5.21.14
Oil Spill
BP likely to ask Supreme Court to hear settlement issue, delaying claims,
experts say
Jennifer Larino
The Times-Picayune
May 20, 2014 at 7:12 PM
BP's effort to reinterpret the multibillion-dollar 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil
spill settlement hit another wall on Monday (May 19) after a federal
appeals court affirmed businesses don't have to prove they were directly
harmed by the disaster in order to get paid.
http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2014/05/bp_likely_to_ask_supreme_court.html
5th Circuit's last word to BP leaves constitutional question-mark
Reuters
May 20, 2014
By Alison Frankel
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has had it with BP and its attempts
to evade the consequences of the deal it struck to end litigation over the
2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
http://blogs.reuters.com/alison-frankel/2014/05/20/5th-circuits-last-word-to-bp-leaves-constitutional-question-mark/
State
Debris removal expected to hit $2M
By Robbie Ward
Daily Journal
TUPELO – Separate local and out-of-state contractors will earn more than $2
million from tornado debris removal and monitoring in Tupelo and Lee
County.http://djournal.com/news/debris-removal-expected-hit-2m/
City Councilwoman asks for plan on sewage lagoons
Hattiesburg American
A Hattiesburg councilwoman has asked the city's water department
director and its consulting engineers to bring back an estimate on
how much it would cost to fix the city's south sewage lagoons.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story/news/2014/05/20/hattiesburg-sewer-lagoon/2295526/
Judge says company doesn't have to make financing documents public
Clarion Ledger
A judge has ruled a silicon-metal production company that plans to
build a plant in Tishomingo County does not have to turn over what
it considers sensitive financial information to a competitor who
says it has the right to the data since the project is receiving
public backing.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2014/05/18/judge-says-company-make-financing-documents-public/9264369/
CMR adopts red snapper monitoring plan
WLOX
BILOXI, MS (WLOX) -The DMR is moving quickly to follow-up on the concerns
of fishermen about this year's red snapper season.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25569892/cmr-adopts-red-snapper-monitoring-plan
Regional
Louisiana might take notes from Florida's Everglades plan
Fox 8
THE EVERGLADES, FL (WVUE) -For centuries, long before hotel resorts
sprouted along the Florida Keys, Florida Bay was a wonderland.
http://www.fox8live.com/story/25539026/louisiana-might-take-notes-from-floridas-everglades-plan
National
Green groups ready to sue EPA over dead fish
The Hill
A coalition of environmental groups that sued the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) to force it to issue standards for industrial cooling water
intake devices is likely to go back to court to challenge the regulation.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/206628-green-groups-likely-to-sue-epa-on-water-intake-rule
Press Releases
Presley Celebrates Victory in Nuclear Waste Fund Dispute
Mississippians to save $3.7 million annually because of federal challenge
JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI (May 20, 2014) – Thanks to the work of state utility
commissions, this year Mississippi ratepayers will have an estimated $3.7M
dollars in their pockets which would otherwise go to the federal
government, says Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley. As a result
of a lawsuit brought by the National Association of Regulatory Utility
Commissioners ("NARUC"), of which the Mississippi Public Service Commission
is a member, the U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE") was forced late last
week to halt collection of fees added to the bills of nuclear power
customers for the Nuclear Waste Fund ("NWF"), which was instituted in 1982
to pay for a national storage site for the nation's civilian nuclear waste.
For decades, NWF money had gone solely to the study, development and
construction of a storage site in Yucca Mountain, Nevada. However; in 2010,
under pressure from opponents such as Nevada Senator Harry Reid, the DOE
unilaterally shuttered the project with no plans to discontinue charging
the monthly NWF fee. Mississippians have paid over $80M into the NWF, with
an additional $3.7M estimated this year prior to the court order.
"I am proud to have been in this fight against another federal 'bridge to
nowhere,' paid for through fees tacked onto Mississippi power bills. Any
day that we can keep Mississippians' money in their pockets and not send it
to Washington, D.C. is a great day," Presley said.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued its ruling in
November 2013, ordering the DOE to cease collection of the fee until such
time as either the DOE resumes development of Yucca Mountain or until
Congress modifies the statutory framework and provides for an alternative
waste management plan. The DOE submitted a proposal to comply in Jan. 2014,
but continued to collect pending a request for review of the Court's
decision. That request was denied in March.
