BP accused of judge-shopping for seeking Republican judge to handle lawsuits
Jacqui Goddard, Miami
BP has been accused of “judge shopping” after pushing for a specific judge in Houston, Texas — the centre of America’s oil and gas industry — to handle the lawsuits against it.
In a move condemned yesterday by several legal experts as indicative of corporate arrogance but defended by others as accepted tactical manoeuvring, the British energy group has filed papers requesting that all pre-trial matters in litigation relating to the Deepwater Horizon disaster be assigned to US District Judge Lynn Hughes.
Judge Hughes, 69, who was nominated in 1985 by the Republican President, Ronald Reagan, is also a lecturer for the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, whose 31,000 members work mainly in the oil and gas industry and which works with oil companies including BP.
He has also earned thousands of dollars in royalties from leasing energy exploration companies the mineral rights on land that he owns — though not to BP — owned stock in Big Oil and has granted significant rulings in the industry’s favour.
(etc.)
Of the 64 federal judges in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida that sit in districts where Deepwater Horizon lawsuits have been filed, 37 have financial links to the oil and gas industry, an investigation has found.
A number receive royalties on mineral leases while others own stocks or bonds in BP, as well as in Transocean, the company that operated the ill-fated rig, and Halliburton, which cemented the well that is spewing up to 25,000 barrels (1.05 million US gallons) of oil a day.
According to the National LawJournal, seven of the 12 federal judges in the eastern district of Louisiana have recused themselves from hearing oil spill cases because of their connections to the industry.
They include US District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon in New Orleans, who owns stock in BP. District Judge Carl Barbier, also of New Orleans, who is favoured by a number of plaintiffs’ lawyers, divulged that he holds investments in Transocean and Halliburton but is selling them to avoid any conflict.
Jun 7, 2010 … The idea that BP might one day file for bankruptcy, particularly as part of a merger that would enable it to cordon off its liabilities from … www.nytimes.com/2010/06/08/business/08sorkin.html
***
BP looks for bankruptcy protection, fearing cleanup cost
BP North America is looking for options to protect itself against large claims stemming form the April 20th oil spill and bankruptcy filing would give the Company that shelter and protection from any lawsuit.
Sources confirmed last night that BP North America’s legal counsel is looking into the option to protect itself from what may become the largest settlement ever. A bankruptcy protection, or Chapter 11 filing, would shield the company from any and all claims filed against BP until it restructures its debt and obligations before emerging from the court ruling.
Such a filing would mean that any individual or business that has joined a class action lawsuit against BP North America due to loss of jobs or damage due to the oil spill will have to wait and see whether they will ever get compensated.
(etc.)
That is bad news for Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida as well as any local business owners since they will be considered secondary creditors for the duration of the bankruptcy protection.
The filing would also mean that any and all assets will be frozen by court order and no claims against such can be duly filed in any court.
MOSCOW—TNK-BP Ltd., BP PLC’s Russian venture, hopes a recent bankruptcy filing at a Siberian gas venture will speed up the government’s takeover of the project, allowing TNK-BP to recover at least some of the roughly $900 million it invested there, interim Chief Executive Mikhail Fridman said Wednesday.
Under pressure from regulators, TNK-BP agreed to sell its controlling stake in the huge Kovykta field to state gas giant OAO Gazprom back in 2007. But Gazprom never closed the deal and executives say publicly the company doesn’t need Kovykta’s huge reserves. Government deliberations on another possible state buyer have dragged on for years without conclusion.
Mr. Fridman said last week’s bankruptcy filing was an effort to bring the process to a close. “It’s a rational step for us as a creditor, it starts up a process and sets some deadlines,” he said, noting that the entire insolvency procedure could take six to eight months. Because TNK-BP is the only major creditor, the bankruptcy process ensures it gets first chance at any sale proceeds and protects the company from the risk of regulators revoking the license to the field.
(etc.)
Mr. Fridman expressed surprised at the wave of negative publicity around BP from the spill.
The challenge of global governance has never been more imperative and more daunting to realize. The headlines are filled with transnational challenges, from terrorism to climate change to weapons of mass destruction. To foster better understanding of modern global challenges—and the international community’s record in responding to them—the International Institutions and Global Governance (IIGG) program has launched the Global Governance Monitor.
The Global Governance Monitor is a tool that shows how the international community is doing in addressing the most daunting threats that it faces. For each issue area, the monitor provides:
a cinematic overview of the challenge, which explains why international cooperation is needed;
an interactive timeline that traces the world’s efforts to craft collective responses to the challenge;
an issue brief that evaluates the overall performance of the regime and suggests potential reforms to improve international cooperation;
a matrix that catalogs relevant international treaties, organizations, and initiatives;
an interactive map that details critical countries and groups; and
a resource guide for further information on the topic.
We hope that by monitoring the world’s performance now, we can help U.S. and international policymakers identify remaining gaps in global regimes and propose new institutions or partnerships to fill them.
# Estimated travel and tourism expenditures by visitors to Mississippi for fiscal year 2010 are expected to come in around $5.2 billion – down 7 percent from last year’s $5.6 billion.
# Roughly a third of out-of-state dollars are spent in the state’s three coastal counties.
# It’s unknown what percentage of that decline is due to the oil spill versus the general economic downturn. The fiscal year ends June 30.
# In Harrison, Hancock and Jackson counties, 23,600 jobs are tied to the tourism industry.
Source: Mississippi Development Authority.
(from above)
***
Barbour also inserted himself into the turf war over the $15 million BP gave the state for advertising its beaches and tourist attractions in Harrison, Hancock and Jackson counties.
Kenneth Montana, a former Gulf Coast restaurant owner and president of the Harrison County Tourism Commission, said the state is moving far too slowly in building a comprehensive advertising campaign to lure tourists and combat misguided perceptions about the oil.
An emulsified strand washed onto Petit Bois Island last week and then quickly washed away, leaving no stains on the state’s easternmost barrier island, officials reported. Otherwise, the state’s beaches have been spared.
Montana contends his organization, working with neighboring county tourism officials, could get that word out more quickly if the state would just back off. “The state cannot react quickly enough,” he said.
The state rolled out an initial commercial in late May that is playing in Charlotte, N.C.; Memphis; Tampa, Fla.; Baton Rouge; Nashville; Mobile and other Southern cities.
Montana said it is already stale. But Barbour said the Mississippi Development Authority is the most appropriate entity to oversee the remaining $11 million pot.
“We are not going to split it up … That’s a poor way to spend money when the real purpose is market penetration,” Barbour said. “We want people to see that the Coast is open for business, not ‘here’s the difference between Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian.’ ”
Rep. Scott DeLano, R-Biloxi, said the governor should untie the locals’ hands.
“Our local jurisdictions know how to spend the money,” he said.
Hood closed the hearings Tuesday evening, telling lawmakers he is lobbying Congress to rewrite the laws that allow big companies to push states into federal court as a means of stalling litigation.
Big Tobacco settled in the 1990s because they feared a trial in Pascagoula, Hood said.
Release date: 17 May 2010
BP is today announcing grants to each of the states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana to help their Governors promote tourism around the shores of the Gulf of Mexico over the coming months.
This is part of our ongoing commitment to help mitigate the economic impact of the oil spill.
BP is providing $25 million to Florida and $15 million each to Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.
These grants are in addition to the $25 million grants BP announced May 5 to help each of the four states accelerate the implementation of Area Contingency Plans. The grants announced today are for the Governors to distribute as they see fit to promote tourism.
Mississippi Begins Gulf Coast Tourisim Campaign
State uses BP grant money to off set oil spill effects
Stephanie Scurlock
1:25 PM CDT, June 6, 2010
Mississippi Begins Gulf Coast Tourisim Campaign
FAST FACTS:
* Mississippi launches commercial campaign
* BP gives $15 million to off set effects of oil spill
* State hopes ads will help tourism
(DeSoto Co., MS 06/06/2010) – The campaign is underway to keep tourism alive along the coast despite oil gushing into the Gulf. The oil spill is affecting animals and fowl and now the state of Mississippi is afraid it will hurt tourism as well. BP gave Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Florida money to help pay for clean up and off set the negative effects of the Gulf oil spill. Mississippi started using $4 million of its money this weekend.
The state of Mississippi is using a commercial to attract tourists. It features the many places you might visit in the state while on vacation. The Mississippi Development Authority is worried the oil that is gushing into the Gulf Coast and now washing ashore might cause some tourists to take their vacation plans elsewhere.
The oil spill is actually the reason a Tulsa Oklahoma family is visiting Mississippi. Reid Barcus, a high school teacher, is taking his daughters all along the coast to make a documentary on the environmental disaster.
“We’re going to be documenting the shoreline and camping out. This is sort of a summer vacation and a video documentary. We’ll be posting our stuff up on YouTube,” said Barcus, Tulsa, OK.
NOAA has suffered budget cuts for the last eight years – according to CNN guest scientist.
Well, that isn’t good, now is it? Whose crappy idea was that? Let me guess.
Hmmmm……
Republicans were in charge of the country and most states and the Congress. Let me see, who would’ve done such a thing?
well …
I guess they didn’t like the fact that NOAA was doing a good job and showing science that they didn’t like. That sounds about right. So, the Republicans in charge used their typical strategy of cutting the funding to the agency. Yep, that’s probably about it.
And, now we need what NOAA can do because of a national crisis – and likely it will be an international crisis before its over – and their funding is still far less than it needed to be for eight years of budget cuts and the destruction to their lab facilities and educated professional teams of scientists is costing us – again.
Figures.
There was a note at 9.38 am this morning, 06-08-10, about Rich Steiner, Marine Biologist who read the disaster preparedness plan – disaster response plan the BP had submitted to the Minerals Management Service for this well. He said it was 583 pages and appeared to have been a “cut and paste” job more than anything else. It included protections for seals and walruses (in the Gulf of Mexico.) I don’t think those live in the Gulf of Mexico. However, he did read it and now I’m wondering where he found the durn thing – because I’ve been trying to find it for days without success. The one thing I did find is that most of those documents, for some reason are located in federal depository libraries onsite only where it must be viewed in person – and I found a list of which ones have the various disaster preparedness and response plans which I posted on an earlier post. (Mr. Steiner was on CNN earlier today).
I’ve been watching the news off and on today – mostly early this morning and noted a couple things including a point at which on one of the news shows – probably CNN but maybe FoxNews or Bloomberg or cnbc – where they offered a wonderful chart of the six companies whose responsibilities are tied into this situation with the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. They had BP, of course – but also Andarko, Mitsui, TransOcean, Halliburton and Cameron. The chart showed how much their stock prices have plummeted since this event started. One of the news segments showed – maybe this one – that TransOcean has a court case before a judge right now using an 1851 Maritime Law to limit their liability to $26.7 million dollars total. The judge is deciding that now.
And, last night (06-07-10) there was a mention by David Cameron on Larry King Live about the ideas team put together with recommendations about what could be done to cap or contain the well – an important note that the pressure down under the seabed for this well is estimated to be 13,000 psi. Some of the scientists and engineers had already given estimates a couple weeks ago, that the oil being released was around 6,200 psi – (also probably from news shows.)
On AC360, I think it was – also last night (06-07-10) there was a mention that the 1990 Oil Act makes the oil company the first authority and gives rights over all in the event of an oil spill or oil disaster to the oil company over all government, government agencies, local and federal and state rights of say or authority.
If I understand it correctly, it is the reason that the oil company and their marine spill response corporation has the full authority and first rights of say about anything and everything throughout the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf Coast of the United States – including demanding that the FAA ground all flights with media on board so they can’t take aerial photos of the oil spill. It is also the reason that BP could hire a security company to keep the reporters, photographers and state leaders and agencies out of the marshes in Louisiana after the thick crude oil was found there.
It is also the reason that every state, county, town, city, coastal area, and marine group must go through BP and their contractor to do anything to prevent the oil from coming onshore or to place any other method of solving the problem or save a bird or rescue a dolphin or sea turtle, place a sand berm along their own waters – even the ones being placed in Destin, Florida.
It is also the reason that over the thousands of products that are known to work to get up the oil, contain the oil or suck up the oil, only those that were originally on the list of the BP contractor are being used and only their list of subcontractors / companies pre-assigned by them are being used in the cleanup and skimming and whatever else.
Very interesting. How many times has this cost us immensely just as it is now? And, whose insistence placed this into the law? Hmmm….. Let me guess.
– cricketdiane
***
I noticed over the last few days, that CNN shows at different times during the day have been showing segments which allow inventors and companies with solutions to show those solutions on air and demonstrate their products. Each one, when asked if they have shown or told BP of these things, has said they have and received only a generic form response or no response at all, even when they’ve called to try and set up a time to make a presentation to them. I think some have presentations they are trying to make this week, but I don’t know that it is to BP. One of the company owners said that he tried to call the EPA at each of the states to show it to them and got nowhere with absolutely no opportunities for his company’s products to be included in those under consideration. So what’s the deal?
There is a place on CNN to enter videos of solutions under the iReport side of their site under the word “fixit” and there somewhere, they have the links for the numerous government and EPA and BP places to submit solutions. Apparently over 40,000 solutions have been sent to the BP site already and 278 or something are being considered for further review.
On cnbc or bloomberg or foxnews earlier today – now see, I should’ve written it down – but there was a man who wrote in the NY Times about BP maybe needing to prepare for a worst case scenario and how they can declare bankruptcy / form a merger and put a ring around liabilities to prevent the total costs from undermining shareholders’ value and company assets. It was something like that – but in the process of him discussing the article he had written, the man described the method that is being considered by bankers and others to isolate and diminish the financial liabilities BP has from the spill. It looks like preparations are being made to do that, as BP Hayward had told shareholder’s meeting on last Friday am or Thursday, that BP was making a company within their company to handle the oil spill and all of their liabilities about it. Then, this week – it looks like they’ve made it into another division in their company with one of the BP executives heading it – Bob Dudley maybe or Doug Suttles. Anyway, there is the possibility that the plan is to contain the liabilities in such a way that any outstanding civil suits in the future would not be viable. In bankruptcy – Chapter 11, the bond holders, creditors and shareholders would be given protection and consideration but future liabilities from the oil spill probably would not.
By the way – that man whose article appeared in the NY Times or wherever this morning – he mentioned in the interview on the news that the current estimations of the costs expected to BP – and I don’t know how they’ve derived this number – but that those costs to BP are expected to be $40 Billion dollars, as of this point. (that’s billion with a B).
There was also a mention on the news yesterday that many of the judges have accepted money from the oil industry such that they would have an innate conflict of interest for any cases resulting from this oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico – throughout all of the states on the Gulf Coast and the federal justices as well.
– cricketdiane
***
The other thing I noted today – well, two other things –
One, is that the laws BP lawyers and attorney teams are using – do not supercede the US Constitution and other US Codes about the rights and authorities of our government and its agencies. They are picking and choosing which laws to bring out to support BP’s and the Marine Spill Response Corporation’s rights and authority to manipulate, control, qualify, maneuver, decide, and to require all to come through them to do anything.
However, the oil act of 1990 does not supercede other laws and the rights, authorities, responsibilities and ultimate authority given to the federal government, federal and state agencies, as well as state, county and local elected officials and representatives. So, the oil company lawyers are simply using those laws that serve their purposes but leaving out all those other laws that don’t suit their position – and we are supposed to know better, but no one is challenging them about it.
Two, is that the chart provided on the CNN clip – or whatever station that I was watching at the time earlier today, that showed 6 companies who are ultimately liable in this event is wrong. The final tally of those whose liability is connected to this event extends to those whose decisions made it worse and abrogated that authority of the US government, US government agencies, state agencies and local elected officials along the coast. These directly include the Marine Spill Response Corporation and the Marine Preservation Association (whose membership is solely oil industry interests) which backs it along with the subcontractors they have chosen.
When I was watching a bit of the coverage from Florida, whose pleas to get some skimmers, booms and other equipment out to them fell on deaf ears over at the BP group and the Marine Spill Response Corporation as the contractor required by all to go through for anything – the idea was presented that there are only so many resources to go around and those must be shared by all the states and communities along the Gulf Coast as well as the entire region of ocean that makes up the Gulf of Mexico. All of these resources are being managed and assigned by this contractor exclusively. Therefore, they are ultimately and directly responsible for failures which have incentivised failure to meet the needs and critical timeliness of the response across the broad areas of this crisis. They have also been responsible directly for mismanagement of resources, misplacement of resources, misdirection of resources and mistakes of coordination which yielded a radically worse oil spill pervading every section of the disaster.
These contractors and subcontractors are directly responsible for making the disaster worse and more pervasive, especially along the shoreline coasts and marshes – along with having insisted on using a toxic chemical dispersant that was known to be dangerous to marine wildlife, birds, fishes, marine mammals, coral reefs, aquatic food chains and people. They are the ones who are also responsible for using the subcontractors as they have. And, they are the ones responsible for having the few resources at hand along with the plan for their placement and use which has been in no way prepared properly or in appropriate numbers for any spill of any appreciable size, including this one.
So, these companies are on the list along with those six listed on the news as parties liable for the disaster that has occurred.
It is also possible that those organizations whose lobbying and insistence created the legal framework which allowed the oil industry to play by their own rules and takeover the rights to the entire Gulf of Mexico, the entire Gulf Coast and every state, local and federal authority – could also be liable.
– cricketdiane
***
The other thing that I was working on – was from last week – when there was a comment from someone over at the US Chamber of Commerce who challenged me to place the sources where I found some information about their lobbying efforts over the years which have yielded results that I don’t find to be in the interests of the human race whatsoever. And, as funny as it isn’t – I said that I’d be glad to look in my notes to find those and post them.
