News Clippings 1/13/17

State

 

Not Talking

Northside Sun

Mayor Yarber silent on plans for consent decree outlook

Jackson leaders are tight-lipped on the challenges the city faces with its $400 million sewer consent decree.

http://northsidesun.com/front-page-slideshow-news/not-talking#sthash.xciIApKd.dpbs

 

 

Tupelo works on 2 million dollar sewer project

WTVA

TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) - The Chesterville area of Tupelo is getting an updated sewer system. This is a two million dollar project.

http://www.wtva.com/story/34249949/tupelo-works-on-2-million-dollar-sewer-project

 

 

 

Summit works on terms for water swap with McComb

Enterprise-Journal

Summit officials are moving forward with a deal to exchange some water customers with McComb, although the fine print still needs to be written.

http://www.enterprise-journal.com/news/article_2354eb88-d821-11e6-9ffe-3fe98623b33d.html

 

 

Consultant sees potential of redeveloping Village Fair Mall brownfield site

Meridian Star

The Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors received a lesson in brownfield redevelopment Thursday as they consider the viability of the former Village Fair Mall on 22nd Avenue in Meridian as a potential site for a new courthouse. 

http://www.meridianstar.com/news/local_news/consultant-sees-potential-of-redeveloping-village-fair-mall-brownfield-site/article_0ae4cdd7-4155-5678-bbd3-71ade1265cb7.html

 

 

 

COAST RESIDENTS JOIN PROTESTS AGAINST TRUMP ENVIRONMENTAL PICKS

MPB

Some Mississippi Gulf Coast residents are voicing concerns about a number of President-Elect Donald Trump’s picks for his cabinet. About 40 coast residents attended a rally in Gulfport on Monday evening to protest some of the nominees and their stance on climate change.

http://www.mpbonline.org/blogs/news/2017/01/10/coast-residents-join-protests-against-trump-environmental-picks/

 

 

R’LAND MITIGATING WETLANDS, REPLACING BOX CULVERT BEFORE CONTINUING LAKE HARBOUR

Northside Sun

RIDGELAND IS still working to make progress on the Lake Harbour Drive extension project. Recently, the city mitigated wetlands in the area.

http://northsidesun.com/news/r%E2%80%99land-mitigating-wetlands-replacing-box-culvert-continuing-lake-harbour

 

Cold start to year pushes large number of ducks into Delta

AP

JACKSON, MISS. 

Mississippi officials say cold weather last week resulted in the highest count of ducks in the state since at least 2005.

http://www.sunherald.com/news/state/mississippi/article126322024.html

 

DMR UNVEILS NEW VESSELS

WXXV

Today in Pascagoula the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources unveiled two of their newest vessels.
http://www.wxxv25.com/2017/01/12/dmr-unveils-new-vessels/

 

Mississippi electric rates rise with natural gas prices

AP

JACKSON, MS (AP) -Customers of Mississippi's two private electric utilities will see higher bills in February as they pass through rebounding natural gas costs.

http://www.wlox.com/story/34247892/mississippi-electric-rates-rise-with-natural-gas-prices

 

Bryant forced to make more budget cuts

Clarion Ledger

Gov. Phil Bryant on Thursday announced another round of emergency mid-year budget cuts to most state agencies, the fourth round of cuts for many agencies in less than two years, with more cuts planned by lawmakers as they set the coming year's budget.

http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/2017/01/12/bryant-budget-cuts/96494962/

 

State Health Director: No layoffs, but high concern

Clarion Ledger

The state Department of Health does not expect to incur layoffs, amid the latest round of mid-year budget cuts ordered by Gov. Phil Bryant.

http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/2017/01/12/state-health-director-no-layoffs-but-high-concern/96512524/

 

DPS vet of 43 years, Santa Cruz, ready to retire

Clarion Ledger

In 1974, Department of Public Safety Commissioner Albert Santa Cruz donned a Mississippi Highway Patrol uniform. Now he leads and fights for the agency that began shaping him 43 years ago.

