·    Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport – $4.18 million for site development work at a 241-acre economic development site at the airport.

·    Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission – $2.54 millions for engineering/design and site development work at Site #13 at Stennis International Airport.

·    Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission – $2.2 million for site development at Hancock County Tech Park at Stennis International Airport.

Find out more here.

At the 2021 MDEQ Restoration Summit, Governor Reeves announced new restoration projects for the State of Mississippi designed to help restore and protect the environment and economy of the state following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

MIP Amendment #5 and the 2021 MSEP Amendment are available for public review and input through March 14, 2022. To view the MIP Amendment #5 and provide input, please click here. To view the 2021 MSEP Amendment and provide input, please click here.

You may also request a copy and submit written comments on the MIP Amendment #5 and 2021 MSEP Amendment electronically by email to mgreen@mdeq.ms.gov, fax to 601.961.5366, or mail to MDEQ, Attn: Melanie Green, 515 East Amite St., Jackson, MS 39201. All comments must be received by 5 pm CST on Monday, March 14, 2022.

To obtain the MIP Amendment #5 and the 2021 MSEP Amendment in Spanish or Vietnamese, please click here and here.

The Mississippi Trustee Implementation Group (MS TIG) is beginning the process of restoration planning for its Restoration Plan 4 and is soliciting natural resource restoration project ideas. This request is open for 30 days ending March 7, 2022.

More information and how to submit project ideas can be found here and includes MDEQ's Project Portal.

MDEQ's annual report for Fiscal Year 2021 can be found here. The annual report to the Governor and the Mississippi Legislature is an excellent way to understand the the various agency programs and initiatives that benefit the state's natural resources and citizens.

The Mississippi Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Surveyors recently spotlighted MDEQ's Eric James. A Professional Engineer, Eric is currently a project manager for MDEQ's Groundwater Assessment and Remediation Division. Read more about Eric along with his interview.

For the first time since the original hazardous air pollutant (HAP) list was finalized by Congress in the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, EPA has added a HAP to the list through the petition and rulemaking process. The new HAP, 1-bromopropane (1-BP), also known as n-propyl bromide (nPB), is “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen” per the National Toxicology Program Report on Carcinogens. Read More

Federal law requires all states to develop, review, revise, and adopt water quality standards (WQS), as needed, at least every three years through a process known as the triennial review. WQS standards must include three components: (1) the designated uses for the state’s waterbodies, (2) the water quality criteria (narrative or numeric) necessary to protect those uses, and (3) antidegradation provisions to protect water quality. In accordance with the requirements of 40 CFR §131.20(a), MDEQ has completed Mississippi’s Triennial Review of WQS. Read More

While the focus of this event is primarily the collection of agricultural waste pesticides, waste tires will be accepted in limited numbers. In addition, the Greenwood Leflore Recycling Center will be on site to collect old electronics. Call a county extension office for more information. Mississippi State University Extension has produced this YouTube video with information about how to participate in these events.

Both the competitive and allocated SWAG grants may be used by eligible local governments for clean-up of unauthorized dumps; establishment of a collection programs for recyclables, white goods or other bulky wastes; public education campaigns on solid waste and recycling; salary support for local solid waste enforcement officers; household hazardous waste collection programs; and other activities that support proper management of solid wastes. Grant application forms are available on the MDEQ website. For more information or to request a grant application, contact Mark Williams.

MDEQ Geologists will be participating in the Mississippi Gem and Mineral Society's Gem, Mineral, Fossil, and Jewelry Show on February 26 and 27 at the Trade Mart in Jackson. Find more information here.

Geologists will also be on hand at the Fossil Road Show hosted by the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science in Jackson on March 5. Bring your finds and treasures to be identified! Show details are here.

If you can't make either show, check out the online "Ask a Geologist" on the MDEQ website.

MDEQ Geologists Appear on Mississippi Roads

Interviews with MDEQ Geologists Jonathan Leard and James Starnes were featured in a recent episode of Mississippi Public Broadcasting's Mississippi Roads.

The episode, What the Rivers Leave Behind, can be viewed here.

Notification forms for Asbestos Demolition and Renovation and Lead-Based Paint Abatement and Renovation have been updated by MDEQ’s Air Division. The asbestos notification form can be found here and the lead-based paint notification form can be found here.

MDEQ has also created a new email address for the submission of asbestos and lead-based paint project notifications: notifications@mdeq.ms.gov. Notifications that have been properly completed and signed will be accepted as the original notification and a mailed, faxed, or hand-delivered copy will no longer be required. Notifications for lead-based paint abatement projects will still need to be delivered to the MDEQ offices along with the required fee.

Sharkey and Washington Counties Flood Risk Open House March 1

The open house will provide the public with an opportunity to review the recently completed preliminary Flood Insurance Study and its accompanying preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps that include base flood information and identification of areas subject to flood hazards for the following communities: the Town of Anguilla, the City of Greenville and the unincorporated areas of Washington County and Sharkey County. Read More

Siemens Energy, of Richland, was recently recognized by EPA Region 4 as a Pollution Prevention Award winner for the projects submitted to MDEQ's enHance program. enHance is a voluntary initiative to recognize environmental leaders in Mississippi. Siemens Energy has been a member of enHance since 2019 with the Leader designation. EPA's press release