12.18.12
Oil Spill
Louisiana looms large in oil spill case
Houston Chronicle
BP has negotiated settlements with thousands of individuals harmed in the
2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and cut a plea bargain on federal criminal
charges.
Yet a plaintiff looms that could demand and possibly win civil damage
payments that would dwarf the billions BP already has paid or committed:
The state of Louisiana.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2012/12/17/louisiana-looms-large-in-oil-spill-case/
Louisiana farmer featured in USDA video about BP Deepwater Horizon-spurred
initiative
By Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
updated December 17, 2012 at 6:30 PM
"Conservation doesn't cost." - Christian Richard
A Louisiana farmer is featured in a USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service video highlighting one of many conservation programs spurred by the
2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster. The video focuses on
conserving, or "recycling," water to help control sediment and nutrient
runoff into the Gulf of Mexico.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2012/12/louisiana_farmer_featured_in_u.html
Shell considered making bid for BP
Houston Chronicle
Shell Chief Executive Peter Voser told a German newspaper that the company
had considered trying to acquire BP in the past two years, according to a
Reuters report.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2012/12/17/shell-considered-making-bid-for-bp/
BP sells stake in North Sea gas field to SSE for $28 million
By Associated Press, Published: December 17
LONDON — Oil company BP has sold its half interest in a North Sea gas field
to SSE PLC for $288 million.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/bp-sells-stake-in-north-sea-gas-field-to-sse-for-28-million/2012/12/17/61dcecb2-4837-11e2-8af9-9b50cb4605a7_story.html
State News
Council agrees to water project
Ends month-long standoff with mayor
Clarion Ledger
Jackson City Council members on Monday ended a month-long standoff with the
administration over a $90 million water and sewer project, after receiving
assurances they would have another chance to weigh in on the proposed deal.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20121218/NEWS01/312180015/Council-agrees-water-project
CMSD launches city-wide electronics recycling
Commercial Dispatch
December 17, 2012 11:47:57 AM
Carmen K. Sisson
The Columbus Municipal School District is thinking green these days,
launching a new recycling initiative it hopes will bring in a little extra
cash while helping the environment.
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=21013
Founded in 1994, DMR has deep pockets, large Coast presence
Sun Herald
By MICHAEL NEWSOM
GULFPORT -- Since it was formed in 1994, the Mississippi Department of
Marine Resources has grown to an agency with more than 140 paid employees,
other contract workers and an annual state funding appropriation of about
$19 million, plus many times that in federal money and grants.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/12/15/4360937/founded-in-1994-dmr-has-deep-pockets.html
Phosphate Holdings reports third-quarter loss
Mississippi Press
By April M. Havens | gulflive.com
updated December 17, 2012 at 4:41 PM
Phosphate Holdings Inc., owner of Mississippi Phosphates in Pascagoula,
today reported a third-quarter net loss of $4.8 million, or 57 cents per
share, compared to an income of $1.5 million, or 18 cents per share, in the
same quarter last year.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/12/phosphate_holdings_reports_thi.html#incart_river
Funding worries agency chiefs
Lawmakers' plan would cut ethics panel budget
Clarion Ledger
Corrections and the Ethics Commission would take major funding hits that
agency directors say could leave them deep in debt or paralyze their
operations if the Joint Legislative Budget Committee's 2014 recommendations
are adopted.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20121218/NEWS01/312180035/Funding-worries-agency-chiefs
No flattery from Forbes: Publication gives state dismal business ranking
MBJ Blog
Mississippi's government and business leaders won't find any glad tidings
for the New Year in Forbes magazine's annual list of "Best States for
Business."
http://msbusiness.com/businessblog/2012/12/17/no-flattery-from-forbes-publication-gives-state-dismal-business-ranking/
National News
EPA to probe Lisa Jackson's alias email account
Politico
By: Erica Martinson
December 18, 2012 04:29 AM EST
The EPA inspector general wants some answers about Lisa Jackson's EPA email
account in the name of "Richard Windsor."
http://www.politico.com/story/2012/12/epa-to-probe-lisa-jacksons-alias-email-account-85202.html?hp=r1
GOP governors urge Obama to abandon 'fracking' rule
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 12/17/12 12:59 PM ET
Republicans are stepping up political pressure on the White House to back
off regulations that will impose new controls on the controversial
oil-and-gas development method called hydraulic fracturing.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/273229-gop-govs-urge-obama-to-nix-fracking-rule
Feds look other way as wind farms kill birds -- but haul oil and gas firms
to court
By Barnini Chakraborty
Published December 17, 2012
FoxNews.com
advertisement
Washington – Lights left on during a foggy night last year at a West
Virginia wind farm are thought to be behind the grizzly deaths of nearly
500 songbirds.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/12/17/us-wind-farms-under-fire-for-bird-kills/?test=latestnews
Press Releases
EPA Enforcement in 2012 Protects Communities From Harmful Pollution
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released
its annual enforcement results, showing significant environmental and
public health protections achieved – a reduction of 2.2 billion pounds of
air, water and land pollution, as well as 4.4 billion pounds of hazardous
waste, and $252 million in civil and criminal penalties levied – while also
focusing on enforcement efforts that reduce smaller amounts of pollution
but have substantial health impacts in communities.
"Enforcement plays a vital role in protecting communities from harmful
pollution," said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of
Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "We are using vigorous enforcement,
as well as innovations in monitoring and transparency, to reduce pollution
violations, protect and empower communities and focus on the environmental
problems that matter most."
FY 2012 results include:
- Sustained and focused enforcement attention on serious violators of clean
drinking water standards has resulted in improvements in compliance. The
number of systems with serious violations has declined by more than 60
percent in the past three years as a result of combined federal and state
enforcement work, protecting people's health through safer drinking water.
- More than 67 percent of large combined sewer systems serving people
across the country are implementing clean water solutions to reduce raw
sewage and contaminated stormwater and more are underway. EPA is working
with communities to design integrated solutions to these water quality
problems, and incorporating innovative and cost effective green
infrastructure to save money and achieve multiple community benefits.
- EPA is bringing criminal prosecutions where criminal activity threatens
public health, like failing to use required pollution control equipment or
knowingly violating pollution rules resulting in death or serious harm or
falsifying pollution information. See a case example in Louisiana.
- EPA is advancing environmental justice by incorporating fenceline
monitoring, which requires companies to monitor their air emissions and
make that data available public, into settlements, ensuring that local
residents have access to critical information about pollution that may be
affecting their community. EPA also secured $44 million in additional
investments through settlements for supplemental environmental projects
that benefit impacted communities. See an oil refinery case example.
- EPA is increasing transparency to use the power of public accountability
to help improve environmental compliance. EPA's 2012 enforcement actions
map provides information about violators in communities. EPA's state
dashboards and Clean Water Act pollutant loading tool provides the public
with information about local pollution that may affect them and allows the
public to take a closer look at how government is responding to pollution
problems.
