Friday, July 29, 2016

News Clippings 7/29/16

State

R’LAND WANTS APPEAL DISMISSED

Northside Sun

BY ANTHONY WARREN

More volleys have been fired in the legal battle surrounding the Ridgeland Costco.

http://northsidesun.com/news/r%E2%80%99land-wants-appeal-dismissed#sthash.ZK1ygc9W.dpbs

 

 

Urban and Community Forestry Conference is all about the trees

WLOX

GULFPORT, MS (WLOX) -It's all about the trees in Gulfport today as an annual conference plants its roots. It will offer some education and some recognition for the coast.

http://www.wlox.com/story/32565324/urban-and-community-forestry-conference-is-all-about-the-trees

 

New discovery: Horned dinosaurs walked Mississippi soil

WLBT

JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) -Evidence of a new dinosaur roaming the state was found in north Mississippi. 

http://www.msnewsnow.com/story/32566518/new-discovery-horned-dinosaurs-walked-mississippi-soil

 

Regional

 

840 gallons of oil leak from pipe near Mississippi River's mouth

Times-Picayune

An estimated 840 gallons of oil leaked from a flow line into the marsh at Southwest Pass, the Coast Guard said Thursday (July 28). The pipeline, owned by Texas Petroleum Management, has been secured and a containment boom put in place, the agency said.

http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2016/07/coast_guard_responds_to_oil_le.html#incart_river_index

 

National

 

State Plans Violate ‘Bedrock' Clean Air Principles, EPA Says

Bloomberg

Thirty-six states have to update their plans for addressing excess emissions during facilities' startup, shutdown and malfunction because they contain provisions that violate “bedrock principles” of the Clean Air Act, according to the Environmental Protection Agency ( Walter Coke Inc. v. EPA, D.C. Cir., No. 15-1166, brief filed 7/26/16 ).

http://www.bna.com/state-plans-violate-n73014445522/

The Grand Sea Turtle
Experiment on Padre Island

NY Times

Seventy years ago, a Mexican engineer named AndrĂ©s Herrera came across a beach in Northeastern Mexico that was teeming with 40,000 nesting Kemp’s ridley sea turtles. He shot some footage and put the film in a drawer, where it sat for more than a decade before he told marine biologists of its existence.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/07/28/science/kemps-ridleys-sea-turtles-padre-island.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&_r=0

 

EPA touts ‘strides’ in reducing algae in drinking water

Detroit News

Washington — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it has made “strides” in reducing the amount of toxic algae that ends up in the nation’s drinking water.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/07/28/epa-algae/87670702/

 

Chemical Rules' Worker Safety Parts Updated: EPA Proposal

Bloomberg

The Environmental Protection Agency will present plans to update the worker safety provisions of its new chemical rules, under a regulation it proposed July 27.

http://www.bna.com/chemical-rules-worker-n73014445520/

 

Why Pensions’ Last Defense Is Eroding

Long-term returns for U.S. public pensions are expected to drop to the lowest levels ever recorded

WSJ

Long-term returns for U.S. public pensions are expected to drop to the lowest levels ever recorded, portending deeper pain for states and cities as a $1 trillion funding gap widens.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/pension-returns-slump-squeezing-states-and-cities-1469488579

 

 

Thursday, July 28, 2016

News Clippings 7.28.16

State

 

Ribbon Cut at New Greenwood Wastewater Facility

WXVT

The city of Greenwood celebrated Tuesday with a new facility that took five years to make reality.

http://www.yourdeltanews.com/ribbon-cut-new-greenwood-wastewater-facility-greenville-budget-talks-fire-destroys-home

 

Jeff Harris: Honey bee deaths predate ag chemicals

Jul 26, 2016Hembree Brandon | Delta Farm Press

Environmental and anti-pesticide activists have made honey bee deaths “the poster child” of their ongoing crusade against ag chemicals, particularly neonicotinoids, says Jeff Harris.

http://deltafarmpress.com/cotton/jeff-harris-honey-bee-deaths-predate-ag-chemicals

 

Regional

 

Emission cut ordered for Louisville cement plant under EPA settlement

WDRB

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – Cemex Inc. will spend roughly $10 million to reduce air pollution at five of its U.S. facilities, including a cement plant in southwestern Jefferson County, according to a federal settlement over alleged Clean Air Act violations.

http://www.wdrb.com/story/32556154/emission-cut-ordered-for-louisville-cement-plant-under-epa-settlement

 

National

 

