Thursday, November 7, 2019

News Clippings November 7, 2019

State

Ridgeland annexation plan moves forward, could move 250 residents into city limits
WLBT

RIDGELAND, Miss. (WLBT) - Ridgeland’s plan to annex land and neighborhoods west of Livingston Road has been in their master plan since 2008.

Lott, Lumumba, Truly, McGee and others oppose dump
Madison County Journal

A bi-partisan coalition of leaders in Central Mississippi announced on Thursday opposition to an out-of-state company’s plan to site another landfill in Madison County. Madison County already has two landfills, including one recently expanded, yet the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) permit board plans to meet on December 10th to consider the proposal to build a third waste dump in Madison County.

Report shows some contamination at former Kerr-McGee facility in Meridian
Meridian Star

Leaders from Lauderdale County, the city of Meridian and a few members of the public learned about recent environmental investigations conducted on the property of the former Kerr-McGee wood treating facility in Meridian on Wednesday. 

Saltillo starts switch to river water
Daily Journal

The long-awaited switch to cleaner and more expensive surface water has begun in Saltillo.

Bids to be let for $1.9 million upgrade to Houlka lagoon
Chickasaw Journal

HOULKA – Progress has its price, and upgrading the larger of Houlka’s two sewage lagoons is part of the cost of serving increased numbers of people and industries that have moved into the town over the years.

INFINITY Science Center unveils its 'Little Learners' children’s program
Sea Coast Echo

INFINITY Science Center on Wednesday hosted a ribbon cutting for its newest amenity, the Little Learner's Lab, an "exploration lab made for children from birth through five years old."


Regional

Gov. Ivey announces $28 million for 16 projects in South Alabama
WPMI

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WPMI) — Governor Kay Ivey announced Wednesday that close to $28 million will go toward 16 projects focused on land acquisitions, research and recreational access improvements across South Alabama.


National

Justices wrestle with reach of Clean Water Act
The Hill

The Supreme Court on Wednesday appeared divided over how to deal with polluted waters that flow indirectly into rivers and oceans that are regulated by the federal government as the justices heard oral arguments in a major case over the Clean Water Act.

EPA announces new effort to reduce ethylene oxide emissions nationwide
11 Alive

WASHINGTON — The country's Environmental Protection Agency is taking steps to reduce the emissions of a carcinogenic gas across the country.


Press Releases

EPA Moves Forward on Suite of Actions to Address Ethylene Oxide
11/06/2019

WASHINGTON (Nov. 6, 2019) ⁠— Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continued its progress on a suite of actions to address ethylene oxide by announcing proposed amendments to the Miscellaneous Organic Chemical Manufacturing National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP), known as MON, to reduce hazardous air pollutants, including ethylene oxide.

EPA Seeks Nominations for the Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Federal Advisory Committee
11/07/2019

WASHINGTON ⁠— Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler is announcing a solicitation for 20-30 nominees to serve on the Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Committee (FRRCC).

The Trump Administration Continues To Streamline And Modernize EPA
EPA Proposes First Updates To Environmental Appeals Board In 27 Years
11/06/2019

WASHINGTON (Nov. 6, 2019) ⁠— Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to streamline and modernize the review of permits by the agency’s Environmental Appeals Board (EAB) while providing more flexibility to regulated parties, states and tribes, and the public. Under this proposal, interested parties would be empowered to choose the option for resolving a permit dispute that is best suited to their needs.

Seven States to Benefit as Walmart’s Acres for America Program Awards $3.6 Million in Conservation Grants
Walmart and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation have conserved nearly 1.5 million acres across the United States since 2005, securing vital wildlife habitat and expanding recreational opportunities for local communities
​WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 6, 2019) –The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation today announced that Walmart’s Acres for America program, the leading public-private land conservation partnership in the United States, has awarded $3.6 million in grants to conserve important landscapes for fish, wildlife and people across 70,300 acres in Colorado, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Washington and, for the first time, Iowa and Kansas.