More information about EPA's FY 2012 enforcement results:
http://www.epa.gov/enforcement/data/eoy2012/index.html
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
News Clippings 12/17/12
Oil Spill
CBS makes error in story suggesting Deepwater Horizon well is leaking
Press Register
By Ben Raines | braines@al.com
updated December 13, 2012 at 4:34 PM
CBS News made an error today in a report that aired on the CBS This Morning
program, an error that raised fears the Deepwater Horizon well was leaking.
http://blog.al.com/live/2012/12/cbs_makes_huge_error_in_story.html
BP oil spill cleanup at seashore shifting gears
Pensacola News Journal
The U.S. Coast Guard is exploring the possibility of scaling back the oil
spill cleanup operations in the Gulf Islands National Seashore in the
spring, three years after the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster.
http://www.pnj.com/article/20121217/NEWS09/312170023/Pensacola-Beach-BP-oil-spill-cleanup-may-end
Judge to discuss trial delay for BP rig employees
By The Associated Press
updated December 15, 2012 at 12:51 PM
NEW ORLEANS -- A federal judge has scheduled a status conference to discuss
a request to postpone the trial of two BP rig supervisors charged with
manslaughter in the April 2010 deaths of 11 workers on the Deepwater
Horizon drilling rig.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/12/judge_to_discuss_trial_delay_f.html#incart_river
State News
New EPA Standards Will Reduce the Amount of Soot in the Air
MPB
BY LAWAYNE CHILDREY | PUBLISHED 14 DEC 2012 07:01PM |
New air quality standards will soon be in place that could reduce the
amount of soot released into the air by 20%.
MPB's Lawayne Childrey has more.
http://mpbonline.org/News/article/new_epa_standards_will_reduce_the_amount_of_soot_in_the_air
Lack of bids on Mississippi DMR work under review
By PAUL HAMPTON,KAREN NELSON and ANITA LEE — Sun Herald
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources has awarded contracts worth
more than $600,000 and has paid an additional $116,000 to a firm owned by
the Madison County tax assessor and his wife, possibly skirting federal and
state laws that require competitive bidding, a preliminary audit by the
U.S. Interior Department's Office of Inspector General says.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/12/15/4360936/lack-of-bids-on-mississippi-dmr.html#storylink=misearch
Improving Mississippi's 'green jobs' ranking could benefit state's economy
MBJ
by Becky Gillette
Published: December 14,2012
Mississippi ranks 45th in the country in a "green jobs" study by the
Economic Policy Institute (EPI) that is based on data from the Bureau of
Labor Statistics. Mississippi may want to consider improving that ranking
considering the fact that states with higher green jobs rankings fared
better during the recession, and the green jobs sector is growing faster
than others.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2012/12/14/improving-mississippis-green-jobs-ranking-could-benefit-states-economy/
Senators introduce bill protecting farmers from FWS penalties
by MBJ Staff
Published: December 14,2012
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), John Boozman
(R-Ark.), Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) have
introduced legislation to prevent the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)
from penalizing farmers and sportsmen for rolling their fields during
hunting season.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2012/12/14/senators-introduce-bill-protecting-farmers-from-fws-penalties/
Grand Bay Reserve combines education and research
WLOX
It's just two miles south of the busy interstate. But the Grand Bay reserve
seems worlds away for those who enjoy the beauty of nature.
http://www.wlox.com/story/20350103/grand-bay-reserve-combines-education-and-research
Malcolm White named MDA Tourism Division Director
WLBT
Malcolm White has been named the director of the Mississippi Development
Authority's Tourism Division. White has more than 40 years experience in
the economic development and tourism industries.
http://www.wlox.com/story/20346393/malcolm-white-named-mda-tourism-division-director
Bryant asks MSU grads to share talents in address
Starkville Daily News
Addressing nearly 1,400 Mississippi State University graduates at fall
commencement ceremonies Saturday, Gov. Phil Bryant conveyed the state's
pride in its graduates.
http://www.starkvilledailynews.com/node/12407
National News
E.P.A. Sets a Lower Limit for Soot Particles in the Air
NY Times
By JOHN M. BRODER
WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency announced a new standard
for soot pollution on Friday that will force industry, utilities and local
governments to find ways to reduce emissions of particles that are linked
to thousands of cases of disease and death each year.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/15/science/earth/epa-proposes-tighter-soot-rule.html?ref=earth&_r=0&pagewanted=print
EPA tightens soot pollution standards by 20 percent in first major
regulation since election
By Associated Press
WASHINGTON — In its first major regulation since the election, the Obama
administration on Friday imposed a new air quality standard that reduces by
20 percent the maximum amount of soot released into the air from
smokestacks, diesel trucks and other sources of pollution.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/epa-to-tighten-soot-standards-by-20-percent-in-first-major-regulation-since-election/2012/12/14/5a96f9b6-4607-11e2-8c8f-fbebf7ccab4e_story.html
EPA tightens soot rules by 20 percent
Washington Post
By Juliet Eilperin, Published: December 14
The Environmental Protection Agency tightened the nation's soot standards
by 20 percent Friday, a move that will force communities across the country
to improve air quality by the end of the decade while making it harder for
some industries to expand operations without strict pollution controls.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/epa-to-tighten-soot-rules-by-20-percent/2012/12/14/5d39c0c0-4541-11e2-8061-253bccfc7532_story.html
Is EPA's soot rule a sign for the second term?
Politico
By: Erica Martinson
December 15, 2012 10:07 AM EST
EPA's critics say they see ill omens for President Barack Obama's second
term in Friday's announcement of significantly tightened air pollution
limits on soot from exhaust pipes and smokestacks.
http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=C1E80FED-70BC-46E9-B09C-267FDDCE0FC3
Climate Change Pits Sioux Against Barges for Scarce Water
Bloomberg
By Alan Bjerga - Dec 17, 2012
For the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, whose lands straddle the North and South
Dakota border, river water means drinking supplies. For Illinoisfarmers,
it's irrigation for their crops.
Rivers also power hydro-electric plants, provide recreation for boaters and
give coal companies inexpensive access to export markets with barges to New
Orleans.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-17/climate-change-pits-sioux-against-barges-for-scarce-water.html
Hollywood tapping into fracking fears
New movie "Promised Land" exploits concerns about gas-drilling technique
Albany Times Union
By Rick Karlin
ALBANY — In March 1979, a screen thriller called "The China Syndrome"
opened. It starred Jane Fonda and Michael Douglas as TV journalists
investigating corner-cutting as well as lethal forms of corporate
skulduggery at a California nuclear power plant.
http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Hollywood-tapping-into-fracking-fears-4121751.php
Opinion
SUN HERALD | Editorial: Selecting the next leader of the DMR
Revelations about problems at the Mississippi Department of Marine
Resources continue -- revealing serious questions about the agency and its
management.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/12/15/4359210/sun-herald-editorial-selecting.html#storylink=misearch
Press Releases
EPA Announces Next Round of Clean Air Standards to Reduce Harmful Soot
Pollution
WASHINGTON – In response to a court order, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) today finalized an update to its national air
quality standards for harmful fine particle pollution (PM2.5), including
soot, setting the annual health standard at 12 micrograms per cubic meter.
