State
COUNCIL MEMBERS QUESTION $5.6 MILLION SAVINGS ON SLUDGE HAULING AGREEMENT
Northside Sun
A major sludge-hauling project mandated by the federal government recently wrapped up on time and under budget.
CITY DROPS APPEAL AGAINST WEST RANKIN UTILITY
Northside Sun
The city of Jackson appears to be changing its strategy in efforts to keep West Rankin County on Jackson sewer.
...The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) approved a permit to build a new plant in 2016, and the decision was upheld by a Rankin County chancery judge.
Jackson appealed that decision to the Mississippi Supreme Court.
COMING SOON
Northside Sun
New Costco construction scheduled to start in spring
Construction on the Ridgeland Costco could get under way in the spring, according to Ridgeland city officials.
...“A weir was added as well to let the water (into Purple Creek),” said Ward One Alderman Ken Heard. “That had to be done for MDEQ.”
BUILDING TO BE NAMED IN HONOR OF FANT
South Reporter (Holly Springs)
…Larry Hall reported that the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has given the all-clear signal so the county can demolish the old Colonial Building on Old Highway 178 East.
Marine education center opening soon in Ocean Springs
WLOX
Staff of USM's Gulf Coast Research Lab were busy on Thursday moving into the new Marine Education Center.
City seeks water legislation
Daily Corinthian
Corinth is seeking special legislation to allow the city to provide needed water to Burnsville and, potentially, other locations.
MADISON LANDING BIDS REJECTED BUT PROJECT STILL ON TIME FOR COMPLETION
Northside Sun
Reservoir officials have rejected bids for the Madison Landing breakwater construction, but this shouldn’t delay the project’s timeline.
AREAS AVAILABLE FOR ADDITIONAL GAS STATIONS IN RIDGELAND AND MADISON IF AND WHEN INITIATED BY DEVELOPERS
Northside Sun
Gas stations are few and far between on the west side of the interstate in south Madison County.
State Government
U.S. Rep. Gregg Harper says he won’t seek re-election
Clarion Ledger
Longtime Republican U.S. Rep. Gregg Harper will not seek a sixth term this year because of family considerations and because he never planned for it to be a career.
TAX REVENUES INCREASE BUT NOT ENOUGH TO CHANGE FUNDING PLANS
MPB
As Mississippi lawmakers decide how to divvy-up dollars for state agencies there are some signs the state may be turning a corner on tax revenue.
Regional
Memphis Wrecking seeking alternative sites for landfill expansion
Commercial Appeal
Memphis Wrecking Co. may try to open a construction-demolition landfill in another area of Memphis instead of pursuing a controversial proposal to expand its existing site in Frayser, the company announced Thursday.
Trump plan would open nearly all the Gulf of Mexico to oil drilling
Times-Picayune
The Trump administration on Thursday (Jan. 4) announced plans for the largest expansion of offshore oil and gas drilling in U.S. history, putting up for lease federal waters in the Arctic, Pacific and Atlantic oceans and millions of acres in the Gulf of Mexico, including protected areas in the eastern Gulf.
US Coast Guard responds to oil spill in Mississippi River
AP
The U.S. Coast Guard said it responded to a fuel oil spill on the Mississippi River near Gramercy, Louisiana.
National
Oregon sues Monsanto over PCB pollution in waterways, soil
AP
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The state of Oregon sued the agrochemical company Monsanto on Thursday over pervasive pollution from PCBs, the toxic industrial chemicals that have accumulated in plants, fish and people around the globe for decades. The company called the lawsuit baseless.
Climate Scientists Exiled by Trump Form Panel to Continue Work
Bloomberg
The Trump administration disbanded a federal advisory committee on climate change last year but the scientists on the panel won’t be deterred. They’re taking their research elsewhere.
GAO finds inconsistencies in processing offshore oil testing
The Hill
Federal regulators under the Obama administration were inconsistent in how they processed applications to conduct seismic research for offshore oil and natural gas, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found.
