Friday, May 29, 2020

News Clippings May 29, 2020

State

City of Jackson addresses sewage leak into Pearl River
WJTV

JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) — Flooding from this past January and February created a winter that Mississippians will never forget, and not in a pleasant way. A recent quarterly report that was released by the City of Jackson just created a new unpleasant memory to add to the bank.

HARRISON COUNTY REDUCING LITTER WITH NEW GARBAGE PICKUP EQUIPMENT
WXXV

For Mike Schonewitz, Harrison County District 5 Assistant Road Manager, the goal is simple – keep the roads of District 5 clean. Unfortunately, a perpetual litter problem is making things difficult for Schonewitz and his crew. But Schonewitz has a plan to stay one step ahead of those who choose to litter.
 
TAXPAYER-FUNDED CARBON CAPTURE PROJECT TO BE BUILT IN KEMPER COUNTY
Northside Sun

A federally-funded carbon capture facility is planned for a site adjacent to Mississippi Power’s Kemper County Energy Facility.

PLANTING SEA OATS ALONG HIGHWAY 90
WXXV

A wave of new growth in Long Beach today as crews began planting more sea oats along Highway 90.

City of Bay St. Louis announces upcoming boat launch
WLOX

BAY SAINT LOUIS, Miss. (WLOX) - Property on Highway 603 was purchased to develop a public boat launch. This news was announced Wednesday by the city of Bay Saint Louis, in which they said the project will begin immediately.

How to keep snakes away from your home: What works and what doesn't.
Clarion Ledger

Spring is here and snakes are on the move. Some people enjoy encounters with snakes while others would rather never see one at all, particularly near their home.

USM’S MARINE EDUCATION CENTER WINS AWARD
WXXV

USM’s Marine Education Center’s state of the art facilities site has only been perched in Ocean Springs for a little over two years, but it’s already snared a national award.


State Government

Officials stress ‘one bad day’ could turn coronavirus outlook
WLBT

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves discussed the state’s pandemic response again Thursday.


Regional

EPA failed to monitor GenX chemical for eight years
Fayetteville Observer

The EPA’s regional office wasn’t told it was supposed to inspect the Chemours Fayetteville Works plant until the StarNews in Wilmington reported there was GenX in the Cape Fear River.


National

Renewables top coal in the US for the first time in more than 130 years
The Hill

Renewable energy consumption in the U.S. topped coal consumption in 2019, the first time this has occurred in more than 130 years. 


Press Releases

EPA Emphasizes the Need to Continue Cleaning and Disinfection Practices
05/28/2020

WASHINGTON (May 28, 2020) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and all of its federal, state, tribal, and local partners to move forward toward Opening up America Again.


Thursday, May 28, 2020

News Clippings May 28, 2020

State

Report: Nearly a half billion gallons of raw sewage leaked into the Pearl River during 2020 flood
WLBT


Shrimpers hoping for bountiful 2020 season
WLOX

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) -Shrimpers and charter boat captains have extra time to get their licenses renewed after the Commission on Marine resources extended the deadline for license renewals and registration to June 30. That action came Wednesday.

CMR EXTENDS EXPIRATION DATE FOR COMMERCIAL FISHING LICENSES
WXXV

With shrimping season set to kick off Thursday, many shrimpers are concerned about up to date licenses and permits to begin the season.


State Government

Governor Reeves announces plans for Safe Return order to take effect June 1
WLBT

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) -All Mississippi businesses can soon reopen under the Safe Return order announced by Governor Tate Reeves.

Mississippi lawmakers vote to extend session through 2020 to deal with coronavirus response, funding
Clarion Ledger

Mississippi lawmakers advanced a plan Wednesday that would allow them to return any time to deal with coronavirus funding and response through the end of this year. 


Regional

Head of EPA visits local farmers during Atlanta tour
AJC

The head of the federal Environmental Protection Agency is touring metro Atlanta this week, meeting with local farmers and visiting area sites that have received federal grants for cleanup and redevelopment. 


National

Sewage Could Become Next Virus Surveillance Method, EPA Says
Bloomberg

Raw sewage could be a new element of states’ coronavirus surveillance efforts once the EPA completes a new research pilot project.

States, green groups sue Trump over rollback of Obama fuel efficiency regulations
The Hill

Two separate coalitions made up of 23 states and a dozen environmental groups sued the Trump administration Wednesday over its rollback of a key Obama-era climate measure that required automakers to meet ambitious fuel efficiency standards.

Recyclers Stuck With Millions of Uncashed Empties in Lockdown
Recycling centers are closed in some states, leaving households a choice of getting buried by bags of empty cans and bottles or tossing away money
WSJ

Michiganders are sitting on $60 million worth of empty bottles and cans, a lot of them rattling around in the back of Thad Zajac’s Ford Escape.

Michigan's dam safety unit: 2 staff for entire state, a supervisor, and $397K
Detroit Free Press

Luke Trumble has a lot on his plate — all of the dams in 31 southern Michigan counties, to be exact.

Record drop in energy investment expected this year: analysis
The Hill

The largest decline in global energy investment ever recorded is expected this year as the coronavirus pandemic takes its toll on the industry, according to a new analysis from the International Energy Agency (IEA). 

Using waste to make topsoil
Delta Farm Press

Researchers are testing treated sewage sludge, called biosolids, for use in urban settings.
In a new study, researchers combined high-quality biosolids with other urban waste – food and yard waste, sawdust, nut shells, for example. They found several such mixtures to be acceptable in terms of smell and looks, and the mixtures also supported plant growth.


