State
5,000 gallon diesel fuel spill in Meridian, most of it contained
WTOK
Emergency management officials tell us they have contained a 5,000 gallon diesel fuel spill that happened while Norfolk Southern was fueling up a tanker in Meridian.
Diesel fuel spills from Norfolk Southern rail yard into Sowashee Creek
Meridian Star
Between 4,000-6,000 gallons of diesel fuel spilled from the Norfolk Southern rail yard off Railroad Street in Meridian before 6 a.m. Wednesday, according to the company.
PILES OF TRASH CAUSING PROBLEMS IN CALHOUN COUNTY
WCBI
CALHOUN COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Illegal dumping is a problem across the state.
One sheriff said the problem is really piling up in his county and he’s doing something about it.
City of Greenwood Holds Media Day: Beautification of the City
DeltaNewsTV
The City of Greenwood held its Media Day Event this morning at the Senior Citizens Building on Howard Street to discuss the beautification of the city.
Grant to beautify parks, lots
Enterprise-Journal
McComb officials and volunteers will use a $25,000 landscaping grant to beautify city parks and other public areas with plants, officials said at a press conference Tuesday unveiling the program.
New leadership to step in at Arnold Line Water Association
WDAM
The Arnold Line Water Association’s board and membership agreed on new leadership during a Tuesday night meeting in Hattiesburg.
Enid Lake Habitat Day Yields 400 fish shelters
Panolian
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Enid Lake has thanked all volunteers that participated in Enid Lake’s 28th Annual Habitat Day.
Fire destroys Houston fertilizer warehouse
Chickasaw Journal
HOUSTON – What you can dream up is always worse than what is actually going on.
The Houston Fire Department was called to a fire at Nutrien Ag Solutions Wednesday night after a passing deputy spotted a fire at the fertilizer mill on Harry Robinson Road.
WASTE PRO DIVISIONAL VP RECOGNIZED AS 40 UNDER 40
Hub City Spokes
Chris Lockwood, divisional vice president of Waste Pro’s South Mississippi divisions, has received the prestigious Waste 360 40 Under 40 Award.
Mississippi State develops new smartphone app to test lumber
Meridian Star
Determining the stiffest piece of lumber is now easier with a new smartphone app created by scientists in Mississippi State University’s Forest and Wildlife Research Center.
State Government
Mississippi’s longest-serving lawmaker announces retirement
WLOX
Biloxi representation at the state capitol will soon be changing. Tommy Gollott just put the rumors to rest. The Biloxi senator exclusively told WLOX he is retiring.
Regional
Volkswagen to spend $300 million more on electric vehicle network, eyeing spring building start for Chattanooga plant
Chattanooga Times Free Press
While Volkswagen eyes a spring start to building a Chattanooga electric vehicle plant, a subsidiary that's putting up a nationwide charging network plans to spend another $300 million.
National
EPA sets toxins response plan amid criticism from lawmakers
AP
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to announce a plan for dealing with a class of long-lasting chemical contaminants amid complaints from members of Congress and environmentalists that it’s not moved aggressively enough to regulate them.
Dropping Air Permit Enforcement Priority is Progress, Some Say
Bloomberg
Dropping air pollution permitting as an EPA enforcement priority is a measure of the 20-year-old program’s success and not a capitulation to polluters, as some critics are suggesting, former agency attorneys said.
EPA’s Top Leaders Stymied Research Unit, Report Finds
WSJ
An Environmental Protection Agency research unit tasked with evaluating chemicals’ health risks has had its work hindered by the agency’s top leadership, according to a government watchdog.
EPA official Bill Wehrum stayed in close touch with his former law firm, new emails show
Washington Post
Bill Wehrum, the Environmental Protection Agency’s top air policy official, continued to stay in close touch with employees at his former law firm after joining the Trump administration, according to documentsreleased this week under the Freedom of Information Act.
Biofuel debate threatens Wheeler's EPA nomination
Bloomberg
Five Republican senators have issued a veiled threat against President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the EPA, suggesting that their votes to confirm Andrew Wheeler hinge on whether he will take steps to help oil refiners forced to blend biofuel into gasoline.
FEMA director Brock Long to resign amid questions over use of government vehicle
Al.com
Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Brock Long has resigned from his post, the department announced Wednesday. Peter Gaynor, who has served as Long’s deputy, will assume acting administrator duties in his place.
Press Releases
EPA Acting Administrator Wheeler Signs MOU with National FFA Organization to Enhance Environmental Education
02/13/2019
WASHINGTON — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler signed a first-time Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National FFA Organization to advance educational outreach for EPA’s ongoing environmental and public health initiatives.
Interior Announces Region-Wide Oil and Gas Lease Sale for Gulf of Mexico
Final Notice of Sale Outlines All Available Areas in Federal Waters
2/13/2019
WASHINGTON – In support of President Donald J. Trump’s America-First Offshore Energy Strategy, Interior’s Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Joe Balash and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Acting Director Walter Cruickshank today announced that BOEM will offer 78 million acres for a region-wide lease sale scheduled for March 2019.
A sound like no other
MDWFP
While you are on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, whether you are shouting “Fish on!” or throwing some fish on the grill for a delicious dinner, chances are you are enjoying the bounties of the Mississippi Sound.
NOAA announces the arrival of El Nino
El Nino likely to be weak with little influence on weather through early spring
NOAA
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center issued an El Nino Advisory today, indicating the climate pattern has taken effect and is likely to continue through the spring. While the El Nino is expected to be weak, it may bring wetter conditions across the southern half of the U.S. during the coming months.
