State
Delta aquifer declining at alarming rate
Delta Farm Press
Dr. Jason Krutz, irrigation specialist for the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, Miss., knows all too well the U.S. Geological Survey-created model that is being used to estimate the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer level continues to indicate a downward and unsustainable trend — losing over 300,000 acre feet annually.
http://www.deltafarmpress.com/land-management/delta-aquifer-declining-alarming-rate
Cameras being installed to catch illegal dumpers
WTVA
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WTVA) -- Lowndes County leaders are working to catch illegal dumpers.
http://www.wtva.com/story/34393449/cameras-being-installed-to-catch-illegal-dumpers
MS Power pushes back in-service date for Kemper Co. plant, adds $51M to price tag
WLOX
KEMPER COUNTY, MS (WLOX) -Mississippi Power has again pushed back the in-service date for its more than $7 billion Kemper County lignite plant.
Report red snapper landings in Mississippi
Clarion Ledger
Louisiana's red snapper season in state waters is scheduled to open February 1 and the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources has a reminder for Mississippi anglers. If anglers land red snapper in Mississippi, they must be reported to MDMR.
February is predator, habitat management month
Clarion Ledger
If predators are negatively impacting game populations on your land, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks may be able to help.
Roundup of dead and alive bills in Legislature
Clarion Ledger
House Judiciary A Chairman Mark Baker stripped an unrelated bill Tuesday and added language for a state lottery.
What’s alive, what’s dead: What bills made it out of committee this year
Sun Herald
Thousands of bills — dealing with everything from beer to equal pay to venomous snakes and Child Protective Services — were filed in the Mississippi legislature this term.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article129996934.html
Oil Spill
Senate Appropriations Committee passes bill that would send BP money to the coast
WLOX
JACKSON, MS (WLOX) -A senate bill that would send BP recovery money to the coast has cleared its first hurdle. Senate Bill 2634 passed the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves said.
Bill to keep BP money on Coast clears Senate committee
Sun Herald
The state Senate Appropriations Committee passed a bill Tuesday that would create a special fund to keep BP economic damages money separate from general tax dollars, the first step in keeping the money on the Coast, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves said.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article129851424.html
Regional
Man with sullied water well testifies in coal ash trial
AP
NASHVILLE, TENN.
A Tennessee man has testified he won't drink well water at his house near a coal-fired power plant because officials found a harmful chemical in it in 2015.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/business/article129969069.html
National
White House Looks to Ease Concerns of Rattled EPA Employees
WSJ
A top White House adviser is seeking to calm concerns across the Environmental Protection Agency about what policies its leaders may pursue under President Donald Trump, according to a staff memo sent Monday and viewed by The Wall Street Journal.
Dems mulling protest of Trump's EPA nominee
The Hill
Democrats are mulling a boycott of Wednesday’s nomination hearing for President Trump’s pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/317166-dems-mulling-protest-of-trump-epa-nominee
Neil Gorsuch’s mother once ran the EPA. It didn’t go well.
Washington Post
Neil Gorsuch is the first member of his family chosen for a seat on the Supreme Court, but he isn’t the only Gorsuch nominated by a U.S. president to a key government post.
The surprising link between air pollution and Alzheimer’s disease
LA Times
With environmental regulations expected to come under heavy fire from the Trump administration, new research offers powerful evidence of a link between air pollution and dementia risk.
http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-air-pollution-alzheimers-20170131-story.html
Energy Projects Stranded in Regulatory Limbo After Vacancy on U.S. Panel
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission faces indefinite freeze of most major business without quorum of commissioners
WSJ
The fates of several gas pipelines and at least two big electric utility mergers have been thrown into question in the wake of a high level resignation at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Flint-Area Residents Seek $700M From EPA Over Water Crisis
AP
More than 1,700 Flint-area residents and property owners are seeking more than $700 million in damages from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its handling of the city's crisis with lead-tainted water.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/flint-area-residents-seek-700m-epa-water-crisis-45164983
Magic bullets: US Army pursues 'biodegradable' ammunition
CNN
The traditional function of bullets is killing, but a new design could have the opposite effect.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/01/world/biodegradable-bullets-us-army/index.html
Army Corps Given Go-Ahead for Final Permit on Dakota Pipeline, Senator Says
Tribe vows to continue battle in court over $3.8 billion oil pipeline halted by Obama administration
WSJ
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been given the green light to proceed with the final permit necessary to finish the Dakota Access Pipeline, according to North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven.
Report finds chemicals in one-third of fast food packaging
CNN
Most of the time, when you order fast food, you know exactly what you're getting: an inexpensive meal that tastes great but is probably loaded with fat, cholesterol and sodium.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/01/health/fast-food-packaging-chemicals-pfas-study/index.html
Press Releases
Louisiana opens recreational Red Snapper season;
MDMR sets rules for landing fish in Mississippi
BILOXI, Miss. – The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced it will open recreational Red Snapper fishing season beginning at 6 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017; however, Mississippi’s Red Snapper season currently is not open.
For Mississippi residents who catch Red Snapper in Louisiana and land their catch in Mississippi, fishermen must have the following:
- Louisiana non-residential recreational fishing license
- Louisiana recreational offshore landings permit
- Tails’NScales trip authorization number
"We want our Mississippi recreational fishermen to take advantage of Louisiana's Red Snapper season," said Joe Jewell, director of MDMR's Office of Marine Fisheries. "However, if those fish are landed in Mississippi, fishermen need to comply with the state's rules and regulations, including the mandatory reporting through our Tails'NScales program."
For more information about the Tails’NScales electronic reporting system or to register for a trip authorization number, visit dmr.ms.gov.
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.
—END—
Commercial Speckled Trout season
opens Wednesday, Feb. 1
BILOXI, Miss. – The commercial season for Speckled Trout (Cynoscion nebulosus) will open at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017, in Mississippi territorial waters, MDMR officials announced Tuesday.
The total allowable catch for the year is 50,000 pounds for commercial fishermen. The season will be divided into two periods: Feb. 1 through May 31 and June 1 through Oct. 31. The TAC will be 25,000 pounds in each time period.
If the commercial catch is not met or is exceeded between Feb. 1 and May 31, the pounds shall be added or subtracted to the second time period.
Speckled Trout season is closed to commercial fishermen in November, December and January of each year.
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.
—END—
