State
Jackson leaders upset that West Rankin Utility Authority wants to build wastewater treatment
WJTV
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) — The West Rankin Utility Authority wants to build a new wastewater treatment plant in Rankin County. However, City of Jackson argues that it will hurt its customers.
TORNADO CAUSES MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF TIMBER DAMAGES
WCBI
HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WCBI)- More than $1 million worth of timber was destroyed by last week's tornado in Lamar, Forrest, and Perry counties.
http://www.wcbi.com/video-tornado-causes-million-dollars-worth-timber-damages/
Water screening, workshop to help private well owners
WTVA
COLUMBUS, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi State University Extension Service is offering two programs next month for north Mississippi homeowners with private wells.
http://www.wtva.com/story/34370690/water-screening-workshop-to-help-private-well-owners
Students are doing something about debris on Ship Island
Sun Herald
In November, 120 Coast high school and college students participated in a program that hauled piles of trash and even car parts off Ship Island, and a federal grant will ensure more students follow.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/local/article129234574.html
KEEPING COLUMBUS CLEAN
WCBI
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- Columbus got a head start on "spring cleaning" and took to the rakes and shovels Saturday morning.
http://www.wcbi.com/video-keeping-columbus-clean/
New Mississippi Power solar facility progressing
Hattiesburg American
SUMRALL -In October, officials from Mississippi Power and D.E. Shaw Investments partnered to begin construction on a new solar facility: a 52-megawatt, 590-acre site on Mississippi 42 in Sumrall.
Conservation assistance for landowners, tribes available
Clarion Ledger
Financial and technical assistance to landowners and Native American tribes who want to employ conservation efforts on agricultural lands and wetlands can apply for financial and technical assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Tagging removed from wildlife bill
Clarion Ledger
A substitute for a bill calling for reporting and tagging of deer and turkey harvests has passed the House of Representatives Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks committee. But there's a catch: there is no tagging.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/2017/01/27/tagging-removed-wildlife-bill/97129892/
Bills would repeal all agency rules every 5 years
Clarion Ledger
The Mississippi Legislature could be ramping up its deregulation efforts as illustrated by bills to repeal all state agency rules every five years. That, or, as some political observers speculate, such bills, both in the House and Senate, might be designed to bolster the power of the next governor, a position for which Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves is expected to vie.
Bill could build up power of Mississippi governor
AP
JACKSON – Mississippi Republican Gov. Phil Bryant could get a chance to assert direct control over three large state agencies, enhancing his power in a state where the governor has traditionally been weak in comparative power to the Legislature.
http://djournal.com/news/bill-build-power-mississippi-governor/
Bill calls for appointed MDOT head
Commercial Dispatch
One Golden Triangle representative is hoping to do away with the Mississippi Department of Transportations' elected commissioners.
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=55875
Regional
Claims coal-fired plant polluted river: utility faces trial
AP
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Environmental groups are taking the Tennessee Valley Authority to trial over whether waste ash from its aging coal-fired power plant near Nashville polluted the Cumberland River in violation of the Clean Water Act.http://www.wtok.com/content/news/Claims-coal-fired-plant-polluted-river-utility-faces-trial-412097453.html
Disappointment, frustration after International Paper meeting
Pensacola News Journal
Residents who were hoping to find how the Jan. 22 explosion at International Paper's Cantonment mill will impact their health and the community's livelihood left Saturday's open house disappointed and frustrated.http://www.pnj.com/story/news/local/cantonment/2017/01/28/disappointment-frustration-after-international-paper-meeting/97154350/
National
Senate panel to vote on confirming Trump EPA pick
The Hill
A Senate committee is planning to vote next week on President Trump's choice to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
GOP lines up resolutions to undo coal, methane rules
The Hill
House Republicans are preparing to vote next week on two resolutions undoing pollution rules issued in the closing months of the Obama administration.
Environmentalists preparing to battle Trump, GOP in court
AP
CHICAGO — The night before Donald Trump's inauguration, five environmental lawyers filed a federal court brief defending an Obama administration clean-water rule that the new president and his Republican allies have targeted for elimination, considering it burdensome to landowners.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/environmentalists-battle-trump/
In America's Heartland, Discussing Climate Change Without Saying 'Climate Change'
NY Times
GLEN ELDER, Kan. — Doug Palen, a fourth-generation grain farmer on Kansas' wind-swept plains, is in the business of understanding the climate. Since 2012, he has choked through the harshest drought to hit the Great Plains in a century, punctuated by freakish snowstorms and suffocating gales of dust. His planting season starts earlier in the spring and pushes deeper into winter.
