State
Dam at new jail site will be breached
Vicksburg Post
The new jail site project is nearly ready to begin its next phase in the construction process.
County engineer John McKee informed the Warren County Board of Supervisors during their regular meeting Monday that the pond on the 47-acre site has been lowered to a level where the levee can be breached.
The county engineer has been working with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality on having the pond removed before more site preparation can take place.
Backwater reaches record level; electricity will be interrupted
Vicksburg Post
The Yazoo backwater reached a level of 96.6 feet Sunday, breaking a record set in 1979 and raising concerns about future problems as the water inches up to a projected 97-97.5 feet with water crossing Eagle Lake Shore Road in the Eagle Lake community.
BIOLOGIST PREDICT SOLID SEASON ON STATE LAKES IN NORTH MISSISSIPPI
WCBI
Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) fisheries biologists expect another good year for anglers in Northeast Mississippi.
DMR to conduct prescribed burn on Hancock County Marsh Preserve
Sea Coast Echo
Officials with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources will conduct a prescribed burn on the Ansley Unit of the Hancock County Marsh Preserve today, Monday, March 18.
Prescribed burn covers 2,200 acres in Chickasawhay Ranger District
WDAM
WAYNE COUNTY, MS (WDAM) - The U.S. Forest Service issued a prescribed burn for more than 2,200 acres in the Chickasawhay Ranger District.
OSHA investigating workplace death at Howard Industries Inc.
WDAM
LAUREL, MS (WDAM) - The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating a workplace death at Howard Industries in Laurel, according to Michael D’Aquino, with the U.S. Department of Labor. D’Aquino said a worker was killed on Friday, March 15.
State Government
2 new members join Mississippi House after special elections
AP
Two new members have joined the Mississippi House of Representatives.
Opponents to annexation support new bill effort
DeSoto Times-Tribune
As the Mississippi state legislative session is in its final days, a deadline looms for supporters of a move to restrict the ability of municipal governments in DeSoto County to annex land into the city limits.
Oil Spill
Dramatic progress being made at the Mississippi Aquarium
WLOX
GULFPORT, MS (WLOX) - Monday was a big day for the Mississippi Aquarium as some of the facility’s showcase acrylic panels were being installed.
Senate eyes BP money for rural areas hit my Hurricane Michael
PNJ
TALLAHASSEE --- Rural Panhandle counties recovering from Hurricane Michael would be in line to receive settlement money from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, under a bill advanced Monday in the Senate.
Regional
ETSU students awarded $15,000 EPA grant for environmental project
WJHL
ATLANTA (WJHL) - The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a grant to a group of ETSU students for an environmental research project.
National
Bipartisan Pushback Against Some Environmental Cuts
Bloomberg
For the third time since taking office, President Donald Trump wants to make deep cuts to clean energy and environmental programs, but some of those programs have broad bipartisan constituencies.
Military tainted water cleanup to cost $2 billion
13 News Now
CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Last September the Government Accountability Office reported that a Pentagon study of 401 active and closed bases and surrounding communities across the country determined that 126 had drinking water contamination.
Plaintiffs ask for ruling to return oversight of coal ash disposal to the EPA
The Oklahoman
The plaintiffs in a lawsuit that seeks to void the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's decision to allow Oklahoma to regulate coal ash disposal is seeking a summary judgement from a U.S. District Court judge in the District of Columbia, they have announced.
Deer Park plant on fire at Intercontinental Terminals Co has history of environmental violations
Houston Chronicle
Before it was engulfed in flame, the Deer Park chemical facility had a long history of violating environmental rules.
How Community Compost Startups Are Helping Compost Go Mainstream
Forbes
CompostNow, based in Raleigh, North Carolina, is one of the nation’s growing group of “community composters." These grassroots organizations help individuals, organizations and food service providers divert compostable waste like food scraps, paper products and coffee grounds from the landfill.
Trump Administration Plans Flood Insurance Overhaul
WSJ
WASHINGTON—The Trump administration said Monday it plans to overhaul government-subsidized flood insurance, in a sweeping proposal that could raise rates on more expensive properties and those in higher-risk areas.
Officials OK fish consumption from river remembered for fire
AP
Federal environmental regulators say fish living in an Ohio river that became synonymous with pollution when it caught fire in 1969 are now safe to eat.
Press Releases
EPA Awards Grants to 21 Student Teams for Innovative Technology Projects
03/18/2019
WASHINGTON (March 18, 2019) - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced more than $300,000 in funding for 21 teams of undergraduate and graduate students across the country through its People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) grants program. The teams are receiving funding to develop sustainable technologies to help solve environmental and public health challenges.
Proposed EPA program would give $50-million boost to children’s health
03/18/2019
WASHINGTON (March 18, 2019) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing a new $50-million grant program, the Healthy Schools Grant Program, to expand the Trump Administration’s efforts to protect children where they learn and play.
EPA extends application period for environmental educator awards
03/18/2019
WASHINGTON (March 18, 2019) — The application period has been extended for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE).
DMR to conduct prescribed burn on Hancock County Marsh Preserve
BILOXI, Miss. – Officials with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources will conduct a prescribed burn on the Ansley Unit of the Hancock County Marsh Preserve on March 18, 2019.
Notice of Intent to Draft Restoration Plan in Louisiana
The Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group has initiated developing the Draft Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment #3.1: Barataria Basin Marsh Creation (Draft Restoration Plan #3.1).
