State
MS GETS EPA APPROVAL TO USE UNAUTHORIZED PESTICIDE TO SAVE GRAIN SORGHUM
CROP
MPB
Farmers in Mississippi will now have another tool to avoid economic losses
by using a unauthorized pesticide to defend certain crops from bugs that
destroy them. Experts disagree over the impact the pesticide poses to honey
bees. As MPB's Mark Rigsby reports, the Environmental Protection Agency is
taking public comment on a new plan to put the pesticide back on the
market.
http://www.mpbonline.org/blogs/news/2016/05/25/ms-gets-epa-approval-to-use-unauthorized-pesticide-to-save-grain-sorghum-crop/
Five sections of the Mississippi Sound not safe for swimming
WLOX
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI (WLOX) -The Mississippi Department of Environmental
Quality issued a water contact advisory Tuesday for Gulfport East Beach
from Tegarden Road east to Anniston Avenue. That now makes two sections of
water in Gulfport under water contact advisories. The other location is
Gulfport Harbor Beach from 20th Avenue east to Thornton Avenue.
http://www.wdam.com/story/32055077/five-sections-of-the-mississippi-sound-not-safe-for-swimming
New bass minimum length set for Barnett Reservoir
Clarion Ledger
A new minimum length requirement for largemouth and Kentucky spotted
bass in Ross Barnett Reservoir has been approved by the Mississippi
Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. It's a move biologists
hope will improve the quality of the fishery.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/2016/05/23/bass-minimum-length-barnett-reservoir/84788414/
Creek concerns in Meridian
WTOK
MERIDIAN, Miss. (WTOK) Concern has been raised about what one Meridian
landowner calls a creek and another calls a ditch. However, both say they
agree that the area in question is a hazard.
http://www.wtok.com/home/headlines/Creek-concerns-in-Meridian-380690051.html
Oil Spill
TEAM DEVELOPING MARSH RESTORATION DATABASE
Civil Engineering
April 19, 2016—The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ)
has hired a team of engineering firms to examine the geographic
characteristics, shoreline retreat rates, and dredging activities of St.
Louis Bay, Back Bay Biloxi, and the Escatawpa/Pascagoula regions of the
state to help identify the most strategic and cost-effective sites for
marsh restoration and living shoreline projects.
http://www.asce.org/magazine/20160419-team-developing-marsh-restoration-database/
Regional
Thousands of dead fish wash up on Grand Isle beach
WWL
GRAND ISLE, La. -- Residents woke up to hundreds of thousands of dead fish
washing up on the beach Tuesday morning, just days before Memorial Day
weekend.
http://www.wwltv.com/news/local/thousands-of-dead-fish-wash-up-on-grand-isle-beach/214159245
National
GOP looks to cut EPA funding, block Obama environment rules
The Hill
House Republicans on Tuesday released a $32.1 billion funding bill for the
Interior Department and environmental programs that would cut Environmental
Protection Agency regulatory funding and block key Obama administration
rules.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/281042-house-looks-to-cut-epa-funding-block-obama-environment-rules
Public Campaign Against Exxon Has Roots in a 2012 Meeting
NY Times
The activists who have painted a bright target on the back of Exxon Mobil
have "colluded to push politically motivated investigations of climate
dissent," and conducted a "real-life RICO-type conspiracy."
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/24/science/public-campaign-against-exxon-has-roots-in-a-2012-meeting.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fearth&action=click&contentCollection=earth®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0
House Passes Sweeping Chemical Safety Bill
Bipartisan support comes after states, retailers began to address consumer
concerns
WSJ
WASHINGTON—The House on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved new chemical safety
rules designed to overhaul federal regulation covering thousands of
chemicals in daily use, a rare bipartisan action in a year when Congress is
torn by presidential politics.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/house-passes-sweeping-chemical-safety-bill-1464125287
House votes to loosen EPA pesticide rules to fight Zika
The Hill
The House voted along party lines Tuesday to approve a bill that would
loosen pesticide regulations in the name of fighting the Zika virus.
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/281111-house-votes-to-loosen-epa-pesticide-rules-to-fight-zika
House Measure Supports Shippers on Ballast Water Dumping
AP
A plan gaining support in Congress and backed by the cargo shipping
industry would establish a nationwide policy for dumping ballast water into
U.S. waterways that environmental groups say would open the door to more
invasive species like zebra and quagga mussels, which have wreaked economic
havoc from the Great Lakes to the West Coast.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/house-measure-supports-shippers-ballast-water-dumping-39336860
New regs for Wednesday: Greenhouse gas disclosures and nurses
The Hill
Greenhouse gas disclosures: The Department of Defense, the General Services
Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is
moving forward with a rule that will require gas suppliers to report
whether they publicly disclose greenhouse gas emissions and greenhouse gas
reduction goals or targets.
http://thehill.com/regulation/pending-regs/281028-new-regs-for-wednesday-greenhouse-gas-disclosures-and-nurses
Press releases
Wicker, Cochran Voice Opposition to New Energy Tax
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Thad Cochran,
R-Miss., today voiced their opposition to a tax on carbon dioxide (CO2),
which would raise the cost of electricity, gasoline, natural gas, and other
energy sources.
