State
New suggestion to burn vegetation debris in drain creeks comes before Tupelo city council
WTVA
TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) - Branches and leaves may not look like a big deal.
But when they clog drains, they can be a problem for farmers.
 | WTVA.com | New suggestion to burn vegetation debris in drain creeks comes before Tupelo city council www.wtva.com TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) - Branches and leaves may not look like a big deal. But when they clog drains, they can be a problem for farmer | |
Despite residents' concerns, development starts on Pebble Creek
Oxford Eagle
Pebble Creek subdivision has been given the go-ahead on the first phase of their development, despite concerns from nearby residents of The Lakes subdivision who are worried about the potential strain on the Punkin Water System, as well as the liability they would face if the levee at Spring Lake failed and flooded Pebble Creek.
http://www.oxfordeagle.com/2016/12/19/despite-residents-concerns-development-starts-on-pebble-creek/
| www.oxfordeagle.com Pebble Creek subdivision has been given the go-ahead on the first phase of their development, despite concerns from nearby residents of The Lakes subdivision who are worried about the potential strain on the Punkin Water System, as well as the liability they would face if the levee at Spring Lake failed and flooded Pebble Creek. […] |
Hattiesburg residents see little relief, few answers for brown water
WDAM
HATTIESBURG, MS (WDAM) -Residents in Hattiesburg's Parkhaven neighborhood say the city isn't following through on agreements to to help them deal with discolored water, and some say they shouldn't be paying for water they can't drink.
MDA remains optimistic about 2017
By Becky Gillette
Mississippi Business Journal
JACKSON – What's ahead for Mississippi's economy in 2017? Mississippi Development Authority Executive Director Glenn L. McCullough Jr. expects 2017 to be another exciting year in economic development in Mississippi.
http://djournal.com/news/mda-remains-optimistic-2017/
Oil Spill
BP Eyes Growth with String of Oil, Gas Deals
Agreement with Kosmos Energy shows continued determination to pump more despite oil and gas price crashes
WSJ
LONDON-- BP PLC has pulled off a string of deals in recent weeks that signal the British oil giant is looking to grow again after six years of retrenchment following the deadly Deepwater Horizon disaster.
National
EPA stops work on climate rule compliance program
The Hill
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stopped work Monday on writing an optional program that states could use to comply with the climate change rule for power plants.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/311032-epa-stops-work-on-climate-rule-compliance-option
Study: Climate regs could cost $4.5T
The Hill
Climate regulations could cost the average American more than $10,000 by 2050, according a new study by the business-friendly American Action Forum (AAF).
http://thehill.com/regulation/energy-environment/311075-study-climate-regs-could-cost-45t
Climate report says 2016 on record to be hottest year yet
Times-Picayune
With a month to go before 2017, government scientists are saying 2016 is on pace to be the hottest year for Earth since records began in 1880. The findings come from a global analysis published Monday (Dec. 19) by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
http://www.nola.com/weather/index.ssf/2016/12/2016_to_be_hottest_year_yet.html#incart_river_index
Obama issues mining rule despite Trump's threat to repeal it
The Hill
The Obama administration issued a controversial coal mining regulation Monday that President-elect Donald Trump has promised to repeal.
McConnell to push resolution nixing Obama coal rule
The Hill
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) says he will introduce a resolution in January to undo an Obama administration coal rule released on Monday.
Visualizing the Invisible Drivers of Climate Change
NY Times
This new visualization from NASA shows how carbon dioxide dances in the atmosphere.
Press Releases
Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council Approves 2016 Comprehensive Plan Update
NEW ORLEANS, LA – The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (Council) held a public meeting on Friday, December 16th, 2016. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, in his role as chair of the Council announced the approval of the Comprehensive Plan Update. This plan was unanimously adopted by the Council, which includes the five Gulf States (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas) and six federal agencies (U.S. Departments of the Interior, Commerce, Agriculture, and Homeland Security, as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Army). The Council also heard from some of its key restoration partners including representatives from the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustees and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund.
"Today's announcement builds the foundation for state and federal partners to fulfill their commitments to the 22 million Americans who live in Gulf coastal counties and parishes to revitalize their economies and the Gulf ecosystem they depend upon," Vilsack said. "The Comprehensive Plan Update reflects unprecedented collaboration between federal, state, tribal and local partners and creates the framework for ongoing coordination, engagement and transparency as we continue to invest in strategies to restore this vital region."
The Council has updated its Initial Comprehensive Plan to include recent developments in Gulf restoration such as the resolution of civil claims against BP for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, a source of future funding for the Council's projects. The update also captures important public input and lessons learned from the process of developing and approving its initial Funded Priorities List (FPL), its first slate of restoration activities to be funded through the RESTORE Act, and positions the Council to make the most effective use of future funds as they become available beginning in 2017.
"The Council is pleased to present this Comprehensive Plan Update," said Justin R. Ehrenwerth, Executive Director of the Council. "We thank the public for comments provided on the draft update. The Council has incorporated modifications to the update based on public input. We look forward to continuing to work with stakeholders as we move forward with comprehensive restoration across the coast."