http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/2017/01/11/dps-vet-43-years-santa-cruz-ready-retire/95617488/

 

Oil Spill

Petal Upper Elementary Students visit Infinity Science Center

WDAM

BAY ST. LOUIS, MS (WDAM) -Petal Upper Elementary School visited the Infinity Science Center on the Gulf Coast Thursday morning. The science museum is a non-profit that supports STEM education in schools. 

http://www.wdam.com/story/34249923/petal-upper-elementary-students-visit-infinity-science-center

 

Coast’s economic recovery lags behind rest of state, official says

Sun Herald

LONG BEACH 

The Coast’s economy lags behind other regions of the state, which underscores the need for legislators to keep BP settlement money on the Coast, an economic leader said Thursday.

http://www.sunherald.com/news/local/article126244454.html

 

Regional

 

Geismar plant to pay $1.4 million fine for improperly disposing hazardous waste

The Advocate

Owners of a Geismar chemical plant have agreed to pay a $1.4 million fine for failing to properly dispose of hazardous waste, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday.

http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/environment/article_e9567db2-d919-11e6-80c4-73d15ac0df2b.html?sr_source=lift_amplify

 

Pipeline hearing attracts crowd concerned about Atchafalaya

The Advocate

A crowd of more than 400 — thick with environmentalists, crawfishermen and oil-and-gas workers — packed into a Thursday permit hearing in Baton Rouge on a proposed 163-mile oil pipeline that would cut through the Atchafalaya Basin and span much of south Louisiana.

http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/environment/article_df87e132-d927-11e6-b036-9ffd6f09c0fc.html?sr_source=lift_amplify

 

National

 

There's less hydrochloric acid, mercury and other chemicals in the air, EPA says

Times-Picayune

Industrial facilities nationwide covered by an Environmental Protection Agency program reported "a substantial decrease" in toxic chemical releases between 2005 and 2015, according to the EPA Thursday afternoon (Jan. 12).

http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2017/01/chemical_waste_decreases_in_na.html#incart_river_index

 

In EPA Rebuke, Judge Orders Quick Evaluation on Coal Jobs

AP

A judge has ordered federal regulators to quickly evaluate how many power plant and coal mining jobs are lost because of air pollution regulations.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/epa-rebuke-judge-orders-quick-evaluation-coal-jobs-44745788

 

Fight over EPA pick heats up ahead of hearing

The Hill

Supporters and opponents of President-elect Donald Trump's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pick launched a new round of volleys in the fight over the nomination on Thursday.

http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/overnights/314087-overnight-energy-pruitt-fight-heats-up-ahead-of-hearing

 

Greens’ ads hit EPA pick on pollution rules, earthquakes

The Hill

The Sierra Club is launching a new advertising campaign pushing senators to vote against President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt.

http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/313951-greens-ads-hit-epa-pick-on-pollution-rules-earthquakes

 

EPA: Fiat Chrysler cheated federal emissions testing

The Hill

Regulators are accusing Italian-American car giant Fiat Chrysler of deliberately skirting federal emissions testing for some of its diesel vehicles. 

http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/313960-epa-fiat-chrysler-cheated-federal-emissions-testing

 

Reports: Renault probed over diesel emissions

USA Today

Shares of Renault SA fell Friday following a report that the French automaker has become the latest car company under investigation over diesel emissions.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/01/13/reports-renault-probed-over-diesel-emissions/96530572/

 

White House Urges Research on Geoengineering to Combat Global Warming

NY Times

A White House road map for federally funded climate research has for the first time recommended research into geoengineering, the concept of intervening in nature to slow or reverse global warming.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/10/science/geoengineering-climate-change-global-warming.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fearth&action=click&contentCollection=earth&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0

 