Opinion

No third landfill in Madison County: Make sure state Senate stands with the people
Pat Bruce
Clarion Ledger

While the coronavirus pandemic rightly dominates public attention these days, it’s important not to lose sight of other important public policy issues.
For Madison County and North Hinds County, we must keep our eye on the continued push from a big garbage company to add an unprecedented third landfill in Madison County.





Wednesday, May 27, 2020

News Clippings May 27, 2020

State

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CLEANING UP THE BEACHES AFTER MEMORIAL DAY
WXXV

As residents and Coast visitors flocked to the beaches for the three day weekend, Harrison County Sand Beach Authority was out in full force Saturday, Sunday, and Memorial Day Monday to help keep beaches clean.

Giant catfish caught in Mississippi River during Memorial Day fishing tournament
WLBT

NATCHEZ, Miss. (WLBT) - Talk about a catch!
An 86-pound blue catfish was caught this weekend during the 3rd Annual Natchez Memorial Day Catfish Tournament.

 
State Government

State Economist Predicts Slow Recovery Due to Pandemic
MPB

Mississippi’s state economist predicts a slow financial recovery because of the coronavirus pandemic. He says millions have been lost in revenue. Now lawmakers are trying to determine how they’ll allocate the state budget.

‘Very likely to re-surge.’ Overwhelmed MS health dept. gets aggressive to curb COVID-19
Sun Herald

State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs took on a much bigger job than his health department was capable of handling when he announced March 26, at a news conference on the steps of the governor’s mansion, that more testing and contact tracing would be cornerstones of the state attack on COVID-19.


Regional

'It's too far gone': Old oil wells and pipelines doom big effort to save this Louisiana island
NOLA.com

A Louisiana island President Theodore Roosevelt tried to save more than a century ago has been so damaged by the oil industry, so tangled with forgotten pipelines, gouged by canals and pockmarked by oil wells, that the state has finally decided to cut its losses and end a decades-long effort to restore it.


National

EPA’s Biggest Union Pushes Back Against Reopening Plans
Bloomberg

The EPA’s biggest union is pushing back against the agency’s plans to start the process that could lead to reopening some of its offices.

Puddles the mussel detection dog is Washington’s new defense against invasive species
Sun Herald

As the weather heats up and boaters prepare to cast off, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife professionals are on the lookout for invasive species of mussels that could overtake the state’s waterways.


Tuesday, May 26, 2020

News Clippings May 26, 2020

State

Community support desperately needed to ‘Finish The Pumps’
Vicksburg Post

For some it is a slogan they share on Facebook. For others, it is a saying that adorns a bumper sticker placed on their back window. And yet for others, like Stormy Deere, Victoria Darden and the hundreds who have battled floodwaters far longer than they ever should have, “finish the pumps” is part of their everyday lives.

Giant catfish: Where do they go and how fast do they grow?
Clarion Ledger

Catfish, especially blue catfish, can grow to enormous sizes. The Mississippi state record is 95 pounds and was caught in the Mississippi River near Natchez. Flatheads, another popular species, can grow in excess of 70 pounds. Channel catfish don't grow as large as its blue and flathead cousins, but can still weigh over 50 pounds.

Mississippi shrimp season to open May 28
WLOX

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - The opening date for this year’s shrimp season is marked for Thursday, May 28.

Sales tax ‘surprisingly strong,’ spending-freeze suggestion shot down
Laurel Leader-Call

In other business, the council moved forward with issuing $4.5 million in bonds that’s for work on the “eight-plex” of softball fields and other additions and improvements at the SportsPlex. 
“We’re in a unique situation because we have the money to do the work, but we’re waiting on an agency before we can do it,” Magee said. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality still has to do site approval where an old landfill was located, Magee said.
“We met a while back … why can’t we get anything done?” Wheat asked.
Magee said that DEQ officials have told him they’re not in the office and are working from home during the shutdown.

MDEQ LIFTS BEACH WATER CONTACT ADVISORY IN GULFPORT
WXXV

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), through its Beach Monitoring Program, lifted a water contact advisory Monday for Station 11 (Gulfport East Beach). Water samples at this station show the area has attained acceptable bacteria levels. There is one other advisory in effect.


Oil Spill

Popp’s Ferry Causeway Park getting attention from crowd-weary outdoor enthusiasts
WLOX

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - Many public places are crammed full of people for the Memorial Day weekend, but there’s a natural haven in Biloxi that offers an alternative for those worried about COVID-19.


Regional

'We're screwed': The only question is how quickly Louisiana wetlands will vanish, study says
NOLA.com

Because of increasing rates of sea level rise fueled by global warming, the remaining 5,800 square miles of Louisiana's coastal wetlands in the Mississippi River delta will disappear. The only question is how quickly it will happen, says a new peer-reviewed study published Friday in Science Advances.


National

Coal company sues EPA over power plant pollution regulation
The Hill

A coal company has challenged an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) power plant pollution regulation in court after the agency recently finalized changes that weaken the standards' legal underpinnings. 

Coronavirus Threatens to Hobble the U.S. Shale-Oil Boom for Years
WSJ

American shale drillers helped turn the U.S. into the world’s top oil producer, topping 13 million barrels a day earlier this year. It likely will be years—if ever—before they reach such heights again.