State
EPA REJECTS MAYOR YARBER’S ATTEMPT TO BLAME POLITICS FOR NOT MEETING DEADLINES
Northside Sun
Mayor Tony Yarber’s cries that Jackson won’t be able to meet its consent decree deadlines because of politics appear to be failing to gain any sympathy from the EPA.
Free syringe disposal is sharp idea
Daily Leader
Individuals with medical conditions that require injections can drop off their needles at Guy’s Pharmacy and LaRue’s Discount Drugs, both in Brookhaven. The disposal service is provided at no charge
http://www.dailyleader.com/2016/12/15/free-syringe-disposal-is-sharp-idea/
Raw sewage makes a real mess in Biloxi
Sun Herald
BILOXI
Hundreds of gallons of raw sewage gushed onto U.S. 90 on Thursday morning after a force main broke on the old Broadwater property.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/local/counties/harrison-county/article121068378.html
MSU: Rice farmers can get same yield with 1/3 less water
AP
STARKVILLE, MISS.
Mississippi State University researchers say that some rice farmers can use much less water and get the same yield by flooding their fields at the start and end of the season, and letting them dry out a bit in between.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/state/mississippi/article121260788.html
Energy project could bring $250 million converter station to Lowndes County
WCBI
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WTVA) -- Half of a $1.4 billion energy project spanning several southern states will be built in Mississippi.
How do we recover from a storm? Students find solutions
Sun Herald
OCEAN SPRINGS
Hurricane Katrina. The BP oil spill. Coast residents are painfully aware of the consequences disasters or environmental neglect can have on the area.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/local/education/article121157953.html
Water bottler to open $78M plant in Mississippi, hiring 38
AP
BYHALIA, Miss. — A water bottling company will open a $78 million facility in Marshall County next year, hiring 38 workers.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/business/2016/12/15/mississippi-water-bottler-plant/95478360/
Oil Spill
USF researcher to study effects of Deepwater Horizon spill with $1M grant
Tampa Bay Times
ST. PETERSBURG — A researcher at the University of South Florida has been awarded a $1 million grant to study how oil spills impact fishing communities.
National
Red states ask Trump for quick action against climate rule
The Hill
Officials from 24 conservative states want President-elect Donald Trumpto take action on his first day in office against President Obama’s climate change rule for power plants.
EPA Seeking to Redefine Small Business Under Chemicals Law
Bloomberg
Chemical company reporting requirements may change as the Environmental Protection Agency considers revising the size standards for small chemical manufacturers under the amended Toxic Substances Control Act.
https://www.bna.com/epa-seeking-redefine-n73014448619/
Proposed rule: Shrimpers should use safety devices to protect endangered sea turtles
McClatchy
WASHINGTON
In an effort to save thousands of endangered sea turtles, the Obama administration on Thursday issued proposed rules that would require U.S. shrimping boats to insert metal grates into their nets to allow the gentle creatures to escape.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article121095623.html
Lafayette, La, and Baltimore win EPA air monitoring award
AP
LAFAYETTE, La. — Cities in Louisiana and Maryland have won a national Environmental Protection Administration contest for plans to have residents set out hundreds of air pollution sensors, with results made public.
http://www.startribune.com/lafayette-la-and-baltimore-win-epa-air-monitoring-award/406922146/
Corpus Christi, Texas, Issues Water Warning After Chemical Spill
Officials say asphalt emulsifier known as Indulin AA-86 has leaked into city’s water system
WSJ
Officials in the Texas Gulf Coast city of Corpus Christi warned residents and businesses on Thursday not to use tap water after a chemical spill was suspected of contaminating the municipal water supply.
DuPont Agrees to Largest Settlement in Virginia History
WVIR
RICHMOND, Va. (WVIR) -DuPont has agreed to pay the largest natural resource settlement in Virginia history for mercury contamination in Waynesboro.
http://www.nbc29.com/story/34066031/dupont-agrees-to-largest-settlement-in-virginia-history
EPA Seeks to Fine Chemical Giant Nearly $5M for Hawaii Case
AP
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday it's seeking nearly $5 million in fines against a unit of the Swiss chemical giant Syngenta for the company's alleged violations of pesticide regulations in Hawaii.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/epa-seeks-fine-chemical-giant-5m-hawaii-case-44222261
Press Releases
EPA Takes Action to Prevent Poisonings from Herbicide
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing safety measures to stop poisonings caused by ingestion of the herbicide paraquat, which can also cause severe injuries or death from skin or eye exposure.
