State
BARRY AND THE SPILLWAY: LOOKING INTO THE IMPACT ON MARINE LIFE
WXXV
With the delayed closing of the Bonnet Carre Spillway, things are not looking bright for Mississippi Sound marine life.
Local company removes algae from water to make bioplastics
WTOK
MERIDIAN, Miss. (WTOK) - Several beaches along the Mississippi coast are closed because of algae blooms that could potentially cause harm to those who come in contact with the water.
Barry has minimal effect on river levels
Vicksburg Post
The heavy rains from the remnants of Hurricane Barry that fell in the Arkansas River Basin should not affect the Mississippi River, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service said.
Eagle Lake residents to meet, with eye on recovery
Vicksburg Post
Residents of Eagle Lake and other areas affected by the Yazoo River Backwater Area flood will meet with state and local officials at the Warren County Courthouse July 23 to discuss the flooding.
RENDERING PLANT ‘SLUDGE MATERIAL’ BEING SPREAD IN COUNTY
Scott County Times
Large tanker trucks have been transporting loads of rendering plant water from the River Valley Animal Foods plant west of Forest and offloading the material at multiple sites in Scott County and some residents are concerned.
LAMAR CO. GETS MDEQ WASTE ASSISTANCE GRANT
Hub City Spokes
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality awarded Lamar County a solid waste assistance grant of $24,822 that will be used by the county for a white goods collection program.
County turns to surveillance cameras to stop litter
Sea Coast Echo
As part of its new “Hancock County: Love it, Don’t Trash it” initiative, county Solid Waste Enforcement officials worked this week to install surveillance equipment in several locations around the county.
Hancock County using surveillance cameras to crack down on illegal tire dumping
WLOX
BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (WLOX) - Part of David Depreo’s job is looking for clues in nasty tire piles.
Ocean Springs coffee shop starts litter-free initiative
WLOX
OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (WLOX) - There’s a new initiative in Ocean Springs to keep the streets clean and it was started by a new business. The District Coffee Company opened its doors on May 25, 2019, and for weeks owner Meagan Miller and her three kids have been walking downtown and picking up trash.
Aldermen mull revision to stormwater ordinance
Starkville Daily News
A public hearing was held at Tuesday's Board of Aldermen meeting regarding a complete revision of the city’s current stormwater ordinance.
SUBCONTRACTOR FILES RESPONSE IN SIEMENS CASE
Northside Sun
Another volley has been fired in the Siemens case. On July 12, U.S. Consolidated, one of the subcontractors working on Jackson’s $90 million water overhaul, filed a response to the city’s complaint.
Chronic Wasting Disease still a concern this hunting season
Chickasaw Journal
HOUSTON – Roughly a year ago reports started surfacing that Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a disease that affects the Whitetail Deer population, had been discovered in Mississippi.
Possible tornado causes damage in Victoria, Mississippi
WMC
VICTORIA, Miss. (WMC) - Homes and trees were damaged Tuesday afternoon by a possible tornado near Victoria, Mississippi.
Solar energy coming to Forrest County school
WDAM
FORREST COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) - As technology advances, the use of solar energy also increases and is meeting demands in the Pine Belt.
Utility Contracts rise through Hire Mississippi Program
DeSoto Times-Tribune
Mississippi Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley has announced that in the first year of implementation of the PSC’s Hire Mississippi Rule, in-state utility construction contract to Mississippi-based companies has risen by 12.6 percent, representing millions spent with Mississippi-based businesses.
Regional
TVA to meet in private with Roane County officials who filed coal ash lawsuit
Knoxville News Sentinel
The Tennessee Valley Authority is inviting elected leaders who represent Roane County, Kingston and Harriman — its courtroom adversaries in a fight over contamination from the nation’s largest ever spill of coal ash — to a private briefing.
National
EPA hails Trump's work on reducing air pollution
The Hill
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pointed to a new study released Wednesday to emphasize what it characterized as the Trump administration’s achievements in decreasing air pollution.
Nuclear industry push for reduced oversight gaining traction
AP
WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer mock commando raids to test nuclear power plants’ defenses against terrorist attacks. Fewer, smaller government inspections for plant safety issues. Less notice to the public and to state governors when problems arise.
2 years of trash in a jam jar: People striving to go 'zero-waste' say it's worth the effort
USA Today
Imagine fitting months of your trash into a single mason jar. Sounds impossible, right?
Nevada: Feds should restudy seismic risk at nuke dump site
AP
Nevada's governor and congressional delegation are pointing to earthquakes this month in the California desert and calling for the U.S. Energy Department look again at seismic risks of burying the nation's most radioactive nuclear waste at a site in the Mojave Desert.
USDA expected to lose two-thirds of research staff in move to Kansas City
The Hill
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will lose nearly two-thirds of its staff at two research agencies as the department pushes ahead with a move to the Kansas City area.
Press Releases
MDEQ Maintains Water Contact Warnings Across Mississippi Gulf Coast
Gov. Bryant and MDMR Assure Public Local Seafood Safe for Consumption
(Jackson, Miss.) – The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), through its Beach Monitoring Program, continues to maintain water contact warnings across the Mississippi Gulf Coast for all 21 sampling stations.
Air Pollution Trends Show Cleaner Air, Growing Economy
07/17/2019
WASHINGTON (July 17, 2019) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its annual report on air quality, tracking our nation’s progress in improving air quality since the passage of the Clean Air Act.
Secretary Bernhardt Applauds Nomination of Aurelia Skipwith to be Director of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
If confirmed, Skipwith would be the first African American to hold the position
7/17/2019
Washington - Today, President Donald J. Trump announced the nomination of Aurelia Skipwith to be the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt applauded the nomination.
Mississippi River Commission schedules low-water inspection trip
USACE
VICKSBURG, Miss. -- The Mississippi River Commission will conduct its annual low-water inspection trip on the Mississippi River, Aug. 19-23, 2019.