My ability to put a name on a file leaves a lot to be desired, so – I went online and back into my files to find the information. It yielded not a thing I was looking to find – but it did yield a bunch of very nifty stuff – including this –
– cricketdiane
***
Non-Governmental Organizations which have been
granted Consultative Status with IMO – International Maritime Organization –
Name and address
Telephone/facsimile/
e-mail/Web
Advisory Committee on Protection of the Sea (ACOPS)
11 Dartmouth Street
London SW1H 9BN
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)207 799 3033
Fax: +44(0)207 799 2933
Email: info@acops.org
Web: www.acops.org BIMCO
Bagsvaerdvej 161
DK-2880 Bagsvaerd
Denmark
Tel: +45 44 36 6800
Fax: +45 44 36 6868
Email: mailbox@bimco.dk
Web: www.bimco.org European Federation of Insurance Intermediaries (BIPAR)
c/o London and International Insurance Brokers’ Association
2nd floor
78 Leadenhall Street
London EC3A 3DH
United Kingdom
Head office:
Avenue Albert-Elizabeth 40
B-1200 Brussels
Belgium
Community of European Shipyards’ Associations (CESA)
Rue Marie de Bourgogne 52-54, 3rd floor
B-1000 Brussels
Belgium
Tel: +32 2 230 2791
Fax: +32 2 230 4332
Email:info@cesa.eu
Website: www.cesa.eu
Comité International Radio-Maritime (CIRM)
Southbank House
Black Prince Road
London SE1 7SJ
United Kingdom
Global Maritime Education & Training Association (GlobalMET)
GlobalMET Executive Secretary
AustralAsian Maritime Education Services Ltd.
P O Box 307
Waikanae 5250
Kapiti Coast
New Zealand
The ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) is a specialised division of the International Chamber Of Commerce (ICC). The IMB is a non-profit making … www.icc-ccs.org/
ICHCA International Limited (ICHCA)
Suite 2, 85 Western Road
Romford
Essex RM1 3LS
United Kingdom
International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF)
(formerly International Lifeboat Federation (ILF)) c/o Royal National Lifeboat Institution
West Quay Road
Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ
United Kingdom
PIANC, the World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure
(PIANC)
Général Secretariat
Graaf de Ferraris – 11eme etage – boite 3
Boulevard du Roi Albert II No. 20
B-1000 Brussels
Belgium
PIANC UK Committee:
HR Wallingford
Howberry Park
Wallingford
Oxon OX10 8BA
About IMO
IMO Bravery Award
World Maritime Day
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Site Index
General objectives and policies
Strategic Plan and High Level Action Plan
Structure
Conference (Meetings and Documents)
Conventions
IMO 60 years
Membership
NGOs and IGOs
IMO Training Institutes
Secretary-General
International Maritime Prize
Seafarers’ Memorial
Working at IMO
Procurement
Internships
Fellowships
Just for Kids
IMO: What it is, what it does and how it works
L’OMI: ce qu’elle est, ce qu’elle fait…
OMI: qué es, qué hace, cómo funciona
What is IMO? Poster (PDF)
What is IMO? (Powerpoint)
google search –
1993 US ICC Chamber of Commerce position policy
#
U.S. Immigration Policy – Council on Foreign Relations
Before 1981, Bush served in various positions at Texas Commerce Bank in …. In addition, he serves as a senior international fellow at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. …. and in 1993 joined the Criminal Division as chief of staff to the … This report offers a backdrop of the U.S.-ICC relationship and policy … http://www.cfr.org › by publication type › task force reports – Cached – Similar
#
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Oiling the wheels of corporate domination – International Chamber …
Of Swiss nationality and Greek origin, she was educated in the US (Harvard), … culminating symbolically with the closure in 1993 of the UN Centre on … At this point Cattaui moved to the ICC, the world’s largest corporate lobby group. … Any policy discussion – especially on the environment – that might lead in … http://www.newint.org/columns/…/2004/08/…/maria-livanos-cattaui/ – Cached – Similar
Home » Columns » Worldbeaters
August 2004 • Issue 370
Maria Livanos Cattaui
Name:
Maria Livanos Cattaui
Job:
Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).
Reputation:
The public face of corporate globalization.
Sense of humour:
Rarely evident in public: ‘Most people in this world would love to have somebody else telling them how things are going to go… We feel we’re out there alone with our pants down and the cold wind blowing.’
Low cunning:
Cattaui is on the Board of the International Youth Foundation. She claims it ‘helped to start the global alliance for workers and communities, which investigated Nike’s often twice-removed suppliers in the footwear market. And it was Nike who gave us the money to do it. Those studies congratulated Nike on what it had done in response to public concern, but pointed out areas and policies still requiring change and said there were further actions needed. I applaud companies that can open their books and stand ready to be exposed to public scrutiny.’
Sources:
Belén Balanyá, Anne Doherty, Olivier Hoedeman, Adam Ma’anit and Erik Wesselius, Europe Inc, Pluto Press and Corporate Europe Observatory, London, 2000; The Straits Times, 17 November 2003; http://news.bbc.co.uk 2 December 2003; http://www.opendemocracy.net 2 August 2001 and 25 October 2001; http://www.corporateeurope.org; http://www.iccwbo.org
‘The events of 11 September are likely to have a short- to medium-term effect on the costs for business,’ said Maria Livanos Cattaui just a few weeks after the events in 2001. She was responding to a question about how they might impact on her concept of ‘globalization’. ‘Higher insurance costs, delays at customs, heightened security measures and concern among companies about risks they can take in furthering their activities in many developing countries.’
Maria Livanos Cattaui, Secretary General of the ICC since 1996, could never be accused of lacking focus. She is a passionate and efficient believer in the virtues of business. These she extols on any conceivable topic, from the salvation of Africa to the wonders of a security system that tracks individual shipping containers. She recommends cost-benefit analysis as the best approach to the ‘war on terror’.
Two things distinguish her from run-of-the-mill business propagandists. The first is that she is a woman. The second is that she has never worked in business. Of Swiss nationality and Greek origin, she was educated in the US (Harvard), then went on to editorial supervision at Encyclopaedia Britannica and Time-Life Books. In 1977 she joined the World Economic Forum in Geneva, where she worked her way up to become Managing Director. Her special area of responsibility was for the notorious annual meeting of the Forum in the upscale Davos ski resort.
Lest we forget, this was the heyday of the Masters of the Universe. The mood was captured well enough in the film Wall Street or the novel Bonfire of the Vanities. It was as if divine revelation had spawned a new cult, its high priests gathering every year in the snows of Davos to be attended upon by nodding intellectuals, governments, anyone with any ambitions at all in the power-broking, money-making game. Manifest destiny lay in corporate globalization, culminating symbolically with the closure in 1993 of the UN Centre on Transnational Corporations, which still had mild regulatory ambitions. All the while, there was Maria Livanos Cattaui servicing the ritual.
So complete was the triumph of corporate power over democratic control that it became a new orthodoxy – which, like all orthodoxies, then had to be protected from itself. At this point Cattaui moved to the ICC, the world’s largest corporate lobby group. While a plethora of powerful business ‘dialogues’ had flourished alongside the Forum, the ICC remained relatively comatose, scarcely organizing a single international gathering.
Cattaui changed all that. Grand ‘global’ shindigs and specialist hit squads were launched by the ICC. Renewed regulation of any sort had to be slaughtered at birth. Any policy discussion – especially on the environment – that might lead in that direction would be headed off at the pass. The innate virtues of business made voluntary self-regulation more than sufficient. Corporate influence over such institutions as the World Trade Organization and the UN itself needed to be institutionalized. In July 2000, no more than seven years after the closure of the Centre on Transnational Corporations, the UN duly signed a ‘Global Compact’ with private corporations. Most observers credited Cattaui with a remarkable coup.
Make no mistake, she is a smooth and supple operator. She no longer claims to favour ‘free’ trade. She prefers ‘rules-based’ trade – given, of course, that the rules are made by business. For her, business is part of ‘civil society’, perfectly entitled to wield influence in the same way as, say, the Church – although it’s a civil society that excludes troublemakers, particularly anyone who ‘trashes cars’.
She scorns the idea that corporations have become more powerful than governments. ‘Oh, that’s crazy!’ she protests. ‘Who can raise taxes? Who can spend [them]? Who can set up a judiciary? Who can incarcerate? Who can raise an army? There’s no company in the whole world that does that! This is the job of government! And they do it, more than they ever have before.’
So that’s all right, then. Cattaui knows exactly what governments are for – to keep everyone in good order for business. Meanwhile, there’s an expanding area of corporate territory that self-styled democratic governments, as if by telepathy, no longer dare or desire to enter. In truth, there’s nothing telepathic about it. Maria Livanos Cattaui sees to that.
Corporate Europe Observer
The CEO Quarterly Newsletter
Issue 1, May 1998
United Nations Under Siege
Corporate Takeover of the United Nations Continues…
In the last issue of Corporate Europe Observer, we reported on a June 1997 luncheon in UN headquarters with corporate executives and global political leaders, including UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. Discussion topics included business participation in the UN decision-making process and a UN-business partnership in development policies. That this event was not an isolated case becomes clear in the following two articles: one describing the increasingly successful attempts of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) to gain privileged access to the UN; and the other detailing a particularly inappropriate case of corporate sponsorship — Nestlé’s recent hosting and sponsoring of a UN workshop on women and sustainable development.
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) — the self- proclaimed “world business organization” — wants privileged access to the United Nations and other international organizations. During last year’s presidency of Nestlé’s Helmut Maucher, the ICC’s ambitions seemed to materialize and take flight.
UN-Business Partnership
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), contrary to what its name might suggest, is primarily an organization representing the largest transnational corporations on earth, including corporate giants like General Motors, Novartis, Bayer and Nestlé. The ICC, which for many years has pushed for global economic deregulation within the World Trade Organization, the G-7 and the OECD, now has its sights set on the United Nations.
“The way the United Nations regards international business has changed fundamentally. This shift towards a stance more favourable to business is being nurtured from the very top,” ICC Secretary General Maria Livanos Cattaui concluded with satisfaction in a column in the International Herald Tribune in February. Cattaui quotes UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in saying that the time is ripe for consultation between the UN and business.[1]
Cattaui’s optimism was confirmed the same week in a February 9th meeting of 25 ICC business leaders with a heavyweight UN delegation headed by Kofi Annan, heralded as the first step in “a systematic dialogue.” The ICC delegation included captains of industry from Coca Cola, Unilever, McDonalds, Goldman Sachs and Rio Tinto Zinc. In a joint statement, the ICC and the UN Secretary General stated that “broad political and economic changes have opened up new opportunities for dialogue and cooperation between the United Nations and the private sector”. The two sides committed themselves to “forge a close global partnership to secure greater business input into the world’s economic decision-making and boost the private sector in the least developed countries.” The industry representatives used the occasion to argue for “establishing an effective regulatory framework for globalization, including investment, capital markets, competition, intellectual property rights and trade facilitation.”[2] The ICC has worked with UN institutions before, but not on the highest level and not on the potentially very wide range of political matters around which ‘partnership’ now seems to have emerged.[3]
ICC and UNCTAD Hand-in-Hand
One of the concrete projects agreed upon at the February consultation between the UN and ICC is a joint series of business investment guides to the least developed countries, to be produced by the UN Centre for Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the ICC. The aim of these guides is to increase foreign direct investment flows into the 48 countries which the UN considers ‘least developed’, 38 of which are African. The guides “are to contain accurate, objective, investor-oriented and comparative information on investment opportunities and conditions in the countries covered.”
Another example of the new fruitful cooperation arose in March, when the ICC and UNCTAD presented the results of a joint “worldwide survey of leading multinational companies” which showed that corporations had not lost interest in investing in East and Southeast Asia. ICC Secretary-General Cattaui concluded from the survey of 198 TNCs that “business still sees enormous investment opportunities to be derived from the projected growth of Asian markets in the 21st century.”[4] The survey shows that 34% of European firms, and 19% of US and Japan-based TNCs plan to increase their activities in Asia. A senior UNCTAD investment expert explained that: “In the short and medium term, the lower costs for multinationals in the most affected countries create immediate incentives for additional direct investment.”[5] UNCTAD Secretary-General Rubens Ricupero said that the interest expressed by TNCs “augurs well for recovery in the region.”[6]
Geneva Business Dialogue
The most ambitious event this year in the ICC’s strategy for forging closer links with UN and other international institutions is the Geneva Business Dialogue, a conference slated to take place on September 23-24 1998. “The Geneva Business Dialogue,” a press release explains, “is the ICC’s initiative to create a successful mechanism to deal with the effects, promises and progress of globalization.” Participants at this conference, which organizers plan to hold annually, will be from “the ICC and the many important international organizations based in Geneva.” [7]
ICC president Maucher amplifies: “During two days of intensive meetings in September, we shall bring together the heads of international companies and the leaders of international organizations so that business experiences and expertise is channelled into the decision-making process for the global economy.”[8] The programme — details are yet to be released will deal with “some of the significant and contentious issues raised by an increasingly integrated international economy.” [9]
The ICC boasts that the initiative “is welcomed at the highest level of the World Trade Organization, the United Nations system and other international bodies”, and the preliminary participants list confirms that the Geneva Business Dialogue will bring together influential players including EU Commissioner Yves-Thibault de Silguy, WTO Director-General Renato de Ruggiero, high-level officials from the World Bank and the Industrial Standards Organization (ISO), as well as presidents, prime ministers and other top ministers from the US, Finland, Hungary, Thailand and Switzerland. Among the many high-level UN representatives are UNCTAD Secretary-General Rubens Ricupero and UN Under-Secretary General Vladimir Petrovsky. Secretary-General Kofi Annan will address the dialogue through a satellite connection. In addition to Helmut Maucher himself, business will be represented by CEOs from Unilever, ICI, Mitsubishi, Goldman Sachs, Lyonnaise des Eaux, Norsk Hydro, Siemens, BASF, Shell and many other global corporations.
Maucher’s Ambitions
The new “partnership” between the ICC and the UN is the result of the former’s ambitious strategy pursued since Helmut Maucher took the helm in early 1997. Maucher, who recently left his job as CEO of Nestlé but remains on the board of directors, felt that the ICC had hitherto been neither sufficiently influential nor visible in the media.[10] Maucher has observed the efficient work of environmental and human rights NGOs within the UN system with great concern. In one of his first interviews as ICC president, Maucher warned: “We have to be careful that they do not get too much influence.” [11]
Within both the WTO and the UN, the ICC is pushing for the implementation of “a framework of global rules” which it plans to help draft, “as the only organization qualified to speak for every business sector in all parts of the world. Governments have to understand,” Maucher argues, “that business is not just another pressure group but a resource that will help them set the right rules.”[12] The joint statement between the UN Secretary- General and the ICC clarifies the ICC’s reasons for wanting to be involved in global decision making: “Business has a strong interest in multilateral cooperation, including standard-setting through the United Nations and other intergovernmental institutions and international conventions on the environment and other global and transborder issues.”
When Maucher became vice president of the ICC in 1995, he immediately dove into a reorganization process. He brought in a new Secretary-General, Maria Livanos Cattaui, who for many years had organized the World Economic Forum in Davos and like Maucher has a wide ranging network of international contacts.
Maucher himself divides his time as ICC president with his leadership of the European Roundtable of Industrialists. (ERT; for background information see “Europe, Inc.”, CEO, 1997)
Maucher’s ambitions for the ICC also include formal status within the World Trade Organization (WTO): “We want neither to be the secret girlfriend of the WTO,” Maucher said in an interview, “nor should the ICC have to enter the World Trade Organization through the servants entrance.”[13]
To pursue this more intimate relationship with the WTO, Maucher has made former GATT general director Arthur Dunkel chairman of the ICC’s commission on trade. Dunkel is also a board member of Nestlé.
Shared Vision?
The ICC, with its strategic cooptation of the message spread by NGOs and people’s movements, is attempting to use the growing consensus that global deregulation is creating serious social and environmental problems to its advantage. As Maria Livanos Cattaui described the ICC’s new cooperation with the UN, “the dialogue is coming not a moment too soon. Globalization has the potential to bring immense benefits to the human race. But as recent events in East Asia have demonstrated, it can swiftly magnify local crises into problems affecting the entire world economy. Hence the need for a framework of rules on investment, capital markets, competition policy and a host of other areas.”
The ICC’s agenda of deregulated markets — in the interest of hardly anyone besides the large transnational corporations united in the ICC — is presented an idealistic strategy to benefit all people. Cattaui disturbingly claims to have UN support for the ICC’s vision: “What makes the dialogue possible is the perception by both sides that open markets are a precondition for spreading more widely the benefits of globalization, for integrating developing countries into the world economy, and for improving living standards of all the world’s peoples, and in particular the poor.”
The joint UN-ICC statement seems to confirm a wide-ranging consensus, as it emphasizes the importance of “the effective functioning of the global market place and on the existence of open, equitable, inclusive economic systems, based on the free flow of trade, investment for economic growth and development and the avoidance of protectionist pressures.”
The UN seems to have largely given up worrying about the growing economic dominance of transnational corporations worldwide. Until 1993, the UN still had its Centre on Transnational Corporations (UNCTC) which carried out research and served the Commission on Transnational Corporations, an intergovernmental body with the mandate of developing a Code of Conduct for TNCs. Corporations were extremely hostile to the UNCTC, which also developed environmental guidelines for TNCs and promoted restricting foreign investment in the South Africa under the apartheid regime. In 1993 the UNCTC was dismantled as part of a ‘reorganization’, and UNCTAD became the new UN focal point for work on TNCs. UNCTAD, however, does not address the regulation of TNC activities, but rather works closely with them in order to stimulate foreign investment flows to the Third World. Work on the Code of Conduct on TNCs has stopped entirely.
