Contact: Maridith Geuder
Mississippi State is seeking up to 25 cities and towns throughout the state to help study the impact potential federal environmental legislation will have on their local governments.
Communities are being asked to assist the university in scheduling public sessions during July that focus on the impact of lead-paint removal from bridges, water towers and other outdoor structures.
The project is being co-directed by associate professor John C. Morris of the political science department and research assistant Elizabeth D. Morris of the John C. Stennis Institute of Government.
John Morris, a specialist in environmental policy, said Mississippi is one of four states being invited to assist the Environmental Protection Agency in developing guidelines for planned legislation on lead-based paint removal. "This is an opportunity for communities to represent their interests in the regulatory process," he added.
Elizabeth Morris said the project's goal is to schedule as many local sessions as possible before July 31. "We also plan to attend the Mississippi Municipal League's annual convention (July 9-12 in Biloxi) to provide information about the project," she said.
The public-input process is part of the national Small Communities Outreach Project for Environmental Issues. Now in its third year, SCOPe is jointly funded by the EPA and the Washington, D.C.-based National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration.
SCOPe outreach sessions are conducted by faculty members of university programs that train public administrators and maintain close links with small governments. MSU has offered a master's degree in public policy and administration since 1976.
Established a year later and named for Mississippi's longtime United State senator, the Stennis Institute provides training, analysis, and research for state and local governments.
To schedule a local sessions or obtain additional information about the project, telephone the Stennis Institute at (662) 325-3328.