State
Gulf Sturgeon migrating to the Pearl River
WLBT
It’s the time of year for the rare, and endangered fish, the Gulf Sturgeon, to start migrating up the Pearl River.
DeSoto County seeing increase in illegal dumping, blight
Fox 13
DeSoto County is seeing an increase in illegal dumping this spring.
On Friday afternoon, blight was illegally dumped on the side of Poplar Corner Road near Goodman.
Asbestos, lead-based paint, mold found in Lauderdale County Courthouse
Meridian Star
A year-old report on the air quality of the Lauderdale County Courthouse hasn't had an impact on the employees who work in the building, nor have any public warnings been issued.
County-wide spring cleanup going on now
Sea Coast Echo
Hancock County government has begun a massive new "Spring Cleanup" effort, and is asking for the public's cooperation.
Ship collides with barge at Ingalls in Pascagoula
Sun Herald
A ship collision caused a stir in Jackson County on Friday morning, and officials say people were treated for minor injuries.
Trial finally set in Mississippi’s $1B suit over power costs
AP
Way back in December 2008, Mississippi's attorney general sued the state's largest private electrical utility claiming the company had overcharged customers by more than $1 billion.
Page 13: Coastal Mississippi makes for beautiful photographs
WLOX
A Jackson County couple runs boat tours of the Pascagoula River and swamps around coastal Mississippi.
Dept. of Marine Resources conducting courtesy boat checks
WLOX
For the next several weekends, the Department of Marine Resources will be conducting checks for boating safety. At the Point in Pascagoula Friday, officials were checking boaters to make sure they have the proper equipment.
State Government
Analysis: Lawmakers’ decisions affect people’s wallets
AP
Pocketbook issues were an important part of the 2019 Mississippi legislative session.
Oil Spill
Nature Conservancy acquires 6,200 acres to protect sea turtles
Brownsville Herald
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND — As the nesting season for Kemp’s ridley sea turtles approaches, Sea Turtle Inc. volunteers and staff have started gearing up for their annual nesting patrols.
This coastal project is for the birds
Daily Comet
A $19 million project will begin this fall to restore a tiny island off Lafourche Parish that is home to one of Louisiana’s largest brown pelican nesting grounds.
Regional
Fixing Collierville landfill smell 'a riddle,' officials say, but some progress has been made
Commercial Appeal
Collierville stinks. Or at least part of it does, when the scent from the E-plex demolition landfill and recycling center wafts into nearby neighborhoods.
Burning landfill owner gets more time from Fulton judge
AJC
New Orleans files wetland damage suit against oil, gas companies
Times-Picayune
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell filed a lawsuit Friday (March 29) against Entergy New Orleans, Chevron U.S.A. Inc, ExxonMobil Pipeline Company and eight other oil and gas companies, demanding they repair damage caused by exploration, production and pipeline construction activities to wetlands along the city’s eastern edges.
Federal judge dismisses suit seeking class-action status against St. John chemical plant
The Advocate
A federal judge in New Orleans has dismissed a lawsuit seeking class-action status against the Denka Performance Elastomer plant near LaPlace — making it the first lawsuit against the plant to be thrown out since residents started suing over "excessive" chloroprene levels two years ago.
Florida Power & Light to Build World’s Largest Solar-Powered Battery System
WSJ
Florida Power & Light said it plans to build the world’s largest battery, which would collect electricity from solar panels during the day and discharge it as needed during periods of high power demand.
DHEC chief says his hiring was no backroom deal. Defeated candidate disagrees
The State
Recently appointed state environmental director Rick Toomey says his hiring was no backroom deal, even though he served on the board that discounted more than 100 applicants before settling on him.
National
EPA Science Panel Considering Guidelines That Upend Basic Air Pollution Science
NPR
Several members of a powerful science panel for the Environmental Protection Agency expressed doubt at a hearing Thursday about the long-established scientific consensus that air pollution can cause premature death.
U.S. EPA likely to release decisions on 2018 small refinery waivers in April: sources
Reuters
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is likely to release its decisions on applications for small refinery waivers from the U.S. biofuel laws for 2018 in April, three sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
EPA Region 6 gets new administrator
NW Arkansas Democrat Gazette
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 Administrator Anne Idsal is moving to the agency's headquarters in Washington, D.C., a spokesman for the agency confirmed Friday.
Idsal will be the principal deputy assistant administrator in the agency's Office of Air and Radiation, which is the second-highest position in that office.
Judge declares Trump's order to open Arctic and Atlantic waters to drilling was unlawful
The Hill
A federal judge on Friday ruled President Trump’s executive order seeking to revoke an Obama-era ban on oil and gas drilling in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans was unlawful.
Texas Tech research aims to reduce cattle emissions, save water
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
The idea of reducing methane released by cattle to curb potential effects of climate change has become somewhat of a punchline.
However, researchers at Texas Tech are taking the challenge seriously and have potentially found an answer that could also increase profits for producers and also use groundwater more efficiently.
New Jersey attorney general takes several chemical companies to court
KYW
TOTOWA, NJ (KYW Newsradio) — Just days after New Jersey environmental officials went after several chemical companies to discover the extent of toxic pollutants, three of those companies have been sued by the state attorney general.
New York to become second state to ban plastic bags
The Hill
New York state lawmakers have agreed to a ban on single-use plastic bags, The New York Times reported Thursday.
MSU students work on developing a freshwater system
Fox 47
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State University is working on a freshwater recovery system that will turn fracking waste water into irrigation water.
Press Releases
Kelly Introduces Bill to Address Chronic Wasting Disease in Deer
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representative Trent Kelly (MS-01) introduced H.R. 1919, the Detection, Enhanced Education, and Response (DEER) Act of 2019, in coordination with U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) This legislation would establish a unified response to the growing threat of chronic wasting disease (CWD), a contagious, fatal disease that affects members of the deer family.
EPA Administrator Wheeler Announces New WIFIA Funding for Water Infrastructure Projects
Funding could leverage $6 billion in public and private investment for construction-ready projects to protect drinking water from lead and emerging contaminants, upgrade aging infrastructure, promote water recycling and reuse
03/29/2019
WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced the availability of funding to provide an estimated $6 billion in Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loans in 2019.
EPA Launches Voluntary Audit Program for New Owners of Upstream Oil and Natural Gas Facilities
Program provides regulatory certainty and environmental benefits
03/29/2019
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a voluntary disclosure program designed for new owners of upstream oil and natural gas exploration and production facilities.