"While we celebrate today, there are other battles ahead. We must ensure
that Congress does not act on the suggestion of some and use this same
money to dump nuclear waste on Mississippi. We insist that we get what we
paid for with Yucca Mountain, or we want our money back," Presley said.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
News Clippings 5.20.14
5.20.14
Oil Spill
Appeals court won't rehear BP settlement issue
KEVIN McGILL
Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A federal appeals court on Monday refused to reconsider
its previous ruling that businesses don't have to prove they were directly
harmed by BP's 2010 Gulf Of Mexico oil spill to collect settlement
payments.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25559005/appeals-court-wont-rehear-bp-settlement-issue
Follow the Seafood Trail — New program aims to boost restaurants,
commercial fishing
MBJ
by Wally Northway
Published: May 19,2014
No two industries were more affected by the explosion in 2010 of the
Deepwater Horizon oil rig than restaurant/hospitality and commercial
fishing on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The oil spill that spewed hundreds
of millions of gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico kept tourists
away and left Gulf Coast-caught seafood with a black eye among consumers.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2014/05/19/follow-seafood-trail-new-program-aims-boost-restaurants-commercial-fishing/
State
Debris Removal Contract in Louisville Awarded to South Carolina Company
WCBI
LOUISVILE, Miss. (WCBI) – Louisville city leaders are continuing with
recovery efforts and have now selected a contractor to remove debris.
http://www.wcbi.com/wordpress/louisville-debris-removal-contract-awarded-to-south-carolina-company
Hattiesburg Wastewater project to move forward while permit is reviewed
WDAM
HATTIESBURG, MS (WDAM) -The Hattiesburg Wastewater Project will move
forward while its permit is under review.
http://www.wdam.com/story/25558028/hattiesburg-wastewater-project-to-move-forward-while-permit-is-reviewed
British company plans pellet mill in Magnolia, would be third in La. and
Miss.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MAGNOLIA, Mississippi — Permit and grant applications show the same British
company that's building a wood pellet mill in Gloster is planning one in
Magnolia.
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/c4ad11db3484415c92cafdd7d75b332b/MS--Wood-Pellet-Plant
State port celebrates new tenant
Gas, oil business moving from Morgan City, La. to Gulfport
Sun Herald
BY ANITA LEE
GULFPORT -- With much fanfare, state port commissioners voted unanimously
Monday to approve a lease with McDermott Inc., a 90-year-old business that
serves offshore oil and gas companies worldwide.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/19/5584008/mcdermott-inc-signs-10-year-lease.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1
DMR steps up to help Colonial Estates get crucial water
Sun Herald
BY KAREN NELSON
PASCAGOULA -- Jackson County supervisors announced Monday morning that the
state will help a small subdivision, just outside the Ocean Springs city
limits, get safe drinking water.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/19/5583871/dmr-steps-up-to-help-colonial.html?sp=/99/184/
Phosphate Holdings hires new operations manager for Pascagoula DAP plant
Mississippi Press
April M. Havens
May 19, 2014 at 4:00 PM
MADISON, Mississippi -- Phosphate Holdings Inc., owner of Mississippi
Phosphates in Pascagoula, today announced that two new senior executives
have been hired.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-business/2014/05/phosphate_holdings_hires_new_o.html#incart_river
Mississippi Supreme Court rules Exxon not liable for alligators at its
waste site
The Associated Press
May 19, 2014 at 12:30 PM
JACKSON, Mississippi -- A divided Mississippi Supreme Court has ruled that
Exxon Mobil Corp. can't be held liable for the presence of alligators at a
waste site it owns in Wilkinson County.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/05/mississippi_supreme_court_rule_3.html#incart_river
Regional
Environmental, ag leaders to tour sites in eastern Arkansas that reduce
pollution in Delta
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
STUTTGART, Arkansas — Federal officials plan to tour several projects in
eastern Arkansas that are reducing water and nutrient pollution in the
Mississippi Delta.