With this “systematic dialogue” with the UN, the ICC has made a disturbing leap forward in its desire to become the legitimate global representative of “business”. However, the ICC does by no means represent all businesses, but principally only the largest transnational corporations. The interests of these footloose global players differ significantly from those businesses which are grounded in and oriented towards a local market. But there are other fundamental questions besides whether or not the ICC is really “the world business organization”. Is it appropriate for corporations — which are supposed to compete, adapt and diversify — to organize themselves in what effectively equals a global political monopoly? And concerning the ICC’s ambitions for “global regulation”: should corporations not simply be following the rules — local, national or global – shaped by democratically elected governments assisted by citizens organisations?
Notes
1. Maria Livanos Cattaui: “UN-Business Partnership Forged on Global Economy”, February 6 in International Herald Tribune.
2. “UN-Business Partnership to Boost Economic Development”, ICC statement 9 February 1998.
3. For instance the ICC signed an agreement with the United Nations Development Programme in September 1992 “under which UNDP provides financial and practical support for ICC efforts to strengthen the private sector and chambers of commerce in developing countries and in eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union”, ICC website. The International Bureau of Chambers of Commerce (IBCC), which is a part of the ICC, is playing a leading role in implementing the agreement.
4. ICC and UNCTAD Press Release: “Leading Multinationals Vote their Confidence in Asia”, 18 March 1998.
5. Ibid.
6. ibid.
7. Helmut Maucher: “Ruling by Consent”, guest column in the Financial Times, 6 December 1997, FT Exporter, p. 2.
8. “Die Globalisierung Verlangt eine Kraftigere Stimme der Wirtschaft”, Frankfurter Algemeine 12 February 1997, p. 13.
9. Ibid.
10. Helmut Maucher: “Ruling by Consent”, guest column in the Financial Times, 6 December 1997, FT Exporter, p. 2.
11. Ibid.
12. ibid.
13. “Die Globalisierung Verlangt eine Kraftigere Stimme der Wirtschaft”, Frankfurter Algemeine 12 February 1997, p.13.
(from)
Corporate Europe Observatory
Paulus Potterstraat 20 1071 DA Amsterdam Netherlands tel/fax: +31-20-612-7023
Bringing together the
oil and gas industry on global,
environmental and social issues
Latest News
Managing biodiversity impacts: 10 tips for success in the oil and gas industry IPIECA keeps you informed about the Gulf of Mexico response
New publication: Chain of custody options for sustainable biofuels
New Portuguese translation: A guide to malaria management programmes in the oil and gas industry
Recent Global climate policy developments workshop
New climate change publication: Oil and Natural Gas Industry Guidelines for Greenhouse Gas Reduction Projects: Flare Reduction Project Family
CoP15 side session: Climate change and energy to 2020
Update to Human Rights Training Toolkit for the Oil and Gas Industry
New climate change publication: Addressing Uncertainty in Oil and Natural Gas Industry Greenhouse Gas Inventories
Indirect Land-Use Change workshop, 9-10 November 2009
Impact Assessment, Biodiversity and the Extractive Industries Workshop report
New health publication: Drilling Fluids and Health Risk Management
IPIECA Stakeholder Dialogue
***
About OFPIC
The Operational, Fuels & Product issues Committee (OFPIC) replaced the Fuels & Transportation Working Group at the end of 2006.
OFPIC provides a networking forum for senior downstream HSE managers to coordinate industry response on operational HSE issues throughout the downstream supply chain. In practical terms, this means working on diverse issues such as utilization of biofuels, marine air emissions, the use of fuel additives, product HSE management and stewardship, and other operational/fuel supply chain HSE issues that may be identified by SIAF or the wider membership
OFPIC News
New publication: Chain of custody options for sustainable biofuels
GHS guidance submitted to UNSCEGHS
Indirect Land-Use Change Workshop: 9–10 November 2009, Lausanne, Switzerland – Presentations now available!
New publication: “Biofuels, sustainability and the petroleum industry”
2006-2008 Vice-Chairman Robert Recker, Vice President, Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce & Industry
2004-2005
Chairman Avijit Mazumdar, Assocham India
Vice-Chairmen Nancy Hughes Anthony, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Peter Mihok, Slovak Chamber of Commerce & Industry (Slovakia)
Park Yong-Sung, Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Rona Yircali, Balikesir Chamber of Industry (Turkey)
2002-2003
Chairman Avijit Mazumdar, Assocham India
Vice-Chairmen Nancy Hughes Anthony, Canadian Chamber of Commerce Usamah M. Al Kurdi, Council of Saudi Chambers (Saudi Arabia)
Peter Mikoh, Slovak Chamber of Commerce & Industry (Slovakia)
Park Yong-Sung, Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry
2001
Chairman Avijit Mazumdar, Assocham India
Vice-Chairmen Nancy Hughes Anthony, Canadian Chamber of Commerce Usamah M. Al Kurdi, Council of Saudi Chambers (Saudi Arabia)
Peter Mikoh, Slovak Chamber of Commerce & Industry (Slovakia)
International Bureau of Chambers of Commerce (BICC)
1999-2000
Chairman Avijit Mazumdar, Assocham India
Vice-Chairmen A.A Baramuli, Indonesian Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Helmut Klomfar, Vienna Economic Chamber (Austria)
1998
Chairman Avijit Mazumdar, Assocham India
Vice-Chairmen A.A Baramuli, Indonesian Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Pierre Tchanqué, Cameroon Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Mines
Helmut Klomfar, Vienna Economic Chamber (Austria)
1997
Chairman Avijit Mazumdar, Assocham India
Vice-Chairmen A.A Baramuli, Indonesian Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Pierre Tchanqué, Cameroon Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Mines
Helmut Klomfar, Vienna Economic Chamber (Austria)
1994-1996
Chairman Adnan Kassar, Beirut Chamber of Commerce (Lebanon);
President, General Union of Arab Chambers of Commerce & Industry
Vice-Chairmen A.A Baramuli, Indonesian Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Avijit Mazumdar, Assocham India
Pierre Tchanqué, Cameroon Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Mines
1993
Chairman Adnan Kassar, Beirut Chamber of Commerce (Lebanon);
President, General Union of Arab Chambers of Commerce & Industry
Vice-Chairmen A.A Baramuli, Indonesian Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Avijit Mazumdar, Assocham India
Pierre Tchanqué, Cameroon Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Mines
Keizo Saji, Japan Chamber of Commerce
1992
Chairman Adnan Kassar, Beirut Chamber of Commerce (Lebanon);
President, General Union of Arab Chambers of Commerce & Industry
Vice-Chairmen A.A Baramuli, Indonesian Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Pierre Tchanqué, Cameroon Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Mines
Keizo Saji, Japan Chamber of Commerce
1991
Chairman Adnan Kassar, Beirut Chamber of Commerce (Lebanon); President, General Union of Arab Chambers of Commerce & Industry
Vice-Chairmen A.A Baramuli, Indonesian Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Pierre Tchanqué, Cameroon Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Mines
Keizo Saji, Japan Chamber of Commerce
Hari Shankar Singhania, Assocham India
1989-1990
Chairman Hans Messer, Frankfurt Chamber of Commerce (Germany)
Vice-Chairmen Adnan Kassar, Beirut Chamber of Commerce (Lebanon)
Pierre Tchanqué, Cameroon Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Mines
Keizo Saji, Japan Chamber of Commerce
Hari Shankar Singhania, Assocham India
1987-1988
Chairman Hans Messer, Frankfurt Chamber of Commerce (Germany)
Vice-Chairmen Adnan Kassar, Beirut Chamber of Commerce (Lebanon)
Pierre Netter, Assembly of French Chambers of Commerce (France)
Keizo Saji, Japan Chamber of Commerce
Hari Shankar Singhania, Assocham India
1985-1986
Chairman Rudolf Schlenker, Hamburg Chamber of Commerce (Germany)
Vice-Chairmen Adnan Kassar, Beirut Chamber of Commerce (Lebanon)
Pierre Netter, Assembly of French Chambers of Commerce (France)
Susumu Furukawa, Osaka Chamber of Commerce (Japan)
Hari Shankar Singhania, Assocham India
1984
Chairman Rudolf Schlenker, Hamburg Chamber of Commerce (Germany)
Vice-Chairmen Adnan Kassar, Beirut Chamber of Commerce (Lebanon)
Pierre Netter, Assembly of French Chambers of Commerce (France)
Isamu Saheki, Osaka Chamber of Commerce (Japan)
Hari Shankar Singhania, Assocham India
1980
Chairman Rudolf Schlenker, Hamburg Chamber of Commerce (Germany)
Vice Chairmen Raul de Goes, Confederation of Chambers of Commerce of Brazil Adnan Kassar, Beirut Chamber of Commerce (Lebanon)
Egil S Roed, Oslo Chamber of Commerce (Norway)
Isamu Saheki, Osaka Chamber of Commerce (Japan)
1978
Chairman Phillip Schoeller, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber
Vice-Chairmen Raul de Goes, Confederation of Chambers of Commerce of Brazil
I. Habibullah, Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce (Pakistan) Adnan Kassar, Beirut Chamber of Commerce (Lebanon)
Egil S. Roed, Oslo Chamber of Commerce (Norway)
Isamu Saheki, Osaka Chamber of Commerce (Japan)
1977
Chairman Phillip Schoeller, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber
Vice-Chairmen Raul de Goes, Confederation of Chambers of Commerce of Brazil
I. Habibullah, Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce (Pakistan) Adnan Kassar, Beirut Chamber of Commerce (Lebanon)
Egil S. Roed, Oslo Chamber of Commerce (Norway)
Isamu Saheki, Osaka Chamber of Commerce (Japan)
1974
Chairman Phillip Schoeller, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber
Vice-Chairmen Arch N. Booth, US Chamber of Commerce (USA)
Raul de Goes, Confederation of Chambers of Commerce of Brazil
I. Habibullah, Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce (Pakistan) Adnan Kassar, Beirut Chamber of Commerce (Lebanon)
Massimo Risso, Chamber of Commerce of Genova (Italy)
Egil S. Roed, Oslo Chamber of Commerce (Norway)
Isamu Saheki, Osaka Chamber of Commerce (Japan)
1972
Chairman Phillip Schoeller, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber
Vice-Chairmen Arch N. Booth, US Chamber of Commerce (USA)
W.H. Fockema Andrea, Rotterdam Chamber of Commerce (Netherlands)
Massimo Risso, Chamber of Commerce of Genova (Italy)
I. Habibullah, Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce (Pakistan)
Isamu Saheki, Osaka Chamber of Commerce (Japan)
1969-1971
Chairman B. Thorburn, Goteburg Chamber of Commerce & Industry (Sweden)
Vice-Chairmen Arch N Booth, US Chamber of Commerce (USA)
Paul Förster, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber
I. Habibullah, Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce (Pakistan)
Shinobu Ichikawa, Osaka Chamber of Commerce (Japan)
Massimo Risso, Chamber of Commerce of Genova (Italy)
1968
Chairman Hans Rudolf Von Schröder, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber
Vice-Chairmen Arch. N.Booth, US Chamber of Commerce (USA)
Paul Förster, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber
Shinobu Ichikawa, Osaka Chamber of Commerce (Japan)
Massimo Risso, Chamber of Commerce of Genova (Italy)
1966
Chairman F.H. Tate, London Chamber of Commerce & Industry (UK)
Vice-Chairmen Arch N Booth, US Chamber of Commerce (USA)
Paul Förster, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber
D.L. Morrell, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
D. Odawara, Osaka Chamber of Commerce (Japan)
Eugenio Radice Fossati, Union of Italian Chambers of Commerce
Rudolf Von Schröder, Hamburg Chamber of Commerce (Germany)
International Information Bureau of Chambers of Commerce (BIICC)
1964
Chairman F.H. Tate, London Chamber of Commerce & Industry (UK)
Vice-Chairmen Arch N Booth, US Chamber of Commerce (USA)
Paul Förster, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber
D.L. Morrell, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
D. Odawara, Osaka Chamber of Commerce (Japan)
Eugenio Radice Fossati, Union of Italian Chambers of Commerce
Rudolf Von Schröder, Hamburg Chamber of Commerce (Germany)
1962
Chairman J.F. Sarasin, Basel Chamber of Commerce (Switzerland)
Vice-Chairmen Arch N. Booth, US Chamber of Commerce
Paul Förster, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber
D.L. Morrell, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
D. Odawara, Osaka Chamber of Commerce (Japan) F.H. Tate, London Chamber of Commerce & Industry (UK)
1960
Chairman B.F. Enschedé, Haarlem Chamber of Commerce (Netherlands)
Vice-Chairmen Paul Förster, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber
Gerhard Frentzel, Association of German Chambers of Ind. & Commerce
D.L. Morrell, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Michisuke Sugi, Osaka Chamber of Commerce (Japan)
1959
Chairman Carlos Mantero, Lisbon Chamber of Commerce (Portugal)
Vice-Chairmen Paul Förster, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber
Gerhard Frentzel, Association of German Chambers of Ind. & Commerce
D.L. Morrell, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Michisuke Sugi, Osaka Chamber of Commerce (Japan)
1956
President Carlos Mantero, Lisbon Chamber of Commerce (Portugal)
Past Presidents Stefano Brun, Naples Chamber of Commerce (Italy)
Jacques Fougerolle, French German Chamber of Commerce
Vice-Presidents Sir Eric Carpenter, Manchester Chamber of Commerce & Industry (UK)
Guillermo Kraft, Chamber of Commerce of Argentina
D.L. Morell, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Michisuke Sugi, Osaka Chamber of Commerce (Japan)
FoundingChairman Stefano Brun, Napels Chamber of Commerce (Italy)
This information has been sourced from the ICC Handbook published as per the years noted above.
Robert Recker serves as the Executive Vice President of the Orlando Regional Chamber, the largest local chamber of commerce in Florida. In his current capacity, Mr. Recker leads the strategic decisions for the organization’s development in the areas of Membership, Community Leadership, Public Policy, Non-Dues Income, Community Relations, International Relations, Communications, and Administration.
Mr. Recker has created innovative sales and marketing strategies that have increased membership sales and retention for five consecutive years. He is credited with developing the Chamber’s membership portfolio of benefits, programs and activities which are marketed to three distinct brands; the Small Business Chamber, Chamber Trustees, and the Regional Board of Advisors. In addition, he has negotiated joint membership alliances with the Asian-American, African-American, and Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors, and the Florida Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Recker also leads the Chamber’s international relations activities for the organization through his involvement with the World Chamber Congress, World Trade Center Orlando, and the Metro Orlando International Affairs Commission.
Mr Recker is the Chairman of the Chamber Leadership Cabinet for the United States Council for International Business. The Leadership Cabinet, comprised of select chamber of commerce executives from across America, will serve as advisors and advocates for the USCIB within the International Chamber of Commerce and the World Chamber Federation. In addition, the Leadership Cabinet will oversee the development of USCIB’s Associates program, which serves to promote an open system of world trade, finance and investment as well as developing products and services for chambers of commerce that which will assist their members efforts to enter and stay competitive in the global marketplace.
google search –
United States Council for International Business. The Leadership Cabinet
Welcome to USCIB – United States Council for International Business
Promotes an open system of world trade, finance, and investment from the perspective of business. www.uscib.org/
***
However, the ICC does by no means represent all businesses, but principally only the largest transnational corporations. The interests of these footloose global players differ significantly from those businesses which are grounded in and oriented towards a local market. But there are other fundamental questions besides whether or not the ICC is really “the world business organization”. Is it appropriate for corporations — which are supposed to compete, adapt and diversify — to organize themselves in what effectively equals a global political monopoly?
The new “partnership” between the ICC and the UN is the result of the former’s ambitious strategy pursued since Helmut Maucher took the helm in early 1997. Maucher, who recently left his job as CEO of Nestlé but remains on the board of directors, felt that the ICC had hitherto been neither sufficiently influential nor visible in the media.[10] Maucher has observed the efficient work of environmental and human rights NGOs within the UN system with great concern. In one of his first interviews as ICC president, Maucher warned: “We have to be careful that they do not get too much influence.” [11]
Within both the WTO and the UN, the ICC is pushing for the implementation of “a framework of global rules” which it plans to help draft, “as the only organization qualified to speak for every business sector in all parts of the world. Governments have to understand,” Maucher argues, “that business is not just another pressure group but a resource that will help them set the right rules.”[12] The joint statement between the UN Secretary- General and the ICC clarifies the ICC’s reasons for wanting to be involved in global decision making: “Business has a strong interest in multilateral cooperation, including standard-setting through the United Nations and other intergovernmental institutions and international conventions on the environment and other global and transborder issues.”
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), contrary to what its name might suggest, is primarily an organization representing the largest transnational corporations on earth, including corporate giants like General Motors, Novartis, Bayer and Nestlé.
The ICC, which for many years has pushed for global economic deregulation within the World Trade Organization, the G-7 and the OECD, now has its sights set on the United Nations. “The way the United Nations regards international business has changed fundamentally. This shift towards a stance more favourable to business is being nurtured from the very top,” ICC Secretary General Maria Livanos Cattaui concluded with satisfaction in a column in the International Herald Tribune in February. Cattaui quotes UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in saying that the time is ripe for consultation between the UN and business.[1]
Cattaui’s optimism was confirmed the same week in a February 9th meeting of 25 ICC business leaders with a heavyweight UN delegation headed by Kofi Annan, heralded as the first step in “a systematic dialogue.” The ICC delegation included captains of industry from Coca Cola, Unilever, McDonalds, Goldman Sachs and Rio Tinto Zinc. In a joint statement, the ICC and the UN Secretary General stated that “broad political and economic changes have opened up new opportunities for dialogue and cooperation between the United Nations and the private sector”.
