10.3.13
Oil Spill
Gulf oil spill crisis could have ended sooner, witness says at BP trial
Wednesday
Mark Waller
The Times-Picayune
October 02, 2013 at 8:45 PM
If BP already had a capping stack of the type it eventually used to close
the erupting oil well in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, it could have ended
the crisis sooner, said the company's leader in its campaign to control the
well, during an ongoing federal trial in New Orleans on Wednesday.
Company executive James Dupree said storing such backup equipment is
something BP and other oil companies now do, in the aftermath of the 2010
disaster.
http://blog.nola.com/2010_gulf_oil_spill/print.html?entry=/2013/10/harrowing_oil_spill_response_i.html
BP executive: Well could have been sealed sooner
By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN
Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - BP could have ended its massive oil spill in the Gulf of
Mexico sooner if it had built a capping stack before the 2010 blowout of
its well off the coast of Louisiana, a company executive said under
cross-examination Wednesday at a trial over the deadly disaster.
http://www.wlox.com/story/23590565/bp-executive-well-could-have-been-sealed-sooner
Court to Halt Some Oil-Spill Payments Challenged by BP
Appeals Court's Ruling Slows Pace of Disbursements Tied to 2010 Deepwater
Horizon Spill
By TOM FOWLER
A federal appeals court ordered a lower-court judge to halt payments to
some Gulf Coast businesses that say they suffered damage after the 2010
oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303722604579112031433995804.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5
State
Ground broken on Big Hill Acres sewer and water project
WLOX
Help is on the way for an area of Jackson County long plagued by septic
tank failures.
Following years of planning between numerous agencies, ground was broken
Wednesday morning on a $20.6 million water and sewer project.
http://www.wlox.com/story/23594394/ground-broken-on-big-hill-acres-sewer-and-water-project
Water, sewer relief coming for Big Hill Acres in Jackson County
Sun Herald
By KAREN NELSON — klnelson@sunherald.com
VANCLEAVE -- Jackson County and federal officials broke ground Wednesday
morning on a project that should put an end to an environmental problem
that began in the 1990s.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/10/02/5000235/water-sewer-relief-coming-for.html
Local city upgrading wastewater treatment operation
WTVA
WEST POINT, Miss. (WTVA) — With the help of a state loan, West Point is
upgrading the way it treats wastewater.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/Local-city-upgrading-wastewater-treatment/zO49ja2rlEK4bLc_PpBY5g.cspx
Early discussion of Brownfields grant placed on the table
Monroe Journal
by Ray Van Dusen | 6:30 am | October 3, 2013
ABERDEEN – Representatives from Thompson Engineering approached the board
of supervisors Monday regarding the possibility of pursuing an Environment
Protection Agency-sanctioned Brownfields grant for one of the county's
industrial sites.
http://monroecountyjournal.com/2013/10/03/early-discussion-brownfields-grant-placed-table/
Appeal filed to overturn gravel pit ruling
The Panolian
10/1/2013
By Rupert Howell
Panola supervisors recently employed attorney Jay Westfaul to defend their
decision for special exception to re-classifiy property on I-55 near Como's
exit owned by H & G Land Company now on appeal.
http://www.panolian.com/contentitem/354565/1180/appeal-filed-to-overturn-gravel-pit-ruling-1012013
MS Power volunteers clean coastal waterways
WLOX
Mississippi Power employees believe South Mississippi is a beautiful place
to live, work, and play... and they want to keep it that way. Dozens of
volunteers took part in the company's annual Renew Our Rivers cleanup
Wednesday.
http://www.wlox.com/story/23593952/ms-power-volunteers-clean-coastal-waterways
Pascagoula's Bill Feidt named chief financial officer for Mississippi
Department of Marine Resources
Mississippi Press Staff
October 02, 2013 at 3:10 PM
BILOXI, Mississippi -- The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources has
hired a chief financial officer and a chief operations officer, Executive
Director Jamie Miller announced Wednesday.