A recording of the meeting and additional information about both The Comprehensive Plan Update 2016 and theResponse to Public Comments can be found on the Council's website, www.RestoreTheGulf.gov.
Background
The Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast Act of 2012 (RESTORE Act) established the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (Council) and the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund (Trust Fund), and dedicates 80 percent of Clean Water Act penalties resulting from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to the Trust Fund, for restoration projects in the Gulf Coast
region. The Council is responsible for administering 60 percent of the total funding allocated from the Trust Fund: 30 percent (plus interest) under the Council-Selected Restoration Component and 30 percent under the Spill Impact Component. The Council is chaired by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, and members include the Governors of the States of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, as well as the Secretaries of the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Homeland Security, the Army and the Interior, and the Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Council is responsible for helping to restore the ecosystems and economies of the Gulf Coast region by developing and overseeing implementation of a Comprehensive Plan and carrying out other responsibilities. Read more about the Comprehensive Plan, the RESTORE Act and the Council at www.RestoreTheGulf.gov.
EPA Announces 2016 Annual Environmental Enforcement Results
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced its 2016 annual enforcement and compliance results, highlighted by a series of high-impact cases that are delivering environmental and public health benefits to communities across the country. During EPA's 2016 fiscal year—which spanned October 1, 2015 to September 30, 2016—EPA enforcement actions secured $13.7 billion in investments by companies for projects to control pollution. EPA also secured enforceable commitments that ensure the proper treatment, storage and disposal of an estimated 62 billion pounds of hazardous waste, the majority coming through a settlement with Mosaic Fertilizer for their eight facilities across Florida and Louisiana.
Two recent landmark settlements—one with BP and one with Volkswagen—are among the most comprehensive and impactful environmental cases in U.S. history. On April 4, 2016, the court entered an agreement with BP for a $20.8 billion settlement to resolve Clean Water Act violations stemming from the Deepwater Horizon blowout and resulting oil spill, with more than $20 billion going to restore impacted communities and the environment. In a case that was lodged in fiscal year 2015 but not entered by the court until October 25, 2016, Volkswagen agreed to spend up to $14.7 billion on projects to reduce air pollution, remedy environmental damage and buy back 2.0 liter diesel vehicles to settle allegations of using illegal software to cheat emissions tests and deceive customers.
"EPA's enforcement work continues to hold violators accountable and deliver investments to reduce pollution in our communities," said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "The American public depends on EPA to enforce the law, protect our communities from pollution and help ensure a level playing field for responsible companies."
To view an interactive map showing the location of EPA's 2016 enforcement actions, click here
EPA's 2016 enforcement efforts also secured:
- More than $1 billion in commitments from responsible parties to clean up Superfund sites, and return $55 million to the Superfund trust.
- Commitments from companies to reduce, treat or eliminate releases of pollution by an estimated 324 million pounds per year.
- Clean up of an estimated 174 million cubic yards of contaminated water or aquifers and 17 million cubic yards of contaminated soil.
- A combined $6 billion in federal administrative, civil judicial penalties and criminal penalties.
- $207 million in criminal fines and restitution, and a combined 93 years of incarceration for criminal violations of federal environmental laws.
EPA continued to pursue high impact cases to drive compliance and tackle the biggest pollution problems across industries:
- Tesoro Corp., one of the largest fuel refiners in the U.S., and Par Hawaii Refining will improve public health protections by spending $403 million on advanced pollution control equipment to reduce air pollution at six refineries and $12 million on projects to improve public health in local communities previously impacted by pollution.
- Enbridge, which owns and operates one of the world's largest oil pipeline systems, will spend at least $110 million on implementing a series of state-of-the-art leak detection and monitoring measures to prevent spills, improve operations and protect communities across nearly 2,000 miles of its pipeline system in the Great Lakes region, following oil spills in Michigan and Illinois in 2010. Enbridge is also paying $62 million in penalties.
- In a settlement with Marathon Petroleum Company, the company will spend $319 million to install state-of-the-art air pollution controls at refineries in five different states, protecting the health of low-income and other vulnerable communities across the Southeast and Midwest.
- Sears will implement a comprehensive, corporate-wide program to ensure its contractors minimize lead dust from home renovation activities to protect the health of children and other vulnerable communities from exposure to lead-based paint.
- A settlement with Southern Coal Corporation and its affiliates requires the companies to comprehensively upgrade their coal mining and processing operations, at an estimated cost of $5 million, to prevent polluted wastewater from threatening rivers and streams and overburdened communities across Appalachia.
- A settlement with national grocery store chain Trader Joe's Company will reduce potent greenhouse gas emissions from refrigeration equipment at 453 stores nationwide and sets a high standard for the grocery industry for detecting and fixing coolant leaks.
- EPA is working closely with local governments and utilities in communities such as Salt Lake County, Utah, Greenville, Miss. and the city of Rockford, Ill. to cut discharges of raw sewage and contaminated stormwater through integrated planning, green infrastructure and other innovative approaches.
More information about EPA's fiscal year 2016 enforcement results:https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/enforcement-annual-results-fiscal-year-2016