Murray Energy Plans Array of Challenges to EPA Mercury Rule

Bloomberg

Murray Energy Corp. intends to launch a wide-ranging challenge to the Environmental Protection Agency's reaffirmation that it is appropriate and necessary to regulate toxic air pollution from the utility sector, according to a court document ( Murray Energy Corp. v. EPA, D.C. Cir., No. 16-1127, statement of issues filed 7/25/16 ).

http://www.bna.com/murray-energy-plans-n73014445347/

 

Republicans push back on Interior methane leak plan

The Hill

House Republicans want the Interior Department to drop plans to regulate methane emissions on federal lands. 

http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/289439-republicans-push-back-on-interior-methane-leak-plan

 

Press releases

 

EPA Issues Final Rule to Protect the Public from Exposure to Formaldehyde

Agency implements congressionally enacted formaldehyde emission standards 

WASHINGTON--The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today moves to reduce exposure to formaldehyde vapors from certain wood products produced domestically or imported into the United States. The agency worked with the California Air Resources Board to help ensure the final national rule is consistent with California requirements for composite wood products.

“We are carrying out important measures laid out by Congress to protect the public from harmful exposure of this widely used chemical found in homes and workplaces”, said Jim Jones, EPA’s assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “We have worked with the state of California as a partner to help ensure consistency in our requirements. The new rule will level the playing field for domestic manufacturers who have a high rate of compliance with the California standard and will ensure that imported products not subject to California’s requirements will meet the new standard and thus, not contain dangerous formaldehyde vapors.” 

The Formaldehyde Emission Standards for Composite Wood Products Act of 2010 established emission standards for formaldehyde from composite wood products and directed EPA to finalize a rule on implementing and enforcing a number of provisions covering composite wood products.

One year after the rule is published, composite wood products that are sold, supplied, offered for sale, manufactured, or imported in the United States will need to be labeled as TSCA Title VI compliant. These products include: hardwood plywood, medium-density fiberboard, particleboard as well as household and other finished goods containing these products. 

EPA is also setting testing requirements to ensure that products comply with those standards, establishing eligibility requirements for third-party certifiers, and establishing eligibility requirements for accreditation bodies to be recognized by EPA that will accredit the third-party certifiers. The new rule includes certain exemptions for products made with ultra-low formaldehyde or no-added formaldehyde resins and new requirements for product labeling, recordkeeping, and enforcement provisions. 

Formaldehyde is used as an adhesive in a wide range of wood products, such as some furniture, flooring, cabinets, bookcases and building materials including plywood and wood panels. Exposure to formaldehyde can cause adverse health effects including eye, nose and throat irritation, other respiratory symptoms and cancer. 

For more information visit: https://www.epa.gov/formaldehyde/formaldehyde-emission-standards-composite-wood-products-0 

Cement Manufacturer Cemex to Reduce Harmful Air Pollution from Five Plants under Settlement with EPA and Justice Department

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) today announced a settlement with Cemex, Inc., under which the company will invest approximately $10 million to cut emissions of harmful air pollution at five of its cement manufacturing plants in Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee and Texas to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act. Under the consent decree lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Cemex will also pay a $1.69 million civil penalty, conduct energy audits at the five plants, and spend $150,000 on energy efficiency projects to mitigate the effects of past excess emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from its facilities.

“This settlement requires Cemex to use state of the art technology to reduce harmful air pollution, improving public health in vulnerable communities across the South and Southeast,” said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “EPA is committed to tackling clean air violations at the largest sources, cutting the pollutants that cause respiratory illnesses like asthma.”

“The cement sector is a significant source of air pollution posing real health risks to the communities where they reside, including vulnerable communities across the U.S. who deserve better air quality than they have gotten over the years,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This agreement will require Cemex to pay a penalty and install important pollution controls to achieve reductions in harmful air emissions, thereby making Cemex a better neighbor to local residents.”

The five Cemex facilities produce Portland cement, a key ingredient in concrete, mortar, and stucco, and are located in Demopolis, Alabama, Louisville, Kentucky, Knoxville, Tennessee, and New Braunfels and Odessa, Texas. The Knox County, Tennessee and Louisville, Kentucky air pollution control authorities participated in this settlement.

Cemex is required to install pollution control technology that will reduce emissions of NOx and establish strict limits for sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions, which will improve air quality in local communities. Cemex will install and continuously operate a selective non-catalytic reduction system for controlling NOx at the five plants and meet emission limits that are consistent with the current best available control technology for NOx.  EPA estimates this will result in NOx emissions reductions of over 4,000 tons per year.  Each facility will also be subject to strict SO2 emission limits.