The two sides committed themselves to “forge a close global partnership to secure greater business input into the world’s economic decision-making and boost the private sector in the least developed countries.” The industry representatives used the occasion to argue for “establishing an effective regulatory framework for globalization, including investment, capital markets, competition, intellectual property rights and trade facilitation.”[2] The ICC has worked with UN institutions before, but not on the highest level and not on the potentially very wide range of political matters around which ‘partnership’ now seems to have emerged.[3]
United States Council for International Business (USCIB) is an independent business advocacy group originally founded in 1945 to promote free trade and help represent U.S. business in the, then new, United Nations. One of its primary goals is expanding market access for U.S. products and services abroad. The organization is fervently pro-trade and pro market- liberalization.
The USCIB has an active membership roster of over 300 multinational companies, law firms and business associations. The roster is replete with household corporate names including 26 of the 30 Dow Jones Industrial Average members. (The number will go to 27 on February 19, 2008 when Chevron is scheduled to replace Honeywell in the Dow.) Legal and consulting multinationals are also well represented.
International Affiliations
The USCIB is the U.S. affiliate of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD and the International Organisation of Employers. It functions as the U.S. representative to the ICC’s multifaceted dispute resolution services, including the ICC International Court of Arbitration which is charged with settlement of international business disputes and the legal and procedural aspects of arbitration.
Functions
The USCIB’s three function areas are policy advocacy, dispute resolution and ATA Carnet administration.
The organization promotes business interests both to U.S. policy makers and to international groups like the United Nations. Current, stated policy priorities include advancing sustainable development, expanding international trade and investment, ensuring strong intellectual property rights and supporting information & communication technology (ICT) enabled growth.
Dispute resolution is accomplished through the USCIB’s affiliation with the ICC and its dispute resolution service which includes the ICC International Court of Arbitration. The USCIB provides assistance in the nomination of arbitrators, makes referrals to parties seeking attorneys, organizes seminars and corporate roundtables, and answers questions from U.S. businesses regarding the arbitration process and other ICC dispute resolution services.
Since 1968, when U.S. Customs assigned them the task, the USCIB has been handling the administration of international customs documents know as ATA Carnets. In this capacity the organization issues and guarantees Carnets, which allow temporary, duty-free imports overseas for goods generally qualified for use in trade shows or as commercial samples and professional equipment.
The ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) is a specialised division of the International Chamber Of Commerce (ICC). The IMB is a non-profit making … www.icc-ccs.org/
***
Coalitions – California Chamber of Commerce
U.S. Council for International Business (USCIB) … Chamber of Commerce involved in international trade via a Leadership Cabinet of the USCIB. … passage of a free trade agreement between the United States and the Republic of Korea. … http://www.calchamber.com/governmentrelations/lobbying/coalitions/pages/default.aspx
California Employer Coalition on Heat Stress Represents the views of California employers to the Division of Occupational Safety and Health and to the Cal/OSHA Standards Board in the form of written comments and testimony regarding potential impacts proposed regulations on heat stress might have on California businesses and their workers. Staff Contact: Marti Fisher
California Employers Coalition on Meal and Rest Period — Represents the views of California employers to the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement and the Legislature regarding potential impacts proposed regulations and legislation on meal and rest periods might have on California businesses and their workers. Staff Contact: Kyla Christoffersen
California Employers Coalition
Comprised of employers and employer association representatives, CEC reviews and comments directly on issues that affect the employer/employee relationship. This coalition is the consensus voice of California employers to the state Legislature and state agency boards regarding the impact of proposed laws and regulations on businesses. Staff Contact: Kyla Christoffersen
The Thursday Group Seeks to promote an agenda that strikes a reasonable balance between economic growth and environmental protection. The goal of the Thursday Group is to encourage California decision-makers to work with the group to strike a reasonable compromise between the impact of legislation on California’s economy and environmental protection. Staff Contact: Robert Callahan
Mission of the USTR | Office of the United States Trade Representative
The United States is party to numerous trade agreements with other countries, … The head of USTR is the U.S. Trade Representative, a Cabinet member who serves … and a member of the National Advisory Council on International Monetary and … USTR provides trade policy leadership and negotiating expertise in its … http://www.ustr.gov/about-us/mission
Leadership Group – Breaux Lott
The firm unites two former United States Senators Trent Lott and John Breaux, … and Republicans and served as chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council. … an international business advisory firm headquartered in Austin, Texas. …. as to the Bush and Obama Administrations (White House, cabinet departments, … http://www.breauxlott.com/leadership.html
from these results above –
Leadership Group
Based in Washington, D.C., The Breaux-Lott Leadership Group offers strategic advice, consulting and lobbying to a wide range of clients. The firm unites two former United States Senators Trent Lott and John Breaux, leaders from opposite parties with a combined total of nearly 70 years experience in Congress. It is clear over the last several years that the only way to accomplish true results in Washington is through a bipartisan approach.
Senator John Breaux
Senator John Breaux is a vital voice and force in the American political arena. He led a long and distinguished career in Congress before joining Patton Boggs as senior counsel after retiring from the United States Senate in 2005. He provided strategic advice to Patton Boggs’ attorneys and clients on a wide range of public policy matters, with special concentration in the areas of healthcare and energy law. His latest venture is cofounding the Breaux-Lott Leadership Group, an all-in-the-family lobbying firm for bipartisan solutions, with former Senator Trent Lott. Exclusively represented by Leading Authorities, he tackles today’s key issues in a comfortable manner, based on many years of experience in service to the nation.
A Politician with Balance. Breaux was elected to the House of Representatives in 1972 at the age of 28–at the time of his election he was the youngest member of the United States Congress. He was a widely recognized bipartisan leader in the Senate, and in 1993 was elected by his Democratic colleagues to the post of Deputy Minority Whip, a position he held until his retirement. He also held a number of key Senate committee positions. A senior member of the Finance Committee, Breaux served as the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Social Security and Family Policy. He also held positions on two other Finance subcommittees, the Subcommittee on Health Care, and the Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight. From his position on the Finance Committee, he played instrumental roles in forging the compromises that led to passage of the welfare reform and health insurance reform bills in 1996. He was also a leader in the efforts to reduce the capital gains tax and to provide tax relief for college education expenses.
While in the Senate, Breaux was a beacon of insight on energy issues. He served as co-chair of the Oil and Gas Caucus and was a conferee on energy legislation that was eventually written into the 2005 Energy Bill. He was active in advancing legislation to promote domestic oil and gas production, and was a cosponsor of the Marginal Well Preservation Act, a tax incentive program that encouraged oil production from marginal oil wells. He was also a principal author of the Outer Continental Shelf Land Act.
Bipartisan Solidarity. Senator Breaux was a founder of the Centrist Coalition of Senate Democrats and Republicans and served as chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council. In 2005 President George W. Bush appointed Breaux as the co-chair of the President’s Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform, while in 2006, he was chosen to be a member of the Advisory Committee on Transformational Diplomacy at the U.S. Department of State. Breaux continues to serve as an effective and aggressive advocate for the state of Louisiana. His mainstream approach to government has earned him praise from conservatives, liberals, and moderates across the nation. As The Shreveport Times observed in a March 1997 editorial: “Breaux has sought to build bridges between Democrats and Republicans and is widely respected on both sides of the aisle.”
Senator Trent Lott
In December 2007, Trent Lott left the United States Congress where he has worked on behalf of the people of the State of Mississippi for the past 35 years. A champion of a strong national defense, he remains dedicated to encouraging economic growth and protecting Americans’ economic security by getting government off their backs and out of their pocketbooks. Seven Presidents have known both his cooperation and his opposition, for he has kept his country ahead of partisan and personal concerns.
As the House Republican Whip in 1981, he forged the bipartisan alliance that enacted President Ronald Reagan’s economic recovery program and his national security initiatives. Part of the reason for this and other victories was Congressman Lott’s creation of the House of Representative’s first modern whip organization, focusing on regular member-to-member contacts and extensive outreach to sympathetic Democrats. Counting votes, building coalitions, and moving legislation were things he seemed born to do, and he genuinely enjoyed the process.
Elected to the Senate in 1988, he was a member of the group of pro-growth stalwarts who opposed the tax increase forced on President Bush in 1990. When he became the Senate’s 16th Majority Leader in 1996, he again put his coalition-building skills to the test and, along with House Speaker Newt Gingrich, enacted his historic welfare reform bill of 1996. The next year, Lott, Gingrich and congressional Budget Committee chairmen John Kasich and Pete Domenici together produced an historic budget and tax cut agreement that limited some federal spending. But more important, it created new incentives to save and invest, thereby stimulating the economic growth that brought the federal budget into balance for the first time since 1968.
As the Republican Leader during the first two years of President George W. Bush’s administration, Senator Lott led the fight for passage of the President’s tax cut package, the President’s landmark education reform bill, the largest increase in defense spending since the Cold War, the most significant trade legislation in a decade, and the resolution supporting the President on military action in Iraq.
During the Senate’s lame duck session of November 2002, Senator Lott, drawing on his experience as a legislative negotiator, reached the compromises that created the Department of Homeland Security. In 2006, Senator Lott was elected Senate Republican Whip for the second time in his career. He is the only member of Congress to hold this position in both the House and Senate.
For 16 years in the House of Representatives and 19 years in the Senate, Trent Lott has been a driving force in the United States Congress. After his retirement from the United States Senate, Senator Lott founded the Breaux Lott Leadership Group with former Senator John Breaux of Louisiana, a partnership offering strategic advice, consulting and lobbying to a wide range of clients. The firm unites two former Senate leaders from opposite parties, with a combined total of nearly 70 years experience in Congress.
Senator Lott is married to Patricia (Tricia) Thompson Lott, his college sweetheart. They have two children- Chester Trent Lott, Jr. and Tyler Lott Armstrong-and have been blessed with four grandchildren, Chester Trent Lott III, Lucie Sims Lott, Shields Elizabeth Armstrong and Addison States Armstrong.
Bret Boyles
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Bret K. Boyles is a founding member of the Breaux Lott Leadership Group and brings with him more than a decade of political and policy expertise. Most recently, Mr. Boyles served as Chief of Staff to Republican Whip, Senator Trent Lott. Prior to that Boyles served as Executive Director of the New Republican Majority Fund and as President of his own consulting firm, Principle Strategies Group. Early in his career Boyles served as a Legislative Assistant to Majority Leader Lott working on issues related to Commerce and Banking.
Boyles has twice been recognized by Roll Call Newspaper as a Top 50 Staffer for his “know how,” “access, ” and “strength” to get things done.
John Breaux Jr.
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John Breaux Jr. has over 20 years experience in government and political relations and currently runs a successful consulting practice in Washington, D.C., and New Orleans, LA. Before starting his practice in 2001, Breaux Jr. served as a principal at Johnston & Associates. His experience includes serving as managing director for Public Strategies, an international business advisory firm headquartered in Austin, Texas. He also worked as a director of congressional affairs at the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association.
John Flynn
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John P. Flynn joins The Breaux Lott Leadership Group with nearly 30 years of maritime and marine resource experience, including 10 years of practical experience on Capitol Hill.
Prior to joining The Breaux Lott Leadership Group, Mr. Flynn served as a government relations specialist for one of the Gulf South’s largest law firms, where he focused on maritime transportation, fisheries and other policy issues.
Mr. Flynn served as a Legislative Assistant and Congressional Fellow to U.S. Senator John Breaux (1998-2004). In this capacity, he functioned as his primary advisor on maritime, marine resource and transportation issues and related policy development. During his tenure as a staff member in the senate, Mr. Flynn worked on a wide variety of maritime and fisheries matters, including the Maritime Transportation Safety Act, Oceans Act, Aquatic Resources Trust Fund (Wallop-Breaux), Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act and numerous Coast Guard authorization bills. He has served as U.S. delegate to the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna.
Mr. Flynn served in the U.S. Coast Guard, both as a commissioned officer and senior enlisted member, from 1978-2002, in increasingly responsible positions, principally in the marine safety program. On the occasion of his retirement from the Coast Guard, he held virtually all attainable marine safety and marine inspection qualifications. He is also a National Interagency Incident Command System (ICS) Instructor.
Callie Fuselier Hickox assists clients on a variety of public policy and regulatory issues that come before Congress and other federal and state forums.
Before joining The Breaux Lott Leadership Group, Ms. Hickox gained extensive knowledge of the legislative process and established strong Congressional and Executive Branch relationships by working on Capitol Hill, as well as at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and Patton Boggs, LLP.
During her seven years on Capitol Hill working for Senator John Breaux and then Minority Leader (now Majority Leader) Harry Reid, she worked with federal and state lawmakers on a wide range of matters. Ms. Hickox developed key relationships and interacted closely with both Democratic and Republican leadership staff, monitoring the daily legislative activity on the Senate floor. Her responsibilities also included facilitating meetings between the Senators and members of Congress, cabinet secretaries, ambassadors, and White House officials.
After leaving Capitol Hill, Ms. Hickox served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Commissioner Fred Hatfield at the CFTC and then as Public Policy Advisor at Patton Boggs, LLP.
Chester Trent Lott, Jr.
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A graduate of the University of Mississippi (BPA), Chet Lott has an extensive business background in the private sector. In 2001, he joined his partner, former Congressman Larry Hopkins (R-KY), in forming the government relations consulting firm of Lott & Hopkins, LLC, based in Washington, DC and Lexington, KY. Two years later, the former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Honorable Bob Livingston, asked him to join prominent lobbying firm The Livingston Group. “He brings unique knowledge and experience in both private sector business and the workings of federal and state governments.”
Chet was a successful and recognized restaurateur, the recipient of many awards for operational excellence and sales. His real world experience with the way public policy impacts people’s livelihoods and businesses, along with his family tradition of public service, provided Chet an early and profound education in government and politics. He has worked on a varied set of issues affecting the defense, energy, shipping, medical/healthcare, telecommunications and gaming industries. Specific issues include contract management and procurement, border security matters, maritime and offshore energy projects.
A charitable project close to Chet’s heart is his Katrina relief benefit CD. An accomplished musician from an early age, his music has raised over $125,000 for the Southeast Mississippi Chapter of the Red Cross.
Among Lott’s passions is the sport of polo. He has reached the United States Polo Associations rating of one goal and has served on the Lexington Polo Club & National Polo Institute board of directors. Chet and his wife Diane own Augustus Hill Farm in the beautiful bluegrass area of Kentucky. The farm specializes in breaking thoroughbred racehorses for polo.
Chet has served on the Cardinal Hill Hospital board of directors and currently serves on the Headley-Whitney Museum Board of directors and the Kentucky Horse Park Board of Governors.
In January 2008, Chet joined his three partners, Senator Trent Lott, Senator John Breaux and John Breaux, Jr., in forming The Breaux Lott Leadership Group. Representing fortune 100 companies, the firm has catapulted to one of the top political consulting firms in the country. He travels weekly between Kentucky and Washington.
Kelly Mixon
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Kelly joined the Breaux Lott Leadership Group as an Associate in 2009 after serving several years as a professional staff member in both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives.
Ms. Mixon served as Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS). In this capacity, Ms. Mixon advised the Senator on issues related to the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee as well as the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Previously, she was a Legislative Correspondent for U.S. Senator Trent Lott. Prior to her time in the Senate, Kelly worked as a staff member for then-U.S. Representative Roger Wicker in his Washington D.C. office.
Originally from Oxford, Mississippi; Kelly earned a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Mississippi.
Manny Rossman
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A well-respected Capitol Hill veteran, Rossman brings with him nearly a decade of bipartisan, senior-level experience in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. For the last two-plus years he served as Chief of Staff to the Senate Republican Whip (Sen. Lott in 2007, and Sen. Jon Kyl in 2008-Feb. 2009), the second-ranking Republican in the Senate. As Chief of Staff, Rossman was the lead advisor and strategist to the Whip and his team of deputy whips, and was responsible for formulating strategy and implementing the priorities of a diverse caucus across all issues before the Senate. Rossman was the principal liaison from the Whip office to all Senate and House leadership offices, Committees, and Member offices, as well as to the Bush and Obama Administrations (White House, cabinet departments, and transition office).
Before serving in the Whip office, Rossman focused on the legislative activities of the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means Committees. From 2005-2006, Rossman was Finance Counsel to Sen. Lott, in which capacity he played a leading role in shaping all major tax, international trade, health care and pension legislation before the Finance Committee and the Senate, much of which is law today.
From 2003-2004 Rossman was Legislative Director to Rep. Phil Crane, then-Chairman of the Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, where he worked on numerous tax and trade bills, many of them bipartisan, which were signed into law.
Rossman has a B.A. from Colgate University, and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law. He and his wife, Jennifer, reside in Arlington, Virginia.
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Related Stories
* House approves climate change bill
* U.S. climate change impacts are forecast
* Climate change: Here now and intensifying
WASHINGTON, June 26 (UPI) — The head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce advised legislators Friday to take time to read and consider the climate change bill before voting.
The House of Representatives passed the measure 219-212 in the evening.
Tom Donohue, the chamber president and chief executive officer, said at a lunch sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor that his group wants a bill reducing greenhouse gases. But he said any bill the chamber supports would need to avoid onerous requirements on businesses and preserve jobs, The Hill reported.
Last night, those people being asked to vote were given a 1,200-and-some-odd-page document that they have never seen before. This is ‘hurry up and do it,’ Donohue said. Bob Dole used to say to members of the Senate, ‘Let’s all hurry up and vote on this before anybody has a chance to read it.’
The chamber sent House members a letter Thursday urging them to vote against the bill in its current form.
The bill — which supporters said was crafted to limit greenhouse gas emissions, promote clean energy technology and create jobs that cannot be outsourced overseas — included the controversial cap-and-trade system, which would require polluters to accrue credits through buying and selling for all the greenhouse gases they produce. The cap-and-trade system would help reduce emissions to 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, supporters said.
Eight Republicans voted in favor and 44 Democrats voted against the measure, which next goes to the U.S. Senate, where political analysts say it is likely to undergo some changes.
