State
Hattiesburg heading back to federal court over wastewater regulations
WDAM
HATTIESBURG, MS (WDAM) -The City of Hattiesburg is heading to federal court to challenge its current agreement with Gulf Restoration Network and the treatment levels it sets for wastewater.
Hattiesburg to challenge GRN consent judgment in court
Hattiesburg American
Hattiesburg officials will soon head to federal court to ask a judge to change the terms of a consent judgment related to wastewater treatment issues brought forth in a 2012 lawsuit filed by Gulf Restoration Network.
National
States Take Varied Approaches to Malfunction Emissions Rule
Bloomberg
States are planning very different responses to a 2015 Environmental Protection Agency rule requiring revisions to their emissions mitigation plans, with some opting for a path that will likely draw litigation from environmental advocates.
Youth in Washington state sue government over climate change
Fox News
Eight children asked a state judge on Tuesday to find Washington in contempt for failing to adequately protect them and future generations from the harmful effects of climate change.
Federal Judge Issues Nationwide Injunction Putting Overtime-Pay Regulation on Hold
Rule would require employers to start paying overtime to workers earning salaries of less than $47,476 a year
WSJ
WASHINGTON—A federal judge issued a nationwide injunction blocking a sweeping regulation set to qualify millions more Americans for overtime pay Dec. 1, delivering a blow to one of President Barack Obama’s signature workplace rules.
Press Releases
EPA Recognizes Outstanding Food Recovery Challenge Participants
WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized the accomplishments of 13 organizations and businesses participating in EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge.
In 2015, more than 800 governments, businesses and organizations participated in EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge. Participants include organizations such as grocers, restaurants, educational institutions and sports and entertainment venues, who together kept more than 690,000 tons of food from being wasted. These efforts reduced carbon emissions equivalent to taking approximately 86,000 cars off the road for a year and saved businesses up to $35 million in avoided waste disposal fees.
“The waste reduction efforts of this year’s award winners, as well as all Food Recovery Challenge participants and endorsers, are leading the way for the United States to meet the national goal to cut food loss and waste in half by 2030,” said Mathy Stanislaus, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Land and Emergency Management. “These Food Recovery Challenge award winners are reducing food loss and waste within their communities to make America a healthier, more sustainable nation. They are leading by example and have reduced their climate footprint, helped communities and achieved cost savings by taking actions based on EPA’s Food Recovery Hierarchy and sustainable materials management best practices.”
In the United States, wasted food carries significant economic and environmental costs. Food accounts for the largest share of the municipal waste stream, with roughly 77 billion pounds discarded each year. The estimated value of food that goes uneaten each year is $161.6 billion, costing the average family up to $1,500. Uneaten food and other organic materials in landfills decompose and generate methane, a significantly harmful greenhouse gas. Landfills are one of the largest sources of methane emissions produced from human activity.
To reduce their food waste, Food Recovery Challenge participants use creative practices such as:
- Recovering food from farmers’ markets
- Creating food waste volunteer programs in high schools
- Giving college students the option to choose what goes on their plates
- Using tools to improve portion control and meal forecasting
- Adding infrastructure to more efficiently distribute perishable produce
EPA recognizes Food Recovery Challenge participants and endorsers with awards in two categories: data-driven and narrative. The data-driven award recipients achieved the highest percent increases in their sector comparing year to year data. Narrative award winners excelled in the areas of source reduction, leadership, innovation, education and outreach and endorsement. EPA is pleased to recognize the following 2016 Food Recovery Challenge national award winners:
Data-driven Improvement by Sector Winners:
Colleges and Universities: Ursinus College (Collegeville, Pennsylvania)
K-12 Schools: Lanikai School (Kailua, Hawaii)
Grocers: Sprouts Farmers Market – 205 (Claremont, California)
Restaurants and Food Service Providers: Goodkind (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Sports and Entertainment Venues: Chumash Casino Resort (Santa Ynez, California)
Hotels, Resorts, and Lodging: Ortega National Parks, LLC - Carlsbad Caverns Trading Company (Carlsbad, New Mexico)
Newcomer: Sprouts Farmers Market – 286 (La Habra, California)
Other Sector: Town of New Paltz (New Paltz, New York)
Narrative Category Winners:
Source Reduction: University of California, Davis (Davis, California)
Leadership: Sodexo (Gaithersburg, Maryland)
Innovation: Food Forward (Los Angeles, California)
Education and Outreach: Ramona High School (Ramona, California)
Endorsers: Northeast Recycling Council (Brattleboro, Vermont)
To read more, check out Mathy Stanislaus’ blog at https://blog.epa.gov/blog/2016/11/recognizing-leaders-in-food-waste-reduction-this-holiday-season/
For more information on Food Recovery Challenge award winners, visit https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/food-recovery-challenge-results-and-award-winners
For more information on the 2030 national food loss reduction goal, visit https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/united-states-2030-food-loss-and-waste-reduction-goal
Biloxi Bay oyster reefs to reopen Wednesday, Nov. 23
BILOXI, Miss. – Oyster reefs in the Biloxi Bay will reopen at legal sunrise Wednesday, Nov. 23, officials with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources said Tuesday.
The reefs, which are in Area V “A,” were closed Wednesday, Nov. 9, after excessive rainfall. The reefs reopened for one day on Wednesday, Nov. 16, but they have been closed due to poor water samples.
Water samples taken this week showed the area could be reopened for oyster harvesting. This area includes the Biloxi Bay and Shearwater reefs.
These reefs are approved for tonging only, and the daily sack limit is 15. The reefs will be closed Thanksgiving Day but will reopen Friday, Nov. 25.
Oyster fishermen began tonging for oysters on the Biloxi Bay reefs on Nov. 1, something that had not happened since 1962.
On Nov. 15, the Commission on Marine Resources approved opening reefs in the western portion of the Mississippi Sound from Nov. 17-22. Those reefs will close at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 22.
All other current rules and regulations remain in effect. For more information, call the Oyster Hotline at 228-374-5167 or 1-800-385-5902.
