Mississippi approves Oxford asphalt plant despite local opposition

Mississippi environmental regulators approved Magnolia Materials’ hot-mix asphalt permits on July 15, moving the Oxford project ahead despite months of local opposition. The decision followed a June 10 public hearing at the Oxford Conference Center, where about 50 people gathered to raise concerns about water and air pollution.

The plant is planned for 87 County Road 166 in Oxford, on a 22-acre site along the western border of the Lafayette County industrial park. Local coverage also said developer J.W. McCurdy and Magnolia Materials hold a 35-year lease with Lafayette County at $5,000 a year, underscoring how long the project could shape the area if it goes forward.

For neighbors, the biggest worries have been familiar ones for industrial projects in fast-growing parts of Lafayette County: truck traffic, noise, odors, air quality and the possibility that emissions or runoff could affect nearby homes and businesses. Residents also pointed to water and air pollution concerns tied to Berry Branch Creek, the Yocona River and the area around Falkner Farms, all of which sit near the proposed site.

The state’s approval does not end oversight. MDEQ’s Hot Mix Asphalt General Permit was reissued on Oct. 24, 2022, and modified on Sept. 27, 2023, and the MDEQ Permit Board retains authority to issue, reissue, modify, deny, transfer and revoke permits and certifications under state and federal environmental laws. In practice, that leaves Magnolia Materials operating inside a permit system that can still be tightened or revisited if regulators find problems.

The hearing notice also named two state contacts for the project: Montie Hardaway Glen for construction stormwater questions and Jaricus Whitlock for air issues. Those contact points matter because the most immediate safeguards around an asphalt plant are usually runoff controls during construction and ongoing limits tied to air emissions.

The county’s earlier fight over the site had already shifted before the state action. On Oct. 30, 2025, Lafayette County said it had received notice that JWM Development, LLC was withdrawing its rezoning application for the proposed plant, leaving the state permit process as the main path forward. With the permits now approved, the question in Oxford is no longer whether the project can be proposed, but how closely it will be watched as it moves into construction and operation.