US agrees to pay billions to Marines affected by toxic water

AP

WASHINGTON 

After years of wait, veterans who had been exposed to contaminated drinking water while assigned to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina may now be able to receive a portion of government disability benefits totaling more than $2 billion.

http://www.sunherald.com/news/nation-world/article126321484.html

 

Flint, US Officials Tell Flint Residents Water Is Improving

AP

Flint officials, along with Michigan and federal officials, say the most recent test results show the level of lead in the city's water is dropping.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/epa-official-improvement-flints-water-system-44704646

 

EPA: 540 Tons of Metals Entered River in Colo. Mine Spill

AP

Nearly 540 tons of metals — mostly iron and aluminum — contaminated the Animas River over nine hours during a massive wastewater spill from an abandoned Colorado gold mine, the Environmental Protection Agency said Friday in a new report on the 2015 blowout that turned rivers in three states a sickly yellow.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/epa-540-tons-metals-entered-river-colo-mine-44607613

 

Is the great California drought finally ending?

LA Times

The state’s biggest reservoirs are swelling. The Sierra Nevada have seen as much snow, sleet, hail and rain as during the wettest years on record. Rainy Los Angeles feels more like London than Southern California.

http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-storms-drought-20170111-story.html

 

State eyes action against chemical plant hit by union strike

AP

WATERFORD, N.Y. 

State officials say they're concerned about safety issues at an upstate New York chemical plant where more than three dozen spills have been reported since hundreds of union workers went on strike in November.

http://www.sunherald.com/news/business/article126326939.html

 

New regs for Thursday: Foreign exchange students, giant manta rays, fish

The Hill

Rays: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is proposing to protect giant manta rays.

Fish: But the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) will not protect Alabama shad fish.

http://thehill.com/regulation/313733-new-regs-for-thursday-foreign-exchange-students-giant-manta-rays-fish

 

Press Releases

 

EPA Report Shows Air Emissions of Toxic Chemicals from Industrial Facilities Down More Than Half Since 2005

Reductions provide important public health benefits for communities across the nation

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released its annual Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) National Analysis, which shows releases of toxic chemicals into the air fell 56% from 2005-2015 at industrial facilities submitting data to the TRI program.

"Today’s report shows action by EPA, state and tribal regulators and the regulated community has helped dramatically lower toxic air emissions over the past 10 years,” said Jim Jones, EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “The TRI report provides citizens access to information about what toxic chemicals are being released in their neighborhoods and what companies are doing to prevent pollution.”

The report shows an 8% decrease from 2014 to 2015 at facilities reporting to the program contributed to this ten-year decline. Hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, toluene and mercury were among chemicals with significantly lower air releases at TRI-covered facilities. Medical professionals have associated these toxic air pollutants with health effects that include damage to developing nervous systems and respiratory irritation.

Combined hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid air releases fell more than 566 million pounds, mercury more than 76,000 pounds, and toluene more than 32 million pounds at TRI-covered facilities. Coal- and oil-fired electric utilities accounted for more than 90% of nationwide reductions in air releases of hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid and mercury from 2005 to 2015 in facilities reporting to the program. This trend is helping protect millions of families and children from these harmful pollutants. Reasons for these reductions include a shift from coal to other fuel sources, the installation of control technologies, and implementation of environmental regulations.

In 2015, of the nearly 26 billion pounds of total chemical waste managed at TRI-covered industrial facilities (excluding metal mines), approximately 92% was not released into the environment due to the use of preferred waste management practices such as recycling, energy recovery, and treatment. This calculation does not include the metal mining sector, which presents only limited opportunities for pollution prevention. The TRI Pollution Prevention (P2) Search Tool has more information about how individual facilities and parent companies are managing waste and reducing pollution at the source.

EPA, states, and tribes receive TRI data annually from facilities in industry sectors such as manufacturing, metal mining, electric utilities, and commercial hazardous waste management. Under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), facilities must report their toxic chemical releases for the prior calendar year to EPA by July 1 of each year. The Pollution Prevention Act also requires facilities to submit information on pollution prevention and other waste management activities of TRI chemicals. Nearly 22,000 facilities submitted TRI data for calendar year 2015.

