State
59th annual mineral, gem, fossil show opening Saturday at Trade Mart
WAPT
The Gem, Mineral, Fossil and Jewelry Show is returning to the Trade Mart in Jackson for its 59th year.
...The show will have special exhibits provided by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Mississippi State University, the University of Mississippi and the University of Southern Mississippi.
MDWFP discusses Chronic Wasting Disease
NewsMS
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks hosted an information session Thursday evening to answer the public’s questions about the disease. MDWFP personnel discussed Mississippi’s CWD Response Plan and biologists and law enforcement officials answered questions from the large crowd gathered at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science.
Chronic wasting disease in Mississippi: 'Be vigilant'
Hattiesburg American
Phil DiFatta isn't losing too much sleep over an issue affecting one of his favorite sports. The outdoorsman doesn't let the fear of chronic wasting disease deter him from going out during deer season.
Learning the importance of recycling
Meridian Star
Fifth graders in Linda Posey's science classes at Poplar Springs Elementary School Thursday presented posters they designed related to recycing and protecting the environment. Students focused on themes of reuse, reduce and recycle.
COSTCO’S FUTURE IN HANDS OF SUPREME COURT
Northside Sun
The future of the Ridgeland Costco could come down to the Mississippi Supreme Court’s definition of “spot zoning” and whether a change to the city’s zoning ordinance in 2016 was made specifically to benefit that retailer.
SMITH PARK RENOVATIONS IN CLEANUP PHASE; FENCES REMAINING UP TILL FINISH
Northside Sun
Smith Park likely won’t be reopened for another month, but downtown officials say the wait will be well worth it once they see the improvements.
HEARING SCHEDULED FEBRUARY 26 ON GLUCKSTADT’S INCORPORATION
Northside Sun
The first jurisdictional hearing for Gluckstadt’s incorporation has been moved for a second time, but progress on the area’s assimilation into Madison County is still steady.
Oil Spill
Legislative decision still must be made on how to divide BP money
Daily Journal
JACKSON – A decision eventually will be made, perhaps this legislative session, on how to divvy up funds from the settlement reached with BP after the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
New surge in civil lawsuits tied to Deepwater Horizon spill: study
The Hill
A recent increase of filed federal civil environmental lawsuits is stemming from new decisions and settlements made related to the Deepwater Horizon lawsuit in Louisiana, according to a report released Wednesday.
Regional
Groups call on TVA to study other water sources to cool power plant
Commercial Appeal
Warning of potential contamination of Memphis' drinking water source, environmentalists this week called on the Tennessee Valley Authority to conduct further studies and explore "reasonable alternatives" before proceeding with plans to tap a vital aquifer to cool a power plant.
Florida backs away from controversial water-quality standards
Times Union
Two years after drafting water-quality standards that were widely scorned as weakening protections against some harmful chemicals, Florida is starting over.
University walks back truck pollution study submitted to EPA
The Hill
A Tennessee university is asking the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to at least temporarily disregard a study it conducted on pollution volumes from certain heavy trucks.
EPA giving South Carolina hundreds of thousands to replace school buses
ABC4
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Environmental Protection Agency has given South Carolina $620,000 to replace 31 school buses.
National
Trump calls meeting on biofuels policy after refiner bankruptcy
Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump has called a meeting early next week with key senators and Cabinet officials to discuss potential changes to biofuels policy, which is coming under increasing pressure after a Pennsylvania refiner blamed the regulation for its bankruptcy, according to four sources familiar with the matter.
Opinion
VW, class counsel ask 9th Circuit to refuse fees for ‘ghost lawyers’
Reuters
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has never had to decide whether and under what circumstances trial judges overseeing multidistrict litigation can award fees to lawyers who weren’t part of court-appointed steering committees. It’s now facing those questions in one of the most epic MDLs in recent memory, the $15 billion litigation over VW clean diesel cars outfitted with devices to deceive emissions tests.
Press Releases
Dealing with Dead Zones: Hypoxia in the Ocean
NOAA Ocean Podcast: Episode 13
When water runs off of farmland and urban centers and flows into our streams and rivers, it is often chock-full of fertilizers and other nutrients. These massive loads of nutrients eventually end up in our coastal ocean, fueling a chain of events that can lead to hypoxic "dead zones" — areas along the sea floor where oxygen is so low it can no longer sustain marine life. In this episode, we're joined by NOAA scientist Alan Lewitus to explore why dead zones form, how the problem of hypoxia is growing worse, and what we're doing about it.
