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WLOX President Trump and his advisers are debating whether to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate accord, and if he does the fury will be apocalyptic—start building arks for the catastrophic flood. The reality is that withdrawing is in America’s economic interest and won’t matter much to the climate. https://www.wsj.com/articles/paris-climate-discord-1496272448 Press Releases
Mississippi Receives Record Nine Brownfield Grants Totaling $2.89 Million
(JACKSON, Miss.) – The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) announced Wednesday that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded a record nine Brownfields grants to entities in the State of Mississippi. The amount awarded totals more than $2.89 million. “The State of Mississippi received more grants this year than any other state in EPA’s Region 4. In addition, these nine grants total more than the state has ever received in any other year. These grants will improve the environment as well as help boost the economy of these areas as they assess and plan projects in their areas,” said Gary Rikard, MDEQ Executive Director. “Our success this year is a result of the hard work of our community leaders, their grant writing staffs, and the staff of MDEQ’s Brownfield Program. We should all be proud that we have been able to obtain this funding that can have a real impact in these communities.” MDEQ staff have worked with local governments and the Mississippi Municipal League to offer technical assistance and Brownfield grant writing workshops to communities seeking the EPA funds. In EPA Region 4, 111 applications were received for funding, with 40 ultimately receiving some level of funding. Mississippi entities submitted 10 applications with 9 entities receiving funding. - The City of Vicksburg will receive $400,000 for two brownfields cleanup grants ($383,500 for hazardous substances and $16,500 for petroleum). The funds will be used to clean up the 1832 Kuhn North Facility and the 1959 Kuhn South Facility of the former Kuhn Memorial Hospital. Both cleanup sites were part of a 12.8-acre former hospital, which has been vacant since 1989. They are contaminated with metals, PCBs, and inorganic contaminants. Grant funds for both sites also will be used to conduct air monitoring and support community involvement activities.
- Canton – $300,000 ($200,000 for hazardous substances and $100,000 for petroleum) to include an update of the city’s brownfields inventory.
- Clarksdale – $300,000 ($166,200 for hazardous substances and $133,800 for petroleum) to include an update of the city’s brownfields inventory. Assessment activities will focus on the 18th Street Neighborhood and the Brickyard Area.
- Crystal Springs – $300,000 ($123,000 for hazardous substances and $177,000 for petroleum) to include area-wide planning and the prioritization of the city’s brownfield sites.
- East Central Planning and Development District – $299,700 ($155,100 for hazardous substances and $144,600 for petroleum) to include an inventory and prioritization of brownfield sites. Assessment activities will focus on the cities of Forest, Philadelphia, and Meridian.
- Golden Triangle Planning and Development District, Inc. – $600,000 ($400,000 for hazardous substances and $200,000 for petroleum) to include the expansion of a brownfields inventory. Assessment activities will focus on four census tracts within Choctaw, Clay, Noxubee and Oktibbeha Counties. Partners include the cities of West Point, and Starkville, and the counties of Choctaw, Clay, Lowndes, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Webster, and Winston.
- Greenville – $300,000 ($200,000 for hazardous substances and $100,000 for petroleum) to include area-wide planning. One area of focus is the Lower Mississippi River Port Investment Initiative Area.
- Louisville – $400,000 ($205,000 for hazardous substances and $195,000 for petroleum) to include the prioritization of brownfields sites and begin area-wide planning. Assessment activities will focus on West Louisville, East Louisville, and southeast Winston County. Partners are the City of Noxapater and Winston County.
A Brownfield is a property, of which the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. EPA's Brownfields Program enables states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. # # # EPA Brownfields Funding Announced for Eight Communities in Mississippi Funding for brownfields assessment and cleanup included in President Trump’s Budget Contact Information: Davina Marraccini, 404-562-8293 (direct), 404-562-8400 (main), marraccini.davina@epa.gov ATLANTA – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) selected 172 communities across the country—including eight in Mississippi—to receive funding for brownfield site revitalization to help local governments redevelop vacant and unused properties, transforming communities and local economies. “EPA is committed to working with communities to redevelop Brownfields sites which have plagued their neighborhoods. EPA’s Assessment and Cleanup grants target communities that are economically disadvantaged and include places where environmental cleanup and new jobs are most needed," said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. "These grants leverage considerable infrastructure and other investments, improving local economies and creating an environment where jobs can grow. I am very pleased the President’s budget recognizes the importance of these grants by providing continued funding for this important program.” Additionally, the following community/communities in Mississippi were selected to receive grant funding for community-wide Brownfields assessment activities and cleanup planning: - The City of Vicksburg will receive $400,000 for two brownfields cleanup grants ($383,500 for hazardous substances and $16,500 for petroleum). The funds will be used to clean up the 1832 Kuhn North Facility and the 1959 Kuhn South Facility of the former Kuhn Memorial Hospital, at 1422 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Both cleanup sites were part of a 12.8-acre former hospital, which has been vacant since 1989. They are contaminated with metals, PCBs, and inorganic contaminants. Grant funds for both sites also will be used to conduct air monitoring and support community involvement activities.