Opinion
THE UNDEAD YAZOO PUMP PROJECT
Northside Sun
The Mississippi Public Service Commission finally drove a stake through the gasifier heart of the Kemper County Lignite Plant. So customers won’t pay for most of its $7 billion cost. But the PSC may allow $300 million more in gasifier collateral costs for its turbines running on natural gas. These toes are still sticking up. The PSC should bury them too.
Press Releases
USDA/NRCS and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Partner to Restore the Gulf
Jackson, Miss. – The United States Department of Agriculture/Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is partnering with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to help Mississippi producers, farmers, and ranchers implement conservation practices that benefit Gulf Coast natural resources.
This project is a national effort between NRCS and NFWF to target funds for the three Mississippi coastal counties of Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson.
The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) will be the two NRCS programs utilized to fund approved applications.
NRCS strives to help producers and landowners enact environmentally friendly activities such as improving water and air quality, building healthier soils, improving grazing and forest lands, enhancing organic operations and conserving energy. All programs are voluntary and offer science-based solutions that benefit both the landowner and the environment.
"The gulf partnership between NRCS and NFWF will help fund projects that will address resource concerns to improve the environmental health of our coastal areas,” stated Kurt Readus, NRCS state conservationist for Mississippi.
Primary resource concerns are soil erosion, water quality degradation, insufficient water, and inadequate habitat for fish and wildlife. Some of the eligible practices include: streambank and shoreline protection, grade stabilization structures, nutrient management, sediment basin, critical area stabilization, stream crossings, wetland wildlife habitat management, early successional habitat development/management, and shallow water development and management.
Applications for all NRCS financial-assistance programs are accepted on a continuous sign-up process, however, to be considered for funding in the first ranking period, applications for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Partnership to Restore the Gulf must be received by February 9, 2018.
For more information, visit the NRCS website at: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/site/ms/home/ Applicants can sign up at their local NRCS office. To locate an office, please go to http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app.
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Perdue Announces Farm Service Agency State Committee Appointees
Washington, D.C., January 4, 2018 – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced a slate of Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Committee Appointees. State committees are selected by the Secretary, serve at the pleasure of the Secretary, and are responsible for carrying out FSA’s farm programs within delegated authorities.
“The State Committees will help to ensure USDA is providing our farmers, ranchers, foresters, and agricultural producers with the best customer service,” Secretary Perdue said. “They serve as a liaison between USDA and the producers in each state across the nation by keeping them informed and hearing their appeals and complaints. The committees are made up mostly of active farmers and ranchers, representing their peers and ensuring USDA’s programs are supporting the American harvest.”
The following is a list of State Committees released today:
Mississippi
- Committee Chair Ted Kendall IV – Bolton
- Scott Flowers – Clarksdale
- Bobby Moody – Louisville
- Henry Reed – Belzoni
- Rita Seward – Jackson County
EPA Recognizes 2017 WasteWise Winners
01/04/2018
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognizes the prevention and diversion accomplishments of the 16 WasteWise national award winners, who collectively prevented and recycled over 355,801 tons of waste, saving $17.7 million in avoided landfill fees.
“This is yet another excellent example of the EPA partnering with communities and organizations to achieve environmental and economic benefits through waste prevention and management. The WasteWise award winners have exemplified tremendous environmental stewardship and fiscal responsibility, and we commend their efforts,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.
For 23 years, EPA’s WasteWise has helped organizations and businesses apply sustainable materials management practices to prevent and reduce municipal and select industrial wastes, saving them resources and money.
WasteWise partners reported preventing and diverting 8.5 million tons of waste that would otherwise have been disposed in landfills or incinerators. These actions—which include waste prevention, recycling, composting and donation—saved participants over $400 million in avoided landfill fees.
WasteWise partners who report the best overall improvement in waste prevention and recycling activities—when compared to the previous year—receive awards in various categories.