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/fc41436a13834ce39017b4e89f5f4885/AR--Mississippi-Delta-Water-Pollutionf
National
Obama may personally announce new coal rules
The Hill
President Obama may personally announce new carbon emissions limits on
existing coal-fired power plants.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/206513-obama-likely-to-personally-announce-climate-regs
EPA carbon curbs to reach beyond power plant 'fence,' aiding cap-and-trade
Reuters
By Valerie Volcovici
WASHINGTON, May 20 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's landmark rules to
cut power plant emissions will likely give a fresh push to regional U.S.
carbon cap-and-trade systems by allowing for a holistic, state-wide view of
new pollution targets, sources familiar with the process said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/20/usa-carbon-idUSL1N0O50CD20140520
EPA Issues Rules to Protect Fish in Plant Cooling Systems
Agency Stops Short of Requiring Less Water Use
Wall Street Journal
The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday issued long-delayed rules
requiring companies to reduce the number of fish that are killed in the
cooling systems of older power plants and factories, but stopped short of
requiring them to use less water from rivers, lakes and oceans or to
install specific new cooling technologies.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304422704579572492594329888?mg=reno64-wsj
Power Plant Owners Get EPA Options to Prevent Fish Kills
Bloomberg
By Mark Drajem - May 19, 2014
The Obama administration issued rules that give operators of power plant
and factories an array of options to prevent fish from being killed when
water is used to cool machinery.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-19/power-plant-owners-get-epa-options-to-prevent-fish-kills.html
EPA Mulls Ethanol Change as Industry Profits Soar
By DAVID PITT
Associated Press
Just as ethanol producers have been seeing the industry's most profitable
months ever, the federal government is considering whether to lower the
amount of the corn-based fuel that must be blended into gasoline.
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/epa-mulls-ethanol-change-industry-profits-soar-23784063?singlePage=true
National landmarks threatened by climate change
USA Today
Climate change is putting historic and cultural landmarks around the
USA at risk, according to a report released today by the Union of
Concerned Scientists (UCS), a non-profit science advocacy
organization based in Washington, D.C.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2014/05/20/national-landmarks-climate-change/9281341/
EPA targets couple's private pond in Wyoming, threatens huge fines
Fox News
When Andy and Katie Johnson built a pond on their property in 2011 to
provide water for their cattle, they never dreamed it would result in
threats of $75,000 a day in fines from the Environmental Protection Agency.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/05/19/feds-target-private-pond/?intcmp=latestnews
Press Releases
EPA Finalizes Standards to Protect Fish, Aquatic Life from Cooling Water
Intakes
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today finalized
standards to protect billions of fish and other aquatic life drawn each
year into cooling water systems at large power plants and factories. This
final rule is required by the Clean Water Act to address site-specific
challenges, and establishes a common sense framework, putting a premium on
public input and flexibility for facilities to comply.
An estimated 2.1 billion fish, crabs, and shrimp are killed annually by
being pinned against cooling water intake structures (impingement) or being
drawn into cooling water systems and affected by heat, chemicals, or
physical stress (entrainment). To protect threatened and endangered species
and critical habitat, the expertise of the Fish & Wildlife Service and
National Marine Fisheries Service is available to inform decisions about
control technologies at individual facilities.
"EPA is making it clear that if you have cooling water intakes you have to
look at the impact on aquatic life in local waterways and take steps to
minimize that impact," said Nancy Stoner, acting Assistant Administrator
for Water at EPA.
The final rule establishes requirements under the Clean Water Act for all
existing power generating facilities and existing manufacturing and
industrial facilities that withdraw more than 2 million gallons per day of
water from waters of the U.S. and use at least 25 percent of the water they
withdraw exclusively for cooling purposes. This rule covers roughly 1,065
existing facilities –521 of these facilities are factories, and the other
544 are power plants. The technologies required under the rule are
well-understood, have been in use for several decades, and are in use at
over 40 percent of facilities.