- Canton – $300,000 ($200,000 for hazardous substances and $100,000 for petroleum) to include an update of the City’s brownfields inventory.
- Clarksdale – $300,000 ($166,200 for hazardous substances and $133,800 for petroleum) to include an update of the City’s brownfields inventory. Assessment activities will focus on the 18th Street Neighborhood and the Brickyard Area.
- Crystal Springs – $300,000 ($123,000 for hazardous substances and $177,000 for petroleum) to include area-wide planning and the prioritization of the City’s brownfield sites.
- East Central Planning and Development District – $299,700 ($155,100 for hazardous substances and $144,600 for petroleum) to include an inventory and prioritization of brownfield sites. Assessment activities will focus on the Cities of Forest, Philadelphia and Meridian.
- Golden Triangle Planning and Development District, Inc. – $600,000 ($400,000 for hazardous substances and $200,000 for petroleum) to include the expansion of a brownfields inventory. Assessment activities will focus on four census tracts within Choctaw, Clay, Noxubee and Oktibbeha Counties. Partners include the cities of West Point and Starkville, and the counties of Choctaw, Clay, Lowndes, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Webster and Winston.
- Greenville – $300,000 ($200,000 for hazardous substances and $100,000 for petroleum) to include area-wide planning. One area of focus is the Lower Mississippi River Port Investment Initiative Area.
- Louisville – $400,000 ($205,000 for hazardous substances and $195,000 for petroleum) to include the prioritization of brownfields sites and begin area-wide planning. Assessment activities will focus on West Louisville, East Louisville, and southeast Winston County. Partners are the City of Noxapater and Winston County.
View the list of the FY 2017 applicants selected for funding here: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/brownfields-list-fy17-grants-selected-funding Overview of the Funds Being Announced Today: - $25 million to communities who are receiving assessment and cleanup funding for the first time.
- $17.5 million of the assessment and cleanup funding will benefit small and rural communities with populations less than 10,000.
- Recipients will each receive approximately $200,000 - $600,000 in funding to work on individual sites or several sites within their community.
- These funds will provide communities with resources necessary to determine the extent of site contamination, remove environmental uncertainties and clean up contaminated properties where needed.
Studies have shown that residential property values near brownfields sites that are cleaned up increased between 5 and 15.2%. and can increase property values within 1.24 miles of that site. A study analyzing data near 48 brownfield sites shows that an estimated $29 to $97 million in additional tax revenue was generated for local governments in a single year after cleanup. This is two to seven times more than the $12.4 million EPA contributed to those brownfields. As of May 2017, more than 124,759 jobs and $24 billion of public and private funding has been leveraged as a result of assessment grants and other EPA Brownfields grants. On average, $16.11 was leveraged for each EPA Brownfields dollar and 8.5 jobs leveraged per $100,000 of EPA brownfields funds expended on assessment, cleanup, and revolving loan fund cooperative agreements. About EPA’s brownfields program: https://epa.gov/brownfields Successful Brownfields stories: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/brownfields-success-stories Funding of $67.5 million announced for Army Corps projects in Mississippi WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, today announced the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will allocate an additional $67.5 million in FY2017 appropriations funding to support flood control, navigation and other projects throughout Mississippi. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 provided funding above the budget request for the Army Corps to use at its discretion to advance ongoing Civil Works projects and ensure continued improvements to the national economy and public safety. The new funding for Mississippi is outlined in the Army Corps FY2017 Work Plan. “The Army Corps of Engineers Work Plan invests additional funding provided by Congress on projects that were not included or insufficiently funded in the 2017 budget request. I am pleased the Army Corps will direct significant resources to Mississippi to improve the management and operation of waterways, levees, and public works,” Cochran said. Cochran serves on the appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Army Corps, and advocated Mississippi projects for Work Plan funding. The Work Plan directs funding toward flood control projects in the Yazoo basin and other tributary basins, including the Delta Headwaters, Upper Yazoo, Big Sunflower River and Yazoo Backwater Area projects. The plan funds maintenance dredging at Mississippi harbors on the Mississippi River and the