State
Mapping the Delta’s water — Aquifer the lifebood of irrigation for crops
MBJ
There’s no disputing that water is the lifeblood of agriculture in the Mississippi Delta and around the state.
CITY TO BORROW $350K FOR SEWER/WATER WORK
Petal News
Petal city officials will soon seek a loan for $350,000 for two sewer and water repair projects in the Friendly City.
Mississippi to receive $16 million for wildlife, fisheries conservation
Clarion Ledger
The US Department of the Interior announced this week that Mississippi will receive $16,153,966 to support conservation and outdoor recreation projects.
NOAA: Be on the lookout for stranded sea turtles
WLOX
As the weather gets warmer and more people start heading down to the beach, marine officials are asking everyone to keep their eyes open for any stranded sea turtles.
USM MARINE RESEARCH CENTER WILL OPEN SOON
WXXV
In late 2016, the Port of Gulfport broke ground on their property to build a $12.2 million marine research center for the University of Southern Mississippi. Now they are just weeks away from completing the project.
Green design of buildings and communities creates healthier, sustainable living environments
MBJ
“Green design” in architecture is far more than a buzz word or a fad. It is increasingly just the way things are done to not only preserve the environment, but the value of the owner’s investments.
TUPELO'S COOPER TIRE PLANT CELEBRATES MAJOR MILESTONE
WTVA
Tupelo's Cooper Tire & Rubber Company plant has now produced 375 million tires.
The plant celebrated the achievement Thursday.
HINDS COUNTY LOOKING FOR NEW LOCATION FOR OPERATIONS CENTER; PROBLEMS WITH CURRENT HOME
Northside Sun
After more than three decades at the Eudora Welty Library, Hinds County officials are looking to relocate the emergency operations center.
State Government
House says bonds dependent on deal on overall transportation bill
Daily Journal
Funding for a wide array of projects – ranging from major construction efforts on university and community college campuses to funds to help with a new roof at Church Street Elementary School in Tupelo – depends on House and Senate leaders reaching agreements on a bond bill by Saturday night.
Oil Spill
BP LEGISLATION UPDATE: HOUSE BILL 1185
WXXV
BP settlement legislation, House Bill 1185, heads to conference committee of the Mississippi House and Senate.
Regional
Study: 'Legacy' nitrogen also feeds Gulf of Mexico dead zone
AP
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The Gulf of Mexico's "dead zone" will be an unwanted summer visitor for decades, Canadian scientists say. They say the oxygen-starved patch would persist even if farmers could immediately end all fertilizer runoff.
Alabama's proposed coal ash plan has too many loopholes, critics say
Al.com
Alabama's environmental agency has proposed a set of state regulations for coal ash, but critics say the proposal is weaker than existing federal rules and contains too many "loopholes" that would allow groundwater pollution to go on indefinitely.
Locals air concerns over EPA's fuel economy review deadline
Knoxville News Sentinel
Local clean air advocates aired their concerns over the Environmental Protection Agency's looming fuel economy review deadline Wednesday outside the Howard H. Baker Jr. federal courthouse.
Feds grant waiver of law protecting dolphins for proposed sediment diversions
Times-Picayune
EPA testing soil around former Fairfax Street wood-preserving site
Florida Times-Union
Technicians contracted by the federal government are taking soil samples at homes near the site of a wood-treating operation to help scientists plan details of a final pollution cleanup.
Sampling began Wednesday across the street from the now-demolished Fairfax Street Wood Treaters factory at 2610 Fairfax St. in Northwest Jacksonville.
Gulf Coast Meteorologist Will Lead US Hurricane Center
A meteorologist who aided emergency response efforts along the Gulf Coast after the 2010 oil spill has been tapped to lead the U.S. government's hurricane forecasting hub in Miami.
AP
MIAMI (AP) — A meteorologist who aided emergency response efforts along the Gulf Coast after the 2010 oil spill has been tapped to lead the U.S. government's hurricane forecasting hub in Miami.
National
World’s carbon emissions grow to new record
The Hill
Worldwide carbon dioxide emissions related to energy grew 1.4 percent last year over the previous year, hitting a new record, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said.
Even Without Trump-Brokered Deal, Refiners Get Biofuel Relief
Bloomberg
Despite a series of White House meetings in recent months, U.S. oil refiners haven’t seen any change in the federal mandate requiring them to blend biofuels. Yet the market in biofuel credits shows they’re getting some of what they want anyway.
World's largest collection of ocean garbage is now twice the size of Texas
USA Today
The world's largest collection of ocean garbage is growing.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a collection of plastic, floating trash located halfway between Hawaii and California, has grown to more than 600,000 square miles, a study published Thursdayfinds. That's twice the size of Texas.
Opinion
Infrastructure projects to advance swiftly —and safely — under new EPA permitting rules
Washington Times
By EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt - - Wednesday, March 21, 2018
President Trump recently unveiled his plan to rebuild and revitalize our nation’s crumbling infrastructure. Much attention has been paid to rebuilding roads and bridges, understandably so. Our roads and bridges form the essence of interstate commerce in this country and have for some time. Yet, as the president indicated, our infrastructure is more than just roads and bridges — it is also our water infrastructure.
Press Releases
Chronic Wasting Disease: Present, Past, and Future
3/22/2018 2:11:33 PM
By William T. McKinley, MDWFP Deer Program Coodinator
In February, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed the first positive Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) test for a sample collected from a deer within Mississippi.
EPA Broadens Representation on Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals
03/22/2018
WASHINGTON — Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) moved to appoint additional members to the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC).
Grants Awarded to 31 College Teams for Innovative Technology Projects
03/22/2018
WASHINGTON-Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced over $463,000 in funding for 31 Phase I student teams through the People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) grants program. These teams, made up of college students from across the country, are developing sustainable technologies to solve current environmental and public health challenges.
