State
Tropical Storm Marco will bring rain, wind to the Gulf Coast. Here’s the latest
Sun Herald
Marco weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm overnight, but the drop in wind speed may be little consolation to a stretch of Mississippi coast destined to feel the impact of two tropical storms by end of day Tuesday.
Governor declares state of emergency in response to Marco, Laura
AP
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Sunday that storm Marco has become a hurricane.
MDEQ provides Oktibbeha more money to clean up roadside garbage
Commercial Dispatch
Much of the garbage piled up on the gravelly Harrell Road in northwestern Oktibbeha County is unidentifiable, but the heap does include an upended toilet. A discarded mattress lies several yards east.
Disposal of residential trash a burning issue for the city
Daily Leader
Trash was a burning issue at Tuesday’s regular meeting of the Brookhaven Board of Aldermen.
Local residents help clean up community
WTOK
MERIDIAN, Miss. (WTOK) - Two Meridian residents have turned themselves into a local clean-up crew using their time and energy to protect their community.
MDEQ Issues Two Beach Water Contact Advisories in Biloxi Four Others in Effect
WXXV
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality through its Beach Monitoring Program, issued two water contact advisories Friday for Station 11A (Edgewater Beach) and Station 12A (Biloxi West Central Beach).
Deer estimate increases, wild hog numbers skyrocket, Mississippi harvest survey shows
Clarion Ledger
For the first time in three seasons, the number of deer harvested by licensed hunters has increased and due to meat prices and shortages the number is expected to increase this year. But for now, the number of wild hogs killed far outpaces the number of deer harvested.
State Government
As storms head toward Gulf Coast, Legislature slated to return Monday to pass DMR budget
MS Today
The Mississippi Legislature is scheduled to convene at 4 p.m.Monday to try to pass a budget for the Department of Marine Resources, which has been in limbo from a fight between the Legislature and Gov. Tate Reeves over spending authority.
Oil Spill
Southern Miss oyster hatchery receives $7.6 million grant from U.S. Treasury
Student Printz
Governor Tate Reeves announced on August 12 that the U.S. Department of the Treasury has approved a RESTORE Act grant worth $7.62 million for the construction of The University of Southern Mississippi’s new Oyster Hatchery and Research Center.
Regional
Offshore oil and gas production is crimped by Gulf storms
AP
Oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico was slowed Sunday by the approach of two storms that led companies to remove workers from more than 100 offshore platforms.
Pensacola joins lawsuit against manufacturers of 'forever chemical' PFAS
PNJ
The city of Pensacola joined a growing legion of municipalities that are suing the manufacturers of highly toxic chemicals that have infiltrated the soil, groundwater and drinking water of cities across the nation.
Black and white tegu lizard sighted for the first time in South Carolina
CNN
South Carolina officials have documented the first confirmed sighting of a black and white tegu lizard, a non-native species that can have a detrimental impact on the state's wildlife.
Could Louisiana alligator blood be a cure for snake bites? This study explains how
NOLA.com
Snake bites may have an unusual cure: the blood of the Louisiana alligator.
A new study has found that elements of alligator blood can counteract the deadly effects of snake venom.
National
Thousands allowed to bypass environmental rules in pandemic
AP
Thousands of oil and gas operations, government facilities and other sites won permission to stop monitoring for hazardous emissions or otherwise bypass rules intended to protect health and the environment because of the coronavirus outbreak, The Associated Press has found.
EPA to OK American Airlines use of surface coating to fight COVID-19
Reuters
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is set to announce on Monday it will issue an emergency exemption to the state of Texas permitting it to allow American Airlines Group Inc (AAL.O) to use a new surface coating that kills coronaviruses for up to seven days, sources briefed on the matter said.
Preserving Trees Becomes Big Business, Driven by Emissions Rules
WSJ
GRUNDY COUNTY, Tenn.—For much of human history, the way to make money from a tree was to chop it down. Now, with companies rushing to offset their carbon emissions, there is value in leaving them standing.
Are abandoned mines affecting our drinking water or could they soon?
Deseret News
SALT LAKE CITY — There are hundreds of thousands of abandoned hard rock mining sites or features scattered throughout the West, and federal and state officials are nowhere close to identifying those that potentially pose a hazard to drinking water.
Reusing wastewater for irrigation, drinking
Albuquerque Journal
The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority will use about $2.68 million from the New Mexico Environment Department to help fund three wastewater reuse projects.
Press Releases
Governor Tate Reeves Declares State of Emergency for Impending Gulf Storms
JACKSON — Today, Governor Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency in preparation and response to Tropical Storm Laura and Tropical Storm Marco, which are expected to make landfall early next week.
USACE Vicksburg District signs agreement with City of Clinton for water system rehabilitation
Aug. 21, 2020
VICKSBURG, Miss. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District signed a Project Partnership Agreement (PPA) with the City of Clinton, Mississippi, Friday, August 21 as part of the Mississippi Environmental Infrastructure Program (Section 592).
