State
DEQ schedules date to consider permit for Renaissance expansion
MBJ
The Mississippi Environmental Quality Permit Board will meet at 9 a.m. on
June 30 in the commission hearing room at 515 East Amite Street in
Jackson to consider issuance of a federal Clean Water Act certification and
a storm water permit sought by Renaissance at Colony Park, LLC, Phase III
in Ridgeland.
http://msbusiness.com/2016/06/deq-schedules-date-to-consider-permit-for-renaissance-expansion/
Forrest, Lamar counties receive waste grants from MDEQ
Hattiesburg American
Forrest and Lamar counties are the recipients of more than $41,000 total in
Solid Waste Assistance Grants from the Mississippi Department of
Environmental Quality that will be used for various waste-disposal efforts.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story/news/local/2016/06/23/forrest-lamar-counties-receive-waste-grants-mdeq/86263938/
Hattiesburg settles suit with Hercules plant
WDAM
HATTIESBURG, MS (WDAM) -The city of Hattiesburg hasconfidentially settled a
2013 lawsuit against Hercules, Inc. and Ashland, Inc. that alleged the
company "knowingly and improperly disposed of hazardous industrial waste."
…The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) and the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted groundwater testing on and
off the plant's site in 2011 and 2013 and found chemical contaminants like
benzene in the soil.
http://www.wdam.com/story/32282058/hattiesburg-settles-suit-with-hercules-plant
MDEQ issues water contact advisory
Sun Herald
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality issued a water contact
advisory for a section of Gulfport beach Thursday.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/local/article85608737.html
Building goes up in flames at Tupelo manufacturing plant
WTVA
TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) — Firefighters appear to have controlled a fire in a
huge metal building at a lawnmower wheel manufacturer in east Tupelo.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/Firefighters_Work_To_Put_Out_Blaze.html
Deputy treasurer Jackson appointed to head state DFA
Clarion Ledger
Gov. Phil Bryant has named Deputy State Treasurer Laura D. Jackson
as director of the Department of Finance and Administration to
replace Kevin Upchurch, who is leaving at the end of June.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/2016/06/23/jackson-dfa-director/86279330/
Oil Spill
Halliburton, Transocean to pay another $1.24 billion for BP spill
Times-Picayune
Two new settlements totaling close to $1.24 billion have been reached
between private BP oil spill claimants and the Halliburton and Transocean
companies to settle punitive damage claims stemming from their roles in the
April 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2016/06/halliburton_transocean_to_pay.html#incart_river_index
Regional
U.S. Oil Companies Crank Up Production in Gulf of Mexico
Surge threatens to prolong crude glut that helped push down prices
WSJ
Oil companies are pumping more crude off the U.S. coast in the Gulf of
Mexico, a surprising trend that shows the resilience of the nation's energy
industry.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-oil-output-to-get-boost-from-gulf-of-mexico-1466703667
National
VW to Pay Near $10.2B to Settle Emissions Claims
AP
Volkswagen will spend about $10.2 billion to settle an emissions cheating
scandal in the U.S. that has turned into one of the largest cases of
corporate deception in the nation's history.
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/ap-source-vw-pay-102b-settle-emissions-claims-40076502
EPA: Filtered Flint water is safe
The Hill
The tap water in Flint, Mich., is safe for anyone to drink — as long as it
is filtered, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared Thursday.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/284621-epa-filtered-flint-water-is-safe
Solar Power to Grow Sixfold as Sun Becoming Cheapest Resource
Bloomberg
The amount of electricity generated using solar panels stands to expand as
much as sixfold by 2030 as the cost of production falls below competing
natural gas and coal-fired plants, according to the International Renewable
Energy Agency.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-06-22/solar-power-to-grow-sixfold-as-sun-becoming-cheapest-resource
Press Releases
U.S. EPA to Help Six Communities Develop Sustainable Design Strategies
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today
it has selected six cities for technical assistance with sustainable design
strategies under its Greening America's Communities (GAC) program. The 2016
cities chosen for assistance are: Columbia, SC; Brownsville, TX; Oklahoma
City, OK; Muscatine, IA; Honolulu, HI; and Multnomah County, OR.
"EPA is excited to roll up our sleeves and start working with the next
round of cities through Greening America's Communities," said EPA
Administrator Gina McCarthy. "This program is another example of EPA
making a visible difference in communities—helping build healthy, vibrant
neighborhoods and stronger local economies centered on environmental
sustainability."
In the coming months, EPA will fund a team of designers to visit each
selected city to create designs that will support a larger planning and
implementation process for a pilot area. Through the Greening America's
Communities program, these teams will provide assistance to help
communities use green infrastructure and other environmentally friendly
designs to create more walkable, bikeable, and vibrant neighborhoods.
EPA will provide assistance for the following projects:
• Columbia, SC will create designs to protect an urban stream and
create a greenway that will minimize flooding and establish a walkable
connection through the Capital City Mill District.
• Brownsville, TX will add green infrastructure to the
International Greenway along the U.S.-Mexico border to manage stormwater,
create a more walkable street, and add shade and plants to cool an area
experiencing higher temperatures due to climate change.
• Oklahoma City, OK will use green infrastructure to minimize
flooding from a local stream and make improvements to streets in four
neighborhoods that will increase safety and improve quality of life for
residents.
• Muscatine, IA will receive assistance to redesign a former
state highway that now serves as a city street to help it become a safer
gateway into downtown for both cars and bicycles.
• Honolulu, HI will receive assistance to design street
improvements and green infrastructure to better support walking and
economic development around two planned rail stations.
• Multnomah County will create designs for streets and public
spaces in the Jade District to address heat island and air quality issues,
manage stormwater, bolster infill development, and support the character
and concerns of the surrounding community.
Under the GAC program, formerly known as Greening America's Capitals, EPA
helped 23 capital cities and the District of Columbia with sustainable
design strategies. Results from previous GAC projects include:
• Little Rock, AR received more than $3.2 million in public
investment to revitalize Main Street.
• Charleston, WV received a $650,000 grant from the U.S
Department of Transportation for Slack Plaza redesign.
• Lincoln, NE invested over $1.5 million from a U.S Department of
Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant and from
local funds to add green infrastructure and other improvements along 11th
Street.
• Baton Rouge, LA has secured $250,000 to begin detailed design
of the Downtown Greenway and $100,000 for construction on the first section
of the greenway trail.
• Phoenix, AZ spent $575,000 to complete the first phase of bike
lanes and other road improvements along Grand Avenue.
• Montgomery, AL has spent $1.3 million of local funds to make
improvements to the historic Selma to Montgomery Trail.
More information on Greening America's Communities:
https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/greening-americas-communities
EPA Extends Application Deadline for Next Class of the Environmental
Justice Academy
New Deadline to Apply is June 30, 2016
Contact: James Pinkney, 404-562-9183 (direct), 404-562-8400 (main),
pinkney.james@epa.gov
ATLANTA – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 has
extended the application deadline for the second class of the Environmental
Justice (EJ) Academy. Applications are now due by June 30, 2016. 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.
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.
