State
Aldermen Approve Small Increase For Water Rates
North Mississippi Herald
WATER VALLEY – Aldermen approved a small rate increase for water and sewage for residential customers in last week’s city board meeting but stopped short of implementing an increase for industrial customers.
...Both Floyd and Gray explained that the investment to upgrade the plant’s wastewater treatment is an attempt to resolve lingering issues that both the city and plant face with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality with wastewater treatment.
GAS AND ODORS FROM LANDFILL TAINT SOUTH SCOTT AIR
Scott County Times
Al Bergin lives a mile from the Clearview landfill in south Scott County and says there are times he can’t even leave his house. “On some days going outside is not an option because of the heavy cloud of odor that fills the air,” Bergin said.
...In December the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) requested that Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health (CTEH) initiate an air monitoring and sampling in response to odor concerns by the residents. One test conducted by the CTEH identified Hydrogen sulfide.
County gets $20K MDEQ grant
Neshoba Democrat
Neshoba County received a grant in excess of $20,000 from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality awarded for the county’s Solid Waste Management Plan.
School construction halted after signs of asbestos found
WLOX
Scheduled renovations at Escatawpa Upper Elementary School over the Mardi Gras break were halted after crews found signs of asbestos.
Yazoo River project back in motion?
Vicksburg Post
Officials hope a measure inserted into the Senate appropriations bill by Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., will revive a $220 million project to help the Yazoo River backwater areas during floods.
Scenic Rivers bill passes Senate
Enterprise-Journal
A bill that would make the Scenic Rivers Development Alliance a political subdivision of the state passed the Senate on Tuesday after clearing the House Jan. 31.
Lake Cleanup Is Feb. 24
North Mississippi Herald
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Volunteers for Waste Management would like to remind everyone of Enid Lake's Annual Clean Up Day scheduled Saturday, Feb. 24, at 7 a.m.
The Great American Cleanup returns in April with a countywide cleanup effort.
Itawamba County Times
It’s time to start thinking about spring cleaning … countywide.
For the third year running, Itawamba County will be participating in the annual Great American Cleanup.
Aberdeen aldermen talk trash and how to find a solution
Monroe Journal
ABERDEEN – During the Feb. 6 board of aldermen meeting, Cornelius Miller’s citizen input regarding tires and garbage littering the sides of Ben Bender Road sparked discussion from around the board table and board room on the centralized topic of trash in the city.
Oktibbeha EMA receives Hazardous Emergency Preparedness Grant
Starkville Daily News
The Oktibbeha County Emergency Management Agency recently received a $17, 948 Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Grant.
MDMR offers bag dredge exchange program for oyster fisherman at no cost
WLOX
Mississippi oyster fishermen can participate in a bag dredge exchange program through the state Department of Marine Resources. The program will allow fisherman who qualify to exchange a basket dredge for a bag dredge at no cost.
Ship Island hurricane repairs underway
WLOX
Work is underway to get Ship Island ready for spring visitors. Last fall, Hurricane Nate damage the ferry pier, the cross-island boardwalk, the snack bar, restrooms and other buildings on the barrier island.
Jackson Public Works Director lays out plan for 12-year infrastructure project
WJTV
A four step plan to fix the capital city's infrastructure, that's what Public Works Director, Bob Miller presented to city leaders today.
COUNTY PROJECT EARNS AWARD
South Reporter
The Mississippi Economic Development Council announces the Niagara Bottling Inc. project has won the 2017 Community Economic Development Award.
State Government
House votes to give tax credit for college graduates
Daily Journal
JACKSON – The House, with no dissenting votes, approved a bill Wednesday to exempt college graduates working in the state from having to pay a state income tax for three years.
Oil Spill
Escambia County will deploy more than 700 new artificial reefs
PNJ
Building on the popularity of its artificial reef program, Escambia County plans to deploy more than 700 more of the structures in the waters off Pensacola.
Regional
Greening Mardi Gras: Recycling effort targets parade trash
AP
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Mardi Gras produces days of merriment, indulgence, a few hangovers - and a lot of garbage. Once the parades have passed and the beads have been thrown, the cleanup begins.
Citgo must pay $81 million fine for 2006 spill in Louisiana: U.S. 5th Circuit
Times-Picayune
A federal judge was correct in fining the Citgo Petroleum Corp. $81 million for allowing its Lake Charles area refinery to discharge at least 53,000 barrels of slop oil into the Indian Marais waterway, Calcasieu River and adjacent waterways in 2006, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday (Feb. 14).
