State
Bonnet Carré Spillway is opening Friday to prevent flooding, Army Corps decides
Sun Herald
The Bonnet Carré Spillway is opening Friday to stave off Mississippi River flooding after heavy rainfall in the Mississippi Valley, the New Orleans District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Thursday afternoon.
BEACHES SET TO CLOSE ALONG THE COAST
WXXV
With Governor Reeves’ stay-at-home order set to take effect tomorrow evening at 5 p.m., it made a quiet day on beaches in Harrison County.
MDEQ ISSUES SIX BEACH WATER CONTACT ADVISORIES
WXXV
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, through its Beach Monitoring Program, issued water contact advisories Thursday for six stations.
Coronavirus in Mississippi: Barnett Reservoir crappie could benefit from shelter-in-place order
Clarion Ledger
RESIDENTS URGED TO CONTACT IMS ENGINEERS TO HELP WITH FLOOD DEBRIS REMOVAL
Northside Sun
The City of Jackson has begun to work with companies to remove any remaining flood debris. Impacted residents with questions are asked to please contact: George Ford, Senior Project Coordinator for IMS Engineers at (601) 502-7724 or (601) 968-9194 ext. 158.
City of Oxford announces safety guidelines for waste disposal
Oxford Eagle
With the COVID-19 threat increasing everyday, and social distancing measures becoming more prevalent, the City of Oxford announced safety guidelines for disposal of waste.
Service at landfill slows due to increased traffic
Picayune Item
With many families home from work and school due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pearl River County residents are spring cleaning and disposing of unwanted items, which is creating problems for the local landfill.
State Government
Coronavirus in Mississippi: What we know Friday
Clarion Ledger
This story will be updated throughout the day with the latest news about coronavirus and its effects in Mississippi.
Hosemann, Gunn eye June to renew budget; awaiting clearer picture of coronavirus fallout
MS Today
Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and Speaker Philip Gunn, hoping to gather as much financial data as possible, anticipate waiting until June to pass a state budget for the new fiscal year, which begins July 1.
National
EPA Chief Says Virus-Linked Looser Enforcement ‘Very Mild’
Bloomberg
EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said the agency’s response to relaxing enforcement due to the novel coronavirus pandemic has been “very mild” compared to the Obama administration’s similar approach to natural disasters.
EPA defends suspension of pollution monitoring in letter to Congress
The Hill
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Thursday sent a letter to every member of Congress defending its controversial decision to hold back from penalizing companies that do not monitor their pollution during the coronavirus pandemic.
Cleanup of US nuclear waste takes back seat as virus spreads
AP
The U.S. government’s efforts to clean up Cold War-era waste from nuclear research and bomb making at federal sites around the country has lumbered along for decades, often at a pace that watchdogs and other critics say threatens public health and the environment.
PFAS confirmed or suspected at 678 military installations, including 16 in Michigan
MLIve
Toxic fluorinated chemicals known as PFAS are now confirmed or suspected in ground and surface water at 678 military installations, including 16 in Michigan, according to a new analysis by the Environmental Working Group.
Press Releases
EPA Sends Letter to All Members of Congress to Correct the Record on the Temporary Enforcement Policy
04/02/2020
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent a letter to all Members of Congress to correct the record on the temporary enforcement policy that was released last week. As should be apparent to anyone who reads the policy, allegations that EPA “will cease all enforcement actions during the coronavirus pandemic” and that the temporary policy “absolves polluters of all responsibility” are simply not true.
EPA Continues to Add New Surface Disinfectant Products to List N in Effort to Combat COVID-19
04/02/2020
WASHINGTON (April 2, 2020) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is continuing its commitment to increasing the availability of surface disinfectants for use against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. List N: Disinfectants for use against SARS-CoV-2 (List N) now contains over 360 products and has enhanced functionality to allow users to sort these products by surface type and use site. EPA is also continuing to expedite the review process for new disinfectants.
EPA Announces Extended Comment Period on Supplement to Science Transparency Proposed Rule
04/02/2020
WASHINGTON (April 2, 2020) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an extension of the comment period on the supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking for the proposed rule, “Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science.”
Corps to Operate Bonnet Carre’ Spillway
NEW ORLEANS - Heavy rain in the Mississippi Valley and rising Mississippi River water stages and flow are prompting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to open the Bonnet Carré Spillway Friday, April 3, to keep the volume of Mississippi River flows at New Orleans from exceeding 1.25 million cubic feet per second (cfs).
Vicksburg District to keep boat ramps, nature trails open at north Mississippi lakes, but other district recreation areas remain closed
VICKSBURG, Miss. -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District will keep its boat ramps, nature trails and fishing areas at Arkabutla, Enid, Sardis and Grenada lakes open in north Mississippi for the time being.
