State
Jackson County municipalities file suit against Jackson County Utility Authority
Mississippi Press
JACKSON COUNTY, Miss. -- The four municipalities in Jackson County --Pascagoula, Moss Point, Gautier, and Ocean Springs have combined to file a lawsuit against the Jackson County Utility Authority for what the cities' assert was a breach of contract.
Sewer repairs could cost city $2 million
Vicksburg Post
Repairs to a portion of Vicksburg’s 109-year-old sewer collection system could run at least $2 million, city officials learned Tuesday.
http://www.vicksburgpost.com/2016/08/04/sewer-repairs-could-cost-city-2-million/
Local fire officials concerned over Forestry layoffs
Clarion Ledger
The Mississippi Forestry Commission has laid off 25 workers, including all its arson investigators and equipment mechanics, and eliminated six vacant positions because of state budget cuts.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/2016/08/04/forestry-commission-layoffs/88067076/
Auditor: All but $3.6 million of $377 million in Kemper refunds complete
AP
JACKSON, Mississippi — All but $3.6 million of $377 million in rate refunds related to Mississippi Power Co.'s Kemper County plant are back in the hands of customers, auditors say.
'Crazy ants' likely to cause headaches for homeowners in the Pine Belt
WDAM
HATTIESBURG, MS (WDAM) -There's a new invasive ant species pest experts say will soon be in the Pine Belt.
Walkers still owe close to $1 million in DMR scandal
Sun Herald
Almost two years after the former chief of the Department of Marine Resources and several others pleaded guilty, little of the money they obtained from the agency through fraud has been repaid.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/local/article93748737.html
Oil Spill
Committee sets Pot 3 RESTORE recommendations
Panama City News Herald
PANAMA CITY — A citizens committee on Wednesday decided to recommend that the third pot of oil spill funds coming to Bay County go toward major stormwater and central sewer projects over the next 15 years.
http://www.newsherald.com/news/20160803/committee-sets-pot-3-restore-recommendations
Regional
EPA: Insecticide Used To Fight Zika Is Safe
CBS Miami
MIAMI (CBSMiami) — Health officials in South Florida have started attacking from the air to try to wipe out the mosquitoes that carry the Zikavirus.
And as scientists work on a vaccine, government health officials say lack of funding could slow down the research.
http://miami.cbslocal.com/2016/08/04/epa-insecticide-used-to-fight-zika-is-safe/
National
U.S. refining trade group pushes EPA to change biofuels program
Reuters
An oil refining group on Thursday asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to change the way it enforces the country's biofuel mandate, stepping up pressure on the agency to alter the program.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-biofuels-refineries-idUSKCN10F2MB
One Year After A Toxic River Spill, No Clear Plan To Clean Up Western Mines
NPR
One year ago — on Aug. 5, 2015 — an EPA crew at the Gold King Mine in southwest Colorado accidentally unleashed 3 million gallons of orange water filled with mercury and arsenic.
Colorado Town Takes a Breather a Year After Huge Mine Spill
AP
A year after a mine waste spill turned their river a weird yellow-orange, residents of a Colorado mountain town are taking a break from the aftermath for a party that includes a specially brewed beer the color of the spill.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/colorado-town-takes-breather-year-huge-mine-spill-41136633
Clean Energy Credits Sought for Low-Income Communities
Bloomberg
The Environmental Protection Agency should require states to allocate at least half of all credits available under the proposed Clean Energy Incentive Program to projects in low-income communities, dozens of environmental justice advocates said.
http://www.bna.com/clean-energy-credits-n73014445818/
EPA Cooperated in House Science Panel's Air Travel Probe
Bloomberg
Officials with the Environmental Protection Agency cooperated with the House Science, Space and Technology Committee's probe into air travel habits at the agency, documents show.
http://www.bna.com/epa-cooperated-house-n73014445821/
Those on the water know clean-up won’t be Rio’s legacy
RIO DE JANEIRO
How you feel about the water in Rio depends almost entirely on what boat you’re in.
http://www.sunherald.com/sports/olympics/article93881807.html
Opinion
Column: BP's payments for gulf restoration reveal the value of the Gulf of Mexico
BP recently announced that the cost to its company of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill had reached $61.6 billion. As theWashington Post reported, this is an astonishing figure — bigger than the value of Ford, Honda or General Motors.
Press releases
USDA Helps Restore, Manage Longleaf Pine Forests on Private Lands
Application Deadline is Thursday, August 18, 2016.
Jackson, Miss. – The United States Department of Agriculture/Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will have financial and technical assistance available to assist forest landowners and managers desiring to restore and enhance longleaf pines stands, and sites suitable for establishing or converting to a longleaf ecosystem in designated counties in Mississippi.
The NRCS is partnering with various local, state, and federal agencies as well as non-governmental organizations in a concerted effort to enhance the overall health and resiliency of the longleaf forest ecosystems that is critical for habitat restoration and local economies.
Longleaf forests once dominated the coastal plains of the Southeastern United States. During the past two centuries, development, timbering and fire suppression reduced the ecosystem’s range by almost 97 percent. Coordinated conservation efforts, led by the USDA and other conservation partners are helping this unique ecosystem make a slow recovery. In an effort to sustain current restoration and the management of the longleaf ecosystems, the NRCS will be accepting applications under a pilot Conservation Stewardship Longleaf Pine Incentive Program designed to apply and install critical enhancement measures thereby offering payment enhancement incentives to non-industrial forest landowners willing to apply and install them.
Enhancing longleaf pine forests benefit both wildlife, forest landowners and land managers. There are 29 threatened and endangered species that depend on these Longleaf Pine forests for survival. Two specific species are found in Mississippi, the gopher tortoise and black pine snake.
NRCS provides technical and financial assistance through the Conservation Stewardship Longleaf Pine Initiative to help landowners and land managers with timber stand improvement through practices such as tree planting, prescribed burning, invasive species control and other enhancement opportunities available through your servicing NRCS Field Office.
Mississippi has received an additional 10,000 acres for the Longleaf Pine Initiative through the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Eligible counties in Mississippi with potentially suitable soils for longleaf restoration are: Attala, Leake, Wilkinson, Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, Amite, Lincoln, Pike, Copiah, Claiborne, Hinds, Rankin, Simpson, Lawrence, Walthall, Marion, Lamar, Forrest, Perry, Greene, George, Jackson, Harrison, Hancock, Pearl River, Stone, Wayne, Jones, Covington, Jefferson Davis, Clarke, Jasper, Smith, Lauderdale, Newton, and Scott counties.
“USDA is committed to working with foresters and land managers to help restore and expand this critical ecosystem,” stated Kurt Readus, NRCS state conservationist in Mississippi. “Longleaf pine forests provide vital habitat to a variety of species as well as valuable timber products.”
The NRCS’ Longleaf Pine Initiative (LLPI) has helped restore more than 240,000 acres of longleaf forests nationally. Landowners, producers and foresters interested in participating in the Longleaf Pine Initiative may apply at their local USDA service center/ NRCS office. NRCS financial-assistance programs offer a continuous sign-up; however, applications received by August 18, 2016, will be considered for funding in this ranking period. To ensure your land is eligible, please visit with your local Natural Resources Conservation Service Office.
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