State
Council moves on with wastewater plan
Hattiesburg American
After Thursday, the City of Hattiesburg's proposed land application
wastewater system is a little closer to reality, with the caveat of
higher sewer and water rates for Hub City residents.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story/news/local/hattiesburg/2016/04/28/council-moves-wastewater-plan/83668406/
Hattiesburg City Council one step closer to buying land to treat wastewater
WDAM
HATTIESBURG, MS -After a special city council meeting held Thursday
evening, the Hattiesburg City Council is one step closer to buying land to
treat its wastewater.
http://www.wdam.com/story/31845388/hattiesburg-city-council-one-step-closer-to-buying-land-to-treat-wastewater
Fire reported as minor at Burnsville plant
Daily Corinthian
BURNSVILLE – Mississippi Silicon officials are calling the Thursday morning
fire at the Tishomingo County plant "minor."
http://www.dailycorinthian.com/view/full_story/27169513/article-Fire-reported-as-minor-at-Burnsville-plant
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Ten years after: USGBC Mississippi forges ahead
MBJ
The Mississippi chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council is alive and
well.
Rumors about the demise of the decade-old organization are greatly
exaggerated, according to chapter Chairman Perry Richardson. In the midst
of a transition period, USGBC Mississippi remains a viable organization
with a planned strategy to recapture former members and add new ones.
http://msbusiness.com/2016/04/ten-years-after-usgbc-mississippi-forges-ahead-2/
Bryant Responds To MEMA Budget Cuts
WCBI
LOUISVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) — Governor Phil Bryant responds to WCBI about the
worrying of some at the state level that budget cuts will affect severe
weather response.
http://www.wcbi.com/local-news/bryant-responds-to-mema-budget-cuts/
Oil Spill
BP oil spill settlement paves the way for recovery progress
MBJ
By BECKY GILLETTE
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill court settlement between BP and the
government reached April 4—just a couple weeks before the sixth anniversary
of the world's largest oil spill disaster—opens the way for millions of
dollars being allocated for projects on the Mississippi Gulf Coast designed
to compensate for the environmental damages.
http://msbusiness.com/2016/04/bp-oil-spill-settlement-paves-the-way-for-recovery-progress/
Regional
Agency to cease issuing permit like hog farm's
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality will discontinue the type
of general permit that allowed a large hog farm to open in the Buffalo
River watershed, the department announced Thursday.
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2016/apr/29/agency-to-cease-issuing-permit-like-hog-1/?f=news-arkansas
National
Mayors push Obama to write methane regulations
The Hill
A group of American mayors are asking the Obama administration to issue
strong rules on methane leaks and emissions at oil and gas drilling sites.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/278021-mayors-push-obama-to-write-methane-regulations
EPA Paying $1 Million in Response Costs After Mine Spill
AP
The Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday it is reimbursing states,
tribes and local governments about $1 million for their costs after the
agency accidentally triggered a massive wastewater spill from a Colorado
mine.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/epa-paying-million-response-costs-mine-spill-38748928
EPA Announces Latest Steps Addressing Missouri Landfill Fire
AP
The owner of a burning suburban St. Louis landfill near buried radioactive
waste has agreed to new measures meant to slow and help monitor the
underground blaze, a U.S. Environmental Agency administrator said Thursday.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/epa-announces-latest-steps-addressing-missouri-landfill-fire-38746422
Press releases
EPA Administrator McCarthy Announces 2016 Safer Choice Partner of the Year
Awards
(WASHINGTON) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is
recognizing 24 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners across 12
states, the District of Columbia and Canada for outstanding achievement in
the design, manufacture, promotion and use of a range of cleaning and other
household products that carry the Safer Choice label. Administrator
McCarthy announced the winners at an event at a local hardware store in San
Francisco today.
"Everyone wants products with ingredients that are safer for their kids,
pets, communities and the environment," said EPA Administrator Gina
McCarthy. "Using technology and innovation to turn challenges into
profitable opportunities makes our businesses stronger and more
competitive, our families and workers healthier, and our environment
cleaner."
The Safer Choice standards were developed through a multi-stakeholder
process, with a range of businesses and public interest groups, including
environmental and health advocacy organizations. EPA assesses ingredients
for the Safer Choice program based on a full chemical identification. Where
necessary, EPA requires studies to prove safety of the chemicals used, and
applies the expertise of chemists and toxicologists who have assessed
thousands of chemicals.
These stringent human and environmental health safety standards mean that
consumers can know with certainty that a product's safety claims are backed
by science. Safer Choice currently has around 500 formulator-manufacturer
partners who make more than 2,000 products for retail and institutional
customers.
The 2016 Partner of the Year award winners represent a wide variety of
leadership organizations. Participants include Fortune 500 companies,
small- and medium-sized businesses, and non-governmental organizations. The
2016 Safer Choice Partner of the Year Awards will be presented at 2:00 p.m.
on May 9, 2016 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
in Washington, D.C. The winners fall under the following categories:
Safer Formulator-Manufacturer: Boulder Clean (Boulder, Colo.), BISSELL
(Grand Rapids, Mich.), Case Medical, Inc. (South Hackensack, N.J.), Clean
Control Corporation (Warner Robins, Ga.), The Clorox Company (Pleasanton,
Calif.), Futurescape Inc. (Port Orange, Fla.), Jelmar, LLC (Skokie, Ill.),
Osprey Biotechnics Inc. (Sarasota, Fla.), RB (Parsippany, N.J.) and Seventh
Generation Inc. (Burlington, Vt.)
Safer Chemical Innovator: BASF Corporation (Florham Park, N.J.), Ecolab
(Eagan, Minn.), Osprey Biotechnics (Sarasota, Fla.) and Virox Technologies
Inc. (Oakville, Ontario, Canada)
Purchaser/Distributor: Solutex, Inc. (Sterling, Va.)
Retailer: Albertsons Companies (Boise, Idaho) and Wegmans Food Markets,
Inc. (Rochester, N.Y.)
Program Supporter: American Sustainable Business Council (Washington,
D.C.), The Ashkin Group (Los Angeles), Consumer Specialty Products
Association (Washington, D.C.), Environmental Defense Fund (New York,
N.Y.), Federal Sustainable Acquisitions and Materials Management Practices
(SAMM) Working Group (Washington, D.C.), Healthy Schools Campaign
(Chicago), ISSA, the Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association (Northbrook,
Ill.), Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families (New York, N.Y.)
When companies demonstrate a commitment to the health of their customers
and the planet, consumers respond. Not only does the Safer Choice program
put the power of choice into the hands of consumers, it actually
incentivizes manufacturers to change the ingredients in their products – so
they can meet the strict safety criteria the Safer Choice label demands.
More on the 2016 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners, and
registration for the Awards Ceremony, can be found at
http://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/safer-choice-partner-year-awards.
