State
GOVERNOR PHIL BRYANT DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY
WLBT
PEARL, Miss. (WLBT) – Governor Phil Bryant has declared a State of Emergency following widespread severe weather on Saturday.
1 MILLION POUNDS OF TORNADO DEBRIS COLLECTED IN COLUMBUS
WCBI
So far over 1 million pounds of debris from the Columbus tornado has been picked up.
Nuclear regulator cites plant for 2 low-level violations
AP
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A special inspection of a nuclear power plant in Mississippi has resulted in two low-level citations, as its operator says it has continued trying to make improvements.
Disease containment grows as positives mount
Daily Journal
The zone established last year in north Mississippi to combat the spread of chronic wasting disease in whitetail deer was expanded last week to include the entirety of 19 counties.
MDWFP launches new license system
Natchez Democrat
JACKSON — The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks has launched an all new Hunting and Fishing Licensing System and Customer Dashboard, making license purchases easier than ever.
Shredding makes quick work for recycling
Vicksburg Post
Disposing of old documents with sensitive information could actually be good for the Earth.
That is if one decides to shred and recycle.
Horn Lake Public Works head passes away
DeSoto Times-Tribune
The City of Horn Lake lost its Public Works Director this week as Spencer “Penny” Shields passed away Wednesday evening. The city announced Shields’ passing on its Facebook page Thursday.
Oil Spill
Coastal News Roundup: Were The Chemicals Used To Clean Up BP Oil Spill Harmful?
WWNO
During the BP oil spill in 2010, responders used chemical dispersants to break up the oil. Recent studies have questioned both the safety and efficacy of those chemicals. Other studies have suggested that those concerns are overblown.
$132 million slate of coastal restoration projects gets federal approval
Al.com
A slate of $132 million in projects intended to offset environmental impacts of the Deepwater Horizon disaster on the Alabama coast has received federal approval, Gov. Kay Ivey’s office announced Friday.
NOAA: Group of whales in Gulf of Mexico are endangered
AP
NEW ORLEANS — Federal scientists say a tiny group of Bryde’s whales in the Gulf of Mexico is endangered, facing threats including oil and gas exploration and development.
Regional
Inspector General: EPA's toxic chemical reports for south Louisiana inaccurate over 5-year period
The Advocate
The Environmental Protection Agency spread false information about toxic chemicals over the course of five years, the agency's Office of the Inspector General announced this week.
In a public letter, the OIG "decided to issue an immediate management alert informing the agency of our discovery that its (Toxic Release Inventory) data … are inaccurate," the letter states.
Kentucky plan to reduce Mammoth Cave haze approved by EPA
AP
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved Kentucky's plan to meet federal air pollutant and visibility requirements around Mammoth Cave National Park.
University of Alabama team look at untreated sewage issue
AP
MONTGOMERY — How much untreated sewage gets dumped in Alabama’s Black Belt?
That’s the question a team of students and professors at the University of Alabama is trying to determine.
Bloodsucking worms in pythons are killing Florida snakes, study says
USA Today
MELBOURNE, Fla. - First, they slithered a deadly path through the Everglades, swallowing whole some of the most endangered wading birds and small mammals in Florida. Now, Burmese pythons are killing — although indirectly — one of their own ilk, the pygmy rattler.
National
Text: Transcript of Reuters interview with EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler
Reuters
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler gave Reuters a wide-ranging interview on Thursday at his office in Washington, discussing issues from climate science to automobile emissions and biofuels policies.
Some states are pushing utilities to drain toxic coal-ash ponds
Bloomberg
It's the other dirty problem for U.S. coal — one that could cost utilities billions to clean up.
Even as President Donald Trump's administration tries to revive the industry, some states are pushing utilities including Duke Energy Corp. and Dominion Energy Inc. to finally deal with the ash left over from burning the fuel.
New TVA head says board is right on coal plant closures
AP
Shutting down a Kentucky coal-fired power plant is the right decision, the new head of the Tennessee Valley Authority said Friday. President Donald Trump and the U.S. Senate majority leader who hails from Kentucky had previously criticized the move.
EPA May Have Tipped Hand on Weakening Washington Water Rule
Bloomberg
The Environmental Protection Agency erroneously published a proposal that would make changes to Washington state’s clean water rule, raising the alarm of the state’s top environmental official and several conservation groups.
Big Ag Is Pushing Laws To Restrict Neighbors' Ability To Sue Farms
NPR
Every state has a "right-to-farm" law on the books to protect farmers from being sued by their neighbors for the routine smells and noise created by farming operations. But this year, the agriculture industry has been pushing in several states to amend those laws so that they will effectively prevent neighbors from suing farms at all — even massive industrial livestock operations.
NC Hog Farms Face New Regulations, Environmental Advocates Say It's Not Enough
WUNC
DEP to begin statewide sampling for six PFAS chemicals
NPR
Pennsylvania environmental officials said on Friday they will soon begin testing for toxic PFAS chemicals in public water systems near likely sources of contamination including military bases, landfills and factories.
Waste Management to Buy Advanced Disposal Services for About $2.9 Billion
WSJ
German prosecutors charge former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn with fraud
CNN
German prosecutors have charged former Volkswagen chief executive Martin Winterkorn with fraud over diesel emissions.