Gulf Coast. It also provides funding to support wastewater projects for Jackson County and the cities of Jackson and Crystal Springs. The additional $67.5 million brings total Army Corps funding in the state to more than $136.9 million this fiscal year, when combined with $70 million for Mississippi-specific Army Corps projects funded in the recent FY2017 Consolidated Appropriations Act (PL.115-31). The state will also benefit from $22 million provided in the legislation for research activities primarily carried out at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg. The following is a review of projects affected by the FY2017 Work Plan: The Work Plan will direct additional Mississippi River &Tributaries (MR&T) construction funding to the following projects in Mississippi, none of which were included in the budget request: - $11.0 million to continue construction on Upper Yazoo Projects, which includes levee and channel features along the Yazoo, Tallahatchie, and Coldwater rivers from Yazoo City to Arkabutla Lake in DeSoto County;
- $8.25 million to the Delta Headwaters Project, which consists of 16 watersheds in Mississippi ranging from one to 600 square miles, and provides important flood control, water quality, and sediment reduction benefits in 16 counties;
- $6.0 million to complete Yazoo Backwater Area Projectsediment control structure construction which will help control backwater flooding from the Mississippi River in a 2,000-square-mile area between Vicksburg, Hollandale and Belzoni;
- $2.45 million to continue Big Sunflower Riversediment control structure construction to improve drainage in a 752 square-mile area from Greenville to just north of Vicksburg;
- $8.1 million to assist Mississippi River Channel Improvement activities; and
- $4.6 million for design, mitigation and asphalt paving on Mississippi’s mainline levee.
Work Plan funding will supplement FY2017 funding for MR&T Operation and Maintenance projects, including: - $2.6 million for Yazoo Backwater Area Projectlevee, structure, and gate maintenance and replacement (FY2017 total: $3.14 million);
- $1.26 million for Grenada Lakestructure maintenance, recreation services, and berm construction (FY2017 total: $6.75 million);
- $950,000 for Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Museumin Vicksburg operation and maintenance, and for Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks management of 14,910 acres of Wildlife Management Areas at Lake George, Muscadine and Sky Lake (FY2017 total: $950,000);
- $847,000 for Arkabutla Lakedam and structure maintenance, and recreation services (FY2017 total: $6.33 million);
- $629,000 for Sardis Lakeoperation and maintenance, and levee slide repairs (FY2017 total: $7.29 million);
- $576,000 for Greenville Harbormaintenance dredging and navigation project surveys (FY2017 total: $600,000);
- $425,000 for Enid Lakedam and structure maintenance, recreation services, and environmental stewardship (FY2017 total: $5.44 million);
- $150,000 for Vicksburg Harbormaintenance dredging and navigation project surveys (FY2017 total: $192,000);
- $100,000 for Big Sunflower Riverproject operation and maintenance, Muscadine Complex maintenance, and mitigation area maintenance (FY2017 total: $285,000);
- $25,000 for Inspections of 98 miles of levee and associated structures (FY2017 total: 92,000);
- $6.3 million for Mississippi River channel dredging and bank revetment work; and
- $1.7 million for gravel replacement and maintenance of Mississippi River levee roads.
Work Plan funding under the Army Civil Works Program will supplement operation and maintenance, including the following dredging projects: - $3.0 million for Gulfport Harborto support full dredging increment for bar channel (FY2017 total: $8.22 million);
- $1.0 million for Pascagoula Harborto support dredging for bar channel (FY2017 total: $2.36 million);
- $600,000 for Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterwayto support cultural resources site monitoring and protection; and wall replacements to protect Piney Grove Campground campsites (FY2017 total: $29.8 million);
- $566,000 for Rosedale Harborto support maintenance dredging (FY2017 total: $575,000);
- $276,000 for Mouth of the Yazoo Riverto support annual clearing and snagging of the channel to maintain authorized dimensions of the Yazoo River, Vicksburg Harbor and Yazoo Canal confluence (FY2017 total: $310,000);
- $99,000 for Claiborne County Portto support maintenance dredging (FY2017 total: $100,000); and
- $81,000 for Yazoo Riverto support maintenance dredging on the Mississippi River in Warren County (FY2017 total: $102,000).
The Work Plan funds Environmental Infrastructure projects no included in the budget request, including: - $3.0 million for Jackson Countyto support design of a system to reclaim treated wastewater effluent from points in southern Jackson County; and
- $2.72 million to support a wastewater interceptor rehabilitation system for the City of Jackson, and repair and replacement for Crystal Springs.
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