State
GOMESA: Hancock County to receive funds from U.S. Department of Interior
Sea Coast Echo
Hancock County is set to receive a portion of almost $188 million from the U.S. Department of the Interior for "coastal conservation, restoration and hurricane protection projects."
Kept Itawamba Beautiful: Local cleanup event nets 4.5 tons of trash
Itawamba County Times
Despite heavy rains threatening to wash out the event, more than four-and-a-half tons of trash were removed from Itawamba County roadsides during the Keep Itawamba Beautiful cleanup earlier this month.
County, city resolve BlueFire land ownership dispute
Itawamba County Times
After months of back-and-forth with the county, Fulton officials finally have a deed for their portion of the property that was to house the BlueFire Renewables plant.
State Awards Greenwood Business a Rebate Check for Energy Conservation Efforts
DeltaNewsTV
Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley presented a $3,600 check to J.J Ferguson Gravel Company for installing an energy efficient boiler.
North Carolina company to put plant in Vicksburg
Vicksburg Post
A North Carolina lumber company is investing $2 million in Warren County to build a manufacturing plant that will create 50 jobs.
State Government
University hospital to drop top Mississippi private insurer
AP
Mississippi’s largest hospital says it will stop accepting policies from the state’s largest private insurer after June 30 unless it gets a revised contract.
The University of Mississippi Medical Center provided the notice to Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi on Monday.
Mississippi bridge safety concern triggered 100 closings: Gov. Phil Bryant
Fox Business
Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant said Wednesday that safety warnings from the Federal Highway Administration triggered the closing of more than 100 bridges in his state last month and a bond issue to pay for repairs.
State Rep. Hughes running for lieutenant governor in 2019
AP
A first-term Democrat in the Mississippi House said Thursday that he is running for lieutenant governor in 2019.
Regional
Enhancing soil sensor technology
CropX announces a significant upgrade to its ag-focused platform and technology.
Delta Farm Press
Sensor technology continues to grow in value on the farm. Part of that expansion is the ability for developers of these tools to use the same sensor, but enhance the supporting software platform to gain greater knowledge.
National
Memo: Pruitt landlord's husband sought EPA work for client
AP
WASHINGTON (AP) - The lobbyist whose wife rented a condo to Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt at $50 a night sought EPA committee posts for a lobbying client, according to a newly released EPA memo.
EPA under investigation for violating anti-lobbying rule: Union official
ABC
A federal government watchdog is investigating whether the Environmental Protection Agency broke an anti-lobbying law when it tweeted about Democratic efforts to block Senate confirmation of a nominee for a top agency post.
Ex-EPA Superfund Chief Says Resignation Won’t Slow Down Efforts
Bloomberg
The sudden resignation of EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s chief Superfund adviser won’t slow an EPA task force’s work speeding up waste site cleanups and helping surrounding communities, the ex-adviser told Bloomberg Environment.
Arizona settles suit with Volkswagen for $40 million
The Hill
Car manufacturer Volkswagen will pay $40 million to the state of Arizona as part of a settlement over vehicle emissions violations.
Subaru found cheating on fuel-economy and emissions tests
KVAL
Subaru buyers care about the environment. They buy Subarus to get outdoors, and to spend time hiking, biking, skiing, and going to the beach. At least they dream of having time to do those things.
Nearly half of Michiganders live in unacceptable smog levels, EPA says
Detroit Free Press
Nearly half of Michigan's population — more than 4.7 million people — live in areas with unacceptable smog levels, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has declared.
Now Available in the Oil Patch: Wind and Solar College Degrees
Schools offer renewable-energy programs as demand from companies grows
WSJ
Jazirae Duncan always wanted to go to Texas Tech University and major in something related to science and technology.
Former Boehner chief named head of American Petroleum Institute
The Hill
Mike Sommers, who currently helms a private equity industry group, will become the new chief executive of the American Petroleum Institute (API), the group announced on Wednesday.
Opinion
Zinke and Alexander: How to protect America's 'best idea'
By Ryan Zinke and Lamar Alexander
CNN
In 2017, over 330 million visitors traveled to see the memorials and monuments across our great nation. Every American should be able to enjoy our treasured parks, but heavy traffic and aging infrastructure are taking a toll on America's system of 417 National Park Service sites. Bluntly, our parks are being loved to death and it's time to invest in restoring and preserving them for future generations.
Press Releases
EPA Seeks Input for Study on Management of Wastewater from Oil and Gas Extraction
05/02/2018
WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is embarking on a new study that will take a holistic look at how EPA, states and stakeholders regulate and manage wastewater from the oil and gas industry.
EPA Announces the First Annual “National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse” Awards
05/02/2018
WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its first annual “National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse” awards. These awards recognize the hard work, innovative thinking, and cooperation among federal agencies, states, tribes, local partners, and developers to encourage restoration of federal sites for beneficial reuses.
