State
City treatment plant could be privatized
Vicksburg Post
Vicksburg’s wastewater treatment plant on Rifle Range Road could soon be under new management.
Progress continues removing debris, asbestos from Threefoot
Meridian Star
City officials say The Courtyard by Marriott - Threefoot is moving right along, and the 16-story hotel could be open for business in about 18 months.
...In January, demolition work began after project developer Ascent Hospitality, LLC obtained a permit from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality for asbestos abatement.
Thousands of speckled trout released in Bay St. Louis
WLOX
BAY ST. LOUIS, MS (WLOX) -Since 2004, more than 1 million laboratory raised fish have been released into the wild. Now, 32,000 speckled trout were added to that number.
St. Al students raising paddlefish this semester
Vicksburg Post
Swimming in a tank just inside the door, nearly 100 baby paddlefish have made a classroom at St. Aloysius High School their home for the semester.
Dead sea turtles found on South Mississippi beaches
WLOX
PASCAGOULA, MS (WLOX) -Three dead Kemp's Ridley sea turtles were found dead on South Mississippi beaches over the weekend.
MFC responds to 23 wildfires over the weekend
WJTV
The Mississippi Forestry Commission responded to 23 wildfires over the weekend.
MFC said the fires burned about 931 acres of land statewide.
Warren County flooding concerns on the rise
WLBT
Highway 465 in Warren County reopens tonight as flood waters recede. Parts of the county have been inundated with water from The Mighty Mississippi and backwater flooding. Emergency officials say another round of flooding could be on the way.
State Government
Mississippi Lawmakers OK Budgets, File Medicaid Proposal
Mississippi lawmakers have approved most remaining parts of the state budget for the year beginning July 1, and negotiators have filed a proposal to keep the Medicaid program alive and running.
AP
Mississippi lawmakers on Monday approved most remaining parts of the state budget for the year beginning July 1, and negotiators filed a proposal to keep the Medicaid program alive and running.
STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT RELEASES PRIVATE PATIENT INFORMATION
WCBI
Mississippi’s State Department of Health has accidentally released private patient information following an email blunder.
Oil Spill
BP bill appear dead for the year after House-Senate negotiations break down
Sun Herald
A bill that would have cleared the way to spend most of the BP economic damages settlement money on the Coast appears to be dead.
Plans for homeless shelter facing major hurdles in Gulfport
WLOX
Despite years of planning, a homeless shelter has yet to be built in Gulfport, and frustrations are growing. The shelter would be named the Center of Hope, something many are losing now that construction plans have been stalled.
Regional
Gulf of Mexico 'dead zone' will persist for decades
USA Today
The annual “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico, which last year was the size of New Jersey, will continue for several decades, a new study said.
Algae bloom, possibly toxic, spreads across Lake Pontchartrain
Times-Picayune
Executive Spotlight Q&A: Justin Ehrenwerth
Baton Rouge Business Report
Justin Ehrenwerth
Position: President and CEO
Company: Water Institute of the Gulf
National
Faster Air Pollution Permits Prominent on EPA’s Agenda
Bloomberg
The EPA is looking at how to shorten the time it takes to get an air pollution permit for power plant and factory construction or expansion, the operations adviser to Administrator Scott Pruitt told Bloomberg Environment.
Green groups sue to stop EPA rule change for power plant emissions
The Hill
A number of environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday challenging a recent administrative decision to allow certain major power plants to turn off some pollution controls.
Mexico Appears to Sign Gas Fracking Contract With US Company
AP
Mexico's state-owned oil company has signed what appears to be one of its first big gas fracking contracts with a subsidiary of the Texas-based Lewis Energy.
Press Releases
W. Charles McIntosh Nominated to Lead EPA's Office of International and Tribal Affairs
03/26/2018
WASHINGTON - On Friday, March 23, President Donald J. Trump announced his intention to nominate W. Charles "Chad" McIntosh of Michigan to lead the Office of International and Tribal Affairs (OITA) at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Mr. McIntosh will come to EPA from the Ford Motor Company, where he managed global and environmental policy for nearly 20 years.
Secretary Zinke Selects Members of Newly Created “Made in America” Outdoor Recreation Advisory Committee
3/26/2018
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced the members of the “Made in America” Outdoor Recreation Advisory Committee.
