State
Neighbors to industry, 'This problem has not been solved.'
Sun Herald
The residents of Cherokee Forest have been working for years to reduce the air and water pollution coming into their neighborhood from their industrial neighbors.
Get a balloon's-eye view of Bayou Casotte in Pascagoula
Video
CONTROVERSY CONTINUES OVER COSTCO CONSTRUCTION
Northside Sun
Once the foundation is poured, a Costco Wholesale can typically be open for business within four months.
...Site preparation work includes removing the area’s clay and hauling in new dirt for the construction of the store, as well as building a retention pond to slow runoff into a nearby creek. The pond was required by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), Heard said.
Harrison Co. Utility Authority making recycling easier than ever
WLOX
The Harrison County Utility Authority's newest waste company, Team Waste, begins service Oct. 1 to Biloxi, D'Iberville, Pass Christian, Long Beach, and the unincorporated areas of Harrison County.
No eggs found at potential sea turtle nest in Pass Christian
WLOX
PASS CHRISTIAN, MS (WLOX) -A group of scientists is looking into what may or may not have happened to a rare sea turtle nest in Pass Christian. A small patch of beach had been roped off there for months now where the nest was thought to have been.
Dead dolphin washes up in Ocean Springs
WLOX
OCEAN SPRINGS, MS (WLOX) -A dead dolphin was found on the Ocean Springs beach Thursday morning about 100 yards east of the Fort Maurepas Pier.
SPRUCING UP A STORM SHELTER
Daily Journal
Keep Tupelo Beautiful, a local group that “works to inspire and educate residents to improve the community by preventing litter, promoting recycling and beautification,” worked with Tupelo Ward 4 Councilwoman Nettie Davis and the GumTree Museum of Art to paint a mural on the city’s storm shelter at Gumtree Park this week.
Southern Miss hosts Women in Science and Engineering Conference
WDAM
The University of Southern Mississippi hosted its first Women in Science and Engineering Conference.
State Government
Mississippi economy still lagging nation, economist says
Daily Journal
JACKSON – Mississippi’s economy continues to lag that of the nation and will do so for the foreseeable future, state Economist Darrin Webb told legislative leaders Thursday.
Mississippi lawmakers start picking through budget requests
AP
JACKSON, MISS.
Mississippi government agencies are seeking about $800 million more for the coming year — roughly a 13 percent increase in a $6 billion budget. But legislators warn that with slow economic growth, there won't be enough new tax revenue to cover all the requests.
Lawmakers have cut agencies' spending, but not their own
Clarion Ledger
As lawmakers begin scrutinizing state agencies' spending plans, one budget gets little attention — usually not even a mention: the Legislature's.
Oil Spill
Dispersant used in BP oil spill sickened workers, new federal study confirms
Times-Picayune
The chemicals that were used to break up oil from the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon blowout have long been suspected of sickening workers who responded to the disaster. Now a federal health agency is backing some of their assertions.
Regional
Water has no political party - and when it comes to protecting it, neither do these senators
Commercial Appeal
So, I knock on the door of state Sen. Brian Kelsey’s law office in Collierville to talk to him and state Sen. Lee Harris about how they put partisanship aside to work on protecting West Tennessee’s water.
TRUMP TO NOMINATE SEVERAL TO TVA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
AP
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) – The White House says President Donald Trump is nominating people from four states to serve on the Tennessee Valley Authority board of directors. Trump will name Kenneth E. Allen of Kentucky and James R. Thompson III of Alabama for terms that expire in 2021.
National
Air Pollution May Damage Kidneys, New Study Finds
CBS
Air pollution may harm your kidneys, a new study says.
Inspector General Scolds EPA for Failure to Track Farm Emissions
Bloomberg
The Environmental Protection Agency has failed to comply with a 2005 agreement to track air emissions of animal feeding operations, potentially putting some of them in violation of the Clean Air Act, an internal report said.
Report: Trump officials huddle over new climate strategy
The Hill
Trump administration officials met this week to discuss a new path forward on climate change strategy, Politico reported Thursday.
Trump officials adopt 'base'-first strategy on nuclear and coal
The Hill
The Trump administration has found a new strategy for pushing coal and nuclear power over wind and solar.
Court dismisses lawsuit over Obama-era fracking rule
The Hill
A federal appeals court has dismissed a lawsuit over the validity of a hydraulic-fracturing regulation instituted by the Obama administration.
EPA teaching employees how to avoid leaking information
The Hill
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employees are undergoing mandatory classes as part of a Trump administration effort to stop unauthorized disclosures to the press.
Flint's lead-poisoned water had a 'horrifyingly large' effect on fetal deaths, study finds
Washington Post
The fertility rate in Flint, Michigan, dropped precipitously after the city decided to switch to lead-poisoned Flint River water in 2014, according to a new working paper.
Press Releases
Texas A&M Galveston Awarded $2.54 Million To Continue Researching Deepwater Horizon Spill
A research consortium led by Dr. Antonietta Quigg, professor of Marine Biology and associate vice president for Research and Graduate Studies at Texas A&M’s Galveston campus, was awarded $2.54 million by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative to conduct scientific studies of the impacts of oil on the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem and public health. This research will continue the study the effects of the April 2010 Macondo well blowout, also known as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and will focus on improving our fundamental understanding of the implications of such events and on developing improved spill mitigation, oil and gas detection, characterization and remediation technologies. It is part of a grant funded by British Petroleum to 8 research consortia supporting research to be carried out from 2018 through 2019.
Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp said the GoMRI grant reflects the strength of the programs at Texas A&M University at Galveston and the important research of Dr. Quigg and others. “It is our mission at Texas A&M University at Galveston and across the System to keep Texans and the Gulf of Mexico as healthy as possible,” Chancellor Sharp said. “I appreciate this generous grant to help us continue to conduct our important work.”
Dr. Quigg’s project entitled “Aggregation and degradation of dispersants and oil by microbial exopolymers – ADDOMEx2” focuses on developing a better understanding of the molecular-level chemistry of sparingly-soluble substances in complex systems and the associated microbial communities. Research supported thus far by GOMRI as part of ADDOMEx can be found at http://www.tamug.edu/addomex/index.html. “We will continue to investigate the impacts of spilled oil and dispersants on the formation of an extracellular materials produced by marine microbes; this marine snow and marine oil snow, is thought to be instrumental in determining the fate of oil,” said Dr. Quigg.
“Dr. Quigg’s work is critical to adding to our knowledge about the impacts of oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico,” says Texas A&M President Michael K. Young. “We congratulate her on this grant and know that this research will greatly benefit Texans and all populations along the Gulf on several levels.”
“The Deepwater Horizon oil spill was a tragedy for everyone near the Gulf of Mexico and to this day we are still learning it’s impact on our marine environment,” said Col. Michael Fossum, chief operating officer at Texas A&M University at Galveston. “I am proud that our team, which is made up of graduate and undergraduate students, interns and many of the finest researchers in the world, leads this important research.”
Dr. Quigg’s consortium comprises 5 other collaborating institutions. At Texas A&M University, researchers from Marine Biology (Quigg), Marine Science (Peter Santschi), Oceanography (Jason Sylvan) and the Geochemical and Environmental Research Group (Tony Knap and Dr. Terry Wade), will be working with those at the University of California – Merced (Wei-Chun Chin, Mount Allison University, Canada (Zoe Finkel and Andrew Irwin), the University of California Santa Barbara (Uta Passow), Old Dominion University (Patrick Hatcher) and University of New Hampshire (Kai Ziervogel).
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Secretary Zinke Announces $94.3 Million to States for Parks and Outdoor Recreation through Land and Water Conservation Fund
Federal grants invest in state and local parks using earnings from offshore oil and gas leasing
9/21/2017
Date: September 21, 2017
WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke today announced that $94.3 million will be distributed for outdoor recreation and conservation projects to the 50 states, U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which is funded through offshore oil and gas leasing. These funds are awarded through federal matching grants that leverage public and private investment in America’s state and local public parks.
“The Land and Water Conservation Fund state grant program has been a resounding success that makes physical investments in our communities,” Secretary Zinke said. “From Detroit, Michigan, to Lake Tahoe, California, the program benefits citizens across the nation by helping state and local governments make infrastructure investments in urban, suburban, and rural parks. By advancing the Administration's offshore energy goals, we will be able to generate more revenue for the fund to improve conservation and recreation opportunities for generations to come."
“I have long supported the Land and Water Conservation Fund and I’m very pleased to see Secretary Zinke’s announcement today, including $2.3 million for North Carolina parks and outdoor recreation,” said Senator Richard Burr. “The LWCF, which is funded through oil and gas royalties from federal lands at no cost to the taxpayer, has a proven track record of conserving our parks, open spaces, and wildlife habitats for the benefit of future generations. I’m pleased to see Secretary Zinke’s commitment to the program, and I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to permanently reauthorize it going forward.”
“The Land and Water Conservation Fund has played a large role in protecting Tennessee’s outdoors for over 50 years – providing morethan $200 million to conservation and outdoor recreation efforts in our state," said Senator Lamar Alexander. “Today’s announcement that Tennessee will receive more than $1.7 million from LWCF is good news as it will help continue to preserve our state’s beautiful land, water resources, and recreation areas so future generations have the same opportunities to enjoy them as we have.”
The LWCF was established by Congress in 1965 to ensure access to outdoor recreation resources for present and future generations. The funds enable state and local governments to improve existing parks and other recreation areas in their communities through rehabilitation and upgrade projects. These funds are also used to develop and expand parks, trail systems, and recreation opportunities.
“As leading providers of parks and natural areas for outdoor recreation, counties welcome the Department of the Interior's investments in local communities through the Land and Water Conservation Fund," said National Association of Counties Executive Director Matthew Chase. “These matching grants help counties maintain open spaces that contribute to vibrant communities across the country.”
“Having access to a local park is part of what makes a city a great place to live, work and play,” said Clarence E. Anthony, CEO and Executive Director of the National League of Cities (NLC). “The Land and Water Conservation Fund plays an invaluable role in helping cities create and improve parks, open space and outdoor recreation opportunities. The fund also protects our wetlands, refuges and wildlife habitats and helps cities build stronger, healthier and more resilient communities.”
Since the inception of the LWCF, more than $4.1 billion has been made available to state and local governments to fund more than 42,000 projects throughout the nation.
The allocation for the State and Local Assistance grant (stateside) program is determined based on a formula set in the LWCF Act and the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act. For more information, please visit www.nps.gov/lwcf. Mississippi
$1,170,758
