Friday, August 30, 2019

News Clippings August 30, 2019

State

Nearly 200 turn out to talk about Coast’s spillway disaster. Here’s how you can help.
Sun Herald

Nearly 200 people listened intently as panel members each told how they knew South Mississippi was in trouble after the Bonnet Carré Spillway was opened twice this year, bringing flood waters from the Mississippi River into the Mississippi Sound.

HARRISON COUNTY SAND BEACH AUTHORITY AHEAD OF LABOR DAY
WXXV

Miles of beach in Harrison County are being cleaned up today ahead of the Labor Day holiday weekend.

Vicksburg District begins drawdown at Eagle Lake
Vicksburg Post

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District, in collaboration and agreement with its local, state and federal partners, plans to operate the Muddy Bayou Control Structure in order to lower the elevation of Eagle Lake to 70 feet by the end of September.

Recreational, commercial fishermen discuss conservation efforts
WLOX

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - The Coastal Conservation Association held a meeting on Thursday to discuss the state of South Mississippi’s marine ecosystem.

RESERVOIR OFFICIALS BATTLING TO REMOVE DANGEROUS REBAR PLACED IN WATER
Northside Sun

Pearl River Valley Water Supply District (PRVWSD) officials are at a loss as to how they can prevent reservoir visitors from placing steel reinforcement rods, or rebar, in the water.

Gulf Coast passenger train project will get a $4.3M grant, DOT secretary announces in Biloxi
Sun Herald

“Everywhere I go I bring money, and I’m not going to disappoint today,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said Thursday at the first Coastal Region Transportation Summit at Golden Nugget Casino.

 
Oil Spill

SPECIAL REPORT: Disaster Dollars
WMBB

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB)- The Deepwater Horizon oil spill devastated the Gulf waters after the drilling rig exploded in 2010, sending 4 million barrels of oil into the water. The spill was labeled as the worst manmade disaster in U.S. maritime history.


National

EPA moves to revoke rules on oil industry methane leaks
AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration moved Thursday to revoke regulations on methane leaks from oil facilities, a proposal environmental advocates said would renounce key federal authority to regulate the climate-damaging gas.

North America prepares for African swine fever after outbreak decimates pigs in China
Sun Herald

North America will soon test its defenses against an outbreak of African swine fever as the disease decimates the pig supply in China.

1.3 billion tons of food being wasted each year. Can we stop it?
LA Times

Across the planet, more than a billion tons of essential, nutritious, life-sustaining food goes to waste each year.

Oil and Gas Bankruptcies Grow as Investors Lose Appetite for Shale
Smaller drillers, which account for sizable part of U.S. oil production, are struggling to pay off hefty debt burdens
WSJ

Bankruptcies are rising in the U.S. oil patch as Wall Street’s disaffection with shale companies reverberates through the industry.


Press releases

EPA Proposes Updates to Air Regulations for Oil and Gas to Remove Redundant Requirements and Reduce Burden
08/29/2019

At an event hosted today in Lubbock with U.S. Representative Jodey Arrington (TX-19), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6 Deputy Administrator David Gray announced the agency’s proposed updates to the prior administration’s national standards for the oil and natural gas industry.

Vicksburg District Begins Drawdown at Eagle Lake
Published Aug. 29, 2019

VICKSBURG, Miss. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District, in collaboration and agreement with its local, state and federal partners, plans to operate the Muddy Bayou Control Structure in order to lower the elevation of Eagle Lake, located approximately 10 miles north of Vicksburg, Mississippi, to 70 feet by the end of September.

MDMR hosting photo contest for 2020 calendar

BILOXI, Miss. – The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources is hosting a photo contest, and the winners will be used in the agency’s 2020 calendar.

RESTORE Council Finalizes Planning Framework

The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (RESTORE Council) announces the finalization of the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council Planning Framework (Planning Framework). The Planning Framework serves as a “bridge” between the Council’s overarching goals and objectives identified in the 2016 Comprehensive Plan Update: Restoring the Gulf Coast’s Ecosystem and Economy and the specific restoration projects and programs approved in future FPLs. The Planning Framework identifies five priority approaches and associated techniques, along with their application within specific geographic areas in an effort to give the public and potential funding partners an indication of the types of projects and programs that may be considered for FPL 3 funding consideration.
The Council published and requested comments on the Planning Framework draft from stakeholders during a 52-day public review and comment period. During this timeframe, the Council held five public meetings across the Gulf Coast, hosted two public webinars and engaged with stakeholders across the region. The Council accepted written comments via mail, email and through the Planning, Environment and Public Comment website. The Council has released the RESTORE Council Planning Framework: Responses to Comments which includes a summary of the 446 unique public comments received from 2,932 stakeholders and responses to those comments.
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Thursday, August 29, 2019

News Clippings August 29, 2019

State

Construction equipment on order for George County wood pellet plant
WLOX

LUCEDALE, Miss. (WLOX) - The Enviva wood pellet plant is being called the most anticipated economic development project in George County in 30 years.

Tourism officials: Hotel revenue losses close to $4.1 million
WLOX

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - The newest numbers are not favorable for the hotel/motel industry from this past summer as a result of the algae bloom in the Mississippi Sound.
And the recent report from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) that water contact warnings will remain in place is sort of like the final nail in the coffin. .

Recycling ‘not dead’: Officials say program remains strong
WLBT

RIDGELAND, Miss. (WLBT) - While hundreds of cities across the country and here in Central Mississippi are suspending curbside recycling, one metro area city isn’t giving up on saving the environment.

