State
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers asks for public input on Lake George damming project
Mississippi Press
PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Conversation surrounding the controversial Lake George project will continue as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has decided to conduct an environmental impact study to determine the pros and cons of the potential damming of the Pascagoula River.
Isaac new wastewater operator for Liberty
Enterprise-Journal
LIBERTY — Aldermen Tuesday appointed town employee James Isaac as its wastewater operator for a three-year period effective Feb. 1 after receiving his certification from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.
http://www.enterprise-journal.com/news/article_d0fa4c80-d36a-11e6-b250-c7e71f7a0d6c.html
Pearl contractor low bidder for erosion repair project near Bowmar Avenue
Vicksburg Post
A Pearl contractor was the low bidder on an erosion repair project on the slope of a bayou in the Bowmar Avenue area.
Oil Spill
Former LDWF boss claims allegations "'fabricated'
The Advocate
Former state Wildlife and Fisheries secretary Robert Barham used the public comment period during Thursday's Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission meeting to refute allegations of misspending and fiscal irresponsibility during his eight years at that post.
http://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/sports/article_4bf07d48-d38d-11e6-b870-97956a232737.html
Regional
Fire extinguished on platform in Gulf of Mexico
AP
A fire broke out on an oil production platform in the Gulf of Mexico early Thursday (Jan. 5), forcing four workers to evacuate by lifeboat before the blaze was extinguished. There were no injuries and inspectors found no sign of pollution, authorities said.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2017/01/oil_platform_fire.html#incart_river_index
Louisiana to close oyster harvest east of Mississippi River
AP
BATON ROUGE, LA.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is closing the oyster harvest on all public oyster seed grounds east of the Mississippi River in St. Bernard Parish at one half-hour after sunset on Sunday.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/local/article124902334.html
Shellfish growing waters closed in Mobile
AP
MONTGOMERY - The Alabama Department of Public Health has closed shellfish growing waters in Mobile County.
http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/news/20170104/shellfish-growing-waters-closed-in-mobile
Rains douse worst drought conditions in Southeast
AP
BIRMINGHAM, ALA.
Weeks of rains have eliminated the worst drought conditions in the Southeast, but nearly three-quarters of the region remains well below normal in rainfall.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/nation-world/article124723804.html
National
EPA Nominee on Track for Confirmation, Top Republicans Say
Bloomberg
Senate leadership is prepared to confirm Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt as Environmental Protection Agency administrator with meager, or even nonexistent, Democratic support, top Republicans told Bloomberg BNA.
https://www.bna.com/epa-nominee-track-n73014449377/
New Senate Chairman Vows 'Fundamental Shift' on Environment
Bloomberg
The Wyoming Republican who is taking the gavel of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is looking to make "a fundamental shift" away from the Environmental Protection Agency and other regulations that he argues have hurt U.S. industry and job growth.
https://www.bna.com/new-senate-chairman-n73014449411/
US Delays Cleanup Rule at Uranium Mines Amid GOP Criticism
AP
Federal officials withdrew a proposed requirement for companies to clean up groundwater at uranium mines across the U.S. and will reconsider a rule that congressional Republicans criticized as too harsh on industry.
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/us-delays-cleanup-rule-uranium-mines-amid-gop-44585552
Feds agree to new deadline for Fairbanks air cleanup plan
AP
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency has agreed to an August deadline on whether to accept or reject a state plan to clean up heavily polluted Fairbanks air.
http://www.chron.com/news/article/EPA-agrees-to-new-deadline-for-Fairbanks-air-10838703.php
Ranchers spar with Obama over new national monuments in Utah and Nevada
Fox News
With the exception of his time spent serving in the Army during the Vietnam War, Sandy Johnson has spent most of his 67 years running cattle in southeastern Utah's starkly beautiful San Juan County.