* Global warming, CO2 linkage confirmed
* Global warming causing mass migration
* Scientists urged to cut carbon emissions
CHAMPAIGN, Ill., June 16 (UPI) — U.S. scientists say climate change in the form of regional drought, higher temperatures and heavy rainfall is now common in many parts of the nation.
The scientists representing 13 U.S government agencies, universities and research institutes say the human-induced climate changes are likely to increase in intensity.
The 190-page study is said to be the most comprehensive report to date on national climate change, offering the latest information on rising temperatures, heavy downpours, extreme weather conditions, sea level changes and other results of U.S. climate change.
The study, led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, focuses on effects by region and details how the nation’s transportation, agriculture, health, water and energy sectors will be affected.
University of Illinois Professor Don Wuebbles, a contributor to the report, said average temperatures have risen in the Midwest during recent decades and the growing season has been extended by one week. Heavy downpours are now twice as frequent as they were a century ago and the Midwest has experienced two record-breaking floods during the past 15 years, he said.
Wuebbles said average annual temperatures are expected to increase by about 2 degrees Fahrenheit during the next few decades and by as much as 7 to 10 degrees by the end of the century.
***
2000 August – International Labor Affairs Report
After the Ministerial, USCIB President Tom Niles led a business delegation …. A week after the International Labor Conference, the United Nations held a … www.uscib.org/index.asp?documentID=1385
http://www.uscib.org/
United States Council for International Business
The United States Council for International Business promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and prudent regulation. USCIB’s vision and strength are provided by an active membership of leading corporations and organizations, while our unique global network helps turn the vision into reality. USCIB also provides a range of business services, including the ATA Carnet for temporary exports, to facilitate overseas trade and investment.
Worldwide Access, Worldwide Influence
USCIB provides key platforms for American business to participate in – and influence – major multilateral discussions and negotiations. As sole U.S. affiliate of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Organization of Employers (IOE), and the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD, USCIB presents informed business views and solutions to government leaders and policy makers worldwide.
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USCIB’s unique global network of business affiliates provides unparalleled access to international policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide. Our members’ views are heard in national capitals and at major international economic forums around the world.
No other American organization can provide comparable channels for business to interface with key inter-governmental bodies such as the United Nations, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the International Labor Organization. ICC, IOE and BIAC act as important global business forums in their own right.
USCIB’s global approach begins at home, with Congress and the Executive Branch. We have established relationships with key U.S. government departments and officials, who look to USCIB for solid business analysis on key issues affecting U.S. commercial interests and the international economy.
Our advocacy role is enhanced by an extensive international network of business affiliations, through which USCIB pursues world business consensus and leadership on critical international economic issues, while we ensure that business views are communicated to international decision-makers and institutions.
USCIB affiliates around the world
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FACTBOX: U.S. states in balancing act on budgets
Fri Jun 26, 2009 10:51am EDT
NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. states are resorting to some unusual measures to balance budgets as the economic recession decimates their revenue.
States are forbidden from running a deficit, forcing political leaders to resort to spending cuts or tax hikes during times of stress.
Forty-six U.S. states face fiscal 2010 budget deficits totaling at least $130 billion, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. During the current fiscal year, 42 states were hit with mid-year shortfalls of a combined $60 billion, according to the Washington think-tank.
That compares with the $1.8 trillion deficit run up by the federal government, which is allowed to operate with a deficit.
So far this year, 23 states have enacted tax increases and another 13 are considering similar moves.
Here are some of the measures that have been enacted or proposed:
* Prison Cuts
Colorado, Kansas, Michigan, North Carolina and Washington have closed prisons this year as a cost-cutting measure.
New York State and Kentucky changed sentencing laws and bolstered substance abuse programs to keep more drug offenders out of prison. New York expects its changed regulations to save the state about a quarter of a billion dollars a year.
The U.S. has the world’s largest prison population with one in every 31 adults in the corrections system, which includes jail, prison, probation and supervision. States spent a record $51.7 billion on corrections in fiscal 2008.
* Sin taxes
Arkansas, Colorado, Hawaii, Florida, Mississippi, Kentucky, Rhode Island and Vermont have increased tobacco taxes.
Wyoming and Maine changed the method for taxing tobacco products to base them on weight.
New York raised taxes on beer, wine and cigars.
Kentucky ended its sales tax exemption on alcoholic beverages.
California is mulling legalizing marijuana and charging a $50-per-ounce tax on it along with the state’s sale tax. Continued…
California lawmakers have further proposed increasing sales taxes on sexually-explicit content.
Virginia is considering taxing hotel movie rentals.
Georgia is mulling charging customers at erotic dance bars a $5 pole tax.
South Dakota increased taxes on gaming proceeds.
* Personal income and sales taxes
New York and Hawaii have increased taxes for the wealthy.
California increased personal income taxes by 1 percent.
California increased the sales tax by 1-cent.
Kentucky applied sales taxes to digital products, such as software and cellphone ring tones.
Maine extended its sales tax to include amusement parks and sporting events, as well as maintenance and service transactions, including auto repair and dry cleaning.
Nevada increased its sales tax by 0.35 percent.
Vermont made changes to its income tax structure that eliminates an exemption on capital gains income and caps the amount of state and local income taxes that can be deducted from federal adjusted gross income.
Virginia raised income tax revenue by restructuring a credit for land preservation.
New York raised taxes on wireless devices and increased registration fees for motorcycles, cars and boats, hunting and fishing licenses and introduced a saltwater fishing license fee. It also added a new 5-cent beverage deposit on bottled water.
* Business taxes
Iowa and Maryland scaled back business tax credits.
Kansas suspended its film production tax credit for two years.
New York restructured business tax benefits in its Empire Zone program.
Virginia expanded its corporate income tax to include investment income from real estate investment trusts.
Nevada restructured its business payroll tax.
* Court fees
Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Minnesota, Nevada and Utah raised court fees.
* Source: Reuters reports, Stateline.org, a nonprofit, non-partisan news service sponsored by the Pew Center on the States, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a non-partisan think tank.
These funds split investments between growth stocks, income stocks/bonds, and money market instruments or cash for stability. Fund advisers switch the percentage of holdings in each asset category according to the performance of that group. Example: A fund may have 60% invested in stocks, 20% in bonds, and 20% in cash or money market. If the stock market is expected to do well, that could switch to 80% stocks, and 10% each in both bond and cash investments. Conversely, if the stock market is expected to perform poorly, the fund would decrease its stock holdings.
Fund of funds
Fund of funds implies that the assets of a fund are other funds. The other funds may be stock funds, in which case the original fund can be called fund of stock funds . See fund of funds.
Hedge funds
Hedge fund is a legal structure. Hedge funds often trade stocks, but may trade or invest in anything else depending on the fund. See hedge fund.
United Nations Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development – June 24 – 26, 2009
The United Nations is convening a three-day summit of world leaders from 24 to 26 June 2009 at its New York Headquarters to assess the worst global economic downturn since the Great Depression. The aim is to identify emergency and long-term responses to mitigate the impact of the crisis, especially on vulnerable populations, and initiate a needed dialogue on the transformation of the international financial architecture, taking into account the needs and concerns of all Member States.
The United Nations summit of world leaders in June was mandated at the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development, held in December 2008 in Doha, Qatar. Member States requested the General Assembly President Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann to organize the meeting “at the highest level”.
**
Draft outcome document of the Conference on the
World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact
on Development
We, Heads of State and Government and High Representatives, met in New
York from 24 to 26 June 2009 for the United Nations Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development.
1. The world is confronted with the worst financial and economic crisis since the Great Depression.
The evolving crisis, which began within the world’s major financial centres, has spread throughout the global economy, causing severe social, political and economic impacts. We are deeply concerned with its adverse impact on development. This crisis is negatively affecting all countries, particularly developing countries, and threatening the livelihoods, well-being and development opportunities of millions of people.
The crisis has not only highlighted longstanding systemic fragilities and imbalances, but has also led to an intensification of efforts to reform and strengthen the international financial system and architecture.
Our challenge is to ensure that actions and responses to the crisis are commensurate with its scale, depth and urgency, adequately financed, promptly implemented and appropriately coordinated internationally.
2. We reaffirm the purposes of the United Nations, as set forth in its Charter,
including “to achieve international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character” and “to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends”. The principles of the Charter are particularly relevant in addressing the current challenges.
The United Nations, on the basis of its universal membership and legitimacy, is well positioned to participate in various reform processes aimed at improving and strengthening the effective functioning of the international financial system and architecture.
This United Nations Conference is part of our collective effort towards recovery. It builds on and contributes to what already is being undertaken by diverse actors and in various forums, and is intended to support, inform and provide political impetus to future actions.
This Conference also highlights the importance of the role of the United Nations in international economic issues.
United Nations Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development – June 24 – 26, 2009
The United Nations is convening a three-day summit of world leaders from 24 to 26 June 2009 at its New York Headquarters to assess the worst global economic downturn since the Great Depression. The aim is to identify emergency and long-term responses to mitigate the impact of the crisis, especially on vulnerable populations, and initiate a needed dialogue on the transformation of the international financial architecture, taking into account the needs and concerns of all Member States.
The United Nations summit of world leaders in June was mandated at the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development, held in December 2008 in Doha, Qatar. Member States requested the General Assembly President Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann to organize the meeting “at the highest level”.
**
Draft outcome document of the Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development
We, Heads of State and Government and High Representatives, met in New
York from 24 to 26 June 2009 for the United Nations Conference on the WorldFinancial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development.
1. The world is confronted with the worst financial and economic crisis since the Great Depression. The evolving crisis, which began within the world’s major financial centres, has spread throughout the global economy, causing severe social, political and economic impacts. We are deeply concerned with its adverse impact on development.
This crisis is negatively affecting all countries, particularly developing countries, and threatening the livelihoods, well-being and development opportunities of millions of people. The crisis has not only highlighted longstanding systemic fragilities and imbalances, but has also led to an intensification of efforts to reform and strengthen the international financial system and architecture.
Our challenge is to ensure that actions and responses to the crisis are commensurate with its scale, depth and urgency, adequately financed, promptly implemented and
appropriately coordinated internationally.
2. We reaffirm the purposes of the United Nations, as set forth in its Charter,
including “to achieve international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character” and “to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends”. The principles of the Charter are particularly relevant in addressing the current challenges.
The United Nations, on the basis of its universal membership and legitimacy, is well positioned to participate in various reform processes aimed at improving and strengthening the effective functioning of the international financial system and architecture.
This United Nations Conference is part of our collective effort towards recovery. It builds on and contributes to what already is being undertaken by diverse actors and in various forums, and is intended to support, inform and provide political impetus to future actions. This Conference also highlights the importance of the role of the United Nations in international economic issues.
The crisis has produced or exacerbated serious, wide-ranging yet differentiated impacts across the globe.
Since the crisis began, many States have reported negative impacts, which vary by country, region, level of development and severity, including the following:
• Rapid increases in unemployment, poverty and hunger
• Deceleration of growth, economic contraction
• Negative effects on trade balances and balance of payments
• Dwindling levels of foreign direct investment
• Large and volatile movements in exchange rates
• Growing budget deficits, falling tax revenues and reduction of fiscal space
• Contraction of world trade
• Increased volatility and falling prices for primary commodities
• Declining remittances to developing countries
• Sharply reduced revenues from tourism
• Massive reversal of private capital inflows
• Reduced access to credit and trade financing
• Reduced public confidence in financial institutions
• Reduced ability to maintain social safety nets and provide other social
services, such as health and education
• Increased infant and maternal mortality
• Collapse of housing markets. Causes of the crisis
9.
The drivers of the financial and economic crisis are complex and multifaceted.
We recognize that many of the main causes of the crisis are linked to systemic
fragilities and imbalances that contributed to the inadequate functioning of the global economy.
Major underlying factors in the current situation included inconsistent and insufficiently coordinated macroeconomic policies and inadequate structural reforms, which led to unsustainable global macroeconomic outcomes.
These factors were made acute by major failures in financial regulation, supervision and monitoring of the financial sector, and inadequate surveillance and early warning.
These regulatory failures, compounded by over-reliance on market selfregulation, overall lack of transparency, financial integrity and irresponsible behaviour, have led to excessive risk-taking, unsustainably high asset prices,irresponsible leveraging and high levels of consumption fuelled by easy credit and inflated asset prices.
Financial regulators, policymakers and institutions failed to appreciate the full measure of risks in the financial system or address the extent of the growing economic vulnerabilities and their cross-border linkages.
Insufficient emphasis on equitable human development has contributed to significant inequalities among countries and peoples. Other weaknesses of a systemic nature also contributed to the unfolding crisis, which has demonstrated the need for more effective government involvement to ensure an appropriate balance between the market and public interest.
Financial Stability Board – Financial Stability Forum
16 Jun
The Financial Stability Board will hold its Inaugural Meeting in Basel on 26-27 June.
*** Fully Spend Stimulus Money to Back Crisis Recovery, Says IMF
With advanced economies still struggling, the IMF is urging governments to fully implement the spending measures they have announced to combat the global economic crisis and not to relax in supporting an incipient recovery.click for more
# IMF Invites Input on Governance Reform
# Join the Conversation
IMF AND CIVIL SOCIETY
IMF Invites Civil Society Input Into Governance Reform
IMF Survey online
June 26, 2009
* Move follows calls from civil society for voice in reform process
* Proposals to be channeled by independently run website
* Process to culminate at IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Istanbul
The IMF is asking civil society organizations (CSOs) for input into proposals to reform the way the institution is governed.
An independently run website has been set up to help collate and synthesize the CSO input, which will feed into IMF staff’s preparation of governance reform papers for IMF Executive Board discussions before the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in October. The process will culminate in a meeting between IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn and CSOs during the 2009 Annual Meetings in Istanbul, Turkey.
The effort to involve CSOs in IMF governance reform—called the Fourth Pillar—follows calls from civil society for a voice in the process. The move started with a series of letters to civil society figures from Strauss-Kahn in late 2008 and also involved an April videoconference between Strauss-Kahn and CSOs on three continents.
Roles reassessed
Governance reform at the IMF is one of the most important tasks facing the institution. In March 2008, the Executive Board approved a resolution increasing the voice and participation of emerging market economies and low-income countries in the institution. Now further reforms are under consideration.
Additional proposals include a reassessment of the roles and responsibilities of the Board of Governors, the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC), the Executive Board, and IMF Management, as well as procedures for selecting the IMF Managing Director. The Fourth Pillar—like the other three pillars—will inform a forthcoming Board paper on governance reform, which will be presented to the Board of Governors at the 2009 Annual Meetings in Istanbul.
The three existing pillars comprise work already done by
• The IMF’s Independent Evaluation Office, which released a report on “Governance of the IMF” in May 2008
• The IMF Executive Board, which is examining proposals from a Working Group on IMF Corporate Governance, and
• The Committee of Eminent Persons on IMF Governance Reform, which reported in March 2009.
The IMF uses the term civil society organization to refer to the wide range of citizens’ associations that exists in virtually all member countries to provide benefits, services, or political influence to specific groups within society. CSOs include business forums, faith-based associations, labor unions, local community groups, nongovernmental organizations, philanthropic foundations, and think tanks. Usually excluded are branches of government—such as government agencies and legislators—and also individual businesses, political parties, and the media. Labor unions often distinguish themselves from CSOs.
Road to Istanbul
June 19: the CSO administrator has submitted the first round of core documents to the IMF staff who are writing a paper to be discussed by the IMF Board on July 22.
By Friday, July 10: the CSO administrator will draft a three-page paper compiling principles, recommendations, and issues to be submitted to the IMF Board for its meeting of July 22.
Mid-June to mid-August: CSOs will meet personally or by teleconference and/or video conference with IMF staff to discuss additional inputs, indicate priorities, and exchange views.
Late August/early September: an informal CSO meeting with the IMF Board is to be arranged.
Early September: CSO recommendations to be submitted.
October 6/7: at the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Istanbul, Strauss-Kahn will meet with CSOs to discuss their inputs and proposals.
The IMF has invited the New Rules for Global Finance Coalition to coordinate the inputs and interaction with CSOs during the consultation period. The coalition is a Washington, D.C.-based organization that advocates advancing reforms of the governance and practices of international financial institutions.
The IMF is providing logistical support through the funding and development of the independent and interactive website, where CSOs can submit materials, engage in debates, and offer feedback. New Rules for Global Finance will be the sole administrator of the website.
Proposals can be submitted through the website, or directly to the IMF at ngoliaison@imf.org. A representation of submitted materials will be translated into French, Spanish, and English; translations in additional languages will be accommodated where possible.
Comments on this article should be sent to imfsurvey@imf.org
# FSF Principles for Cross-border Cooperation on Crisis Management
# FSF Principles for Sound Compensation Practices
# Ongoing and Recent Work Relevant to Sound Financial Systems
# Report of the Financial Stability Forum on Addressing Procyclicality in the Financial System
# Report of the Financial Stability Forum on Enhancing Market and Institutional Resilience – Update on Implementation
Recommendations and principles to strengthen financial systems
On 2 April 2009, the Financial Stability Forum (FSF) issued reports covering:
* Recommendations for Addressing Procyclicality in the Financial System;
* Principles for Sound Compensation Practices; and
* Principles for Cross-border Cooperation on Crisis Management.
The Forum also published today an update on the implementation of the recommendations contained in the FSF’s April 2008 Report on Enhancing Market and Institutional Resilience.
Addressing procyclicality in the financial system
The present crisis has demonstrated the disruptive effects of procyclicality – mutually reinforcing interactions between the financial and real sectors of the economy that tend to amplify business cycle fluctuations and cause or exacerbate financial instability. Addressing procyclicality in the financial system is an essential component of strengthening the macroprudential orientation of regulatory and supervisory frameworks.
The recommendations set out in this report mitigate mechanisms that amplify procyclicality in both good and bad times. They encompass a mix of quantitative/rules-based and discretionary measures that are interrelated and reinforce one another. They will be implemented over time once conditions in financial markets return to normal.
