State
NEW DEAL?
Northside Sun
City officials working to reduce consent decree costs
A new deal could be in the works when it comes to the capital city’s sewer consent decree. However, that doesn’t mean Jackson will be off the hook when it comes to making some $400 million in repairs to bring its system into compliance with federal law.
REPAIRS MADE TO SPILLWAY LANDSLIDE AT RESERVOIR
Northside Sun
Last week workers were repairing a small landslide on the eastern side of the reservoir spillway. The work was scheduled to be completed this week.
...Safety officers from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality inspected the slide soon after it occurred, and agreed with reservoir officials that it would not pose a danger between the time it occurred and when the damage could be fixed.
RETENTION PONDS MAY BE NEEDED TO STOP FLOODING
Northside Sun
In 2011, UMMC needed the approval of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality for its facilities master plan and it submitted plans that included several retention ponds.
Fuel leaking from sunken boat in Pass Christian Harbor
WLOX
PASS CHRISTIAN, MS (WLOX) -An accident in the Pass Christian Harbor left a boat underwater and a big mess to clean up.
BOAT SINKS IN PASS CHRISTIAN HARBOR
WXXV
Today crews worked to clean up a fuel leak in the Pass Christian Harbor after an accident caused a boat to sink.
VOLUNTEERS “GET SWEPT UP” IN STARKVILLE
WCBI
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- College football is right around the corner, and for the city of Starkville, that means some game day prep that involves getting your hands dirty!
Red snapper season ends Monday in Mississippi
AP
BILOXI, Miss. (AP) — Recreational anglers looking for that highly sought after red snapper have until Monday to do so.
Oil Spill
A tad late, bicentennial ad blitz to start
Clarion Ledger
The Mississippi Bicentennial Commission on Wednesday voted to start the process on a $2.8 million ad campaign to bring in tourists for the state's 200th birthday and opening of the Mississippi History and Civil Rights museums in downtown Jackson.
How was the Deepwater Horizon BP Settlement money spent?
Al.com
If you've been reading AL.com closely this year you may already be aware that the first installment of the BP settlement money, given to the state by the international oil company for its role in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill off the Gulf Coast in 2010, is now being spent on various environmental restoration projects in Alabama.
Regional
Georgia Power Makes Progress Closing Coal Ash Ponds
WABE
A couple years ago, Georgia Power decided to close all 29 of its coal ash ponds around the state. The utility says it’s now finished excavating three ponds, including one in metro Atlanta, at Plant McDonough.
Memphis ends sewer taps, clogging unincorporated development
Commercial Appeal
The city of Memphis will no longer offer sewer taps in unincorporated parts of Shelby County, bringing new development to a standstill and forcing county officials to consider spending millions — if not tens of millions — developing a county sewer system.
National
EPA sends people, planes to gauge pollution from Texas storm
Reuters
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Wednesday it has sent people and airplanes to assess pollution in areas hit by Tropical Storm Harvey, as concerns mount over leaks and spills from the Texas oil industry and Superfund sites.
Harvey’s flooding spurs concern about Houston’s toxic waste sites
Washington Post
Harris County has at least a dozen federal Superfund sites, more than any county in Texas. Up to 30 percent of the county is under water, spurring worries about toxins leaking.
A Sea of Health and Environmental Hazards in Houston’s Floodwaters
NY Times
Officials in Houston are just beginning to grapple with the health and environmental risks that lurk in the waters dumped by Hurricane Harvey, a stew of toxic chemicals, sewage, debris and waste that still floods much of the city.
Blasts, ‘chemical reactions’ rock storm-crippled chemical plant in Texas as Harvey flooding persists
Washington Post
CROSBY, Tex. — The remnants of Hurricane Harvey carried its wrath up the Mississippi Delta on Thursday, but not before hammering the Gulf Coast with more punishing cloudbursts and growing threats that included blasts and “black smoke” at a crippled chemical plant and the collapse of the drinking water system in a Texas city.
Harvey damages oil tanks, spilling 30,000 gallons of crude
Fox News
Flooding caused by Harvey has toppled two oil storage tanks in southern Texas, releasing about 30,000 gallons of crude oil, authorities said Wednesday.
EPA extends a waiver on motor fuel contents to apply nationwide, not just to Texas
Washington Post
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt on Wednesday expanded the scope of an emergency waiver of Clean Air Act restrictions on motor fuel requirements, saying the waiver would apply not only to Texas but also to 11 states and the District of Columbia through Sept. 15.
Press Releases
EPA Approves Emergency Fuel Waivers for Gulf and East Coast States
08/30/2017
Contact Information:
WASHINGTON — As a result of the continuing impacts on Gulf Coast-area refineries and disruption to the fuel distribution system caused by Hurricane Harvey, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt today exercised EPA’s emergency fuel waiver authority to help ensure an adequate supply of fuel throughout the South, Southeast and the Mid-Atlantic.
EPA has waived requirements for reformulated gasoline and low volatility gasoline through September 15 in the following states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Texas, Louisiana and the District of Columbia. The waiver authority was exercised under the Clean Air Act and was granted by EPA Administrator Pruitt, in coordination with the U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry.