This year’s report also includes a section highlighting the new Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act. This section focuses on the overlap between TRI chemicals and chemicals designated as Work Plan chemicals by EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

The TRI National Analysis website includes new interactive features such as an automated “flipbook” [https://www.epa.gov/trinationalanalysis/30-year-anniversary-tri-program-slideshow] depicting how the TRI Program has evolved over the past 30 years, and a new embedded dashboard that allows users to build customized visualizations of TRI data by a chemical or a sector. These features are intended to promote more user engagement and exploration of TRI data.

To access the 2015 TRI National Analysis, including local data and analyses, visit www.epa.gov/trinationalanalysis

Information on facility efforts to reduce toxic chemical releases is available at www.epa.gov/tri/p2.

 

 

USDA Releases New Report on Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Balance of Ethanol   Analysis finds that U.S. corn-based ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 43 percent compared to gasoline, with additional benefits projected through 2022   WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2017—Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the release of a report studying the lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) balance of corn ethanol. The report, A Life-Cycle Analysis of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Corn-Based Ethanol, finds that GHG emissions associated with corn-based ethanol in the United States are about 43 percent lower than gasoline when measured on an energy equivalent basis. Unlike other studies of GHG benefits, which relied on forecasts of future ethanol production systems and expected impacts on the farm sector, this study reviewed how the industry and farm sectors performed over the past decade to assess the current GHG profile of corn-based ethanol. "This report provides evidence that corn ethanol can be a GHG-friendly alternative to fossil fuels, while boosting farm economies" said Vilsack. This report found greater lifecycle GHG benefits from corn ethanol than a number of earlier studies, driven by a variety of improvements in ethanol production, from the corn field to the ethanol refinery. Farmers are producing corn more efficiently and using conservation practices that reduce GHG emissions, including reduced tillage, cover crops and improved nitrogen management. Corn yields are also improving—between 2005 and 2015, U.S. corn yields increased by more than 10 percent. Between 2005 and 2015, ethanol production in the U.S. also increased significantly—from 3.9 to 14.8 billion gallons per year. At the same time, advances in ethanol production technologies, such as the use of combined heat and power, using landfill gas for energy, and co-producing biodiesel helped reduce GHG emissions at ethanol refinery plants. By 2022, given current trends, the GHG profile of corn-based ethanol is expected to be almost 50 percent lower than gasoline primarily due to improvements in corn yields, process fuel switching, and transportation efficiency. The report also examines a range of factors that could enhance the GHG benefits of corn ethanol production and provides estimates of how those factors change ethanol's lifecycle GHG emissions. For example, the report examined the benefits of improving the efficiency of ethanol refinery plants and adoption of additional conservation practices on corn-producing farms. In a scenario where these improvements and practices are universally adopted, the GHG benefits of corn ethanol are even more pronounced over gasoline, about a 76 percent reduction. There are several reasons this report found greater lifecycle GHG benefits from corn ethanol than a number of earlier studies. Previous estimates anticipated that growing corn to produce ethanol would result in "indirect land use change"—in other words, land would be converted from grasslands and forests to commodity production as a result of increased demand for corn used in ethanol production. But based on new data and research, there is compelling evidence that while land use changes have occurred, the actual patterns of changes and innovation within the farm sector have resulted in these indirect emissions being much lower than previously projected. Recent studies of international agricultural land use trends show that that the primary land use change response of the world's farmers from 2004 to 2012 has been to use available land resources more efficiently rather than to expand the amount of land used for farming. Instead of converting new land to production, farmers in Brazil, India and China have increased double cropping, expanded irrigation, reduced unharvested planted area, reduced fallow land and reduced temporary pasture. Much of the international attention on supply of corn for ethanol has focused on Brazil, where earlier estimates anticipated conversion of rainforests to commodity production. But between 2004 and 2012, at the same time U.S. corn ethanol production increased more than 200 percent, deforestation in Brazil's Amazon decreased from 10,200 to 2,400 square miles per year. The report also demonstrates the added GHG benefits of on-farm conservation practices like reduced tillage, nitrogen stewardship, and cover crops—the same practices outlined in USDA's Building Blocks for Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry strategy, which aims to reduce GHG emissions by over 120 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year by 2025. Continuing to support adoption of these practices on farms will further reduce GHG emissions associated with agriculture—as well as benefiting the positive trends in lifecycle GHG balance of corn-based ethanol. For a summary of the report findings see the USDA Factsheet: Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Corn-Based Ethanol. For more information on USDA's Climate Change activities, or visit www.usda.gov/climatesolutions. #

