State
Meeting set for George County twin lake project
Sun Herald
PASAGOULA
Does the Coast need recreational lakes in Jackson and George counties? What would damming tributaries to create them do to the Pascagoula River, the largest free-flowing river in the lower 48 states?
http://www.sunherald.com/news/local/counties/jackson-county/article124594334.html
Regional
Coast Guard: Fire burns on oil platform in Gulf of Mexico
AP
The Coast Guard and crew members of surrounding vessels were responding to a pre-dawn fire on an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana, authorities said Thursday morning.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/nation-world/article124664014.html
Howorth says TVA board’s political diversity an asset
Oxford Eagle
Within the next five months, President-elect Donald Trump could appoint a majority of the board for the Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation’s largest government-owned utility.
http://www.oxfordeagle.com/2017/01/04/howorth-says-tva-boards-political-diversity-an-asset/
National
House GOP to prioritize coal, methane rules for repeal
The Hill
House Republicans plan to make Obama administration rules on coal mining and methane emissions among the first regulations they work to repeal.
Court delays appeal over Obama’s fracking rule
The Hill
A federal court on Wednesday delayed oral arguments in the Obama administration’s appeal to reinstate its hydraulic fracturing regulation for federal lands for two months.
Quirk may shield US coast during busy hurricane seasons
AP
WASHINGTON
A climatic quirk seems to be slightly shielding the U.S. coast during busy hurricane seasons, often weakening major storms just as they approach America's beaches, a new study finds.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/nation-world/article124508499.html
Opinion
Sid Salter: Budget woes add to fight over BP money
Clarion Ledger
STARKVILLE – The legislative battle over the ultimate distribution of some $750 million in economic damages from the BP oil spill settlement was always going to be heated and contentious.
Press Releases
Jan 04 2017
Wicker Meets With Nominee to Lead EPA
Miss. Senator, Scott Pruitt Discuss Environmental Issues, Unwarranted Regulations
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., a member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, today met with Scott Pruitt regarding his nomination to be the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under President-elect Trump.
“Mr. Pruitt is more than qualified to lead EPA,” Wicker said. “The agency was created to protect our environment. However, under the Obama Administration, it has overreached and sought unjustified measures for political gain rather than achieving environmental protection. Mr. Pruitt’s goal to reinstate EPA’s core mission will help stimulate our economy, bring back jobs, and safeguard our natural heritage. I applaud President-elect Trump’s nomination and look forward to working with Mr. Pruitt as he restores balance to the agency.”
As the current Oklahoma Attorney General, Pruitt has extensive knowledge of the federal regulatory system and the rule of law. He was a leader in the fight to dismantle President Obama’s burdensome Waters of the U.S. Rule.
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has legislative jurisdiction over EPA including nominations subject to Senate confirmation.
http://www.wicker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2017/1/wicker-meets-with-nominee-to-lead-epa
Help Protect Your Family from Lung Cancer: Test and Know Your Home’s Radon Level
WASHINGTON – January is National Radon Action Month, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) joins with state, tribal and local public health agencies to encourage all Americans to test their homes for radon. Exposure to radon in indoor air is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Test your home and make 2017 a safer and healthier year.
“January is the time when we remind everyone to ‘test, fix and save a life.’ That’s because lung cancer due to radon can be prevented by testing, and if needed, fixing your home. It’s a simple and important way to help safeguard your family’s health,” said Jon Edwards, Director of EPA’s Office of Radiation and Indoor Air. “Testing is inexpensive and test kits are readily available and easy to use. Reducing your family’s exposure to radon provides peace of mind, knowing that you’re doing the right thing to help avoid the toll taken by radon-induced lung cancer.”
Every year an estimated 21,000 Americans die from lung cancer due to radon exposure. There’s only one way to know whether your home has an elevated radon level: testing for it. If the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air or more, the U.S. Surgeon General and EPA recommend taking action to fix your home. With a test result of 4 pCi/L or more, you should contact a qualified radon mitigation contractor.
Easy to use do-it-yourself radon test kits are affordable and available online and at many home improvement and hardware stores. You can also hire a qualified radon professional. Testing may show your home to have a high radon level. If so, a professionally installed radon reduction system, using a vent pipe and exhaust fan, will help prevent the radon from entering your home and will discharge it outside. When compared with risk of lung cancer, these systems are very affordable, generally in the price range of many common home improvements.
Reducing your exposure to radon is a long-term investment in your health and your home. A mitigation system in good working order is a positive selling point when placing your home on the market; in many areas radon testing is a routine part of a home sale. Are you buying a new home? Ask the seller if the home has been tested recently. If the results are high, the costs to fix it can be factored into the sale. Thinking of building a new home? Work with your builder to include radon-resistant construction techniques.
Strategies to reduce radon exposure, like those above, are included in the National Radon Action Plan. The Plan was launched in November 2015 by EPA, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Health and Human Services, and nine national non-governmental organizations. This national partnership coordinates radon reduction efforts and resources. The Plan’s goal is to prevent 3,200 lung cancer deaths annually by 2020.
To learn more about testing or obtaining a radon test kit, contact your state radon office at 1-800-SOS-RADON. Visit https://www.epa.gov/radon to find a qualified radon professional, or learn more about the National Radon Action Plan partnership.