NOx and SO2, two key pollutants emitted from cement plants, have numerous adverse effects on human health and are significant contributors to acid rain, smog, and haze. The pollutants are converted in the air into fine particles of particulate matter that can cause severe respiratory and cardiovascular impacts, and premature death. Reducing these harmful air pollutants will benefit the communities located near the Cemex plants, particularly communities disproportionately impacted by environmental risks and vulnerable populations, including children.

This settlement is part of EPA’s National Enforcement Initiative to control harmful emissions from large sources of pollution, which includes cement manufacturing plants, under the Clean Air Act’s Prevention of Significant Deterioration requirements. The total combined SO2 and NOx emission reductions secured from cement plant settlements under this initiative will exceed 75,000 tons each year once all the required pollution controls have been installed and implemented.

The settlement is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. Information about submitting a public comment is available at:www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees

For more information on the settlement visit:
https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/cemex-inc-global-clean-air-act-settlement

 

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

News Clippings 7.27.16

State

 

Mississippi Power announces additional $9M Kemper overrun

AP

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi Power Co. says it will spend another $9 million on its overrun-plagued Kemper County power plant, pushing its total cost toward $6.8 billion.

http://www.wdam.com/story/32542025/mississippi-power-announces-additional-9m-kemper-overrun

 

A search for clues after a dozen large fish found dead

Sun Herald

BILOXI 

Kyle Johnson, an avid angler, happened upon a fish kill that puzzled and saddened him Saturday. It was about one mile south of Cat Island.

http://www.sunherald.com/news/local/counties/harrison-county/article92072907.html

 

Sumrall recycling facility celebrates reopening

Hattiesburg American

SUMRALL – When Advance Disposal officials decided to get out of the recycling business they had operated a few years in Sumrall, they helped Jones Companies come in and take over operations, Jones Companies President Jonathan Jones said.

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story/news/local/sumrall/2016/07/26/sumrall-recycling-facility-celebrates-reopening/87572328/

 

Oil Spill

BP Restore Act money the talk of the town in Gautier

WLOX

GAUTIER, MS (WLOX) -At Delo's Heavenly House of Coffee, owner Delorise Nettles stays busy every morning. She's also busy debating how any BP money should be spent. 

http://www.wlox.com/story/32535294/bp-restore-act-money-the-talk-of-the-town-in-gautier

 

Auditor, state lawmaker file lawsuit to stop BP fund spending

WAAY

A Franklin County lawmaker and the state auditor are suing to keep the state from spending money from the BP oil spill settlement without approval from the state legislature.

http://www.waaytv.com/appnews/auditor-state-lawmaker-file-lawsuit-to-stop-bp-fund-spending/article_f172f762-5338-11e6-928f-bb194c1db9a2.html

 

Regional

 

ERC signs off on controversial water standards

Tallahassee Democrat

Despite vehement opposition from environmental groups, state regulators signed off Tuesday on new standards for Florida's rivers, lakes and coastal waters that include less stringent requirements for certain toxic chemicals.

http://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2016/07/26/erc-signs-off-controversial-water-standards/87585308/

 

EPA awards $564,000 air monitoring grant to Arkansas

AP

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality has been awarded a $564,000 grant to support air monitoring programs.

http://www.thv11.com/news/local/epa-awards-564000-air-monitoring-grant-to-arkansas/281686583

 

Coast Guard reports 4,200-gallon crude oil spill in Barataria Bay

Times-Picayune

Hilcorp Energy pipeline is the source of a spill of 4,200 gallons of crude oil near Lake Grande Ecaille, part of Barataria Bay and about 8 miles west of Empire, theU.S. Coast Guard reported Tuesday (July 26).

http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2016/07/coast_guard_reports_4200-gallo.html#incart_river_index

 

Brownfields program seeks to rejuvenate properties

Monroe News Star

Local officials and business representatives from across northeastern Louisiana gained insight into a program designed to rehabilitate abandoned or unused properties Tuesday.

http://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/2016/07/26/brownfields-program-seeks-rejuvenate-properties/87581576/

 

National

 

A stunning prediction of climate science — and basic physics — may now be coming true

Washington Post

A lot of people deny climate change. Not many, though, deny gravity.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/07/27/a-stunning-prediction-of-climate-science-and-basic-physics-may-now-be-coming-true/

 

