State
Lagoon Smell Brings MDEQ Scrutiny
North Mississippi Herald
WATER VALLEY – An ongoing problem at the City of Water Valley’s wastewater treatment plant is under investigation by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ).
MDEQ extends deadline for VT Halter’s emissions control
Sun Herald
PASCAGOULA
Gov. Phil Bryant — running for re-election in 2015 — chose to stump at a groundbreaking for two projects at VT Halter Marine that included a $7.5 million sandblasting and paint over-spray building to add 40 new jobs and keep dust out of nearby neighborhoods.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/local/counties/jackson-county/article135871528.html
Will an early spring have a negative impact on Coast’s dolphin population?
Sun Herald
Moby Solangi, executive director for the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, said he’s not overly concerned with the number of dolphin deaths in the Mississippi Sound this year.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/local/article135742768.html
Yazoo City residents complain about garbage not being picked up
WJTV
YAZOO CITY, Miss. (WJTV) — In Yazoo City, a drop in working garbage trucks is causing a trash pile-up.
http://wjtv.com/2017/03/01/yazoo-city-residents-complain-about-garbage-not-being-picked-up/
Let’s keep it clean!
Chickasaw Journal
HOUSTON – There are some trashy folks in Chickasaw County and they need to clean up their act.
http://djournal.com/chickasaw/2017/03/02/lets-keep-clean/
TW&L commits testing oversight; water still safe
Daily Journal
TUPELO – The city’s water utility failed to conduct certain mandatory testing last year, but duplicate sampling performed elsewhere shows that the water remained safe.
http://djournal.com/news/tw-water-still-safe/
Energy efficiency program equates to savings for local entities
Monroe Journal
ABERDEEN – In early February, officials from the Tennessee Valley Authority presented Food Giant Manager Dwayne Jackson with a whopping $72,300 rebate check for energy efficient improvements made during the store’s renovation last year.
http://djournal.com/monroe/2017/03/02/energy-efficiency-program-equates-savings-local-entities/
2017 Fishing Forecast for Central Mississippi Lakes
WLBT
JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) fisheries biologists are excited about the upcoming fishing season in Central Mississippi.
http://www.msnewsnow.com/story/34628507/2017-fishing-forecast-for-central-mississippi-lakes
USDA: drought disaster help in 79 of 82 Mississippi counties
AP
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says drought disaster aid is available in 79 of Mississippi's 82 counties — and in 22 counties in adjacent states.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/state/mississippi/article135830618.html
National
White House eyes plan to cut EPA staff by one-fifth, eliminating key programs
Washington Post
The White House has proposed deep cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget that would reduce the agency’s staff by one-fifth in the first year and eliminate dozens of programs, according to details of a plan reviewed by The Washington Post.
Source reveals EPA programs Trump's budget could cut
CNN
Washington (CNN)A wide slew of Environmental Protection Agency programs could be under the knife to meet President Donald Trump's budget proposal requirements, a source told CNN Wednesday night.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/02/politics/epa-programs-donald-trump-budget/index.html
Trump to sign order next week on Obama's coal moratorium, climate rules
The Hill
President Trump is reportedly planning to sign an executive order next week to repeal numerous Obama administration environmental policies.
Water Rule Repeal Makes EPA’s Pruitt a Farm Hero
Bloomberg
A ballroom full of farmers gave the new EPA administrator a hero’s welcome Feb. 28 as he announced his agency would begin the process of repealing an Obama-era water regulation.
https://www.bna.com/water-rule-repeal-n57982084591/
The Morning Risk Report: Executive Order Muddies Waters Over Environmental Rules
WSJ
An executive order signed Tuesday by President Donald Trump seeks to roll back rules enacted during the Obama administration that expanded the federal government’s jurisdictional scope under the Clean Waters Act.
Former EPA scientists to Trump: ‘Evidence does not change when the administration changes’
Washington Post
The Trump administration’s proposal to cut the Environmental Protection Agency is looking dramatic indeed. The plans call for laying off thousands of staff, eliminating entire programs and making deep cuts to the agency’s research office, the Office of Research and Development (ORD), according to recent reporting by The Washington Post.
Senate confirms Zinke to lead Interior
The Hill
The Senate voted Wednesday to confirm Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) to be President Trump’s secretary of Interior.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/321766-senate-confirms-zinke-to-lead-interior
House GOP to prioritize ethanol, pipeline legislation
The Hill
Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are planning to push legislation this year to change the federal ethanol mandate and make pipeline approvals easier.
Fewer People at Risk for Man-Made Earthquakes, USGS Says
Drop may be due to stepped-up efforts in some states to regulate the underground disposal of wastewater from oil and gas drilling
WSJ
Fewer people in the central and eastern U.S. are now at risk from man-made earthquakes compared to a year ago, according to new maps identifying potential hazards by the U.S. Geological Survey.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/fewer-people-at-risk-for-man-made-earthquakes-usgs-says-1488402521
Number of Americans at risk of man-made earthquakes falls
The Hill
The number of Americans who live in areas threatened by man-made earthquakes is half of what it was last year, researchers said Wednesday.
Bull trout lawsuit targeting Columbia Basin dams dismissed
AP
BOISE, IDAHO
A federal lawsuit filed by an environmental group seeking to force federal agencies to analyze whether about two dozen dams operating in Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Montana are harming bull trout has been dismissed.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/business/technology/article135743103.html
New regs for Thursday: Trump delays fiduciary, beryllium, coal rules
The Hill
Coal: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is delaying new financial requirements for coal miners.
