State
Fishermen, DMR work to move oysters to help boost population
WLOX
Oyster fishermen on the Coast are working to save their harvest.
Fishermen and the Department of Marine Resources worked together Monday to move tens of thousands of oysters to cleaner waters.
OYSTER RELAY AT THE PASCAGOULA CAUSEWAY REEF
WXXV
An MDMR oyster relay kicked off at sunrise this morning in Pascagoula.
MDWFP restocks north Mississippi rainbow trout
NewsMS
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) stocked over 700 rainbow trout into the fishing pond at Lake Lamar Bruce near Saltillo.
State Government
Brown won't run again as Mississippi utility regulator
AP
One of Mississippi's three public service commissioners says he's not seeking re-election in 2019.
Oil Spill
How Two New Projects Aim To Boost Texas’ Declining Oyster Population (And Why It Matters)
An estimated 50-85% of the Gulf of Mexico’s original oyster reefs have disappeared.
Houston Public Media
To help combat the steep decline of Texas’ oyster population, the Nature Conservancy will carry out two oyster reef restoration projects in 2019, using a new approach that aims to benefit both the marine ecosystem and commercial industry.
Regional
Four months later, red tide is still in our waters. Experts can’t say when it will end
Bradenton Herald
MANATEE A Spanish explorer in the 16th century recorded stories from Florida Indians about toxic red water and how it killed fish and birds.
National
Trump Prepares to Unveil a Vast Reworking of Clean Water Protections
NYT
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is expected on Tuesday to unveil a plan that would weaken federal clean water rules designed to protect millions of acres of wetlands and thousands of miles of streams nationwide from pesticide runoff and other pollutants.
EPA Chief Calls for Narrowing Scope of Clean-Water Rule
Wheeler says Obama administration went too far in stream, wetland protection
WSJ
WASHINGTON—The head of the Environmental Protection Agency says a proposed rule change, to be released on Tuesday, gives states needed flexibility in managing their streams and wetlands, while reining in what he described as the overreach of the Obama administration.
Pres. Trump's plan to reclassify nuke waste alarms environmentalists
AP
The Trump administration wants to reclassify some radioactive waste left from the production of nuclear weapons to lower its threat level and make disposal cheaper and easier.
Wisconsin to spend $25.8 million of Volkswagen diesel fines on new diesel buses
State Journal
With sights set on eliminating carbon emissions, Madison is preparing to use some of the fines Volkswagen paid for cheating on emissions tests to buy diesel buses that will likely be on the road years after VW has stopped making gas and diesel engines.
Harvard Quietly Amasses California Vineyards—and the Water Underneath
Making a bet on climate change, the university’s $39 billion endowment has been snapping up farmland and the related water rights
WSJ
SHANDON, Calif.—Steve Sinton, a rancher, was baffled when a company he’d never heard of began buying large tracts of agricultural land near his pastures at above-market prices. The firm, Brodiaea Inc., over a few months in 2012 acquired more than three square miles of a flat-bottomed valley.
Opinion
Climate Change Emerging From the Political Shadows
Twin wildfires in California and a vocal new class of Congressional Democrats are putting focus on climate change
WSJ – Capital Journal
What’s the sleeper issue of the new political cycle? Here’s a good bet: It will be climate change.
Press Releases
EPA Celebrates One Year Of New Source Review Modernization
EPA Highlights Activities Taken Within The Last Year To Update The NSR Process
12/10/2018
WASHINGTON — On Friday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) celebrated one year of New Source Review modernization and highlighted steps taken within the last year to update and modernize the New Source Review (NSR) process. In the past year EPA has taken a number of steps to provide more regulatory certainty for stakeholders while still achieving positive environmental outcomes.
New regional director to head southeastern conservation efforts Fish and Wildlife Service
USFWS
A veteran of conservation has become the latest regional director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service) Southeast Region based in Atlanta.
Haslam, TDEC Release Statewide Water Plan, Request Public Feedback
Official Press Release, Friday, Dec. 7, 2018
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, along with Deputy Gov. Jim Henry and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) Commissioner Dr. Shari Meghreblian, today released the statewide water availability plan developed by subject matter experts and led by a steering committee Haslam appointed earlier this year.
National Wildlife Refuges Announce 2019 Fee-Free Days
USFWS
Across America, national wildlife refuges offer unparalleled opportunities to experience the great outdoors amid scenic beauty. And they do it on awe-inducing landscapes that range from Oregon’s rocky cliffs to Texas lagoons, from Maine wilderness to woods and fields inside the city of Philadelphia.
