State
House removes active commission from bill abolishing ‘dead’ ones
Mississippi Today
The House voted to remove an active commission from a bill that would abolish 16 boards and commissions that leaders say have not met in two years.
The Wastewater Advisory Council, a 21-person board that reports to the Department of Health, was initially included in the list of boards and commissions which had supposedly not met in more than two years and do not rely on any state funds.
40K Jackson area homes could have little, no water
Clarion Ledger
Jackson is urging its customers to stock up on water this weekend.
Mississippi Emergency Management Agency estimates 40,000 Jackson and Byram homes could lose pressure or water altogether as the city repairs a series of water line breaks on or near Forrest Avenue.
Fix proposed for discolored water in Hattiesburg
Hattiesburg American
After several months of research, Hattiesburg officials have proposed a solution for the city's discolored water problem — but it won't come easy, and it won't come cheap.
Supervisors moving toward stiffer litter ordinance
Picayune Item
As part of an ongoing campaign against litter, the Pearl River County Board of Supervisors adopted a new county ordinance on Monday regulating the collection and transportation of waste.
http://www.picayuneitem.com/2017/03/supervisors-moving-toward-stiffer-litter-ordinance/
Fishing forecast bright for Mississippi Delta
NewsMS
Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) fisheries biologists are expecting a great 2017 fishing season in the Mississippi Delta.
http://newsms.fm/fishing-forecast-bright-for-mississippi-delta/
NOAA cuts proposed by Trump could cut jobs in South Mississippi
Sun Herald
The agency whose satellite photographs alert Coast residents of approaching hurricanes could see deep budget cuts, putting jobs and programs in South Mississippi in jeopardy.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/politics-government/article136761113.html
1st female commissioner of state's prison system named
Clarion Ledger
Pelicia Hall has become the first female commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
Regional
River mayors urge Congress, Trump administration for funds to expand navigable waterways
Vicksburg Post
Mayor George Flaggs Jr. was part of delegation of mayors from the Mississippi River Cities & Towns initiative who met with members of Congress and administration officials to discuss issues affecting them and the Mississippi.
73M acres proposed for 1st Gulf-wide oil lease sale
AP
NEW ORLEANS
The first oil lease sale covering the entire Gulf of Mexico since 1983 would offer 73 million acres under a proposal from U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke (ZINK-ee).
http://www.sunherald.com/news/business/article136863243.html
Exxon’s $20 Billion Spending Plan Points to U.S. Energy Surge
Exxon CEO Darren Woods outlined an 11-project spending plan, largely aimed at creating new outlets for U.S. natural gas
WSJ
HOUSTON— Exxon Mobil Corp. plans to spend about $20 billion on refineries, petrochemical plants and other projects in and around the Gulf of Mexico, Chief Executive Darren Woods said Monday, underscoring how the giants of the global energy industry are turning to America.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/exxons-20-billion-spending-plan-points-to-u-s-energy-surge-1488834918
National
Environmental Advocacy Group Monitors Trump's EPA For Changes
NPR
Environmental groups are concerned about possible cutbacks to the EPA. Steve Inskeep talks to David Goldston, director of governmental affairs for the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Senate to consider resolution rolling back Obama-era land rule
The Hill
The Senate is set to roll back another Obama-era environment rule this week.
Senators on Monday will begin the process of repealing a Bureau of Land Management rule to reorganize the government’s land planning and management guidelines.
The Cheap Resource That Worries Oil Shale Drillers
The rising cost of fracking sand shows how drillers of oil and gas are facing rising costs and capacity constraints
WSJ
Most Silicon Valley companies would kill for the sorts of gains made by sellers of plain old silicon.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-cheap-resource-that-worries-oil-shale-drillers-1488817549
Press Releases
EPA to Host Public Meeting about the Mississippi Phosphates Corporation Site in Pascagoula, Miss.
Contact Information: Davina Marraccini, 404-562-8293 (direct), 404-562-8400 (main), marraccini.davina@epa.gov
ATLANTA – On Mar. 9, 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 will host a public meeting to update residents about the agency’s activities at the Mississippi Phosphates Corporation (MPC) Site in Pascagoula, Miss.. EPA representatives and contractors who are overseeing activities at the MPC Site will be available to answer questions.
What:
Mississippi Phosphates Corporation Site Public Meeting
When:
Thursday, March 9, 2017
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Where:
Pascagoula Senior Center
1912 Live Oak Avenue
Pascagoula, MS 39568
On Feb. 11, 2017, EPA assumed temporary control of wastewater treatment operations at the former MPC fertilizer facility once the MPC Environmental Trust, which owns the property, ran out of funds. Currently, wastewater treatment is occurring at a rate of approximately 2,000,000 gallons per day. These actions are being taken in coordination with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ).
MPC is a former diammonium phosphate fertilizer plant that began operation in the 1950s. The facility ceased operations in December 2014 under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, leaving more than 700,000,000 gallons of low-pH, contaminated wastewater stored at the facility.
Since October 2015, the MPC Environmental Trust, under the direction of MDEQ, has owned and operated the phosphogypsum stack system (gypstack) and wastewater treatment systems at the former MPC facility. The MPC Environmental Trust was established in 2015 as part of the MPC bankruptcy proceedings.
The MPC Environmental Trust’s primary activities have been focused on the management, treatment, and discharge of impacted water at the Site which is generated solely through rainfall. Approximately $1,000,000 per month is required to maintain the facility due to the high volume of wastewater generated there that requires treatment (primarily precipitation and leachate). In January of 2017, the State of Mississippi added $500,000 from the State’s Pollution Emergency Fund to the MPC Environmental Trust, initially valued at approximately $12,000,000. These additional funds have since been exhausted, and the MPC Environmental Trust became insolvent on February 10, 2017.