By 2020, ninety-nine percent of U.S. counties are projected to meet revised
health standard without any additional actions
Today's announcement has no effect on the existing daily standard for fine
particles or the existing daily standard for coarse particles (PM10), which
includes dust from farms and other sources), both of which remain
unchanged.
"These standards are fulfilling the promise of the Clean Air Act. We will
save lives and reduce the burden of illness in our communities, and
families across the country will benefit from the simple fact of being able
to breathe cleaner air," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.
Fine particle pollution can penetrate deep into the lungs and has been
linked to a wide range of serious health effects, including premature
death, heart attacks, and strokes, as well as acute bronchitis and
aggravated asthma among children. A federal court ruling required EPA to
update the standard based on best available science. Today's announcement,
which meets that requirement, builds on smart steps already taken by EPA to
slash dangerous pollution in communities across the country. Thanks to
these steps, 99 percent of U.S. counties are projected to meet the standard
without any additional action.
It is expected that fewer than 10 counties, out of the more than 3,000
counties in the United States, will need to consider any local actions to
reduce fine particle pollution in order to meet the new standard by 2020,
as required by the Clean Air Act. The rest can rely on air quality
improvements from federal rules already on the books to meet this new
standard.
More on the 2020 Map: http://www.epa.gov/pm/2012/2020map.pdf
The standard, which was proposed in June and is consistent with the advice
from the agency's independent science advisors, is based on an extensive
body of scientific evidence that includes thousands of studies – including
many large studies which show negative health impacts at lower levels than
previously understood. It also follows extensive consultation with
stakeholders, including the public, health organizations, and industry, and
after considering more than 230,000 public comments.
By 2030, it is expected that all standards that cut PM2.5 from diesel
vehicles and equipment alone will prevent up to 40,000 premature deaths,
32,000 hospital admissions and 4.7 million days of work lost due to
illness.
Because reductions in fine particle pollution have direct health benefits
including decreased mortality rates, fewer incidents of heart attacks,
strokes, and childhood asthma, the PM2.5 standards announced today have
major economic benefits with comparatively low costs. EPA estimates health
benefits of the revised standard to range from $4 billion to over $9
billion per year, with estimated costs of implementation ranging from $53
million to $350 million. While EPA cannot consider costs in selecting a
standard under the Clean Air Act, those costs are estimated as part of the
careful analysis undertaken for all significant regulations, as required by
Executive Order 13563 issued by President Obama in January 2011.
The Clean Air Act requires EPA to review its air quality standards every
five years to determine whether the standards should be revised. The law
requires the agency to ensure the standards are "requisite to protect
public health with an adequate margin of safety" and "requisite to protect
the public welfare." A federal court required EPA to issue final standard
by December 14, because the agency did not meet its five-year legal
deadline for reviewing the standards.
EPA carefully considered extensive public input as it determined the
appropriate final standard to protect public health. The agency held two
public hearings and received more than 230,000 written comments before
finalizing today's updated air quality standards.
More information: http://www.epa.gov/pm
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| USDA Grants Support Sustainable Bioenergy Production |
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| |
|LANSING, Mich., Dec. 14, 2012—Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today |
|announced $10 million in research grants to spur production of bioenergy and|
|biobased products that will lead to the development of sustainable regional |
|systems and help create jobs. Vilsack highlighted the announcement today |
|with a visit to Michigan State University, a grant awardee. The Secretary |
|also pointed to a recent study released by Iowa State University (ISU), and |
|funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which finds that while the use|
|of biobased products in automobile manufacturing is increasing, there are |
|still many parts in the top-selling automobiles manufactured in the United |
|States that may be replaced with biobased materials. |
| |
| |
|"USDA and President Obama are committed to producing clean energy right here|
|at home, to not only break our dependence on foreign oil, but also boost |
|rural economies," said Vilsack. "These projects will give us the scientific |
|information needed to support biofuel production and create co-products that|
|will enhance the overall value of a biobased economy. Today, with a strong |
|and diversified U.S. agricultural sector, the American automobile industry |
|has a greater incentive for expanding use of biobased products while |
|supporting good-paying jobs here in the United States." |
| |
| |
|USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded the grants |
|through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). AFRI's |
|sustainable bioenergy challenge area targets the development of regional |
|systems for the sustainable production of bioenergy and biobased products |
|that: contribute significantly to reducing dependence on foreign oil; have |
|net positive social, environmental, and rural economic impacts; and are |
|compatible with existing agricultural systems. |
| |
| |
|The long-term goal for the research projects, which were selected through a |
|highly competitive process, is to implement sustainable regional systems |
|that materially deliver liquid transportation biofuels to help meet the |
|Energy Independence and Security Act goal of 36 billion gallons per year of |
|biofuels by 2022. The programs focus on the many environmental, social and |
|economic benefits and trade-offs associated with decisions and policies |
|regarding the where, when, and how of national and regional biofuels |
|development. Projects were awarded in four areas: 1) policy options for and |
|impacts on regional biofuels production systems, 2) impacts of regional |
|bioenergy feedstock production systems on wildlife and pollinators, 3) |
|socioeconomic impacts of biofuels on rural communities, and 4) environmental|
|implications of direct and indirect land use change. |
| |
| |
|Fiscal year 2012 awards include: |
| |
| |
| · University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz., $36,000 |
| |
| |
| · Arizona State University, Tempe, Ariz., $350,000 |
| |
| |
| · University of Georgia, Athens, Ga., $345,689 |
| |
| |
| · University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla., $496,996 |
| |
| |
| · University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla., $497,851 |
| |
| |
| · Boise State University, Boise, Idaho, $493,210 |
| |
| |
| · University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, $499,009 |
| |
| |
| · University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, $350,000 |
| |
| |
| · Michigan State University, Lansing, Mich., $349,695 |
| |
| |
| · University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minn., $498,786 |
| |
| |
| · University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minn., $349,996 |
| |
| |
| · Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Miss., $273,120 |
| |
| |
| · University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo., $499,447 |
| |
| |
| · Lincoln University, Jefferson City, Mo., $94,258 |
| |
| |
| · Montclair State University, Upper Montclair, N.J., $349,963 |
| |
| |
| · Duke University, Durham, N.C., $349,084 |
| |
| |
| · University of Oklahoma, Norman, Okla., $466,534 |
| |
| |
| · Oregon State University, Corvallis, Ore., $349,624 |
| |
| |
| · Temple University, Philadelphia, Pa., $149,977 |
| |
| |
| · Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pa., $348,959 |
| |
| |
| · Clemson University, Clemson, S.C., $50,000 |
| |
| |
| · University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn., $350,000 |
| |
| |
| · Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, $255,972 |
| |
| |
| · Texas AgriLife Extension, College Station, Texas, $499,619 |
| |
| |
| · Washington State University, Pullman, Wash., $349,993 |
| |
| |
| · West Virginia University, Morgantown, W.V., $349,952 |
| |
| |
| · University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis., $496,109 |
| |
| |
| · University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis., $345,327 |
| |
| |
| · USDA Agricultural Research Service, Peoria, Ill., $500,000 |
| |
| |
|AFRI is NIFA's flagship competitive grant program and was established under |
|the 2008 Farm Bill. AFRI supports work in six priority areas: plant health |
|and production and plant products; animal health and production and animal |
|products; food safety, nutrition and health; renewable energy, natural |
|resources and environment; agriculture systems and technology; and |
|agriculture economics and rural communities. |
| |
| |
|Each award was made through a competitive selection process. An external |
|peer review panel reviewed all proposals and made award decisions based on |
|scientific merit to the best and brightest scientists across the nation. |
| |
| |
|The ISU report, Biobased Automobile Parts Investigation, shows that "the |
|history of biobased automobile parts begins early in the development of |
|automobiles themselves. During the 1930s, automobile pioneer Henry Ford |
|began developing soy-based automobile parts." The report goes on to |
|highlight how a variety of U.S. automobile manufacturers are showing a |
|greater commitment to exploring biobased options, and provides a variety of |
|resources for policymakers and other decision-makers interested in exploring|
|the issue. |
| |
| |
|Creating new markets for the nation's agricultural products through biobased|
|manufacturing is one of the many steps the Obama Administration has taken |
|over the past four years to strengthen the rural economy. Since August 2011,|
|the White House Rural Council has supported a broad spectrum of rural |
|initiatives including a Presidential Memorandum to create jobs in rural |
|America through biobased and sustainable product procurement; a $350 million|
|commitment in SBA funding to rural small businesses over the next 5 years; |
|launching a series of conferences to connect investors with rural start-ups;|
|creating capital marketing teams to pitch federal funding opportunities to |
|private investors interested in making rural connections; and making job |
|search information available at 2,800 local USDA offices nationwide. |
| |
| |
|# |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
CBS makes error in story suggesting Deepwater Horizon well is leaking
Press Register
By Ben Raines | braines@al.com
updated December 13, 2012 at 4:34 PM
CBS News made an error today in a report that aired on the CBS This Morning
program, an error that raised fears the Deepwater Horizon well was leaking.
http://blog.al.com/live/2012/12/cbs_makes_huge_error_in_story.html
BP oil spill cleanup at seashore shifting gears
Pensacola News Journal
The U.S. Coast Guard is exploring the possibility of scaling back the oil
spill cleanup operations in the Gulf Islands National Seashore in the
spring, three years after the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster.
http://www.pnj.com/article/20121217/NEWS09/312170023/Pensacola-Beach-BP-oil-spill-cleanup-may-end
Judge to discuss trial delay for BP rig employees
By The Associated Press
updated December 15, 2012 at 12:51 PM
NEW ORLEANS -- A federal judge has scheduled a status conference to discuss
a request to postpone the trial of two BP rig supervisors charged with
manslaughter in the April 2010 deaths of 11 workers on the Deepwater
Horizon drilling rig.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/12/judge_to_discuss_trial_delay_f.html#incart_river
State News
New EPA Standards Will Reduce the Amount of Soot in the Air
MPB
BY LAWAYNE CHILDREY | PUBLISHED 14 DEC 2012 07:01PM |
New air quality standards will soon be in place that could reduce the
amount of soot released into the air by 20%.
MPB's Lawayne Childrey has more.
http://mpbonline.org/News/article/new_epa_standards_will_reduce_the_amount_of_soot_in_the_air
Lack of bids on Mississippi DMR work under review
By PAUL HAMPTON,KAREN NELSON and ANITA LEE — Sun Herald
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources has awarded contracts worth
more than $600,000 and has paid an additional $116,000 to a firm owned by
the Madison County tax assessor and his wife, possibly skirting federal and
state laws that require competitive bidding, a preliminary audit by the
U.S. Interior Department's Office of Inspector General says.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/12/15/4360936/lack-of-bids-on-mississippi-dmr.html#storylink=misearch
Improving Mississippi's 'green jobs' ranking could benefit state's economy
MBJ
by Becky Gillette
Published: December 14,2012
Mississippi ranks 45th in the country in a "green jobs" study by the
Economic Policy Institute (EPI) that is based on data from the Bureau of
Labor Statistics. Mississippi may want to consider improving that ranking
considering the fact that states with higher green jobs rankings fared
better during the recession, and the green jobs sector is growing faster
than others.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2012/12/14/improving-mississippis-green-jobs-ranking-could-benefit-states-economy/
Senators introduce bill protecting farmers from FWS penalties
by MBJ Staff
Published: December 14,2012
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), John Boozman
(R-Ark.), Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) have
introduced legislation to prevent the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)
from penalizing farmers and sportsmen for rolling their fields during
hunting season.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2012/12/14/senators-introduce-bill-protecting-farmers-from-fws-penalties/
Grand Bay Reserve combines education and research
WLOX
It's just two miles south of the busy interstate. But the Grand Bay reserve
seems worlds away for those who enjoy the beauty of nature.
http://www.wlox.com/story/20350103/grand-bay-reserve-combines-education-and-research
Malcolm White named MDA Tourism Division Director
WLBT
Malcolm White has been named the director of the Mississippi Development
Authority's Tourism Division. White has more than 40 years experience in
the economic development and tourism industries.
http://www.wlox.com/story/20346393/malcolm-white-named-mda-tourism-division-director
Bryant asks MSU grads to share talents in address
Starkville Daily News
Addressing nearly 1,400 Mississippi State University graduates at fall
commencement ceremonies Saturday, Gov. Phil Bryant conveyed the state's
pride in its graduates.
http://www.starkvilledailynews.com/node/12407
National News
E.P.A. Sets a Lower Limit for Soot Particles in the Air
NY Times
By JOHN M. BRODER
WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency announced a new standard
for soot pollution on Friday that will force industry, utilities and local
governments to find ways to reduce emissions of particles that are linked
to thousands of cases of disease and death each year.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/15/science/earth/epa-proposes-tighter-soot-rule.html?ref=earth&_r=0&pagewanted=print
EPA tightens soot pollution standards by 20 percent in first major
regulation since election
By Associated Press
WASHINGTON — In its first major regulation since the election, the Obama
administration on Friday imposed a new air quality standard that reduces by
20 percent the maximum amount of soot released into the air from
smokestacks, diesel trucks and other sources of pollution.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/epa-to-tighten-soot-standards-by-20-percent-in-first-major-regulation-since-election/2012/12/14/5a96f9b6-4607-11e2-8c8f-fbebf7ccab4e_story.html
EPA tightens soot rules by 20 percent
Washington Post
By Juliet Eilperin, Published: December 14
The Environmental Protection Agency tightened the nation's soot standards
by 20 percent Friday, a move that will force communities across the country
to improve air quality by the end of the decade while making it harder for
some industries to expand operations without strict pollution controls.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/epa-to-tighten-soot-rules-by-20-percent/2012/12/14/5d39c0c0-4541-11e2-8061-253bccfc7532_story.html
Is EPA's soot rule a sign for the second term?