Since 2000, there have been 17 deaths – three involving children – caused by accidental ingestion of paraquat. These cases have resulted from the pesticide being illegally transferred to beverage containers and later mistaken for a drink and consumed. A single sip can be fatal. To prevent these tragedies, EPA is requiring:
• new closed-system packaging designed to make it impossible to transfer or remove the pesticide except directly into the proper application equipment;
• special training for certified applicators who use paraquat to emphasize that the chemical must not be transferred to or stored in improper containers; and
• changes to the pesticide label and warning materials to highlight the toxicity and risks associated with paraquat.
In addition to the deaths by accidental ingestion, since 2000 there have been three deaths and many severe injuries caused by the pesticide getting onto the skin or into the eyes of those working with the herbicide. To reduce exposure to workers who mix, load and apply paraquat, EPA is restricting the use of paraquat to certified pesticide applicators only. Uncertified individuals working under the supervision of a certified applicator will be prohibited from using paraquat.
Paraquat is one of the most widely-used herbicides in the U.S. for the control of weeds in many agricultural and non-agricultural settings and is also used as a defoliant on crops such as cotton prior to harvest.
EPA proposed similar measures last March and took public comment.
Actions on specific pesticides are one way that EPA is protecting workers from pesticide exposure. EPA’s Final Certification and Training and Worker Protection Standard rules will also protect pesticide applicators and farmworkers.
Learn more about paraquat and the new measures to reduce risk: https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/paraquat-dichloride
Learn about EPA’s Certification and Training Rule: https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-worker-safety/revised-certification-standards-pesticide-applicators
Learn about EPA’s Worker Protection Standard: https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-worker-safety/revisions-worker-protection-standard
To View the docket on www.regulations.gov: EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0855-0112
EPA Helps 25 Communities Meet Environmental Goals, Foster Economic Development
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced that 25 communities will receive technical assistance to pursue development strategies that advance clean air, clean water, economic development and other local goals. EPA selected the communities from among 76 applicants to the Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities program. In 2017, EPA staff and national experts will conduct one to two-day workshops to help the community address development-oriented issues.
“Through our Building Blocks program, local leaders can guide their communities towards a healthier, more vibrant future,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “Communities shouldn’t have to choose between protecting the environment and creating economic opportunity.”
EPA selected the following communities, located in 19 states: Skykomish, WA; Willamina, OR; Bishop, CA; Apache Junction, AZ; Questa, NM; Raton, NM; Pueblo, CO; Oglala Sioux Tribe, Pine Ridge, SD; Randolph, NE; Brownsville, TX; Logansport, LA; Acadia Parish, LA; Winona, MN; Detroit, MI; Fairview Park, OH; Manatee County, FL; Miami, FL; Myrtle Beach, SC; Pocomoke City, MD; Baltimore, MD; Kingston, NY; Central Falls, RI; Wareham, MA; Hartford, CT; and Lenox, MA.
The agency is offering five assistance tools this year: Green and Complete Streets, Equitable Development, Planning for Infill Development, Sustainable Strategies for Small Cities and Rural Areas, and Flood Resilience for Riverine and Coastal Communities. Using the Green and Complete Streets tool, for example, EPA will assist Manatee County, FL by exploring how the county could develop long-term stormwater plans for the 15th Street corridor. These plans would create green space, encourage redevelopment, and reduce flooding while cleaning runoff before it pollutes the Sarasota Bay. EPA will also work with Winona, MN to create a plan that will help the community develop within geographical constraints that include the Mississippi River on one side and bluffs on the other.
Since 2011, the Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities program has provided assistance to 130 communities in 41 states. As a result of this assistance, community groups, local governments, and tribal governments across the nation have increased their capacity to grow and develop in ways that protect the environment, improve public health, create jobs and economic opportunity, and improve overall quality of life.
More information on the Building Blocks program:
https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/building-blocks-sustainable-communities