Tiny Spider-Like Creature Roils Big Texas Ranch
Rancher battles animal in courts, claiming its endangered status limits his use of his land
WSJ
A tiny spider-like creature that lives in caves on his property is causing a giant headache for Texas rancher John Yearwood.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/tiny-spider-like-creature-roils-big-texas-ranch-1483641053
EPA Moves Anti-Environmental Racism Program Office
Bloomberg
The Environmental Protection Agency program that is supposed to punish environmental racism has been moved out of the agency's Office of Civil Rights to the Office of the General Counsel, a step that partially satisfies long-time calls from advocates, Bloomberg BNA has learned.
https://www.bna.com/epa-moves-antienvironmental-n73014449375/
Opinion
Other view: Dozens of little Flints
USA Today
During the presidential campaign, one of Donald Trump's most effective lines was, "It used to be, cars were made in Flint and you couldn't drink the water in Mexico. Now, the cars are made in Mexico and you can't drink the water in Flint."
Press Releases
EPA Gives $3.8M to Help 19 Communities Plan New Uses for Former Brownfield Sites
Brownfields Area-Wide Planning funds support community revitalization
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected 19 communities for approximately $3.8 million in funding to assist with planning for cleanup and reuse of Brownfield sites as part of the Brownfields Area-Wide Planning (AWP) program. Each recipient will receive up to $200,000 to engage their community and conduct planning activities for brownfield site reuse.
The grants will help communities plan improvements such as housing, transportation options, recreation and open space, education and health facilities, social services, renewed infrastructure, increased commerce and employment opportunities.
"The Area-Wide Planning grant program is an innovation initiated by the Obama Administration to empower communities to transform economically and environmentally distressed areas, including communities impacted by manufacturing plant closures, into vibrant future destinations for business, jobs, housing and recreation," said Mathy Stanislaus, Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Land and Emergency Management. "These grants provide the opportunity for communities to determine for themselves revitalization plans that best meet their vision and needs based on a rigorous analysis of market and infrastructure in a manner that benefits and does not displace long-term residents."
Assistant Administrator Stanislaus announced the new AWP recipients for funding at a community event in Norfolk, Va.
EPA'S AWP program was modeled after New York State's Brownfields Opportunity Area (BOA) Program, which was developed by communities – particularly lower income communities – to enable them to drive development that meets their needs without displacing them. Studies have shown that residential property values near brownfields sites that are cleaned up increased between 5 and 15 percent. Data also shows that brownfields clean ups can increase overall property values within a one-mile radius. Preliminary analysis involving 48 brownfields sites shows that an estimated $29 million to $97 million in additional tax revenue was generated for local governments in a single year after cleanup.
This year's selected recipients for funding are:
- Eastern Maine Development Corporation, Bucksport, Maine
- City of Providence, R.I.
- Isles, Inc., East Trenton, N.J.
- City of Wilmington, Del.
- Redevelopment Authority of the City of Harrisburg, Pa.
- City of Norfolk, Va.
- University of South Florida, Tampa, Fla.
- City of Middlesborough, Ky.
- Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments, Charleston and North Charleston, S.C.
- Near East Area Renewal, Indianapolis, Ind.
- Wayne County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, River Rouge, Mich.
- Lorain County, Lorain, Ohio
- Port of New Orleans, New Orleans, La.
- City of Burlington, Iowa
- Resource Conservation and Development for Northeast Iowa, Inc., Postville, Iowa
- City of Glenwood Springs, Colo.
- City of Orem, Utah
- Trust for Public Land, Los Angeles, Calif.
- City of Grants Pass, Ore.
More information on the funding recipients: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/national-brownfields-area-wide-planning-grant-selected-proposal-descriptions
To apply for brownfields grants: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/apply-brownfields-grant-funding
More information on the Partnership for Sustainable Communities: http://www.sustainablecommunities.gov/
EPA Rebates Will Fund Cleaner School Buses in 88 Communities
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today awarded more than $7.7 million to replace or retrofit 401 older diesel school buses. The funds are going to 88 school bus fleets in 27 states, each of which will receive rebates through EPA's Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) funding. The new and retrofitted buses will reduce pollutants that are linked to health problems such as asthma and lung damage.
"Thanks to DERA funding, we are protecting our children from breathing diesel emissions as they travel to school," said Christopher Grundler, director of EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality. "Nearly 17,000 of our country's schools are located within steps of a heavily traveled road, potentially exposing more than six million children to traffic-related pollution at a time when their developing lungs are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of air pollution."
