Friday, January 31, 2020

News Clippings January 31, 2020

State

South Delta's 2019 backwater flood: What if it happens again this year? Can folks survive?
Clarion Ledger

An already swollen Mississippi River and more heavy rainfall have flooded an estimated 370,000 acres in the South Delta.

Jackson crews clean a growing illegal dumping site
WAPT

JACKSON, Miss. — Crews with the city of Jackson have removed all debris from an illegal dumping site on Patann Street.

Columbia to begin work soon on bridge, water and sewer projects
WDAM

COLUMBIA, Miss. (WDAM) - The city of Columbia will soon begin work on a couple of major infrastructure projects.

First responders trained for radioactive emergencies
WTOK

MERIDIAN, Miss. (WTOK) - Local EMA officials were taught how to respond to radiological emergencies Thursday at the Meridian Public Safety Training Facility.

Mississippi Ag Commissioner monitors coronavirus
WJTV

JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV)– The coronavirus outbreak is having an alarming impact on China. It’s also a global health emergency. ​The virus is leaving U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue uncertain if the trade agreement with China will be affected. ​The Mississippi agriculture commissioner is also monitoring the virus.

MS State Dept. of Health monitoring coronavirus
WJTV

JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Leaders at the Mississippi State Department of Health said they are monitoring the new coronavirus, although no cases have been reported in the state. The death toll from the virus in China is 170 and the number of cases has risen to 7,711.


State Government

SUN-N-SAND NOW A MISSISSIPPI LANDMARK, FUTURE STILL UNCERTAIN
Northside Sun

The state has about five months to decide the future of historic Sun-N-Sand hotel in downtown Jackson.


Oil Spill

Lawsuit: EPA Has Dragged Feet on Oil Spill Dispersant Rules
AP

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Environmental groups and women from Alaska and Louisiana are asking a federal court to make the Environmental Protection Agency set new rules for use of oil spill dispersants, citing worries about the chemicals' health and environmental effects.

Mobile Bay National Estuary Program Needs Your Help!
WALA

A watershed is an area of land that drains into one body of water. The Western Shore Watershed encompasses about 26 square miles. It runs from downtown Mobile south 24 miles to the Dauphin Island Causeway.


Regional

Health officials confirm chemicals polluted drinking water near SC air base
Post and Courier

South Carolina health officials announced Thursday that the drinking water for roughly 259 people living near Shaw Air Force Base is contaminated with industrial chemicals, confirming what The Post and Courier reported earlier this month. 

Smaller TN waterways lose protections under new EPA rule
WGNS

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized a new rule, saying it clarifies which types of waterways are protected under the Clean Water Act and which are not.

Red beans, ground coffee: Local groups bring consumable Mardi Gras throws to the table
WVUE

NEW ORLEANS, La. (WVUE) - Non-profits Grounds Krewe and Arc of Greater New Orleans worked together to fill biodegradable bags with red beans, jambalaya mix and ground coffee for parade-goers.

Officials to use new method to corral Asian carp in Kentucky
AP

Federal and state officials will use an experimental fishing method next month at Kentucky Lake in an attempt to reduce the infestation of Asian carp.


National

U.S. EPA reaffirms that glyphosate does not cause cancer
Reuters

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday it finished a regulatory review that found glyphosate, the most widely used weed killer in the United States, is not a carcinogen.

Green groups threaten to sue EPA over airplane pollution
The Hill

Environmental groups on Thursday threatened to sue the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over what they view as the agency's failure to act on aircraft emissions. 

White House Moves To Formally Decriminalize Accidentally Killing Birds
NPR

The Trump administration is proposing a regulatory change to ensure that companies that accidentally kill migratory birds during the course of their operations will no longer face the possibility of criminal prosecution.

Kohler agrees to pay $20 million in federal settlement over small engines violations
Sheboygan Press

SHEBOYGAN - Kohler Co. has agreed to pay $20 million in a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, Environmental Protection Agency and the state of California over its small engines' violations of the Clean Air Act and California law.

U.S. EPA Chief of Staff Is Headed to Top Coal Mining Group
Bloomberg

EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler’s chief of staff is leaving the agency to work for the nation’s top coal mining trade group.