Prior to bankruptcy, MPC manufactured diammonium phosphate fertilizer (DAP) from phosphate rock which it received from ocean bound vessels, and from sulphur, which was piped to its facility from a neighboring oil refinery. In its production of DAP fertilizer, MPC generated a variety of solid and hazardous wastes, substances and pollutants and was regulated under a number of federal and state environmental statutes. In the fertilizer manufacturing process, strong acids and ammonia were produced and handled, which if improperly discharged, can be highly toxic to fish and to other forms of marine life. DAP production also yields large quantities of phosphogypsum that was disposed in a large on-site surface impoundment referred to as a gypstack. The phosphogypsum in the gypstack contains heavy metals and its leachate is acidic (low pH).
Since manufacturing ceased at MPC, EPA Region 4, the U.S. Department of Justice and MDEQ have worked with multiple parties to negotiate a sale of the property with the objective of allowing for beneficial reuse of the facility. The measures taken by EPA will maintain environmental stability at MPC while negotiations continue.
Governor Phil Bryant Appoints Pelicia Hall Commissioner of Mississippi Department of Corrections
Jackson, Miss. – Gov. Phil Bryant announced today that he has appointed Pelicia Hall commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Hall replaces Marshall Fisher, who was recently appointed commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. Hall has served as interim MDOC commissioner since late January.
Previously, Hall served as Fisher’s chief of staff. In her role as commissioner, Hall will oversee more than 2,200 employees, three state prisons, three private prisons, 15 regional facilities, 10 community work centers, three technical violation centers and four restitution centers.
“Pelicia’s previous experience within the Department of Corrections has made it clear that she is the perfect choice to lead the agency,” Gov. Bryant said. “I know she will continue her outstanding service to the people of Mississippi, and I am delighted she has agreed to accept this appointment.”
Hall is former lead counsel for the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. She has 15 years of legal experience in the government and private sectors in a wide variety of disciplines. She has litigated cases in federal and state courts and served as both a special assistant United States attorney and as a special assistant attorney general with the Office of the Mississippi Attorney General. The MDOC was one of the agencies she represented during her nearly three years as a state attorney.
Hall assumed the state position after six years with the private Jackson law firm of Page, Kruger & Holland, where she litigated cases involving personal injury claims, employment discrimination, contract disputes, products liability, premises liability, insurance coverage and general tort litigation.
She learned about both civil and criminal matters as a law clerk for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi and Hinds County Circuit Court. Hall clerked two years for Circuit Judge Tomie Green.
A graduate of Mississippi College School of Law, Hall was the recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award in Real Estate Finance & Development. She earned her bachelor of arts degree from Alcorn State University, where she graduated cum laude in political science.
Hall is admitted to practice in Mississippi and before the United States Court of Appeals and the United States District Court. She is a member of the Mississippi Bar Association, National Bar Association, Magnolia Bar Association, Capital Area Bar Association, Mississippi Women Lawyers Association and the American Bar Association.
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Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory
Note: Data include facilities with a nameplate capacity of one megawatt and above.
Installed wind electric generating capacity in the United States surpassed conventional hydroelectric generating capacity, long the nation’s largest source of renewable electricity, after 8,727 megawatts (MW) of new wind capacity came online in 2016. However, given the hydro fleet’s higher average capacity factors and the above-normal precipitation on the West Coast so far this year, hydro generation will likely once again exceed wind generation in 2017.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electricity Data Browser
Note: Data include facilities with a nameplate capacity of one megawatt and above.
Wind and hydro generation both follow strong seasonal patterns. Hydro generation typically reaches its seasonal peak in the spring and early summer, especially in the Pacific Northwest and California where about half of U.S. hydropower is produced. Across most of the country, wind generation typically peaks in the spring with a smaller peak in late fall and early winter. The Pacific Northwest and California have a slightly different seasonal pattern for wind resources, with generally only one peak in the early summer.
In the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) electric system, which extends from northern Texas to North Dakota and Montana, wind power recently supplied more than half of the system’s generation mix for a brief period, reaching 52.1% (11,419 MW) in the early hours of February 12, 2017—a first for any of the seven U.S. regional transmission organization (RTO) electric systems that together serve two-thirds of the country’s electricity consumption.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) system which covers most of Texas continues to set records for the highest level of wind generation on any U.S. electric system. ERCOT’s most recent record of 16,022 MW occurred on the morning of December 25, 2016, and accounted for slightly more than 47% of the generation mix at the time.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly
Note: Data include facilities with a nameplate capacity of one megawatt and above.
Compared with other electricity generating sources such as nuclear, geothermal, and combined-cycle natural gas, hydro and wind have lower average capacity factors (i.e., generation output as a percentage of total generating capacity). Both sources are sensitive to fluctuations in weather conditions such as droughts, heavy precipitation, and changes in regional wind patterns. Given the hydro fleet's historically higher capacity factors compared with wind and the expected strong hydrological conditions on the West Coast this year, such as the recent heavy rainfall in California and the Pacific Northwest, hydro generation in 2017 will likely still be higher than wind generation even with anticipated continuing additions of new wind capacity throughout the year.
For electricity reliability planning purposes, hydro and wind capacity are reduced (or derated) when estimating their expected contributions to meet projected peak-period electricity demand. Hydro capacity is generally derated to a much lesser degree than wind capacity. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s(NERC’s) latest summer reliability assessment shows the difference between the nameplate capacity and the expected on-peak capacity for variable renewable sources (wind, solar, and hydro) in each region. In both SPP and the PJM Interconnection electric system, which covers a highly populated area of Mid-Atlantic, Southern, and Midwestern states, hydro provides more expected on-peak capacity than wind even though there is about twice as much installed wind capacity as hydro capacity in both regions.
http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=30212&src=email
