State
Sunday Focus: What is the Future of Local Recycling Programs
Natchez Democrat
http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/2016/06/19/sunday-focus-what-is-future-of-local-recycling-programs/
Diesel spill on I-10 expected to take 2 hours to clean up
WLOX
JACKSON COUNTY, MS (WLOX) -Crews with the Mississippi Department of
Environmental Quality are now working to clean up a diesel fuel spill on
I-10 in Jackson County.
http://www.wlox.com/story/32259386/diesel-spill-on-i-10-expected-to-take-2-hours-to-clean-up
Update on Waste Service Charge Increase
Picayune Item
http://www.picayuneitem.com/2016/06/update-on-waste-service-charge-increase/
Research boat christened for Gulf Coast research scientist
AP
BILOXI, MISS.
A new research boat has joined the fleet for the Gulf Coast Research
Laboratory at the University of Southern Mississippi.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/state/mississippi/article84714117.html
Bryant studies options for budget shortfall
Daily Journal
JACKSON – Sources estimate the state will end the fiscal year on June 30
with a shortfall of between $60 million and $75 million in a budget of
about $6.34 billion.
http://djournal.com/news/bryant-studies-options-budget-shortfall/
Oil Spill
William Carey University will offer school of pharmacy
Sun Herald
HARRISON COUNTY -- Students, get ready to put on your white coats.
William Carey University announced Friday plans to open a school of
pharmacy at its Tradition campus in Biloxi.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/local/education/article84526512.html
Regional
Hot weather but one factor in ozone level
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Arkansas and Memphis officials will continue to monitor air quality on
high-temperature days this summer, they said, but it's difficult to predict
whether air quality will be an issue if hot weather persists.
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2016/jun/20/hot-weather-one-factor-ozone-level/#/
ADEM handed over emergency diesel spill response to EPA after budget cuts
Al.com
Due to budgetary constraints, the Alabama Department of Environmental
Management was forced to turn to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
for emergency response to a leak at a petroleum products pipeline in
Birmingham earlier this year, ADEM Director Lance LeFleur said Friday.
http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2016/06/adem_looking_to_cut_costs_but.html
National
EPA Proposes Clean Energy Incentive Program
Bloomberg
The Environmental Protection Agency proposed adding new hydropower and
geothermal generation to the criteria of projects eligible to receive
emissions reductions credits under a voluntary program that would reward
states that choose to make early investments in energy efficiency and
renewable energy in preparation for the Clean Power Plan.
http://www.bna.com/epa-proposes-clean-n57982074319/
EPA: States Behind in Tackling Chesapeake Pollution Problems
AP
States in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed have collectively fallen behind in
implementing a plan to reduce nitrogen pollution in the country's largest
estuary, the Environmental Protection Agency said Friday.
Pennsylvania was mostly to blame in part because not all of its farms are
using the best practices to prevent nitrogen runoff, which often comes from
animal waste, according to EPA reports.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/epa-states-lowering-chesapeakes-nitrogen-levels-39938331
EPA Finalizes Lake Champlain Pollution Targets With Increased
Accountability Measures
VPR
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued the final, legally binding
version of its "Total Maximum Daily Load" (TMDL) plan, which sets required
pollution reduction targets for Lake Champlain.
http://digital.vpr.net/post/epa-finalizes-lake-champlain-pollution-targets-increased-accountability-measures#stream/0
Week ahead: EPA chief on hot seat over 'secret science' claims
The Hill
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy will face
off against an old foe on Capitol Hill next week.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/283945-week-ahead-epa-chief-on-hot-seat-over-secret-science-claims
Judge nixes 'ridiculous' EPA request to block testimony in coal case
The Hill
A federal judge ruled Friday that a lobbyist and former Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) official can testify for a coal company in its
lawsuit against the agency.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/283926-judge-lobbyist-can-testify-in-coal-companys-anti-epa-lawsuit
EPA letter questions Flint's ability to provide clean water in the long
term
MI Live
FLINT, MI — The top official at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
says Flint has "significant challenges" to providingclean, safe drinking
water in the long term, including a treatment plant that is not "adequately
staffed, operated or administered."