Bill Feidt, 42, of Pascagoula, will be the agency's CFO, and Brig. Gen. Joe
Spraggins, 60, will serve as COO, Miller said. Both will start work Oct. 8.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/10/pascagoulas_bill_feidt_named_c.html#incart_river
Mississippi Power admits Kemper plant will miss deadline, company must
repay $133M in tax credits
The Associated Press
October 02, 2013 at 7:45 PM
JACKSON, Mississippi -- Mississippi Power Co. says its Kemper County power
plant won't be finished by the original May 2014 deadline, but will start
service sometime later that year.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/10/mississippi_power_admits_kempe.html#incart_river
National
Special Report: EPA Study Could Be Used To Expand Reach of Law Over Waters
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Bloomberg
By Amena H. Saiyid
Sept. 26 -- Federal regulators may be able to assert Clean Water Act
jurisdiction over more waters and wetlands than are now protected on the
basis of a draft scientific study that links all streams and certain
wetlands with larger, downstream navigable waters, attorneys and policy
analysts say.http://www.bna.com/special-report-epa-n17179877469/
China recycling cleanup jolts global industry
By JOE McDONALD — AP Business Writer
BEIJING — China for years has welcomed the world's trash, creating a
roaring business in recycling and livelihoods for tens of thousands. Now
authorities are clamping down on an industry that has helped the rich West
dispose of its waste but also added to the degradation of China's
environment.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/10/03/5001730/china-recycling-cleanup-jolts.html
Fuel From Landfill Methane Goes on Sale
NY Times
By DIANE CARDWELL
Farmers, waste management companies and the energy industries have long
experimented with converting methane, a byproduct of decomposing organic
matter, into transportation fuel.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/business/energy-environment/the-swamp-gas-station-fuel-from-landfill-methane-goes-on-sale.html?ref=earth&_r=0&pagewanted=print
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
News Clippings 10.2.13
10.2.13
Oil Spill
BP trial turns focus to spill response
Billions of dollars at stake in outcome of case before judge in New Orleans
AP
NEW ORLEANS — An employee of the company that owned the doomed Deepwater
Horizon drilling rig testified Tuesday that he was surprised when BP
scrapped his team's design to stop the gusher in the Gulf of Mexico.
http://www.clarionledger.com/viewart/20131002/NEWS01/310020039/BP-trial-turns-focus-spill-response
BP trial witnesses, lawyers tussle over characterizing what happened during
the Gulf oil spill
Mark Waller
The Times-Picayune
October 01, 2013 at 8:33 PM
Tuesday at the BP trial was an exercise in conflicting characterizations of
the same events that unfolded as oil gushed from the Macondo well in the
Gulf of Mexico in 2010: BP was diligently working on multiple solutions
simultaneously, or it was jumping among options without following through.
A plan to lower another blowout preventer contraption atop the blown-out
one was imminently ready to deploy in May 2010, or risky and far from
achievable. Icy buildups in the deep sea threatened the operation, or they
weren't a major concern.
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2013/10/bp_trial_witnesses_lawyers_tus.html#incart_river
State
Gautier to seek MDEQ grant for cleaning unauthorized dump sites
Mississippi Press
Joanne Anderson
October 01, 2013 at 11:42 PM
GAUTIER, Mississippi -- Gautier Mayor Gordon Gollott and the City Council
on Tuesday night authorized Economic Development and Planning Director
Chandra Nicholson to apply to the Mississippi Department of Environmental
Quality for a local government solid waste assistance grant in the amount
of $25,000 for clean-up of existing and future unauthorized dump sites
located on public or private property in the city.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/10/gautier_to_seek_mdeq_grand_for.html#incart_river
Regional
Water wars: Florida sues Georgia over water use from Chattahoochee, Flint
Rivers
The Associated Press
October 01, 2013 at 4:09 PM
TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Florida charged ahead Tuesday with a lawsuit against
the state of Georgia that accuses its northern neighbor of consuming too
much fresh water from a river system that serves three Southeastern states,
including Alabama.
http://blog.al.com/wire/2013/10/water_wars_florida_sues_georgi.html#incart_river
Mississippi River's 1926 dead zone holds lessons for Gulf of Mexico today
by Matt Sepic, Minnesota Public Radio,
Elizabeth Dunbar, Minnesota Public Radio
September 25, 2013
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Here in the land of 10,000 lakes, zebra mussels and Asian
carp have generally topped the list of recent marine environmental
concerns. But in the 1920s, before wastewater treatment plants were built,
there were far bigger problems.
A 1926 survey of the Mississippi River between Minneapolis and Hastings
turned up three fish.