The 16 national award winners are:
College and University
- Texas: Partner of the Year - University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
- Georgia: Honorable Mention - Georgia State University
Federal Government
- California: Partner of the Year - The Presidio Trust
Large Business
- New Jersey: Partner of the Year - Ravitz Family Markets, Price Rite Supermarkets, Inc.
- New Jersey: Honorable Mention - Ravitz Family Markets, Shoprite: Union Mill Rd., Mount Laurel Supermarkets, Inc.
Local Government
- Illinois: Partner of the Year - City of Urbana
- Florida: Honorable Mention - City of Fort Lauderdale
Mid-size Business
- Wisconsin: Partner of the Year - Frito Lay, Beloit, WI
- Virginia: Honorable Mention - JK Moving Services
Non-profit Organization
- Massachusetts: Partner of the Year - Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
School/School District
- Florida: Partner of the Year - Pasco County Schools
Small Business
- Missouri: Partner of the Year - Urban Chestnut Brewing Company
- California: Honorable Mention - Earth Friendly Products
- Washington: Honorable Mention - CenturyLink Field
Very Large Business
- Wisconsin: Partner of the Year - Kohl’s Department Stores
- Illinois: Honorable Mention - Sears Holdings Corporation
Secretary Zinke Announces Plan For Unleashing America's Offshore Oil and Gas Potential
Draft Proposed Program considers nearly the entire U.S. Outer Continental Shelf for potential oil and gas lease sales
1/4/2018
WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke today announced the next step for responsibly developing the National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program (National OCS Program) for 2019-2024, which proposes to make over 90 percent of the total OCS acreage and more than 98 percent of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources in federal offshore areas available to consider for future exploration and development. By comparison, the current program puts 94 percent of the OCS off limits. In addition, the program proposes the largest number of lease sales in U.S. history.
“Responsibly developing our energy resources on the Outer Continental Shelf in a safe and well-regulated way is important to our economy and energy security, and it provides billions of dollars to fund the conservation of our coastlines, public lands and parks,” said Secretary Zinke. “Today's announcement lays out the options that are on the table and starts a lengthy and robust public comment period. Just like with mining, not all areas are appropriate for offshore drilling, and we will take that into consideration in the coming weeks. The important thing is we strike the right balance to protect our coasts and people while still powering America and achieving American Energy Dominance"
Earlier this year, 155 Members of both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate sent letters to Secretary Zinke in support of a new 5-year plan that recognizes America’s potential for energy dominance. The Draft Proposed Program (DPP) includes 47 potential lease sales in 25 of the 26 planning areas – 19 sales off the coast of Alaska, 7 in the Pacific Region, 12 in the Gulf of Mexico, and 9 in the Atlantic Region. This is the largest number of lease sales ever proposed for the National OCS Program’s 5-year lease schedule.
“By proposing to open up nearly the entire OCS for potential oil and gas exploration, the United States can advance the goal of moving from aspiring for energy independence to attaining energy dominance,” said Vincent DeVito, Counselor for Energy Policy at Interior. “This decision could bring unprecedented access to America’s extensive offshore oil and gas resources and allows us to better compete with other oil-rich nations.”
Release of the DPP is an early step in a multi-year process to develop a final National OCS Program for 2019-2024. Today's draft proposal was informed by approximately 816,000 comments from a wide variety of stakeholders, including state governments, federal agencies, public interest groups, industry, and the public. Before the program is finalized, the public will have additional opportunities to provide input. The 2017-2022 Five Year Program will continue to be implemented until the new National OCS Program is approved.
“This plan is an early signal to the global marketplace that the United States intends to remain a global leader in responsible offshore energy development and produce affordable American energy for many decades to come,” said Katharine MacGregor, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management. “This proposed plan shows our commitment to a vibrant offshore energy economy that supports the thousands of men and women working in the offshore energy industry, from supply vessels to rig crews.”
