State
Beaches in Hancock, Jackson counties to remain closed over coronavirus. Here’s more.
Sun Herald
Hancock County supervisors decided Monday to keep the beaches closed until May 4 at 12 a.m., and Jackson County supervisors are meeting to determine if beaches will open there.
Harrison County supervisors on Friday chose to allow the beaches to reopen after Gov. Tate Reeves amended his shelter-in-place order.
Beaches to remain closed in Jackson, Hancock counties
WLOX
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI (WLOX) - Beaches in Jackson County will remain closed for another week, while those in Hancock County will stay closed an additional two weeks to discourage large groups from gathering.
Hancock's Supervisors vote to maintain beach closure
Sea Coast Echo
The Hancock County Board of Supervisors on Monday extended the closures of Hancock County beaches until May 4 to further slow the spread of COVID-19.
DEAD DOLPHIN WASHES ASHORE IN HARRISON COUNTY
WXXV
This morning, WXXV’s Kristen Anzuini found a dead dolphin that washed ashore on the beach in Harrison County.
Lee County extends timeline for debris removal process
Daily Journal
TUPELO • Nearly four months after contracting with two companies, county officials are giving debris removal firms a second 30-day extension to remove limbs and other remaining waste left by straight-line winds in October 2019.
State Government
How Mississippi became a COVID-19 testing leader despite ‘bottlenecks,’ lack of federal help
Sun Herald
Mississippi ranks No. 6 among all states in testing for the new coronavirus, state officials say, despite a lack of federal help acquiring needed supplies.
Miss. Gov. says prolonged social distancing will be needed when state re-opens
WLBT
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves held another press briefing Monday to discuss the latest on COVID-19 in Mississippi.
Mississippi reaching ‘plateau’ in virus cases, governor says
AP
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Monday that he believes the state is reaching a “plateau” in the increase of new coronavirus cases, and he will consider in coming days how the state should ease into reopening parts of its economy.
Oil Spill
A decade later, lessons keep coming from BP disaster
WLOX
BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - The BP Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill turned out to be disastrous for humans, the environment and the local economy.
TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE BP OIL SPILL
WXXV
April 20, 2010: the BP Oil Spill made its mark on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and it’s marine wildlife.
10 years after the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, a look back at lost islands
WVUE
NEW ORLEANS, La. (WVUE) - When BP’s oil began soaking the shoreline of Cat Island in Plaquemines Parish weeks after the 2010 Gulf of Mexico spill, P.J. Hahn knew the island and its inhabitants were in trouble.
Ten Years After Deepwater Horizon, U.S. Is Still Vulnerable to Catastrophic Spills
NYT
WASHINGTON — Shortly before 10 p.m. on April 20, 2010, an explosion ripped through the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, unleashing the worst offshore oil spill in United States history and triggering what were supposed to be systemic changes to ensure such a disaster could never happen again.
Regional
Bonnet Carre Spillway harms sea turtles, manatees and other endangered species, lawsuit says
NOLA.com
Environmental groups are suing the Army Corps of Engineers over its alleged failure to consider the ecological impacts of repeatedly opening the Bonnet Carré Spillway.
National
Nearly half lived with unhealthy pollution levels in 2016-2018: analysis
The Hill
Almost half of Americans lived in areas with unhealthy pollution levels between 2016 and 2018, according to an analysis published Tuesday.
AGs from 18 states argue for further restrictions on 'forever chemicals'
The Hill
Attorneys general for 18 states want the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to enact stricter rules as it weighs importation restrictions on products laced with a cancer-linked chemical.
Justices rule against Montana homeowners near Superfund site
AP
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court delivered a setback Monday to Montana homeowners who are seeking additional cleanup of arsenic left over from years of copper smelting.
Press Releases
RESTORE Council 10 Year Commemoration Report
EPA and Federal Partners Commemorate 10-year Anniversary of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
04/20/2020
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) joined federal partners—including the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of the Interior, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—in commemorating the 10-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
EPA Expands Research on COVID-19 in the Environment
04/20/2020
WASHINGTON (April 20, 2020) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to make COVID-19 issues a top priority.
EPA Recognizes Leaders in the Prevention and Diversion of Waste; the 2019 WasteWise National Award Winners
04/20/2020
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the 2019 winners of the national WasteWise awards. EPA is recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of 11 WasteWise partner organizations.
Vicksburg District announces Grenada Lake to enter spillway within week
USACE
TheU.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District notified local authorities and emergency management personnel April 20 that flows from Grenada Lake, located near Interstate 55 in north Mississippi, are forecasted to enter the project’s spillway within the week.
Vicksburg District opens Steele Bayou Control Structure, provides update on forecasts, conditions across region
USACE
VICKSBURG, Miss. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District opened the Steele Bayou Control Structure, located approximately 10 miles north of Vicksburg, Mississippi, April 20.
New Comprehensive Geologic Map of the Moon Released
USGS
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Have you ever wondered what kind of rocks make up those bright and dark splotches on the moon? Well, the USGS has just released a new authoritative map to help explain the 4.5-billion-year-old history of our nearest neighbor in space.
