State
World's largest pellet mill could boost Mississippi's economy. But will it hurt environment, residents?
Clarion Ledger
It's been promoted as an economic victory by Gov. Phil Bryant, and labeled an environmental threat by the actor Leonardo DiCaprio. On Tuesday, a state air quality permit board is scheduled to decide if the largest wood pellet plant in the world can move toward construction in the southern Mississippi town of Lucedale.
Pascagoula the last coastal town to join algae-related water advisory
WLOX
PASCAGOULA, Miss. (WLOX) - Pascagoula’s beach is the latest to be placed under a water contact advisory tied to the ongoing blue-green algae bloom. Sunday’s advisory means the entire Mississippi coastline is now off-limits to swimming and fishing in the near-shore waters.
Algae bloom impacts beach vendor’s business by ‘almost 100 percent’
WLOX
BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - Along the Coast in Biloxi on Sunday, it was a rare sight. Despite it being an extremely hot, final day of a long holiday weekend, the beaches were fairly empty. That’s bad news for beach vendors.
Coast has plenty of amenities to attract tourists other than beach
WLOX
BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - There’s no doubt that the toxic water along the beach has hurt tourism, but there are plenty of options to draw tourists.
Beach-goers should watch for water quality alerts; Algal bloom hitting MS coast
Daily Journal
Folks headed to Gulf Coast beaches this holiday weekend may want to stay tuned for water quality alerts.
Doctor explains what you need to know about flesh-eating bacteria
WLBT
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Two recent cases of flesh-eating bacteria in Florida left one woman dead and one fighting for their life, raising concerns for beach goers. So should you be concerned?
Toxic algae bloom forces Gulf Coast beach closures ahead of 4th of July holiday weekend
Fox News
BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. - More than a dozen beaches in Mississippi’s Gulf Coast have been closed ahead of the Fourth of July holiday weekend after the formation of a toxic algae bloom on the shoreline.
Water conditions causing ‘catastrophic’ season for in-shore and near-shore shrimpers
WLOX
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI (WLOX) - The Bonnet Carre Spillway has been open for 100 days as of Friday and the influx of freshwater still pouring into the Mississippi Sound is taking a major toll on coast fishermen.
New fishing rodeo wieghmaster follows tradition of family involvement
WLOX
GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) - The Mississippi Deep Sea Fishing rodeo is all about tradition, and even though a new weighmaster has taken over the scales, he is continuing the tradition of family that has been a hallmark of the event.
STAR-SPANGLED CLEANUP
WXXV
With the Fourth of July finally wrapped up, Mississippi Coastal Cleanup is making it a point to help clean our beaches.
Mississippi recreational red snapper season closes July 8-28
WKRG
BILOXI, Miss. – The state recreational fishing season for Red Snapper will close in Mississippi territorial waters on July 8 and reopen July 29.
WHAT'S THAT GREEN MENACE? THE E-T TAKES A CLOSE LOOK AT ONE OF THE DELTA LAKES' INVASIVE SPECIES
Enterprise-Toscin
Three years ago, fishing in Leflore County’s Blue Lake was a lot more simple.
You could easily put your boat in the water and motor right up to the tree line and fish to your heart’s content.
Sewer service already available in part of proposed annexation area
Commercial Dispatch
STARKVILLE -- It was Tuesday evening at the Starkville Board of Aldermen meeting. Consultant Mike Slaughter was going over the estimated costs of providing city services to the two areas targeted under the city's revised annexation plan, when he noted there would be no costs for sewer infrastructure in Area B of the plan, the largest, most heavily populated of the two areas located east of Mississippi State University.
City Seeks Grant for Creek
Northside Sun
Relief for erosion along two Northside creeks could soon be coming in the form of a federal grant.
New Madrid Fault could create a sizable earthquake, Mississippi could be affected
WLBT
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - In 1811-1812, Mississippi was devastated by an earthquake that registered 7.5 on the Richter scale. The Mississippi River flowed backward, and Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee was created when a void caused by the disaster filled up with water.
Grenada Water Lake Levels Continue Dropping
Delta News TV
Officials keeping eye on Grenada Water Lake Levels even as water levels continue dropping.
Columbus Police address coyote problem
WTVA
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WTVA) - Columbus Police are asking that residents with complaints of coyotes in their neighborhood to contact the City of Columbus.
TANGLEFOOT TRAIL NOMINATED FOR RAILS TO TRAILS CONSERVANCY HALL OF FAME
WCBI
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – Tanglefoot Trail could soon be in a nationally recognized Hall of Fame, but it needs the community’s help.
