Mississippi Environmental News: Mississippi MDEQ August Newsletter

Vol. 16 Issue 7 August 2019

News from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality

MDEQ Investigates HAB and Issues Water Contact Warnings

MDEQ's Beach Monitoring Program continues to investigate the presence of a blue-green Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) in the nearshore waters off the entire length of beach in Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson counties.

As a result, the agency has kept in place water contact warnings for all 21 sampling stations. MDEQ also issued a water contact warning July 2 for a segment of the Jourdan River in Hancock County from the I-10 bridge to the mouth of the river into St. Louis Bay.

MDEQ encourages the public to sign up for updates via emails and texts from the beach program here.

Staff Change - Carla Brown

Carla Brown was recently named the Air Program Manager for the Environmental Permits Division (EPD) of the Office of Pollution Control after spending three years in the private sector as a consultant. In her previous 14 years of service with MDEQ, Carla served as the Chemical Branch Chief in EPD. Carla earned her Master's degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Mississippi in 2006 while working for the agency and her Bachelor's degree from Mississippi State University in Chemical Engineering in 2002. She is a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Mississippi. A graduate of Hattiesburg High School, Carla and her family have been residents of Clinton for the last 16 years.

MRC Annual Fall Recycling Conference

The Mississippi Recycling Coalition's (MRC) annual fall recycling conference will be held October 29 and 30 in Oxford. Registration details are available on the MRC website.

MDEQ Seeks New Environmental Leaders for enHance Membership

The MDEQ enHance environmental Stewardship program is seeking its next class of environmental leaders in the state. Interested manufacturers, local governments, institutions and other organizations are encouraged to apply.

The application period is open now and closes September 30. More information about the program, including how to apply and access to online applications, is available at enhance.ms. In addition, information and questions on the qualifications of the program may be directed to Mr. Khairy Abu-Salah.

Upcoming Hazardous Materials Workshop

MDEQ's Pollution Prevention Program (P2) is hosting a Hazardous Materials Workshop on September 11 at the McGowan Workforce Training Center at the Ridgeland campus of Holmes Community College. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. More information is available here, registration is now available, and a copy of the agenda can be found here. For questions, please contact Mr. Khairy Abu-Salah with MDEQ.

Household Sharps

Approximately 90,000 Mississippians administer to themselves at least 30 million injections for medical problems such as diabetes, allergies, arthritis, migraines, HIV, and Hepatitis C. Most of these needles, or “sharps,” are simply disposed of by flushing down the toilet or throwing them in the trash. These disposal methods pose a potential risk of needle sticks to garbage collection employees, sewage treatment plant workers, janitors, and in some cases to the general public.

To solve these problems, MDEQ helped establish a network of household sharps drop-off collection stations, with most located at local pharmacies and fire stations. Access the list here.

Madison County Experiences Its Fifth Earthquake in Five Years

David T. Dockery III, RPG, and Paul Parrish, RPG

A Magnitude 2.8 earthquake was recently recorded in Madison County, Mississippi, at 2:33 a.m. on August 9, 2019. This is the fifth earthquake recorded in the county in the last five years. Read More