http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2016/06/epa_questions_flints_ability_t.html
Maxus Energy Files for Bankruptcy Protection
Owner YPF SA will provide company with $130 million
WSJ
Maxus Energy Corp. filed for bankruptcy protection Friday after reaching a
deal with its corporate parent, YPF SA, on the terms of a settlement tied
to liabilities for the cleanup of New Jersey's contaminated Passaic River.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/maxus-energy-files-for-bankruptcy-protection-1466268975
Opinion
William Carey's pharmacy school a great addition
Sun Herald
William Carey University is making a welcome addition to its Tradition
campus north of Gulfport.
http://www.sunherald.com/opinion/editorials/article84721777.html
Press Releases
Jun 17 2016
MISSISSIPPI WATER QUALITY NEEDS ADDRESSED IN SENATE APPROPRIATIONS BILL
Senate FY2017 Interior Appropriations Bill Approved by Cochran-led
Committee
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), chairman of the
Senate Appropriations Committee, today reported that Mississippi should
benefit from legislation that would focus Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) actions on assisting state and local agencies with environmental
projects rather than writing costly new regulations.
Cochran on Thursday led Senate Appropriations Committee approval of the
FY2017 Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill, which funds the EPA,
U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Forest Service and numerous federal
lands management agencies.
"This bill makes responsible recommendations on where to invest taxpayer
funds for stewardship of federal lands and private landowners. It improves
environmental policy by emphasizing infrastructure improvements over new
EPA regulations," Cochran said. "For Mississippi, the bill protects
important water quality and infrastructure programs that the administration
sought to cut or eliminate."
The Senate bill reduces certain EPA regulatory accounts and increases
capitalization grant funding for state revolving funds that help states and
municipalities meet water and wastewater infrastructure needs. The
President's budget request sought to cut this funding. The bill also
increases funding for the EPA Nonpoint Source Section 319 Grants program,
which enables agricultural states to provide much-needed water quality
projects.
Cochran also worked to secure $2.0 million for continued U.S. Geological
Survey groundwater resource studies to assess declining aquifers in regions
within the Mississippi River Alluvial Plain that are experiencing
variability in groundwater systems. These resources will help address
significant aquifer declines in the Mississippi Delta
Important to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the committee rejected the
administration's proposal to divert outer continental shelf oil and gas
revenues from Gulf of Mexico coastal communities. The proposal is in direct
contradiction to current law, Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006
(GOMESA). These royalty revenues are currently used for coastal
conservation, restoration, and hurricane protection.
The Senate bill also rejects the administration's budget request to
eliminate the Beach Monitoring Grant program and provides $9.5 million to
support federal, state and local collaborations to ensure that recreational
waters are safe for swimming.
The bill provides $11 million for the EPA Gulf of Mexico Geographic
Program, an increase of $6.5 million over the FY2016 enacted level. This
funding will allow the EPA to work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
state, local and private parties to leverage resources toward conservation
projects on working lands within the Gulf region and Mississippi River
Basin.
Overall, the Senate FY2017 Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill
totals $125 million less than the FY2016 enacted level. The bill is now
available for consideration by the Senate.
Items of interest to Mississippi in the Senate FY2017 Interior, Environment
and Related Agencies Bill:
U.S. Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory – $27 million, the same as
the FY2016 enacted level, to advance ongoing work and collaborative
partnerships to optimize research for the commercialization of high-value
biomass while helping eliminate hazardous fuels in national forests.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – The bill reduces EPA funding by $32
million from the FY2016 enacted level. It focuses funding on returning the
agency to its core mission of environmental cleanup instead of writing
costly rules that harm the economy. The Clean Water and Drinking Water
State Revolving Funds receive more than $2.37 billion, an increase of $113
million over the FY2016 enacted level and $370 million above the
administration's request. Additionally, the Water Infrastructure Finance
Act program is funded at $30 million, which will enable hundreds of
millions in loans to address water infrastructure challenges.
The bill does the following to stop EPA executive overreach:
• Prohibits the EPA Waters of the United States rule
• Prohibits the EPA from requiring duplicative financial surety rules on
the mining industry
• Continues to prohibit the EPA from regulating certain types of
ammunition and fishing tackle
EPA Nonpoint Source (Sec. 319) Grant Program – $185.0 million, $20 million
above FY2016 enacted level, to fund this grant program. The bill directs
the EPA to reevaluate the allocation formula to ensure that resources are
being in spent in areas with the most pressing need. Grants under Section
319 of the Clean Water Act are provided to states to help implement
EPA-approved Nonpoint Source Management programs designed to reduce
sediment runoff and improve water quality.
