State
Debris removers hired, working on testing rubble
Enterprise-Journal
McComb Mayor Whitney Rawlings said this morning that the contractor in charge of debris removal of the Kramer Roof building was testing material it gathered from Main Street for asbestos.
Gulfport has a new deal for garbage collection
Sun Herald
GULFPORT Residents will be paying three cents more for garbage and rubbish pickup than they would have had the city remained with the Harrison County Utility Authority. Under a contract approved unanimously by the City Council on Thursday, the monthly price per customer under the contract with Waste Pro will be $14.36, three cents more than the rest of the county’s households will pay under the Team Waste contract negotiated by the Utility Authority.
New trash hauling ordinance not quite in effect
Picayune Item
In March, the Pearl River County Board of Supervisors approved an amendment of what is now known as the Pearl River County Refuse and Litter Hauling Ordinance.
The new regulations require commercial trash haulers to undergo a semi-annual inspection at the county barn.
Jubilee occurring in Mississippi Sound; Seafood safe to eat, but people should use caution
Sea Coast Echo
Officials with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources have confirmed that a jubilee is occurring in the Mississippi Sound due to weather conditions.
On Wednesday, several different species of finfish, as well as shrimp, crabs and eels were found near the Gulfport and Long Beach harbors.
New deer regs, misinformation raise questions
Clarion Ledger
With so many regulations concerning deer hunting in Mississippi, it's not surprising that hunters can become confused. Some of the questions raised recently stem from changes in the 2017-18 bag limits for antlerless deer while others have been around for years. Annual season bag limits for antlerless deer were reduced this season from five to three in the Delta, Northeast, East Central and Southwest zones.
Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command welcomes new commander
WLOX
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, MS (WLOX) - The Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command has a new commander. Rear Adm. John Okon relieved Rear Adm. Timothy Gallaudet in ceremonies at Stennis Space Center on Thursday. About 300 people, mostly Naval personnel, attended the ceremony with featured speaker Adm. Philip Davidson, Commander U.S. Fleet Forces Command.
Let the sunshine in: Local attorney converting home, office, rental properties to solar power
Commercial Dispatch
Columbus attorney David Owen and his wife, Renee, are having solar panels installed in their historic Southside home, rental houses and his downtown office building. And in a roundabout way, President Donald Trump was the incentive -- if not for converting their properties to solar, at least the timing of it.
Oil Spill
What you need to know before returning to tourist sites after disasters
Washington Post
Bad things can happen to good places. Like New Orleans, a city forever changed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Or Alabama’s Gulf Coast, peppered by oil pellets after the Deepwater Horizon spill seven years ago.
Regional
12 years after Gulf oil platform destroyed, feds start investigating environmental damage
Times-Picayune
Twelve years after Hurricane Ivan destroyed a Taylor Energy Co. platform in the Gulf of Mexico, the federal government has finally started investigating how oil and gas that is still leaking from its wells damages natural resources.
Did DeKalb developer get special privileges?
Fox 5 ATLANTA
A new tactic to let one developer tie into DeKalb County's sewer system without a backup plan has environmentalists up in arms and county watershed management officials concerned.
National
States threatening to sue EPA to force new environmental policies
The Hill
States are threatening to sue the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to try to force the Trump administration into writing new environmental policies. The potential lawsuits from states like Maryland and Connecticut could put the Trump administration and EPA head Scott Pruitt in a tough spot, where they may have to take new enforcement actions or take new actions that could have a negative impact on fossil fuel plants.
EPA Water Rule Repeal Based on Sloppy Cost Analysis: Economists Bloomberg
The Trump administration was sloppy in how it estimated the economic impact of a proposal to repeal an Obama-era water pollution regulation, relying on data and assumptions that industry previously criticized, according to economists and regulatory analysts interviewed by Bloomberg BNA.
EPA approves long-awaited fix for Volkswagen diesel cars
USA Today
U.S. regulators have approved repairs for Volkswagen Group diesel cars that were engulfed in a scandal over excess emissions, meaning that owners eligible for buybacks can instead choose to accept a fix and cash compensation.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2017/07/27/epa-volkswagen-diesel-fix/516686001/Bottom of Form
Fracking rules get day in Denver court even though Trump administration has no plans to enforce them
Environmentalists say the rules would protect land and water
AP
DENVER — A lawsuit contesting new rules for hydraulic fracturing on federal land will get its day in court even though President Donald Trump’s administration doesn’t intend to implement them. Arguments will take place Thursday before the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver.