Judge OKs $14.7B VW emissions settlement

Detroit News

Washington – A federal judge has given preliminary approval to a settlement that calls for Volkswagen to pay $14.7 billion to settle consumer lawsuits and government allegations that it rigged hundreds of thousands of cars to cheat U.S. emission standards.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/foreign/2016/07/26/judge-oks-vw-emissions-settlement/87577248/

 

Why Sand Is the Oil Industry’s Bellwether

Sand miners’ rebound boosts evidence that fracking and oil and gas market have bottomed

WSJ

Analysts taking the pulse of the energy market need to dig deep. All manner of indicators from rig counts to supertanker rates and refinery utilization are analyzed to gauge the direction of crude’s price, which still is less than half what it was two years ago. Last week, the world’s two largest oil-field-services companies, Schlumberger and Halliburton, both suggested that the market had bottomed.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/why-sand-is-the-oil-industrys-bellwether-1469547240

 

Nebraska won't appeal decision on fracking water disposal

AP

The state of Nebraska won't appeal a judge's decision to bar a Colorado company from using a Nebraska Panhandle well to dispose of salty groundwater and chemical-laden fracking wastewater that result from oil and gas operations.

 

http://www.kmtv.com/news/local-news/nebraska-wont-appeal-decision-on-fracking-water-disposal

 

Crude Slump, Pipeline Expansion Mark End of U.S. Oil-Train Boom

As more pipelines reach shale regions, producers have a cheaper way to move their oil to market

WSJ

The oil-train boom is waning almost as quickly as it began.

Rail became a major way to move crude after companies began unlocking new bounties of oil from shale formations, with volumes rising from almost nothing in 2009 to more than one million barrels a day by 2014, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/crude-slump-pipeline-expansion-mark-end-of-u-s-oil-train-boom-1469484016

 

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

News Clippings 7.26.16

State

 

Inmates work to keep roads clean

Mississippi Today

Year-round along the shoulders of Mississippi's roads, women and men in striped pants can be seen bent-low, filling bags with the bits and pieces drivers leave behind: cigarette butts, water bottles, receipts and more.

http://mississippitoday.org/2016/07/25/inmates-work-to-keep-roads-clean/

 

Big fish carcasses found floating near Cat Island, fisherman reports

Sun Herald

GULFPORT 

Kyle Johnson was fishing with Troy Helwig on Saturday when they came upon more than a dozen large fish floating in the tide line about a mile south of Cat Island.

http://www.sunherald.com/news/local/counties/harrison-county/article91750632.html

 

 

Oil Spill

 

BP Suffers Third Straight Quarterly Loss

Analysts had expected better results; share price declines

WSJ

LONDON—BP PLC on Tuesday said a two-year oil price slump and the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill were exacting a punishing toll, sending the company to its third straight quarterly loss.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/bp-posts-replacement-cost-of-2-25-billion-for-second-quarter-1469515264

 

National

 

EPA Advances Plans to Limit Carbon Emissions from Aircraft

Agency releases scientific assessment concluding plane exhaust endangers public health, welfare

WSJ

WASHINGTON—The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday advanced plans to limit carbon emissions from aircraft, one of a string of actions President Barack Obama is pursuing in his climate agenda that affects large swaths of the U.S. economy.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/epa-advances-plans-to-limit-carbon-emissions-from-aircraft-1469458800

 

White House takes aim at a fast-growing source of emissions: airplanes

Washington Post

The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday took a key step toward limiting pollution caused by the nation’s fleet of commercial aircraft, part of a broader push in the Obama administration’s waning months to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/07/25/white-house-takes-aim-at-a-fast-growing-source-of-emissions-airplanes/

 

EPA Wants to Fix Flawed Ozone Implementation Rule

Bloomberg

The Environmental Protection Agency wants an opportunity to address legal flaws in a regulation governing implementation of the 2008 ozone standards of 75 parts per billion ( South Coast Air Quality Mgmt. Dist. v. EPA, D.C. Cir., No. 15-1115, motion filed 7/21/16 ).

http://www.bna.com/epa-wants-fix-n73014445242/

 

First Decisions on New Chemicals Made Under Amended TSCA

Bloomberg

The Environmental Protection Agency issued its first regulatorydecisions July 22 for new chemicals using the criteria of the amended Toxic Substances Control Act.

http://www.bna.com/first-decisions-new-n73014445243/

 

Press releases

 

EPA Determines that Aircraft Emissions Contribute to Climate Change Endangering Public Health and the Environment

(WASHINGTON) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today finalized a determination under the Clean Air Act that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from certain types of aircraft engines contribute to the pollution that causes climate change and endangers Americans’ health and the environment. The findings are for carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), all of which contribute to GHG pollution that represents the largest driver of human-caused climate change. These particular GHGs come primarily from engines used on large commercial jets.

