Prepared By Brunini, Grantham, Grower & Hewes, PLLC
The Environmental Practice Group of the Brunini Law Firm publishes a summary of the proceedings of each monthly meeting of the Mississippi Environmental Quality Permit Board and of the Mississippi Commission on Environmental Quality. We strive to provide, in a succinct newsletter format, the key points addressed in each meeting that will be of interest to the regulated community in Mississippi.
If you have any questions concerning the content of a newsletter it would like further information about the matters addressed in a newsletter, please contact John Milner, the Brunini Firm Environmental Practice Group leader, at jmilner@brunini.com or (601) 960-6842.
Meeting Summary
The Mississippi Commission on Environmental Quality convened at 9:00 a.m. on April 23, 2015, at the offices of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality in Jackson. The Commission approved minutes from the previous meeting held on February 26, 2015.
Following a prepared agenda, items considered were as follows:
COMMISSION APPROVAL OF REICHHOLD ENVIRONMENTAL COVENANT
The Commission approved an environmental covenant in which Reichhold, Inc., will place in the public land records of Harrison County as part of the final EPA-approved remediation of Reichhold’s resin plant in Gulfport, Mississippi.
COMMISSION APPROVAL FOR REGULATORY VARIANCE
After a short demonstration by Tronox, LLC, the Commission approved a regulatory variance to allow Tronox to construct its proposed on-site non-hazardous solid waste landfill with a constructed clay sublayer instead of the natural geology requirement.
PILOT TRAVEL CENTERS LLC PROPOSED ORDER
The Commission adopted and approved an order proposed by the MDEQ staff to memorialize the Commission’s prior decision denying Pilot Travel Centers LLC’s request for eligibility under the Mississippi Groundwater Protection Trust Fund for assessment and remediation of Pilot’s underground storage tank (UST) site in Moss Point, Mississippi.
CERTIFICATIONS APPROVED
Asbestos: 240 certifications
Lead Paint: 141 certifications
Underground
Storage Tanks: 22 certifications
EMERGENCY CLEAN-UP EXPENSES APPROVED
Seven (7) emergency clean-up expenditures occurred since the last report.
ADMINISTRATIVE ORDERS APPROVED
Twenty (20) administrative orders were issued by the Executive Director and approved by the Commission since the last report. These include the following matters:
| Program Area | Number of Orders | Penalty Range |
| NPDES | 1 | $1,500 |
| Large Construction Stormwater | 3 | $5,000 – $7.500 |
| Air | 5 | $4,875 – $50,000 |
| Hazardous Waste | 1 | $7,425 |
| Ready Mix Concrete | 1 | $2,500 |
| Baseline Stormwater | 1 | $7,500 |
Order No. 6503 15 set the annual Title V air permit fee for fiscal year 2016 at $41/ton, with a minimum fee of $250. The Commission approved the amount at the February meeting of the Commission and subsequently issued an administrative order within a few days after the February meeting so that the matter was subject to public comment before the April meeting.
The next Commission meeting is scheduled for May 28, 2015.
This Newsletter is a publication of the Environmental Department of the law firm of Brunini, Grantham, Grower & Hewes, PLLC, located in Jackson, Mississippi.
This Newsletter is not designed or intended to provide legal or professional advice, as any such advice requires the consideration of the facts of the specific situation.
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