State
TMS drilling resumes
Australis takes Encana’s place in oil play, has spudded 1 of 6 wells
Enterprise-Journal
Drilling is again underway in the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale.
Australis Oil and Gas contracted with Nabors Drilling to start the latest efforts to bring producing wells online in Amite County.
GROUPS LOOK TO FEDERAL BILL TO PROTECT PEARL RIVER
MPB
Mississippi environmental groups hope a federal bill President Donald Trump is expected to sign will end a proposed project they say is destructive.
Volunteers clean Red Creek
Stone County Enterprise
Volunteers with several organizations joined forces Saturday morning to clean trash from a section of Red Creek.
Oxford Electric changing name to Oxford Utilities
Oxford Eagle
Oxford Electric will soon be known under a new name.
The City of Oxford Board of Aldermen approved the utility company’s name change during their regular meeting on Tuesday, allowing for Oxford Electric to transition to its new company name, Oxford Utilities.
To promote sustainability, Mississippi State opens community garden
Daily Journal
The college in Starkville’s full name is The Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science. In accordance with the second and less-publicized part of that name, MSU is hosting ‘Green Week’ this week.
Ridgeland starting Farmers Market
Madison County Journal
Ridgeland will host its first city-sponsored Farmers Market this weekend after officials approved an agreement with a church.
Natalie Guess appointed to CMR
Sea Coast Echo
Gov. Phil Bryant has appointed Natalie Guess to the state Commission on Marine Resources representing nonprofit environmental organizations.
Contractor identified after fatal fall at Pascagoula Chevron Refinery
Mississippi Press
PASCAGOULA, Miss. -- The contractor who suffered fatal injuries from falling at the Chevron Refinery has been identified, according to spokesman Alan Sudduth.
ATF INVESTIGATORS BRING THEIR SKILLS, EXPERTISE TO HELP DETERMINE CAUSE OF AMERICAN FURNITURE FIRE
WCBI
ECRU, MISS. (WCBI) – All this week, agents with the ATF’s “National Response Team” have brought their specialized skills to find out what happened Saturday morning at American Furniture’s Ecru plant.
Laurel PD to host drug take back event
WDAM
The Laurel Police Department will be hosting a drug take back event on Oct. 27 in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Regional
Flushed wipes cause Charleston Water System backup
WCBD
JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD) - Workers at the Charleston Water System Plum Island Facility had their hands full over the weekend when the system was clogged by a massive amount of wipes.
National
Greenhouse gas emissions dropped nearly 3 percent in Trump’s first year
The Hill
Harmful greenhouses gases that largely contribute to climate change decreased during President Trump’s first year in office, according to new a Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report released Wednesday.
EPA Plan to Kill Glider Truck Limits in Limbo Amid GOP Pressure
Bloomberg
The EPA plan to kill Obama-era air pollution limits for trucks with rebuilt engines is idling, even as the agency faces increasing political pressure from some Republican lawmakers.
EPA in talks with Volvo over faulty emissions part in trucks
The Hill
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working with Volvo to address a faulty part that could lead to increased, illegal emissions in its commercial trucks.
State board approves first installment of VW money for Ohio air-quality projects
Columbus Dispatch
Projects could begin across Ohio to reduce diesel emissions after the state’s Controlling Board approved the first installment payment of a $75 million settlement from the German automaker Volkswagen AG to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency this week.
EPA puts science ‘transparency’ rule on back burner
The Hill
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is putting its initiative to overhaul how it evaluates science on the back burner.
Science says fluoride in water is good for kids. So why are these towns banning it?
In the past five years, 74 cities have voted to remove fluoride from their drinking water, despite thousands of studies showing it prevents cavities.
NBC
It has been hailed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as one of the top public health achievements of the 20th century. Numerous studies have proven its safety and efficacy. But fluoride — the naturally occurring compound that prevents cavities and tooth decay — is still sparking heated debates, seven decades after it was first added to America’s water supply.
NYC Sanitation Commissioner to Tackle Lead Exposure
Kathryn Garcia will keep her old job and take on new portfolio; hundreds of children who live in public housing were found to have elevated lead levels
WSJ
The head of the city’s sanitation department will oversee a new initiative to cut lead exposure in the city to zero, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday.
