http://saveourbeaches.org Bringing awareness to improving the quality and health of our beaches, oceans and waterways. Sat, 13 Aug 2011 23:12:08 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Marine Microbiology and the Center for Marine Environmental Sciences (MARUM)  have discovered a third form of energy that powers the likes of certain mussels, shrimp, and worms found in the surroundings of hydrothermal vents. Earlier discoveries of chemosynthesis at the vents included sulfur ... http://saveourbeaches.org/2011/08/marine-scientists-discover-new-chemosynthesis-process-in-mussel-power/ Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced $100 million in financial assistance to acquire permanent easements from eligible landowners in four counties and assist with wetland restoration on nearly 24,000 acres of agricultural land in the Northern Everglades Watershed. The wetland restoration will reduce the amount of surface water leaving the land, ... http://saveourbeaches.org/2011/08/usda-announces-major-water-quality-effort-in-florida/ WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Aug. 11, 2011 -- /PRNewswire/ -- Farmers in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA), south of Lake Okeechobee, achieved a record-setting 79 percent phosphorus reduction in the water leaving the farming region -- more than three times less phosphorus than the state requirement. The South Florida Water ... http://saveourbeaches.org/2011/08/south-florida-farmers-achieve-record-year-in-water-quality-success/ Texas Petroleum Investment Company Fined for Violating the Clean Water Act (LA, TX) (DALLAS – August 11, 2011) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has fined the Texas Petroleum Company of Houston, Texas, $163,487 for violating federal Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) regulations outlined under the Clean Water Act. A federal inspection ... http://saveourbeaches.org/2011/08/texas-petroleum-investment-company-fined-for-violating-the-clean-water-act-la-tx/ Vancouver and Longview citizens groups announced Tuesday they will sue the owner of a proposed coal dock in West Longview, contending that Millennium Bulk Terminals is violating the federal Clean Water Act by handling coal without a permit. An attorney representing the two groups said he will file a federal suit ... http://saveourbeaches.org/2011/08/groups-sue-millennium-over-alleged-clean-water-act-violations/ NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- A whistleblower's complaint about a cargo ship dumping waste in the ocean led Thursday to a $1 million fine levied against four companies that own and operate a fleet of vessels that regularly call on New Orleans. The conglomerate also was banned by U.S. District Judge Carl ... http://saveourbeaches.org/2011/08/4-companies-fined-1-million-for-ship-pollution/ The study, issued by the environmental group Riverkeeper, underscores how a big sewage discharge in July, caused by a fire at a treatment plant in Manhattan, was part of a persistent and far more widespread sewage problem along the 155-mile river. Despite improvements in water quality since the passage of the ... http://saveourbeaches.org/2011/08/sewage-frequently-fouls-hudson-river-report-says/ Philippine Daily Inquirer The Department of Energy (DoE) expects the Philippines’ first ocean energy facility to start commercial operations by 2018. Data from the National Renewable Energy Plan book showed that the first project to go into operation will be the 10-megawatt Cabangan ocean energy thermal conversion (Otec) project in Zambales. The Cabangan ... http://saveourbeaches.org/2011/07/philippines-set-to-have-first-ocean-energy-plant-by-2018/ Rich Keller, Editor   | Updated: July 5, 2011 With all the state's rights political rhetoric being thrown around in political campaigns and the calls for pushing back the reach of federal agency oversight, many agricultural organizations and their members are interested in new congressional legislation to limit enforcement of the Clean Water ... http://saveourbeaches.org/2011/07/fate-of-bill-to-limit-clean-water-act-being-watched/ While everyone is holding their collective breath, hoping that future developments do not worsen regarding the news that an Exxon pipeline carrying oil crude broke in the middle of the Yellowstone River outside of Billings Montana releasing thousands of gallons of crude into the river, industry’s record for safeguarding oil ... http://saveourbeaches.org/2011/07/yellowstone-river-damaged-by-exxon-pipeline-oil-spill-exxons-history-in/