News Clippings March 31, 2021

State 3 taken to hospital after 18-wheeler flips on Interstate 10 in Biloxi, police say Sun Herald An 18-wheeler flipped off of Interstate 10 in Biloxi on Tuesday afternoon, and three people have been taken to the hospital, a spokesman for the Biloxi Police Department told the Sun Herald. https://www.sunherald.com/news/local/counties/harrison-county/article250319221.html Mayor Lumumba looking into hiring homeless to pick up garbage around Jackson WLBT JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - City leaders are taking steps to clean up Jackson when it comes to trash and illegal dumping. They are now looking for a trash company to assist them in tacking this problem. https://www.wlbt.com/2021/03/31/mayor-lumumba-looking-into-hiring-homeless-pick-up-garbage-around-jackson/ Seismic testing goes full blast Enterprise-Journal For those hearing explosions in Summit and northern Pike County this week, it is not the beginning of the end. Seismic testing for oil exploration has started. http://www.enterprise-journal.com/news/article_df5e7d46-91ac-11eb-a911-3395102d922c.html City approves levee project to protect waterline, facilitate Vicksburg Forest Products’ expansion Vicksburg Post The Board of Mayor and Aldermen have accepted the bid of a Yazoo County contractor to extend the Haining Road Levee surrounding Vicksburg Forest Products. https://vicksburgpost.com/2021/03/30/city-approves-levee-project-to-protect-waterline-facilitate-vicksburg-forest-products-expansion/ Natchez Trace Parkway named one of Top 10 Most Visited National Parks in 2020 WJTV JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – The Natchez Trace Parkway was ranked one of the Top 10 Most Visited National Parks in 2020, according to the National Park Service. https://www.wjtv.com/news/natchez-trace-parkway-named-one-of-top-10-most-visited-national-parks-in-2020/ State Government MEMA appoints deputy director WDAM PEARL, Miss. (WDAM) – Mississippi Emergency Management Executive Director Stephen McCraney now has a right-hand man. https://www.wdam.com/2021/03/30/mema-appoints-deputy-director/ Regional You decide: Public hearing brings out opinions on both sides of Plant Barry coal ash pond WKRG SARALAND, Ala. (WKRG) — The Alabama Department of Environmental Management hosted a public hearing about Plant Barry’s coal ash permit. https://www.wkrg.com/top-stories/you-decide-public-hearing-brings-out-opinions-on-both-sides-of-plant-barry-coal-ash-pond/ Rules to protect sea turtles from shrimp nets postponed AP New rules designed to keep endangered and threatened sea turtles from drowning in some inshore shrimp nets are being postponed, and federal regulators are considering whether to expand the rules, officials said Tuesday. https://www.al.com/news/2021/03/rules-to-protect-sea-turtles-from-shrimp-nets-postponed.html Lawmakers consider whether to break up public health agency AP COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina lawmakers will hold hearings this spring on a bill to split up the state’s sprawling public health and environmental agency. https://apnews.com/article/public-health-environment-legislation-coronavirus-pandemic-water-quality-c0a6bafd8b931976cd06d40918b58e2a National Corrugated Boxes Have Never Been in More Demand—or More Expensive WSJ It wasn’t just you. Americans consumed more corrugated cardboard boxes than ever last year. https://www.wsj.com/articles/corrugated-boxes-have-never-been-in-more-demandor-more-expensive-11617189646?mod=business_lead_pos3 Press Releases Interior Disburses Nearly $249 Million to Gulf States for Coastal Conservation, Restoration and Hurricane Protection Programs 3/30/2021 WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Interior today announced nearly $249 million in Fiscal Year 2020 energy revenues to the four offshore Gulf oil and gas producing states – Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, and their coastal political subdivisions (CPS). https://www.doi.gov/news/interior-disburses-nearly-249-million-gulf-states-coastal-conservation-restoration-and EPA Recognizes Electronics Industry Leaders for Diverting 176,494 Tons of Electronic Products from Landfills, Reducing Environmental Impacts Across the Country and Helping to Address Climate Change 03/30/2021   WASHINGTON (March 30, 2021) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces the 2020 winners of the Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) Electronics Challenge Awards. https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-recognizes-electronics-industry-leaders-diverting-176494-tons-electronic-products USDA, Partners Unveil New Fire Mapping Tool with National Wildfire Management Implications   Jackson, Mississippi, March 30, 2021 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today unveiled the new Southeast FireMap, a fire mapping tool for the Southeastern United States that enables resource managers to improve their regional or local approaches to managing wildfire risk and fire management needs through targeted prescribed burns and training. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDANRCS/bulletins/2ca4b9c Groundwater Impact on Oceans Cannot Be Ignored, Major Study Finds March 30th, 2021 TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A novel international review of available investigations found groundwater’s influence on oceans is a critical component of coastal ecosystems’ health. https://news.ua.edu/2021/03/groundwater-impact-on-oceans-cannot-be-ignored-major-study-finds/ Connect with us ‌ ‌ ‌

Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality | 515 East Amite Street, Jackson, MS 39201 Unsubscribe oliver.paladin.2297348308@blogger.com Update Profile | Customer Contact Data Notice Sent by rwilbur@mdeq.ms.gov powered by Try email marketing for free today!

News Clippings March 30, 2021

State Keep Jackson Beautiful Month kicks off in April WJTV JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Organizers announced Keep Jackson Beautiful Month will kick off on April 1, 2021. https://www.wjtv.com/news/keep-jackson-beautiful-month-kicks-off-in-april/?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=t.co City takes action to address slide issues, including fixing Riverfront Park Vicksburg Post The city of Vicksburg is borrowing up to $4 million to repair slide areas caused by heavy rains in January and April 2020. https://vicksburgpost.com/2021/03/29/city-takes-action-to-address-slide-issues-including-fixing-riverfront-park/ State Government Closing days of session, pay raises for state, college and university employees added to budget MPB Mississippi lawmakers are finalizing the state’s $6 billion dollar budget. And part of the plan includes raises for state employees.  https://www.mpbonline.org/blogs/news/inclosing-days-of-session-pay-raises-for-state-colleges-and-universities-added-to-budget/ Regional Louisiana coastal restoration curbed by too little sediment; these states have too much NOLA.com Tucked between South Dakota and Nebraska is a whole lot of what could be Louisiana. A growing mountain’s worth of Missouri River silt and sand that would have flowed to the Mississippi River and down to Louisiana has instead been trapped behind a border dam 85 miles southwest of Sioux Falls. https://www.nola.com/news/environment/article_497596b2-8d69-11eb-85a0-5f157115365e.html Biodegradable plastic maker plans $700M Georgia factory AP A southwest Georgia company announced Monday that it will spend $700 million to build a factory to produce biodegradable packaging for the world’s largest candy makers and others. https://apnews.com/article/environment-georgia-ab457e47d34ac6782c9bc7e3ef1b8fdc National White House names members of environmental justice panel The Hill The White House on Monday named members of its new Environmental Justice Advisory Council, which will work with other panels in the administration on efforts to reduce environmental inequalities.  https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/545419-biden-administration-names-environmental-justice-advisory-council U.S. Companies Resist Activist Investor’s Climate Campaign WSJ A billionaire British hedge-fund manager’s campaign to make large public companies set near-term targets for carbon-emission cuts is encountering challenges from U.S. corporations and money managers. https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-companies-resist-activist-investors-climate-campaign-11617102014?mod=business_lead_pos11 Biden to Push Offshore Wind Projects WSJ WASHINGTON—The Biden administration plans to give wind-power developers access to more of the Atlantic Coast and start a slate of new environmental reviews in an attempt to jump-start the country’s offshore wind business. https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-to-push-offshore-wind-projects-11617035430 Officials work to curb spread of invasive carp in Mississippi River Telegraph Herald State and federal wildlife officials are working to prevent the spread of invasive Asian carp in the Mississippi River. https://www.telegraphherald.com/news/tri-state/article_716b4f61-4e2d-5dcf-90dd-ffdbdbe9ce35.html Indiana leads US in toxic releases per square mile, EPA report states Chicago Tribune Indiana leads the nation in toxic pollution emitted per square mile, according to an U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report. https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/ct-ptb-env-indiana-toxic-st-0328-20210326-3x4xhquoqjeglp7lqa7rim5dny-story.html New Mexico sues US over proposed nuclear waste storage plans AP ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico sued the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Monday over concerns that the federal agency hasn’t done enough to vet plans for a multibillion-dollar facility to store spent nuclear fuel in the state, arguing that the project would endanger residents, the environment and the economy. https://apnews.com/article/us-news-environment-new-mexico-nuclear-waste-3b9b5078e6d4661d6d4255200a5bcd55 Press Releases USDA Announces Expansion of DamWatch® to Serve Forest Service Dams WASHINGTON, March 29, 2021 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has entered into an interagency agreement with the Forest Service to add up to 600 of its dams to NRCS’s Nationwide DamWatch® system. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/newsroom/releases/?cid=NRCSEPRD1758622 Jackson County Bait Operator Pleads Guilty to Illegal Seafood Trafficking DOJ Gulfport, Miss. – Joshua Jerome Moak, 36, of Moss Point, Mississippi, who operated a business known as “Moak’s Minnows” in Jackson County, pled guilty today to violating the federal Lacey Act, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca; Manny Antonaras, Assistant Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Law Enforcement; and Chief Kyle Wilkerson of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, Office of Marine Patrol. https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdms/pr/jackson-county-bait-operator-pleads-guilty-illegal-seafood-trafficking Connect with us ‌ ‌ ‌

Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality | 515 East Amite Street, Jackson, MS 39201 Unsubscribe oliver.paladin.2297348308@blogger.com Update Profile | Customer Contact Data Notice Sent by rwilbur@mdeq.ms.gov powered by Try email marketing for free today!

News Clippings March 29, 2021

State Dam breach drains pond, causes flooding near Bonita WTOK MERIDIAN, Miss. (WTOK) - A dam at a privately owned pond near Bonita Lakes burst Thursday evening causing thousands of gallons of water to flow onto Highway 19 South. https://www.wtok.com/2021/03/26/dam-breach-drains-pond-causes-flooding-near-bonita/ Volunteers with the 100 Women DBA clean up Bay St. Louis neighborhood WLOX BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (WLOX) - A neighborhood in Hancock County are looking better after a group of women spent Saturday morning cleaning up trash and debris in Bay St. Louis. https://www.wlox.com/2021/03/27/volunteers-with-women-dba-clean-up-bay-st-louis-neighborhood/ Mississippi Aquarium released ten Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles WXXV Earlier Friday in Gulfport, Mississippi Aquarium released ten endangered Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles. https://www.wxxv25.com/2021/03/26/mississippi-aquarium-released-ten-kemps-ridley-sea-turtles/ MSU Extension Well Owner Network hosts workshops Picayune Item STARKVILLE, Miss. — Private well workshops in four counties this spring will help homeowners improve their drinking water sources. https://picayuneitem.com/2021/03/msu-extension-well-owner-network-hosts-workshops/ Mississippi Forestry Commission releases 2020 Forest Action Plan Picayune Item JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi Forestry Commission (MFC) has released Mississippi’s Forest Action Plan 2020, announced State Forester Russell Bozeman. https://picayuneitem.com/2021/03/mississippi-forestry-commission-releases-2020-forest-action-plan/ Conservation Officers Receive Medals of Valor AP JACKSON, MISS. (AP) — Two Mississippi officers have received high honors for saving the lives of residents. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/mississippi/articles/2021-03-27/conservation-officers-receive-medals-of-valor Regional LSU study finds Southern flounder are disappearing throughout their habitat, including Louisiana NOLA.com When LSU researchers recently set out to gather data on southern flounder, they ran into a problem: they could hardly find any in Louisiana. https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/environment/article_554cddfa-8dce-11eb-be2f-438cf7077bee.html Waste Pro customers outraged as trash piles for two weeks WMC MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Waste Pro customers in Memphis are getting angrier and angrier. Their garbage has still not been picked up and they wonder if it will ever happen. https://www.wmcactionnews5.com/2021/03/27/waste-pro-customers-outraged-trash-piles-two-weeks/ Hercules cleanup earns conservation certification Brunswick News A challenge facing workers involved with the Hercules remediation is the complexities involved with the environmental cleanup at the site and surrounding areas. https://thebrunswicknews.com/news/local_news/hercules-cleanup-earns-conservation-certification/article_1509cfd3-0d35-55b7-b6be-76f8e4c22c63.html National Biden lays groundwork for environmental regulations The Hill The Biden administration is poised to take significant action