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2013/09/25/environment/mississippi-rivers-1926-dead-zone-holds-lessons-for-gulf-of-mexico-today
National
Second ex-EPA official questioned over taking car discount, pushing for
bonuses for friend
Washington Post
By Lenny Bernstein and Ann E. Marimow, Published: October 1
Another high-ranking former employee of the Environmental Protection Agency
came under fire Tuesday as members of Congress grilled him about accepting
an $8,000 discount on a Mercedes-Benz allegedly arranged by a lobbyist and
friend who did business with the EPA.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/second-ex-epa-official-questioned-over-taking-car-discount-pushing-for-bonuses-for-friend/2013/10/01/45621264-2ad2-11e3-b139-029811dbb57f_print.html
Workers Pack Up and Head Home
In Washington, D.C., Furloughed Federal Employees Left Their Jobs for an
Indefinite Length of Time
Wall Street Journal
WASHINGTON—The idling of the federal government moved from the momentous to
the mundane on Tuesday.
The Environmental Protection Agency, which sent home more than 90% of its
16,000 workers, emailed employees a short checklist: First, check email
and read the bad news. Second, program voice mail and email to say: "I am
out of the office for the duration of the government shutdown. I will not
be checking messages, but will return your call upon my return to the
office." Third, be sure sensitive work documents aren't left in the open.
Fourth, shut off government computers and smartphones; and fifth, fill out
a final timecard, with no more than four hours of work on shutdown day.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303643304579109743040301948.html
Oil Spill
BP trial turns focus to spill response
Billions of dollars at stake in outcome of case before judge in New Orleans
AP
NEW ORLEANS — An employee of the company that owned the doomed Deepwater
Horizon drilling rig testified Tuesday that he was surprised when BP
scrapped his team's design to stop the gusher in the Gulf of Mexico.
http://www.clarionledger.com/viewart/20131002/NEWS01/310020039/BP-trial-turns-focus-spill-response
BP trial witnesses, lawyers tussle over characterizing what happened during
the Gulf oil spill
Mark Waller
The Times-Picayune
October 01, 2013 at 8:33 PM
Tuesday at the BP trial was an exercise in conflicting characterizations of
the same events that unfolded as oil gushed from the Macondo well in the
Gulf of Mexico in 2010: BP was diligently working on multiple solutions
simultaneously, or it was jumping among options without following through.
A plan to lower another blowout preventer contraption atop the blown-out
one was imminently ready to deploy in May 2010, or risky and far from
achievable. Icy buildups in the deep sea threatened the operation, or they
weren't a major concern.
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2013/10/bp_trial_witnesses_lawyers_tus.html#incart_river
State
Gautier to seek MDEQ grant for cleaning unauthorized dump sites
Mississippi Press
Joanne Anderson
October 01, 2013 at 11:42 PM
GAUTIER, Mississippi -- Gautier Mayor Gordon Gollott and the City Council
on Tuesday night authorized Economic Development and Planning Director
Chandra Nicholson to apply to the Mississippi Department of Environmental
Quality for a local government solid waste assistance grant in the amount
of $25,000 for clean-up of existing and future unauthorized dump sites
located on public or private property in the city.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/10/gautier_to_seek_mdeq_grand_for.html#incart_river
Regional
Water wars: Florida sues Georgia over water use from Chattahoochee, Flint
Rivers
The Associated Press
October 01, 2013 at 4:09 PM
TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Florida charged ahead Tuesday with a lawsuit against
the state of Georgia that accuses its northern neighbor of consuming too
much fresh water from a river system that serves three Southeastern states,
including Alabama.
http://blog.al.com/wire/2013/10/water_wars_florida_sues_georgi.html#incart_river
Mississippi River's 1926 dead zone holds lessons for Gulf of Mexico today
by Matt Sepic, Minnesota Public Radio,
Elizabeth Dunbar, Minnesota Public Radio
September 25, 2013
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Here in the land of 10,000 lakes, zebra mussels and Asian
carp have generally topped the list of recent marine environmental
concerns. But in the 1920s, before wastewater treatment plants were built,
there were far bigger problems.
A 1926 survey of the Mississippi River between Minneapolis and Hastings
turned up three fish.
