State
Decision to raze abandoned hospital delayed until September
Vicksburg Post
Though a vote on whether to demolish a portion of the abandoned Kuhn
Memorial Hospital on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard has been delayed
until September, support for bringing down the entire complex is growing.
The city's original proposal offered up by Community Development Director
Victor Gray-Lewis was to knock down the front building at Kuhn. That
structure is decaying and infested with black mold. The roof is caving in
and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has said they will
not make the city go though the asbestos abatement process.
http://www.vicksburgpost.com/2015/08/05/decision-to-raze-abandoned-hospital-delayed-until-september/
Gas tank rupture causes delays on Hwy 98
WDAM
FORREST COUNTY, MS (WDAM) -An 18-wheeler's gas tank ruptured Wednesday
afternoon near the Forrest-Perry county line and spilled nearly 100 gallons
of fuel on Highway 98, according to Forrest County Emergency Management
Director Glen Moore.
http://www.wdam.com/story/29718574/gas-tank-rupture-causes-delays-on-hwy-98
Mississippi farmers, beekeepers work together to protect bees
Jul 29, 2015Kerri Collins Lewis, Mississippi State University | Delta Farm
Press
Pitting farmers against beekeepers does little to solve the problems facing
pollinators. "In some cases, anti-pesticide groups are using the challenges
facing bee health as an opportunity to set up a very black-and-white, good
guy versus bad guy scenario when it comes to agricultural production," said
Angus Catchot, an entomologist with the Mississippi State University
Extension Service.
http://deltafarmpress.com/cotton/mississippi-farmers-beekeepers-work-together-protect-bees
Oil Spill
Gilich will ask for permission to renegotiate BP legal fees
WLOX
Biloxi Mayor FoFo Gilich believes 20 percent of the city's and school
district's $5.9 million BP claim is too much to pay to the law firm Page,
Mannino, Peresich & McDermott. That's why he has called for a special
meeting with city council members Thursday to ask for permission to
renegotiate the legal fees.
http://www.wlox.com/story/29720606/gilich-will-ask-for-permission-to-renegotiate-bp-legal-fees
Regional
EPA investigation of Uniontown landfill the focus of NBC News piece
Al.com
Dennis Pillion
August 05, 2015 at 11:52 AM
NBC News, in cooperation with the Centers for Public Integrity published a
detailed feature story on Wednesday examining civil rights complaints
surrounding the Arrowhead Landfill in Uniontown, Ala, about 30 miles west
of Selma in the Black Belt region.
http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/08/epa_investigation_of_uniontown.html
National
Lawmakers take aim at EPA 'sue-and-settle' collusion
Fox News
Faced with President Obama's vastly expensive Clean Power Plan to remake
the U.S. electrical system and other looming regulatory decisions that
dramatically affect energy supplies, Republican lawmakers have renewed
their offensive against alleged under-the-table legal collusion between the
administration and environmental lobbyists in the cascading anti-carbon
agenda.
…Rounds' argument was backed by testimony from Dallas Baker, a senior
official in Mississippi's Department of Environmental Quality, who said
that sue-and-settle "does not afford my state any input into the agreement,
yet subjects us to the burden of satisfying the requirements of the
agreement."
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/08/05/lawmakers-take-aim-at-epa-sue-and-settle-collusion/
Senate panel probes 'sue-and-settle' tactics' impacts on policymaking
WASHINGTON, DC, Aug. 5
08/05/2015
By Nick Snow
Oil and Gas Journal
Environmental litigation settlements, which proponents say help the public
make certain federal agencies are diligently implementing congressionally
mandated regulations, actually sabotage sound policymaking, several
witnesses told a US Environment and Public Works Committee subcommittee.
Witnesses said environmental litigation settlements often shut out
significant stakeholders. "The 'sue-and-settle' method by definition does
not afford my state any input into the agreement, yet subjects us to the
burden of satisfying the requirements of the agreement," said Dallas Baker,
Air Director at Mississippi's Department of Environmental Quality.
"Adding to the frustration, the details and methodology used to arrive at
the technical elements related to the settlement is often sealed by the
courts," he said in his written testimony.
http://www.ogj.com/articles/2015/08/senate-panel-probes-sue-and-settle-tactics-impacts-on-policymaking.html
16 states ask Obama admin to put power plant rules on hold
AP
WASHINGTON – The campaign to stop President Barack Obama's sweeping
emissions limits on power plants began taking shape Wednesday, as 16 states
asked the government to put the rules on hold while a Senate panel moved to
block them.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/08/06/16-states-ask-obama-admin-to-put-power-plant-rules-on-hold/?intcmp=hpbt1
States seek delay of EPA climate change rule
The Hill
Sixteen states have formally asked the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) to delay its new climate rule for power plants.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/250360-states-seek-delay-of-climate-rule
Senate panel votes to block Obama's climate rule
The Hill
A Senate committee voted Wednesday to block implementation of the
administration's climate rule for power plants.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/250347-senate-panel-votes-to-block-obama-climate-rule
Opinion
Robertson: New PERS software system working on backlog
Clarion Ledger
The Public Employees' Retirement System of Mississippi (PERS) is
behind on processing retirement applications and this letter is to
explain why, where we are in the process, and what expectations
should be for our members.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/opinion/2015/08/05/robertson-new-pers-software-system-working-backlog/31157649/
Press Releases
EPA Proposes Stronger Standards for People Applying the Pesticides with the
Greatest Risk
Improved training and minimum age requirements for certified applicators
will help protect people and the environment.
Washington- Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is
proposing stronger standards for pesticide applicators who apply
"restricted-use" pesticides. These pesticides are not available for
purchase by the general public, require special handling, and may only be
applied by a certified applicator or someone working under his or her
direct supervision.
"We are committed to keeping our communities safe, protecting our
environment and protecting workers and their families, said Jim Jones, EPA
Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution
Prevention. "By improving training and certification, those who apply these
restricted use pesticides will have better knowledge and ability to use
these pesticides safely."
The goal of today's action is to reduce the likelihood of harm from the
misapplication of toxic pesticides and ensure a consistent level of
protection among states. Pesticide use would be safer with increased
supervision and oversight.
EPA is proposing stricter standards for people certified to use restricted
use pesticides and to require all people who apply restricted use
pesticides to be at least 18 years old. Certifications would have to be
renewed every 3 years.
EPA is proposing additional specialized licensing for certain methods of
application that can pose greater risks if not conducted properly, such as
fumigation and aerial application. For further protection, those working
under the supervision of certified applicators would now need training on
using pesticides safely and protecting their families from take-home
pesticide exposure.
State agencies issue licenses to pesticide applicators who need to
demonstrate under an EPA-approved program their ability to use these
products safely. The proposed revisions would reduce the burden on
applicators and pest control companies that work across state lines. The
proposal promotes consistency across state programs by encouraging
inter-state recognition of licenses.
The proposal also updates the requirements for States, Tribes, and Federal
agencies that administer their own certification programs to incorporate
the strengthened standards. Many states already have in place some or many
of EPA's proposed changes. The proposed changes would raise the bar
nationally to a level that most states have already achieved. The
estimated benefits of $80.5 million would be due to fewer acute pesticide
incidents to people.
EPA encourages public comment on the proposed improvements. The 90 day
public comment period will begin when the proposal is published in the
Federal Register.
A copy of the proposal and more information about certification for
pesticide applicators:
http://www2.epa.gov/pesticide-worker-safety/epa-proposes-stronger-standards-people-applying-riskiest-pesticides
To comment on the proposed changes, visit http://www.regulations.gov and
search for docket number EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0183 after publication in the
federal register.