Principles for Sound Compensation Practices
The Principles require compensation practices in the financial industry to align employees’ incentives with the long-term profitability of the firm. The principles call for effective governance of compensation, and for compensation to be adjusted for all types of risk, to be symmetric with risk outcomes, and to be sensitive to the time horizon of risks. Implementation by firms will be reinforced through supervisory examinations at the national level.
Principles for Cross-border Cooperation on Crisis Management
Through these Principles , relevant authorities, including supervisory agencies, central banks and finance ministries, commit to cooperate both in making advanced preparations for dealing with financial crisis and in managing them.
Update on the Implementation of the April 2008 FSF Recommendations
The update on progress in implementing the recommendations of the April 2008 Report on Enhancing Market and Institutional Resilience covers actions in five areas: (i) strengthening capital, liquidity and risk management in the financial system; (ii) enhancing transparency and valuation; (iii) changing the role and uses of credit ratings; (iv) strengthening the authorities’ responsiveness to risks; and (v) putting in place robust arrangements for dealing with stress in the financial system.
The previous follow-up report, issued in October 2008, is available here.
Recalls and Product Safety News
Help keep your family safe by checking product recalls and safety news from CPSC.
Neighborhood Safety Network (Español)
Help all Americans become aware of lifesaving safety information.
Report an Unsafe Product
Report an incident with a product that caused an injury. Medical Professionals and Fire/Police Investigators: file MECAP, incident reports.
***
Qantas cuts back on Dreamliner order
SIDNEY, Australia, June 26 (UPI) — Australian airline Qantas Airways said Friday it was canceling an order for 15 Dreamliner 787 jets, Boeing’s long-delayed, wide-body aircraft.
Qantas cuts back on Dreamliner order
Published: June 26, 2009 at 8:21 AM
Boeing employees clean a 787 Dreamliner wing at the company’s plant during Boeing’s Media Day on May 19, 2008 in Everett, Washington. The Dreamliner, the first new Boeing jet in 14 years, is being built in the 42-acre factory and is slated for its first flight sometime late in 2008. (UPI Photo/Jim Bryant)
Related Stories
* Boeing delays launch of 787 Dreamliner
* Boeing 787 Dreamliner in final tune-ups
* Dreamliner 787 finishing final tests
* Boeing: 787 on track for first flight
* Boeing says a Dreamliner order is canceled
* Test Boeing 787s have temporary fasteners
SIDNEY, Australia, June 26 (UPI) — Australian airline Qantas Airways said Friday it was canceling an order for 15 Dreamliner 787 jets, Boeing’s long-delayed, wide-body aircraft.
The airline also said it would put off delivery of 15 other 787 Dreamliners for four years, The New York Times reported Friday.
A cancellation of 15 jets would save the company $3 billion, Qantas said.
Qantas is still represents Boeing’s largest customer for the more-fuel efficient aircraft, with 50 other jets on order.
Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce said the cancellation was an economic decision, not based on the latest delay of the aircraft’s first test flight, which Boeing announced earlier this week.
Qantas announced its original B787 order in December 2005, and the operating environment for the world’s airlines has clearly changed dramatically since then, Joyce said.
That explanation, however, does not bode well for Boeing, as many other airlines are suffering from falling revenue and could follow suit with canceled or delayed orders.
For Qantas to pull or defer deliveries is a major, major step, said industry analyst Derek Sadubin, at the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation, an Australian consulting company.
CHICAGO, Feb. 2 (UPI) — U.S plane maker Boeing said a customer, presumably Russian airline S7, canceled its order for 15 new 787 Dreamliner jets.
The company planned to identify the customer later Monday, the Financial Times reported.
Although long production delays have forced Boeing to give discounts on Dreamliner orders to customers, Chief Executive Officer Jim McNerney said the cancellation was due to the economic environment, not the delays.
Boeing said a machinist strike and a charge of $685 million for delays in the development of the latest 747 jumbo jet resulted in a loss of $56 million in the fourth quarter. The company announced it was cutting 10,000 jobs to adjust to the slowing economy.
In 2007, Boeing made $1 billion in the fourth quarter.
Before the cancellation, there were 910 Dreamliners on order. McNerney said Boeing expected other cancellations as the economy slowed.
* Boeing to lay off an additional 5,500
* Boeing snags Osprey service contract
* Boeing receives full funding for satellite
* Boeing contracts GE for Indian navy P-8Is
* Test Boeing 787s have temporary fasteners
[also]
* Boeing to discuss B787 costs with partners: paper
* Boeing CEO calls slump ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ event
* Boeing delays Dreamliner test flight again
Data Centre
Last update: 10 June 2009
Online databases
Annual Core indicators Short-term Indicators for Asia and the Pacific
Annual Core indicatorsAnnual Core Indicators (last update: 21 April 2009).The online database contains time series data for selected indicators covering a wide range of issues in relation to the secretariat’s work: demography, migration, education, health, poverty, gender, employment, economy, government finance, employment, transport, and environment.
Among other indicators, this database contains data published in the Statistical Yearbook for Asia and the Pacific 2008. The time series are generally longer and more complete in the database. Because of different presentation requirements, the indicator names in the database and the Yearbook may be slightly different.
Short-term Indicators for Asia and the PacificShort-term indicators (last update: 10 June 2009). The online database contains time series data for 31 of the regional members and associate members of ESCAP and is designed to provide up-to-date monthly (or quarterly) data to assess economic trends for countries or areas in the region. The online database covers the period from January 2003 and is updated every quarter.
Short-term indicators: Introduction and explanatory note.
UNESCAP – United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
United Nations Statistics Division
***
Jacques Polak Research Conference
Call for Papers: Financial Frictions and Macroeconomic Adjustment
November 5—6, 2009
Previous IMF Annual Research Conferences
* Macro-Financial Linkages November 13–14, 2008
* Exchange Rates
November 15-16, 2007
* Capital Flows
November 9-10, 2006
The International Monetary Fund will hold the Tenth Annual Jacques Polak Research Conference at its headquarters in Washington, DC, on November 5-6, 2009.
The conference is intended to provide a forum for discussing innovative research in economics, undertaken both by IMF staff and by outside economists, and to facilitate the exchange of views among researchers and policy makers. Ricardo Caballero (MIT) will deliver the Mundell-Fleming lecture.
The theme of this year’s conference is Financial Frictions and Macroeconomic Adjustment. Possible topics include (but are not restricted to):
* Dynamics of balance sheets and insolvencies during liquidity and solvency crises
* Amplification mechanisms during financial crises and their macroeconomic implications
* The impact of balance sheet adjustments on macroeconomic and financial aggregates
* Lessons from history and country cases about liquidity and solvency crises, and their resolution
* Policy responses to cope with financial imbalances and widespread insolvencies
* The treatment of insolvencies in various legal frameworks and its effects on aggregate outcomes
* The political economy of insolvencies and bailouts
Papers that do not fit into these categories, but that are related to the main theme of the conference, are also welcome.
Interested contributors should submit a draft paper or a two-page proposal to the Program Committee. The proposal should include the title of the paper, the author(s)’ affiliation and contact information, the main questions to be examined, the most relevant literature, the intended contribution of the paper to the literature, and the possible data sets and methodology to be employed. Authors should also provide a copy of their curriculum vitae. All presenters will be reimbursed for travel expenses and accommodation.
Please submit your proposals (in a Word or PDF file) by May 31, 2009 (e-mail to ARC2009@imf.org). Please use the contact author’s name as the name of the file. The Program Committee will evaluate all proposals in terms of originality, analytical rigor, and policy relevance and will contact the authors whose papers have been selected by late June. A 15-page work-in-progress draft will be required by August 14, 2009. Further information on the conference program will be posted on the this webpage.
Advanced eonomies are experiencing a serious downturn in the face of the most dangerous shock in mature financial markets since the 1930s. The major advanced economies are in recession, following the world economy’s longest run of high growth, low inflation, and low interest rates in the postwar period.
To combat the crisis, leaders of advanced economies have undertaken an unprecedented and concerted fiscal expansion to create jobs. Central banks in many advanced economies have also taken exceptional action, aggressively cutting interest rates in many cases and pledging to maintain expansionary policies for as long as needed.
And policymakers are taking steps to restore the normal flow of credit through the financial system—a move designed to breathe new life into the economy—although this is an area where the IMF thinks more needs to be done.
This page highlights the main policy issues facing the advanced economies, as well as the IMF’s work to monitor, advise, and support them.
Country News
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IMF’s Regular Review of Sweden’s Economy
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IMF’s Regular Review of Euro Area Countries
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IMF Reviews Loan to Iceland
Press release
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IMF’s Regular Review of Greece’s Economy
Press release
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IMF’s Regular Review of New Zealand’s Economy
Public information notice
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IMF’s Regular Review of Luxembourg’s Economy
Press release
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IMF’s Regular Review of Canada’s Economy
Press release
IMF Policy Papers
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Why Has Japan Been Hit So Hard by the Global Recession?
Policy paper
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U.S. Fed Balance Sheet: What Happened and Why it Matters
Working paper
*
Systemic Bank Restructuring
Policy report
*
The Crisis: Basic Mechanisms and Appropriate Policies
Working paper
*
Reforming the International Financial Architecture
Working paper
*
Fiscal Implications of the Crisis
Policy report
*
Initial Lessons of the Crisis
Policy report
Background Information
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Promoting Global Economic Stability
Factsheet
*
IMF Surveillance of Countries’ Policies
Factsheet
*
IMF’s Work on Vulnerability Indicators
Factsheet
*
Multilateral Consultation on Global Imbalances
Group of Eight redirects here. For the Australian league of universities, see Group of Eight (Australian universities). For the Pontiac vehicle with the same name, see Pontiac G8. For other uses, see G8 (disambiguation).
Group of Eight
Map of G8 member nations and the European Union
Canada
Prime Minister Stephen Harper
France
President Nicolas Sarkozy
Germany
Chancellor Angela Merkel
Italy
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi
President of the G8 for 2009
Japan
Prime Minister Taro Aso
Russia
President Dmitry Medvedev
United Kingdom
Prime Minister Gordon Brown
United States
President Barack Obama
Also represented
European Union[1]
Commission President José Manuel Barroso
Council President Jan Fischer
The Group of Eight (G8, and formerly the G6 or Group of Six) is a forum, created by France in 1975, for governments of eight nations of the northern hemisphere: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States; in addition, the European Union is represented within the G8, but cannot host or chair.[1] G8 can refer to the member states or to the annual summit meeting of the G8 heads of government. The former term, G6, is now frequently applied to the six most populous countries within the European Union (see G6 (EU)). G8 ministers also meet throughout the year, such as the G7/8 finance ministers (who meet four times a year), G8 foreign ministers, or G8 environment ministers.
Each calendar year, the responsibility of hosting the G8 rotates through the member states in the following order: France, United States, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Japan, Italy, and Canada. The holder of the presidency sets the agenda, hosts the summit for that year, and determines which ministerial meetings will take place. Lately, both France and the United Kingdom have expressed a desire to expand the group to include five developing countries, referred to as the Outreach Five (O5) or the Plus Five: Brazil, China, India, Mexico, and South Africa. These countries have participated as guests in previous meetings, which are sometimes called G8+5. Recently, France, Germany, and Italy are lobbying to include Egypt to the O5 and expand the G8 to G14.[2] Contents
* 1 History
* 2 Structure and activities
o 2.1 Global energy
o 2.2 The Annual Summit
* 3 G8 member facts
* 4 Cumulative influence of member nations
* 5 Criticism and demonstrations
* 6 See also
* 7 Notes, links, and references
o 7.1 External links
o 7.2 Official G8 sites of member states (not summit specific)
o 7.3 References
o 7.4 Footnotes
History
The concept of a forum for the world’s major industrialized democracies emerged following the 1973 oil crisis and subsequent global recession. In 1974 the United States created the Library Group, an informal gathering of senior financial officials from the United States, the United Kingdom, West Germany, Japan and France. In 1975, French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing invited the heads of government from West Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States to a summit in Rambouillet. The six leaders agreed to an annual meeting organized under a rotating presidency, forming the Group of Six (G6). The following year, Canada joined the group at the behest of Germany’s Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and U.S. President Gerald Ford[3] and the group became the ‘Group of Seven’ -or G7. The European Union is represented by the President of the European Commission and the leader of the country that holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The President of the European Commission has attended all meetings since it was first invited by the United Kingdom in 1977[4] and the Council President now also regularly attends.
Following 1994’s G7 summit in Naples, Russian officials held separate meetings with leaders of the G7 after the group’s summits. This informal arrangement was dubbed the Political 8 (P8) – or, colloquially, the G7+1. At the invitation of United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President Bill Clinton[5], Russia formally joined the group in 1997, resulting in the Group of Eight, or G8.
Structure and activities
Leaders of the G8 on 7 June 2007, in Heiligendamm, Germany
The G8 is intended to be an informal forum, and it therefore lacks an administrative structure like those for international organizations, such as the United Nations or the World Bank. The group does not have a permanent secretariat, or offices for its members. In 2008, the president of the European Union Commission participated as an equal in all summit events.
The presidency of the group rotates annually among the member countries, with each new term beginning on 1 January of the year. The country holding the presidency is responsible for planning and hosting a series of ministerial-level meetings, leading up to a mid-year summit attended by the heads of government. Japan held the G8 presidency in 2008, Italy is the 2009 president, and Canada will be president in 2010.
The ministerial meetings bring together ministers responsible for various portfolios to discuss issues of mutual or global concern. The range of topics include health, law enforcement, labor, economic and social development, energy, environment, foreign affairs, justice and interior, terrorism, and trade. There are also a separate set of meetings known as the G8+5, created during the 2005 Gleneagles, Scotland summit, that is attended by finance and energy ministers from all eight member countries in addition to the five Outreach Countries : Brazil, China, India, Mexico, and South Africa.
In June 2005, justice ministers and interior ministers from the G8 countries agreed to launch an international database on pedophiles.[6] The G8 officials also agreed to pool data on terrorism, subject to restrictions by privacy and security laws in individual countries.[7]
Global energy
Main articles: International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation and Climate Investment Funds
At the Heiligendamm Summit in 2007, the G8 acknowledged a proposal from the EU for a worldwide initiative on energy efficiency. They agreed to explore, along with the International Energy Agency, the most effective means to promote energy efficiency internationally. A year later, on 8 June 2008, the G8 along with China, India, South Korea and the European Community established the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation, at the Energy Ministerial meeting hosted by Japan holding 2008 G8 Presidency, in Aomori. [8]
G8 Finance Ministers, whilst in preparation for the 34th Summit of the G8 Heads of State and Government in Toyako, Hokkaido, met on the 13 and 14 June 2008, in Osaka, Japan. They agreed to the “G8 Action Plan for Climate Change to Enhance the Engagement of Private and Public Financial Institutions.” In closing, Ministers supported the launch of new Climate Investment Funds (CIFs) by the World Bank, which will help existing efforts until a new framework under the UNFCCC is implemented after 2012. [9]
The Annual Summit
At the 34th G8 Summit at Toyako, Hokkaido, formal photo during Tanabata matsuri event for world leaders — Silvio Berlusconi (Italy), Dmitry Medvedev (Russia), Angela Merkel (Germany), Gordon Brown (UK), Yasuo Fukuda (Japan), George Bush (US), Stephen Harper (Canada), Nicolas Sarkozy (France), José Barroso (EU) — July 7, 2008.
The annual G8 leaders summit is attended by eight of the world’s most powerful heads of government. However, as noted by commentators the G-8 summit is not the place to flesh out the details of any difficult or controversial policy issue in the context of a three-day event. Rather, the meeting is to bring a range of complex and sometimes inter-related issues. The G8 summit brings leaders together not so they can dream up quick fixes, but to talk and think about them together.[10]
The G8 summit is an international event which is observed and reported by news media, but the G8’s relevance is unclear.[11] The member country holding the G8 presidency is responsible for organising and hosting the year’s summit, held for three days in mid-year; and for this reason, Tony Blair and the United Kingdom accumulated the lion’s share of the credit for what went right (and wrong) at Gleneagles in 2005. Similarly, Yasuo Fukuda and Japan hope to garner the greater part of the credit for what went well (and what did not) at the Hokkaido Summit in 2008.
Each of the 34 G8 summit meetings could have been called a success if the events had been re-framed as venues to generate additional momentum for solving problems at the other multilateral conferences that meet throughout the year. The G8 summit sets the stage for what needs to be done and establishes an idea of how to do it, even if that idea is, at best, rough and patchy.[10]
The summits have also been the site of numerous, large-scale anti-globalization protests.
