State
Guilty pleas in illegal shipping of hazardous waste
AP
ST. LOUIS
Three people have pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally transporting 9 million pounds of hazardous waste from Mississippi to Missouri without acquiring the proper permits.
City receives preliminary plans to address waste lagoon
Starkville Daily News
The Starkville Board of Aldermen received a preliminary evaluation of the city's waste lagoon, and potential ways to address its capacity during their work session on Friday.
...Mills said the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality is asking what the city's plan is to address it. He said as far as a schedule goes, the lagoon was projected to be full in 2017.
Why the city continues to have unresolved water, sewer issues
Clarion Ledger
There's a good reason why water and sewer line breaks take awhile to get fixed in Jackson, Public Works Director Robert Miller said.
Greenwood Contemplates Legal Action Against Sewer Plant Builders
Delta Daily News
GREENWOOD, MS (Ben Caxton) — An engineering firm has worked out a plan to fix ongoing problems at Greenwood’s sewage treatment plant.
CRA confident Lee property will be developed
Commercial Dispatch
Columbus Redevelopment Authority is depending on the potential for developer tax incentives and the development group's reputation to ensure the pending sale of Lee Middle School property actually produces everything the buyers have promised.
Waste Management named Jackson County's newest service provider
Mississippi Press
JACKSON COUNTY, Miss. -- The Jackson County Board of Supervisors has named Waste Management as the County's new solid waste service provider for residents in the unincorporated areas.
Construction hose leak frustrates East Biloxi resident
WLOX
A resident living in the East Biloxi construction zone contacted WLOX with concerns about a hose leaking into his yard.
Vicksburg Forest Products to reopen mill, hire 125
Vicksburg Post
Vicksburg Forest Products officially announced plans to reopen the former Anderson-Tully Sawmill Tuesday morning.
How to catch a gator: Reagan shares alligator research stories with Starkville Rotarians
Commercial Dispatch
When Steve Reagan moved to Louisiana in 1998, he had no idea he'd end up capturing hundreds of alligators.
Oil Spill
Amtrak passenger trains inch closer to the Coast. Here's what research says it will bring.
Sun Herald
For years, Coast, state and federal officials have talked about the boostpassenger rail service would bring to the Coast economy.
Alabama won't help pay for Amtrak service across Gulf Coast, governor says
AP
MOBILE, ALA.
Alabama is balking at pledging millions of dollars to help restart passenger train service along the northern Gulf Coast for the first time since Hurricane Katrina.
Regional
ADEM drops civil rights complaint policy. It might cost Alabama millions
Al.com
The Alabama Department of Environmental Management has rescinded its policy for receiving and investigating civil rights complaints, an action one lawyer says should call into question the department's millions of dollars in federal funding.
Ascension Parish wins seat on groundwater commission despite some opposition
The Advocate
Ascension Parish has won a seat on the groundwater commission that oversees the health of the aquifer beneath Baton Rouge, over the objections of some commissioners from East Baton Rouge.
National
Trump admin floats changes to environmental review standards
The Hill
The Trump administration is considering major changes to the regulations that govern how federal agencies analyze the potential environmental impacts of their decisions.
Conservative Group Will Push for Carbon Tax, a Contrast to GOP Resistance
PAC co-chaired by former Senator Trent Lott could test Republican appetite for climate legislation
WSJ
A group of veteran conservative political leaders are launching a political-action committee to push for a U.S. carbon tax, a move potentially funded by several large corporations that could test Republican appetite to act on climate legislation.
Emails show cooperation among EPA, climate-change deniers
AP
Newly released emails show senior Environmental Protection Agency officials working closely with a conservative group that dismisses climate change to rally like-minded people for public hearings on science and global warming, counter negative news coverage and tout Administrator Scott Pruitt's stewardship of the agency.
Trump revokes Obama's response to BP oil spill
Washington Examiner
President Trump on Tuesday formally revoked an order that former President Barack Obama issued after the massive BP oil spill eight years ago, an effort to promote domestic offshore energy production.
