State
Hattiesburg to look into Parkhaven water quality
Hattiesburg American
Poor water quality — in particular orange- to brown-colored water intermittently flowing from taps — has recently raised the ire of some residents in the Parkhaven neighborhood.
County residents unhappy with brown water, flooding danger issues
Daily Mississippian
The Lafayette County Chancery Court boardroom filled with more than 50 people Monday night, where residents spoke out about having to drink brown water from the Punkin Water Association.
http://thedmonline.com/county-residents-unhappy-brown-water-flooding-danger-issues/
COMPANY BEHIND POTENTIAL WIND ENERGY LINE NEEDS MORE TIME
WCBI
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Mississippi’s Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley gave an update Monday to WCBI on the potential Texas-to-Alabama wind energy line which could cross portions of the Golden Triangle.
http://www.wcbi.com/video-company-behind-potential-wind-energy-line-needs-time/
Picture this: Celebrate the Gulf poster contest is on
Sun Herald
When you hear “Celebrate the Gulf,” do you get a visual? Turn it into a piece of art, and you could win $250.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/local/article117594173.html
Oil Spill
New authority approves sale of bonds backed by BP payments
Al.com
Alabama is expected to receive about $610 million from a bond issue backed by $850 million in oil spill settlement payments from BP under a plan approved by a new bond authority today.
http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2016/11/new_authority_approves_sale_of.html
Regional
Oil and water: Thousands of spills recorded in Gulf
WWL
Tracking of federal data by an environmental watchdog group shows more than 11,700 oil spills have been reported in the Gulf of Mexico since the BP oil spill ended in July 2010.
http://www.dailycomet.com/news/20161127/oil-and-water-thousands-of-spills-recorded-in-gulf
National
Trump Rollback of Obama Climate Agenda May Prove Challenging
AP
Once sworn into office, Donald Trump will be in a strong position to dismantle some of President Barack Obama's efforts to reduce planet-warming carbon emissions. But experts say delivering on campaign pledges to abolish the Environmental Protection Agency and bring back tens of thousands of long-gone coal mining jobs will likely prove far more difficult for the new president.
GAO: Ethanol mandate unlikely to hit climate target
The Hill
The federal ethanol blending mandate is unlikely to meet the greenhouse gas reduction goals Congress envisioned when creating the program, government reports say.
Supreme Court asks DOJ to weigh in on mine spill lawsuit
The Hill
The Supreme Court is asking the Obama administration to weigh in on New Mexico’s lawsuit against Colorado over a major mine waste spill last year.
EPA delays cleanup proposal for radioactive waste in Missouri
Reuters
The U.S. government said on Tuesday it was delaying indefinitely its proposal for how to clean up or seal off radioactive soil buried in a St. Louis-area landfill adjacent to another waste site where an underground fire has been smoldering for several years.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-missouri-landfills-idUSKBN13I050
EPA to big cities: Stop killing rats with dry ice
USA Today
An efficient, chilling new weapon in the urban war on rats may be swiftly meeting its demise after the government notified major cities that the use of dry ice as a rodenticide violates federal law.
Press Releases
Deadline for Celebrate the Gulf
poster contest is Jan. 13, 2017
BILOXI, Miss. – Organizers of the Celebrate the Gulf Marine Education Festival have announced that the deadline to enter the third annual poster contest is Jan. 13, 2017.
The contest is open to amateur and professional artists, and the original poster designs should depict the conservation, recreational or scenic qualities of Mississippi’s coastal resources.
The winning artist will receive $250 and 10 posters.
Celebrate the Gulf is put on by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and is held in conjunction with Art in the Pass. The festivals will be held Saturday, April 1, 2017.
Rules:
• Art work must be camera ready.
• No entry fee is required.
• Only original art will be accepted.
• Artist must be 13 years of age or older to participate.
• No size restriction, but final print size will be approx. 16” X 20”.
• Each artist may submit up to four entries for consideration.
• Computer-generated art is not acceptable.
• Art work should depict Mississippi’s coastal resources.
• Employees of MDMR and their immediate family members are not eligible for the contest.
• The design must be suitable for poster reproduction and be in keeping with the family atmosphere of the festival.
• When submitted, the artwork must be sprayed with a fixative (if appropriate), covered with acetate or clear plastic wrap and be supported in front and back with corrugated or foam core board for protection.
• Entry deadline is 5 p.m. January 13, 2017.
• Each submission must be accompanied by a completed entry form, available at dmr.ms.gov or grandbaynerr.org.
• Entries and accompanying paperwork must be submitted to Dennis McGrury at the DMR, 1141 Bayview Avenue, Biloxi, MS 39530 or Grand Bay NERR, 6005 Bayou Heron Road, Moss Point, MS 39562.
• The decision of the judges is final.
• Winning artwork will be unveiled in February.
• The winning artist must attend the festival and sign the posters on April 1, 2017 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Winning art work will become the sole property of the DMR. The DMR also will retain the right to use the artists’ names in any present and/or future promotional or educational activities.
· The Department of Marine Resources reserves the right to cancel the contest at its discretion.
For more information about this competition, please contact Dennis McGrury at dennis.mcgrury@dmr.ms.gov or call him at (228) 475-7047.
