State
CONFLICT?
Northside Sun
Mayor wants to hire firm in possible adversary role with city
A firm Mayor Tony Yarber wants to bring on as consent decree program manager may have ties with a group hoping to come off of Jackson's sewer system.
http://northsidesun.com/front-page-slideshow-news/conflict#sthash.Y0jut4P1.dpbs
Environmental company says Village Fair Mall site suitable for building
Meridian Star
Contrary to reports from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality that claim the Village Fair Mall site is contaminated, an environmental remediation company as well as a concerned citizen with knowledge of the area say the site is suitable for possible use by the county.
 | www.meridianstar.com Contrary to reports from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality that claim the Village Fair Mall site is contaminated, an environmental remediation company as well as a concerned citizen with | |
Oxford's GreenServ taking on the giants in medical waste disposal industry
MBJ
OXFORD — When John Alford and Will Fountain founded GreenServ Inc. in Oxford about four years ago, they had been hearing complaints about customer service and costs for disposal of medical waste. One international company has the corner on about 95 percent of the medical waste disposal business in the U.S. Alford and Fountain saw there was a need for alternatives.
http://msbusiness.com/2016/12/oxfords-greenserv-taking-giants-medical-waste-disposal-industry/
 | msbusiness.com By BECKY GILLETTE OXFORD — When John Alford and Will Fountain founded GreenServ Inc. in Oxford about four years ago, they had been hearing complaints about customer service and costs for disposal of medical waste. One international company has the corner on about 95 percent of the medical waste disposal business in the U.S. Alford and ... | |
Camelot residents worry over uncertain future after city condemns apartments
Commercial Dispatch
Sitting on his worn couch Wednesday, Camelot Apartments resident James Smith asked a question he's been contemplating for a while now: How does a convicted felon, living on a fixed income and forced to move by no fault of his own, not only find a new home, but also scrape together enough money to pay for relocation?
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=54810
LACK OF RAIN THREATENS TO AFFECT RESERVOIR WATER LEVEL THROUGH NEXT SUMMER
Northside Sun
The lack of significant rain is causing problems for the Ross Barnett Reservoir.
The water level is becoming low.
Prescribed burn scheduled for Deer Island on Friday
WLOX
DEER ISLAND, MS (WLOX) -The Department of Marine Resources will conduct a prescribed burn on a 41-acre section of Deer Island on Friday. The burn is part of a process to replenish the island's pine tree population that was nearly wiped out by Hurricane Katrina.
http://www.wlox.com/story/34009679/prescribed-burn-scheduled-for-deer-island-on-friday
Deer tagging bill not expected in legislative session
Clarion Ledger
A state representative has said he does not intend to reintroduce a bill calling for mandatory tagging and reporting of deer and turkey harvests in the coming legislative session.
Legislative budget panel proposes cuts, layoffs
Clarion Ledger
The Legislature's budget panel proposes eliminating 1,999 unfilled state government positions and removing most agencies from civil service protection to allow agency directors to eliminate staff and positions.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/2016/12/08/lbo-proposed-budget/95136548/
National
Pruitt, Trump's EPA pick, has both sides of climate divide girding for a major fight
Washington Post
Two years ago, at an event convened by the conservative Federalist Society, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt joked about a competition of sorts he had going with the Texas attorney general over the Environmental Protection Agency.
Some fish evolve to survive in America's most toxic places
Washington Post
Virginia's Elizabeth River is a toxic cocktail of industrial pollutants: PCBs, which cause skin ailments and birth defect; PAHS, which have been linked to cancer; dangerous heavy metals like arsenic and lead; smoky-smelling creosote. Formerly the site of a wood treatment facility and a Navy sludge dump, the river is now on the EPA's Superfund list, identified as one of the most hazardous waste spots in America.
http://www.nola.com/science/index.ssf/2016/12/killfish_evolve_toxic_waters.html#incart_river_index
Washington State Sues Monsanto Over PCB Pollution
State expects to win hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars from agrochemical company
AP
SEATTLE—Washington on Thursday became the first U.S. state to sue agrochemical giantMonsanto over pervasive pollution from PCBs, the toxic industrial chemicals that have accumulated in plants, fish and people around the globe for decades.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/washington-state-sues-monsanto-over-pcb-pollution-1481245887
Mapping Three Decades of Global Water Change
NY Times
Rivers meander. Lakes grow and shrink. Engineers build dams and farmers flood fields.