The Mississippi lawmakers were among the 24 Senators cosponsoring a
resolution, which expresses the Senate's concern that a CO2 tax would be
detrimental to the economy of the United States.
"A carbon dioxide tax would negatively impact every single American,"
Wicker said. "The Obama Administration continues to push its oppressive
climate agenda, putting our economy at a huge disadvantage with minimal
benefits to the environment. Too many people are facing long-term
unemployment and stagnant wages. Another tax from this White House could
further slow the economy and make it even more difficult for people to find
good-paying jobs."
"The Obama administration's energy and climate change policies rely on new
taxes and regulations that would have damaging effects on the economy of
Mississippi and the entire country. A carbon tax would be prohibitively
costly to the nation," Cochransaid.
Introduced by Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), the resolution states that a
carbon dioxide tax is not in the best interest of the United States because
it would increase energy prices, "cause families and consumers to pay more
for essential items such as food, gasoline, and electricity," and "cause
the greatest hardship for the poor, the elderly, and individuals living on
fixed incomes."
The resolution further reflects the sense of the Senate that "the energy
policy of the United States should encourage private sector innovation and
development and not increase the existing tax burden on manufacturers."
A CO2 tax would be applied to energy resources that have accounted for at
least 80 percent of total U.S. energy consumption since 1990, according to
the Energy Information Administration.
A companion measure was introduced in the House of Representatives in
October 2015. It is cosponsored by Representative Steven Palazzo
(R-Miss.).
http://www.wicker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2016/5/wicker-cochran-voice-opposition-to-new-energy-tax
EPA and The Recycling Partnership Team Up to Capture the State of Recycling
Contact Information: James Pinkney, (404) 562-9183 (Direct), (404) 562-8400
(Main) pinkney.james@epa.gov
Jason Hale, (252) 455-4788, The Recycling Partnership
jhale@recyclingpartnership.org
ATLANTA – The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and
national nonprofit The Recycling Partnership are joining forces to focus on
the state of curbside recycling in the U.S.
To accomplish this expansive task, The Partnership will take a hard look at
400 curbside programs, gathering and analyzing 17 distinct markers for
each. Work has already begun, with early results expected in September 2016
and final analysis slated for October 2016.
"The breadth and depth of data this project will produce, coupled with the
meaningful analysis of trends and potential areas of improvement, will
allow the EPA to more effectively support communities through their
transitions to sustainable materials management," said Alan Farmer, EPA
Region 4 Division Director. "The potential for positive impact cannot be
overstated, and our collaboration with The Recycling Partnership is shaping
up to be fruitful indeed."
The research will capture the national picture, with a special focus given
to communities within EPA regions 3, 4, and 5. Select communities will
include the most populated cities in each state, along with a number of
other smaller communities to round out the geographic distribution.
"The secondary material stream begins with local programs, and there is a
great deal of untapped potential there," said Cody Marshall, The
Partnership's Technical Assistance Lead. "Looking at snapshots of programs
across the country will allow us to cross-reference best practices and
pinpoint opportunities to increase recovery. Those insights will in turn
allow national and federal organizations to create targeted action plans."
The Partnership will catalog information on 39 categories of recyclable
materials, along with collection frequencies, tonnages, funding mechanisms,
service providers, and a host of other details. It will analyze this data
for trends and gaps in curbside recycling infrastructure, and ultimately
deliver a graphically rich summary report along with the full database.
To add context and local color to the report, it will include highlight
stories from a number of the communities involved. These stories will share
insights into the current status of local recycling and forecast the
potential to increase tonnage.
"We like to say that recycling is a loosely connected, highly dependent
industry, and it will take meaningful engagement of all players to make the
most of the system," advised Karen Bandhauer, The Partnership's Project
Director. "It takes strong partnerships to deliver the tons needed to make
tomorrow's new consumer goods, and this initial engagement with the EPA
fits the bill."
About The Recycling Partnership
The Recycling Partnership (recyclingpartnership.org) is a dynamic industry
collaboration focused on systematically and measurably improving curbside
recycling in the United States. Working with community and industry
partners nationwide, our strength lies in our best-in-class operational and
technical support, proven community outreach approaches, and
highly-leveraged seed grants to communities.
###
After Hurricane Katrina: Where Are They Now?
Posted on May 23, 2016
Population and housing estimates from last decade show how Hurricane
Katrina affected Gulf Region
Written by: Sarah Gibb, statistician/demographer, Population Division
As you might know, we released the population estimates for cities and
towns last week. However, following Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, the
U.S. Census Bureau did not release these estimates for four Mississippi
Gulf Coast communities— Bay St. Louis, Long Beach, Pass Christian and
Waveland in 2006. The cities sustained severe damage from Katrina, and the
impact to their populations and housing stock could not be reliably
measured.
