State
Hard to kill: Aquatic plant found in lake after long fight
AP
A yearlong fight has failed to eradicate an invasive aquatic plant from a Mississippi lake.
MDEQ LIFTS BEACH WATER CONTACT ADVISORY IN OCEAN SPRINGS ONE ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT
WXXV
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), through its Beach Monitoring Program, lifted a water contact advisory Friday for Station 15 (Shearwater Beach) in Ocean Springs.
Drug take back event offers to safely dispose of old medications
Picayune Item
Pearl River County residents will be able to properly dispose of their unused prescription medication on Saturday as part of a national effort by the United States Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Agency.
Enviva accident claims life of employee
Daily Journal
AMORY – An early morning accident Oct. 25 at Enviva Pellets, located at 205 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., claimed the life of a longtime employee.
State Government
Bryant: Mississippi rainy day fund is full at nearly $555M
AP
Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant says the state's cash reserves are at their highest level ever.
MDOT worker killed while clearing trees. He was working in Newton County.
Clarion Ledger
A Mississippi Department of Transportation worker was killed Saturday in Newton County.
MDOT said that maintenance superintendent Jason Boyd was killed while clearing trees on Highway 489.
Regional
The dirt in New Orleans parks and backyards may determine the amount of lead in children's blood
NOLA.com
The amount of lead in the topsoil of playgrounds, yards and other neighborhood spots may be the best indicator of how likely children are to have high lead levels in their blood, according to a new study from Tulane University.
‘Forever Chemicals’ Found In Louisville Drinking Water
WKU
It’s in food packaging, non-stick pans, paint, cleaning products and firefighting foams.
It’s likely in your blood. It’s probably in my blood. And if it wasn’t there before, it could be there now. That is, if you’re drinking Louisville tap water.
DEP Says FL Is Developing Strategies To Address Impacts Of Climate Change
WJCT
An official from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection told a state House subcommittee Wednesday that Florida is working to develop a statewide strategy to prepare for the impacts of climate change.
In a shift, Georgia’s business-friendly regulators crack down on plants
AJC
At town halls in August, Georgia’s chief environmental regulator told anxious residents in Cobb and Newton counties that the fastest way to curb emissions from medical sterilizing plants was to seek “voluntary” improvements, rather than taking the companies to court.
MLGW asks kids to bring ‘Water Mane’ mascot to life
WREG
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis Light Gas and Water needs a spark in creativity for its new superhero mascot with a name so Memphis, you can't help but love it. The utility company's new mascot, Water Mane, has a mission to protect Memphis' water source, its aquifer.
National
EPA Advisers Unable to Agree on Air Pollution Standard
Bloomberg
A group of scientists assembled by the EPA to advise it on air pollution standards couldn’t reach agreement on whether the standards should be tightened or remain the same, a development that may complicate ongoing effort to update them.
Judges Reject California Challenge to Changing U.S. Emissions Standards
WSJ
A panel of federal judges threw out a legal challenge by California and several other states that want to preserve tougher vehicle-emissions standards, a win for the White House even as the judges warned the administration it couldn’t disregard facts as it develops the new standards.
Even if your drinking water gets a ‘passing grade,’ it may not be safe
NPR
An empty glass in hand, you turn on the faucet to quench your thirst. But what exactly are you drinking? That question and all its public health implications have undergone greater scrutiny in recent years, yet the overall safety of the U.S. water system is far from assured, experts say.
Radioactive fracking waste could end up in Missoula landfill
KPAX
MISSOULA — The state of Montana could decide to allow significant amounts of radioactive fracking waste in local landfills, and some of it could end up in Missoula’s backyard.
This week, the state Department of Environmental Quality closed its comment period on a new limit for the amount of technologically enhanced radioactive material, called TENORM, that landfills can accept.
NRG waiting for state guidance on next steps for coal ash cleanup
Herald-News
The energy company responsible for the old Lincoln Stone Quarry in Joliet said it will wait for guidance from the state to determine how to handle the coal ash pollution at the site.