Inclusion of an area in the DPP is not a final indication that it will be included in the approved Program or offered in a lease sale, because many decision points still remain. By proposing to open these areas for consideration, the Secretary ensures that he will receive public input and analysis on all of the available OCS to better inform future decisions on the National OCS Program. Prior to any individual lease sale in the future, BOEM will continue to incorporate new scientific information and stakeholder feedback in its reviews to further refine the geographic scope of the lease areas.
“American energy production can be competitive while remaining safe and environmentally sound,” said Acting BOEM Director Walter Cruickshank. “Public input is a crucial part of this process, and we hope to hear from industry groups, elected officials, other government agencies, concerned citizens and others as we move forward with developing the 2019-2024 National OCS Program.”
The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act requires the Secretary of the Interior, through BOEM, to prepare and maintain a schedule of proposed oil and gas lease sales in federal waters, indicating the size, timing, and location of leasing activity that would best meet national energy needs for the five-year period following Program approval. In developing the National OCS Program, the Secretary is required to achieve an appropriate balance among the potential for environmental impacts, for discovery of oil and gas, and for adverse effects on the coastal zone. BOEM currently manages about 2,900 active OCS leases, covering almost 15.3 million acres – the vast majority in the Gulf of Mexico. In fiscal year 2016, oil and gas leases on the OCS accounted for approximately 18 percent of domestic oil production and 4 percent of domestic natural gas production. This production generates billions of dollars in revenue for state and local governments and the U.S. taxpayer, while supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Gulf of Mexico:
The DPP includes 12 sales in the Gulf of Mexico, one of the most productive basins in the world and where oil and gas infrastructure is well established. The draft proposal continues the current approach to lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico by proposing 10 biannual lease sales in those areas of the Western, Central, and Eastern Gulf of Mexico that are not subject to Congressional moratorium or otherwise unavailable, and two sales in the portions of the Eastern and Central Gulf of Mexico after the expiration of the Congressional moratorium in 2022. This is the first time the majority of the Eastern GOM Planning Area would be available for leasing since 1988.
Alaska:
The DPP proposes 19 lease sales in the Alaska Region (3 in the Chukchi Sea, 3 in the Beaufort Sea, 2 in Cook Inlet, and 1 sale each in 11 other program areas in Alaska). These 11 program areas consist of the Gulf of Alaska, Kodiak, Shumagin, Aleutian Arc, St. George Basin, Bowers Basin, Aleutian Basin, Navarin Basin, St. Matthew-Hall, Norton Basin, and Hope Basin. No sales are proposed in the North Aleutian Basin Planning Area that has been under Presidential withdrawal since December 2014.
Pacific:
The DPP proposes 7 lease sales in the Pacific Region (2 each for Northern California, Central California, and Southern California, and 1 for Washington/Oregon). There have been no sales in the Pacific Region since 1984. Currently there are 43 leases in producing status in the Southern California Planning Area.
Atlantic:
The DPP proposes 9 lease sales in the Atlantic Region (3 sales each for the Mid- and South Atlantic, 2 for the North Atlantic, and 1 for the Straits of Florida). There have been no sales in the Atlantic since 1983 and there are no existing leases.
NEXT STEPS
In conjunction with the announcement of the DPP, the Department is also publishing a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act.
Public meetings will be held around the country starting on January 16, 2018, to receive comments on the DPP and to inform the Draft Programmatic EIS. Specific dates, times, and venues will be posted on BOEM’s website at https://www.boem.gov/National-Program/. Using the information received from these public meetings, BOEM will prepare a Proposed Program (PP), which will be published for public comment, to be followed by a Proposed Final Program (PFP). In addition, the Department will prepare a Draft Programmatic EIS to be published concurrently with the PP, and a Final EIS with the PFP.
The DPP and the NOI will be available for public comment for 60 days following the publication of the documents in the Federal Register.