Opinion
DiFatta: MWF Wildlife Extravaganza a good way to get ahead of the 'game'
Hattiesburg American
Press Releases
Federal Partnership Launches Water Quality Challenge Piloting Low-Cost Nutrient Sensors for Local Decision-Making 07/26/2017 Contact Information:
Today, a federal partnership launched a technology-accelerating water quality challenge to demonstrate how nutrient sensors can be used by states and local communities to help manage nutrient pollution.
Nutrient pollution is one of America's most widespread, costliest, and most challenging environmental problems. It is caused by excess nitrogen and phosphorus in the air and water. Too much nitrogen and phosphorus in water causes algae to grow faster than ecosystems can handle. This results in major environmental damage and serious health problems in people and animals. Nutrient pollution and algal blooms also take a toll on the economy, hurting industries and sectors that depend on clean water. Federal, state and local governments spend billions of dollars every year to combat nutrient pollution or prevent its effects.
The Nutrient Sensor Action Challenge builds upon the 2014 Nutrient Sensor Challenge, which helped facilitate the development of affordable, high-performing, continuous nutrient sensors and analyzers. The Nutrient Sensor Action Challenge calls for demonstrations showing the effective use of low-cost sensors, innovative partnerships to pilot the sensors and data management, and demonstrations of how collected data and information can be part of state and local decision-making. By proving there are successful strategies for incorporating nutrient sensors into existing water monitoring efforts, the Challenge can help states and communities overcome the major barriers to taking action to prevent and reduce nutrient pollution.
In Stage 1 of the Nutrient Sensor Action Challenge, which closes September 20, 2017, teams will submit action plans. These plans will explain how teams intend to deploy and use sensors and how they will meet Challenge goals. Judges will review the submissions and select up to 10 winning applications. Top entries will receive cash prizes totaling $50,000 and invitations to participate in Stage 2 of the Challenge. In Stage 2, teams will deploy the sensors and collect data as they compete for a share in $100,000 in prizes.
An informational webinar for the Nutrient Sensor Action Challenge will take place August 2, 2017 at 2pm ET: https://www.epa.gov/research/nutrient-sensor-action-challenge-informational-webinar
The Nutrient Sensor Action Challenge is a collaboration between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)-led U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (U.S. IOOS®). Joining the federal collaboration is the Alliance for Coastal Technologies (ACT) which is a partnership organization of research institutions, resource managers, and private sector companies dedicated to fostering the development and adoption of effective and reliable sensors and platforms.
For more information on the Nutrient Sensor Action Challenge: http://www.challenge.gov/nutrient-sensor-action-challenge/
Mississippi Wins Gold Shovel Award Jackson, Miss. – Mississippi received a 2017 Gold Shovel Award from Area Development magazine. The Gold Shovel signifies substantial economic development achievement in the state. Gov. Phil Bryant announced the award on Thursday morning at the Neshoba County Fair “Area Development magazine’s Gold Shovel Award shines the spotlight on Mississippi’s supportive business climate and skilled workforce, while demonstrating to the world we are committed to the economic development of communities throughout the state,” Gov. Bryant said. Area Development is a leading economic development publication covering site selection and facility planning. The Shovel Awards are presented to state economic development agencies that demonstrate significant economic development success. Criteria include the number of high-value added jobs per capita, amount of investment, number of new facilities and industry diversity. “Governor Bryant’s economic development leadership with the Legislature and teammates across Mississippi promotes innovation and creates advantages for the state’s business climate and workforce. This enables companies which call Mississippi home to win in today’s global economy,” said MDA Executive Director Glenn McCullough, Jr. All 50 states were invited to submit their top-10 job-creation and investment projects for 2016. Mississippi’s submissions included Continental Tire’s manufacturing plant in Hinds County, Southern Motion’s expansion in Baldwyn, Niagara Bottling’s new plant in Marshall County, Premium Waters’ new plant in Hinds County, BPI’s new location in Olive Branch, BMSI’s new location in Burnsville and Delta Furniture’s expansion into Houlka. To view a complete list of the 2017 Shovel Award winners, visit www.areadevelopment.com/awards.
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