Hate the outdoors? Americans take 1 billion fewer outings than decade ago, report says
Sun Herald

Americans aren’t going outdoors as much as before, and a new report has data to prove it.
The Outdoor Foundation, an arm of the Outdoor Industry Association, found that only about half of the people in the U.S. took part in an outdoor activity at least once in 2018.


Press Releases

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Solicits Public Input on Proposed Rule and Environmental Impact Statement for Migratory Bird Treaty Act
January 30, 2020

Washington D.C. – Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is proposing a rule that defines the scope of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) to provide regulatory certainty to the public, industries, states, tribes and other stakeholders.

Thursday, January 30, 2020

News Clippings January 30, 2020

State

Mississippi legislators pass measure showing support for backwater pumps
Vicksburg Post

A House resolution co-authored by state Reps. Kevin Ford and Oscar Denton wants the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency to complete the Yazoo Backwater pump project. the Delta are hurting and we need to do everything we can at any level we can to help.”

Waveland backs legislation recommended by the MS Sound Coalition as it relates to future spillway openings
Sea Coast Echo

Last week, the Waveland Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved several resolutions in support of legislation recommended by the Mississippi Sound Coalition as it relates to the future openings of the Bonnet Carre` Spillway. ave to realize there are impacts that are serious down here too."

Happening: Feb. 1st: Clean Up Krewe volunteers needed
The Mississippi Coastal Cleanup program, along with Plastic Free Gulf Coast, are rolling in this year's Gulf Coast Carnival Association parade in Biloxi. And they're looking for volunteers to join their Clean Up Krewe.
WLOX (video)


Residents say Jackson street home to growing dump site
WAPT

JACKSON, Miss. — Residents said an illegal dump has been accumulating over the past few years. There are mattresses, old tires, commodes and a TV along Patann Street, which is off Highway 49 in Jackson.

Chickasaw County to begin debris removal
Chickasaw Journal

Chickasaw County will soon begin disposing of debris from the October 2019 storms that left damage throughout the area.

Lewis named Waste Pro 40 Under 40 honoree
MBJ

Waste Pro’s Jackson Division Manager, Stormy Lewis, has received a prestigious Waste360 40 Under 40 Award, a national award that honors the next generation of leaders in the waste and recycling industry.

LAMB TAKES OVER EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
Bolivar Commercial

Michael Lamb is the new director of the Bolivar County Emergency Management Agency, succeeding the retired Bill Quinton.


State Government

Former Miss. governor Phil Bryant joins consulting firm
WLBT

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant has officially been relieved of his duties as Governor and is on to his next venture.


Oil Spill

MDEQ tries to provide clarity on Turkey Creek Restoration amid flooding concerns
WLOX

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) - The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality held a meeting on Tuesday to further discuss the Turkey Creek Restoration projects.

Flooding angst in Forest Heights leads to frustration over levee
WLOX

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) - The public meeting on Tuesday intending to clarify the purpose of the Turkey Creek Restoration project in Gulfport didn’t lessen the worry Forest Heights residents have about flooding.

‘Now’s our time to move.’ Coast now has power in Jackson with BP millions on the way.
Sun Herald

Something’s happening in Jackson that’s new for South Mississippi — the Coast has people in high places in state government.


Regional

Tennessee city defends itself in sewage overflow lawsuit
AP

A Tennessee city is defending itself against a lawsuit over sewer discharges into the Cumberland River.

Contractor dies, 3 others injured following oil well blowout in Burleson County
KBTX

DEANVILLE, Tex. (KBTX) - One contractor has died and three others have been taken by helicopter to hospitals in Houston and Austin following an oil well blowout in Burleson County.
ack open but there is still heavy traffic from crews entering and leaving the worksite.

Sharks in Kentucky? Researchers' minds are blown by this discovery at a national park
USA Today

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – During a November trip to Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky, paleontologist John-Paul Hodnett was stunned.e project in October at the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology meeting in Cincinnati.


National

14 states sue EPA over chemical safety regulations rollback
The Hill

Attorneys general from 14 states filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over its rollback of Obama-era chemical plant safety regulations. 

