State
Most assessment sites found to be clean
Daily Corinthian
Sites targeted for brownfield assessments in Corinth have thus far been
found largely free of pollutants that could pose an obstacle to
redevelopment.
http://www.dailycorinthian.com/view/full_story/27203537/article-Most-assessment-sites-found-to-be-clean
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CREWS CLEANING UP CALHOUN CO. GAS LEAK
WCBI
DERMA, Miss. (WCBI) — Crews are working to stop a gas leak in Calhoun
County.
EMA Director Randy Skinner tells WCBI the underground tank at the Derma One
Stop gas station blew around 5 p.m., Tuesday.
http://www.wcbi.com/local-news/crews-cleaning-calhoun-co-gas-leak/
JRA member, city contractor indicted on Medicaid fraud charges
Clarion Ledger
A Hinds County grand jury has indicted Jackson city contractor and Jackson
Redevelopment Authority commissioner Andria Jones on charges of Medicaid
fraud and conspiracy to commit Medicaid fraud.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/2016/06/07/jackson-city-contractor-accused-medicaid-fraud/85137954/
Rescuers reach machine swallowed by gravel pit
Progress made in search for missing workers
WAPT
COPIAH COUNTY, Miss. —Progress is being made at a Copiah County gravel pit
after crews dug up part of the machine that was swallowed along with two
workers during Friday's collapse.
http://www.wapt.com/news/central-mississippi/rescuers-reach-machine-swallowed-by-gravel-pit/39956164
Quitman's aging water sewer pipes
WTOK
Quitman, Mississippi After more then five decades, the City of Quitman's
sewer pipes are showing their age. Major Eddie Fulton taxpayers can't foot
the bill to fix them.
http://www.wtok.com/content/news/Quitmans-againg-water-sewer-pipes-382170441.html
It's My Job: Conservation Research Biologist
Clarion Ledger
My name is James Hill, and I'm a conservation research biologist for the
Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. I've worked in the
aquariums at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science in Jackson about
five years.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/business/2016/06/07/s-my-job-conservation-research-biologist/85547256/
State Auditor Stacey Pickering called to active Guard duty
AP
State Auditor Stacey Pickering is being called to active duty in the
Mississippi Air National Guard.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/2016/06/07/mississippi-auditor-national-guard-duty/85568724/
Oil Spill
Louisiana lawmakers take $7M in oil spill money from AG's office
AP
BATON ROUGE — Attorney General Jeff Landry will have to return a $7 million
oil spill recovery payment given to his agency, under a bill sent to the
governor in the final minutes of the legislative session.
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/06/louisiana_lawmakers_take_7m_in.html
Regional
Who pays for $3 billion MR-GO wetlands restoration?
Times-Picayune
Louisiana and the Army Corps of Engineers sparred before a three-judge
panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday (June 7) over
whether the state should pay 35 percent of the almost $3 billion corps plan
to restore wetlands along the closed Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet. U.S.
District Judge Lance Africk had concluded in August that the corps must pay
the full cost for the agency's improper construction and maintenance of the
MR-GO, but the Justice Department asked the 5th Circuit to overturn his
ruling.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2016/06/louisiana_corps_spar_at_5th_ci.html#incart_river_index
Louisiana environmental workers catching fish for mercury testing
AP
BATON ROUGE — Carefully piloting a boat in the Atchafalaya River Basin on a
recent morning, the state Department of Environmental Quality workers were
on the hunt for an invisible prey.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2016/06/louisiana_environmental_worker.html#incart_river_index
National
HOUSE TO VOTE ON REP. OLSON'S OZONE STANDARDS BILL
Bloomberg
Later today, the House of Representatives is set to consider H.R. 4775, the
Ozone Standards Implementation Act of 2016.
http://www.bna.com/house-vote-rep-b57982073760/
Senate Approves Bill to Overhaul Chemicals Oversight
President Obama expected to sign measure into law
WSJ
WASHINGTON—The Senate on Tuesday approved legislation aimed at overhauling
federal regulations governing thousands of chemicals businesses and
consumers use every day, setting up the bill for President Barack Obama's
signature in the coming days.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/senate-approves-bill-to-overhaul-chemicals-oversight-1465342236
With Chemical Safety Law, Congress Hands EPA Herculean Task
Bloomberg
Hormone-disrupting chemicals used to make your shower curtain or water
bottle could face stiffer rules under a measure passed by Congress this
week. But it will be years before regulators determine if phthalates and
thousands of other chemicals are risky and should face restrictions or
bans.
http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-06-08/with-chemical-safety-law-congress-hands-epa-herculean-task
EPA: Widely Used Herbicide is Harmful to Wildlife
WTTW
A widely used herbicide is harmful to animals, a new report from the
Environmental Protection Agency states, but some farm groups are
criticizing the report's findings and have expressed concerns about the
economic impacts of a possible ban.
http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2016/06/08/epa-widely-used-herbicide-harmful-wildlife
U.S. lawmakers probe EPA staff over possible bias in herbicide review
Reuters
U.S. lawmakers are investigating whether U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency staff influenced the World Health Organization's review of
glyphosate and its finding that the herbicide probably causes cancer,
according to a letter sent to the agency on Tuesday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-glyphosate-epa-idUSKCN0YT2FP
Poll: Climate is most divisive issue in U.S.
The Hill
Climate change is the most divisive issue among United States voters'
rankings of policy areas by importance, a new survey found.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/282554-poll-climate-is-most-divisive-issue-in-us
Connecticut asks EPA to limit air pollution from diesel trucks,
Pennsylvania power plants
AP
HARTFORD — Connecticut's top environmental official says the state will no
longer accept being the "tailpipe of America" and has asked the federal
government to limit air pollution from a Pennsylvania energy plant and
diesel trucks.
http://fox61.com/2016/06/07/connecticut-asks-epa-to-limit-air-pollution-from-diesel-trucks-pennsylvania-power-plants/
Opinion
Methane emissions - latest non-problem for natural gas
By Dr. J. Winston Porter
The Hill
Methane emissions have been identified by anti-fracking activists as an
argument of last resort to stop everything from more production of natural
gas to the construction of gas pipelines in New England. Now that argument,
like others before it about the safety of fracking, needs to be retired.
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/282518-methane-emissions-latest-non-problem-for-natural-gas