The national requirements, which will be implemented through National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits, are applicable to
the location, design, construction, and capacity of cooling water intake
structures at these facilities and are based on the best technology
available for minimizing environmental impact. The rule establishes a
strong baseline level of protection and then allows additional safeguards
for aquatic life to be developed through site-specific analysis, an
approach that ensures the best technology available is used. It puts
implementation analysis in the hands of the permit writers so requirements
can be tailored to the particular facility.
There are three components to the final regulation.
· Existing facilities that withdraw at least 25 percent of their water
from an adjacent waterbody exclusively for cooling purposes and have
a design intake flow of greater than 2 million gallons per day are
required to reduce fish impingement. To ensure flexibility, the owner
or operator of the facility will be able to choose one of seven
options for meeting best technology available requirements for
reducing impingement.
· Facilities that withdraw very large amounts of water – at least 125
million gallons per day – are required to conduct studies to help the
permitting authority determine what site-specific entrainment
mortality controls, if any, will be required. This process will
include public input.
· New units at an existing facility that are built to increase the
generating capacity of the facility are be required to reduce the
intake flow to a level similar to a closed cycle, recirculation
system. Closed cycle systems are the most effective at reducing
entrainment. This can be done by incorporating a closed-cycle system
into the design of the new unit, or by making other design changes
equivalent to the reductions associated with closed-cycle cooling.
More information: http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/lawsguidance/cwa/316b/
Oil Spill
Appeals court won't rehear BP settlement issue
KEVIN McGILL
Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A federal appeals court on Monday refused to reconsider
its previous ruling that businesses don't have to prove they were directly
harmed by BP's 2010 Gulf Of Mexico oil spill to collect settlement
payments.
http://www.wlox.com/story/25559005/appeals-court-wont-rehear-bp-settlement-issue
Follow the Seafood Trail — New program aims to boost restaurants,
commercial fishing
MBJ
by Wally Northway
Published: May 19,2014
No two industries were more affected by the explosion in 2010 of the
Deepwater Horizon oil rig than restaurant/hospitality and commercial
fishing on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The oil spill that spewed hundreds
of millions of gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico kept tourists
away and left Gulf Coast-caught seafood with a black eye among consumers.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2014/05/19/follow-seafood-trail-new-program-aims-boost-restaurants-commercial-fishing/
State
Debris Removal Contract in Louisville Awarded to South Carolina Company
WCBI
LOUISVILE, Miss. (WCBI) – Louisville city leaders are continuing with
recovery efforts and have now selected a contractor to remove debris.
http://www.wcbi.com/wordpress/louisville-debris-removal-contract-awarded-to-south-carolina-company
Hattiesburg Wastewater project to move forward while permit is reviewed
WDAM
HATTIESBURG, MS (WDAM) -The Hattiesburg Wastewater Project will move
forward while its permit is under review.
http://www.wdam.com/story/25558028/hattiesburg-wastewater-project-to-move-forward-while-permit-is-reviewed
British company plans pellet mill in Magnolia, would be third in La. and
Miss.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MAGNOLIA, Mississippi — Permit and grant applications show the same British
company that's building a wood pellet mill in Gloster is planning one in
Magnolia.