Politico
By: Erica Martinson
December 15, 2012 10:07 AM EST
EPA's critics say they see ill omens for President Barack Obama's second
term in Friday's announcement of significantly tightened air pollution
limits on soot from exhaust pipes and smokestacks.
http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=C1E80FED-70BC-46E9-B09C-267FDDCE0FC3
Climate Change Pits Sioux Against Barges for Scarce Water
Bloomberg
By Alan Bjerga - Dec 17, 2012
For the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, whose lands straddle the North and South
Dakota border, river water means drinking supplies. For Illinoisfarmers,
it's irrigation for their crops.
Rivers also power hydro-electric plants, provide recreation for boaters and
give coal companies inexpensive access to export markets with barges to New
Orleans.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-17/climate-change-pits-sioux-against-barges-for-scarce-water.html
Hollywood tapping into fracking fears
New movie "Promised Land" exploits concerns about gas-drilling technique
Albany Times Union
By Rick Karlin
ALBANY — In March 1979, a screen thriller called "The China Syndrome"
opened. It starred Jane Fonda and Michael Douglas as TV journalists
investigating corner-cutting as well as lethal forms of corporate
skulduggery at a California nuclear power plant.
http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Hollywood-tapping-into-fracking-fears-4121751.php
Opinion
SUN HERALD | Editorial: Selecting the next leader of the DMR
Revelations about problems at the Mississippi Department of Marine
Resources continue -- revealing serious questions about the agency and its
management.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/12/15/4359210/sun-herald-editorial-selecting.html#storylink=misearch
Press Releases
EPA Announces Next Round of Clean Air Standards to Reduce Harmful Soot
Pollution
WASHINGTON – In response to a court order, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) today finalized an update to its national air
quality standards for harmful fine particle pollution (PM2.5), including
soot, setting the annual health standard at 12 micrograms per cubic meter.
By 2020, ninety-nine percent of U.S. counties are projected to meet revised
health standard without any additional actions
Today's announcement has no effect on the existing daily standard for fine
particles or the existing daily standard for coarse particles (PM10), which
includes dust from farms and other sources), both of which remain
unchanged.
"These standards are fulfilling the promise of the Clean Air Act. We will
save lives and reduce the burden of illness in our communities, and
families across the country will benefit from the simple fact of being able
to breathe cleaner air," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.
Fine particle pollution can penetrate deep into the lungs and has been
linked to a wide range of serious health effects, including premature
death, heart attacks, and strokes, as well as acute bronchitis and
aggravated asthma among children. A federal court ruling required EPA to
update the standard based on best available science. Today's announcement,
which meets that requirement, builds on smart steps already taken by EPA to
slash dangerous pollution in communities across the country. Thanks to
these steps, 99 percent of U.S. counties are projected to meet the standard
without any additional action.
It is expected that fewer than 10 counties, out of the more than 3,000
counties in the United States, will need to consider any local actions to
reduce fine particle pollution in order to meet the new standard by 2020,
as required by the Clean Air Act. The rest can rely on air quality
improvements from federal rules already on the books to meet this new
standard.
More on the 2020 Map: http://www.epa.gov/pm/2012/2020map.pdf
The standard, which was proposed in June and is consistent with the advice
from the agency's independent science advisors, is based on an extensive
body of scientific evidence that includes thousands of studies – including
many large studies which show negative health impacts at lower levels than
previously understood. It also follows extensive consultation with
stakeholders, including the public, health organizations, and industry, and
after considering more than 230,000 public comments.
By 2030, it is expected that all standards that cut PM2.5 from diesel
vehicles and equipment alone will prevent up to 40,000 premature deaths,
32,000 hospital admissions and 4.7 million days of work lost due to
illness.
Because reductions in fine particle pollution have direct health benefits
including decreased mortality rates, fewer incidents of heart attacks,
strokes, and childhood asthma, the PM2.5 standards announced today have
major economic benefits with comparatively low costs. EPA estimates health
benefits of the revised standard to range from $4 billion to over $9
billion per year, with estimated costs of implementation ranging from $53
million to $350 million. While EPA cannot consider costs in selecting a
standard under the Clean Air Act, those costs are estimated as part of the
careful analysis undertaken for all significant regulations, as required by
Executive Order 13563 issued by President Obama in January 2011.
The Clean Air Act requires EPA to review its air quality standards every
five years to determine whether the standards should be revised. The law
requires the agency to ensure the standards are "requisite to protect
public health with an adequate margin of safety" and "requisite to protect
the public welfare." A federal court required EPA to issue final standard
by December 14, because the agency did not meet its five-year legal
deadline for reviewing the standards.
EPA carefully considered extensive public input as it determined the
appropriate final standard to protect public health. The agency held two
public hearings and received more than 230,000 written comments before
finalizing today's updated air quality standards.