Trump Seeks 5% Budget Cuts From Cabinet Agencies
‘Get rid of the fat,’ president says; federal deficit widened to $779 billion last year after GOP tax cut
WSJ
WASHINGTON—President Trump on Wednesday asked his cabinet members to find ways to cut their department budgets by 5% next year, targeting government spending after an official tally showed Republicans’ tax cuts drove the federal budget deficit to its widest level in six years.
New research indicates the oldest fossils ever found on Earth might just be rocks
AP
What were billed as the oldest fossils on Earth may just be some rocks, according to a new study.
Press Releases
Data Shows Decrease in U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions During Trump’s First Year in Office
10/17/2018
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released 2017 greenhouse gas (GHG) data collected under the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP), showing overall decreases across sectors and that total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions reported decreased by 2.7 percent from 2016 to 2017.
EPA Releases Fall 2018 Unified Agenda and Regulatory Plan Shows Commitment to Strong Environmental Protection and Regulatory Reform
10/17/2018
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), along with the rest of the federal government, released the Fall 2018 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions and Regulatory Plan, which provides updates to the public about regulatory activity.
Interior Announces Multi-Billion Dollar Regulatory Relief in FY 2018
10/17/2018
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced its success in reducing the Department's regulatory burden in support of and compliance with President Donald Trump's Executive Order 13771 on Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs.
NOAA awards $11 million to accelerate U.S. aquaculture research
Growing the U.S. aquaculture industry is a priority for the Department of Commerce
NOAA
October 17, 2018Today, NOAA announced 22 research grants totaling $11 million for projects around the country designed to expand sustainable U.S. ocean, coastal and Great Lakes aquaculture.
Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee Refuge Day is Saturday
Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge is hosting Refuge Day on Saturday, October 20. This family event starts at 10:00 AM and ends at
2:00 PM. Refuge Day activities will include Choctaw Indian rabbit stick throwing, canoeing, children’s crafts, face painting, and many other activities and exhibits for people of all ages. During the event visitors will be treated to live music including the Lonely Valley Youth Choir, Drum Circle led by Bob Damm and Singing by Ron Johnson. The event is free of charge and the day will be a fee free day for all visitors to the refuge.
For more information about the refuge please visit our website ( www.fws.gov/noxubee), our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/NoxubeeNWR), or call us at (662) 323-5548. The refuge is located at 13723 Bluff Lake Road in Brooksville, Mississippi.
GREAT CENTRAL U.S. SHAKEOUT” EARTHQUAKE DRILL
SET FOR OCTOBER 18, 2018
PEARL –The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency is encouraging everyone in the state to take part in the 2018 “Great Central U.S. ShakeOut” Earthquake Drill on Thursday, October 18 at 10:18 a.m.
During the self-led drill, participants practice how to “Drop, Cover, and Hold On”. The essential steps to take are to:
· DROP to the ground.
· Take COVER under a sturdy table or desk if possible, protecting your head and neck.
· HOLD ON until the shaking stops.
Citizens in Mississippi are not immune to earthquakes. The state is on the outer edge of the New Madrid Seismic Zone which saw a series of major earthquakes in the early 1800’s that caused catastrophic damage. There are several fault lines that cross the state.
The ShakeOut drill is free and open-to-the-public, and participants can include individuals, schools, businesses, local and state government agencies, and many other groups. To take part in the ShakeOut, individuals and organizations are asked to join the drill by registering to participate atwww.shakeout.org/centralus.
Once registered, participants receive regular information on how to plan their drill and become better prepared for earthquakes and other disasters.
To date, more than 2.8 million people are registered to participate in this event, with 333,000 in Mississippi. More than 21 million people around the world are expected to participate; and in addition to safety drills, many participants take extra steps to become more prepared for earthquakes or other disasters.
The “Great Central U.S. ShakeOut” is being coordinated by local and state emergency management, as well as by the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium through its Member and Associate States, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey, and dozens of other partners.
For detailed preparedness information please visit MEMA’s website, www.msema.org, our social media platforms Facebook and Twitter, and the MEMA mobile app under Mississippi EMA. ###
