State
Historic oyster season opening Tuesday
WLOX
BILOXI, MS (WLOX) -Tuesday will be a historic day for the coast seafood industry. For the first time in half a century, Biloxi Bay will be open to commercial oyster harvesting.
http://www.wlox.com/story/33523476/historic-oyster-season-opening-tuesday
Cost of Kemper plant has gone up again. Yes, again.
Sun Herald
Mississippi Power added another $29 million to the cost of the Kemper County energy facility in its September report to the Mississippi Public Service Commission, and the company said it still hopes to have the plant operational on lignite by Nov. 30.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/business/article111673707.html
Grand Gulf Nuclear Station stays closed as feds inspect
Clarion Ledger
Grand Gulf Nuclear Station has been shut down since Sept. 8 as Entergy makes a "thorough review" of the power plant after several maintenance issues, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is conducting a special inspection after "several recent operational events."
Lakeshore couple looks to identify 'creature'
Sea Coast Echo
A Lakeshore couple is seeking the scientific community's help to determine the identity of an animal which they believe to be a member of an as-yet unidentified species.
http://www.seacoastecho.com/article_10307.shtml#.WBiWNS3x6Uk
Oil Spill
GAO faults feds on key response to BP spill
The Hill
The Interior Department isn’t doing sufficient work to track whether a key response to the 2010 BP oil spill is working, government auditors said.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/303623-gao-faults-feds-on-key-response-to-bp-spill
Vicksburg mayor wants $1.5 million in BP funds for tourism
Mississippi Today
Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs Jr. hopes to collect $1.5 million in BP oil spill settlement funds for tourism projects within the city.
http://mississippitoday.org/2016/10/31/vicksburg-mayor-wants-1-5-million-in-bp-funds-for-tourism/
Regional
Gas line explodes in Alabama, causing massive fire; several severely burned, 1 dead
Al.com
Fire departments from across the Birmingham area responded to a gas line explosion in Shelby County that killed one person and severely injured several people Monday afternoon.
Air of Uncertainty: EPA singles out small Louisiana community as highest cancer risk
KSLA
RESERVE, LA (WVUE) -St. John the Baptist Parish resident Bobby Taylor lives in fear of something he cannot even see, but the federal government warns him there is no doubt it is there.
National
White House climate panel issues resilience report
The Hill
A White House panel on Monday issued a report noting progress on climate change resilience activities from the federal government.
Study: 300M children worldwide breathing ’toxic’ air
The Hill
Around 300 million children worldwide live in areas with “toxic levels” of outdoor air pollution, UNICEF reported on Monday.
Frequent Filers: The Attorneys Shaping EPA Pesticide Policy
Bloomberg
You’ve heard of white shoe law firms. Earthjustice is a green shoe firm.
Through dozens of suits against the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies, the nonprofit group with around 100 attorneys is having as big of an impact on the agency’s pesticide policy as firms many times its size.
http://www.bna.com/frequent-filers-attorneys-n57982082021/
Companies Agree to Settle West Virginia Chemical Spill Suits
West Virginia American Water to pay up to $126 million, Eastman Chemical $25 million to release civil claims without admitting fault for 2014 leak
WSJ
A water company and a chemical manufacturer agreed to pay up to a total of $151 million to settle a civil lawsuit brought on behalf of more than 200,000 West Virginia residents whose water was contaminated by a chemical spill in early 2014.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/companies-agree-to-settle-west-virginia-chemical-spill-suits-1477965273
Millions of older homes still have lead paint on the walls. Make sure yours is safe.
Washington Post
In 1978, the federal government banned the use of lead-based paint in homes after long-term studies showed that lead causes severe health problems, especially in children under 6, damaging their nervous systems even before birth.
Press Releases
| USDA Announces $331 Million Investment for Clean Water Infrastructure in Rural Communities |
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| Nearly Half of Grant Funds to Assist Persistently Poor StrikeForce Counties |
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| WASHINGTON, Nov. 1, 2016 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $331 million in 85 projects that will improve water and wastewater infrastructure in rural areas in 39 states and American Samoa. Community infrastructure investments are a key piece of USDA's mission to support America's rural communities, and these investments build on the $13.9 billion USDA has invested over the course of the Obama Administration to support 5,825 water and waste infrastructure projects that currently benefit 19.5 million rural residents. "Strategic investments like these into community infrastructure provide a path to rural economic growth," Vilsack said. "Water and wastewater upgrades protect the health and safety of those who live and work in rural areas, and are especially critical given today's aging infrastructure in areas that have not fully benefited from rural America's economic rebound. Modernizing water and wastewater systems improves the quality of life and can help attract jobs to rural communities." USDA is providing $264 million in loans and $67 million in grants through Rural Development's Water & Environmental Programs. These programs provide assistance and financing to develop drinking water and waste disposal systems for communities with 10,000 or fewer residents. For example, in South Carolina, the Laurens County Water and Sewer Commission is receiving a $34.8 million USDA loan and a $1.2 million USDA grant to construct a water treatment plant. Currently, the Commission purchases water from three separate water systems, whose infrastructure is aging. The Summit Springs Regional Waste District in Henry County, Ind., is receiving a $1.4 million loan and a $4.2 million grant for a sewer rehabilitation project to address raw sewage leakages and to comply with environmental regulations. The city of Truth or Consequences in Sierra County, N.M., has been selected for a $715,000 loan and a $4.5 million grant for the second phase of wastewater treatment plant improvements to comply with environmental regulations. Sierra County is included in USDA's StrikeForce for Rural Growth and Opportunity initiative to address persistent poverty across America. Of the 85 projects announced today, 21 are located in StrikeForce areas, and one project – an Emergency Community Water Assistance Grant in Jackson, Ky., – is also in an area targeted for assistance by the Obama Administration's Promise Zone initiative. These 21 projects are receiving more than $63 million in loans and $30 million in grants, which is 28 percent of today's total investment and nearly 45 percent of the grant funding. Funding for each project announced today is contingent upon the recipient meeting the terms of the loan, grant or loan/grant agreement. Today's funding builds on USDA's historic investments in rural America over the past seven years. Since 2009, USDA has worked to strengthen and support rural communities and American agriculture, an industry that supports one in 11 American jobs, provides American consumers with more than 80 percent of the food we consume, ensures that Americans spend less of their paychecks at the grocery store than most people in other countries, and supports markets for homegrown renewable energy and materials. Since 2009, USDA Rural Development (@USDARD) has invested $13.9 billion for 5,825 water and waste infrastructure projects, benefiting 19.5 million rural residents; invested nearly $13 billion to start or expand nearly 112,000 rural businesses; helped 1.1 million rural residents buy homes; funded nearly 9,200 community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care facilities; and helped bring high-speed Internet access to nearly 6 million rural residents and businesses. USDA also has invested $38.2 billion in 1,057 electric projects that have financed more than 198,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines serving 4.6 million rural residents. For more information, visit www.usda.gov/results. To read more about USDA's investments in rural America and its successful turnaround, visit USDA's entry on Medium.com, Rural America Is Back in Business. # |