National
How $225,000 Can Help Secure a Pollution Loophole at Trump’s E.P.A.
NY Times
CROSSVILLE, Tenn. — The gravel parking lot at the Fitzgerald family’s truck dealership here in central Tennessee was packed last week with shiny new Peterbilt and Freightliner trucks, as well as a steady stream of buyers from across the country.
Top EPA Science Adviser Has History Of Questioning Pollution Research
NPR
EPA Chief Says He Flies First Class Due to Security Concerns
AP
Washington (AP) -- The head of the Environmental Protection Agency has broken months of silence about his frequent premium-class flights at taxpayer expense, saying he needs to fly first class because of unpleasant interactions with other travelers.
Opinion
Clean air, land and water: Time for the EPA to start keeping its promises
USA Today
Scott Pruitt
A few months ago, I promised the people of Missouri that I would make a decision and propose a cleanup plan for the West Lake Landfill. Recently, I made good on that commitment.
Make sure the $16 billion for Gulf restoration is well spent | Opinion
Times-Picayune
Opinion by Larry McKinney and Chris Robbins
In the shadow of New Orleans' legendary Mardi Gras festivities, the city recently hosted a much more sober affair -- one that can make or break the Gulf of Mexico.
Press Releases
The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (Council) will vote on its 2017 Annual Report to Congress. This vote will be conducted during a Council teleconference, scheduled for February 21, 2018, While the teleconference is not open to the public, the results of this vote will be publicly available on the Council website and distributed via Council eBlast notification. The Annual Report to Congress summarizes the Council’s 2017 calendar year activities, including but not limited to accomplishments related to the funding approvals to date for both the Council-Selected Restoration Component (commonly referred to as “Bucket 2”) and the Spill Impact Component (commonly referred to as “Bucket 3”).
In addition, the 2017 Annual Report to Congress includes reports from the Centers of Excellence. The RESTORE Act dedicates 2.5 percent of the Trust Fund to the Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program, administered by the Department of Treasury. These funds may be used to establish Centers of Excellence for science, technology, and monitoring. In accordance with the RESTORE Act, each State provides an annual report on its respective Center of Excellence to the RESTORE Council containing grant information, including the amount, discipline(s), and recipients of each grant, and in the case of any grant awarded to a consortium, the membership of the consortium. To date four Centers of Excellence have been established: Florida RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Program, Louisiana’s RESTORE Center of Excellence Research Grants Program, Mississippi Based RESTORE Act Center of Excellence, and Texas RESTORE Centers of Excellence.
Learn more about:
MDMR begins bag dredge exchange program
BILOXI, Miss. – Mississippi oyster fishermen who qualify can participate in a bag dredge exchange program through the state Department of Marine Resources. In 2017, the Commission on Marine Resources banned the use of basket dredges because of the damage this dredge can do to reefs. This program will allow fishermen who qualify to exchange a basket dredge for a bag dredge at no cost.
To qualify, applicants must be a Mississippi resident and possess a current commercial Oyster Dredge License. They also had to have a valid Mississippi Resident Commercial Oyster License (Type 7) during the 2011-2012 license year. A license year runs from April 1 through March 31.
Applicants also must have had a valid license in one of the following years: 2007-2008, 2008-2009 or 2009-2010.
This program is part of restoration activities begun after the opening of the Bonnet Carre’ Spillway in 2011. The opening of the Spillway forced large amounts of fresh water onto oyster reefs in Mississippi, killing up to 90 percent of the oysters on the western reefs.
“The agency has begun several fisheries restoration activities to help mitigate the impacts of the Bonnet Carre’ Spillway opening,” said Joe Jewell, director of Marine Fisheries for MDMR. “These programs, including the dredge exchange, will help us to restore and enhance habitat and monitor activities and recovery efforts.”
Qualified participants who want to exchange their basket dredge for a bag dredge should bring their current license, a valid form of identification and the basket dredge to the MDMR office at 1141 Bayview Ave. in Biloxi.
Staff will inspect basket dredges between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. No appointment is necessary. After the inspection, the applicant will surrender the basket dredge and receive a certificate for a new bag dredge.
Certificates can be redeemed at Bailus Danns Welding and Iron Works LLC located at 4401 Arceneaux Road in D’Iberville.
The bag dredges will be constructed after the company receives the certificate given to the applicant by MDMR.