Applicants replacing buses with engine model years of 2006 and older will receive rebates between $15,000 and $25,000, depending on the size of the bus. Applicants also had the option of retrofitting school buses with engine model years between 1994 to 2006 with a Diesel Oxidation Catalyst plus Closed Crankcase Ventilation system (DOC plus CCV) to reduce toxic emissions. EPA will fully fund the cost of these devices up to $4,000.
EPA has implemented standards to make newer diesel engines more than 90 percent cleaner, but many older diesel school buses are still operating. These older diesel engines emit large amounts of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, which are linked to instances of aggravated asthma, lung damage and other serious health problems.
Since 2008, the DERA program has funded more than 700 clean diesel projects across the country, reducing emissions in more than 70,000 engines.
The 2016 DERA school bus rebate recipients are:
| State | City | Selectee | Funding | Buses |
| AZ | Marana | Marana Unified School District #6 | $465,000 | 20 |
| CA | Moorpark | Moorpark Unified School District | $25,000 | 1 |
| CA | Soquel | Santa Cruz City Schools | $155,000 | 9 |
| CA | Tulare | Sundale Union Elementary School | $20,000 | 1 |
| CO | Glenwood Springs | Yampah Mountain High School | $20,000 | 1 |
| CT | Ashford | Town of Ashford | $20,000 | 1 |
| FL | Orlando | School Board of Orange County, FL | $240,000 | 20 |
| FL | Fort Pierce | The School Board of Saint Lucie County | $200,000 | 10 |
| IA | Bondurant | Bondurant-Farrar Community School District | $70,000 | 3 |
| IA | Lawton | Lawton-Bronson Community School District | $80,000 | 4 |
| IA | Sioux City | Sioux City Community School District | $20,000 | 1 |
| IL | St. Charles | Community Unit School District 303 | $20,000 | 1 |
| IL | Frankfort | Lincoln Way Area Special Education District 843 | $75,000 | 5 |
| IL | Mt Vernon | Spring Garden School District 178 | $20,000 | 1 |
| IN | Greensburg | Decatur County Community Schools | $75,000 | 3 |
| IN | Waterloo | DeKalb County Central United School District | $100,000 | 5 |
| IN | Goshen | Fairfield Community Schools | $40,000 | 2 |
| IN | Gary | Incandescent Transportation Solutions LLC | $25,000 | 1 |
| IN | Versailles | South Ripley School Corporation | $55,000 | 3 |
| KS | Emporia | Unified School District # 253 | $40,000 | 2 |
| KS | Sublette | Unified School District # 374 | $20,000 | 1 |
| KS | Ottawa | Unified School District # 290 | $40,000 | 2 |
| LA | Alexandria | Rapides Parish Schools Board | $100,000 | 5 |
| ME | Kennebunk | Regional School Unit 21 | $160,000 | 8 |
| ME | Sullivan | Regional School Unit 24 | $40,000 | 2 |
| MI | Haslett | Haslett Public Schools | $60,000 | 3 |
| MI | Hudsonville | Hudsonville Public Schools | $60,000 | 3 |
| MI | Whittemore | Whittemore-Prescott Area Schools | $60,000 | 3 |
| MO | Jamestown | Jamestown C-1 School | $55,000 | 3 |
| MO | Louisiana | Louisiana RII Schools District | $25,000 | 1 |
| MO | Sullivan | Sullivan School District | $40,000 | 2 |
| MO | Wheaton | Wheaton R III School | $40,000 | 2 |
| NE | Arlington | Arlington Public Schools | $20,000 | 1 |
| NE | Wahoo | Wahoo Public Schools | $20,000 | 1 |
| NJ | Orange | Belair Transport Inc. | $145,000 | 7 |
| NJ | Lakewood | Klarr Transport Service Inc. | $200,000 | 10 |
| NJ | North Brunswick | North Brunswick Township Board of Education | $85,000 | 5 |
| NJ | Wall | Student Transportation of America | $200,000 | 10 |
