State
Lamar County timber site taken off EPA's Superfund list after 18 years
Hattiesburg American
A Lamar County wood-preserving site that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency targeted for cleanup in 2000 has been taken off the federal organization's Superfund list.
Davis Timber Co. removed as EPA Superfund site
WDAM
HATTIESBURG, MS (WDAM) - Several companies across the United States have been removed from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund National Priorities List including one from Hattiesburg. The EPA made the announcement on Oct. 9 citing that the agency “deleted all or part of 22 sites.”
City to get new wastewater treatment plant north of town
New Albany Gazette
The City of New Albany is moving toward a much-needed expansion of the city’s wastewater treatment plant and about to improve the aesthetics of the area around the Park Along the River and BNA Bank Park at the same time.
Repairs continue on busted storm drain, sewer line at Washington and Crawford
Vicksburg Post
City officials remain uncertain when the intersection of Washington and Crawford Streets will be reopened to traffic, Mayor George Flaggs Jr. said Wednesday.
Hazardous Waste Day set for Saturday
DeSoto Times-Tribune
For more than 10 years, DeSoto County residents have had the opportunity to do some fall cleaning and get some items out of the house they no longer need and desire to have on their property.
State Government
Coldwater town clerk accused of stealing over $300K
WMC
COLDWATER, MS (WMC) - A former town clerk in Coldwater, Mississippi, is charged with stealing hundreds of dollars during his time on the job.
Oil Spill
USF examines health of Gulf of Mexico in aftermath of oil spill
Fox 13
A team of scientists and students from the University of South Florida have spent the past seven years looking at what lies beneath the Gulf of Mexico since the 2010 Deepwater Horizon environmental disaster.
Regional
Toxic Red Tide Could Sicken People as Hurricane Michael Pushes It Ashore
Bloomberg
Hurricane Michael could push this season’s toxic red tide inland, exposing more people to the dangerous health effects of a record algae bloom that has bedeviled much of Florida’s coast.
National
EPA removes 22 cleaned-up sites from Superfund list
The Hill
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) removed more sites from its Superfund list in the last fiscal year than any year in more than a decade.
Dirtier Air Expected if EPA Lets More Companies Duck Permitting
Bloomberg
Air pollution could hike under an EPA plan that would let power plants, steel manufacturers, and a host of other industries avoid installing new emissions controls when seeking permits.
More than 1,500 Interior employees removed or reprimanded for harassment, misconduct
The Hill
The Interior Department fired, suspended or reprimanded more than 1,500 employees for harassment or misconduct between 2017 and 2018, according to an internal email obtained by The Hill.
As storms keep coming, FEMA spends billions in ‘cycle’ of damage and repair
NYT
In the exact spot where Hurricane Katrina demolished the Plaquemines Parish Detention Center, a new $105 million jail now hovers 19 feet above the marsh, perched atop towering concrete pillars. Described by a state official as the “Taj Mahal” of Louisiana corrections, it has so much space that one of every 27 parish residents could bunk there.
When it comes to fuel economy, here's why full-sized pickups save more fuel than the Prius
USA Today
The new 2019 Chevrolet Silverado and Ram 1500 pickups will reduce gasoline consumption and greenhouse emissions more next year than the Toyota Prius hybrid, despite the little hatchback’s gaudy 52-mpg fuel economy rating.
Press Releases
EPA Announces Deletion of Davis Timber Company Site in Hattiesburg, Miss. from Superfund National Priorities List
EPA Hits 13-Year High in Superfund Site Deletions
10/10/2018
ATLANTA (October 10, 2018) – Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that in Fiscal Year (FY) 2018, the Agency deleted all or part of 22 sites from Superfund’s National Priorities List (NPL) including the Davis Timber Company site in Hattiesburg, Miss.
Mississippi Trustees Release Notice of Initiation of Restoration Planning
Acting Administrator Wheeler Announces Science Advisors for Key Clean Air Act Committee
Tasks Chartered Panel to Lead Review of Ozone & Particulate Matter Standards Under Reformed Process
10/10/2018
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced the appointment of five new members of the chartered Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC).
Anheuser-Busch Recognized for Excellence in Green Power Use in 2018 EPA Leadership Awards
10/10/2018
(Lenexa, Kan., Oct. 10, 2018) - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces its 18th annual Green Power Leadership Awards, recognizing 10 Green Power Partners across the country, including Anheuser-Busch Companies, LLC in St. Louis for Excellence in Green Power Use.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reopens comment period and holds public meetings on proposed Critical Habitat for the black pinesnake
October 10, 2018
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is reopening the public comment period on a proposal to designate critical habitat for the black pinesnake. Anyone interested in this proposal and the recovery of the black pinesnake is invited to comment for 30 days beginning October 11, 2018 and ending on November 13, 2018.
Secretary Perdue Announces Vicki Christiansen as New Forest Service Chief
(WASHINGTON, D.C., October 10, 2018) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced that Vicki Christiansen will serve as the 19th Chief of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Service.