In the aftermath of the storm, the Gulf Coast would face many years of
rebuilding, and learning how populations were rebounding would be critical
for community leaders. For the Census Bureau, producing population
estimates for places where many homes had been destroyed and people
displaced presented a unique but vital challenge.
Between 2006 and 2009, the Census Bureau used a variety of methods and data
sources, including data from the U.S. Postal Service, to estimate the
impact to the population and housing stock in the counties and parishes hit
hardest by the hurricane.
In 2008, we used the number of active utility connections to produce a
complete time series of housing and population estimates for these cities,
going back to 2006. By 2009, the Census Bureau had resumed the pre-2006
methods for estimating housing units and populations for almost all cities
and towns across the country. We estimated 2006 county and parish housing
units in Orleans and St. Bernard parishes by first calculating the ratio of
the 2006 household population to the 2005 household population. We applied
the ratio to the 2005 county housing unit estimate to produce the 2006
estimated housing.
The population and housing unit estimates produced last decade, along with
the 2010 Census counts and the 2015 estimates released today, provide a
basis for understanding how Hurricane Katrina affected the Gulf Coast, and
in particular the four Mississippi cities discussed in this blog.
Population
Bay St. Louis — On July 1, 2005, the population stood at 11,287. Just one
year later, it had declined by more than 2,000 people, or about 18 percent.
Its population remained flat through 2010 but recovered over the next five
years, increasing by about 2,800 (30 percent) to 12,030, or about 700 more
people than in July 2005, before Hurricane Katrina. Of the four cities we
looked at, it was the only one to surpass its pre-Katrina population.
Long Beach — Prior to Hurricane Katrina, Long Beach numbered 16,855, making
it the largest of the four cities in terms of population. It also had the
largest numeric loss after the storm. By July 1, 2006, its population had
dropped by a little more than 2,200 (13 percent). By 2010, the city's
population had recovered to 14,790, or approximately 88 percent of its
population before the hurricane. Like Bay St. Louis, the city of Long Beach
saw its population increase from 2010 to 2015. Ten years after the
hurricane, the city remained about 1,300 people shy of its pre-Katrina
population with a population of 15,555.
Pass Christian — About a year after the hurricane, Pass Christian's
population had dropped 15 percent from its pre-Katrina estimate of 5,845,
putting it just under 5,000 people. Its population continued to decline
until 2010, when it reached a low of 4,613. From that point forward,
however, the trend reversed and on July 1, 2015, the population estimate
reached 94 percent of its pre-Katrina level.
Waveland — Of these four Gulf Coast communities, Waveland had the largest
percent decrease in population in the year after Hurricane Katrina. On July
1, 2005, Waveland's population was 7,849. A year later its population had
declined by 18 percent and would remain mostly unchanged over the next four
years. Between 2010 and 2015, the city's population declined by another 40
people. Its population on July 1, 2015, was at about 82 percent of its
population 10 years earlier.
Housing Units
Every year, the Census Bureau releases population estimates for cities and
towns across the country, and housing unit estimates for the nation,
states, and counties. Of the four cities discussed previously, Bay St.
Louis and Waveland are in Hancock County. Long Beach and Pass Christian are
in Harrison County.
Hancock County — On July 1, 2005, Hancock County had 24,179 housing units.
About one year after Katrina, it declined by about 7,000 housing units, or
30 percent of its housing stock. By 2010, the housing stock had returned to
approximately 90 percent of its pre-Katrina level. As of July 1, 2015,
Hancock County was back up to 24,083 housing units, a mere 96 shy of where
it stood 10 years earlier.
Harrison County — On July 1, 2005, Harrison County had 88,281 housing
units, nearly four times as many as Hancock County. Almost a year after
Hurricane Katrina, Harrison County's housing stock decreased by more than
14,000 housing units, or about 16 percent of its housing estimate before
the hurricane. Between July 1, 2006, and April 1, 2010, the reference day
for the 2010 Census, almost 11,000 housing units were added, an increase of
about 15 percent. By July 1, 2015, it had 90,749 housing units, about 2,500
more than it had 10 years earlier.
These estimates reflect several years of special processing to produce a
time series that accurately reflects the impact Hurricane Katrina had on
these communities.
If you would like to continue to explore these estimates, or examine other
population trends in the United States, please go to<
http://www.census.gov/popest/>. You may also wish to contact the State Data
Center of Mississippi for their perspectives on the population and housing
trends highlighted here. To learn more about the characteristics in these
areas, check out data from the American Community Survey and economic data.
http://blogs.census.gov/2016/05/23/after-hurricane-katrina-where-are-they-now/?eml=gd&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery&cid=HK