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/c4ad11db3484415c92cafdd7d75b332b/MS--Wood-Pellet-Plant
State port celebrates new tenant
Gas, oil business moving from Morgan City, La. to Gulfport
Sun Herald
BY ANITA LEE
GULFPORT -- With much fanfare, state port commissioners voted unanimously
Monday to approve a lease with McDermott Inc., a 90-year-old business that
serves offshore oil and gas companies worldwide.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/19/5584008/mcdermott-inc-signs-10-year-lease.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1
DMR steps up to help Colonial Estates get crucial water
Sun Herald
BY KAREN NELSON
PASCAGOULA -- Jackson County supervisors announced Monday morning that the
state will help a small subdivision, just outside the Ocean Springs city
limits, get safe drinking water.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/19/5583871/dmr-steps-up-to-help-colonial.html?sp=/99/184/
Phosphate Holdings hires new operations manager for Pascagoula DAP plant
Mississippi Press
April M. Havens
May 19, 2014 at 4:00 PM
MADISON, Mississippi -- Phosphate Holdings Inc., owner of Mississippi
Phosphates in Pascagoula, today announced that two new senior executives
have been hired.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-business/2014/05/phosphate_holdings_hires_new_o.html#incart_river
Mississippi Supreme Court rules Exxon not liable for alligators at its
waste site
The Associated Press
May 19, 2014 at 12:30 PM
JACKSON, Mississippi -- A divided Mississippi Supreme Court has ruled that
Exxon Mobil Corp. can't be held liable for the presence of alligators at a
waste site it owns in Wilkinson County.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/05/mississippi_supreme_court_rule_3.html#incart_river
Regional
Environmental, ag leaders to tour sites in eastern Arkansas that reduce
pollution in Delta
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
STUTTGART, Arkansas — Federal officials plan to tour several projects in
eastern Arkansas that are reducing water and nutrient pollution in the
Mississippi Delta.
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/fc41436a13834ce39017b4e89f5f4885/AR--Mississippi-Delta-Water-Pollutionf
National
Obama may personally announce new coal rules
The Hill
President Obama may personally announce new carbon emissions limits on
existing coal-fired power plants.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/206513-obama-likely-to-personally-announce-climate-regs
EPA carbon curbs to reach beyond power plant 'fence,' aiding cap-and-trade
Reuters
By Valerie Volcovici
WASHINGTON, May 20 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's landmark rules to
cut power plant emissions will likely give a fresh push to regional U.S.
carbon cap-and-trade systems by allowing for a holistic, state-wide view of
new pollution targets, sources familiar with the process said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/20/usa-carbon-idUSL1N0O50CD20140520
EPA Issues Rules to Protect Fish in Plant Cooling Systems
Agency Stops Short of Requiring Less Water Use
Wall Street Journal
The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday issued long-delayed rules
requiring companies to reduce the number of fish that are killed in the
cooling systems of older power plants and factories, but stopped short of
requiring them to use less water from rivers, lakes and oceans or to
install specific new cooling technologies.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304422704579572492594329888?mg=reno64-wsj
Power Plant Owners Get EPA Options to Prevent Fish Kills
Bloomberg
By Mark Drajem - May 19, 2014
The Obama administration issued rules that give operators of power plant
and factories an array of options to prevent fish from being killed when
water is used to cool machinery.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-19/power-plant-owners-get-epa-options-to-prevent-fish-kills.html
EPA Mulls Ethanol Change as Industry Profits Soar
By DAVID PITT
Associated Press
Just as ethanol producers have been seeing the industry's most profitable
months ever, the federal government is considering whether to lower the
amount of the corn-based fuel that must be blended into gasoline.
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/epa-mulls-ethanol-change-industry-profits-soar-23784063?singlePage=true
National landmarks threatened by climate change
USA Today
Climate change is putting historic and cultural landmarks around the
USA at risk, according to a report released today by the Union of
Concerned Scientists (UCS), a non-profit science advocacy
organization based in Washington, D.C.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2014/05/20/national-landmarks-climate-change/9281341/
EPA targets couple's private pond in Wyoming, threatens huge fines
Fox News
When Andy and Katie Johnson built a pond on their property in 2011 to
provide water for their cattle, they never dreamed it would result in
threats of $75,000 a day in fines from the Environmental Protection Agency.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/05/19/feds-target-private-pond/?intcmp=latestnews
Press Releases
EPA Finalizes Standards to Protect Fish, Aquatic Life from Cooling Water
Intakes
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today finalized
standards to protect billions of fish and other aquatic life drawn each
year into cooling water systems at large power plants and factories. This
final rule is required by the Clean Water Act to address site-specific
challenges, and establishes a common sense framework, putting a premium on
public input and flexibility for facilities to comply.