on a range of environmental issues. https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/545190-biden-lays-groundwork-for-environmental-regulations Industry Eyeing EPA’s Hustle to Control ‘Forever Chemicals’ Bloomberg Industry attorneys say they’re bracing for a wave of corporate liability and litigation as the Biden administration works swiftly to fulfill a campaign promise to control “forever chemicals.” https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/industry-eyeing-epas-hustle-to-control-forever-chemicals US Senate considers legislation to protect catfish against predators Daily Leader Legislation was introduced Thursday in the United States Senate to increase the ability of catfish farmers and other aquaculture producers to cull predatory double-crested cormorant populations. https://www.dailyleader.com/2021/03/26/us-senate-considers-legislation-to-protect-catfish-against-predators/ Coal miner hit with $60M fine for selenium damage KPVI Canadian coal company Teck Resources has paid a $60 million fine after pleading guilty to pollution discharges that have killed nearly all the fish in nearby waters. https://www.kpvi.com/news/regional_news/coal-miner-hit-with-60m-fine-for-selenium-damage/article_3b7425ac-daf1-59c1-9b89-eb73d430f1e9.html WV Senate passes DEP-backed bill weakening some water quality standards Charleston Gazette-Mail The West Virginia Senate has passed legislative rules on environmental protection that include a weakening of water quality standards for certain carcinogens, sending the rules bundle to Gov. Jim Justice for his signature. https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/legislative_session/wv-senate-passes-dep-backed-bill-weakening-some-water-quality-standards/article_3925b505-a6a7-53ce-886d-dddc298bc914.html EPA urged to reconsider listing Missouri lakes as 'impaired' AP O'FALLON (AP) — The eight Republican members of Missouri's congressional delegation are urging the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider listing 40 of the state's waterways as "impaired," a list that includes the Lake of the Ozarks and Truman Reservoir. https://www.newstribune.com/news/local/story/2021/mar/26/epa-urged-to-reconsider-listing-missouri-lakes-as-impaired/864918/ VW seeks damages from ex-CEOs over dieselgate scandal APP German auto giant Volkswagen said Friday it would seek unspecified damages from two former CEOs over the "dieselgate" emissions cheating scandal that has cost it tens of billions of euros. https://gulfnews.com/auto/news/vw-seeks-damages-from-ex-ceos-over-dieselgate-scandal-1.1616996103488 Press Releases PALAZZO COSPONSORS GULF CONSERVATION AND RECREATION FUNDING ACT Below is a press release from Congressman Steven Palazzo:Today, Congressman Steven M. Palazzo (MS-04) announced the introduction of H.R. 2131, the Gulf Conservation and Recreation Funding Act, which was authored by Representative Jerry Carl (AL-01) and has seven original cosponsors, including Congressman Palazzo and Republican Whip Steve Scalise (LA-01). https://www.ddtonline.com/most-recent-politics/palazzo-cosponsors-gulf-conservation-and-recreation-funding-act#sthash.E2ACIvbu.dpbs Connect with us ‌ ‌ ‌

Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality | 515 East Amite Street, Jackson, MS 39201 Unsubscribe oliver.paladin.2297348308@blogger.com Update Profile | Customer Contact Data Notice Sent by rwilbur@mdeq.ms.gov powered by Try email marketing for free today!