(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), top Democrat on the Senate health committee, called on Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Tom Price to provide detailed information on the purpose of each private jet trip he has taken and any communications between his office and the White House regarding his travel plans. The letter by Senator Murray follows investigations being launched by the Office of Inspector General and House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, as well as a new report by Politico that Secretary Price used private jets “to travel to places where he owns property, and paired official visits with meetings with longtime colleagues and family members.”
“We write regarding your decision to repeatedly charter private planes for your official travel, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill,” wrote Senator Murray. “This decision is particularly shocking as you serve in an administration that routinely calls for draconian spending cuts and a reduction in government waste, and you yourself have repeatedly advocated for fiscal restraint. The public deserves answers on how you and the Department of Health and Human Services justify these seemingly wasteful travel decisions, as well as detailed information on the costs and process associated with this travel.”
“The Administration’s priorities could not be clearer,” continued Senator Murray. “Administration officials travel to resorts and nearby cities on private planes while patients and families worry about access to the health care programs they rely on to survive.”
Senator Murray is seeking information and documents from Secretary Price no later than October 12 on:
Each flight for which he hired a private jet or charter plane during his tenure as Secretary, including, but not limited to invoices, receipts, and travel authorizations;
Purpose of each trip he took; and
Any communications with the White House regarding his travel, including reviews, analyses, or requests sent to or conducted by the White House. (see more on link source)
OUR FOREST AND PARKS
FROM THE DEPT. of INTERIOR:Urban Waters Team Wins "People's Choice" Public Service Award
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 9/ 28/ 17 (link source)
WASHINGTON – The Urban Waters Federal Partnership, an interagency group in which the Department of the Interior is one of the leaders, has won the "People's Choice" award in the Service to America Medals. The nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service announced the award on September 27 at its annual gala popularly dubbed the "Oscars of Government Service."
Out of 430 nominees, the Urban Waters Team was chosen by popular vote for making “the most admirable contribution to the American people.” The team works through public-private partnerships to clean up and revitalize urban waterways and surrounding lands.
"Congratulations to the Urban Waters Team," said Andrea Travnicek, Acting Assistant Secretary for Water and Science. "Their work helped spur economic development, identifying opportunities for restoration in American communities along important urban waterways."
The team was created and led by Surabhi Shah of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and includes the departments of Agriculture, Interior, Housing and Urban Development and 10 other federal agencies. The Urban Waters Federal Partnership aims to help heavily polluted American urban waterways, as well as the lands surrounding them that suffer from environmental degradation.
Four Interior bureaus -- the U.S. Geological Survey, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Reclamation -- have more than 70 staff working in 19 Urban Waters locations. Projects in these cities have included restoring urban wetlands; building trails, parks, and green space; reducing storm water flow into rivers and streams; and increasing urban habitat.
Employees from Interior and other federal agencies are teaming up with local and state agencies, businesses, nonprofits and philanthropies to clean up pollution; spur redevelopment of abandoned properties; promote new businesses; and provide parks and access for boating, swimming, fishing and community gatherings.
One example of a place in which Interior has served as a leader is the Los Angeles River Urban Waters Partnership. The National Park Service and its partners are raising the profile of river restoration in the densely populated downtown Los Angeles. Last summer NPS worked with American Forests and CBS/Ecomedia to host a volunteer tree and shrub planting at a park next to the river, working toward the goal of a greener LA river. Los Angeles Urban Waters is helping raise the profile of river restoration and serving as a much-needed portal for federal and non-federal institutions to coordinate public and private sector restoration efforts.
“The Urban Waters Federal Partnership has provided a foundation for all 14 federal agencies to work across silos, and leverage resources and expertise,” said Lisa Pelstring, leader of the Interior team and urban policy advisor at the department. "We recognize that by working together, we can accomplish so much more—restoration, recreation, and economic development—in cities where it’s already expensive to operate and difficult to make things happen."
This leveraging of resources has enabled the Urban Waters Partnership to be active nationwide through grants coordinated by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. It has improved more than 22,000 acres of land, planted more than 80,000 trees and engaged an estimated 100,000 community members.
12 Facts about Otters for Sea Otter Awareness Week
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 9/ 25/ 17 (source link)
Otters are some of the most adorable aquatic animals. Their charming features are unparalleled, from their expressions to their use of tools.