“Addressing pollution from aircraft is an important element of U.S. efforts to address climate change. Aircraft are the third largest contributor to GHG emissions in the U.S. transportation sector, and these emissions are expected to increase in the future,” said Janet McCabe, EPA’s Acting Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation. “EPA has already set effective GHG standards for cars and trucks and any future aircraft engine standards will also provide important climate and public health benefits.” 

The agency is not issuing emissions standards for aircraft engines in this action. The final endangerment and contribution findings for aircraft engine GHG emissions are an important step that EPA must take prior to adopting domestic GHG engine standards. EPA anticipates that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) will formally adopt its environmental committee’s February 2016 agreement on international aircraft CO2 standards in March 2017. EPA anticipates moving forward on standards that would be at least as stringent as ICAO’s standards. 

The rulemaking process for aircraft GHG emissions will provide opportunities for industry, NGOs and other interested parties to provide their input through public review and comment. 

In 2009, EPA issued similar findings regarding GHG emissions from new cars and light trucks. The agency determined that those vehicles contribute to GHG pollution that threatens Americans' health and welfare by leading to long-lasting changes in our climate that can have a range of negative effects today and in the future. Since then, the science on human-induced climate change has strengthened, further supporting today’s final determination.  

Today’s findings support the goals of the President’s Climate Action Plan to reduce emissions from large sources of carbon pollution. U.S. aircraft emit roughly 12 percent of GHG emissions from the U.S. transportation sector and 29 percent of GHG emissions from all aircraft globally. Under the Clean Air Act, EPA consults with the Federal Aviation Administration as it develops aircraft engine emissions standards. By law, any standards EPA sets must not cause a significant increase in noise or adversely affect safety.

Today’s findings do not apply to small piston-engine planes (the type of plane often used for recreational purposes), or to military aircraft.

For more information on the final aircraft endangerment and cause or contribute findings, visit http://epa.gov/otaq/aviation.htm

 

MISS. SENATORS ASK INTERIOR DEPT. TO DROP PROPOSED OFFSHORE RULE

Interior Dept. Fails to Show Offshore Activities Negatively Affect Onshore Air Quality, 17 Senators Assert

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) today said the lack of evidence that offshore energy production adversely affects onshore air quality should prompt the withdrawal of a proposed new federal rule on offshore activities.

Cochran and Wicker are among 17 Senators who have signed a letter asking Interior Secretary Sally Jewel to withdraw the “Air Quality Control, Reporting, and Compliance” rule proposed by Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).

“This rulemaking amounts to creating a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist.  The administration’s eagerness to impose new regulations before the end of the year should not undermine facts and basic fairness to states that produce offshore energy,” said Cochran, who serves on the Senate appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Interior Department.

“This proposed rule is unnecessary,” Wicker said. “The agency has already proved that this regulation would not make a significant impact on making inland air cleaner. This is a solution in search of a problem. It is clear that regulatory action is not scientifically justified.”

The letter highlights the fact that BOEM has failed to determine that offshore activities violate National Ambient Air Quality Standards in coastal areas.  The letter points out that the agency’s own National Environmental Policy Act review, as well as required Clean Air Act State Implementation Plans, have found that offshore emission sources do not contribute significantly to onshore air quality.

The Senators also criticized BOEM for advancing the proposed rule before two ongoing studies, costing $4.0 million, have been concluded.  These studies could be completed in 2017.

“Unless and until such studies are completed, peer reviewed, and assessed, it is impossible for BOEM to put forth a credible cost benefit analysis.  Moreover, the affected entities cannot be reasonably expected to take adequate stock of or fully inform BOEM regarding the regulation,” the letter said.  “Therefore, we ask the Department to withdraw this rule or at a minimum table this proposed rulemaking until the results of its own studies are completed to determine whether or not any regulatory action is scientifically justified.”

The letter, authored by Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.), was also signed by Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Michael Rounds (R-S.D.), Jeff Session (R-Ala.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), John Thune (R-S.D.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and David Vitter (R-La.).

###



 

Monday, July 25, 2016

News Clippings 7.25.16

State

 

Prehistoric fish discovered in the depths of Bluff Lake

Commercial Dispatch

July 22, 2016 11:50:46 AM

  -

 

STARKVILLE -- Alligators aren't the only prehistoric creatures lurking in the depths of the Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge's waterways. 

