State
Re-nourishment of Cat Island to finish in October
NewsMS
With high-tech equipment pumping up to 50,000 cubic yards of sand per day from a shoal area in the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Corps of Engineers’ project to re-nourish Cat Island’s East Beach is expected to conclude in mid-October.
A much-reduced Mississippi oyster season opens Monday
AP
A much-reduced Mississippi oyster season opens Monday.
Mississippi Forestry Commission names new fire chief
AP
Randy Giachelli will be the Mississippi Forestry Commission's new fire chief, starting Sunday.
State Forester Charlie Morgan made the announcement Friday, citing Giachelli's experience.
TOYOTA CLEANS UP TOMBIGBEE STATE PARK
WCBI
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI)- This was the third year Toyota team members came to Tombigbee State Park near Tupelo, as part of National Public Lands Day. This year they concentrated on the Group camp, which has been in serious need of work.
Laurel neighbors clean-up community
WDAM
LAUREL, MS (WDAM) -While most people like to sleep in on Saturday morning, some Laurel residents were up bright and early walking the streets of their neighborhood with trash bags.
State Government
Gulfport attorney, state senator appointed to Court of Appeals
Sun Herald
State Sen. Sean Tindell, R-Gulfport, has been appointed to the state Court of Appeals to fill the
vacancy created when Gov. Phil Bryant put Judge David Ishee on the state Supreme Court. Tindell will join the Appeals Court on Nov. 2.
Is Delbert Hosemann trying to ‘control’ Biloxi’s waterfront? The city thinks so.
Sun Herald
The city, Biloxi School District and Harrison County are asking to join a private developer’s lawsuit against Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, fearing he is trying to gobble up some of their tax revenue.
Why did the state Department of Education pay a community activist for tech services?
Clarion Ledger
JACKSON
State officials have been trying to figure out why the Mississippi Department of Education was buying information technology goods from Memphis community activist Joseph B. Kyles.
Oil Spill
Scientists get $4.8M to keep studying 2010 oil spill effects
AP
COCODRIE, LA.
Researchers headed by a Louisiana consortium have received nearly $5 million to keep studying the effects of the 2010 oil spill on southeastern Louisiana marsh ecosystems.
Regional
Alabama cracks down on E. coli bacteria in rivers with revised standards
Al.com
Alabama wastewater treatment facilities will soon face tighter limits on how much E. coli bacteria they are allowed to discharge into Alabama rivers, thanks to revised standards approved by the Alabama Environmental Management Commission.
National
Week ahead: EPA poised to deliver major ozone, climate decisions
The Hill
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is poised to deliver major regulatory decisions on ozone and climate change in the coming week.
St. Gabriel's mayor heading efforts to encourage eco-friendly investment along Mississippi River
The Advocate
Leaders of cities along the Mississippi River have chosen St. Gabriel Mayor Lionel Johnson Jr. to head up efforts to encourage ecologically-conscious investment along the banks.
Cows producing greenhouse gas? New study suggests we may have underestimated how much
McClatchy
Research published in Carbon Balance and Management suggests that livestock are producing more methane gas than previously estimated.
Public interest groups decry EPA's utility-friendly move on coal ash
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
At 7:51 p.m. on Sept. 14,
Lisa Evans’ evening was interrupted by a call from the Environmental Protection Agency. Their after-hours message: An extension granted earlier had suddenly been rescinded, and public comments regarding the overhaul of state regulations on coal ash — one of the most voluminous forms of toxic, industrial waste in the country — were now due in barely four hours, at midnight.
Volkswagen Takes New $2.9 Billion Hit From Diesel Scandal
Costs stem from buyback and retrofitting programs of vehicles in North America
WSJ
BERLIN—The bill for
Volkswagen AG’s diesel-emissions scandal jumped by €2.5 billion ($2.94 billion) to just under $30 billion, after the company said it would take another charge to earnings, citing higher-than-expected costs for fixing cars in the U.S.
Indiana undecided on how to spend $41M Volkswagen settlement
AP
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana officials have yet to decide how to use the $41 million the state will receive from a settlement federal regulators reached with Volkswagen, which cheated on emissions tests.
EPA: Dioxin leaking from Waste Pits
Carcinogen shows up in sediment 2,000 times higher than allowed
Houston Chronicle
Hurricane Harvey caused dioxin, one of the most potent human carcinogens, to leak from the San Jacinto Waste Pits, posing a threat to fish and public health, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has confirmed.
U.S. ethanol producers, lawmaker blast EPA biofuels proposal
Reuters
Ethanol producers and a high-profile Midwest lawmaker on Friday said a proposal to tweak the U.S. renewable fuels program in a way that would count exports of the corn-based fuel against federal volumes mandates would hurt biofuel makers.
Little fish, big worry: Future of menhaden sparks concern
AP
PORTLAND, MAINE
A big decision about the future of a little fish is attracting the attention of ocean conservation groups who say they are concerned about whether menhaden fishing can be considered sustainable.
Press Releases
EPA Staff Winners of 2017 Samuel J. Heyman Service Awards
WASHINGTON (September 28, 2017) — Two sets of EPA employees have won the 2017 Samuel J. Heyman Service to American medals, better known as “Sammies,” for their dedicated work on the Volkswagen settlement case and revitalizing urban waters.
“On behalf of EPA, I want to congratulate Phillip, Byron, Surabhi, and the EPA Urban Waters Team on their awards. They are stellar examples of the hard work and dedication of EPA employees. I thank them for their exemplary service,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.
Phillip A. Brooks of the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance and Byron Bunker of the Office of Air and Radiation were awarded Federal Employee of the Year along with the Justice Department’s Joshua H. van Eaton for their rigorous work on the Volkswagen settlement that helped compensate car owners affected by the lawsuit and also funded projects to reduce pollution across the country.
Surabhi Shah and and the Urban Waters Team from the Office of Water won Sammies for their work on creating public-private partnerships to clean up and revitalize urban waterways and surrounding lands, spurring economic development and reversing decades of neglect.
