Mississippi Environment - General: What you need to know

STATE REGULATORY AGENCY

In Mississippi, the counterpart to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). DEQ is responsible for protecting Mississippi's land, water, and air from pollution. EPA delegated to Mississippi the authority to administer and enforce permit programs for air emissions, wastewater and stormwater control, and solid, medical, and hazardous waste management. Mississippi's rules for wastewater and agricultural runoff are stricter than federal rules, and the state requires additional permit application requirements for hazardous waste handlers. The federal government regulates workplace safety requirements in the private sector, and the Mississippi Department of Health (MSDH) regulates workplace safety in the public sector (state and municipal employers).

AIR QUALITY RULES

Mississippi's air program is shaped by its state implementation plan (SIP), which sets forth basic strategies for the implementation, maintenance, and enforcement of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). As mandated by the federal Clean Air Act (CAA), each state must adopt and submit a SIP to EPA for approval. The Mississippi SIP was officially submitted to EPA in February 1972 and is frequently amended to comply with the 1990 CAA amendments. The SIP focuses on permitting, emission standards, HAPs, and various other air-related requirements.

The Air Division of DEQ's Office of Pollution Control is responsible for administering and enforcing Mississippi's air pollution rules.

WATER QUALITY RULES

The Mississippi Air and Water Pollution Control Law and applicable state regulations provide for the state's water quality ...