“People should not take this lightly:’ Tropical depression could impact the Coast this week
Sun Herald
Heavy rain and severe heat are in the forecast for the Mississippi Gulf Coast this week.
The National Weather Service’s five-day forecast shows an 80% chance of a tropical depression developing in the Gulf of Mexico between Wednesday and Friday.
State Government
Mississippi group looks at the potential of hemp cultivation
AP
This week, a new group will consider what growing hemp might mean for Mississippi’s economy, and you’re invited to weigh in on the discussion. Legislators created the Hemp Cultivation Task Force, and the group has its first meeting Monday at the state Capitol.
Oil Spill
Texas A&M scientists create model suite to track oil spills
The Eagle
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill on April 20, 2010, was the largest marine oil spill in United States history, pumping about 700,000 tons of crude oil — plus about 250,000 tons of methane — into the Gulf of Mexico before it was capped. The incident killed 11 people and injured 16 others who were on the rig.
Brown pelican nesting ground near Grand Isle will be restored this fall
The Advocate
Reconstruction of Queen Bess Island, an eroded isle used as a rookery by brown pelicans, is set to start in late August or September, after this year’s nesting season ends, the state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority said.
Regional
Florida may adopt limits on amount of toxins from blue-green algae blooms allowed in waterways
Tampa Bay Times
Blue-green algae is popping up all over Florida this summer.
Oystermen say closures of prime harvest areas was inevitable
WVUE
HOPEDALE, La. (WVUE) - St. Bernard fishermen say the state health department made the right call this week with the closure of three main harvest areas. As they struggle to make ends meet they say it’s important to move quickly to save what’s left.
New order gives Mosaic guidance if emergency requires it to dump acid water in Mississippi
The Advocate
CONVENT — As Mosaic Fertilizer struggles to control nearly 1 billion gallons of acidic and radioactive process water brimming inside storage lakes at its St. James Parish complex, it has an emergency fail-safe option that could involve dumping it in the Mississippi River.
Jim Beam warehouse fire aftermath: Thousands of fish found dead in Kentucky River
WKYT
FRANKFORT, Ky. (WKYT/Gray News) - The environmental fallout of the Jim Beam warehouse fire continues along the Kentucky River, as large numbers of dead fish are now floating downstream.
National
US won't impose rule to protect against coal ash spill costs
AP
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The Trump administration said Tuesday that it won't require electric utilities to show they have money to clean up hazardous spills from power plants despite a history of toxic coal ash releases contaminating rivers and aquifers.
U.S. Biofuel Quotas Would Get Modest Bump Under EPA Proposal
Bloomberg
The Trump administration on Friday advanced plans to modestly lift U.S. biofuel-blending targets, while dodging fights over how frequently to waive refineries from the quotas and how to offset those exemptions.
A place on the prairie: Settlement of mining contamination to fund wildlife habitat
Joplin Globe
An effort that began five years ago to bring natural prairie back to Joplin to replenish lost wildlife habitat is being expanded from funds obtained as part of a mined land reclamation plan.
Eyes under the water: Volunteers help Great Lakes scientists find invasives below
MPR
Volunteers are helping scientists collect data from the bottom of the Great Lakes.
For years, researchers have been amassing hundreds of underwater videos of lake bottoms as they gather water quality data and other information from the depths.
Experts warn of ‘dead zone’ in Chesapeake Bay from pollution
AP
When the Conowingo Dam opened to fanfare nearly a century ago, the massive wall of concrete and steel began its job of harnessing water power in northern Maryland. It also quietly provided a side benefit: trapping sediment and silt before it could flow miles downstream and pollute the Chesapeake Bay, the nation's largest estuary.
A Fracking Experiment Fails to Pump as Predicted
Encana’s cube project suggests output problems occur if oil wells are drilled too close together
WSJ
Two years ago, Encana Corp. unveiled a supersize fracking operation that many said would represent the future of the U.S. drilling boom.
Oil Tanks Into Oyster Beds: Design Team Touts Novel Plan for Brooklyn Waterfront
A design firm says it can save millions on remediation, but the city and residents still favor open green space
WSJ
A team of architects, designers and engineers have devised a novel plan to repurpose 10 fallow oil tanks located on prime Brooklyn waterfront that they claim could save New York City hundreds of millions of dollars.
Press Releases
Flooded forests in Mississippi Delta face unknowns ahead
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STARKVILLE • The stage for 2019 floods was set by heavy snowfall in the upper Midwest, followed by excessive rainfall patterns in the Plains, Midwest and South, resulting in significant flooding all along the Mississippi River.