| NJ | Toms River | Toms River Regional Schools | $180,000 | 9 |
| NY | Brocton | Brocton Central School District | $40,000 | 2 |
| NY | Belmont | Genesee Valley CSD | $20,000 | 1 |
| NY | Huntington Station | Huntington Coach Corporation | $200,000 | 10 |
| NY | Huntington Station | Huntington Coach LLC | $200,000 | 10 |
| NY | Craryville | Taconic Hills Central School District | $20,000 | 1 |
| NY | Verona | Vernon Verona Sherrill Central Schools | $60,000 | 3 |
| NY | Whitesboro | Whitesboro Central School District | $30,000 | 2 |
| OH | Sullivan | Black River Local Schools | $20,000 | 1 |
| OH | Rawson | Cory-Rawson Local Schools | $70,000 | 3 |
| OH | Lynchburg | Lynchburg Clay Local Schools | $60,000 | 3 |
| OH | Thornville | Northern Local School District | $60,000 | 3 |
| OH | Andover | Pymatuning Valley Local School | $80,000 | 4 |
| OH | Canton | Stark County Board of Developmental Disabilities | $60,000 | 3 |
| OK | Boswell | Boswell Public Schools | $20,000 | 1 |
| OR | Lakeview | Lake County School District #7 | $40,000 | 2 |
| OR | Pendleton | Mid Columbia Bus Co. Inc | $180,000 | 9 |
| PA | Carlisle | Deitch Buses Inc. | $80,000 | 4 |
| PA | Glenmoore | George Krapf, Jr. & Sons, Inc. | $60,000 | 3 |
| PA | Philadelphia | School District of Philadelphia | $165,000 | 10 |
| SC | Columbia | SCDOE (For Anderson 1 School District) | $100,000 | 5 |
| SC | Columbia | SCDOE (For Charleston County School District) | $200,000 | 10 |
| SC | Columbia | SCDOE (For Chester County School District) | $40,000 | 2 |
| SC | Columbia | SCDOE (For Colleton County School District) | $140,000 | 7 |
| SC | Columbia | SCDOE (For Dorchester 4 County School District) | $80,000 | 4 |
| SC | Columbia | SCDOE (For Greenville County School District) | $200,000 | 10 |
| SC | Columbia | SCDOE (For Kershaw County School District) | $100,000 | 5 |
| SC | Columbia | SCDOE (For Lexington 4 County School District) | $80,000 | 4 |
| SC | Columbia | SCDOE (For Orangeburg 5 County School District) | $80,000 | 4 |
| SC | Columbia | SCDOE (For Spartanburg 3 County School District) | $40,000 | 2 |
| SC | Columbia | SCDOE (For Spartanburg 6 County School District) | $80,000 | 4 |
| SD | Hayti | Hamlin Public School Dist. | $20,000 | 1 |
| TX | Rockport | Aransas County ISD | $105,000 | 5 |
| TX | Uvalde | Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District | $20,000 | 1 |
| UT | St. George | Washington County School District | $250,000 | 10 |
| UT | West Haven | Weber School District | $100,000 | 5 |
| VA | Alexandria | Alexandria City Public Schools | $64,000 | 16 |
| VA | Charlotte Court House | Charlotte County Public Schools | $100,000 | 5 |
| VA | Norfolk | Norfolk Public Schools | $200,000 | 10 |
| VA | Salem | Roanoke County Public Schools | $215,000 | 10 |
| WA | Vancouver | Evergreen Public Schools | $235,000 | 10 |
| WA | Lind | Lind-Ritzville Transportation Co-Op | $20,000 | 1 |
| WA | Longview | Longview Public School District #122 | $95,000 | 4 |
| WA | Northport | Northport School District | $20,000 | 1 |
| WA | Quincy | Quincy School District No. 144 | $50,000 | 2 |
| WA | Sumner | Sumner School District | $20,000 | 1 |
| WI | Spencer | Burnett Transit | $40,000 | 2 |
| WI | Dousman | Dousman Transport Co., Inc. | $200,000 | 10 |
| WI | Beloit | School District of Beloit Turner | $40,000 | 2 |
| WI | Shell Lake | School District of Shell Lake | $20,000 | 1 |
For more information about this rebate program, visit http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/clean-diesel-rebates