Date Host country Host leader Location held Website Notes
1st November 15–17, 1975 France Valéry Giscard d’Estaing Rambouillet G6 Summit
2nd June 27–28, 1976 United States Gerald R. Ford San Juan, Puerto Rico Canada joins the group, forming the G7
3rd May 7–8, 1977 United Kingdom James Callaghan London President of the European Commission is invited to join the annual G-7 summits
4th July 16–17, 1978 West Germany Helmut Schmidt Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia
5th June 28–29, 1979 Japan Masayoshi O-hira Tokyo
6th June 22–3, 1980 Italy Francesco Cossiga Venice
7th July 20–21, 1981 Canada Pierre E. Trudeau Montebello, Quebec
8th June 4–6, 1982 France François Mitterrand Versailles
9th May 28–30, 1983 United States Ronald Reagan Williamsburg, Virginia
10th June 7–9, 1984 United Kingdom Margaret Thatcher London
11th May 2–4, 1985 West Germany Helmut Kohl Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia
12th May 4–6, 1986 Japan Yasuhiro Nakasone Tokyo
13th June 8–10, 1987 Italy Amintore Fanfani Venice
14th June 19–21, 1988 Canada Brian Mulroney Toronto, Ontario
15th July 14–16, 1989 France François Mitterrand Paris
16th July 9–11, 1990 United States George H. W. Bush Houston, Texas
17th July 15–17, 1991 United Kingdom John Major London
18th July 6–8, 1992 Germany Helmut Kohl Munich, Bavaria
19th July 7–9, 1993 Japan Kiichi Miyazawa Tokyo
20th July 8–10, 1994 Italy Silvio Berlusconi Naples
21st June 15–17, 1995 Canada Jean Chrétien Halifax, Nova Scotia
22nd June 27–29, 1996 France Jacques Chirac Lyon International organizations’ debut to G8 Summits periodically. The invited ones here were: United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization.[12]
23rd June 20–22, 1997 United States Bill Clinton Denver, Colorado [1] Russia joins the group, forming G8
24th May 15–17, 1998 United Kingdom Tony Blair Birmingham, England [2]
25th June 18–20, 1999 Germany Gerhard Schröder Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia [3] First Summit of the G-20 major economies at Berlin
26th July 21–23, 2000 Japan Yoshiro Mori Nago, Okinawa [4] Formation of the G8+5 starts, when South Africa was invited. Since then, it has been invited to the Summit annually without interruption. Also, with permission from a G8 leader, other nations were invited to the Summit on a periodical basis for the first time. Nigeria, Algeria and Senegal accepted their invitations here. The World Health Organization was also invited for the first time, too.[12]
27th July 20–22, 2001 Italy Silvio Berlusconi Genoa [5] Leaders from Bangladesh, Mali and El Salvador accepted their invitations here.[12] Demonstrator Carlo Giuliani is shot and killed by police.
28th June 26–27, 2002 Canada Jean Chrétien Kananaskis, Alberta [6] Russia gains permission to officially host a G8 Summit.
29th June 2–3, 2003 France Jacques Chirac Évian-les-Bains [7] The G8+5 was unofficially made, when China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa were invited to this Summit for the first time. Other first-time nations that were invited by the French president included: Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Switzerland.[12]
30th June 8–10, 2004 United States George W. Bush Sea Island, Georgia [8] A record number of leaders from 12 different nations accepted their invitations here. Amongst a couple of veteran nations, the others were: Ghana, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, Yemen and Uganda.[12]
31st July 6–8, 2005 United Kingdom Tony Blair Gleneagles, Scotland [9] The G8+5 was officially formed. On the second day of the meeting, suicide bombers killed over 50 people on the London Underground and a bus. Nations that were invited for the first time were Ethiopia and Tanzania. The African Union and the International Energy Agency made their debut here.[12]
32nd July 15–17, 2006 Russia Vladimir Putin Strelna, St. Petersburg [10] First G8 Summit on Russian soil. Also, the International Atomic Energy Agency and UNESCO made their debut here.[12]
33rd June 6–8, 2007 Germany Angela Merkel Heiligendamm, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern [11] A record seven different international organizations accepted their invitations to this Summit. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the Commonwealth of Independent States made their debut here.[12]
34th July 7–9, 2008 Japan Yasuo Fukuda Toyako (Lake Toya), Hokkaido [12] Nations that accepted their G8 Summit invitations for the first time are: Australia, Indonesia and South Korea.[12]
35th July 8-10, 2009 Italy Silvio Berlusconi L’Aquila [13] [13] This summit was originally planned to be in La Maddalena (Sardinia), but was moved to L’Aquila as a way of showing Prime Minister Berlusconi’s desire to help the region of L’Aquila after the earthquake that hit it on the 6 April 2009. Official website is now online.
36th 2010 Canada Huntsville, Ontario [14]
37th 2011 France TBD
38th 2012 United States TBD
39th 2013 United Kingdom
40th 2014 Russia
41st 2015 Germany
42nd 2016 Japan
43rd 2017 Italy
44th 2018 Canada
G8 member facts
Seven of the nine leading export countries are in the G8[14] (Germany, US, Japan, France, Italy, UK, Canada). The UK, the USA, Canada, France, and Germany have nominal per capita GDP over US$40,000 dollars.[15] Five of the seven largest stock exchanges by market value are in G8 countries[16] (US, Japan, UK, France, Canada). The G8 countries represent 7 of the 9 largest economies by nominal GDP[17] (Russia isn’t one of the 9 largest economies by nominal GDP but has the 7th largest real GDP; Canada was 8th in 2006 but in 2007 it lost 8th place to Spain, as it did in 2003,[17] prompting the previous government headed by José María Aznar to request Spain’s entrance in the G8).
The 2nd and 3rd largest oil producers (USA and Russia) and the country with the 2nd largest reserves (Canada) are in the G8.[18] Seven of the nine largest nuclear energy producers are in the G8[19] (USA, France, Japan, Russia, Germany, Canada, UK). The 7 largest donors to the UN budget are in the G8[20] (US, Japan, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Canada).
Cumulative influence of member nations
Together the eight countries making up the G8 represent about 14% of the world population, but they represent about 65% of the Gross World Product[21] as measured by gross domestic product, being all 8 nations within the top 12 countries according to the CIA World Factbook. (see the CIA World Factbook column in List of countries by GDP (nominal)), the majority of global military power (seven are in the top 8 nations for military expenditure[22]), and almost all of the world’s active nuclear weapons.[23] In 2007, the combined G8 military spending was US$850 billion. This is 72% of the world’s total military expenditures. (see List of countries and federations by military expenditures) Four of the G8 members United Kingdom, United States of America, France and Russia together account for 96-99% of the world’s nuclear weapons. (see List of states with nuclear weapons)
Criticism and demonstrations
Protesters try to stop members of the G8 from attending the summit during the 27th G8 summit in Genoa, Italy by burning vehicles on the main route to the summit
As the annual summits are extremely high profile, they are subject to extensive lobbying by advocacy groups and street demonstrations by activists.
The best-known criticisms centre on the assertion that members of G8 are responsible for global issues such as poverty in Africa and developing countries due to debt and trading policy, global warming due to carbon dioxide emission, the AIDS problem due to strict medicine patent policy and other issues related to globalization. During the 31st G8 summit in Scotland, 225,000 people took to the streets of Edinburgh as part of the Make Poverty History campaign calling for Trade Justice, Debt Relief and Better Aid. Numerous other demonstrations also took place challenging the legitimacy of the G8.[24]
Of the anti-globalization movement protests, one of the largest and most violent occurred for the 27th G8 summit [15]. Since that G8 Summit and the subsequent September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States occurred months apart in the same year, the G8 have gathered at some forms of remote locations every year since then. The 7 July 2005 London bombings were timed to coincide with the 31st G8 summit in Scotland.
The group has also been criticized for its membership, which critics argue has now become unrepresentative of the world’s most powerful economies since Canada was overtaken by China, India, Brazil, Spain, Mexico and South Korea by PPP adjusted GDP.[25] Furthermore, Russia was allowed into the group despite only being in 11th place in terms of nominal GDP.
See also
* 34th G8 summit
* Anti-globalization movement
* BRIC
* Developing 8 Countries
* Eight-Nation Alliance
* Forum for the Future
* Group of Three
* Group of Seven
* G8 Research Group
* G8+5
* Group of 11
* Group of 14
* G20 developing nations
* G-20 major economies
* Group of 33
* Junior 8
* List of countries by military expenditures
* List of countries by nominal gross domestic product
* List of G8 summit resorts
* Next Eleven
* Senior G8 leader
* World Social Forum
Notes, links, and references
External links
Further information: 34th G8 summit
Sister project Wikimedia Commons has media related to: G8
Sister project Wikinews has related news:
G8
* G8 Information Centre, G8 Research Group, University of Toronto
* G8: The World Can’t Wait , Oxfam International G8 Blog , oxfam.org
* Special Report: G8 , Guardian Unlimited
* Profile: G8 , BBC News
* We are deeply concerned. Again , New Statesman, 4 July 2005, —G8 development concerns since 1977
* G8 Dossier by the Internationalist Review, —On-line dossier with analysis, photo series and links on G8 protests
* FACTBOX – Climate Change High on G8 Agenda In Japan (Planet Ark).
* G8 Reaches Tentative Climate Change Deal.
* Anti G8, Anti globalization Forum at http://www.3monkeyz.net
* Financial rescue plans from G7 and EU countries, 12 October 2008
Official G8 sites of member states (not summit specific)
* Canada
* United Kingdom
o History of the G8 —UK government site
Flag of Canada Harper * Flag of France Sarkozy * Flag of Germany Merkel * Flag of Italy Berlusconi * Flag of Japan Aso * Flag of Russia Medvedev * Flag of the United Kingdom Brown * Flag of the United States Obama
v • d • e G8 Foreign Ministers
Flag of Canada Cannon * Flag of France Kouchner * Flag of Germany Steinmeier * Flag of Italy Frattini * Flag of Japan Nakasone * Flag of Russia Lavrov * Flag of the United Kingdom Miliband * Flag of the United States Clinton
v • d • e G8 Finance Ministers
Flag of Canada Flaherty * Flag of France Lagarde * Flag of Germany Steinbrück * Flag of Italy Tremonti * Flag of Japan Yosano * Flag of Russia Kudrin * Flag of the United Kingdom Darling * Flag of the United States Geithner
v • d • e G8 Defence Ministers
Flag of Canada MacKay * Flag of France Morin * Flag of Germany Jung * Flag of Italy La Russa * Flag of Japan Hamada * Flag of Russia Serdyukov * Flag of the United Kingdom Ainsworth * Flag of the United States Gates
v • d • e
G8 Justice Ministers
Flag of Canada Nicholson A Flag of France Alliot-Marie A Flag of Germany Zypries A Flag of Italy Alfano A Flag of Japan Mori A Flag of Russia Konovalov A Flag of the United Kingdom Straw A Flag of the United States Holder
v • d • e
G8 Interior Ministers
Flag of Canada Van Loan * Flag of France Hortefeux * Flag of Germany Schäuble * Flag of Italy Maroni * Flag of Japan Sato * Flag of Russia Nurgaliyev * Flag of the United Kingdom Johnson * Flag of the United States Napolitano
v • d • e
G8 summits
1970s
1975 1st G6 summit Rambouillet * 1976 2nd G7 summit San Juan * 1977 3rd G7 summit London * 1978 4th G7 summit Bonn * 1979 5th G7 summit Tokyo
2010 36th G8 summit Huntsville * 2011 37th G8 summit
In this context, G6=G7=G8 — each are construed as evolving iterations of the same entity.
v • d • e Power in international relations Types of power
Philosophical power * Soft power * Hard power * Smart power * Political power (Machtpolitik • Realpolitik) Types of power status
Middle power * Regional power * Great power * Superpower (Potential superpowers * Energy superpower) * Hyperpower Geopolitics
British Century * American Century * Chinese Century * Asian Century Theory and history
Balance of power * Historical powers * Polarity * Military power projection * Power transition theory * Second Superpower * Superpower collapse * Superpower disengagement Organizations and groups
G2 (proposed) * G7 * G8 * G8+5 * G10 * G15 * G20 (finance) * G20 (developing) * G33 (developing) * G77 (G24, chapter of G77) * BRIC * Next Eleven * SCO * ACD * NATO * CSTO * ANZUS * South American Defense Council * ASEAN * APEC
Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G8
Categories: G8 | International organizations | Diplomatic conferences | Country classifications
* This page was last modified on 14 June 2009 at 17:40.
35th G8 summit
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
35th G8 summit
35th G8 summit official logo
Summit details
Host country Italy
Dates July 8–10, 2009
The 35th G8 summit is to take place in the city of L’Aquila, Abruzzo, from July 8-10 2009. It has been moved from the Sardinian seaside resort of La Maddalena as part of an attempt to redistribute disaster funds after L’Aquila was struck by a devastating earthquake in April 2009. [1] The locations of previous summits to have been hosted by Italy include: Venice (1980); Venice (1987); Naples (1994) and Genoa (2001).[2] The G8 Summit has evolved beyond being a gathering of world political leaders. The event has become an occasion for a wide variety of non-governmental organizations, activists and civic groups to congregate and discuss a multitude of issues.[3]
Contents
* 1 Overview
* 2 Leaders at the summit
o 2.1 Permanent G8 participants
o 2.2 Invited leaders (partial participation)
+ 2.2.1 G8+5 leaders
+ 2.2.2 Other leaders
+ 2.2.3 Heads of international organizations
* 3 Priorities
* 4 Issues
o 4.1 Schedule and Agenda
o 4.2 Afghanistan pre-summit
o 4.3 Infrastructure Consortium for Africa
* 5 Issues
o 5.1 Africa
o 5.2 Climate change
* 6 Citizens’ responses and authorities’ counter-responses
o 6.1 Protesters and demonstrations
o 6.2 Citizen journalism
* 7 Accomplishments
* 8 Security
* 9 Budget
* 10 Business opportunity
* 11 See also
* 12 Notes
* 13 References
* 14 External links
Overview
The Group of Seven (G7) was an unofficial forum which brought together the heads of the richest industrialized countries: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada starting in 1976. The G8, meeting for the first time in 1997, was formed with the addition of Russia.[4] In addition, the President of the European Commission has been formally invited to summits since 1981 and participates in all but political discussion and talks.[5] The summits were not meant to be linked formally with wider international institutions; and in fact, a mild rebellion against the stiff formality of other international meetings was a part of the genesis of cooperation between France’s President Giscard d’Estaing and Germany’s Chancellor Helmut Schmidt as they conceived the initial summit of the Group of Six (G6) in 1975.[6]
The G8 summits during the twenty-first century have inspired widespread debates, protests and demonstrations; and the two- or three-day event becomes more than the sum of its parts, elevating the participants, the issues and the venue as focal points for activist pressure.[7]
Leaders at the summit
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi announced at the press conference at the end of the second day of the Hokkaido summit that the current number of participants will be maintained when the G8 leaders meet in 2009. Berlusconi also explained that a proposal to expand the G8 to include members of the Group of Five (G8+G5) emerging economies – China, India, Mexico, Brazil and South Africa – had not found sufficient support.[8]
France would like to see China become a full member by the time the 37th G8 summit in 2011 is organized.[9]
Political changes in the G8 member nations are likely to affect the composition of the 35th G8 summit.[10]
Permanent G8 participants
The 35th G8 summit will be the first for United States President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso.
Flag of Canada Canada
Stephen Harper, Prime Minister
122px-StephenHarper.jpg
Flag of France France
Nicolas Sarkozy, President
90px-Nicolas_Sarkozy_-_Sarkozy_meeting_in_Toulouse_for_the_2007_French_presidential_election_0299_2007-04-12_cropped_further.jpg
Flag of Germany Germany
Angela Merkel, Chancellor
81px-Angela_Merkel_24092007.jpg
Flag of Italy Italy
Silvio Berlusconi, Prime Minister
(Chairman)
81px-Silvio_Berlusconi_29-01-2008.jpg
Flag of Japan Japan
Taro Aso, Prime Minister
89px-Taro_Aso_cropped.jpg
Flag of Russia Russia
Dmitri Medvedev, President
86px-Dmitry_Medvedev_official_large_photo_-5.jpg
Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
Gordon Brown, Prime Minister
91px-Gordon_Brown_Davos_Jan_08.jpg
Flag of the United States United States
Barack Obama, President
88px-Official_portrait_of_Barack_Obama.jpg
Invited leaders (partial participation)
A number of national leaders are traditionally invited to attend the summit and to participate in some, but not all, G8 summit activities.[9]
G8+5 leaders
The G8 plus the five largest emerging economies are known as G8+5,[9] including:
Flag of Brazil Brazil
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President
80px-Lula_-_foto_oficial05012007_edit.jpg
Flag of the People’s Republic of China People’s Republic of China
Hu Jintao, President
97px-President_Hu_Jintao.jpg
Flag of India India
Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister
78px-Manmohansingh04052007.jpg
Flag of Mexico Mexico
Felipe Calderón, President
84px-Felipe_Calderon_H.jpg
Flag of South Africa South Africa
Jacob Zuma, President
91px-JacobZuma.jpg
Other leaders
Previous G8 summits have invited other world leaders to participate;[9] and representatives from a number of countries are anticipated at this summit,[11] including:
* Algeria.[11]
* Australia.[11]
* Egypt, President Hosni Mubarak.[12]
* Indonesia.[11]
* Libya, Leader and Guide to the Revolution, Muammar al-Gaddafi.[13]
* Nigeria, President Umaru Yar’Adua.[14]
* Senegal, President Abdoulaye Wade[14]
* South Korea.[11]
* Sweden (participating in its role as President of European Council).[15]
Italy’s Berlusconi announced that his country is prepared to host leaders of the G20 on the third day of talks. The proposed purpose would be to work towards developing new rules to stop the phenomenon of excessive securitization in the financial system and the use of derivatives that led to the current financial crisis.[11] British Prime Minister Brown supports this proposal.[16]
The Italian presidency of the G8 varies the summit’s working methods and the numbers of participants depending on the subject under consideration. This variable geometry structure diverges from the traditional G8 format. The involvement of different actors at different stages goes further than the idea of a simple G8+? . After an initial meeting of the historic core leaders of what is understood as the traditional G8), the agenda will broaden and the number of participants will be expanded accordingly. The leaders of G8 countries and G5 countries will be joined by a delegation from Egypt and a representative group of African countries.[17]
Some suggested that the G8’s annual meetings be broadened to include the heads of States or governments of the other countries represented in the governing bodies of the Bretton Woods institutions along with the heads of the main multilateral organisations. This would convert the G8 summits into an informal global governance council. [18]
Heads of international organizations
Leaders of major international organizations have also been invited to attend in the past; and this practice is expected to continue:
* African Union
* Commonwealth of Independent States
* International Atomic Energy Agency
* International Energy Agency
* United Nations
* UNESCO
* World Bank
* World Health Organization
* World Trade Organization
* European Union — Jose Manuel Barroso, President of EU Commission;[19]
Priorities
Traditionally, the host country of the G8 summit sets the agenda for negotiations, which take place primarily amongst multi-national civil servants in the weeks before the summit itself, leading to a joint declaration which all countries can agree to sign. This year, leaders of the G8 hoped to find common ground.