Much of the world's water is in constant motion.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/12/09/science/mapping-three-decades-of-global-water-change.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fearth&action=click&contentCollection=earth®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0
New regs for Friday: American Indians, seafood, pipelines
The Hill
Pipelines: The Department of Transportation is releasing a new safety advisory to protect oil and gas pipelines from tampering.
The Transportation Department's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) along with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), on Thursday warned pipeline owners to safeguard and secure their facilities.
They should monitor their pipelines for signs of "unauthorized access or interference," the agencies said.
Seafood: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is moving forward with new rules to prevent seafood fraud.
The seafood rules include permitting and reporting requirements for fish imports.
The rules go into effect in 30 days.
http://thehill.com/regulation/309404-new-regs-for-friday-indians-seafood-pipelines
Press Releases
EPA's National Lakes Assessment Finds Nutrient Pollution is Widespread in Lakes
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released the results of a national assessment showing that nutrient pollution is widespread in the nation's lakes, with 4 in 10 lakes suffering from too much nitrogen and phosphorus.
Excess nutrients can cause algae blooms, lower oxygen levels, degraded habitat for fish and other life, and lower water quality for recreation. The National Lakes Assessment also found an algal toxin – microcystin – in 39 percent of lakes but below levels of concern. Low concentrations of the herbicide atrazine were found in 30 percent of lakes.
"America's lakes and reservoirs provide many environmental and public health benefits; we use lakes for drinking water, energy, food and recreation, and our fish, birds, and wildlife depend on lakes for habitat," said Joel Beauvais, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water at EPA. "The National Lakes Assessment provides us with valuable information to help protect and restore our lakes across the country."
The assessment is part of a series of National Aquatic Resource Surveys designed to provide information about the condition of water resources in the U.S. The surveys are conducted in partnership with states and tribes to provide national-scale assessments of the nation's waters.
An earlier National Lakes Assessment was conducted in 2007, but this latest study is expanded to include smaller lakes and increase the number of lakes assessed. Lake managers can use the new interactive dashboard to evaluate site-specific information and to explore population-level results. Conducted on a five-year basis, future lake surveys will help water resource managers assess broad-scale differences in the data and perform trends analysis.
Nutrient pollution is one of America's most widespread and costly environmental and public health challenges. EPA is working on many fronts to reduce the severity, extent, and impacts of nutrient pollution in our nation's lakes and other waters. These efforts involve overseeing regulatory programs, conducting outreach and engaging partners, providing technical and programmatic support to states, financing nutrient reduction activities, and conducting research and development. In September, EPA called upon states and stakeholders to intensify their efforts to reduce nutrient pollution in collaboration with EPA.
For more information: https://www.epa.gov/national-aquatic-resource-surveys/nla
DMR to conduct prescribed burn on Deer Island
BILOXI, Miss. – Officials with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources will conduct a prescribed burn on Deer Island on Friday, Dec. 9.
Depending on weather conditions, the burn will begin between 10 a.m. and noon and last up to four hours; however, some of the trees could smolder for up to two days.
The burn will take place on a 41-acre section on the eastern end of Deer Island.
DMR officials are encouraging residents and tourists to stay off that side of Deer Island for at least a week because dead trees will continue to give way and fall after the burn is complete.
DMR will partner with the U.S. Forest Service to plant about 2,000 trees to replenish this area of Deer Island.
"Deer Island suffered mass pine mortality following Hurricane Katrina, with only 10 trees surviving on the far eastern portion of the island," said Ali Leggett Robertson, director of DMR's Coastal Preserves Bureau. "The depleted seed bank and isolation of this area has delayed the forest regeneration that is evident on the remainder of the island."
"The prescribed fire is planned in preparation for replanting Slash pine," Robertson said. "Burning off the dense, grassy understory will reduce competition and give the pine seedlings a greater chance of survival."
