State
Workers Warned Of Air Quality Problems At Borg
North Mississippi Herald
WATER VALLEY – A year has passed since the decades old contamination in Water Valley from the former Colt Industries/Holley Carburetor facility in Water Valley attracted renewed scrutiny from the Mississippi Department of Environ-mental Quality and now a new wrinkle has surfaced.
http://yalnews.com/v2/content.aspx?module=contentitem&ID=421021&MemberID=1175&Title=workers-warned-of-air-quality-problems-at-borg&Postback=1
Jackson's wastewater wait and see
Anna Wolfe
Clarion Ledger
On Tuesday, Jackson City Councilman Melvin Priester took to Facebook, posting a helpful guide to Jackson's water and wastewater issues — a conversation in which open communication is often stifled by legal issues.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/politicalledger/2017/02/22/jacksons-wastewater-wait-and-see/98261118/
Interim Wildlife director tenders resignation
Clarion Ledger
After less than two months on the job as Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks Wildlife Bureau director, Ed Penny has resigned.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/outdoors/2017/02/23/interim-wildlife-director-resignation/98198868/
Floodplain open house debuts preliminary federal flood zones
Monroe Journal
AMORY – An open house honed in on countywide, citywide and individualized views of properties in and out of federally deemed flood zones Feb. 16 at the Monroe County Government Complex. It was the first step in a series of measures that could potentially mean flood insurance being required or recommended for some Monroe County property owners if local governments adopt them.
http://djournal.com/monroe/2017/02/22/floodplain-open-house-debuts-preliminary-federal-flood-zones/
Cleanup, debris removal ongoing in Petal after tornado
Hattiesburg American
PETAL - Cleanup and debris removal in Petal following the Jan. 21 tornado is progressing, Mayor Hal Marx said Tuesday night at the regular Board of Aldermen meeting.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story/news/local/petal/2017/02/22/cleanup-debris-removal-ongoing-petal-after-tornado/98241354/
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day set for April 29
Daily Times Leader
WEST POINT, MS
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day for Clay, Oktibbeha and Lowndes counties will be from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on April 29 at the GTR Landfill in Starkville.
http://www.dailytimesleader.com/content/household-hazardous-waste-collection-day-set-april-29
Kemper plant now expected in mid-March
Sun Herald
Mississippi Power now expects the Kemper energy plant to be operational using lignite coal by mid-March and then will focus on going to the state Public Service Commission to approve a rate hike.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/business/article134214664.html
Natural gas could cost less than coal for Kemper plant
AP
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi Power Co. says the power plant it's building in Kemper County will be cheaper to run on natural gas than on its planned fuel of lignite coal unless gas prices are high.
https://www.apnews.com/amp/a93b3de125bc4162befb7ef395d07f7c
Southern Co.’s New ‘Clean Coal’ Plant May Not Be Cost-Efficient
Company reports sharp drop in profit
WSJ
Southern Co. said it has nearly completed a first-of-its-kind “clean coal” power plant, though a new analysis suggests it might not make sense to burn coal in it.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/southern-co-profit-falls-1487768832
Girls encouraged to consider engineering at MS Power event
WLOX
GULFPORT, MS (WLOX) -Sparking new interest in engineering with a twist is the goal of an effort led by Mississippi Power Wednesday in Gulfport.
http://www.wlox.com/story/34576514/girls-encouraged-to-consider-engineering-career-at-ms-power-event
Regional
Nashville judge ruling on hold in trial alleging Cumberland River pollution by TVA
WZTV
NASHVILLE, Tenn.--A Nashville judge is not expected to rule for at least another month in the state's first Clean Water Act lawsuit over coal ash storage to reach trial.
http://fox17.com/news/local/nashville-judge-ruling-on-hold-in-trial-alleging-cumberland-river-pollution-by-tva
National
Thousands of emails detail EPA head’s close ties to fossil fuel industry
Washington Post
In his previous role as Oklahoma’s attorney general, the Environmental Protection Agency’s new administrator regularly huddled with fossil fuel firms and electric utilities about how to combat federal environmental regulations and spoke to conservative political groups about what they called government “overreach,” according to thousands of pages of emails made public Wednesday.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/02/22/oklahoma-attorney-generals-office-releases-7500-pages-of-emails-between-scott-pruitt-and-fossil-fuel-industry/?utm_term=.e82f5293a977
New EPA chief’s emails reveal coordination with oil interests
The Hill
Emails from new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt’s tenure as Oklahoma attorney general reveal several instances of coordination between his office and oil interests in his state.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/320590-epa-chiefs-emails-reveal-coordination-with-oil-interests
America’s Aging Dams Are in Need of Repair
NY Times
After two weeks that saw evacuations near Oroville, Calif., and flooding in Elko County, Nev., America’s dams are showing their age.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/02/23/us/americas-aging-dams-are-in-need-of-repair.html?_r=0
New law would reduce reporting requirements for conservation programs
Delta Farm Press
Two congressmen from opposite sides of the aisle and very different regions of the country have filed a bill aimed at making it easier for farmers to apply for conservation programs administered by USDA.
For more information, visit http://bit.ly/2m3vSmZ.
http://www.deltafarmpress.com/conservation/new-law-would-reduce-reporting-requirements-conservation-programs
Press Releases
Forest Management to Occur on the Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge
As part of habitat management for the red-cockaded woodpecker on the Sam D.
Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge in Brooksville, Mississippi, the refuge has completed the 2016 Forest Management Prescription. The prescription will address the silvicultural actions to occur and locations
of the treatments. The prescriptions can be viewed at the refuge office or
contact the refuge’s Forester, Eddie Harsh, at (662)323-5548 for information related to this and other forest management actions.
For more information about the refuge please visit our website ( www.fws.gov/noxubee), our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/NoxubeeNWR), or call us at (662) 323-5548.
XXXX
