State
Redevelopment possibilities revealed for Kerr-McGee site
Commercial Dispatch
Tuesday and Wednesday, Greenfield Multistate Trust and Environmental Protection Agency officials invited residents to review concepts for the redevelopment of the former Kerr-McGee site in north Columbus.
Battling giant salvinia: Barnett Reservoir to be lowered, but not as much as proposed
Clarion Ledger
In an effort to combat the invasive aquatic plant giant salvinia, Ross Barnett Reservoir officials have decided to lower the lake level, but not as much as previously proposed.
Rare earthquake rattles Mississippi at 2.3 magnitude, officials say
Sun Herald
A 2.3-magnitude earthquake rattled northern Mississippi on Wednesday evening, officials say.
The 8-mile deep earthquake hit just east of Booneville, near the Tennessee state line, at about 6:45 p.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Jackson neighbors say raw sewage seeps from manhole
WAPT
JACKSON, Miss. — Residents in a Jackson neighborhood say raw sewage is making them sick.
Flaggs wants city to begin planning for expansion of water system
Vicksburg Post
Mayor George Flaggs Jr. wants to use anticipated state funds to help finance a proposed $8 million upgrade and expansion of the city’s water system.
Emergency Management office now has access to damage assessment app
Picayune Item
By using a new app, the county will be able to make more accurate damage assessments after natural disasters.
$5.35M grant awarded for pedestrian bridge, tramway over Hwy 90 in Gulfport
WLOX
GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) - A $5.35 million grant has been awarded to the Coast Transit Authority to fund the final phase of construction for a bridge over U.S. 90 in downtown Gulfport.
NOXUBEE COUNTY RESIDENTS GET OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO TVA REPRESENTATIVES
WCBI
NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Noxubee County residents got a chance to ask questions and voice concerns about a new utility project coming through the county.
Regional
How likely is an earthquake in South, Midwest? The Big One could be coming
USA Today
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The question is not if a massive earthquake will hit more than a half dozen states that border the Mississippi River, but rather when it will happen. A 2.3-magnitude earthquake rattled northern Mississippi on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.
EPA moves forward with plan to address PFAS in drinking water
WECT
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) -The EPA is inching forward with their plan to address forever chemicals in our water.
Congressional task force created to address ethylene oxide emissions
AJC
A bipartisan congressional task force focused on ethylene oxide regulations was announced Wednesday.
The Off-Bottom oyster industry had a great season
WKRG
Dauphin Island, Ala. (WKRG) – There has been confusion about how the oyster season has been with the Bonnet Carré in Mississippi being open for too long early in the year. Traditional on-bottom reef harvesting had a rough season as the freshwater killed the majority of their farms.
Feds: Royalty exemption for new shallow-water Gulf wells
AP
The federal agencies that make and enforce offshore oil and gas leases say they’ll encourage new wells in shallow Gulf of Mexico waters by allowing some reduced-royalty or even royalty-free production if owners can prove they need it.
'Deformed' fish with tumors in local waters cause concern among anglers
CBS 12
Jason Blair, a fisherman who organized a recent protest at Lake Okeechobee, believes the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s aquatic spraying program is destroying the lake's vegetation and causing fish to suffer from tumors.
Massive gathering of 1,000 squid confronts deep sea team working off Florida Keys
Sun Herald
Deep-sea explorers working off the Florida Keys encountered a surreal scene days ago, when their remotely controlled camera was engulfed by a school of squid that experts say may have numbered a thousand or more.
National
EPA prosecutions of polluters approach quarter-century lows
AP
WASHINGTON — Criminal prosecution and convictions of polluters have fallen to quarter-century lows under the Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency, deepening three years of overall enforcement declines, according to Justice Department statistics.
EPA finalizes rule easing chemical plant safety regulations
The Hill
Chemical plants will be less burdened by safety regulations under a new rule finalized by the Trump administration Thursday.
Oversight Democrats ask EPA to turn over plans for regulating toxic 'forever chemicals'
The Hill
Democrats on the House Oversight and Reform Committee are asking the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to turn over documents showing how the agency plans to regulate a cancer-linked chemical that has been leaching into the water supply across the country.
Democrats unveil first bill toward goal of net-zero emissions by 2050
The Hill
Democrats unveiled the first major piece of legislation in their effort to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, with a bill that would first push government agencies to reach the goal.
Some Iowa farmers back crop buffer law to protect water
AP
Iowa’s farmer-dominated conservation districts are calling for a state ban on planting crops within 30 feet of streams to improve water quality, but the state’s top agricultural official opposes the idea.
EPA asks judge to finalize settlement costing U.S. Steel $1.8M for 2017 hexavalent chromium spill
Chicago Tribune
The U.S. government has filed a request in federal court to advance a plan costing U.S. Steel $1.8 million for a 2017 toxic spill into Burns Waterway.
Monsanto pleads guilty to illegal pesticide use in Hawaii
AP
HONOLULU (AP) — Agrochemicals company Monsanto is pleading guilty to spraying a banned pesticide on its Maui fields in 2014. Monsanto, now owned by pharmaceutical company Bayer, is also agreeing to pay $10 million in an agreement over charges it unlawfully stored acute hazardous waste.
Trump's NOAA pick withdraws, cites health
The Hill
President Trump's much-scrutinized pick to lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Barry Myers, has withdrawn from consideration, citing health concerns.
Opinion
Our bird populations are dying off. Here's how we can save them.
North America's bird populations have declined 29% in the past 50 years, but the news isn't all bad.
Sen. John Boozman, Sen. Martin Heinrich, Rep. Mike Thompson and Rep. Rob Wittman
USA Today
Press Releases
EPA Finalizes Risk Management Program Reconsideration Rule Aiding First Responders, Reducing Unnecessary Burdens
With today’s action the Agency projects EPA has saved more than $5 billion in regulatory costs under President Trump
11/21/2019
WASHINGTON (Nov. 21, 2019) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the Risk Management Program (RMP) Reconsideration final rule, which modifies and improves the existing rule to remove burdensome, costly, unnecessary amendments while maintaining appropriate protections and ensuring first responders have access to all of the necessary safety information.
USDA Announces Funding to Control Feral Swine in Mississippi
JACKSON, MISS., -November 21, 2019 –The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today it is awarding $1.5 million to fund a pilot project to control feral swine in Mississippi and nine other states across the country.
UWF professor to use environmental DNA to assist with 5-year study of Gulf reef fish
Dr. Alexis Janosik, professor in the University of West Florida Department of Biology, will participate in a multiyear study of reef fish in the Gulf of Mexico led by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.