An estimated 2.1 billion fish, crabs, and shrimp are killed annually by
being pinned against cooling water intake structures (impingement) or being
drawn into cooling water systems and affected by heat, chemicals, or
physical stress (entrainment). To protect threatened and endangered species
and critical habitat, the expertise of the Fish & Wildlife Service and
National Marine Fisheries Service is available to inform decisions about
control technologies at individual facilities.
"EPA is making it clear that if you have cooling water intakes you have to
look at the impact on aquatic life in local waterways and take steps to
minimize that impact," said Nancy Stoner, acting Assistant Administrator
for Water at EPA.
The final rule establishes requirements under the Clean Water Act for all
existing power generating facilities and existing manufacturing and
industrial facilities that withdraw more than 2 million gallons per day of
water from waters of the U.S. and use at least 25 percent of the water they
withdraw exclusively for cooling purposes. This rule covers roughly 1,065
existing facilities –521 of these facilities are factories, and the other
544 are power plants. The technologies required under the rule are
well-understood, have been in use for several decades, and are in use at
over 40 percent of facilities.
The national requirements, which will be implemented through National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits, are applicable to
the location, design, construction, and capacity of cooling water intake
structures at these facilities and are based on the best technology
available for minimizing environmental impact. The rule establishes a
strong baseline level of protection and then allows additional safeguards
for aquatic life to be developed through site-specific analysis, an
approach that ensures the best technology available is used. It puts
implementation analysis in the hands of the permit writers so requirements
can be tailored to the particular facility.
There are three components to the final regulation.
· Existing facilities that withdraw at least 25 percent of their water
from an adjacent waterbody exclusively for cooling purposes and have
a design intake flow of greater than 2 million gallons per day are
required to reduce fish impingement. To ensure flexibility, the owner
or operator of the facility will be able to choose one of seven
options for meeting best technology available requirements for
reducing impingement.
· Facilities that withdraw very large amounts of water – at least 125
million gallons per day – are required to conduct studies to help the
permitting authority determine what site-specific entrainment
mortality controls, if any, will be required. This process will
include public input.
· New units at an existing facility that are built to increase the
generating capacity of the facility are be required to reduce the
intake flow to a level similar to a closed cycle, recirculation
system. Closed cycle systems are the most effective at reducing
entrainment. This can be done by incorporating a closed-cycle system
into the design of the new unit, or by making other design changes
equivalent to the reductions associated with closed-cycle cooling.
More information: http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/lawsguidance/cwa/316b/
Monday, May 19, 2014
News Clippings 5.19.14
5.19.2014
Oil Spill
HBO's 'Crude Awakening' examines effects of BP oil spill cleanup
David Lee Simmons
The Times-Picayune
May 18, 2014 at 12:48 PM
While lots of attention has been focused recently on a "60 Minutes" report
on BP's claims of fraud in the settlement over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon
oil spill, a report on HBO's "Vice," airing over this week, sharply
criticizes the company's use of chemical dispersant in its cleanup efforts.
http://www.nola.com/tv/index.ssf/2014/05/hbos_crude_awakening_examines.html
State
The coal plant to end all coal plants?
Washington Post
By Steven Mufson, Published: May 16 | Updated: Saturday, May 17, 12:07 PM
KEMPER COUNTY, Miss. — Last November, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz rode an
elevator to the top of the 11-story scaffolding surrounding Southern Co.'s
new coal-fired power plant here and gazed out over the Mississippi
flatlands. Below him lay a new lignite coal mine, new storage facilities
and a glimmering maze of steel.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/intended-showcase-of-clean-coal-future-hits-snags/2014/05/16/fc03e326-cfd2-11e3-b812-0c92213941f4_story.html
MDEQ sets date for Groundworx permit hearing
WDAM
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has set July 15 as the
date for an evidentiary hearing involving the Groundworx permit for
Hattiesburg.