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2013/09/25/environment/mississippi-rivers-1926-dead-zone-holds-lessons-for-gulf-of-mexico-today
National
Second ex-EPA official questioned over taking car discount, pushing for
bonuses for friend
Washington Post
By Lenny Bernstein and Ann E. Marimow, Published: October 1
Another high-ranking former employee of the Environmental Protection Agency
came under fire Tuesday as members of Congress grilled him about accepting
an $8,000 discount on a Mercedes-Benz allegedly arranged by a lobbyist and
friend who did business with the EPA.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/second-ex-epa-official-questioned-over-taking-car-discount-pushing-for-bonuses-for-friend/2013/10/01/45621264-2ad2-11e3-b139-029811dbb57f_print.html
Workers Pack Up and Head Home
In Washington, D.C., Furloughed Federal Employees Left Their Jobs for an
Indefinite Length of Time
Wall Street Journal
WASHINGTON—The idling of the federal government moved from the momentous to
the mundane on Tuesday.
The Environmental Protection Agency, which sent home more than 90% of its
16,000 workers, emailed employees a short checklist: First, check email
and read the bad news. Second, program voice mail and email to say: "I am
out of the office for the duration of the government shutdown. I will not
be checking messages, but will return your call upon my return to the
office." Third, be sure sensitive work documents aren't left in the open.
Fourth, shut off government computers and smartphones; and fifth, fill out
a final timecard, with no more than four hours of work on shutdown day.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303643304579109743040301948.html
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
News Clippings 10/1/13
10.1.13
Oil Spill
Second phase of BP trial over the 2010 Gulf oil spill focuses on flow
rates, 'top kills' and 'junk shots'
Mark Schleifstein
The Times-Picayune
September 30, 2013 at 11:47 PM
The second phase of the BP Deepwater Horizon accident and oil spill trial
resumed in New Orleans on Monday (Sept. 30), with attorneys for private
plaintiffs teaming up with BP contractors Transocean and Halliburton to
accuse the international oil giant of failing in its disaster preparations
and its attempts to stop the flow of oil, and BP attorneys arguing that the
company spent billions of dollars to staunch the flow amid uncertain
conditions.
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2013/09/second_phase_of_bp_trial_over.html#incart_river
Judge hears claim BP lied to feds about oil spill
The Associated Press
September 30, 2013 at 1:46 PM
NEW ORLEANS -- BP lied to the U.S. government and withheld information
about the amount of oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico after its well
blew out in 2010, attorneys told a judge Monday.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/09/judge_hears_claim_bp_light_to.html#incart_river
Oil spill trial: Plaintiffs say BP lied about size of oil spill; BP says
response 'extraordinary'
WWL
NEW ORLEANS – Billions of dollars are stake as U.S. District Judge Carl
Barbier is hearing arguments Monday about BP's effort to stop the oil
flowing from the Deepwater Horizon during the second phase of the oil spill
trial.
http://www.wwltv.com/news/BP-225810151.html
Louisiana officials want funding for Gulf Coast restoration work
Baton Rouge Advocate
By Amy Wold
NEW ORLEANS — Money for Gulf Coast coastal restoration projects, funded by
civil penalties paid in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe,
could arrive within a year and Louisiana officials called for a speedy
process to get the work moving.
http://theadvocate.com/home/6883970-125/louisiana-officials-want-funding-for
State
Three `Renew Our Rivers' cleanup events slated for this week
Mississippi Press
Warren Kulo
September 30, 2013 at 10:08 AM
GULFPORT, Mississippi -- Mississippi Power and nearly 40 corporate,
community and governmental partners will continue the 8th Annual Renew Our
Rivers campaign with three cleanup events scheduled to take place between
Oct. 2-5.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/09/three_renew_our_rivers_cleanup.html#incart_river
Limited oyster season now open in state waters
WLOX
The opening of the 2013 oyster season in Mississippi waters is now in the
books. Only three of several reefs opened south of Pass Christian this
morning at sunrise, and only for tonging with a 12 sack limit. It's an
industry that is still recovering from both natural and man made disasters
in recent years.
http://www.wlox.com/story/23565348/fresh-oysters-harvested-from-mississippi-reefs
Crawford Sewer Project
WCBI
The mayor of a tiny Lowndes County towns went before the board of
supervisors today [Monday] and during their regular meeting he asked for
help in an effort to improve sewer service for residents there.
http://www.wcbi.com/wordpress/crawford-sewer-project
Man claims water supply contaminated for 10 years
WTVA
MONROE COUNTY, Miss. (WTVA) — Access to clean water isn't a problem for
most of us, but for someone near Aberdeen, it's a luxury.
