State
Debris, damage remain in Moselle weeks after train derailment
WDAM
MOSELLE, Miss. (WDAM) - Some damage remains in Moselle after a train derailment two weeks ago.
Damaged Sewer Line May Prove to be a Costly Problem for Water Line Project
Vicksburg Post
MS timber industry impacted by pandemic
WTVA
MISSISSIPPI (WTVA) -- While Mississippi's timber industry wasn't able to avoid the market swings that came with the pandemic, its final value should land just short of where it was at the end of 20-19.
State Government
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS SPENT TAXPAYER FUNDS ON OVERLY GENEROUS COMP TIME BUY BACKS, MASSAGE CHAIRS AND HIMALAYAN SALT LAMPS
Northside Sun
According to an audit released December 17 by the state auditor’s office, the Mississippi Department of Corrections spent taxpayer funds on a bounce house, massage chairs, Himalayan salt lamps, and impermissible comp time buybacks from 2017 to 2019.
State Supreme Court sides with governor on partial veto
AP
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves acted within his rights when he partially vetoed a budget bill last July, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday. The decision is a reversal of a chancery court judge's ruling in October.
Regional
US gives Florida wider authority over wetland development
AP
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — (AP) — The federal government granted Florida’s request for wider authority over wetland development, a move announced Thursday that came under immediate fire by environmentalist who worry that the country's largest network of wetlands could be at risk of being further degraded.
National
Biden picks Regan for EPA nominee, Haaland for interior head
AP
President-elect Joe Biden says he had chosen North Carolina regulator Michael S. Regan as his nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency and New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland as his pick for interior secretary.
With historic picks, Biden puts environmental justice front and center
Washington Post
President-elect Joe Biden chose Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) Thursday to serve as the first Native American Cabinet secretary and head the Interior Department, a historic pick that marks a turning point for the U.S. government’s relationship with the nation’s Indigenous peoples.
US wildlife agency gives more deference to economic benefits
AP
Great white sharks are eating plastic. And their poop really concerns scientists
Sun Herald
Great white sharks may be fearsome apex predators, but they’re not above a little junk food in the form of plastic.
Feds sue Delaware over environmental cleanup at state park
AP
DOVER - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reached a tentative settlement with the state of Delaware after seeking to recoup millions of dollars for costs associated with cleaning up lead-contaminated material at Fort DuPont State Park.
EPA Finalizes Landmark Cleanup Plan for the Housatonic River
AP
BOSTON (AP) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday it has finalized a landmark cleanup plan for the Housatonic River.
Press releases
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today cheered Senate passage of S. 914, The Coordinated Ocean Observations and Research Act. Among other provisions, Wicker’s legislation would renew support for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ocean data collection network used to predict hurricanes and would improve the flood insurance claims process for homeowners suffering a total loss of their homes after a hurricane.
Home Depot to Pay $20,750,000 Penalty for Nationwide Failure to Follow Rules for Conducting Renovations Involving Lead Paint
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice today announced a proposed nationwide settlement with Home Depot U.S.A. Inc. resolving alleged violations of the EPA’s Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule at home renovations performed by Home Depot’s contractors across the country.