EPA Technical Assistance Programs – $15 million, not included in the budget
request, to support grant awards to qualified not-for-profit organizations
for the sole purpose of providing on-site training and technical assistance
for water systems in rural or urban communities. Small and rural
communities in Mississippi rely on local, on-site technical assistance and
training to comply with federal regulations, avoid EPA fines, and operate
water and wastewater systems effectively.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) – $1.49 billion for the FWS, which is
$11.9 million below the FY2016 enacted level. Important program increases
include funding for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants, the North
American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), and funding to support FWS
implementation of the RESTORE Act in Gulf Coast States. The bill also
provides funding to maintain continued operation of fish hatcheries.
National Park Service (NPS) – $2.74 billion for the NPS, an increase of $68
million above the FY2016 enacted level. This includes important increases
for construction backlog, maintenance, and new park units established under
the National Defense Authorization Act of 2015, including Cochran's
legislative efforts to expand the Vicksburg National Military Park (
http://1.usa.gov/12HSoZ3).
U.S. Geological Survey Groundwater Resource Study – $2 million is provided
for the U.S. Geological Survey to conduct enhanced groundwater resource
studies to assess declining aquifers in regions within the Mississippi
River Alluvial Plain that are experiencing variability in groundwater
systems. These resources will help address significant aquifer declines in
the Mississippi Delta as a result of agriculture irrigation.
Heritage Partnership Program – $19 million for this NPS program.
Mississippi has three National Heritage Areas: Mississippi Hills,
Mississippi Gulf Coast, and Mississippi Delta.
Civil Rights Movement – $10 million within the NPS Historic Preservation
Fund to document, interpret, and preserve the sites and stories associated
with the Civil Rights Movement.
###
http://www.cochran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=82A95AFD-5675-4A0D-904F-24FD4B6009E8
EPA Solicits Applications for Next Class of the Environmental Justice
Academy; Deadline to Apply is June 24, 2016
Contact Information: Davina Marraccini, 404-562-8293 (direct), 404-562-8400
(main), marraccini.davina@epa.gov
ATLANTA – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 is
accepting applications for the second class of the Environmental Justice
(EJ) Academy. The EJ Academy is a rigorous, nine-month leadership
development program designed to cultivate skills participants can use to
identify and address environmental challenges in their communities.
Applications are due by June 24, 2016.
Application criteria and instructions are posted online at:
http://go.usa.gov/chhYJ
The EJ Academy is primarily based on the EPA Collaborative Problem-Solving
(CPS) Model, which is a seven-step process for bringing about positive
change and community revitalization by having community leaders, community
members, and their stakeholders working together. Each module focuses on
one element of the CPS Model and includes a combination of lectures by
subject-matter experts, in-class exercises, and homework assignments.
The EJ Academy teaches participants:
· How to leverage human, social, intellectual, technical, legal, and
financial resources to make long-term progress in a community;
· How to use consensus-building processes and skills to help ensure
successful collaboration and negotiations;
· How to increase capacity to address communities' environmental and/or
public health issues; and
· A basic understanding of environmental justice and environmental
regulations
As a result of participating in the EJ Academy, graduates will receive the
following benefits:
· Complete a community portfolio, which may assist in securing funding,
describing community resources and challenges and establishing
credibility amongst stakeholders;
· Complete an action plan to guide organizational activities;
· Identify and secure potential partners to assist communities with
addressing their challenges;
· Interact directly with technical experts from EPA and other
organizations;
· Network with regional community leaders to establish mutually
beneficial relationships;
· Be matched with nearby academic institutions in EPA's College
Underserved Community Partnership Program (CUPP) to provide ongoing
technical assistance; and
· Receive individualized feedback, guidance, and assistance from a
variety of experts.
For questions, contact Sheryl Good, 404-562-9559, or Saudia Muwwakkil,
404-562-8207. You may also email: R4_EJAcademy@epa.gov.
