State
ENERGY PRODUCTION IN MISSISSIPPI
WXXV
Consumer Energy Alliance, a nonprofit group based out of Houston, Texas visited Biloxi as part of their new campaign aimed at balancing and depoliticizing the energy discussion.
Wastewater treatment plant to be privatized?
Vicksburg Post
City officials are considering privatizing the city’s wastewater treatment plant.
The Board of Mayor and Aldermen Thursday approved a contract with Trilogy Engineering Services of Jackson to prepare a request for proposals to operate and manage the wastewater treatment plant on Rifle Range Road.
Grant awarded to aid Green Tee subdivision
Daily Journal
TUPELO – Lee County will receive federal grant funds to address longstanding problems with the sewer lines in a neighborhood with a large low-income population.
Supes hear report of services from Weems officials
Kemper County Messenger
In other action, the Board:
— Voted 4-0 to approve an order to allow Dr. Cook to submit a grant to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality under the Local Solid Waste Assistance Grants Fund for fiscal year July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018.
Brandon leaders, NWS reach compromise
National Weather Service says it is concerned about radar blockage
WAPT
BRANDON, Miss. —The city of Brandon is growing and the demand for more water is putting city officials in a tough spot when it comes to building a new water tower.
Magnolia State Gem, Mineral, and Jewelry Show is this weekend
Sun Herald
The Mississippi Gulf Coast Gem and Mineral Society will sponsor their 28th annual Magnolia State Gem, Mineral, & Jewelry Show this weekend.
State Government
Patrol boat added to Sheriff’s fleet
Vicksburg Post
The Warren County Sheriff’s Office’s ability to patrol the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers was enhanced Thursday with the delivery of a 33-foot patrol boat donated by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources.
Treasurer Fitch to join Millsaps College faculty
NewsMS
State Treasurer Lynn Fitch will join the faculty of Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi as an adjunct professor in the Political Science Department.
Regional
North Shore marsh restoration project 90 percent complete
Times-Picayune
Clarksville on list of 'Most Toxic Places' thanks to zinc plant
Leaf Chronicle
Clarksville and Montgomery County have landed on a set of lists of 'Most Toxic Places' in the United States, mainly because of toxins produced at the Nyrstar Zinc Plant.
National
Senate confirms top air regulator at EPA
The Hill
The Senate on Thursday confirmed William Wehrum to head the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Air and Radiation, making him one of the most powerful officials in the agency.
EPA seeks to repeal part of Obama emissions rule for big trucks
The Hill
The Trump administration is proposing to repeal a key piece of former President Obama’s regulation limiting greenhouse gas emissions from big trucks.
Delay sought for reporting farm air emissions
National Hog Farmer
With a Nov. 15 deadline looming, the National Pork Producers Council and the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association today filed a brief in support of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s motion to delay a mandate that farmers report certain air emissions from manure on their farms.
The decisions behind Monsanto's weedkiller crisis
Reuters
In early 2016, agri-business giant Monsanto Co. faced a decision that would prove pivotal in what since has become a sprawling herbicide crisis, with millions of acres of crops damaged.
Utah among the most toxic states, report says
Deseret News
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah ranks among the highest producers of toxic chemicals in the United States, according to data and information from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
These lab-grown mosquitoes kill off other mosquitoes. And now they're legal in the US
USA Today
The key to wiping out mosquitoes might just be more mosquitoes. Lab-grown, infected mosquitoes.
Obama's EPA spent $690,000 on parking spots no one used
Fox News
The Environmental Protection Agency spent nearly $700,000 for parking spots that no one used during the final two years of the Obama administration.
Press Releases
Administrator Pruitt Advances Effort to Keep EPA within Regulatory Lane with Proposed Repeal of Glider Provisions from Heavy-Duty Truck Rule
11/09/2017
Contact Information:
(WASHINGTON) - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to undo the regulatory overreach of the prior administration by repealing application of the Medium- and Heavy-Duty Truck Phase II Greenhouse Gas Emission and Fuel Efficiency Standards for the glider industry. Gliders are a specially manufactured type of heavy duty highway vehicle assembled from newly manufactured kits that include the vehicle’s frame and cab, to which a used engine, transmission and axles are added.
“The previous administration attempted to bend the rule of law and expand the reach of the federal government in a way that threatened to put an entire industry of specialized truck manufacturers out of business,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “Accordingly, the Agency is taking comment on an interpretation of the Clean Air Act that recognizes the unique nature of a vehicle made up of both new and used component parts. Gliders not only provide a more affordable option for smaller owners and operators, but also serve as a key economic driver to numerous rural communities.”
Due to the unique way that gliders are manufactured, the Agency is proposing that gliders should not be regulated as “new motor vehicles” or “new motor vehicle engines” under section 202(a)(1) of the Clean Air Act. This action does not affect nor propose to affect EPA’s authority to address heavy-duty engine rebuilding practices under Clean Air Act section 202(a)(3)(D).
EPA estimates that about 10,000 gliders are manufactured annually, comprising less than five percent of the Class 8 heavy-duty highway truck market.
Senate Confirms William Wehrum to Lead EPA Air Office
11/09/2017
Contact Information:
WASHINGTON (November 9, 2017) – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt praised the U.S. Senate vote to confirm William (Bill) Wehrum to serve as the Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation.
“I want to thank Leader McConnell and Chairman Barrasso for their continued partnership and outstanding leadership with getting Bill confirmed to such an important role at the agency. Bill Wehrum has a long history of public service, including over 30 years working in the environmental field. I look forward to him joining EPA to help us implement our positive environmental agenda and administer programs that ensure that Americans have access to clean air,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.
On October 25, 2017, the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, led by U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) advanced William Wehrum’s nomination out of committee.
