By SCOTT HAWKINS &
SABRINA SIMMS

The Natchez Democrat

NATCHEZ — The Mississippi Legislature wrapped up a special session in Jackson on Wednesday by passing a bill that includes $100 million in earmarked local projects throughout the state.

Wednesday capped a five-day special session in which lawmakers passed an infrastructure-spending bill using portions of the state’s internet sales tax and a lottery that also will generate proceeds for the state’s roads and bridges.

The BP spending bill will distribute throughout the state some $700 million in damages BP paid to the state as a result of the Sept. 19, 2010, BP oil spill that occurred as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion dumping thousands of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico

Thirty percent of the economic damages money will be distributed throughout the state, while 70 percent of the money is going to the state’s six southernmost counties.

Included in the local spending projects funded through the BP spending bill passed Wednesday is $900,000 in matching funds for Natchez watershed projects, said Sen. Bob Dearing, D-Natchez.

Natchez officials said the $900,000 for Natchez would be used in several projects to mend erosion damage for which the city sought Emergency Watershed Protection Program funding from the Natural Resource Conservation Service earlier this year.

Natchez ground consists mostly of lightweight soil — commonly known as windblown soil — that is highly prone to wind and rain erosion, said Natchez Mayor Darryl Grennell. Anytime at least 4 inches of rain falls within a 24-hour period, Natchez qualifies for the EWP program, Grennell said.

“We contact (EWP) anytime there is an erosion site that threatens a dwelling, a street or a structure,” he said.

Natural Resource Conservation Service paid approximately 80 percent of the $2.56 million in repairs, meaning the city would have had to match the rest of the cost, said Interim City Clerk James Johnston.

“We have some (projects) that were just finished, some under construction and some under plan review,” Johnston said.

With Dearing’s announcement Wednesday that $900,000 was secured for the City of Natchez to match NRCS funding, the city will not need to supplement the cost this fiscal year.

“It is wonderful news,” Grennell said. “We have taken these projects on, and we have been trying to figure out how to come up with (match funding). Fortunately, through state Legislature, we’ve got the match.”

Dearing said he was happy with the results of the special session.

“We had 180 different projects throughout the state included in that percent (of the BP money),” said Dearing, who also had other projects funded throughout district 37, which he represents. “We were just real fortunate we got those projects included.”

Other projects Dearing got included in the bill are $280,000 for The Rodney History and Preservation Society, a 501c3 non profit founded to preserve the history of the defunct river town of Rodney for repairs and renovations;   $150,000 for the Town of Summit for improvements to the standpipe in its water tower and $3,000,000 for Pike County for the Gateway Industrial Park, he said.

Dearing said he also had requested $2 million to repair and renovate the Margaret Martin School of Performing Arts but that request was not funded in the legislation.

“I will just have to keep working on this one,” Dearing said.

Gov. Phil Bryant signed the Mississippi Infrastructure Modernization Act on Wednesday and is expected to sign the lottery and the BP spending bills into law.