News Clippings June 15, 2017

State Summit agrees to check wastewater mercury levels Enterprise-Journal Summit councilmen agreed Tuesday to spend no more than $10,000 to check to determine if mercury is being discharged from its wastewater treatment plant. http://www.enterprise-journal.com/news/article_9bc9809a-511d-11e7-98be-7f8364d7b60e.html Houlka aldermen open bids for lagoon work Chickasaw Journal HOULKA – New Houlka aldermen have taken steps toward a sewer system improvement project and heard – but took no action on – a report on a proposed town annexation. Sealed bids for engineering services for a forthcoming sewer lagoon improvement project were taken under advisement and a bidder chosen at the board’s next meeting. http://www.djournal.com/chickasaw/houlka-aldermen-open-bids-for-lagoon-work/article_ad90be50-a433-5710-8a4a-6ecd66e96d14.html Petal lift station victims identified Hattiesburg American PETAL - Two men killed Tuesday afternoon at a lift station in Petal have been identified. Forrest County Deputy Coroner Lisa Klem said the victims were Terry West, 45, and his son, Gage West, 20, both of Brandon. http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story/news/local/petal/2017/06/13/2-killed-petal-lift-station/394295001/ Madison man survives flesh eating bacteria WLBT An unimaginable scare for a Madison man after he came in contact with an aggressive bacteria at the Ross Barnett Reservoir that landed him in the hospital.. http://www.msnewsnow.com/story/35668432/madison-man-survives-flesh-eating-bacteria 'Emergency relief' extends federal red snapper season WLOX A reprieve for coast fishermen: The federal red snapper season will be extended. Congressman Steven Palazzo says lawmakers from across the Gulf Coast worked with the Department of Commerce on a plan to get emergency relief for fishermen. http://www.wlox.com/story/35660848/emergency-relief-extends-federal-red-snapper-season Mississippi, Alabama receive funds for wildlife and fish restoration WTVA WASHINGTON (WTVA) -- The U. S. Department of Interior announced funding for state wildlife agencies. Mississippi will receive nearly $4 million for sports fish restoration and $12 million for wildlife restoration. http://www.wtva.com/story/35666515/mississippi-alabama-receive-funds-for-wildlife-and-fish-restoration George King to serve as 83rd Delta Council president New Delta Council president, a farmer from Chatham, Miss., is expected to have memorable year in more ways than one. Delta Farm Press George King, a row crop producer from Chatham, Miss., has been elected to serve as the 83rdpresident of the Delta Council, the Delta region’s farm policy, conservation, health care, education and chamber of commerce organization. http://www.deltafarmpress.com/cotton/george-king-serve-83rd-delta-council-president Community colleges to cut nearly 250 jobs AP Community colleges across Mississippi are eliminating nearly 250 jobs for the upcoming year to close budget gaps, and five are dropping at least one intercollegiate sport. http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/2017/06/14/community-colleges-cut-nearly-jobs/102867574/ Oil Spill State needs to leverage BP funds to create new coastal restoration industry, report says The Advocate Louisiana is on track to receive at least $8.7 billion from BP over the next 15 years for coastal restoration efforts, a move that will create thousands of jobs and protect important industries such as fisheries, ports and energy. http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/business/article_db54bd68-5147-11e7-8857-0789db1a07cc.html BP's Dudley seen reigning for years to restore major's might Reuters When BP (BP.L) boss Bob Dudley clinched a final deal to settle litigation over the deadly Deepwater Horizon disaster, many oil industry executives and investors thought his mission was accomplished. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bp-ceo-idUSKBN19614U Regional Watchdog: Toxic chemicals in water prompt lawsuits, health concerns AJC Odds are that you have never heard of PFOA or PFOS, but you’ve most certainly been exposed to them. http://www.myajc.com/news/state--regional/watchdog-toxic-chemicals-water-prompt-lawsuits-health-concerns/Cfg8VGyEQcXXIZVHMaidvO/ State agencies launching investigation into GenX dumping WECT The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality is asking Chemours to take action to reduce or eliminate the dumping of GenX into the Cape Fear River. http://www.wect.com/story/35665963/state-agencies-launching-investigation-into-genx-dumping Louisiana coast sinking 50 percent faster than thought, new study says Times-Picayune Land along Louisiana's coastline is sinking 50 percent faster than was estimated just two years ago, according to a new map published Wednesday (June 14) as part of a study by Tulane University geologists.   http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2017/06/sinking_feeling_louisiana_coas.html#incart_river_index National Wind, solar produce 10 percent of US electricity for first time The Hill Wind and solar produced 10 percent of the electricity generated in the United States for the first time in March, federal energy officials said Wednesday. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/337831-wind-solar-produce-10-percent-of-us-electricity-for-first-time How Retiring Nuclear Power Plants May Undercut U.S. Climate Goals NY Times Over the last decade, a glut of cheap natural gas from hydraulic fracturing has driven hundreds of dirtier coal plants in the United States out of business, a big reason carbon dioxide emissions fell 14 percent from 2005 to 2016. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/13/climate/nuclear-power-retirements-us-climate-goals.html?rref=collection/sectioncollection/climate&action=click&contentCollection=climate®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0 Michigan Health Chief, Four Others Charged in Flint Water Probe Nick Lyon, other officials accused of failing to alert public about outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease WSJ The Michigan attorney general charged the head of the state health department and four other former state and local officials Wednesday with involuntary manslaughter in the investigation into Flint’s lead-tainted water crisis. https://www.wsj.com/articles/michigan-health-chief-charged-in-flint-water-probe-1497445962 Ducey operations chief lands Trump Administration EPA job AP PHOENIX (AP) - President Donald Trump's administration has tapped another Arizonan for a key government post. Gov. Doug Ducey's chief operations officer is leaving his post to serve as chief of operations at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.kvoa.com/story/35669851/ducey-operations-chief-lands-trump-administration-epa-job Press Releases U.S. Rice Farmers Embrace Sustainable Agriculture and Earn First-Ever Carbon Credits for Rice Production USDA Chris Isbell didn't set out to make history.  He was just following in his father's footsteps.   But on June 14, 2017, Chris Isbell and six other farmers - two from California and five from Arkansas and Mississippi - did just that. The first ever carbon credits generated from rice farmers were sold to Microsoft, all because these pioneers tested out a radical idea – that by implementing conservation practices on their crops, rice farmers could reduce methane emissions and thereby generate a carbon credit that could later be sold on the carbon market. Their voluntary conservation practices not only generated carbon credits but also reduced energy consumption and water use, critical to both regions. http://nrcs.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=c00a7710dbe04790823c4133777e49c0 NOAA, USGS and partners predict larger summer ‘dead zone’ for the Chesapeake Bay USGS Scientists expect this year’s summer Chesapeake Bay hypoxic or “dead zone” — an area of low to no oxygen that can kill fish and aquatic life — will be larger than average, approximately 1.89 cubic miles, or nearly the volume of 3.2 million Olympic-size swimming pools. https://www.usgs.gov/news/noaa-usgs-and-partners-predict-larger-summer-dead-zone-chesapeake-bay?qt-news_science_products=3#qt-news_science_products Connect with us

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