More information: http://www.epa.gov/pm
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| USDA Grants Support Sustainable Bioenergy Production |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
|LANSING, Mich., Dec. 14, 2012—Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today |
|announced $10 million in research grants to spur production of bioenergy and|
|biobased products that will lead to the development of sustainable regional |
|systems and help create jobs. Vilsack highlighted the announcement today |
|with a visit to Michigan State University, a grant awardee. The Secretary |
|also pointed to a recent study released by Iowa State University (ISU), and |
|funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which finds that while the use|
|of biobased products in automobile manufacturing is increasing, there are |
|still many parts in the top-selling automobiles manufactured in the United |
|States that may be replaced with biobased materials. |
| |
| |
|"USDA and President Obama are committed to producing clean energy right here|
|at home, to not only break our dependence on foreign oil, but also boost |
|rural economies," said Vilsack. "These projects will give us the scientific |
|information needed to support biofuel production and create co-products that|
|will enhance the overall value of a biobased economy. Today, with a strong |
|and diversified U.S. agricultural sector, the American automobile industry |
|has a greater incentive for expanding use of biobased products while |
|supporting good-paying jobs here in the United States." |
| |
| |
|USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded the grants |
|through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). AFRI's |
|sustainable bioenergy challenge area targets the development of regional |
|systems for the sustainable production of bioenergy and biobased products |
|that: contribute significantly to reducing dependence on foreign oil; have |
|net positive social, environmental, and rural economic impacts; and are |
|compatible with existing agricultural systems. |
| |
| |
|The long-term goal for the research projects, which were selected through a |
|highly competitive process, is to implement sustainable regional systems |
|that materially deliver liquid transportation biofuels to help meet the |
|Energy Independence and Security Act goal of 36 billion gallons per year of |
|biofuels by 2022. The programs focus on the many environmental, social and |
|economic benefits and trade-offs associated with decisions and policies |
|regarding the where, when, and how of national and regional biofuels |
|development. Projects were awarded in four areas: 1) policy options for and |
|impacts on regional biofuels production systems, 2) impacts of regional |
|bioenergy feedstock production systems on wildlife and pollinators, 3) |
|socioeconomic impacts of biofuels on rural communities, and 4) environmental|
|implications of direct and indirect land use change. |
| |
| |
|Fiscal year 2012 awards include: |
| |
| |
| · University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz., $36,000 |
| |
| |
| · Arizona State University, Tempe, Ariz., $350,000 |
| |
| |
| · University of Georgia, Athens, Ga., $345,689 |
| |
| |
| · University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla., $496,996 |
| |
| |
| · University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla., $497,851 |
| |
| |
| · Boise State University, Boise, Idaho, $493,210 |
| |
| |
| · University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, $499,009 |
| |
| |
| · University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, $350,000 |
| |
| |
| · Michigan State University, Lansing, Mich., $349,695 |
| |
| |
| · University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minn., $498,786 |
| |
| |
| · University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minn., $349,996 |
| |
| |
| · Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Miss., $273,120 |
| |
| |
| · University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo., $499,447 |
| |
| |
| · Lincoln University, Jefferson City, Mo., $94,258 |
| |
| |
| · Montclair State University, Upper Montclair, N.J., $349,963 |
| |
| |
| · Duke University, Durham, N.C., $349,084 |
| |
| |
| · University of Oklahoma, Norman, Okla., $466,534 |
| |
| |
| · Oregon State University, Corvallis, Ore., $349,624 |
| |
| |
| · Temple University, Philadelphia, Pa., $149,977 |
| |
| |
| · Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pa., $348,959 |
| |
| |
| · Clemson University, Clemson, S.C., $50,000 |
| |
| |
| · University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn., $350,000 |
| |
| |
| · Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, $255,972 |
| |
| |
| · Texas AgriLife Extension, College Station, Texas, $499,619 |
| |
| |
| · Washington State University, Pullman, Wash., $349,993 |
| |
| |
| · West Virginia University, Morgantown, W.V., $349,952 |
| |
| |
| · University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis., $496,109 |
| |
| |
| · University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis., $345,327 |
| |
| |
| · USDA Agricultural Research Service, Peoria, Ill., $500,000 |
| |
| |
|AFRI is NIFA's flagship competitive grant program and was established under |
|the 2008 Farm Bill. AFRI supports work in six priority areas: plant health |
|and production and plant products; animal health and production and animal |
|products; food safety, nutrition and health; renewable energy, natural |
|resources and environment; agriculture systems and technology; and |
|agriculture economics and rural communities. |
| |
| |
|Each award was made through a competitive selection process. An external |
|peer review panel reviewed all proposals and made award decisions based on |
|scientific merit to the best and brightest scientists across the nation. |
| |
| |
|The ISU report, Biobased Automobile Parts Investigation, shows that "the |
|history of biobased automobile parts begins early in the development of |
|automobiles themselves. During the 1930s, automobile pioneer Henry Ford |
|began developing soy-based automobile parts." The report goes on to |
|highlight how a variety of U.S. automobile manufacturers are showing a |
|greater commitment to exploring biobased options, and provides a variety of |
|resources for policymakers and other decision-makers interested in exploring|
|the issue. |
| |
| |
|Creating new markets for the nation's agricultural products through biobased|
|manufacturing is one of the many steps the Obama Administration has taken |
|over the past four years to strengthen the rural economy. Since August 2011,|
|the White House Rural Council has supported a broad spectrum of rural |
|initiatives including a Presidential Memorandum to create jobs in rural |
|America through biobased and sustainable product procurement; a $350 million|
|commitment in SBA funding to rural small businesses over the next 5 years; |
|launching a series of conferences to connect investors with rural start-ups;|
|creating capital marketing teams to pitch federal funding opportunities to |
|private investors interested in making rural connections; and making job |
|search information available at 2,800 local USDA offices nationwide. |
| |
| |
|# |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Friday, December 14, 2012
News Clippings 12/14/12
12/14/12
Oil Spill
Report: Oil may be seeping from Deepwater Horizon site
Press Register
By George Talbot | gtalbot@al.com
updated December 13, 2012 at 10:46 AM
BP is conducting undersea tests in the Gulf of Mexico to determine if more
oil is leaking from the site of the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe,
according to CBS News.
http://blog.al.com/live/2012/12/report_oil_may_be_seeping_from.html#incart_river
Oil may be seeping from Deepwater Horizon site
CBS
CBS News has learned that BP is set to embark Thursday on the fifth day of
a little-known subsea mission under Coast Guard supervision to look for any
new oil leaking from the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57558916/oil-may-be-seeping-from-deepwater-horizon-site/
Judge approves $525M oil spill securities deal
The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS — A federal judge has approved a $525 million settlement
between BP PLC and the Securities and Exchange Commission over statements
the company made during the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/12/13/4357705/judge-approves-525m-oil-spill.html
Vitter accuses BP of creating image in ads that doesn't match reality
By Bruce Alpert, NOLA.com | Times-Picayune
updated December 13, 2012 at 11:55 AM
WASHINGTON -- Noting that BP continues to spend lots of money on
advertising about its post-2010 oil spill commitment to "make things
right," Sen. David Vitter, R-La., Thursday said the company is doing more
to help Europe than Louisiana. In a sarcastic letter to Lamar McCay,
chairman and president of BP America Inc., Vitter suggests the image the
company presents in ads isn't consistent with its record.