http://www.wdam.com/story/25541223/mdeq-sets-date-for-groundworx-permit-hearing
Meeting to discuss $10.9 million for fisheries
The Associated Press
May 19, 2014
LONG BEACH, MISS. — The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources will
hold a public meeting Thursday on how the state should spend $10.9 million
it received for damage to oyster and blue crab fisheries.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/19/5582873/meeting-to-discuss-109-million.html
Local environmental supporters host `Hands Across the Sand' event in Ocean
Springs
Mississippi Press
Warren Kulo
May 17, 2014 at 4:16 PM
OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- About 30 environmental supporters gathered on
Front Beach in Ocean Springs Saturday to say yes to clean energy and no to
additional oil/gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/05/local_environmental_supporters.html#incart_river
Sun Herald
BY TAMMY LEYTHAM
Huntington Ingalls to enter into oil, gas markets
Company acquires UniversalPegasus International
Huntington Ingalls Industries is entering the oil and gas market. It
announced an agreement Friday to acquire UniversalPegasus International
Holdings, a provider of engineering and project management services to
domestic and international energy markets.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/16/5578949/huntington-ingalls-to-enter-into.html?sp=%2F99%2F184%2F
People on the Move: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Clarion Ledger
Jeffrey "Chad" Phillips has been awarded the 2014 Larry N. Harper
"Regulator of the Year" Award from the corps' Vicksburg District. Phillips,
who was nominated by his peers, was recognized for permit decisions that
assured the nation's aquatic resources are protected while allowing
development.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/money/business/2014/05/17/people-move-us-army-corps-engineers/9227357/
Regional
Southern states get gasoline break from EPA
UPI
Published: May 16, 2014 at 10:09 AM
Daniel J. Graeber
WASHINGTON, May 16 (UPI) --WASHINGTON, May 16 (UPI) --The Environmental
Protection Agency said it waived gasoline requirements for parts of North
Carolina and Florida because of good air quality standards.
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2014/05/16/Southern-states-get-gasoline-break-from-EPA/9101400248453/
The Recycling Partnership aims to increase attention, recycling rates
Plastics News
By: Jim Johnson
May 15, 2014
A new, uniquely funded program hopes to move the needle when it comes to
municipal recycling, first in the Southeast and eventually around the
country.
http://www.plasticsnews.com/article/20140515/NEWS/140519945/the-recycling-partnership-aims-to-increase-attention-recycling-rates#
National
EPA races to finish Obama rules
The Hill
Officials at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are racing to churn
out new regulations before the clock runs out on President Obama's term.
http://thehill.com/regulation/energy-environment/206378-epa-races-to-finish-obama-rules
Obama's Moment of Environmental Decision
NY Magazine
By Jonathan Chait
On June 2, President Obama will personally announce new Environmental
Protection Agency regulations on existing power plants, which will be the
policy centerpiece of his second term. Nobody knows how these rules will
work or how ambitious they will be, and Bloomberg Businessweek reports
today that "There's disagreement even within the administration about
what's allowable under the Clean Air Act."
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/05/obamas-moment-of-environmental-decision.html
Energy Companies Try New Methods to Address Fracking Complaints
Wall Street Journal
Frackers are trying to clean up their act.
Thanks to hydraulic fracturing—a technology that uses water, chemicals and
sand to unlock oil and gas trapped in dense underground rocks—communities
from Pennsylvania to North Dakota are experiencing a boom in energy
production. But the industry is facing more intense pressure from
communities and environmentalists over its role in increased air and water
pollution.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304831304579544092287190238?mod=googlenews_wsj
Oil Spill
HBO's 'Crude Awakening' examines effects of BP oil spill cleanup
David Lee Simmons
The Times-Picayune
May 18, 2014 at 12:48 PM
While lots of attention has been focused recently on a "60 Minutes" report
on BP's claims of fraud in the settlement over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon
oil spill, a report on HBO's "Vice," airing over this week, sharply
criticizes the company's use of chemical dispersant in its cleanup efforts.
http://www.nola.com/tv/index.ssf/2014/05/hbos_crude_awakening_examines.html
State
The coal plant to end all coal plants?