As required by law, EPA and Department of Energy (DOE) evaluated the situation and determined that granting a short-term waiver was consistent with the public interest. EPA and DOE are continuing to actively monitor the fuel supply situation as a result of Hurricane Harvey, and will act expeditiously if extreme and unusual supply circumstances exist in other areas.
To mitigate any impacts on air quality, the Clean Air Act provides strict criteria for when fuels waivers may be granted, and requires that waivers be limited as much as possible in terms of their geographic scope and duration.
How Mississippians Can Help Texas in Harvey Recovery
PEARL – The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency has received an outpouring of requests from generous residents and businesses around the state about how to help Texans in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. There are many questions, rumors and offers circulating across social media outlets so MEMA has compiled the following official ways to give of your time and resources.
TO DONATE TO RELIEF EFFORTS:
The most effective way to support disaster survivors in their recovery is to donate money and time to trusted, reputable, voluntary or charitable organizations.
· Cash donations offer voluntary agencies and faith-based organizations the most flexibility to address urgently developing needs. With cash in hand, these organizations can obtain needed resources nearer to the disaster location. This inflow of cash also pumps money back into the local economy and helps local businesses recover faster.
· Please do not donate unsolicited goods such as used clothing, miscellaneous household items, medicine, or perishable foodstuffs at this time. When used personal items are donated, the helping agencies must redirect their staff away from providing direct services to survivors in order to sort, package, transport, warehouse, and distribute items that may not meet the needs of disaster survivors.
· Donate through a trusted organization. At the national level, many voluntary-, faith- and community-based organizations are active in disasters, and are trusted ways to donate to disaster survivors. Individuals, corporations, and volunteers, can learn more about how to help on the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) website. · In addition to the national members, The Texas Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (Texas VOAD) has a list of vetted disaster relief organizations providing services to survivors. Texas VOAD represents more than three dozen faith-based, community, nonprofit and non-governmental organizations.
TO PERSONALLY VOLUNTEER IN THE DISASTER AREAS:
The State of Texas is asking volunteers to not self-deploy, as unexpectedly showing up to any of the communities that have been impacted by Hurricane Harvey will create an additional burden for first responders. The National VOAD has also noted the situation may not be conducive to volunteers entering the impacted zone and individuals may find themselves turned away by law enforcement.
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· To ensure volunteer safety, as well as the safety of disaster survivors, volunteers should only go into affected areas with a specific volunteer assignment, proper safety gear, and valid identification.
· At this time, potential volunteers are asked to register with a voluntary or charitable organization of their choice, many of which are already in Texas and supporting survivors on the ground.
· The National and Texas VOAD websites are offering links to those who wish to register to volunteer with community- and faith-based organizations working in the field. · Most importantly, please be patient. Although the need is great, and desire to help strong, it is important to avoid donating material goods or self-deploying to help until communities are safe and public officials and disaster relief organizations have had an opportunity to assess the damage and identify what the specific unmet needs are.
· Volunteer generosity helps impacted communities heal from the tragic consequences of disasters, but recovery lasts much longer than today. There will be volunteer needs for many months, and years, after the disaster, so sign up now.
FEMA Jobs:
There are a lot of questions and rumors about FEMA job postings for Harvey. If you’re interested in getting involved in the response, we want to make sure you’re working through trustworthy sources. To verify, please visit the rumors section of our Hurricane Harvey page: https://www.fema.gov/hurricane-harvey.
The Mississippi State Emergency Operations Center is staffed and monitoring conditions and requests for resources both in and out of our state.
MEMA will provide updates as information becomes available. The best way to get up-to-date information during this event is to “Like” MEMA on Facebook, or “Follow” us on twitter @msema.
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The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (Council) seeks public comment on a proposal to amend its Initial (2015) Funded Priorities List to approve $1,790,546 in implementation funding for the Robinson Preserve Wetlands Restoration project sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. These funds would be used to restore 118.2 acres of coastal habitat and restore more natural hydrology, along with related activities in Tampa Bay, Florida.
On August 30, 2017, the Council issued a 30-day Federal Register notice on this proposed funding approval. This notice includes additional information on this proposal, as well as how to submit comments to the Council. The public is encouraged to review this proposed funding approval and provide comment prior to the close of the Federal Register comment period on September 29, 2017. After considering all public input received during the comment period, the Council will then determine whether to proceed to a vote on this funding proposal.
Please send any questions or comments to:
Keala J. Hughes
Director of External Affairs & Tribal Relations
(504) 717-7235
Red Snapper season ends Sept. 4
BILOXI, Miss. – Officials with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources are reminding recreational anglers that Red Snapper season in state and federal waters ends at 11:59 p.m. Monday, Sept. 4. Anglers can fish for Red Snapper from Friday, Sept. 1, through Labor Day. They still are required to participate in MDMR’s program for Red Snapper, “Tails n’ Scales.” This reporting program is available through a smartphone app, a website and a call center.
The app is available in iTunes and Google Play. The website is tailsnscales.org. Fishermen also can call 1-844-MSSNAPP (677-6277) to speak to a representative 24 hours a day.
Anglers must create a profile and start a trip in “Tails n’ Scales.” They must have a trip authorization number when they are out on the water. They must report their catch and close out one trip before creating a new one.
