASA field enters, is located in the heart of |
|California's Silicon Valley. For more than 75 years, Ames has led NASA in conducting |
|world-class research and development in aeronautics, exploration technology and science|
|aligned with the center's core capabilities. The International Space Station (ISS), |
|operated by NASA, includes a National Laboratory where ground-breaking scientific |
|research is conducted every day. Currently, NASA has a mini veggie farm at the |
|International Space Station to grow fresh produce like lettuce. |
| |
| |
|Since 2009, USDA has invested $4.32 billion in research and development grants. Studies|
|have shown that every dollar invested in agricultural research now returns over $20 to |
|our economy. In recent years, research by USDA scientists has led to discoveries of |
|everything from a potential solution for millions who suffer allergies from peanuts to |
|safe mosquito control that can help halt the transmission of diseases they spread, |
|among others. For the latest on discoveries by USDA researchers, read the 2014 Annual |
|Report on Technology Transfer. |
| |
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|# |
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