Held every year during the last week in September, Sea Otter Awareness Week spotlights the important role of sea otters in nearshore ecosystems of the North Pacific Ocean. Get ready for some awesome otter facts and photos. We promise that you’ll be otterly entertained! (see link source for details)
ON THE STATE LEVEL
DNR: State Begins Process to Retrieve Unpermitted Manastash Ridge Memorial Markers
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 9/ 27/ 17 (link source)
Efforts prompted by Manastash trails planning process
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking information and help from members of the public as it begins a process this fall to address unpermitted memorial markers on Manastash Ridge near Ellensburg.
This effort is part of the agency’s work with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and a volunteer stakeholder committee to develop future priorities for the Manastash Ridge trails.
“With this stakeholder-driven planning process, we have an opportunity to think more deliberately about the experience these trails can provide years down the road,” said Stephanie Margheim, DNR volunteer specialist. “With that, it’s difficult for us to overlook these unpermitted memorial markers, although we do appreciate the special significance that visitors give to these trails.”
DNR staff does not know who placed the markers on the trails in the popular hiking area but asks that friends or family take steps to remove them from Manastash Ridge. Beginning this fall, agency staff will be removing unclaimed memorial markers in accordance with state law. Items will be stored at DNR’s Southeast Region office at Bowers Road in Ellensburg for retrieval (no questions asked) for a limited period of time.
Expected to wrap up in 2018, the Manastash Ridge trails planning effort will provide guidance for long-term maintenance, design improvements, signs and volunteer projects. For more information on Manastash trails planning meetings, work to date, and planning documents, visit the project web page at wdfw.wa.gov/manastash-ridge-trails/. For questions or comments about the unpermitted memorial markers located on Manastash Ridge, contact DNR’s Southeast Region office at 509-925-8510 or southeast.region@dnr.wa.gov.
Recreation planning on DNR-managed lands
DNR-managed lands offer more than 1,100 miles of trail and 160-plus recreation sites on a wide variety of landscapes throughout Washington state. Many recreation areas are located on state trust lands, which are primarily managed to generate revenue for public institutions, such as K-12 schools.
17-066 State Parks announces free day dates for 2018
PRESS RELEASE DATED 9/ 25/ 17 (link source)
OLYMPIA – Sept. 25, 2017 – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will again offer 12 free days next year, in which day-use visitors won’t need a Discover Pass to visit state parks by vehicle.
The “free days” for 2018 are in keeping with legislation that created the Discover Pass, a $30 annual or $10 one-day permit required on lands managed by Washington State Parks and the Washington departments of Natural Resources (DNR) and Fish & Wildlife (WDFW). The Discover Pass legislation provided that State Parks could designate up to 12 free days each year when the pass would not be required to visit state parks. The Discover Pass is still required to access lands managed by WDFW and DNR on these days.
“Free days are a great way for people to discover or rediscover Washington’s diverse and scenic state parks,” said State Parks Director Don Hoch. “Once people visit a park, we hope they will be inspired to help support their state park system by buying a pass.”
New for 2018: In coordination with WDFW, State Parks will offer a free day on Sunday, June 10, as part of WDFW’s Free Fishing Weekend. This day, combined with the June 9 free day for National Get Outdoors Day, will give visitors an entire weekend to explore state parks for free.
OUR ENVIRONMENT
EPA Announces Appointment of Pete Lopez to Region 2 AdministratorPRESS RELEASE ISSUED 9/ 28/ 17 (link source)
WASHINGTON (September 28, 2017) –Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt announced the appointment of Pete Lopez of New York to become Regional Administrator for Region 2. Mr. Lopez will oversee environmental protection efforts in New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Pete Lopez has served as a member of the New York State Assembly since 2007 representing a seven county region including Mid-Hudson, Northern Catskills, Southern Tier, and Capital District. Mr. Lopez is currently a member on the New York Assembly Committee on Environmental Conservation and a member of the Task Force on Food, Farm and Nutrition Policy where he has worked to provide proper oversight of New York’s health and environment. While serving as a state legislator, Mr. Lopez has worked tirelessly to collaborate in developing and passing the state budget and promoting growth and opportunity for New Yorkers.
“Pete Lopez has spent nearly a decade in one of the country’s largest state legislatures working to improve the quality of life of his constituents,” said Administrator Pruitt. “His familiarity with the region and his experience working to solve environmental problems in New York will be invaluable in helping EPA serve Americans in the Northeast and the Caribbean.”