Business owners say raw sewage flowing from manholes
WAPT

PEARL, Miss. — Some business owners in Pearl are dealing with sewer issues.
Cross Park Mall business owners said raw sewage has been flowing from the manholes in the parking lot. One owner said the smell is chasing away customers and ruining her business.

Fourth phase of Brickyard Bayou drainage project now complete
WLOX

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) - It’s exciting news for those who have been suffering for years from flooding in the Brickyard Bayou area in Gulfport. After months of construction, the fourth phase of the multi-million dollar project to improve drainage is now complete.

Canton works to correct flash flooding plaguing city for decades
WLBT

CANTON, Miss. (WLBT) - It’s a problem that’s been affecting the city for over forty years according to some Canton officials.
We’re talking about flooding.

ALLIGATOR HUNTING SEASON STARTING THIS WEEK
WCBI

MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – The 15th year of public waterway alligator hunting is starting this week.


State Government

Mississippi Appeals Court Judge Nominated to Federal Bench
AP

JACKSON, MISS. (AP) — Mississippi Court of Appeals Judge Cory Wilson is being nominated for a federal judgeship.


National

Energy Companies Set to Get Reprieve on Methane Rules
WSJ

WASHINGTON—The Trump administration is moving to erase Obama-era rules on methane emissions from the oil-and-gas business, saying the federal government overstepped its authority when it set limits on what scientists say is a significant contributor to climate change.

Trump administration to reverse limits on methane, a powerful greenhouse gas
Washington Post

The Environmental Protection Agency is set to announce Thursday that it will loosen federal rules on methane, a powerful greenhouse gas linked to climate change, according to two officials briefed on the decision.

Marriott, the world's largest hotel chain, is eliminating travel-sized toiletries
CNN

Another leading hotel company is eliminating tiny toiletries from its rooms.
Marriott (MAR) announced it's replacing travel-sized tubes of shampoo, conditioner and bath gel with larger bottles in an attempt to reduce plastic waste.

Gov. Evers Expands Efforts To Address PFAS Contamination
Wisconsin Public Radio

Gov. Tony Evers is asking state agencies to expand the scope of addressing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly called PFAS, in response to growing concerns over their impact on public health. 


Press releases

Five-Star Urban Grants Award $1.7 Million to Help Restore Urban Waters and Streams
08/28/2019

WASHINGTON (August 28, 2019) - Today, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), with support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), announced grants totaling $1.7 million under NFWF’s Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program. The grants support public-private partnerships that help restore wildlife habitat and urban waters across the country.

NFWF Announces $6.3 Million in Grants to Benefit Longleaf Pine Habitat and Wildlife in Nine Southeastern States
 Twenty-four grants will support efforts to conserve more than 316,000 acres of longleaf pine habitat and recover populations of at-risk wildlife
WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 27, 2019) – The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today awarded more than $6.3 million in grants to restore, enhance and protect longleaf pine forests in nine Southeast states. The grants will leverage $4.9 million in non-federal matching contributions to generate a total conservation impact of more than $11.2 million.

Mississippi’s alligator hunting season opens August 30
8/28/2019
MDWFP

The 2019 Public Waters Alligator Hunting Season opens in Mississippi on Friday, August 30, at noon. The season will be open for 10 days and will close at noon on Monday, September 9.


Wednesday, August 28, 2019

News Clippings August 28, 2019

State

Wildlife department: Report your deer harvests this season
Clarion Ledger

In an effort to better manage Mississippi's deer herd, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks is asking hunters to report deer they harvest in the coming season.

STORM DEBRIS TO BE PICKED UP IN COLUMBUS NEXT WEEK
WCBI

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Remaining debris from severe weather in February will be removed in Columbus next week.


State Government

Election Results
WLBT

Mississippi runoff election results
NewsMS


Regional

Mobile County greenlights $36 million bond issue for tire recycler
Al.com

The Mobile County Commission voted Monday to clear the way for a bond issue of up to $36 million for the development of a tire recycling facility to be built in the Axis area north of Mobile.

Sick and dying workers demand help after cleaning coal ash
AP

The Tennessee Valley Authority, long respected for providing good jobs and cheap electricity, is facing a growing backlash over its handling of a massive coal ash spill a decade ago, with potentially serious consequences for an industry often opposed to environmental regulation.


National

Coal ash from West Michigan power plant might be contaminating drinking water wells
MLive

WEST OLIVE, MI -- Some residents and environmental advocates are raising alarms about potential drinking water contamination they say may be caused by a nearby coal-fired power plant in West Michigan.

Nestle CEO breaks down his company’s sustainability initiatives — ‘one of our big themes is recycling’
CNBC

Nestle has the wheels rolling on a number of sustainability initiatives with both the environment and health in mind, CEO Ulf Mark Schneider told CNBC on Tuesday.

New coastal species has three jaws and 59 teeth to feed on human blood, scientists say
Sun Herald

Good news: A new species was discovered on the Atlantic Coast.
Bad news: It’s a bloodsucking leech that feeds on humans with three jaws and as many as 59 teeth.


 
Press Releases

Red Snapper season to reopen Aug. 31 through Sept. 2

BILOXI, Miss. –The recreational fishing season for Red Snapper will reopen in Mississippi territorial waters on Saturday, August 31, 2019 at 12:01 a.m. and close on Monday, September 2, 2019 at 11:59 p.m.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Renews Task Force with the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission
08/27/2019

Medora, N.D. (August 27, 2019) – At a four-day event hosted in Medora, North Dakota, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it is renewing its commitment to collaborate with the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) through the EPA-IOGCC Task Force.