State
Hyde-Smith announces $7.5M in additional funding for backwater pumps
Vicksburg Post
An additional $7.5 million has reportedly been allocated to address future flooding issues in the Yazoo Backwater Area.
Gautier awarded $2.5M to improve water quality, environmental infrastructure
WLOX
GAUTIER, Miss. (WLOX) - Gautier is working to improve the quality of the city’s water, an issue that has been a concern of residents and city leaders for years.
Gulfport to get 2nd bridge over US 90 as millions announced for Coast projects
Sun Herald
Another bridge over U.S. 90 is coming to downtown Gulfport, this time to the port, Mississippi’s congressional delegation announced Tuesday.
Chemical spill stops traffic on I-55
WAPT
PIKE COUNTY, Miss. — Mississippi Highway Patrol says a tanker is leaking on I-55 in Pike County.
Four homes, church threatened by potential levee failure in Yazoo County
WLBT
YAZOO COUNTY, Miss. (WLBT) - MEMA is monitoring a potential dam/levee failure in Yazoo County in the Springridge Place Subdivision.
Heavy rain spurs flooding across area as situation worsens at County Lake
Starkville Daily News
A sustained system of heavy rain is raising new concerns as the water level at the Oktibbeha County Lake continues to rise and threaten the lake’s strained dam.
Oktibbeha Lake rises above January's danger water level
Commercial Dispatch
The water level in the Oktibbeha County Lake is higher now than it was on Jan. 14 when the dam showed early signs of breaching, county Emergency Management Agency director Kristen Campanella said in a press release this afternoon.
County engineer very concerned about dam at Oktibbeha County Lake
WTVA
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WTVA) - Oktibbeha County’s engineer is very concerned about the dam at Oktibbeha County Lake possibly failing.
Rising Pearl River threatens flooding
WAPT
JACKSON, Miss. — Flood concerns have returned, prompting Hinds County officials to declare a state of emergency.
State Government
Lawmakers open to full DHS audit
Daily Journal
A proposal to subject the finances of the Mississippi Department of Human Services to strenuous examination has attracted some initial support among local legislators, but details remain fragmentary.
SPECIAL ELECTION: Unofficial results show Dr. Demetropoulos as Pascagoula’s new mayor
WLOX
PASCAGOULA, Miss. (WLOX) - All of the votes have been cast and the unofficial results are in, showing a win for Singing River Health’s Dr. Steve Demetropoulos.
Oil Spill
New artificial snorkeling reef coming to Pensacola Beach this summer
PNJ
Pensacola Beach's new artificial snorkeling reef should be installed this summer at Casino Beach.
Regional
EPA official defends Denka air monitoring changes to angry St. John residents
NOLA.com
Tensions were high and details were in short supply Tuesday night as EPA official David Gray defended upcoming changes to air monitoring procedures for a “likely carcinogen,” called chloroprene, that is released from a LaPlace chemical plant.
Fire erupts at ExxonMobil refinery in Louisiana, glow seen for miles
AP
BATON ROUGE, La. — A fire inside an ExxonMobil refinery in Louisiana turned the night sky a shade of orange and sent a large plume of smoke into the air..
Prosecutors: School system given phony asbestos test results
AP
A businessman who was in charge of monitoring asbestos in a Louisiana school system submitted false air monitoring and lab testing reports for years, federal prosecutors said.
In a federal indictment released this month, Marc A. Victoriano is accused of defrauding the Terrebonne Parish School Board of more than $212,000.
National
U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide emissions lowered in 2019: report
The Hill
Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. fell 2.9 percent last year, according to a report published Tuesday.
States Say EPA Chemicals Approach ‘Unlawful’ as Lawsuits Loom
Bloomberg
Democratic attorneys general from 10 states are signaling they may sue the EPA regarding its oversight of chemicals, a half dozen lawyers said in recent interviews.
Push to scale back US environmental law draws ire at Denver hearing
AP
DENVER — The Trump administration on Tuesday hosted the first of two hearings on its proposal to speed up energy and other projects by rolling back a landmark environmental law. Opponents from Western states argued the long-term benefits of keeping the environmental reviews.
Press Releases
EPA Publishes 2018 Annual Toxics Release Inventory Report and Analysis
New TRI data show increased recycling of chemical waste nationwide
02/11/2020
WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its 2018 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) National Analysis. Findings from this publicly available report show an increase in recycling of TRI chemical wastes nationwide and indicate that companies continue to find ways to implement new source reduction activities and reduce the quantities of TRI chemicals they release into the environment.
EPA Announces Appointment of John Busterud to Region 9 Administrator
02/11/2020
WASHINGTON (Feb. 11, 2020) — Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced the appointment of John W. Busterud to become Regional Administrator for Region 9. Mr. Busterud will oversee federal environmental protection efforts in: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, the U.S. territories in the Pacific ocean, and 148 federally recognized tribes.
USDA-NRCS IN MISSISSIPPI ANNOUNCES ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES PROGRAM SIGN-UP
JACKSON, MS-February 7, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will invest this year to help agricultural producers improve water quality in 12 high-priority watersheds across the state. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is continuing two of its successful landscape-level water quality efforts - the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI) and National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI).
MEMA INTRODUCES COUNTIES TO “RAPIDSOS” FOR FASTER EMERGENCY RESPONSE
February 11, 2020
PEARL, Miss. – County Emergency Management directors and 911 directors got an in-person introduction to RapidSOS at the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Tuesday.
