State
Levee gives way in Chickasaw County
WTVA
A breached levee in Chickasaw County damaged a road and flooded farmland.
A lane on County Road 159 was washed away due to the flood water from the levee.
DELTA PUBLIC MEETING FOCUSES ON FLOOD PREVENTION
MPB
The Mississippi Delta is continuing to see record flooding. Some residents displaced from their homes and thousands of acres of farmland remain underwater. MPB’s Alexandra Watts reports from a public meeting to hear residents’ concerns.
Boat fire in Gautier still burning but under control
WLOX
Firefighters in Gautier have been monitoring a boat fire that began Tuesday.
As of 6 a.m. Wednesday, fire officials said the fire was ongoing but under control and being monitored closely.
MDEQ awards solid waste assistance grant to Covington County
WDAM
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has awarded Covington County a more than $15,000 grant that the county will use for its unauthorized dumpsite cleanup program.
Tornado debris cleanup begins despite lack of FEMA funding
Commercial Dispatch
Columbus city councilmen voted during a special-call meeting Tuesday to begin storm debris monitoring and cleanup following a Feb. 23 tornado that damaged parts of north and east Columbus.
Keeping the county clean is no easy task
Daily Leader
Keeping Lincoln County beautiful is harder than it looks. Just ask the county’s solid waste coordinator, Bob Knight.
Keep Itawamba Beautiful begins next week
Itawamba County Times
Clean-up efforts for the annual Keep Itawamba Beautiful campaign will begin on April 15 and continue through April 27. Originally set as a one day event, the cleanup now spans two weeks allowing volunteers to schedule their own cleanup.
MCNAIR SPRINGS CLEAN UP A SUCCESS
Simpson County News
Over 100 volunteers descended upon McNair Springs near Magee last weekend to continue a much-needed cleaning and reclamation project.
Community cleanup effort kicks off
New Albany Gazette
Alderman-at-large Keith Conlee is hoping to jumpstart a continuing community cleanup effort and held a first planning meeting Thursday.
Hazardous waste pickup day Saturday; electronics and paint dropoff point here
New Albany Gazette
A free household hazardous waste collection day will be held this Saturday, April 13, at the MSU Agricenter at Verona from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Tupelo to seek garbage contract bids
Daily Journal
City Hall is preparing to seek a new garbage contract, which will offer an opportunity to rethink pickup schedules for trash and recycling.
Local pharmacy can now handle old drug take-backs
Daily Corinthian
Need to get rid of some old prescription drugs?
There is no need to wait until a special day as one local pharmacy can now handle drug take-backs any day.
MCSO, DEA collaborate for national drug take back initiative
Monroe Journal
ABERDEEN – On April 27, the Drug Enforcement Agency will again collaborate with state and local law enforcement agencies focused on removing potentially dangerous controlled substances from medicine cabinets.
Reusable Bags Coming to Walmart
Delta Daily News
Walmart will begin selling reusable bags at checkout to reduce plastic waste.
Mississippi plastics manufacturer cited by Dept. of Labor after employee loses four fingers
WLOX
PICAYUNE, MS (WLBT) - The U.S. Department of Labor has cited a Mississippi plastics manufacturer after an employee loses four fingers.
Regional
This Oil Spill Has Been Leaking Into The Gulf For 14 Years
NPR
Ten miles out in the Gulf of Mexico, off the tip of Louisiana, the fumes become overwhelming. "See how it's all rainbow sheen there? So that's oil," says Ian MacDonald, who's guiding us in a tiny fishing boat that's being tossed around by 6-foot waves.
Researchers find toxic chemicals in North Carolina wildlife
WRAL
Researchers at North Carolina State University say they found high levels of toxic chemicals known as PFAS in alligators and striped bass in the Wilmington area.
City of Memphis announces yard debris, curbside service changes
WMC
The Memphis City Council signed off on the use of $15 million in reserves to create a solid waste division and add equipment and people.
National
EPA: More time needed to assess GE’s Hudson River cleanup
AP
The Environmental Protection Agency says more time is needed to assess General Electric's $1.7 billion Hudson River cleanup, and it's not calling for more dredging at this time.
EPA declines to revoke Iowa water quality enforcement powers
WRAL
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has rejected a petition filed by environmental groups that asked the agency to withdraw the Iowa Department of Natural Resources' authority to manage a program designed to limit water pollution.
EPA removes a portion of Libby from the federal Superfund site
KPAX
LIBBY – A portion of Libby’s asbestos cleanup has been completed, with the EPA removing that area from the list of federal Superfund sites.
The Long Bull Market Has Failed to Fix Public Pensions
WSJ
Maine’s public pension fund earned double-digit returns in six of the past nine years. Yet the Maine Public Employees Retirement System is still $2.9 billion short of what it needs to afford all future benefits to all retirees.
Opinion
EPA's water rules are finally starting to make sense for farmers
The Hill
Zippy Duvall
After years of controversy and litigation, the administration’s new Clean Water Rule provides a great opportunity for a fresh start. The Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers want to hear directly from the public — especially those impacted by the rule, including farmers and ranchers.
Shuckers Draw Far Less Than Predicted
Mississippi Center for Public Policy
Attendance at the taxpayer-funded MGM Park in Biloxi has decreased every year since the minor league Shuckers’ abbreviated inaugural season in 2015.
Those numbers aren’t even close to those predicted when the ballpark was proposed.
In 2018, the Shuckers had 160,364 fans through the turnstiles, an average of 2,259 per game.
Press Releases
EPA Takes Action to Implement President Trump’s Energy Infrastructure Executive Order
04/10/2019
WASHINGTON – Today, in support of President Trump's Executive Orders to promote greater certainty in the infrastructure permitting processes, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking affirmative steps to promote nationwide consistency and regulatory certainty under a core Clean Water Act (CWA) program.
EPA Proposes Rule on Certain Confidential Business Information Claims, Reaching Another TSCA milestone
04/10/2019
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing a proposed rule for public comment on the procedures for companies to substantiate certain claims of confidentiality for chemical identities and how the agency will review those claims.