Robertson added that USFS collected and grew out genetically local Slash pine seed as part of a genetics research project. USFS will continue to monitor the health of the seedlings as part of this research.
GULF COAST ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION COUNCIL RELEASES 2016 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE
NEW ORLEANS, LA – The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (Council) today released an update to its 2013 Comprehensive Plan. The update provides additional strategic guidance for the Council to follow as they make decisions on funding projects and activities aimed at restoring the Gulf of Mexico.
The Council will meet to vote on the Comprehensive Plan Update and hear from some of its key restoration partners including representatives from the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustees and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund.
The meeting will be Friday, December 16, 2016 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Celestin Ballroom Section E (3rd Floor), 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA, 70113 from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. CST. The public is invited to attend. For additional information, and to register for this meeting please click here. Onsite registration will be available on the day of the meeting from 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. This meeting is also available via live webinar and may be posted on www.RestoreTheGulf.gov. You can register for the webinar here (link is external).
The Comprehensive Plan Update is intended to improve Council decisions by:
- Reinforcing the Council's goals and objectives,
- Setting forth an initial Ten-Year Funding Strategy,
- Establishing the Council's vision for Gulf restoration,
- Increasing collaboration among Council members, partner restoration programs and the public,
- Providing for advancement of large-scale projects and programs;
- Refining the process for ensuring that the Council's decisions are informed by the best available science; and
- Improving the efficiency, effectiveness and transparency of Council actions.
The Council has updated its Initial Comprehensive Plan to include recent developments in Gulf restoration such as the resolution of civil claims against BP for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, a source of future funding for the Council's projects. The update also captures important public input and lessons learned from the process of developing and approving its initial Funded Priorities List (FPL), its first slate of restoration activities to be funded through the RESTORE Act, and positions the Council to make the most effective use of future funds as they become available beginning in 2017.
"The Council is pleased to present this Comprehensive Plan Update," said Justin R. Ehrenwerth, Executive Director of the Council. "We thank the public for comments provided on the draft update. The Council has incorporated modifications to the update based on public input. We look forward to continuing to work with stakeholders as we move forward with comprehensive restoration across the coast."
Materials for December 16 Council Meeting
[/sites/default/files/PubInp_20161207_Dec16MeetingAgenda_English.pdf]December 16 Meeting Agenda
[/sites/default/files/PubInp_20161207_Dec16MeetingAgenda_Vietnamese.pdf]Vietnamese Translation
For additional information, and to register for this meeting please click here. Onsite registration will also be available on the day of the meeting (December 16, 2016) from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. You can register for the webinar here (link is external).
Comprehensive Plan Update 2016
[/sites/default/files/CO-PL_20161208_CompPlanUpdate_English.pdf]Comprehensive Plan Update 2016 to be voted on at December 16 meeting
[/sites/default/files/CO-PL_20161207_CompPlanUpdate_Vietnamese.pdf]Vietnamese Translation
[/sites/default/files/CO-PL_20161205_CompPlanUpdateFactSheet_English.pdf]Comprehensive Plan Update 2016 Fact Sheet
[/sites/default/files/CO-PL_20161207_CompPlanUpdateFactSheet_Vietnamese.pdf]Vietnamese Translation
Public comments received: On Aug. 23, 2016, the Council released the Draft Comprehensive Plan Update for 45 days of public comment. The links below reflect the comments submitted to the Council by the public.
[/sites/default/files/CO-PL_20160822_COMP_PLAN_UPDATE_DRAFT_English.pdf]Draft Comprehensive Plan Update as published on Aug. 23, 2016
[/sites/default/files/CO-PL_20160822_COMP_PLAN_UPDATE_DRAFT_Vietnamese.pdf]Vietnamese Translation
[/sites/default/files/PubInp_20161028_PubliccommentsonCompPlanUpdate.pdf]Public Comments received on Draft Comprehensive Plan Update
[/sites/default/files/PubInp_20161206_CompPlanPublicCommentResponse.pdf]Response to Public Comments on the Draft Comprehensive Plan