Opinion
Instant Editorial: Why can’t the Coast have unified voice on BP?
Sun Herald
This is not how we wanted the BP economic damages settlement saga to play out this year in the Mississippi Legislature.
http://www.sunherald.com/opinion/editorials/article135716748.html
WLOX Editorial: We thought the State Legislature would do the right thing
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI (WLOX) -We thought the Mississippi State Legislature was going to do the right thing when it comes to spending the money coming to the state in the BP Oil disaster settlement. Now it's all up in the air and there is no bill and no guidance on where the money goes.
WES NEAL — Proper water chemistry improves fish health
MBJ
Winter and spring weather in Mississippi is a rollercoaster ride. Some nights are below freezing, while others feel like midsummer. With the warmer, sunnier weather, people begin to pay more attention to their ponds.
http://msbusiness.com/2017/03/wes-neal-proper-water-chemistry-improves-fish-health/
Press Releases
Ryan Zinke Sworn In as 52nd Secretary of the Interior
5th-generation Montanan pledges to uphold President Theodore Roosevelt’s legacy
WASHINGTON – Today, Ryan Zinke (pronounced Zink-EE) was confirmed and sworn in as the 52nd Secretary of the Interior. The Senate voted 68-31 to confirm Zinke the morning of March 1, 2017, and he was sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence at a ceremony in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building later that evening. Zinke is the first Montanan to serve as a cabinet secretary and also the first U.S. Navy SEAL in the cabinet.
“I am honored and humbled to serve Montana and America as Secretary of the Interior,” Zinke said. “I shall faithfully uphold Teddy Roosevelt’s belief that our treasured public lands are ‘for the benefit and enjoyment of the people’ and will work tirelessly to ensure our public lands are managed and preserved in a way that benefits all Americans for generations to come. This means responsible natural resource development, increased access for recreation and sportsmen, and conservation that makes the land more valuable for our children’s children. Importantly, our sovereign Indian Nations and territories must have the respect and freedom they deserve.”
In nominating Congressman Zinke, President Donald Trump said, “Ryan has built one of the strongest track records on championing regulatory relief, forest management, responsible energy development and public land issues in Congress. As a former Navy SEAL, he has incredible leadership skills and an attitude of doing whatever it takes to win. America is the most beautiful country in the world and he is going to help keep it that way with smart management of our federal lands. At the same time, my administration’s goal is to repeal bad regulations and use our natural resources to create jobs and wealth for the American people, and Ryan will explore every possibility for how we can safely and responsibly do that.”
“Our public lands can once again be economic engines for our nation by creating jobs in energy, recreation, and conservation,” continued Zinke. “By working with President Trump and Congress to reevaluate and fix flawed regulations that are barriers to job creation, we will unleash the economic opportunity within our borders. Creating jobs on public lands can and will be done in an environmentally responsible way during my tenure.”
About Ryan Zinke
As a fifth-generation Montanan who grew up in a logging and rail town near Glacier National Park, Zinke has had a lifelong appreciation for conserving America’s natural beauty while upholding Teddy Roosevelt’s vision of multiple-use on our public lands. He has consistently led the efforts to renew the Land and Water Conservation Fund in Congress, and has also been a firm advocate for our nation’s sportsmen and women to gain access to our public lands. Zinke also co-authored the 2015 Resilient Federal Forest Act, which initiated new reforms for revitalizing America’s timber areas and preventing wildfires by emphasizing local collaboration on responsible timber harvest projects.
As Secretary of the Interior, Zinke leads an agency with more than 70,000 employees who serve as steward for 20 percent of the nation’s lands, including national parks, monuments and wildlife refuges, as well as other public lands. The department oversees the responsible development of conventional and renewable energy supplies on public lands and waters; is the largest supplier and manager of water in the 17 Western states; and upholds trust responsibilities to the 567 federally recognized American Indian tribes and Alaska Natives.
Ryan Zinke represented the state of Montana in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2014, building an impressive portfolio on Interior issues ranging from federal mineral leases to tribal affairs to public lands conservation. Zinke is widely praised for his voting record that supports the Teddy Roosevelt philosophy of managing public lands, which calls for multiple-use to include economic, recreation and conservation aspects.
Before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, Zinke served in the Montana State Senate from 2009 to 2011, but the bulk of Zinke’s public service was his 23 years as a U.S. Navy SEAL officer.
Zinke enlisted in the Navy in 1985 and was soon selected to join the elite force where he would build an honorable career until his retirement in 2008. He retired with the rank of Commander after leading SEAL operations around the globe, including as the Deputy and Acting Commander of Joint Special Forces in Iraq and two tours at SEAL Team Six. Zinke was the first Navy SEAL elected to the U.S. House and is the first SEAL to serve as a cabinet secretary
Zinke holds a Geology degree from the University of Oregon, where he was an All-PAC 10 football player; a Master’s degree in Business Finance from National University; and a Master’s degree in Global Leadership from the University of San Diego. Ryan and his wife Lolita (Lola) have three children and two granddaughters. Zinke is proud to be an adopted member of the Assiniboine Sioux Tribe at the Fort Peck Reservation in Northeast Montana.
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