State
Residents haul out hazardous waste
Enterprise-Journal
Rita Coghlan walked along the line of loaded-down trucks, SUVs and trailers at the Pike County Health Department on Saturday morning.
...The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality sponsored the event through a $50,000 grant to the City of McComb and Pike County. Coghlan said such a large event wouldn’t be possible without the grant.
West Point police investigate fatal accident on Highway 45 Alternate
Commercial Dispatch
West Point Police Department is currently investigating a traffic accident that killed an Alabama man on Highway 45 Alternate near the Hampton Inn.
...Authorities cordoned off the area where the accident occurred and have contacted the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. He added everyone in the area is safe.
LEE COUNTY OFFICERS COLLECT 387 POUNDS OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS DURING TAKE BACK DAY
WTVA
TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) - According to the Lee County Sheriff's Department, officers collected almost 400 pounds of old or unused prescription drugs last Friday.
PECO FOODS CREATING 300 JOBS IN WEST POINT
WTVA
WEST POINT, Miss. (WTVA) - Peco Foods announced Monday it is coming to West Point, creating 300 jobs.
Oil Spill
Strong earnings drive BP stock to highest since 2010
Houston Chronicle
BP Plc capped a shaky Big Oil earnings season on a more upbeat note, as shareholders reacted positively to the highest profit in years even as the continuing burden of oil-spill payments pushed debt higher.
Regional
TVA's new gas plant in Tennessee ready to run
AP
The Tennessee Valley Authority's new gas-fired power plant in Tennessee is ready to run.
TVA said Monday that the Allen Combined Cycle Natural Gas Plant in Memphis has been completed and is ready to operate. It replaces the coal-fired Allen Fossil Plant, which operated for more than 58 years before it was retired on March 31.
EPA considers rolling back coal-ash rules
WSOC
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Environmental Protection Agency is considering rolling back its coal-ash rules to save utility companies money.
National
Your Air Isn't Getting as Clean as the EPA Said It Is
Bloomberg
Your air isn’t getting as clean as the government has been telling you, according a report published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The Energy 202: Republicans are united behind Trump's EPA rule changes. Except this one.
Washington Post
Publicly, most congressional Republicans have nothing but praise for Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt — at least when it comes to unraveling President Barack Obama's environmental policies.
Trump to fill West Coast EPA post with lawyer who coined 'lock her up' chant
The Hill
Michael Stoker, a former Republican Santa Barbara County supervisor and agriculture attorney, will soon head the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) regional office that oversees the entire Pacific Southwest, E&E News reported Monday.
Press Releases
Prepare for the Summer Smog Season with Free Air Quality Alerts
Air Quality Awareness Week is April 30 - May 4, 2018
04/30/2018
(Boston, Mass. – April 30, 2018) – With the coming warm weather months, EPA and New England states continue to offer free resources for the public to monitor the latest air quality forecasts. These tools help New Englanders to be aware of the increased risk of ground-level ozone and fine particle air pollution (when combined, often referred to as smog), and take health precautions when smog levels are high.
"Thanks to the hard work of EPA and our state partners, we know that over the long-term, New England has experienced a large decrease in the number of unhealthy ozone days. This trend towards healthier air quality is because of reductions in emissions that form ozone," said Alexandra Dunn, Regional Administrator of EPA's New England Office. "On days when unhealthy air quality is predicted, we can all take individual actions to help reduce the air emissions that contribute to air pollution."
Ground-level Ozone air pollution can be a significant public health issue in New England, especially for people who suffer from respiratory problems. EPA and medical experts recommend that people limit their strenuous outdoor activity on air quality alert days.
Air quality forecasts are issued daily by the New England state air agencies. Current air quality conditions and next day forecasts for New England are available each day at EPA's web site. People can also sign up to receive "Air Quality Alerts." These alerts, provided free by EPA through the EnviroFlash system, in cooperation with the New England states, automatically notify participants by e-mail or text message when high concentrations of ground-level ozone or fine particles are predicted in their area.
Warm summer temperatures aid in the formation of ground-level ozone. The current ozone standard is 0.070 parts per million (ppm) on an 8-hour average basis. Air quality alerts are issued when ozone concentrations exceed, or are predicted to exceed, this level. EPA New England shares the list of exceedances of the ozone standard, by date and monitor location, on our web site.
Although the number of days with unhealthy air quality may vary from year to year due to weather conditions, the long-term trend is that New England now experiences far fewer air quality alert days. In 1983, New England had 118 unhealthy days (based on the current ozone standard), compared with 25 in 2017.
Poor air quality affects everyone, but some people are particularly sensitive to air pollutants, including people who are active outdoors, and people with respiratory diseases such as asthma. When air quality is predicted to be unhealthy for sensitive groups, EPA and the States will announce an air quality alert for the affected areas. EPA recommends that people in these areas limit strenuous outdoor activity. On these days, the public and businesses can take actions that will help reduce air pollution and protect the public health. Everyone can reduce air pollution through the following actions:
· use public transportation, or combine errands and car-pool to reduce driving time and mileage;
· use less electricity by turning air conditioning to a higher temperature setting;
· use less electricity by turning off lights, TVs and computers when they are not being used; and
· avoid using small gasoline-powered engines, such as lawn mowers, string trimmers, chain saws, power-washers, air compressors and leaf blowers on unhealthy air days.
More information:
Industry-Leading Poultry Processor Bringing 300 Jobs to West Point, Miss.
Jackson, Miss. (April 30, 2018) – Peco Foods, the nation’s eighth largest poultry producer, is opening new operations in West Point. The company is investing $40 million in the project and will create 300 new jobs in the Golden Triangle over the next four years.
Peco Foods is acquiring the 185,000 square-foot warehouse formerly occupied by AmeriCold and strategically located on 37 acres near interstate and major rail corridors. The West Point location will provide freezer, cooler and storage space, enabling the company to serve its large and diverse customer base.
“The addition of the West Point facility to Peco Foods’ portfolio and the creation of so many new jobs for the people of the Golden Triangle demonstrate how existing companies in our state benefit from our productive workforce and prime location in the fastest growing region of the U.S.,” Gov. Phil Bryant said.
“We are extremely pleased to join the dynamic and growing industrial environment in the Golden Triangle. We want to thank the Mississippi Development Authority and everyone on the GTR LINK team for helping bring this exciting project to completion. They are one of the premier regional development leaders in the South, and it has been a privilege to work with them throughout the process,” said Peco Foods CEO Mark Hickman. “The addition of this new cold storage facility is a key component of our growth strategy and is perfectly tailored to meet our current needs as well as future plans.”
The Mississippi Development Authority is providing assistance for wastewater and infrastructure improvements. Mississippi Works funds are also being made available for workforce training. The city of West Point is providing a water and sewer rate reduction to the company.
“MDA appreciates the Peco Foods team for bringing new life – and hundreds of new careers – to an existing facility in West Point,” said MDA Executive Director Glenn McCullough, Jr. “This win is the result of our teamwork with the Golden Triangle Development LINK, the city of West Point and Clay County in support of Peco Foods’ continued growth in Mississippi.”
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