State
A tale of 2 recycling plans: Was Gulfport’s messy split from Harrison County worth it?
Sun Herald
Michael Switzer had never recycled.
But that changed last fall when he saw the new recycling bins on wheels that Harrison County provided him with under a new contract with the Utility Authority.
Broken Pipe Dreams: A closer look at Jackson infrastructure problems
WJTV
Infrastructure has been a top conversation for city and state leaders in Mississippi.
If you've heard of others talk about it, there's a chance you've heard about Yazoo clay.
It's a geologic formation found in Mississippi and Alabama. It preserves fossils, but it's not a good material to build on because moisture causes extreme changes in its volume.
Jackson "Littered" with problems
WLBT
A clean-up day in the Capital City has been set for March 10, after leaders notice an up tick in abandoned trash lining the streets.
CertainTeed to close Meridian location; around 100 jobs lost
Meridian Star
CertainTeed Ceilings announced on Thursday it was closing its Meridian location, but an official closing date was not included in the statement.
Greenbriar diggers tackle the hole job — Manhole, water and sewer taps being installed on East Monticello Street
Vicksburg Post
Workers looked like they were digging a hole to China.
Water main break disrupts South Montgomery area
Commercial Dispatch
A water main break caused major disruptions to portions of south Starkville for most of the day Wednesday.
‘ENGINEERING IS ELEMENTARY’ AT LYNN MEADOWS
WXXV
‘Engineering is elementary!’ That’s the message Lynn Meadows Discovery Center wants to send kids and parents across the Gulf Coast.
State Government
Legislation would consolidate administrative functions of agencies
Daily Journal
JACKSON – The “back shop,” or administrative functions, for about 20 small state agencies will be centralized under legislation that passed the Senate and is pending in the House.
Oil Spill
Dispersants used in BP disaster hampered growth of oil-eating bacteria
Times-Picayune
The chemicals used to clean up oil spills may actually weaken nature's ability to do the cleaning itself.
Regional
Snow-covered beaches? Chilly iguanas? They are part of a mysterious ‘hole’ in global warming
McClatchy
Frigid iguanas in Florida. Snowball fights on North Carolina’s beaches. Recent winters have delivered a bitter chill to the Southeast, reinforcing attitudes among some that global warming is a fraud.
Shell platform transformed into artificial reef in the Gulf of Mexico
Times-Picayune
For nearly 40 years, a 350-foot-tall metal frame in the Gulf of Mexico supported a platform that pumped oil and gas from the seafloor. The 3,000-ton structure was recently converted into an artificial reef off the coast of Louisiana, where it will serve as habitat for fish and other marine life.
Coastal task force approves $62 million for six restoration projects
Times-Picayune
National
Polluters' burden from EPA penalties is lightened in Trump era
Bloomberg
The Environmental Protection Agency has collected roughly half as much in civil penalties from polluters during President Donald Trump's first year in the White House than it did under the past three presidents in the same time frame, according to research released on Thursday.
Amazon, EPA reach $1.2 million settlement over online sales of illegal pesticides
Seattle Times
Seattle-based Amazon has agreed to pay more than $1.2 million in administrative penalties as part of an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that the agency says will protect consumers from hazards of illegal and misbranded pesticides sold by the online retail giant.
Critics blast EPA for lowering Syngenta pesticide fine
AP
Critics are blasting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for dramatically lowering a fine on agribusiness company Syngenta for violations of pesticide regulations.
EPA extends comment period on neonicotinoids
Public comments now due April 21, 2018.
Delta Farm Press
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is extending the public comment period for neonicotinoid insecticide risk assessments from Feb. 20, 2018, to April 21, 2018.
Mad about L.A.'s air quality? Blame common products like hairspray and paint, not just cars
LA Times
When it comes to air quality, the products you use to smell nice or keep your kitchen clean could do just as much damage as the car you drive. A new study of the air around Los Angeles finds that consumer and industrial products now rival tailpipe emissions as a source of harmful atmospheric pollutants.
Lawsuits against EPA contractor move ahead
AP
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Legal challenges against a federal contractor involved in a mine waste spill that polluted rivers in three Western states are being allowed to move forward.
Energy Department to invest $6.5M in projects aiming to improve the performance of coal
The Hill
Nine projects focused on coal industry development and innovation will receive $6.5 million dollars in federal funding, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced Thursday.
Court rules Energy Dept. must implement Obama efficiency rules
The Hill
The Trump administration must carry out the implementation of four energy efficiency regulations that it has delayed for more than a year, a federal court ruled Thursday.
The Department of Energy (DOE) wrote the rules and made them public in December 2016, under the Obama administration.
Regulators seek to remove barriers to electric grid storage
The Hill
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) voted Thursday to implement rules that are designed to remove barriers to grid-level batteries that store electricity.
Press Releases
Upper Pascagoula Water Quality Enhancement Project
Outreach Meeting
PURPOSE: The Upper Pascagoula Water Quality Enhancement Project (UPWQE) was approved by the Mississippi Trustee Implementation Group (TIG) in the Mississippi TIG 2016-2017 Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment. The purpose of the project is to reduce nutrient and sediments from coastal waters. USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is the Lead Implementing Trustee for the project.
PROJECT OVERVIEW: The primary goal of the Project is to improve water quality by reducing nutrient and sediments from agricultural lands. This goal will be accomplished by implementing conservation practices on agricultural an associated land as outlined in conservation plans that will be developed by NRCS.
THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES ARE ELIGIBLE:Clarke, Kemper, Lauderdale, Neshoba, and Newton. Agricultural land proposed for enrollment must be located within the Chunky-Okatibbee watersheds
What: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Outreach meeting to discuss the Upper Pascagoula Water Quality Enhancement Project (UPWQE) within the Chunky-Okatibbee watersheds. Counties include: Clarke, Kemper, Lauderdale, Neshoba and Newton.
When: Wednesday, February 21, 2018 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Where: EMEPA Auditorium, 2128 MS-39, Meridian, MS 39301
RSVP no later than, 4:00 PM, Tuesday, February 20th.
Call: (601) 601.483.4100 Ext.111
Email: kelvin.jackson@ms.usda.gov
If you need an accommodation to participate in this activity or event, please contact Kelvin Jackson at 601.483.3100 Ext. 111 or by email to kelvin.Jackson@ms.usda.gov by 4:00 PM, Friday, February 16th.
U.S. Senate Confirms Holly Greaves as EPA Chief Financial Officer
02/15/2018
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt praised the U.S. Senate's action to confirm Holly Greaves to serve as the Agency’s chief financial officer.
“Holly has been essential in providing EPA financial and budgetary counsel over the last year as a senior advisor for budget and audit,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “I want to thank Leader McConnell and Chairman Barrasso for their continued leadership and providing a speedy confirmation for Holly.”
