MS creates spillway impact task force

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant created an intra-agency and university task force to monitor environmental conditions and measure the impacts of the opening of the Bonnet Carre’ Spillway, 12 miles west of New Orleans, on marine species in the Mississippi Sound. The task force will report to the governor with science-based facts on water quality and quantity, seafood and safety risks to residents who may come in contact with those waters, according to a state news release. The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR), Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), USM Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Mississippi State University’s (MSU) Veterinary College, and the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS) will work together on that task force. MDEQ will continue to conduct water quality analysis on public beaches to ensure its safety. “I am deeply concerned over the influx of fresh water into the Mississippi Sound and the adverse effects it is having on our marine resources.” said Gov. Bryant in a release. (Source: Sun Herald 06/08/19)