Vol. 16 Issue 8 September 2019 News from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality | | MDEQ Awards $296,000 to 12 School Districts for New School Buses
MDEQ recently awarded $296,992 to 12 school districts to assist in the purchase of new school buses. The grants, funded under the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA), were provided to the school districts by MDEQ’s Air Division toward the purchase of new diesel-powered buses with more stringent pollution controls to replace older buses thus reducing emissions of particulate matter, hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide. Since 2009, the MDEQ Diesel School Bus Replacement Program has awarded more than $1.38 million to 40 school districts for the purchase of 87 school buses. Read More | | Mississippi Restoration Summit Agenda Released
The agenda for the Mississippi Restoration Summit was recently released by MDEQ. The event will take place on November 12 beginning at 5:00 p.m. at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center in Biloxi. Access the agenda here. | | | | Mississippi Trustees Finalize Supplemental Plan for Grand Bay Following a 30 day public comment and review period, the Mississippi Trustee Implementation Group has finalized its supplement to the 2016-2017 Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment (Restoration Plan I). This final supplemental plan allows for additional restoration work for the Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats restoration type by allocating $10 million in additional funds to the Grand Bay Land Acquisition and Habitat Management Project that was approved in Restoration Plan I. Read More | | | | Request for Statements of Qualifications for Engineering Services for Modeling Related to the Eastern Mississippi Sound
MDEQ is soliciting written Statements of Qualifications (SOQs), from organizations licensed to do business in the State of Mississippi to assist MDEQ with developing one or more water quality models for the Eastern Mississippi Sound estuarine system and the Pascagoula River, on an as needed basis, related to the Mississippi Sound Estuarine Program, funded by the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council.
Detailed information is available from and on file at the MDEQ office. To obtain an electronic copy of the Request for Qualifications, please complete the form on the website or contact Melanie Green. SOQs shall be submitted by 1:00 p.m. CST on Thursday, October 10, 2019.
| | | | MDEQ Raises Funds for Stewpot
MDEQ raised $3,150 this summer for Stewpot Community Services in Jackson. Pictured are members of the agency's Charity Fundraising Committee. | | | | Starnes Appointed to Geology Board
James Starnes, from MDEQ's Office of Geology, was appointed in August by Governor Phil Bryant to the Mississippi State Board of Registered Geologists. Congratulations to James! | | | | Fall HHW Events
There are several Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) events scheduled for the fall. They include DeSoto County (October 5), Marion County (October 5), Clinton (October 5), Hancock County (October 19), Picayune (October 19), Clarke County (date pending), and Pearl River County (date pending). For more information contact local solid waste officials or the MDEQ Solid Waste Division. These events are supported by MDEQ Solid Waste Assistance Grants. More details about the events are included on MDEQ's calendar. | | | | Fall Deadline for Solid Waste Assistance Grants
The deadline to apply for MDEQ’s Local Government Competitive Solid Waste Assistance Grants (SWAG) is 5:00 p.m., October 1, 2019. The competitive SWAG grants are open to municipalities, counties, regional solid waste management authorities, solid waste districts and other local government entities. Read More | | | | MRC Annual Fall Recycling Conference
| | | | School Recycling Grants Available
The Mississippi Recycling Coalition is offering grants to schools to support new or expanding recycling programs. There are $500 and $1,000 grants available to public and private K-12 schools in Mississippi. The deadline for submitting applications is November 15. Find out more and how to apply here. | | | | Scholarships Available
For the 2019-2020 academic year, the Mississippi Recycling Coalition and the Mississippi Beverage Association are offering up to ten $1,000 scholarships to undergraduate students currently enrolled in Mississippi public and private colleges and universities and majoring in areas related to the environmental sciences. Read More | | | | MDEQ Seeks New Environmental Leaders for enHance Membership The MDEQ enHance environmental Stewardship program is seeking its next class of environmental leaders in the state. Interested manufacturers, local governments, institutions and other organizations are encouraged to apply. The application period is open now and closes September 30. More information about the program, including how to apply and access to online applications, is available at enhance.ms. In addition, information and questions on the qualifications of the program may be directed to Mr. Khairy Abu-Salah. | | | | Hazardous Materials Workshop
MDEQ's Pollution Prevention Program (P2) hosted a Hazardous Materials Workshop on September 11 at the McGowan Workforce Training Center at the Ridgeland campus of Holmes Community College. For information about this event's presentations or upcoming workshops, please contact Mr. Khairy Abu-Salah. | | | | Two New Geologic Maps Available
The Office of Geology’s Surface Geology Division recently published two new geologic maps: the Geologic Map of the Madison Quadrangle and the Geologic Map of the Tupelo Quadrangle. The Madison Quadrangle map includes useful information regarding Yazoo Clay in that area. The Tupelo Quadrangle map is hopefully the first of a series of maps in the Cretaceous out-crop belt of Mississippi that will be a collaborative work among the MDEQ Office of Geology, Darrel Schmitz (Mississippi State University Geology Professor Emeritus), and the National Park Service. | | | | Photo of the Month
Mud cracks in a dry pond in Smith County, taken by James Starnes, Office of Geology.
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