Press releases
Invitation:Public Webinar- Planning Framework Draft Public Comment
On April 26, 2019, the RESTORE Council staff will begin a 45-day public review and comment period on the Planning Framework draft, that will conclude at 11:59 pm MDT on June 12, 2019. On the first day of the public review and comment period, the Planning Framework draft will be available at [www.restorethegulf.gov]www.restorethegulf.gov. The RESTORE Council will host and record two live public webinars on April 29, 2019. During each live webinar, Council staff will present an overview of the Planning Framework draft, and respond to selected questions from webinar participants.
The registration links for the live Planning Framework Draft- Public Comment webinars are below:
You may register for these webinars in advance. Once registered, a link to access the webinar will be sent to the email address provided during registration. A recording of the presentation and a list of all questions and responses from each webinar will be posted at www.restorethegulf.gov. Please forward this invitation to others interested in the RESTORE Council's activities.
Learn more about
EPA Proposes to Reduce TSCA Reporting Burden; Align Reporting with Amended TSCA
04/12/2019
WASHINGTON (April 12, 2019) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing amendments to the Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) rule to better support Agency data collection efforts, align reporting with the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act by requiring that confidentiality claims be substantiated, and make chemical reporting easier by streamlining complex submissions.
“CDR not only supports the Agency’s TSCA activities, but can be a helpful tool for states, tribes, industry, nongovernmental organizations and all stakeholders,” said Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Assistant Administrator Alexandra Dapolito Dunn. “This is a continuing effort in every aspect of our program to ensure that the public has information on chemicals in commerce, that EPA has the information necessary to conduct our chemical reviews, and that reporting burden is minimized and simplified.”
In addition, the proposed amendments would:
· Update the definition of small entities (small manufacturers) that are exempt from reporting.
· Add exemptions for specific types of byproducts.
· Simplify reporting, including allowing manufacturers to use certain processing and use data codes already in use as part of international codes developed through the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
· Remove outdated rule text and consolidate exemptions.
Upon publication in the Federal Register of the proposed amendments, EPA will accept public comments for 60 days in the docket EPA-HQ-OPPT-2018-0321 on www.regulations.gov Background
The CDR rule requires manufacturers (including importers) of certain chemical substances listed on the TSCA Chemical Substance Inventory to report data on chemical manufacturing, processing, and use every four years. EPA uses the data to help assess the potential human health and environmental effects of these chemicals. States, tribes, other agencies, industry, NGOs, and the public can use CDR data to understand chemicals in commerce.
To develop today’s proposal, EPA incorporated input from the meetings of a 2017 negotiated rulemaking committee that disbanded due to an inability to reach consensus recommendations, a subsequent public comment period related to the negotiated rulemaking, as well as from manufacturers submitting CDR data and the public using the data. The agency seeks to reduce burden while maintaining its ability to receive the information needed for effective TSCA implementation.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Conducts Five-year Status Review of Atlantic
Sturgeon (Gulf Subspecies)
As part of the process mandated by the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration Fisheries will jointly conduct a five-year status review
the Atlantic sturgeon (Gulf subspecies). This fish, federally listed as
threatened, is found along the coasts and in the rivers of Alabama,
Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
The public is invited to provide information and comments concerning the
Atlantic sturgeon on or before June 10, 2019.
The Atlantic sturgeon was once found from Canada to Florida. The Gulf
subspecies is currently found in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and
Mississippi.
This five-year review will ensure listing classifications under the ESA
recommend changes in status if appropriate based on the latest scientific
information. In addition to reviewing the classification of this species,
a five-year review presents an opportunity to track its recovery progress.
It may benefit this fish by providing valuable information to guide future
conservation efforts.
Information gathered during a review can assist in making funding
decisions, consideration related to reclassifying species status,
conducting interagency consultations, making permitting decisions, and
determining whether to update recovery plans, and other actions under the
ESA.
For this five-year review, the Service seeks information on: (1) the
Atlantic sturgeon’s biology, including population trends, distribution,
abundance, demographics, and genetics; (2) habitat conditions, including
amount, distribution, and suitability; (3) conservation measures that have
been implemented; (4) threat status and trends; and, (5) other new
information, data, or corrections, including taxonomic or nomenclatural
changes; identification of erroneous information contained in the ESA list;
and improved analytical methods. Comments and materials received will be
available for public inspection by appointment.
The Federal Register notice announcing the status review is available
online at
Written comments and information about the Atlantic sturgeon (Gulf
subspecies)
should be e-mailed, faxed, or sent via regular mail to:
)
ANIMALS
Common name / Scientific name
Contact person, e-mail, phone, or fax
Status (Endangered or Threatened)
States where the species is known to occur
Final Listing rule (Federal Register citation and publication date)
Contact person mailing address
Fish
Sturgeon, Atlantic (Gulf subspecies) (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi)
Adam Kaeser
panamacity@fws.gov
850–769–0552 (phone)
or
Nick Farmer nick.farmer@noaa.gov
727–824–8309 (fax)
Threatened
Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi
56 FR 49653; 9/30/1991
USFWS; 1601 Balboa Ave; Panama City, FL 32405.
