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The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) announced today that it has awarded a $300,000 Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP) grant to Plaquemines Parish in Louisiana. The parish will use the funding to review and update its Coastal Management Plan of 2000.

Created by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, CIAP provides funding to the six Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas producing states to conserve and protect the coastal environment. CIAP is an ongoing program with grant funding that is allocated based on the offshore energy revenues collected by the United States.

“BOEMRE’s continued support for coastal management and restoration is vital to Louisiana and its coastal communities,” said BOEMRE Director Michael R. Bromwich. “The Coastal Management Plan is an important element of environmental conservation and protection, and these funds are critical for Plaquemines Parish to update its plan.”

In addition to the process of reviewing and evaluating the 2000 Coastal Management Plan, the CIAP grant will enable the parish to conduct public meetings and coordinate the new plan with within the parish. The updated plan will continue ongoing projects and identify activities for conservation, restoration and stabilization of wetlands and other coastal areas in Plaquemines Parish on the west bank of the Mississippi River, within the Greater New Orleans area.

CIAP received $250 million in appropriated funds for each of the Fiscal Years 2007-2010, to be disbursed to six eligible OCS oil and gas producing states: Louisiana, Alabama, Alaska, California, Mississippi and Texas.

Original Article

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By SustainableBusiness at Matter Network

Thu Jul 7, 2011 1:11am EDT

Natural-gas powered passenger cars may be going mainstream in the US.

General Motors signed an agreement with Vancouver-based Westport Innovations Inc. (WPT.TO) to develop natural gas engine controls, emissions and performance strategies.

Reuters reports that the multi-million dollar project will focus on light-weight engines as small as 0.5 liters, a size that would be used in small, passenger vehicles.

Natural gas, which is cheaper and cleaner-burning than gasoline, has been used increasingly in buses and heavy trucks over the last decade. But the alternative fuel has not yet made its way into mainstream light-duty trucks and vehicles.

Currently the only commercial, natural-gas powered passenger car on the US market is the Honda Civic GX.

While many US homes use natural gas for heating and cooking, there are only about 900 fueling stations for natural gas in the US, meaning the domestic fuel source is currently not practical for passenger vehicles.

But with market and political forces pushing for increased use of natural gas reserves in the US, it’s likely just a matter of time before passenger cars are outfitted to run on natural gas, which is roughly $2 a gallon cheaper than gasoline.

One of the first adaptations could be a hybrid vehicle that allows owners to tap into the natural gas supply delivered to their homes.

Hybrid engines can be made to run on gasoline or natural gas. And vehicles could be outfitted with two fuel tanks – a smaller one for compressed natural gas (CNG) and a larger one for gasoline.

The cheaper CNG, would be topped off at home with special filling equipment attached to a homeowners natural gas line. Natural gas would then be used for daily commuting.

The larger, gasoline tank would be used for longer trips, and would be filled at existing gas stations along the way.

The concept is similar to home charging for GM’s Chevy Volt, which has an electric drive and batteries, but also uses as small gasoline engine for extending the vehicle’s range.

The speed with which small, natural gas vehicles arrive on the market is likely to depend on politics in Washington. The Natural Gas Act, proposed in the House of Representatives in April, would offer tax credits for purchasing the vehicles and building the fueling infrastructure. It also includes a 50 cent per gallon fuel credit.

Reuters reports that the bill has bipartisan support and could pass this year.

As to the GM Westport deal… Westport announced the planned opening of a new Technical Center in Michigan. Westport’s personnel currently includes approximately 15 people in Farmington Hills, MI, and Westport plans to add more people and invest in facilities as demand grows for natural gas-powered, alternative-fuel vehicles.

“This technology offers the promises of a cleaner, lower cost fuel and reduced carbon footprint, while advancing the use of domestic energy. This agreement demonstrates Westport’s success as an advanced technology partner to global automotive manufacturers,” says Ian Scott, President of Westport’s Light-Duty Division.

To support OEM programs, Westport plans to add research and development facilities to develop technologies that enable vehicles to run on natural gas for business and government fleets, and personal use.

Original Article

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By Vickie Welborn

MANSFIELD — Sales tax collections in DeSoto Parish topped $120 million for the 2010-11 fiscal year ending June 30, smashing the previous year’s total of $84 million.

DeSoto’s nine tax-collecting entities collectively gained about $23 million in 2006-07 and 2007-08 and $16 million in 2005-06, which is before the announcement of the Haynesville Shale in March 2008 put the parish on the map.

Collections doubled in 2008-09 and quadrupled by 2009-10 after the oil and gas activity took hold. Expenses related to drilling rigs and pipelines, purchases made by hundreds, if not thousands, of workers servicing the industry and construction of new hotels, restaurants, industry headquarters and spin-off suppliers are credited with the big influx in cash for the governing bodies.

Monthly collections hovered around the $9 million for the past few months but spiked to a record level of $13 million in April.

The following is a breakdown of collections for 2010-11 versus 2009-10:

# DeSoto Parish School Board — $72.7 million, up from $50.6 million

# DeSoto Parish Police Jury — $29 million, up from $20.2 million

# DeSoto Parish Law Enforcement District — $14.5 million, up from $10 million.

# City of Mansfield — $2.5 million, up from $2 million.

# Town of Stonewall — $284,863, up from $229,192.

# Town of Logansport — $275,838, down from $354,672.

# Town of Keachi — $102,344, down from $135,211.

# Village of Grand Cane — $230,138, up from $115,220

# Village of South Mansfield — $176,516, up from $110,192.

Original Article

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Enforcement of an updated noise ordinance applying to all future development in Bossier Parish will take effect in the coming weeks and be handled through the parish engineer’s office, according to parish attorney Patrick Jackson.

The measure increases regulations on maximum sound levels from street level noise to five decibels of an area’s ambient sound.

Applicable to all businesses, the measure requires industrial and other significant noise generating sites to submit plans on how structures and/or activities would comply with the maximum sound level permitted for their operations. Jodee Bruyninckx, Louisiana Oil & Gas Association’s North Louisiana director, said her organization still has questions pertaining to filing noise mitigation plans but they are looking forward to working with the parish on implementing the ordinance.

Parish officials had originally planned to implement enforcement of the noise ordinance on April 1, but police jurors agreed to postpone it to allow for employee training at their April 6 meeting.

Two existing parish employees will assume additional duties to serve as noise control officers.

Original Article