 

 

USDA Announces $252 Million Available for Regional Conservation Partnership Program   Applications requested for innovative partner-driven projects   WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2017 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today invited potential conservation partners, including private industry, non-government organizations, Indian tribes, state and local governments, water districts, and universities to submit project applications for federal funding through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). Through this fourth RCPP Announcement for Program Funding (APF), USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will award up to $252 million dollars to locally driven, public-private partnerships that improve the nation's water quality, combat drought, enhance soil health, support wildlife habitat, and protect agricultural viability. Applicants must match or exceed the federal award with private or local funds. "Through unprecedented collaboration, the Regional Conservation Partnership Program has established a new paradigm for working lands conservation that yields unparalleled results," Vilsack said. "Working together, RCPP projects in every state are demonstrating the ways in which locally-led initiatives can meet some of our most pressing natural resource concerns." Created by the 2014 Farm Bill, RCPP connects partners with producers and private landowners to design and implement voluntary conservation solutions that benefit natural resources, agriculture, and the economy. By 2018, NRCS and its more than 2,000 conservation partners will have invested at least $2.4 billion in high-impact RCPP projects nationwide. For example, three existing RCPP projects bring together more than 40 partners, including USA Rice, Ducks Unlimited, California Rice Commission, the Walmart Foundation and The Mosaic Company, to accelerate conservation on rice lands in six states facing water quality and quantity challenges. These projects, collectively called the USA Rice-Ducks Unlimited Rice Stewardship Partnership, aim to conserve water and wildlife habitat while sustaining the future of rice farming in the United States. With unique technical expertise and needs, each state is leading a partner-driven, local approach to conservation in rice agriculture. In its most recent RCPP awards, NRCS last month announced that 88 high-impact projects across the country will receive $225 million in federal funding, with more than double that investment from partners. The new Gulf of Mexico – Forest to Sea RCPP project will conserve Florida's pristine "Big Bend" area along the northeastern Gulf by implementing innovative conservation solutions with private working forest owners. Using an impact investment approach, The Conservation Fund and 12 partners will implement an easement and restoration plan on large forested tracts to address the natural resource concerns while allowing sustainable timber harvesting and maintaining local jobs. The project will serve as a model for further conservation and impact investing in the region and beyond. NRCS Chief Jason Weller encourages partners to consider conservation finance and environmental markets as they develop RCPP project applications. "The growing field of conservation finance provides opportunities to inject significant investment capital into projects that protect, restore and maintain our natural ecosystems," says Weller. USDA is now accepting proposals for Fiscal Year 2018 RCPP funding. Pre-proposals are due April 21. For more information on applying, visit the RCPP website. Since 2009, USDA has invested more than $29 billion to help producers make conservation improvements, working with as many as 500,000 farmers, ranchers and landowners to protect over 400 million acres nationwide, boosting soil and air quality, cleaning and conserving water and enhancing wildlife habitat. For an interactive look at USDA's work in conservation and forestry over the course of this Administration, visit http://medium.com/usda-results. #