State
CLOSE TO NORMAL
Northside Sun
Pearl River Valley Water Supply District (PRVWSD) officials are expecting summer events and recreation at the reservoir to return close to normal after more than a year and a half of battling giant salvinia.
State Government
Reeves orders schools to remain closed through April 17; total Mississippi cases of COVID-19 now at 50
AP
JACKSON, Mississippi — Mississippi public schools will be closed until at least April 17 to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, Gov. Tate Reeves said Thursday.
Info from MSDH:
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Regional
Coronavirus in Florida: EPA says tap water safe during COVID-19 outbreak
Florida Today
As shoppers clear shelves of water bottles and filters at Walmart and elsewhere, public utility, environmental and health officials assure tap water is and will remain safe to drink during the coronavirus outbreak.
Environmental groups sue Trump administration over protection for elusive marsh bird
NOLA.com
Environmental groups are suing the Trump administration, accusing it of failing to protect a mysterious marsh bird that has recently been found to have a small and fragile population on the Louisiana coast.
National
Virus Could Bite Into Environmental Enforcement: Ex-Officials
Bloomberg
The new coronavirus pandemic that is sharply curtailing Americans’ activities may soon limit field inspections from the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers, former federal officials say.
Don’t flush disinfecting wipes: Even ‘flushable’ ones can clog pipes, officials warn
KTLA
While public health professionals are urging everyone to wipe down surfaces with disinfecting wipes to stave off coronavirus, water officials are worried a dramatic rise in the number of people flushing wipes will overwhelm wastewater treatment plants and home plumbing.
Known For Disaster Aid, FEMA Prepares For New Challenge With Coronavirus Relief
NPR
President Trump announced Wednesday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency "now is fully engaged at the highest levels" in fighting the coronavirus pandemic. Trump says the agency is activated at level 1.
Energy regulators disagree on whether to delay actions amid coronavirus
The Hill
One commissioner on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has proposed delaying certain regulatory actions amid the global coronavirus outbreak.
The commission’s chairman, however, is cool to the idea.
Second EPA employee tests positive for coronavirus
The Hill
A second Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employee has tested positive for coronavirus, and another worker has come into contact with someone who tested positive.
When Plastic Bags Get the Sack
WSJ
Paper or plastic?
But the choice is more complicated than it sounds.
Press Releases
EPA Seeks Nominations for Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals
03/19/2020
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking nominations of candidates for the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC).
Sportsmen and Sportswomen Generate Nearly $1 Billion in Conservation Funding
Fish, Wildlife, Outdoor Recreation and Local Communities Benefit from Excise Tax Revenues
DOI
Mississippi
$4,138,531
$9,092,443
$13,230,974
WASHINGTON – America’s sportsmen and sportswomen generated nearly $1 billion in excise taxes last year that support state conservation programs. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt today announced the disbursement of these funds, generated through excise taxes on hunting, shooting and fishing equipment and boat fuel to all 50 states and U.S. territories by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service).
Public input requested on environmental assessment for genetically engineered crops on national wildlife refuges in the Southeastern United States
USFWS
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has prepared a draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) for the potential use of genetically engineered crops (GECs) on national wildlife refuges in the southeastern United States.