EPA Exercises Enforcement Discretion for Mobile Power Generators Imported for Use in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 9/ 27/ 17/ (link source)
WASHINGTON (September 27, 2017) — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that it will exercise enforcement discretion for mobile power generators being imported into Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands that will be used as emergency sources of power there as a result of Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
Under these “no action assurances” EPA will not pursue enforcement actions for certain violations of the Clean Air Act for mobile power generators that have not been certified to meet U.S. pollution control standards and are imported for use in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
EPA’s no action assurance in Puerto Rico, which was previously issued on September 22, 2017, was amended today to broaden the categories of equipment subject to the no action assurance. Available information continues to indicate extreme damage to Puerto Rico’s power grid, including near-total destruction to power transmission infrastructure. EPA’s no action assurance in the U.S. Virgin Islands was issued due to currently reported conditions, including preliminary information about extreme damage to the U.S. Virgin Islands’ power grid, including destruction of the power transmission infrastructure. These no action assurances cover mobile power generators that are imported before January 31, 2018.
EPA policy allows the Agency to issue no action assurances in cases where it is necessary to avoid extreme risks to public health and safety and where no other mechanism can adequately address the matter. EPA believes that the exercise of enforcement discretion in these circumstances is in the public interest and will help address the emergency circumstances in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
ON THE STATE LEVEL
DOE: Key permit denied for Longview coal terminal project
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 9/ 26/ 17 (link source)
LONGVIEW, WASH. – The Washington Department of Ecology has denied a water quality permit sought by Millennium Bulk Terminals to construct and operate the largest coal export terminal in North America.
Ecology denied the permit because the coal export terminal near Longview would have caused significant and unavoidable harm to nine environmental areas: air quality, vehicle traffic, vessel traffic, rail capacity, rail safety, noise pollution, social and community resources, cultural resources, and tribal resources.
“After extensive study and deliberation, I am denying Millennium’s proposed coal export project,” said Ecology Director Maia Bellon. “There are simply too many unavoidable and negative environmental impacts for the project to move forward.”
Some of the environmental impacts from building the coal terminal would have included:
filling 24 acres of wetlands,
dredging 41.5 acres of the Columbia riverbed,
installing 537 pilings in the river for a new trestle and docks.
This complex project, if built, would have moved 44 million metric tons of coal annually. Coal would have been piled eight stories high and 50 football fields wide at the site.
To carry coal overseas, 1,680 new vessel transits would have been added to the Columbia River, accounting for a quarter of all traffic on the river.
To carry coal to the terminal, 16 slow-moving, 1.3-mile-long trains would have passed through Cowlitz County daily. This would have compounded already significant traffic congestion during peak commute times and affected emergency responders.
Eight of those 16 trains would have been fully loaded with coal traveling west along the Columbia River and would have delayed tribes’ access to fishing sites above Bonneville Dam.
The coal terminal also would have increased diesel pollution, a toxic air pollutant, and caused an unavoidable increase in cancer risk rates in a neighborhood along the rail line in Longview.
Additional environmental repercussions are detailed in the project’s environmental impact statement published in April.
Millennium needed the state’s water quality certification under the federal Clean Water Act before it could fill wetlands and dredge the riverbed.
WORLD & NATIONAL NEWS BRIEFS from Reuters
Last flight departs as Iraq imposes ban for Kurdish independence voteERBIL, Iraq/ANKARA (Reuters) - The last international flight left Erbil airport on Friday as the Baghdad government imposed an air ban in retaliation for an independence vote by Iraqi Kurds that has drawn widespread opposition from foreign powers.
Russia says ready to work with North Korea to resolve missile crisis
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Moscow is prepared to work with Pyongyang to try to find a peaceful resolution to the North Korean missile crisis, the Russian Foreign ministry said on Friday.
U.S. cuts staff in Cuba over mysterious injuries, warns travelers
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Friday cut its diplomatic presence in Cuba by more than half and warned U.S. citizens not to visit because of attacks that have caused hearing loss, dizziness and fatigue in U.S. embassy personnel.
NATIONAL
Trump administration in spotlight as U.S. top court returns
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration’s ability to win over the U.S. Supreme Court will be put to the test when the nine justices begin their new term on Monday with major cases awaiting on voting rights, religious liberty, union funding and class-action suits.
Trump says Puerto Rico, U.S. government need to confront island's debt load
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Puerto Rico needs to work with the U.S. government to determine how to fund rebuilding after Hurricane Maria and what to do about the territory’s heavy debt load, President Donald Trump said on Friday.
U.S. Senate panel unveils budget plan paving way for Trump tax cuts
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Senate panel took President Donald Trump’s proposed tax overhaul a step forward on Friday by unveiling a budget plan for the coming fiscal year that acknowledges lost revenues from tax cuts, while Trump pressed ahead with selling the proposal to the public.
Daily Bible Verse: For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
John 3:20-21 NKJV
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