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/12/vitter_accues_bp_of_creating_i.html
BP must hire Louisiana firms to 'make this right' -Sen. Vitter
Thu, Dec 13 2012
Reuters
By Roberta Rampton
WASHINGTON, Dec 13 (Reuters) - BP Plc should hire more Louisiana companies
to work on its project to expand an oil platform to show the oil company
meant what it said in advertisements pledging to "make this right" for the
state after the 2010 Gulf oil spill, U.S. Senator David Vitter said on
Thursday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/13/bp-vitter-idUSL1E8ND8OM20121213
State News
UPDATED: Ladners sentenced in Katrina 'kickback' case
Sea Coast Echo
By Dwayne Bremer and Geoff Belcher
Dec 13, 2012, 16:22
All four suspects in a Katrina kickback scheme were sentenced on Thursday.
http://12.68.233.230/40/article_6498.shtml#.UMsVWG-_HpU
Gulfport ship channel getting much needed dredging
WLOX
For years, the Gulfport ship channel at the state port of Gulfport has been
getting more and more shallow. Because full maintenance dredging has not
been done since 2009, silt has choked off a good portion of the channel.
http://www.wlox.com/story/20340711/gulfport-ship-channel-getting-much-needed-dredging
British firm to build Miss., La. wood pellet mills
By JEFF AMY — Associated Press
JACKSON, MISS. — A British power generator will build a pair of mills in
southwestern Mississippi and northeastern Louisiana to make wood pellets to
burn for electricity in the United Kingdom.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/12/14/4358318/british-firm-to-build-miss-la.html
National News
Industry, green groups brace for soot rule
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 12/13/12 06:35 PM ET
Green and industry groups have been busy making last-second appeals to the
White House regarding soot standards the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) plans to finalize Friday.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/272899-overnight-energy-industry-green-groups-brace-for-soot-rule
Virginia takes EPA to court claiming water regulation plan is illegal land
takeover
By Shannon Bream
Published December 13, 2012
FoxNews.com
A heated legal battle between Virginia officials and the Environmental
Protection Agency over what EPA critics describe as a land takeover gets
its day in federal court Friday.
The EPA, citing an abundance of stormwater runoff, has proposed a plan that
Virginia officials say would cost them nearly half a billion dollars -- and
could cost homeowners and businesses their private property.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/12/13/virginia-sues-epa-to-stop-land-takeover/?test=latestnews
Walgreens must pay $16M for illegal dumping
AP
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A California judge has ordered drugstore chain
Walgreens to pay $16.57 million to settle a lawsuit claiming more than 600
of its stores in the state illegally dumped hazardous waste.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2012/12/13/walgreens-illegal-dumping/1767869/
UPDATE 2-US lawmakers press EPA chief on 'Windsor' email alias
Thu, Dec 13 2012
Reuters
By Timothy Gardner
WASHINGTON, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Republican lawmakers want the chief of the
Environmental Protection Agency to explain her use of a government-assigned
email address under a fake name.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/14/usa-epa-email-idUSL1E8NDIH320121214
Tougher Fracking Regulations Backed by 66%, Poll Shows
Bloomberg
By Mark Drajem - Dec 13, 2012
Support for regulation of hydraulic fracturing has increased in the past
three months, a sign that the gas-drilling practice is facing greater
public scrutiny.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-14/tougher-fracking-regulations-backed-by-66-poll-shows.html
Interior delays 'fracking' rules
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 12/11/12 04:16 PM ET
The Interior Department no longer plans to finalize rules this year that
will impose new controls on the controversial oil-and-gas development
method called hydraulic fracturing, a spokesman said.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/272307-interior-pushes-back-fracking-rule-timeline
The Boom And Bust Of Fracking
NPR
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. But we want to
start with a hot button issue that touches on the economy and environment.
You may have heard about hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. That's a
technology to extract natural gas that's causing alarm among a growing
number of activists. You might have heard about it if, for no other reason,
that many high profile celebrities that gotten involved in trying to stop
it.
http://www.npr.org/2012/12/13/167165906/the-boom-and-bust-of-fracking
Solving fracking's biggest problem
CNN/Fortune
FORTUNE -- One of the big environmental (and financial) challenges the oil
and gas industry faces is the amount of water afracking well requires. In
fracking, water is driven under pressure deep into a well. The force of the
water fractures or "fracks" the shale below, releasing the trapped gas.
http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/12/13/solving-frackings-biggest-problem/
Press Releases
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| American Farmers and Ranchers Reach 50M-Acre Mark in Voluntary USDA |
| Conservation Program |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| USDA Celebrates Success of 4-Year-Old Conservation Stewardship Program |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
|WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2012 – In just four years, America's top |
|conservationists have enrolled 50 million acres in USDA's Conservation |
|Stewardship Program (CSP), a program that helps farmers, ranchers and forest|
|landowners take conservation to the next level. CSP is aimed at producers |
|who are already established conservation stewards, helping them to deliver |
|multiple conservation benefits on working lands, including improved water |
|and soil quality and enhanced wildlife habitat. |
| |
| |
|"Farmers and ranchers throughout the country are making USDA's voluntary |
|Conservation Stewardship Program a major force for conservation," |
|Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. "The protection of natural resources|
|through conservation programs such as CSP create outdoor and wildlife |
|recreation opportunities that provide crucial jobs and bolster economic |
|growth in rural American communities." |
| |
| |
|The land enrolled in CSP totals more than 78,000 square miles, an area |
|larger than Pennsylvania and South Carolina combined, making the program one|
|of the largest voluntary conservation programs for private lands offered by |
|USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service. Nearly 12.2 million acres, or|
|18,750 square miles, were added to the program's rolls this year. |
| |
| |
|Eligible landowners and operators in all states and territories can enroll |
|in CSP. NRCS local offices accept CSP applications year round and evaluate |
|applications during announced ranking periods. |
| |
| |
|A CSP self-screening checklist is available to help producers determine if |
|the program is suitable for their operation. The checklist highlights basic |
|information about CSP eligibility requirements, stewardship threshold |
|requirements and payment types. It is available from local NRCS offices and |
|on the CSP website: http://go.usa.gov/g9dx. |
| |
| |
|Learn more about CSP and other NRCS programs here: |
|http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs. |
| |
| |
|# |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Oil Spill
Report: Oil may be seeping from Deepwater Horizon site
Press Register
By George Talbot | gtalbot@al.com
updated December 13, 2012 at 10:46 AM
BP is conducting undersea tests in the Gulf of Mexico to determine if more
oil is leaking from the site of the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe,
according to CBS News.
http://blog.al.com/live/2012/12/report_oil_may_be_seeping_from.html#incart_river
Oil may be seeping from Deepwater Horizon site
CBS
CBS News has learned that BP is set to embark Thursday on the fifth day of
a little-known subsea mission under Coast Guard supervision to look for any
new oil leaking from the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57558916/oil-may-be-seeping-from-deepwater-horizon-site/
Judge approves $525M oil spill securities deal
The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS — A federal judge has approved a $525 million settlement
between BP PLC and the Securities and Exchange Commission over statements
the company made during the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/12/13/4357705/judge-approves-525m-oil-spill.html
Vitter accuses BP of creating image in ads that doesn't match reality
By Bruce Alpert, NOLA.com | Times-Picayune
updated December 13, 2012 at 11:55 AM
WASHINGTON -- Noting that BP continues to spend lots of money on
advertising about its post-2010 oil spill commitment to "make things
right," Sen. David Vitter, R-La., Thursday said the company is doing more
to help Europe than Louisiana. In a sarcastic letter to Lamar McCay,
chairman and president of BP America Inc., Vitter suggests the image the
company presents in ads isn't consistent with its record.