Court rejects greens’ climate case against federal coal mining
The Hill
A federal appeals court on Tuesday rejected environmentalists’ arguments that the Trump administration has to evaluate the climate change impact of leasing federal land for coal mining.
Colorado joins states adopting stricter vehicle emissions standard
The Hill
Colorado announced Tuesday it will join a number of states that have moved to implement heightened vehicle emissions standards as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mulls changing laws to weaken federal regulations.
New technology tracks Connecticut River nitrogen pollution in Massachusetts
MassLive
Federal efforts to reduce nitrogen pollution in Long Island Sound depend upon what happens upstream, and states along the Connecticut River -- including Massachusetts -- must help solve the problem, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Carmel teacher's family road trip across the U.S. takes a 'trashy' turn
Indianapolis Star
When Josh Kendrick first embarked on a month-long, cross-country road trip with his wife and two kids, they brought along quite a few empty boxes and containers to fill up along the way. Not with souvenirs, however — at least not in the traditional sense.
Giant operation against wildlife crime in 92 countries
AP
PARIS
A monthlong global operation against illegal trade in wildlife and timber has resulted in the seizure of thousands of live animals and tons of meat and ivory, international police agency Interpol announced on Wednesday.
Press Releases
Vicksburg Lumber Mill to Begin Operations as Vicksburg Forest Products, Create 125 Jobs
Jackson, Miss. (June 19, 2018) – Vicksburg Forest Products is opening a lumber mill in Vicksburg, Miss. After significant upgrades and modifications are complete, the multi-million dollar corporate investment will create 125 jobs.
“Vicksburg’s ideal location combined with the region’s fertile timberland positions Vicksburg Forest Products for years of success in Warren County. I commend the team at Vicksburg Forest Products for re-purposing the lumber mill and for bringing so many jobs to the people of Vicksburg,” Gov. Phil Bryant said.
In March 2018, Anderson Tully Company announced the closure of its Vicksburg operations as of May 15th. Jackson-based Vicksburg Forest Products purchased the assets associated with Anderson Tully and is investing in significant plant upgrades. Once operational, Vicksburg Forest Products will manufacture Southern Yellow Pine lumber with a goal of producing up to 100-million board feet per shift. The company plans to purchase raw materials from a number of landowners in the surrounding area.
“Our company is proud to be investing in Vicksburg, where we believe there is both a talented workforce and a strong sense of community. We are especially appreciative of the pro-business environment that the State of Mississippi and Vicksburg have showcased to us through the coordinated efforts of the Vicksburg-Warren Economic Development Partnership and the Mississippi Development Authority,” said Billy Van Devender, manager of Vicksburg Forest Products. “We look forward to having a long and prosperous future in the Vicksburg community and the Warren County area.”
The Mississippi Development Authority is assisting with site improvements. The city of Vicksburg also is assisting with public site improvements.
“With 66 percent of the state’s geography comprising approximately 20-million acres of forestland in Mississippi, forestry is a strong and growing economic driver throughout the state,” said MDA Executive Director Glenn McCullough, Jr. “The state’s abundance of natural resources make Mississippi the ideal location for the state’s new and existing forest products companies to achieve their goals.”
Vicksburg Forest Products’ ownership group has significant manufacturing experience with Southern Yellow Pine with ownership in Southeastern Timber Products in Ackerman. The company plans to begin operations in Vicksburg in late July and is currently accepting applications for employment at its guard house, which is located at 1725 N. Washington Street. Applications are being accepted between the hours of 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday – Saturday. Applications are also being accepted at the WIN Job Center.
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Water Use Across the United States Declines to Levels Not Seen Since 1970
USGS
Reductions in water use first observed in 2010 continue, show ongoing effort towards “efficient use of critical water resources.”
New Approach May Detect Chronic Wasting Disease Earlier, at Less Cost
USGS
A new statistical approach to disease surveillance may improve scientists’ and managers’ ability to detect chronic wasting disease earlier in white-tailed deer by targeting higher-risk animals. .
