State
Hattiesburg gets closer to choosing waste water treatment
WDAM
HATTIESBURG, MS (WDAM) -An engineer with firm Neel-Schaffer presented an
update to the Hattiesburg City Council Tuesday that said the list had been
narrowed to two treatment processes for Hattiesburg's waste water facility.
http://www.wdam.com/story/28264317/hattiesburg-gets-closer-to-choosing-waste-water-treatment
Energy Institute wants Mississippi jobs filled
Clarion Ledger
The Mississippi Energy Institute would like for every available
energy job in the state to be filled.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/money/business/2015/03/04/energy-institute-wants-mississippi-jobs-filled/24398983/
Shame On Y'all: DeSoto County launches anti-littering campaign
WREG
DESOTO COUNTY, Miss — Officials in Desoto County declared war on litter and
illegal dumping.
http://wreg.com/2015/03/03/shame-on-yall-desoto-county-launches-anti-littering-campaign/
Help 'Keep Pascagoula Beautiful' during Great American Cleanup events
Saturday
Mississippi Press
April M. Havens
March 04, 2015 at 4:24 PM
PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- Residents are invited to help "Keep Pascagoula
Beautiful" as part of the 16th annual Great American Cleanup.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2015/03/help_keep_pascagoula_beautiful.html#incart_river
Gautier builds ion exchange filtration system to clear tinted water
WLOX
GAUTIER, MS (WLOX) -
The problem of brown, tinted water coming out of many faucets in Gautier
could soon be a thing of the past. The state's first ion exchange
filtration system is being constructed to clear the water.
http://www.wlox.com/story/28264432/gautier-builds-ion-exchange-filtration-system-to-clear-tinted-water
Mississippi Legislature Bills: Dead or Alive
Clarion Ledger
The Mississippi Legislature killed a flurry of bills Tuesday, which
marked the deadline for committees to pass legislation from the
opposite chamber.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/2015/03/04/mississippi-legislature-dead-alive/24367201/
Regional
Regulators and farmers can find common ground
Southeast Farm Press
Once upon a time, a regulatory agency together with grower groups and good
science found common ground based on common sense, and a drastic blow
against the viability of one of the region's top farming sectors was
averted.
http://southeastfarmpress.com/blog/regulators-and-farmers-can-find-common-ground
National
McConnell Urges States to Defy U.S. Plan to Cut Greenhouse Gas
NY Times
WASHINGTON — Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of
Kentucky and majority leader, is urging governors to defy
President Obama by refusing to implement the
administration's global warmingregulations.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/05/us/politics/mcconnell-urges-states-to-defy-us-plan-to-cut-greenhouse-gas.html?ref=earth&_r=0
EPA administrator races to finish landmark climate rules
The Hill
Gina McCarthy is locked in a race against time to complete landmark climate
change regulations before President Obama leaves office.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/234675-epa-chief-races-to-finish-landmark-climate-rules
Override of Obama's Keystone Veto Fails in Senate
Wall Street Journal
WASHINGTON—An effort by Senate Republicans to override President Barack
Obama 'sveto of a bill approving the Keystone XL pipeline failed Wednesday,
the latest twist in a lengthy saga over the contentious project.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/override-of-obamas-keystone-veto-fails-in-senate-1425498369
Los Angeles Sees Health Benefits as Its Smog Haze Clears
Wall Street Journal
LOS ANGELES—This region of the country, famous for its balmy weather and
glamorous lifestyles, is perhaps equally infamous for its congested
freeways and signature haze of polluted air.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/los-angeles-sees-health-benefits-as-its-smog-haze-clears-1425506401
Press Releases
COCHRAN SIGNALS CONGRESS LIKELY TO REJECT OBAMA GULF STATES REVENUE PLAN
Senator Also Raises Questions About Proposed Black Pinesnake Endangered
Species Listing
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), chairman of the
Senate Committee on Appropriations, today signaled he will strongly oppose
Obama administration policies that would harm the Mississippi economy,
including a plan to redirect money the state earns from offshore energy
exploration.
Cochran serves on the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee that
today heard testimony from Interior Secretary Sally Jewell on the FY2016
budget request for the U.S. Department of the Interior. Within that budget
request, the administration proposes to end revenue sharing with Gulf
States for energy production in the Gulf of Mexico.
"It is hard for me to understand why the administration would propose to
redirect only the revenue from Gulf States when the money is being used to
fund projects that support environmental activities which are often in line
with the goals of the Department of the Interior," Cochran said. "This
proposal is offensive to many members of this committee, and I will be
among those who oppose it."
Cochran first pressed for information on the administration's
interpretation of the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 (GOMESA).
Under GOMESA, coastal counties in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas
receive 37 cents of every dollar earned from certain offshore oil and gas
drilling leases. The FY2016 budget request asks Congress to redirect these
funds from coastal states to nationwide programs—a proposal which would
harm the economy of coastal states in service of advancing the Interior
Department's national agenda.
Additionally, Cochran criticized the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
proposal to list the Black Pinesnake as a threatened species under the
Endangered Species Act. The Black Pinesnake is primarily found in heavily
wooded areas along the Gulf Coast. Because of this, overly broad
classification of its protected status will have a detrimental effect on
timber production in the region.
"While it is important to protect and preserve American's indigenous
wildlife, such efforts should not create unnecessary and excessive economic
hardships on people and surrounding communities. Mississippi's forestry
industry is a major contributor to our state's economy, and it is
especially important along the Southern pine belt. As the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service reviews public comments on its proposed rule, I hope it
will keep this in mind, in addition to using the best scientific and
commercial data available in any further rulemaking."
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