State
Progress residents consider appeal of poultry permits
Enterprise-Journal
A spokesman for Progress residents against a proposed chicken farm said he doesn’t know if they will appeal following the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality’s approval of the farm Tuesday.
Controversy surrounds One Lake project
Pearl River development designed to reduce flooding
WAPT
Controversy is growing over One Lake, a major, much discussed Pearl River development.
Supporters of the project said its goal is to reduce river flooding, and it could also serve as a tool for economic development in the metro. Critics said One Lake could be bad for the environment.
Mississippi Wildlife Dept. to potentially acquire 17,000 acres of land
Clarion Ledger
If a pending land sale is finalized, Mississippi hunters will have 17,000 additional acres to hunt in the south Delta.
Mississippi blasts federal report saying Diamondhead Water should repay $20M in Katrina aid
Clarion Ledger
The Office of Inspector General says FEMA should force the Diamondhead Water and Sewer District to repay $20.4 million in Hurricane Katrina recovery grant money.
Recycling program funding renewed
Enterprise-Journal
Pike County governments received another grant to support the Recycle One program, but the subject of recycling led to questions about the worth of the program.
Aldermen finalize waste contract
Natchez Democrat
NATCHEZ — Natchez officially signed on the dotted line Wednesday evening for its new waste and recycling disposal contract with Arrow Disposal Services Inc.
New waste hauler could lease part of old Titan Tire facility
Natchez Democrat
NATCHEZ — Natchez’s newest garbage hauler could be setting up shop at the city’s former Titan Tire facility, a location currently the subject of a lawsuit involving the city.
City files Costco appeal in Ridgeland zoning decision
Madison County Journal
RIDGELAND — The city has appealed the state Supreme Court’s Costco ruling that struck down an attached fuel center arguing the decision “overlooked and misapplied the law” and has a “chilling effect on economic development.”
DELAYS EXPECTED AT FULTON LOCK AND DAM
WTVA
FULTON, Miss. (WTVA) - Survey work will be conducted soon at the Fulton Lock and Dam.
According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, periodic inspection survey work will be conducted from May 18-22 on the Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway Mile 391.0.
State Government
Metal thefts on the rise across the state
WLBT
One state agency is monitoring a spike in a crime that typically occurs in the inner city, but now, metal thefts are on the rise out in the county.
Director: Gulfport port work nearing completion, jobs ‘trend’ positive
MBJ
Completion of the restoration and expansion of the Port of Gulfport, begun during the administration of then-Gov. Haley Barbour, is about six months away, and jobs creation is “trending” toward meeting the terms of nearly $570 million from the federal government.
Fitch to run for AG as McRae eyes Treasurer
Madison County Journal
Two Madison countians announced this week they are seeking statewide office in 2019.
Jackson County District Attorney announces he will run for Miss. Court of Appeals
Mississippi Press
PASCAGOULA, Miss. -- Jackson County District Attorney Tony Lawrence announced on Thursday that he will seek office for the Mississippi Court of Appeals.
'In God We Trust' being added to new Mississippi license plates
Daily Journal
JACKSON – Mississippi will have a new license plate starting in January.
Through a social media post this morning, Gov. Phil Bryant debuted the new plate, which is tan colored and features the state seal in the center.
Oil Spill
$574,000 grant to fund Port of Pascagoula rail connection
Clarion Ledger
Thanks to legislation passed to help states affected by the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill, the Port of Pascagoula will be getting a new rail connection that's expected to improve safety and make rail traffic move more smoothly.
Dropout, Navy, KKK, coup, BP oil spill cleanup: George Malvaney shares life in 'Cups Up'
Clarion Ledger
George Malvaney was a high-spirited child whose teenage years (like so many) often found him engaging in reckless behavior — fighting, drinking, and once even taking a snake to school.
County awards restoration bid
Port St. Joe Star
At long last, more than two years after first stepping down the path to a restoration project for St. Joseph Peninsula beaches, the Board of County Commissioners last Thursday awarded a bid.
Regional
Power plants: Phony backers got paid to tout utility project
AP
NEW ORLEANS
Some of the people who showed up at public hearings to express enthusiastic backing for a new power plant in New Orleans were phonies hired by a private firm for anywhere from $50 to $200 to bolster support, a major utility company acknowledged Thursday.
Sowing the Wild South
One North Carolina farmer has made it his mission to bring back the wild grasses and flowers that once carpeted the Southern landscape—one seed at a time
Garden & Gun
“In the beginning, Daddy would really get on me,” Don Lee says. We’ve moved out of the tall grass now, the Indian grass that reached past his shoulders, to a field of knee-high mistflower and blue aster where butterflies and bumblebees hover. Lee is tall and lanky, with brownish-green eyes. He speaks in soft, quiet, measured tones and wears his fifty-six years as put together and proper as carefully pressed jeans.
http://gardenandgun.com/feature/sowing-wild-south/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialmedia&utm_campaign=april2018_twitter
National
Pruitt to hear economic arguments in enforcing Clean Air Act
AP
WASHINGTON — Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt is overhauling the way his agency sets pollution limits under the Clean Air Act, announcing Thursday that regulators will seek input on the economic impact of enforcing the landmark federal law.
U.S. EPA chief Pruitt's ethics issues have raised concerns -White House
Reuters
President Donald Trump is pleased with the job Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt is doing but allegations of ethical missteps “have raised some concerns,” a White House spokesman said on Thursday.
Scott Pruitt Praised And Reviled For 'Effectiveness,' But How Effective Is He?
NPR
EPA chief Scott Pruitt is praised by industry and conservatives for his aggressive moves to roll back environmental regulations. But how much he's changed the department is debatable.
VW diesel settlement money spurs controversy in Illinois
Chicago Tribune
With more money come more problems. Illinois is scheduled to get $108 million as part of the Volkswagen diesel scandal settlement, but critics of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, who are preparing to disburse the funds, say Illinoisans are not getting enough input on how to apply the funds.
Rauner’s EPA does about-face, will hold public meetings on VW money
Chicago Sun Times
Amid mounting pressure from critics, Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration is reversing course and agreeing to hold three public meetings on how $109 million in settlement cash from the Volkswagen air-emissions scandal should be spent.
VW Settlement Money To Go Toward Clean Vehicles, Engines
WESA
Pennsylvania will use the $118 million it received in a settlement with Volkswagen to fund grants and rebates for cleaner vehicles and engines.
Forecast brings possibility of acid rain to Big Island, vog to other isles
Honolulu Star Advertiser
Rains forecast for Hawaii island bring with them the possibility of sulfur dioxide from the volcanic vents mixing with water, creating acid rain.
Press releases
Administrator Pruitt Signs Memo to Reform the National Ambient Air Quality Standards Review Process
05/10/2018
WASHINGTON – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt signed a memorandum outlining a “Back-to-Basics” process for reviewing National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) under the Clean Air Act. This memo ensures that EPA and its independent science advisors follow a transparent, timely, and efficient process in reviewing and revising public health- and welfare-based NAAQS.
EPA Announces Action on Methylene Chloride
05/10/2018
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced upcoming actions on methylene chloride, a chemical that can be used for paint stripping.
