State
Jackson and Ridgeland mayors, residents speak out at rally against Madison Co. landfill
Clarion Ledger
Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba joined Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee and other elected officials, community members and organizations on Thursday to rally against a proposed Madison County landfill.
Residents, city leaders continue rallying against proposed landfill in Ridgeland
WLBT
RIDGELAND, Miss. (WLBT) - Residents and city leaders continue to galvanize against a proposed landfill in Madison county.
Metro mayors, residents gather to oppose landfill plan
WAPT
RIDGELAND, Miss. — Local elected officials and hundreds of people from the community are rallying together against a proposed landfill site.
Spillway opening takes its toll on unique small business
WLOX
LONG BEACH, Miss. (WLOX) - The Bonnet Carré Spillway may have been closed months ago, but the devastating impacts of trillions of gallons of freshwater being dumped into the Mississippi Sound are still being felt. For a Long Beach business owner, it meant closing his unique shop.
How the Bonnet Carré Spillway openings impacted the Mississippi Coast in 2019
Sun Herald
Video
The record two openings in one year of the Bonnet Carré Spillway started a domino effect of troubles for the water quality and seafood industry of the Mississippi Sound. An algae bloom shut down beaches for much of the summer.
Ridgeland Costco nears completion
WAPT
RIDGELAND, Miss. — The city of Ridgeland is dreaming of a Costco Christmas. As the year comes to a close, Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee says residents of Ridgeland and the metro area at-large can expect the state's first Costco by March 2020.
Preliminary autopsy results provided in Louisville plant death
WTVA
LOUISVILLE, Miss. (WTVA) - Preliminary autopsy results are back following the death of a worker at Winston Plywood & Veneer.
He's off the charts again: This deer made another amazing journey
Clarion Ledger
Buck No. 27 stunned researchers last year when he traveled over 13 miles from his capture site and set up shop in another location for winter. This year, the highly mobile deer did it again and another buck in the study group may have traveled even farther.
State Government
State auditor’s findings show MBN executive director to repay $30K to taxpayers
WLBT
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - The biggest sticking points for the Mississippi State Auditor’s Office in their audit of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics’ 2018 fiscal year revolved around Executive Director John Dowdy is, in fact, a sworn law enforcement officer.
Davis leaving DMR to serve as Watson’s chief of staff
WLOX
JACKSON, Miss. (WLOX) - Secretary of State-elect Michael Watson is bringing another South Mississippian to Jackson to serve as his chief of staff. Keith Davis is currently serving as the Chief of Enforcement for the Department of Marine Resources (DMR).
Oil Spill
New wave of suits linked to BP oil spill hitting courts
WALA
A new wave of lawsuits against BP is hitting the federal courts nearly a decade after the Gulf oil spill.
Escambia County plans business incubator to help in Brownsville revitalization
PNJ
Storefronts offered at low rent meant to help startup retail businesses is what county officials have in mind for helping to rejuvenate the Brownsville area.
Regional
Louisiana's DEQ saw among largest cuts to state environmental agencies over past 10 years
NOLA.com
In a 10-year period marked by a dramatic increase in newly built and planned petrochemical plants in the state, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality has seen its budget slashed by nearly 35 percent and its staff cut by almost 30 percent.
LSU researcher: Southern Hills Aquifer has ample supply; salt water intrusion no crisis
NOLA.com
Groundwater levels in the aquifer underneath East Baton Rouge Parish have been recovering for at least the past decade, and continuing salt water intrusion into that aquifer doesn't represent a crisis-level threat to the drinking water supply, according to recent research.
Danger in the ground: Lead contaminates westside Atlanta neighborhood
AJC
Rosario Hernandez regularly gardens with her grandchildren at her two Atlanta properties in the English Avenue district, about a mile from Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Record-sized megalodon tooth from SC tops auction prediction. Here’s what it sold for
Sun Herald
Prehistoric megalodon shark teeth are found frequently in South Carolina’s rivers, but a unique example believed to be the biggest on record sold for five times the predicted price Thursday at auction.
National
EPA didn't conduct required analyses of truck engine rule: internal watchdog
The Hill
Watchdog faults rushed EPA rulemaking on glider trucks
AP
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration rushed to exempt a type of super-polluting cargo truck from clean air rules without conducting a federally mandated study on how it would impact public health, the Environmental Protection Agency’s inspector-general said Thursday.
Illinois has cut its EPA workforce by 38% in the past decade — more than any other state, report shows
Chicago Tribune
Years before President Donald Trump’s industry-backed appointees began rolling back enforcement of environmental laws, Illinois had begun shedding inspectors and slowing the policing of air and water pollution.
Report: Wisconsin led nation in cuts to environmental protection since 2008
Madison.com
Wisconsin lawmakers cut environmental protection funding more than any other state over the past decade, according to a new study of state pollution control programs.
EPA authorizes use of 'cyanide bombs' to protect livestock against predators
The Hill
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authorized the use of "cyanide bombs" to protect livestock against wild animals on Thursday after adding additional safety requirements in response to backlash from environmental groups.
Rate of new endangered species listings declines under Trump
The Hill
The rate of listing new endangered and threatened species has slowed under the Trump administration, a trend that highlights an administrative push to shrink the number of animals ultimately placed on the endangered species list.
Press Releases
EPA Seeks Input on National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Ethylene Oxide Commercial Sterilization and Fumigation Operations
12/05/2019
WASHINGTON (Dec. 5, 2019) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is inviting small businesses, governments, and not-for-profit organizations to participate as Small Entity Representatives (SERs) providing advice and recommendations to a Small Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) Panel.
EPA Announces Revised Interim Decision for M-44 Predator Control Devices
Decision includes new restrictions and revisions that will better protect public health and non-target animals from accidental exposure
12/05/2019
WASHINGTON (Dec. 5, 2019) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a more protective interim decision on sodium cyanide, the compound used in M-44 devices to control certain wild predators, primarily coyotes, as part of the re-registration review process required by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.