He says he knows why and is asking Monroe County to help.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/Man-claims-water-supply-contaminated-for-10-years/NUwzqh18oEevvGj7vOJj0g.cspx
Kemper delay could cost Southern Co. shareholders $133 million
The Associated Press
September 30, 2013 at 8:41 PM
JACKSON, Missl. -- If Mississippi Power Co. misses a May deadline to
complete construction of a $4.3 billion power plant in Kemper County, it
will be forced to repay $133 million in federal tax credits.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-business/2013/09/kemper_delay_could_cost_southe.html#incart_river
National
EPA wasn't trying to evade rules on e-mail, IG finds
Washington Post
By Emily Heil, Updated: October 1, 2013
From the Department of Much Ado About Nothing, it turns out that the
Environmental Protection Agency wasn't actually trying to sneak around
record-keeping responsibilities with that secondary e-mail account that
former administrator Lisa Jackson famously used.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop/wp/2013/10/01/epa-wasnt-trying-to-evade-rules-on-e-mail-ig-finds/?print=1
Wyoming taking part in lawsuit against EPA
AP
September 30, 2013
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming is one of a dozen states suing the
Environmental Protection Agency over what the states see as a cozy
relationship between the agency and environmental groups in enacting new
rules and regulations.
http://www.chron.com/news/science/article/Wyoming-taking-part-in-lawsuit-against-EPA-4856985.php
Opinion
We're just scratching the surface of oil spill recovery
Houma Today
Published: Monday, September 30, 2013 at 4:04 p.m.
Much of the world is familiar with the scenes of destruction that followed
the deadly Deepwater Horizon explosion and resulting oil spill — the oiled
beaches, the waves of thick black goo, the injured or dead wildlife that
couldn't escape the oil that spewed into the Gulf for months.
http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20130930/OPINION/130939955/-1/opinion?Title=We-re-just-scratching-the-surface-of-oil-spill-recovery
Press Releases
EPA to Hold Public Listening Sessions on Reducing Carbon Pollution from
Existing Power Plants
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold 11
public listening sessions across the country to solicit ideas and input
from the public and stakeholders about the best Clean Air Act approaches to
reducing carbon pollution from existing power plants. Power plants are the
nation's largest stationary source of carbon pollution, responsible for
about one third of all greenhouse gas pollution in the United States.
The Clean Air Act gives both EPA and states a role in reducing air
pollution from power plants that are already in operation. The law directs
EPA to establish guidelines, which states use to design their own programs
to reduce emissions. Before proposing guidelines, EPA must consider how
power plants with a variety of different configurations would be able to
reduce carbon pollution in a cost-effective way.
The feedback from these 11 public listening sessions will play an important
role in helping EPA develop smart, cost-effective guidelines that reflect
the latest and best information available. The agency will seek additional
public input during the notice and comment period once it issues a
proposal, by June 2014.
For more information on these sessions and to register online, go to:
http://www2.epa.gov/carbon-pollution-standards/public-listening-sessions.
For those who cannot attend these sessions, input can be e-mailed to
carbonpollutioninput@epa.gov by November 8, 2013.
More information about EPA's carbon pollution standards for the power
sector: http://www2.epa.gov/carbon-pollution-standards
Public Sessions on Reducing Carbon Pollution from Existing Power Plants
(all times are local):
DATE: Tuesday, October 15, 2013
TIME: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm EDT
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA New England
Memorial Hall
5 Post Office Square
Boston
DATE: Friday, October 18, 2013
TIME: 11:00 am – 2:00 pm EDT
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA Region 3
William J. Green, Jr. Federal Building
600 Arch Street
Philadelphia
DATE: Wednesday, October 23, 2013
TIME: 9:00 am - 12 Noon; and 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm EDT
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA Region 2
290 Broadway, Room 27A
New York
DATE: October 23, 2013
TIMES: 2:00 – 5:00 pm; and 6:00 – 9:00 pm EDT
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA Region 4
Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center
Bridge Conference Rooms
61 Forsyth Street, S.W.
Atlanta
DATE: Wednesday, October 30, 2013
TIME: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm MDT (last 2 hours for call ins)
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA Region 8
1595 Wynkoop Street
Denver
DATE: Monday, November 4, 2013
TIME: 4:00 – 8:00 pm CST
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA Region 7
11201 Renner Blvd.
Lenexa
DATE: Tuesday, November 5, 2013
TIME: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA Region 9
75 Hawthorne St.
San Francisco
DATE: Thursday, November 7, 2013
TIME: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm EST
LOCATION:
US EPA Headquarters
William Jefferson Clinton East
1201 Constitution Ave.
Washington, DC
DATE: Thursday, November 7, 2013
TIME: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm CST
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA Region 6
Auditorium- 1st floor
J. Erik Jonsson Central Library
1515 Young St.
Dallas
DATE: Thursday, November 7, 2013
TIME: 3:00 – 6:00 pm PST
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA Region 10
Jackson Federal Bldg.
