State
Mississippi Awarded $9.7 Million in Settlement
WJTV
JACKSON, Miss (WJTV) - Governor Phil Bryant designated almost ten million dollars to the Department of Environmental Quality for projects to reduce emissions.
Mississippi regulators set to approve deal on utility rates over Kemper plant
AP
JACKSON, MISS.
Mississippi utility regulators are likely Tuesday to approve a settlement on how much Mississippi Power Co. customers should pay for a troubled $7.5 billion power plant.
Lamar Co. Supervisors approve automated garbage truck purchase
WDAM
The Lamar County Board of Supervisors approved the purchase of a new automated garbage truck in hopes of revamping their sanitation department.
Free trees!
WTOK
The U.S.D.A. Service and Conservation Center in Meridian is giving away thousands of trees to Lauderdale County residents.
State Government
State revenue collections continue modest rebound
Daily Journal
JACKSON – State revenue collections, which have been subpar in recent years, continue to make a modest rebound.
Oil Spill
BP profits surge as oil major leaves downturn behind
Reuters
LONDON (Reuters) - BP’s (BP.L) profits more than doubled in 2017 to $6.2 billion powered by higher prices and output of oil and gas, allowing the company to resume share buybacks as it recovers from a three-year downturn.
Regional
Georgia lawmaker criticizes cleanup delays at Superfund site
AJC
A Georgia congressman is blaming Environmental Protection Agency red tape for delays in cleaning up a Superfund site in Brunswick.
National
Get Started: EPA, Army Corps reconsider 'Waters of the US'
AP
The Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers are pushing back the implementation of a widely debated Obama-era regulation that's opposed by many small businesses and that seeks to expand government jurisdiction over bodies of water.
Trump Call for Faster Infrastructure Permits Faces Uncertain Road
Bloomberg
Several federal agencies are working to speed permitting of infrastructure projects, even though it remains to be seen whether Congress will act on President Donald Trump’s related request to move things along.
Trump undecided on supporting Obama pollution treaty, adviser says
The Hill
President Trump hasn’t yet decided whether to support a treaty amendment that seeks to phase out the use of certain potent greenhouse gases, an adviser said.
Portage coal plant renovation to cut nitrogen emissions in half
Madison.com (WI)
The Columbia Energy Center power plant outside Portage is in the final stages of work before flipping the switch on a revamped process which will cut nitrogen emissions in half.
Press Releases
USM Professor Testifies Before U.S. Senate on Future of Aquaculture
Dr. Kelly Lucas, Director of The University of Southern Mississippi’s Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center, spoke in Washington recently on the importance of aquaculture in the United States.
EPA Administrator Pruitt Invites the Nation’s Leaders to Join EPA Efforts to Reduce Childhood Lead Exposure
02/05/2018
WASHINGTON - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt is taking action to address lead contamination across America by formally inviting his colleagues and fellow Cabinet members to join with EPA in developing a federal strategy to reduce childhood lead exposure and associated health effects.
Secretary Perdue Applauds President Trump’s Selection of USDA’s Rural Utility Service Administrator
Washington, D.C., February 5, 2018 – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today applauded President Donald J. Trump’s intent to appoint Kenneth Johnson to be the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Utility Service Administrator. Following the announcement, Secretary Perdue issued this statement:
“As President Trump pursues his comprehensive agenda of infrastructure improvements like increased broadband access for rural communities, adding Ken Johnson to the USDA team is exciting. Ken’s experience with rural utilities, including real success in expanding access to high-speed Internet, will serve us well as we strive to increase prosperity across rural America. While this is welcome news, I’d also like to take this opportunity to urge the U.S. Senate to take up key nominations we have pending, so we can add to our team and continue our mission of doing right and feeding everyone.”
Kenneth Johnson’s Biography:
Mr. Johnson serves as General Manager/CEO of Co-Mo Electric Cooperative and President for Co-Mo Connect in Tipton, MO. Co-Mo is the first to deploy a fiber-to-the-home network to all its members without federal or state funding, providing gigabit internet, video, and voice services to nearly 16,000 subscribers. Johnson is a director and past president for Central Electric Power Cooperative, a director for the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives and served on the Executive and Legislative committees. Johnson was General Manager for Twin Valleys PPD in Nebraska after beginning his career with the Nebraska Public Power District. He earned an undergraduate degree from Kearney State College, and is a graduate of the NRECA Robert I. Kabat Management Internship Program. Ken grew up on a farm near Edgar, NE and has spent his life working and serving rural America. He and his wife cherish spending time with their children and grandchildren.
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