State
Sacks of oysters for sale as fears of the spillway opening grow
WLOX
GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) - With supplies becoming scarce due to concerns over COVID-19, one local business is stepping in to provide fresh oysters to the community.
You asked: Will spring cleanup still take place?
Daily Leader
Q: Is the Keep Lincoln County Beautiful Spring Cleanup still taking place?
A: One aspect of spring-cleaning will be delayed for residents of Lincoln County.
State Government
State officials waive in-person requirement for notarization of documents
WJTV
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Governor Tate Reeves has ordered to waive the in-person requirement for notarizing documents in Mississippi for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency, subject to guidance provided by Secretary of State Michael Watson.
Executive Order 1467, effective April 7, 2020, authorizes remote notarizations and the Secretary of State’s temporary guidance.
Coronavirus in Mississippi: What we know Wednesday
Clarion Ledger
This story will be updated throughout the day with the latest news about coronavirus and its effects in Mississippi.
Oil Spill
Wildlife group: Gulf oil spill still affecting wildlife
AP
A decade after the nation’s worst offshore oil spill, dolphins, turtles and other wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico are still seriously at risk, according to a report released Tuesday.
$24 million awarded to four local coastal restoration projects
WALA
MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) -- Gov. Kay Ivey's office announced that $24 million will be spent on four coastal restoration projects in southern Alabama.
Regional
Air pollution could make coronavirus more severe for some Louisianans
NOLA.com
Data released by the state Department of Health shows that pre-existing conditions such as diabetes and kidney disease are playing a major role in the death rate of coronavirus in Louisiana. But a growing body of research indicates that long-term exposure to air pollution can also be a factor.
Relaxed EPA Rules Will Not Affect NC Environmental Enforcement
WUNC
The Environmental Protection Agency relaxed environmental standards during the coronavirus pandemic. The agency says it is suspending civil penalties temporarily because of potential worker shortages, social distancing mandates and travel restrictions. But the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality says state rules still apply.
National
Court strikes down EPA suspension of Obama-era greenhouse gas rule
The Hill
A federal court on Tuesday struck down the Trump administration’s move to suspend an Obama-era rule that restricted the use of a powerful greenhouse gas, saying the Trump administration did not follow the proper procedure.
New Research Links Air Pollution to Higher Coronavirus Death Rates
NYT
WASHINGTON — Coronavirus patients in areas that had high levels of air pollution before the pandemic are more likely to die from the infection than patients in cleaner parts of the country, according to a new nationwide study that offers the first clear link between long-term exposure to pollution and Covid-19 death rates.
EPA donating 225,000 pieces of PPE to first responders
WFTS
TAMPA, Fla. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced on Tuesday it would be donating 225,000 pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) to first responders on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.
New Jersey approves drinking water standards for toxic PFAS chemicals. Will legal battles follow?
USA Today
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection quietly approved one of the nation’s strongest drinking water limits on a class of toxic chemicals last week, a department spokesperson confirmed to the USA TODAY Network.
How Burning Wood, Once a Viable Power Source, Fell Out of Favor in the U.S.
Bloomberg
Out in the Piney Woods of East Texas, on the outskirts of a town that’s supported a thriving logging industry for more than a century, there’s a hulking power plant for sale. But it hasn’t run since 2015 and never turned a profit. The most likely outcome is getting bought, dismantled, and hauled off to some place where producing electricity from burning wood makes economic sense; the numbers don’t work here anymore.
Pandemic deals blow to plastic bag bans, plastic reduction
AP
Just weeks ago, cities and even states across the U.S. were busy banning straws, limiting takeout containers and mandating that shoppers bring reusable bags or pay a small fee as the movement to eliminate single-use plastics took hold in mainstream America.
What a difference a pandemic makes.
Press Releases
EPA to Donate Personal Protective Equipment to State and Local Responders Fighting COVID-19 Across the Country
04/06/2020
WASHINGTON (April 6, 2020) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it has identified approximately 225,000 pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) available to support the COVID-19 response.
EPA Requests Comments on Designations and Recommendations for Recycled-Content Products
04/07/2020
WASHINGTON (April 7, 2020) -- Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces it is seeking comment on the Agency’s current list of items that are or can be made from recovered materials and its recommendations to federal agencies on purchasing these items. Since 1995, EPA has designated 61 items made from recovered materials in eight product categories.
EPA to Maintain WaterSense Program Specifications
04/07/2020
WASHINGTON (April 7, 2020) — Today, after a review of WaterSense specifications as directed by America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) of 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing that the agency will not make updates or changes to the program specifications.
MEMA LAUNCHES MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER
April 7, 2020
PEARL, Miss. – The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency is excited to launch its virtual Mississippi Business Emergency Operations Center (MSBEOC). The website: https://msbeoc.org/register/ will serve as a way for businesses that would like to contribute to the fight of COVID-19 or any natural disaster to register with the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