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/12/vitter_accues_bp_of_creating_i.html
BP must hire Louisiana firms to 'make this right' -Sen. Vitter
Thu, Dec 13 2012
Reuters
By Roberta Rampton
WASHINGTON, Dec 13 (Reuters) - BP Plc should hire more Louisiana companies
to work on its project to expand an oil platform to show the oil company
meant what it said in advertisements pledging to "make this right" for the
state after the 2010 Gulf oil spill, U.S. Senator David Vitter said on
Thursday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/13/bp-vitter-idUSL1E8ND8OM20121213
State News
UPDATED: Ladners sentenced in Katrina 'kickback' case
Sea Coast Echo
By Dwayne Bremer and Geoff Belcher
Dec 13, 2012, 16:22
All four suspects in a Katrina kickback scheme were sentenced on Thursday.
http://12.68.233.230/40/article_6498.shtml#.UMsVWG-_HpU
Gulfport ship channel getting much needed dredging
WLOX
For years, the Gulfport ship channel at the state port of Gulfport has been
getting more and more shallow. Because full maintenance dredging has not
been done since 2009, silt has choked off a good portion of the channel.
http://www.wlox.com/story/20340711/gulfport-ship-channel-getting-much-needed-dredging
British firm to build Miss., La. wood pellet mills
By JEFF AMY — Associated Press
JACKSON, MISS. — A British power generator will build a pair of mills in
southwestern Mississippi and northeastern Louisiana to make wood pellets to
burn for electricity in the United Kingdom.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/12/14/4358318/british-firm-to-build-miss-la.html
National News
Industry, green groups brace for soot rule
The Hill
By Zack Colman - 12/13/12 06:35 PM ET
Green and industry groups have been busy making last-second appeals to the
White House regarding soot standards the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) plans to finalize Friday.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/272899-overnight-energy-industry-green-groups-brace-for-soot-rule
Virginia takes EPA to court claiming water regulation plan is illegal land
takeover
By Shannon Bream
Published December 13, 2012
FoxNews.com
A heated legal battle between Virginia officials and the Environmental
Protection Agency over what EPA critics describe as a land takeover gets
its day in federal court Friday.
The EPA, citing an abundance of stormwater runoff, has proposed a plan that
Virginia officials say would cost them nearly half a billion dollars -- and
could cost homeowners and businesses their private property.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/12/13/virginia-sues-epa-to-stop-land-takeover/?test=latestnews
Walgreens must pay $16M for illegal dumping
AP
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A California judge has ordered drugstore chain
Walgreens to pay $16.57 million to settle a lawsuit claiming more than 600
of its stores in the state illegally dumped hazardous waste.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2012/12/13/walgreens-illegal-dumping/1767869/
UPDATE 2-US lawmakers press EPA chief on 'Windsor' email alias
Thu, Dec 13 2012
Reuters
By Timothy Gardner
WASHINGTON, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Republican lawmakers want the chief of the
Environmental Protection Agency to explain her use of a government-assigned
email address under a fake name.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/14/usa-epa-email-idUSL1E8NDIH320121214
Tougher Fracking Regulations Backed by 66%, Poll Shows
Bloomberg
By Mark Drajem - Dec 13, 2012
Support for regulation of hydraulic fracturing has increased in the past
three months, a sign that the gas-drilling practice is facing greater
public scrutiny.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-14/tougher-fracking-regulations-backed-by-66-poll-shows.html
Interior delays 'fracking' rules
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 12/11/12 04:16 PM ET
The Interior Department no longer plans to finalize rules this year that
will impose new controls on the controversial oil-and-gas development
method called hydraulic fracturing, a spokesman said.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/272307-interior-pushes-back-fracking-rule-timeline
The Boom And Bust Of Fracking
NPR
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. But we want to
start with a hot button issue that touches on the economy and environment.
You may have heard about hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. That's a
technology to extract natural gas that's causing alarm among a growing
number of activists. You might have heard about it if, for no other reason,
that many high profile celebrities that gotten involved in trying to stop
it.
http://www.npr.org/2012/12/13/167165906/the-boom-and-bust-of-fracking
Solving fracking's biggest problem
CNN/Fortune
FORTUNE -- One of the big environmental (and financial) challenges the oil
and gas industry faces is the amount of water afracking well requires. In
fracking, water is driven under pressure deep into a well. The force of the
water fractures or "fracks" the shale below, releasing the trapped gas.
http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/12/13/solving-frackings-biggest-problem/
Press Releases
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| American Farmers and Ranchers Reach 50M-Acre Mark in Voluntary USDA |
| Conservation Program |
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| USDA Celebrates Success of 4-Year-Old Conservation Stewardship Program |
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|WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2012 – In just four years, America's top |
|conservationists have enrolled 50 million acres in USDA's Conservation |
|Stewardship Program (CSP), a program that helps farmers, ranchers and forest|
|landowners take conservation to the next level. CSP is aimed at producers |
|who are already established conservation stewards, helping them to deliver |
|multiple conservation benefits on working lands, including improved water |
|and soil quality and enhanced wildlife habitat. |
| |
| |
|"Farmers and ranchers throughout the country are making USDA's voluntary |
|Conservation Stewardship Program a major force for conservation," |
|Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. "The protection of natural resources|
|through conservation programs such as CSP create outdoor and wildlife |
|recreation opportunities that provide crucial jobs and bolster economic |
|growth in rural American communities." |
| |
| |
|The land enrolled in CSP totals more than 78,000 square miles, an area |
|larger than Pennsylvania and South Carolina combined, making the program one|
|of the largest voluntary conservation programs for private lands offered by |
|USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service. Nearly 12.2 million acres, or|
|18,750 square miles, were added to the program's rolls this year. |
| |
| |
|Eligible landowners and operators in all states and territories can enroll |
|in CSP. NRCS local offices accept CSP applications year round and evaluate |
|applications during announced ranking periods. |
| |
| |
|A CSP self-screening checklist is available to help producers determine if |
|the program is suitable for their operation. The checklist highlights basic |
|information about CSP eligibility requirements, stewardship threshold |
|requirements and payment types. It is available from local NRCS offices and |
|on the CSP website: http://go.usa.gov/g9dx. |
| |
| |
|Learn more about CSP and other NRCS programs here: |
|http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs. |
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