Monday, March 8, 2021

News Clippings March 8, 2021

State

Ridgeland annexation effective Friday, March 5
WLBT

RIDGELAND, Miss. (WLBT) - Weeks after opponents dropped their challenge to Ridgeland’s bid to take in property west of its city limits, the annexation is now official.

Paradise details wastewater treatment plans
Enterprise-Journal

The folks at Paradise Ranch Resort laid out their plans for a high-end wastewater treatment plant Tuesday night, but few people showed up to listen, despite much opposition on Facebook.

MDOT, Osyka in talks for sewer hookups for center
Enterprise-Journal

The Mississippi Department of Transportation is looking to have sewer hook ups in Osyka for the welcome center, asking the town for a rate proposal.

Sewer project awaiting final inspection
Daily Leader

The Clay County Board of Supervisors entered a partnership with the West Point Board of Selectmen for a mutually beneficial sewer project at the Prairie Belt Power Site.

Mississippi fishing industry hopes to recover from decimated oyster population
Meridian Star

PASS CHRISTIAN, Miss. — On a dock at Pass Christian Harbor, a large red sign reads “FRESH GULF JERRY FORTE SEAFOOD.”

Regulators want $1B in refunds for Miss. power plant
AP

Utility regulators say Entergy Corp. wrongfully charged customers over eight years for a Mississippi nuclear power station that often malfunctioned and was repeatedly deemed unsafe, filing a federal complaint seeking more than $1 billion in refunds to its customers.

Solar farm nearly doubles plans, bringing millions in tax revenue
Commercial Dispatch
 
Thirteen months after awarding a contract for a 200-megawatt solar facility in west Lowndes County to a Florida-based company, TVA has awarded another contract to the same company for another 150-megawatt solar plant.

Crews battling large forest fire in Harrison County
WLOX

HARRISON COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX) - Fire crews from Harrison County Fire Rescue responded to a large forest fire off of Highway 49 Sunday afternoon.

National Forests in Mississippi to conduct prescribed burns
NewsMS

You may see smoke as the U.S. Forest Service conducts prescribed burns to reduce the severity of wildfires and promote healthy forests for plants and animals.

Beach vendors are back and hoping for a better season
WLOX

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - Few beach vendors have been around as long as Pat Pigott, owner of Get Wet Inc. In his more than three decades in the business, he’s been through a lot.
What gets him through, is his positivity, but the last two years tested his resolve.

Recycling program restarts Monday
Commercial Dispatch
 
STARKVILLE -- Starkville residents can begin Monday dropping off certain recyclable materials in a designated bin outside the Sanitation Department offices.

D’Iberville High teacher buys recycling bins with Mississippi Power grant
WXXV

D’Iberville High School teacher Evelyn McQueen is using a grant to go green courtesy of Mississippi Power.

1st woman promoted to president of Mississippi shipyard
AP

An experienced naval architect and manager will become the first woman to lead a shipyard that is the largest private employer in Mississippi.


State Government

Dr. Daniel Edney of Vicksburg joins Mississippi Department of Health
WJTV

JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) announced Friday that Dr. Daniel P. Edney has joined the role of chief medical officer and regional health officer for the Central Public Health Region. 


Regional

Opponents suspect environmental racism in pipeline project
AP

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Clyde Robinson treasures the acre of land he inherited, a verdant space tucked into a cul-de-sac in a south Memphis neighborhood, surrounded by houses and trees beside a railroad track.

Big Step Forward for $50 Billion Plan to Save Louisiana Coast
NY Times

The next phase of a $50 billion plan to protect the Louisiana coast from erosion and rising sea levels has cleared an important hurdle, with the Army Corps of Engineers delivering a long-awaited environmental impact statement for a key part of the project.

Ga. House passes bill to tighten monitoring of coal ash ponds
NW GA News
ATLANTA — The Georgia House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed legislation Friday tightening monitoring requirements for ash generated by coal-burning power plants.

Iowa Ag Secretary Asks Biden Administration To Back Hypoxia Task Force
KIWA

Des Moines, Iowa (RI) — Iowa’s Secretary of Agriculture is co-chair of what’s called the Hypoxia Task Force, which works to reduce the size of the “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico through cutting nutrient runoff in the Mississippi River basin.


National

U.S. cities with the cleanest air
Buffalo News

What U.S. cities have the cleanest air? Stacker dove into the EPA’s 2019 air quality statistics to find the top 50 American cities for clean air.

Phosphate mine company will clean up waste to settle lawsuit
AP

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A phosphate mining company has reached a toxic-waste cleanup agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes over mining waste in southeastern Idaho.


Press Releases

EPA Releases Testing Data Showing PFAS Contamination from Fluorinated Containers
03/05/2021
 
WASHINGTON (March 5, 2021) — As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pursues its mission to protect human health and the environment, addressing risks related to PFAS is a priority.

EPA Seeks Nominations for Local Government Advisory Committee
03/05/2021
 
WASHINGTON (March 5, 2021) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is announcing a solicitation for nominations to serve on its Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC), which advises the EPA on critical environmental issues impacting local governments.