U.S. auto dealers look to Trump to ease vehicle emissions rules
Reuters
U.S. auto dealers gathered for their annual convention in New Orleans said they want President Donald Trump to ease federal regulation of vehicle emissions and consumer lending, reversing action taken by his predecessor.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-epa-autos-dealers-idUSKBN15D11R
Despite new law, EPA fails to tell millions of Montana asbestos danger
Missoulian
It's a lifesaving law, but many say it's still a pipe dream.
Public health officials say the long-awaited addition of asbestos to the government's recently released list of most dangerous chemicals will save lives, especially people across the country who are living with lethal fibers dug from a Montana mine.
Can a federal ban on most ammunition and sinkers protect wildlife from lead poisoning?
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
It has become routine in presidential politics for outgoing administrations to stick it to the other party on the way out. Executive actions issued in a president's final days in office can immediately become law with no interagency vetting, public or private sector debate, congressional input, and in most cases, without consequence.
Fresno judge rejects Monsanto's bid to block state from listing chemical as cancer causing
Fresno Bee
A Fresno County Superior Court judge has ruled against chemical giant Monsanto in its fight to prevent California regulators from listing the key ingredient in its popular weed killer Roundup as a carcinogen.
http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/agriculture/article129228309.html
Opinion
Carbon tax chances slim under Trump, though even Tillerson supports the idea
With the Trump Administration poised to reverse U.S. policies on climate change, the head of a major oil and natural gas company is calling again for governments around the world to put a price on carbon emissions once and for all.
Press Releases
Forestland Economic Impact Assessment for EF-3 Tornado
The Mississippi Forestry Commission (MFC) conducted an aerial detection flight of the area affected by the EF-3 tornado that traveled through Lamar, Forrest, and Perry counties on January 21, 2017. The purpose was to assess damage to forested acreage and estimate the potential economic impact.
Summary of the data collected by the MFC on January 24, 2017:
• Approximately 1,571 forested acres damaged
◦ 1,453 acres - privately owned
◦ 118 acres - public lands managed by the MFC
• 4,320 total acres damaged
The estimated economic impact on privately owned forestland is listed below (by county).
Table 1: Estimated economic impact - private forestland
| County | Pine Acres | Hardwood Acres | Mixed Acres | Total Acres | Total Economic Impact |
| Lamar | 484 | 144 | 149 | 777 | $ 305,392 |
| Forrest | 143 | 130 | 127 | 400 | $ 49,504 |
| Perry | 161 | 42 | 73 | 276 | $ 55,888 |
| Total | 788 | 316 | 349 | 1,453 | $ 410,784 |
*Public forestland and urban forestland within city limits were not used in Table 1 calculations.
The economic impact estimate takes into account young sub-merchantable stands, as well as mature timber. The value estimate may be low for individual timber stands or landowners, as some experienced the loss of high-value trees. The amounts used to calculate the value estimate were $5/ ton for pulpwood and $25/ ton for sawtimber.
The economic impact of the EF-3 tornado on privately owned forestland in the affected area was estimated to be $410,784.
The total economic impact of the EF-3 tornado on all forested acreage in the affected area (including public forestland and urban forestland within city limits) was estimated to be $1,089,750.
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Prevent Mold From Ruining Your Home and Your Health
JACKSON – Floodwaters have receded from the severe storms that the Pine Belt area beginning January 21, but they are leaving behind the perfect damp environment for mold and mildew to thrive, advises state health officials.
According to the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), mold can be identified by its musty, earthy odor and its fuzzy growth or discoloration on hard surfaces, furniture and carpeting. But it is not always visible – it can spread through cooling/heating ducts as well as wall insulation. It can cause coughing, sneezing, wheezing and asthma that should be treated by a doctor.
Mold should be cleaned up as soon as possible or it may create health hazards, especially among the elderly, the very young and those with compromised immune systems, allergies or asthma.
MSDH recommends a two-step cleaning process. First, clean all hard surfaces, such as metal, glass, solid wood, plastic and other nonporous materials with a non-ammonia detergent and hot water. Then, disinfect all cleaned surfaces with a 10-percent household bleach solution (one-and-a-half cup of bleach in one gallon of water).
Then dry or air dry by opening windows and doors, and turning on ceiling fans for more ventilation.
Do not mix bleach with ammonia or other cleaners. Wear protective gear including rubber boots and gloves, goggles and an N-95 mask while cleaning.
According to the health department, the general rule for porous materials is if you cannot wash it, throw it away. Throw out all moldy items that cannot be thoroughly cleaned, such as carpets, mattresses, upholstered furniture, stuffed animals, pillows, wall coverings and all paper products. Remove drywall or insulation that has been dampened by floodwater. Allow the wall studs to dry before installing new insulation and drywall.
For areas of mold clean-up larger than 30 square feet, please consult a professional mold remover.
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