Washington Post
By Steven Mufson, Published: May 16 | Updated: Saturday, May 17, 12:07 PM
KEMPER COUNTY, Miss. — Last November, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz rode an
elevator to the top of the 11-story scaffolding surrounding Southern Co.'s
new coal-fired power plant here and gazed out over the Mississippi
flatlands. Below him lay a new lignite coal mine, new storage facilities
and a glimmering maze of steel.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/intended-showcase-of-clean-coal-future-hits-snags/2014/05/16/fc03e326-cfd2-11e3-b812-0c92213941f4_story.html
MDEQ sets date for Groundworx permit hearing
WDAM
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has set July 15 as the
date for an evidentiary hearing involving the Groundworx permit for
Hattiesburg.
http://www.wdam.com/story/25541223/mdeq-sets-date-for-groundworx-permit-hearing
Meeting to discuss $10.9 million for fisheries
The Associated Press
May 19, 2014
LONG BEACH, MISS. — The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources will
hold a public meeting Thursday on how the state should spend $10.9 million
it received for damage to oyster and blue crab fisheries.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/19/5582873/meeting-to-discuss-109-million.html
Local environmental supporters host `Hands Across the Sand' event in Ocean
Springs
Mississippi Press
Warren Kulo
May 17, 2014 at 4:16 PM
OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- About 30 environmental supporters gathered on
Front Beach in Ocean Springs Saturday to say yes to clean energy and no to
additional oil/gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/05/local_environmental_supporters.html#incart_river
Sun Herald
BY TAMMY LEYTHAM
Huntington Ingalls to enter into oil, gas markets
Company acquires UniversalPegasus International
Huntington Ingalls Industries is entering the oil and gas market. It
announced an agreement Friday to acquire UniversalPegasus International
Holdings, a provider of engineering and project management services to
domestic and international energy markets.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/05/16/5578949/huntington-ingalls-to-enter-into.html?sp=%2F99%2F184%2F
People on the Move: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Clarion Ledger
Jeffrey "Chad" Phillips has been awarded the 2014 Larry N. Harper
"Regulator of the Year" Award from the corps' Vicksburg District. Phillips,
who was nominated by his peers, was recognized for permit decisions that
assured the nation's aquatic resources are protected while allowing
development.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/money/business/2014/05/17/people-move-us-army-corps-engineers/9227357/
Regional
Southern states get gasoline break from EPA
UPI
Published: May 16, 2014 at 10:09 AM
Daniel J. Graeber
WASHINGTON, May 16 (UPI) --WASHINGTON, May 16 (UPI) --The Environmental
Protection Agency said it waived gasoline requirements for parts of North
Carolina and Florida because of good air quality standards.
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2014/05/16/Southern-states-get-gasoline-break-from-EPA/9101400248453/
The Recycling Partnership aims to increase attention, recycling rates
Plastics News
By: Jim Johnson
May 15, 2014
A new, uniquely funded program hopes to move the needle when it comes to
municipal recycling, first in the Southeast and eventually around the
country.
http://www.plasticsnews.com/article/20140515/NEWS/140519945/the-recycling-partnership-aims-to-increase-attention-recycling-rates#
National
EPA races to finish Obama rules
The Hill
Officials at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are racing to churn
out new regulations before the clock runs out on President Obama's term.
http://thehill.com/regulation/energy-environment/206378-epa-races-to-finish-obama-rules
Obama's Moment of Environmental Decision
NY Magazine
By Jonathan Chait
On June 2, President Obama will personally announce new Environmental
Protection Agency regulations on existing power plants, which will be the
policy centerpiece of his second term. Nobody knows how these rules will
work or how ambitious they will be, and Bloomberg Businessweek reports
today that "There's disagreement even within the administration about
what's allowable under the Clean Air Act."
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/05/obamas-moment-of-environmental-decision.html
Energy Companies Try New Methods to Address Fracking Complaints
Wall Street Journal
Frackers are trying to clean up their act.
Thanks to hydraulic fracturing—a technology that uses water, chemicals and
sand to unlock oil and gas trapped in dense underground rocks—communities
from Pennsylvania to North Dakota are experiencing a boom in energy
production. But the industry is facing more intense pressure from
communities and environmentalists over its role in increased air and water
pollution.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304831304579544092287190238?mod=googlenews_wsj
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