 

http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=51686

 

Barnett Reservoir adding recreational amenities

Clarion Ledger

New recreational amenities are being added at the 33,000-acre Ross Barnett Reservoir.

http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2016/07/23/barnett-reservoir-adding-recreational-amenities/87488402/

 

New district engineer picked for Corps of Engineers

Clarion Ledger

The Vicksburg District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will hold a change of command ceremony at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Vicksburg Convention Center.

http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2016/07/23/new-district-engineer-picked-corps-engineers/87488290/

 

Oxford High’s Envirothon team to compete in North American finals

Daily Journal

This week, the Oxford High School Envirothon team will be competing in the North American Championship in Ontario, Canada.

http://djournal.com/news/oxford-highs-envirothon-team-compete-north-american-finals/

 

Mississippi supports regional red snapper management bill

Sun Herald

Mississippi is in favor of regional management of red snapper.

The state supports H.R. 3094, known as the Gulf States Red Snapper Management Authority Act.

http://www.sunherald.com/sports/outdoors/article91490012.html

 

Marine Resources commissioner succumbs to cancer

Mississippi Press

BILOXI, Mississippi -- Mississippi Commission on Marine Resources member Ernie Zimmerman has died.

http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2016/07/marine_resources_commissioner.html#incart_river_index

 

Critics: Mississippi's state bureaucracy out of control

Clarion Ledger

Need to do business with the state Massage Therapy Board? You might have to truck all the way out to Morton and, “if you go through the red light you have gone too far,” the state agency’s website instructs.

http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/2016/07/23/state-agencies-boards/87258538/

 

Oil Spill

 

You won’t believe the upgrades coming to Pascagoula beach

Sun Herald

PASCAGOULA 

Drivers should expect occasional lane and road closures as construction gets in full swing along Beach Boulevard from Beach Park, west to the Point.

http://www.sunherald.com/news/local/counties/jackson-county/article91286997.html

 

 

BP Tries to Regain Footing as It Recovers From Spill

Company aims to show growth, but some aren’t sure it is primed for success

WSJ

LONDON— BP PLC is under pressure from investors and analysts to show it can rejoin the ranks of the world’s biggest oil companies now that the costs of the deadly Gulf of Mexico spill have largely come under control.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/bp-maps-growth-in-wake-of-spill-1469383639

 

 

Regional

 

Controversial water standards set for vote

Tallahassee Democrat

A plan widely condemned by environmental groups allowing higher levels of certain cancer-causing chemicals in Florida’s rivers, lakes and coastal waters could win approval from state regulators.

http://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2016/07/23/controversial-water-standards-set-vote/87393646/

 

Diversions should balance land building, fisheries, scientists say

Times-Picayune

New sediment diversions planned by the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority to rebuild rapidly eroding wetlands must balance land-building potential with their effects on fisheries and wildlife, an independent team of scientists said Thursday (July 21). Their report used the proposed mid-Barataria sediment diversion as an example because it is the project is closest to construction, possibly beginning as early as 2020.

http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2016/07/run_new_diversions_to_balance.html#incart_river_index

 

National

 

Maturing oyster recovery projects bring calls for money

AP

LITTLE EGG HARBOR, N.J. 

Oysters were once so abundant in New Jersey that vacationers would clamber off trains, wade into the water and pluck handfuls to roast for dinner. Their colonies piled so high that boats would sometimes run aground on them, and they were incorporated into navigation maps. Even earlier, Native American tribes would have oyster feasts on the banks of coastal inlets.

http://www.sunherald.com/news/health/article91565027.html

 

Sequel to Paris climate agreement developing in Vienna

NY Times

WASHINGTON — When negotiators from almost 200 countries gathered outside Paris in December for the United Nations summit meeting on climate change, they reached the first agreement to take action on curbing their planet-warming pollution. This weekend in Vienna, with far less attention, negotiators from those same countries are nearing a deal that many environmentalist advocates have called the most significant action of 2016 to reduce global warming.

http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2016/07/climate_change_paris_accord_se.html#incart_river_index

 

A Fish Outlived the Dinosaurs. Can It Outlast a Dam?

NY Times

What has no teeth, no rib cage, is covered in bony scales and managed to outlive the dinosaurs? The answer is the pallid sturgeon. But after millions of years of survival, only about 125 of these wild “dinosaur fish” remain. And if something isn’t done to save this endangered species, it could vanish forever — all because of what’s going on at a single dam in Montana.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/25/science/pallid-sturgeon-montana-yellowstone-river.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fearth&action=click&contentCollection=earth&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0