State
WATERWAY DISASTER RESPONSE PLANS
WCBI
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Paint thinner being shipped on a waterway?
It sounds risky, but experts say it’s the most efficient way to deliver items in large quantities.
However, even efficiency has its risks.
Flaggs meets with Trump administration again in D.C.
Vicksburg Post
Mayor George Flaggs Jr. returned to Washington, D.C., Monday at the invitation of the Trump administration to discuss infrastructure, taking with him a request for $195 million federal assistance for major infrastructure projects in Vicksburg.
State Government
Former Moss Point police chief Keith Davis is back
Sun Herald
During Monday’s Board of Aldermen meeting, Moss Point announced it has re-hired Keith Davis as its police chief.
Davis is a familiar name in Jackson County as he previously served as Moss Point police chief for three years before stepping down in 2014 to work at the state Department of Marine Resources.
Oil Spill
Spending bill limits chance of dolphins halting Mississippi River sediment diversions
Times-Picayune
A provision tucked into the supplemental spending bill approved by Congress last week (Feb. 8) will limit the ability of federal officials to veto permits for two proposed sediment diversions on the Mississippi River because of their potential to hurt groups of bottlenose dolphins in Louisiana waters already decimated by the BP oil spill.
Regional
White House proposes keeping coastal funding in budget, after placing it on chopping block in past years
The Advocate
The White House's proposed budget takes the ax to a wide range of domestic programs, but unlike in past years, federal oil money that funds Louisiana's coastal restoration efforts isn't on the chopping block.
TVA spills all dams downstream of Watts Bar to prevent flooding
After several inches of rain across Tennessee, the Tennessee Valley Authority is managing its 49 dams to prevent flooding while maximizing power production.
WBIR
After several inches of rain across Tennessee, the Tennessee Valley Authority is managing its 49 dams to prevent flooding while maximizing power production.
Trump plan would study sale of federal utility's assets
AP
The infrastructure plan outlined by President Donald Trump on Monday suggests studying whether the nation's largest public utility should sell its transmission assets, which Tennessee Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander called "a looney idea" with "zero chance of becoming law."
National
Trump Administration Targets Obama-Era Effort to Limit Methane
NY Times
The Trump administration on Monday moved to repeal one of the last unchallenged climate-change regulations rushed into place in the waning days of the Obama presidency — a rule restricting the release of planet-warming methane into the atmosphere.
Trump, Citing ‘Redundancies,’ Again Proposes Steep Cuts to EPA
Bloomberg
Months after three major hurricanes devastated Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico, the White House once again proposed slashing spending on government programs to combat climate change and protect communities from the flooding it could unleash.
White House proposes 25 percent cut to EPA funding
The Hill
President Trump's budget proposal for fiscal 2019 contains a 25 percent cut to funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Trump aims to speed environmental reviews in infrastructure plan
The Hill
The Trump administration is asking Congress to cut “duplicative” environmental review procedures as part of the president’s massive infrastructure plan.
Here Are the Places That Struggle to Meet the Rules on Safe Drinking Water
NY Times
WASHINGTON — To ensure that tap water in the United States is safe to drink, the federal government has been steadily tightening the health standards for the nation’s water supplies for decades. But over and over again, local water systems around the country have failed to meet these requirements.
Shale Output Hasn’t Grown This Fast Since Oil Was at $100
In closely watched report, IEA warns U.S. crude output is set to outpace demand in 2018
WSJ
LONDON—U.S. shale companies are churning out crude oil at a record pace that could overwhelm global demand and reverse the oil market’s fragile recovery, a top energy-market observer said Tuesday.
Another top Wisconsin DNR official heads to EPA
AP
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Another top Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources official is leaving to join President Donald Trump's administration.
Opinion
Brookhaven moves ahead with utility services
Daily Leader
Though it took longer than officials and residents had hoped, some areas annexed by Brookhaven years ago will finally get water and sewer service from the city.
Press Releases
MS Outdoors Radio: Chronic Wasting Disease
From MDWFP
On this episode of Mississippi Outdoors Radio we discuss the impact of a confirmed Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) positive deer in Mississippi. For more information visit our CWD page or call the Wildlife Bureau at 601-432-9122.
Shell Chemical LP To Install $10 Million In Pollution Monitoring And Control Equipment At Norco Chemical Facility In Louisiana To Resolve Alleged Federal And State Clean Air Violations
02/12/2018
WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) announced a settlement today with Shell Chemical LP that each year will eliminate more than 150 tons of excess emissions of harmful air pollutants from Shell’s chemical plant located in Norco, Louisiana, in St. Charles Parish.
USDA Announces Cotton Board Appointments
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2018 -- Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue today announced the appointment of 13 members, 13 alternate members and one advisor to serve on the Cotton Board. The following appointees will serve three-year terms ending Dec. 31, 2020.
“The Cotton Board carries out research and promotional activities that strengthen the competitive position of cotton by expanding demand in domestic and foreign markets, improving fiber quality, and lowering costs of production,” said Perdue. “These appointees represent a cross section of the industry and I know that the cotton industry will be well served by their work."
The newly appointed member is Pace Hindsley, Marvell, Ark.
Re-appointed members are:
- Michael K. Kobori, Berkeley, Calif.
- Dustin Mancebo, Dos Palos, Calif.
- Debi M. Gregg, Irvine, Calif.
- Sally M. Gilligan, San Francisco, Calif.
- George G. LaCour Jr., Morganza, La.
- James C. Robertson Jr., Indianola, Miss.
- Akiko Inui, New York, N.Y.
- Chuck J. Ward, Hickory, N.C.
- David M. Dunlow, Roanoke Rapids, N.C.
- Bryan K. Patterson, Amherst, Texas
- Debra R. Barrett, Edroy, Texas
- Sigifredo Valverde, Shallowater, Texas
Newly appointed alternate members are:
- Rebecca E. Thom, Lake Providence, La.
- James W. McKinnon, Rye, N.Y.
- Silas K. Smith, Rocky Mount, N.C.
- Rafe A. Banks, Memphis, Tenn.
- Jon T. Jones, Floydada, Texas
- Laurie A. Sutandar, Frisco, Texas
- Kody S. Bessent, Lubbock, Texas
- Emily L. Gigot, Seattle, Wash.
Re-appointed alternate members are:
- Aaron Barcellos, Los Banos, Calif.
- Marshall D. Draughn Jr., Severna Park, Md.
- Patrick L. Johnson, Jr., Tunica, Miss.
- Stefanie Rotta, Elkins Park, Pa.
- Michael C. Popp, El Campo, Texas
Re-appointed as advisor is Marshal Cohen, Upper Brookeville, N.Y.
The Secretary also appointed the following:
- Rajiv Malik, Tiburon, Calif., to fill an importer alternate positon expiring Dec. 31, 2018
- Andrea Nypen, Lakeville, Minn., to fill an importer alternate position expiring Dec. 31, 2019
- Douglas P. Guiley, New York, N.Y., to fill an importer alternate position expiring Dec. 31, 2018
- Ronnie N. Hopper Jr., Petersburg, Texas, to fill a producer alternate position expiring Dec. 31, 2019
The Cotton Research and Promotion Act of 1966 (Act) authorized a national cotton research and promotion program that is both industry-operated and funded. Since 1966, Congress has authorized 22 industry-funded research and promotion boards to provide a framework for agricultural industries to pool resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provides oversight, paid for by industry assessments, which helps ensure fiscal responsibility, program efficiency and fair treatment of participating stakeholders.
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