State
7 years. Billions of gallons of sewage. Jackson is struggling to meet EPA terms.
Clarion Ledger
The city of Jackson has been under the thumb of the Environmental Protection Agency since 2012, but that hasn't slowed sewage overflow from the city's aging infrastructure.
And both the city and the EPA — scheduled to meet soon over terms of a federal consent decree — know it.
Starkville increases sanitation rates
Commercial Dispatch
Starkville aldermen approved a sanitation pick-up rate increase on Tuesday to fund required work to bring the city's landfill into compliance with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality regulations.
County authorities investigate illegal dumpsite
Monroe Journal
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office investigated two cases of illegal dumping at the same location in recent days.
County cleanup effort continues with spring event
DeSoto Times-Tribune
While not actually doing the physical pickup of trash, DeSoto County officials say the “Shame On Y’all” sign campaign has been working to thwart potential litterers of what they are doing to the county’s roadways.
City of Greenwood to Hold Media Event: Beautification of the City
DeltaNewsTV
The City of Greenwood is making strides to beautify the city, and will have a Media Event to display the trees planted in Rail Spike Park.
Brookhaven kicks off ‘love day’ cleanup initiative
Daily Leader
With just a week to go before Valentine’s Day, Brookhaven aldermen are asking people to show the city some love.
KEEP MAGEE BEAUTIFUL TO REVAMP MCNAIR SPRINGS
Simpson County News
Keep Magee Beautiful, the Magee Chamber of Commerce and the City of Magee are joining forces for The Great McNair Springs Clean-up!
Community cleanup drive set for Saturday
Neshoba Democrat
The first Community Cleanup drive will be this Saturday and will target the gateways into Philadelphia.
Demolition begins on historic Kuhn Memorial Hospital
Vicksburg Post
A small crowd of city officials and residents gathered at the Kuhn Memorial Hospital property Wednesday morning to watch the end of an era.
Crews respond to storage facility fire in Houston
WTVA
HOUSTON, Miss. (WTVA) - Houston Firefighters responded to a fire at a fertilizer storage facility on Wednesday night.
Covington County buying old Forestry Commission nursery
WDAM
Covington County is buying nearly seven acres of land near Hot Coffee that was owned by the Mississippi Forestry Commission.
HATTIESBURG FORESTER TO ACCEPT NATIONAL AWARD
Hub City Spokes
Tate Thriffiley of Hattiesburg will be honored on Feb. 11 in Washington, D.C., as a 2019 Champion of the Year by The Partnership for the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps. Thriffiley, along with other honorees will be recognized during the annual Partnership for the 21CSC.
Prescribed fire workshop assists landowners
Pontotoc Progress
The Mississippi State University Extension Service invites private landowners to a workshop to learn about the benefits prescribed burns provide for wildlife habitat.
State Government
Judge upholds state's awarding of $123 million telecommunications contract to C Spire
Clarion Ledger
A Hinds County Chancery judge has upheld the state's awarding of a $123 million contract to C Spire for telecommunications services.
House votes to earmark $11M to Mississippi tourism ads
AP
Mississippi House members are pushing for the state to spend more on tourism advertising.
The House voted 111-5 Wednesday for House Bill 1102 , which would earmark 3 cents worth of sales tax collections from hotels and restaurants for tourism advertising spending.
Oil Spill
Milton to withdraw $500,000 RESTORE Act request for marina improvements
PNJ
The city of Milton is withdrawing its request for more than a half million dollars in RESTORE Act funding to improve the Quinn Street marina after officials say the initial request for funding was woefully underestimated.
Regional
Acting EPA chief Andrew Wheeler outlines deregulation
Augusta Chronicle
A Dearing plant nursery was the backdrop for acting Environmental Protection Agency administrator Andrew Wheeler to outline proposed changes to the “Waters of the U.S.” rule that determines which waters are subject to federal regulation.
Activists want to close St. James plant where huge pile holding hazardous water could collapse
The Advocate
CONVENT — Shouting "shut it down" on the front lawn of Mosaic Fertilizer's administrative office, a collection of St. James Parish residents, outside environmental activists and pastors called Wednesday for the state to close the Uncle Sam plant with its endangered lake of hazardous water threatening surrounding land and waterways.
Fulton school district wins $1.9M grant to swap diesel buses for propane
AJC
National
Disease Threatening Deer Population Has Spread to 26 States
WSJ
An illness similar to mad-cow disease that is fatal to deer is spreading across the U.S., worrying hunters, wildlife-management officials and scientists.
2018 Was Fourth-Hottest Year in Modern Records, U.S. Government Scientists Say
WSJ
WASHINGTON—The past five years have been the hottest in modern records, federal scientists said Wednesday, the latest in a series of warnings as House Democrats promise to combat climate change.
Trump admin seeks to roll back light bulb efficiency rule
The Hill
The Trump administration wants to roll back energy efficiency standards for certain light bulbs.
Missouri To Regulate Coal Ash Ponds For The First Time
St. Louis PR
EPA ices Washington state’s effort to regulate hot water in Columbia, Snake rivers
Seattle Times
A move to initiate state regulation of salmon-killing hot water in the Columbia and Snake rivers has been iced by the Trump Administration — for now.
Opinion
One more Exxon Valdez lesson: 30 years after the spill, report cites need for improved coordination
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
It’s been nearly 30 years since the tanker Exxon Valdez spilled about 11 million gallons of oil into Prince William Sound, soiling about 1,500 miles of coastline, and we’re still learning lessons from it.
One more lesson, albeit a small one, showed up Sunday in the public release of a Government Accountability Office about the interaction of major entities involved in the cleanup and environmental restoration from the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill and of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