915 Second Ave.
Seattle
DATE: November 8, 2013
TIME: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm CST
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA Region 5
Metcalfe Federal Building
Lake Michigan Room
77 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago
Oil Spill
Second phase of BP trial over the 2010 Gulf oil spill focuses on flow
rates, 'top kills' and 'junk shots'
Mark Schleifstein
The Times-Picayune
September 30, 2013 at 11:47 PM
The second phase of the BP Deepwater Horizon accident and oil spill trial
resumed in New Orleans on Monday (Sept. 30), with attorneys for private
plaintiffs teaming up with BP contractors Transocean and Halliburton to
accuse the international oil giant of failing in its disaster preparations
and its attempts to stop the flow of oil, and BP attorneys arguing that the
company spent billions of dollars to staunch the flow amid uncertain
conditions.
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2013/09/second_phase_of_bp_trial_over.html#incart_river
Judge hears claim BP lied to feds about oil spill
The Associated Press
September 30, 2013 at 1:46 PM
NEW ORLEANS -- BP lied to the U.S. government and withheld information
about the amount of oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico after its well
blew out in 2010, attorneys told a judge Monday.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/09/judge_hears_claim_bp_light_to.html#incart_river
Oil spill trial: Plaintiffs say BP lied about size of oil spill; BP says
response 'extraordinary'
WWL
NEW ORLEANS – Billions of dollars are stake as U.S. District Judge Carl
Barbier is hearing arguments Monday about BP's effort to stop the oil
flowing from the Deepwater Horizon during the second phase of the oil spill
trial.
http://www.wwltv.com/news/BP-225810151.html
Louisiana officials want funding for Gulf Coast restoration work
Baton Rouge Advocate
By Amy Wold
NEW ORLEANS — Money for Gulf Coast coastal restoration projects, funded by
civil penalties paid in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe,
could arrive within a year and Louisiana officials called for a speedy
process to get the work moving.
http://theadvocate.com/home/6883970-125/louisiana-officials-want-funding-for
State
Three `Renew Our Rivers' cleanup events slated for this week
Mississippi Press
Warren Kulo
September 30, 2013 at 10:08 AM
GULFPORT, Mississippi -- Mississippi Power and nearly 40 corporate,
community and governmental partners will continue the 8th Annual Renew Our
Rivers campaign with three cleanup events scheduled to take place between
Oct. 2-5.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/09/three_renew_our_rivers_cleanup.html#incart_river
Limited oyster season now open in state waters
WLOX
The opening of the 2013 oyster season in Mississippi waters is now in the
books. Only three of several reefs opened south of Pass Christian this
morning at sunrise, and only for tonging with a 12 sack limit. It's an
industry that is still recovering from both natural and man made disasters
in recent years.
http://www.wlox.com/story/23565348/fresh-oysters-harvested-from-mississippi-reefs
Crawford Sewer Project
WCBI
The mayor of a tiny Lowndes County towns went before the board of
supervisors today [Monday] and during their regular meeting he asked for
help in an effort to improve sewer service for residents there.
http://www.wcbi.com/wordpress/crawford-sewer-project
Man claims water supply contaminated for 10 years
WTVA
MONROE COUNTY, Miss. (WTVA) — Access to clean water isn't a problem for
most of us, but for someone near Aberdeen, it's a luxury.
He says he knows why and is asking Monroe County to help.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/Man-claims-water-supply-contaminated-for-10-years/NUwzqh18oEevvGj7vOJj0g.cspx
Kemper delay could cost Southern Co. shareholders $133 million
The Associated Press
September 30, 2013 at 8:41 PM
JACKSON, Missl. -- If Mississippi Power Co. misses a May deadline to
complete construction of a $4.3 billion power plant in Kemper County, it
will be forced to repay $133 million in federal tax credits.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-business/2013/09/kemper_delay_could_cost_southe.html#incart_river
National
EPA wasn't trying to evade rules on e-mail, IG finds
Washington Post
By Emily Heil, Updated: October 1, 2013
From the Department of Much Ado About Nothing, it turns out that the
Environmental Protection Agency wasn't actually trying to sneak around
record-keeping responsibilities with that secondary e-mail account that
former administrator Lisa Jackson famously used.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop/wp/2013/10/01/epa-wasnt-trying-to-evade-rules-on-e-mail-ig-finds/?print=1
Wyoming taking part in lawsuit against EPA
AP
September 30, 2013
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming is one of a dozen states suing the
Environmental Protection Agency over what the states see as a cozy
relationship between the agency and environmental groups in enacting new
rules and regulations.
