State
7th Avenue drainage project complete
WTVA
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WTVA) -- A multi-million dollar drainage improvement project is complete in one Columbus neighborhood.
http://www.wtva.com/story/34150150/7th-avenue-drainage-project-complete
Shrimping will close north of Intracoastal Waterway
Sun Herald
BILOXI
Waters north of the Intracoastal Waterway will close to shrimping early on New Year’s Day.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/local/article123631884.html
Transmission line project could be worth $2B to state’s economy
Mississippi Today
A proposed electricity transmission line that could power Mississippi homes and businesses would be a $1.9 billion economic benefit to Mississippians, the project’s developers say.
http://www.oxfordeagle.com/2016/12/29/transmission-line-project-could-be-worth-2b-to-states-economy/
Oil Spill
COAST LAWMAKERS PLAN TO MAKE CASE FOR KEEPING BP DOLLARS ON THE COAST
MPB
Lawmakers from south Mississippi say the biggest issue for the coast this coming legislative session will be where and how $750 million from an economic settlement with BP is spent. MPB’s Evelina Burnett reports.
Regional
DEQ head, van der Vaart, demotes himself as new administration takes over
News and Observer
N.C. Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Donald van der Vaart has demoted himself to another position in the agency on the eve of a new administration replacing Cabinet members and hundreds of other state officials.
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article123592539.html
National
EPA Proposes Implementation Regulations for the 2015 Ozone NAAQS
National Law Review
Thursday, December 29, 2016
On November 17, 2016, EPA proposed regulations in the Federal Register to establish nonattainment area classification thresholds and implementation requirements for the 8 -hour ozone NAAQS adopted in 2015.
http://www.natlawreview.com/article/epa-proposes-implementation-regulations-2015-ozone-naaqs
Trump could be fighting Obama's climate policies for years
The Hill
President-elect Donald Trump’s energy agenda is shaping up as a years-long effort to unwind President Obama’s policies.
States Face Off Over Future of Obama Global Warming Plan
AP
Two weeks after officials in two dozen states asked Republican President-elect Donald Trump to kill one of Democratic President Barack Obama's signature plans to curb global warming, another group of state officials is urging Trump to save it.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/states-face-off-future-obama-global-warming-plan-44454022
Dem AGs warn Trump against repealing Obama’s climate rule
The Hill
A group of Democratic state attorneys general is warning President-elect Donald Trump against repealing the Clean Power Plan, saying it would lead to more lawsuits.
Up to 20,000 dead fish, other animals wash up on Nova Scotia coast
CNN
The carcasses of thousands of sea creatures have mysteriously washed up on the western coast of Nova Scotia.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/30/world/canada-massive-fish-kill/index.html
IRS Scrutinizes Land-Donation Syndicates Yielding Big Tax Breaks
Investor solicitations for deals promise to turn $100,000 into $400,000 or more in tax deductions
WSJ
The IRS is clamping down on a tax-avoidance technique that turns charitable land-conservation donations into moneymaking opportunities.
Oil companies face deadline to stop polluting California groundwater
SF Chronicle
Seven oil companies, including petroleum giant Chevron, have been given until the end of the week by state officials to stop their decades-old practice of injecting oily wastewater into Central Valley aquifers or face penalties.
http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Oil-companies-face-deadline-to-stop-polluting-10825298.php
Giant Sinkhole Forces 22 Families Out of Homes Near Detroit
Sewer line break creates football-field long chasm
WSJ
At 6 a.m. last Saturday morning Jerry Albu was asleep in his bed in a Detroit suburb when he was awakened by the sounds of crackling that kept getting louder and louder. When he looked up, he saw the ceiling splitting.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/giant-sinkhole-forces-22-families-out-of-homes-near-detroit-1483037173
New wood technology may offer hope for struggling timber
AP
RIDDLE, ORE.
John Redfield watches with pride as his son moves a laser-guided precision saw the size of a semi-truck wheel into place over a massive panel of wood.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/business/article123719884.html
Opinion
The most important pollution rule you've never heard of
BY DANIEL COHAN, CONTRIBUTOR
The Hill
It's the most important air pollution rule you've never heard of. And its benefits to air quality and health could extend far beyond its stated purpose — if it isn't gutted by a Republican-led Congress or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Press Releases
Shrimping waters north of Intracoastal Waterway to close; oyster reef to open
BILOXI, Miss. – Officials with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources announced Thursday that all waters north of the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) in Mississippi territorial waters will be closed to shrimping at 12:01 a.m. January 1, 2017.
All regulations set forth in Mississippi State Statute and titles of the DMR will be in full force and effect, and all boats engaged in catching or transporting shrimp in or from Mississippi waters must be legally licensed. All other Mississippi territorial waters will remain open to shrimping as provided by law and the regulations of the Commission on Marine Resources.
For the latest updates on the Mississippi shrimp fishery, call the toll-free Shrimp Information Hotline 1-866-We Trawl (866-938-7295).
Officials also announced the reopening of conditionally approved Area II “B” for tonging only beginning at legal sunrise on Friday, Dec. 30. This area includes Waveland and St. Stanislaus reefs.
All other current rules and regulations remain in effect. Additional updates have been made in accordance with the Vibrio vulnificus Control Plan. This updated information is available at oyster check stations or by calling the Oyster Hotline at 228-374-5167 or 1-800-385-5902.
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources is dedicated to enhancing, protecting and conserving marine interests of the state by managing all marine life, public trust wetlands, adjacent uplands and waterfront areas to provide for the optimal commercial, recreational, educational and economic uses of these resources consistent with environmental concerns and social changes. Visit the DMR online at dmr.ms.gov.
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