Carbon emissions will fall just 4 percent by 2050, according to government projections
The Hill

U.S. carbon emissions are expected to fall just 4 percent by 2050, according to data released Wednesday by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), falling far short of the changes scientists say are necessary to avoid the worst effects of climate change. 

Converted wetlands dispute comes to a close
Delta Farm Press

In 2019, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit resolved a decades old dispute between the Bouchers, an Indiana farming family, and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Boucher v. United States Dep’t of Agric., 934 F.3d 530 (7th Cir. 2019) considered whether the Bouchers violated the “Swampbuster” provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985.

Microsoft Strives for a Carbon-Free Future. A Setback in Fargo Shows the Hard Reality.
WSJ

Hours after Microsoft Corp. pledged to eliminate its carbon emissions within a decade earlier this month, the company was forced to fire up fossil fuel generators to power its corporate campus in Fargo, N.D.

This state wants to buck the trend and keep their plastic straws and bags
CNN

While some other states are passing laws and finding eco-friendly alternatives to reduce plastic waste, South Dakota is moving in the opposite direction.


Press Releases

EPA Announces Grant Opportunity for Pollution Prevention Technical Assistance
01/29/2020

ATLANTA  – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking grant applications from states and tribes to promote pollution prevention (P2) in businesses across the country.

USDA/NRCS Is Now Accepting Applications for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP)
Jackson, Miss - The United States Department of Agricultural Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) is now accepting applications for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). The deadline is March 6, 2020. 


Wednesday, January 29, 2020

News Clippings January 29, 2020

State

From coolers to tires, flooding leaves behind piles of trash along local waterways
WLBT

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Recent floods in the metro have left behind more than erosion problems.

‘What’s that smell?’ some Jackson residents ask
WAPT

JACKSON, Miss. — For weeks, if not months, residents in north Jackson, in the area of Hanging Moss Road, have been complaining about a bad smell.

City addresses drainage problem, hears updates on new businesses
Daily Leader

Brookhaven aldermen gave the green light recently for engineers to remedy a decade-old sewer problem in the Meadowbrook neighborhood.


Oil Spill

MDEQ to hold meeting about Turkey Creek Restoration Project
WLOX

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) - The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) is holding a meeting on Tuesday to further discuss the Turkey Creek Restoration projects.


Regional

Environmentalists plan suit over harm to endangered species from Bonnet Carre Spillway
NOLA.com

Two environmental groups are threatening to file suit against the Army Corps of Engineers, the Mississippi River Commission and the Interior Department for failing to evaluate the impact of repeatedly opening the Bonnet Carre Spillway.

EPA removing dangerous levels of lead from soil around homes near Mercedes-Benz Stadium
11 Alive

ATLANTA — Tangela Nash's yard is being wiped away.

Supporters, detractors weigh in on fish farm EPA permit at meeting in Sarasota
Sarasota Herald-Tribune

SARASOTA — Supporters and opponents of a potential precedent-setting fish farm planned for federally controlled waters off the coast of Sarasota made their cases Tuesday to federal regulators who will decide whether to authorize it.

Fort Smith Planning To Negotiate Terms Of Consent Decree
KFSM

FORT SMITH, Ark. (KFSM) — The Fort Smith Board of Directors heard from an attorney about a status update on the consent decree requiring upgrades to the city sewer infrastructure.



National

Ohio’s toxic algae plan could give other states a blueprint
AP

Nearly halfway into a 10-year pledge to combat the toxic algae that turns Lake Erie a ghastly shade of green, Ohio has made little progress. Its patchwork of mostly voluntary efforts hasn't slowed the farm fertilizers that feed algae blooms, leading to contaminated drinking water and dead fish.

These Photos Capture the World’s Sewer Systems When They Were Brand New
Smithsonian

Below our city streets lies an ad-hoc world of subterranean tunnels and pipes. The oldest are brick and concrete sewers that once carried waste streams in one direction, rainfall overflow in another. Today, these waterways must contend with newer sewers, subway tunnels, power lines, and fiber-optic cables. But in the 19th century, these labyrinths were the only man-made things that existed below ground.
Archival photos reproduced in Stephen Halliday’s An Underground Guide to Sewers give us a rare view of these sewers of the past, as they looked to the people who engineered, built, and maintained them.