http://www.chron.com/news/science/article/Wyoming-taking-part-in-lawsuit-against-EPA-4856985.php
Opinion
We're just scratching the surface of oil spill recovery
Houma Today
Published: Monday, September 30, 2013 at 4:04 p.m.
Much of the world is familiar with the scenes of destruction that followed
the deadly Deepwater Horizon explosion and resulting oil spill — the oiled
beaches, the waves of thick black goo, the injured or dead wildlife that
couldn't escape the oil that spewed into the Gulf for months.
http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20130930/OPINION/130939955/-1/opinion?Title=We-re-just-scratching-the-surface-of-oil-spill-recovery
Press Releases
EPA to Hold Public Listening Sessions on Reducing Carbon Pollution from
Existing Power Plants
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold 11
public listening sessions across the country to solicit ideas and input
from the public and stakeholders about the best Clean Air Act approaches to
reducing carbon pollution from existing power plants. Power plants are the
nation's largest stationary source of carbon pollution, responsible for
about one third of all greenhouse gas pollution in the United States.
The Clean Air Act gives both EPA and states a role in reducing air
pollution from power plants that are already in operation. The law directs
EPA to establish guidelines, which states use to design their own programs
to reduce emissions. Before proposing guidelines, EPA must consider how
power plants with a variety of different configurations would be able to
reduce carbon pollution in a cost-effective way.
The feedback from these 11 public listening sessions will play an important
role in helping EPA develop smart, cost-effective guidelines that reflect
the latest and best information available. The agency will seek additional
public input during the notice and comment period once it issues a
proposal, by June 2014.
For more information on these sessions and to register online, go to:
http://www2.epa.gov/carbon-pollution-standards/public-listening-sessions.
For those who cannot attend these sessions, input can be e-mailed to
carbonpollutioninput@epa.gov by November 8, 2013.
More information about EPA's carbon pollution standards for the power
sector: http://www2.epa.gov/carbon-pollution-standards
Public Sessions on Reducing Carbon Pollution from Existing Power Plants
(all times are local):
DATE: Tuesday, October 15, 2013
TIME: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm EDT
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA New England
Memorial Hall
5 Post Office Square
Boston
DATE: Friday, October 18, 2013
TIME: 11:00 am – 2:00 pm EDT
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA Region 3
William J. Green, Jr. Federal Building
600 Arch Street
Philadelphia
DATE: Wednesday, October 23, 2013
TIME: 9:00 am - 12 Noon; and 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm EDT
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA Region 2
290 Broadway, Room 27A
New York
DATE: October 23, 2013
TIMES: 2:00 – 5:00 pm; and 6:00 – 9:00 pm EDT
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA Region 4
Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center
Bridge Conference Rooms
61 Forsyth Street, S.W.
Atlanta
DATE: Wednesday, October 30, 2013
TIME: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm MDT (last 2 hours for call ins)
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA Region 8
1595 Wynkoop Street
Denver
DATE: Monday, November 4, 2013
TIME: 4:00 – 8:00 pm CST
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA Region 7
11201 Renner Blvd.
Lenexa
DATE: Tuesday, November 5, 2013
TIME: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA Region 9
75 Hawthorne St.
San Francisco
DATE: Thursday, November 7, 2013
TIME: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm EST
LOCATION:
US EPA Headquarters
William Jefferson Clinton East
1201 Constitution Ave.
Washington, DC
DATE: Thursday, November 7, 2013
TIME: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm CST
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA Region 6
Auditorium- 1st floor
J. Erik Jonsson Central Library
1515 Young St.
Dallas
DATE: Thursday, November 7, 2013
TIME: 3:00 – 6:00 pm PST
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA Region 10
Jackson Federal Bldg.
915 Second Ave.
Seattle
DATE: November 8, 2013
TIME: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm CST
EPA REGION & LOCATION:
US EPA Region 5
Metcalfe Federal Building
Lake Michigan Room
77 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago
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