Issues
The summit was intended as a venue for resolving differences among its members. As a practical matter, the summit was also conceived as an opportunity for its members to give each other mutual encouragement in the face of difficult economic decisions.[6] From Italy’s perspective, the important thing is for the evolving G8 to avoid being to closely linked to serial emergency situations that there is no room for discussing broader issues.[17]
The Rambouillet summit in 1975 produced no easy answers to what was then the most serious recession since the 1930s; but the main themes of what is now considered the 1st G8 summit have persisted at the top of the the world’s agenda — avoiding protectionism, energy dependency and boosting growth.[20] However, the plausibly prescient British Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Peter Mandelson, speaking in 2009, expressed the opinion that however long it might persist as a grouping, as a steering committee for the global economy, the era of the G8 is over. Mandelson’s comment comes during a trip to Sao Paulo, Brazil.[21]
Schedule and Agenda
Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi explained that the schedule of meetings would be very much like that of the Hokkaido summit,
My opinion is that it is best to keep together countries which share the same principles and I suggested that in 2009 the first day of the summit should see just the G8 meet. On the second day the table can be expanded in the morning to include the G5, with the G8+5 also discussing Africa, while the G8 would then meet alone in the afternoon to draw their conclusions. This program was unanimously accepted and will be used at the G8 summit in Italy. [8]
A tentative agenda for the 35th G8 summit will include some issues which remain unresolved from previous summits. The process of finalizing the agenda moved forward when Berlusconi’s began contacting his G8 counterparts shortly after Italy took over the rotating presidency on January 1, 2009. At this point, the Italian premier’s office announced that Italy, as G8 host country, was planning to focus its initiatives on the economy, energy issues, sustainable development and climate change. Other issues on the agenda might encompass disarmament, the fight against terrorism and peace efforts in world hot spots.[22] Global health issues and food were also proposed as suitable topics for discussion at the summit. Global health was first introduced as an agenda item nine years ago at the 26th G8 summit in 2000.[23]
On the G8 agenda:
* Climate change.[24]
* Energy; Nuclear energy.[24]
* Dialogue with emerging countries[25]
* Achievement of millennium development goals[25]
* Negotiations on climate change[25]
* Development of Africa — 4 issues (alimentation, global health, water, education)[25] or education, water, food and agriculture, peace support.[24]
* Intellectual property.[24]
* Heiligendamm Process.[25]
* Outreach and expansion.[25]
Afghanistan pre-summit
The Italian government announced plans to its presidency of the G8 as a opportunity to help search for a regional diplomatic solution to the Afghan conflict. A pre-summit conference in June is proposed, bringing together the G8 and major states in the region including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Turkey. Concurrently, Italy became the first NATO member in Europe to answer Pres. Obama’s call for reinforcements in Afghanistan, increasing Italian troops in the western province of Herat to 2,800 this year.[26]
Iran announced that it had received an invitation to attend the pre-summit;[27] and the Iranian government is considering whether to attend.[28] Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini and Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, discussed Iran’s prospective participation in the proposed pre-summit.[29]
Infrastructure Consortium for Africa
The Infrastructure Consortium for Africa (ICA) was established at the 31st G8 summit at Gleneagles, Scotland in the United Kingdom in 2005. Since that time, the ICA’s annual meeting is traditionally hosted by the country holding the Presidency of the G8. The 2008 meeting was held in Tokyo in March 2008, and the 2009 meeting is planned for mid-March in Rome.[30]
Issues
Africa
The G8 leaders will discuss a range of issues relating to African development. Africa, which has been on the G8 agenda since 2000, has continues to lag behind on progress towards meeting Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).[31] In February 2009, Margaret Chan, head of the WHO, emphasized the importance of meeting the modest goals which were discussed and adopted in previous G8 summit discussions.[32]
Climate change
The G8 leaders will discuss a range of issues relating to climate in the context of a framework established at the 2007 United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Bali, Indonesia.[31]
Citizens’ responses and authorities’ counter-responses
Protesters and demonstrations
Protest groups and other activists are expected to make a showing at the summit. Forward planning for this and future G8 summits began in advance of the 2008 Hokkaido summit. Activist organizations anticipate that early planning can result in greater networking effectiveness for G8 summits. The 2009 summit will likely attract significant focus for development campaigners in G8 countries and elsewhere in Europe including the regional GCAP Europe. Collective campaigning ahead of the European Parliament elections is also anticipated to generate momentum on global issues ahead of July 2009.[7]
In 2008, a number of commemorative events were organized to mark the seventh anniversary of demonstrations at the Genoa G8 summit; and the occasion included a call for people to participate in preparations for protests at the 2009 G8 summit.[33]
Not all demonstrations are expected to be focused in opposition to some issue. At the 2005 Scotland summit, for the first time the tens of thousands of people protesting outside were actually supporting the summit’s agenda of African aid;[4] and some activists traveled to Hokkaido for the same purpose.[34]
Citizen journalism
Citizens’ groups are expected to organize citizen journalism centers to provide independent media coverage of the G8 summit and the expected protests. In a sense, this article will evolve as the work product of something like citizen journalism, growing through serial draft texts as part of the first rough draft of history. [35]
Accomplishments
The G8 summit is an international event which is observed and reported by news media, but the G8’s continuing relevance after more than 30 years is somewhat unclear.[36] The G8 summit brings leaders together not so they can dream up quick fixes, but to talk and think about them together.[37]
Italy anticipates that the G8 of the future will serve a more significant strategic function supporting international organizations like the IMF, the World Bank, the WTO and the United Nations). The success of the L’Aquila summit will become measurable in the ways the G8 comes to resemble an initiative and pressure group working together to achieve global consensus.[17]
Security
In light of violent events at the Genoa summit, security will be one of the key indices for measuring the success of the L’Aquila summit. In a December 2008 press conference, President Berlusconi addressed this issue explicitly: Given the traumatic experience of Genoa … for us the problem of security is a real one. The previous government picked La Maddalena thinking, I believe, that this location would be ideal to avoid a repeat of what happened in Genoa. [38]
Italian authorities anticipate 25,000 people attending the summit, including 4,500 delegates, 4,500 journalists and a large number of security forces. [38]
Budget
Although the Italian Government insists the summit’s moving will help restore normality and provide much-needed funding to devastated L’Aquila, it remains to be seen how it can justify the costs involved with preparing the original site for its years-in-the-making facelift.
Part of the cost of creating the original facilities for the 2009 summit were merged in the costs of transforming the former U.S. Navy submarine base at Punta Rossa into a tourist and vacation destination.[39] This harbor has been an Italian naval base since 1887; but the area was bombed extensively in World War II; and some of work involves restoration as well as renewal. The Arsenale marittimo (maritime arsenal) has been converted to a new use as a conference center; and the military hospital has been reconfigured for use as a hotel. From the beginning of the conversion’s design stage, planning focused on potential uses which could be anticipated after the end of the G8 summit.[40]
At the end of the 2009 summit, La Maddalena’s facilities and amenities were to be made available for tourist accommodations, and the conference spaces will be available for booking. The harbor’s reconstructed quays, moorings and amenities will become a new Mediterranean port of call just north of the exclusive Costa Smeralda of eastern Sardinia.[40]
The infrastructure investment which resurfaces and extends the length of the nearby airport’s runways will also upgrade the facility for increased tourism traffic after the summit leaders have left the island.[41]
Business opportunity
The MS Fantasia.
For some, the G8 summit becomes a profit-generating event; as for example, the G8 Summit magazines which have been published under the auspices of the host nations for distribution to all attendees since 1998.[42]
The Italian government has made arrangements to hire the 133,500-ton MS Fantasia cruise ship to anchor off La Maddalena to provide supplemental accommodation during the island summit. The Fantasia is the flagship of the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), a privately-owned Italian shipping company. The ship is designed to carries up to 3,959 passengers and 1,325 crew.[43]
See also Energy portal
* International Panel on Climate Change
* United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Notes
1. ^ G8: ITALY WANTS TO MOVE SUMMIT TO L`AQUILA
2. ^ Smith, Diane. 2009 G8 Summit In La Maddalena, Italy, eFluxMedia (New York). June 15, 2007; 35th summit website: Italy in the G8.
3. ^ Zablonski, Lukasz and Philip Seaton. The Hokkaido Summit as a Springboard for Grassroots Initiatives: The ‘Peace, Reconciliation & Civil Society’ Symposium, The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus (e-journal). ID No. 2973.
4. ^ a b Saunders, Doug. Weight of the world too heavy for G8 shoulders, Globe and Mail (Toronto). July 5, 2008.
5. ^ Reuters: Factbox: The Group of Eight: what is it? , July 3, 2008.
6. ^ a b Reinalda, Bob and Bertjan Verbeek. (1998). Autonomous Policy Making by International Organizations, p. 205.
7. ^ a b Influencing Policy on International Development: G8, BOND (British Overseas NGOs for Development). 2008.
8. ^ a b G8: Summit format to be maintained, ] ANSA (Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata – Società Cooperativa). July 8, 2008.
9. ^ a b c d Welch, David. Canada has an opportunity to remake world summitry, Toronto Star. July 18, 2008.
10. ^ Canseco, Mario. A Summit of Goodbyes, Angus Reid Global Monitor. July 14, 2008.
11. ^ a b c d e f Italy says to host G20 leaders at July G8 summit, Reuters. March 9, 2009.
12. ^ Marchetti, Silvia and Yang Aiguo. Italian G8 2009 presidency faces tough challenges, Xinghua News Agency. January 3, 2009.
13. ^ Libya’s Gadhafi Accepts Italian Invitation TO G8 Meeting. DowJones Business News. March 3, 2009.
14. ^ a b 35th summit website: Nigeria and Senegal Officially Invited to This Year’s G8 Summit, February 13, 2009.
15. ^ 35th summit website: Four Delegations Visit Summit Venue in Third Week in February, February 20, 2009.
16. ^ PM looks to G20 for economy deal, No. 10 Downing Street. February 20, 2009.
17. ^ a b c Frattini, Franco. Summits of the ‘big’ countries growing in importance but the G8 continues to play a strategic role, Il Messaggero. April 2, 2009.
18. ^ Camdessus, Michel. Africa: Open G8 to More Heads of Govt, Says Ex-IMF Chief, Africa Progress Panel (Geneva). March 27, 2009.
19. ^ EU Promises Food Crisis Aid of 1 Billion Euros Before G8 Summit, Deutsche Welle (Bonn). July 7, 2008.
20. ^ Stewart, Heather and Larry Elliott. Hopes fading for salvation at the summit, The Guardian (London). March 22, 2009.
21. ^ Norman, Laurence. UK Mandelson: Era Of The G8 Is Over, Wall Street Journal (New York). March 25, 2009.
22. ^ Mu Xuequan. Berlusconi, Merkel discuss financial crisis, gas row, Xinhua (Beijing). January 10, 2009.
23. ^ Kurokawa, Kyoshi et al. Italian G8 Summit: a critical juncture for global health, The Lancet (British Medical Association). Vol. 373, Iss. 9663 (14 February 2009), pp. 526-527.
24. ^ a b c d University of Toronto, G8 study group: 2009 summit agenda
25. ^ a b c d e f Global Forum on NGO Governance (ON-NGO): 2009 summit agenda
26. ^ Borger, Julian. Italy sends more troops to Afghanistan, The Guardian (London). February 6, 2009.
27. ^ Iran says received invitation to G8 meeting on Afghanistan, IranVNC (Iran Visual News Corps). February 23, 2009.
28. ^ Iran mulls attending G8 on Afghanistan, PressTV (Iran). February 23, 2009.
29. ^ Frattini: Iran may aid G8 Afghan effort, MarketWatch (Wall Street Journal digital network). February 23, 2009.
30. ^ Meeting to Discuss Crisis Impact in Africa’s Infrastructure Development, Afrol News. March 2, 2009.
31. ^ a b The Japan G8 in 2008: a New Year’s Resolution for delivery on the big questions? , ODI Blog, published December 20, 2007-12-20, accessed 2008-01-02
32. ^ Chan, Maraget. G8 has clout to shape development agenda, Business Daily Africa. February 24, 2009/
33. ^ G8 Genoa: Police receive low sentences, Gipfelsoli Infogroup. July 15, 2008.
34. ^ We’re not G8 protesters, says Nighy, Star (Sheffield). July 8, 2008.
35. ^ Braiker, Brian. History’s New First Draft, Newsweek (New York). July 8, 2008; Keyes, Ralph. The Quote Verifier: Who Said What, Where, and when, p. 107.
36. ^ Lee, Don. On eve of summit, G-8’s relevance is unclear, Los Angeles Times. July 6, 2008.
37. ^ Feldman, Adam. What’s Wrong With The G-8, Forbes (New York). July 7, 2008.
38. ^ a b Italy Hopes Island G8 Will Be Violence-Free, Reuters. December 4, 2008.
39. ^ Wingfield, Brian. U.S. to Shut Base in Italy That Aids Nuclear Subs, New York Times. November 25, 2005.
40. ^ a b 35th summit website: Local redevelopment
41. ^ Regione Autonoma della Sardegna: Il Governo blocca i fondi per le opere collaterali del G8. February 6, 2009.
42. ^ Prestige Media: official G8 Summit magazine
43. ^ Honeywell, John. All aboard for the G8 summit, The Mirror (London). March 22, 2009; Golden, Fran. G8 summit to be held on the MSC Fantasia, USA Today (New York). March 2009.
References
* Architetto Frau: Esperti Maddalena pronti a collaborare a lavori per vertice G8, Italy Global Nation (IGN). July 21, 2008.
* Bayne, Nicholas and Robert D. Putnam. (2000). Hanging in There: The G7 and G8 Summit in Maturity and Renewal. Aldershot, Hampshire, England: Ashgate Publishing. 10-ISBN 0-754-61185-X; 13-ISBN 978-0-754-61185-1; OCLC 43186692
* Reinalda, Bob and Bertjan Verbeek. (1998). Autonomous Policy Making by International Organizations. London: Routledge. 10-ISBN 0-415-16486-9; 13-ISBN 978-0-415-16486-3
External links
* Official 35th G8 website: La Maddalena summit, 2009; n.b., no official website is created for any G7 summit prior to 1995 — see the 21st G7 summit.
* University of Toronto: G8 Research Group, G8 Information Centre
o G8 2009, pre-summit developments
Preceded by
34th G8 summit 35th G8 summit
2009
Italy Succeeded by
36th G8 summit
v • d • e
G8 summits
1970s
1975 1st G6 summit Rambouillet A 1976 2nd G7 summit San Juan A 1977 3rd G7 summit London A 1978 4th G7 summit Bonn A 1979 5th G7 summit Tokyo
1980s
1980 6th G7 summit Venice A 1981 7th G7 summit Montebello A 1982 8th G7 summit Versailles A 1983 9th G7 summit Williamsburg A 1984 10th G7 summit London A 1985 11th G7 summit Bonn A 1986 12th G7 summit Tokyo A 1987 13th G7 summit Venice A 1988 14th G7 summit Toronto A 1989 15th G7 summit Grande Arche
1990s
1990 16th G7 summit Houston A 1991 17th G7 summit London A 1992 18th G7 summit Munich A 1993 19th G7 summit Tokyo A 1994 20th G7 summit Naples A 1995 21st G7 summit Halifax A 1996 22nd G7 summit Lyon A 1997 23rd G8 summit Denver A 1998 24th G8 summit Birmingham A 1999 25th G8 summit Cologne
2000s
2000 26th G8 summit Okinawa A 2001 27th G8 summit Genoa A 2002 28th G8 summit Kananaskis A 2003 29th G8 summit Évian-les-Bains A 2004 30th G8 summit Sea Island A 2005 31st G8 summit Gleneagles A 2006 32nd G8 summit Saint Petersburg A 2007 33rd G8 summit Heiligendamm A 2008 34th G8 summit Toyako A 2009 35th G8 summit L’Aquila
2010s
2010 36th G8 summit Huntsville A 2011 37th G8 summit
In this context, G6=G7=G8 — each are construed as evolving iterations of the same entity.
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A growing variety of factors, both global and regional in nature, challenge the stability of the world. International security cannot be ensured without tackling also phenomena such as terrorism, organized crime, fragile institutions and many sorts of illegal trafficking which spill their effects over national borders. Devising effective responses is made more complicated by the inter-relations among those phenomena and their frequent link with dire human conditions.
The current economic situation, food crisis, lack of energy security and climate change have further proven that the world is more interconnected than ever. For example, last year’s global food crisis plunged 100 million more people into extreme poverty and generated political instability in several countries. We can decrease the risk of social destabilization due to food insecurity through long-term partnerships with developing countries that stimulate rural development and economic growth. The global financial crisis increases the vulnerability of the world’s poor, and along with the other factors above, has the potential to magnify political tensions and foster social unrest.
The situation demands a comprehensive, coordinated and sustained commitment to mobilizing financial and diplomatic instruments that focus on our common interest in ensuring peace, resolving conflicts and creating conditions for sustainable development. We, the G8 Foreign Ministers, recognize our responsibility to stand together as one in countering old and new threats to peace and security and stress our commitment to transforming those challenges in opportunities for fostering effective international cooperation.
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Non Proliferation, Disarmament Instruments and Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy
The proliferation of WMD and their means of delivery still constitute a major threat to international peace and security. We state our commitment to reinforce global non proliferation efforts by strengthening multilateral regimes. In that context we will strive for a successful outcome of the 2010 NPT Review Conference that strengthens the international nuclear non proliferation regime, promotes the international consensus underlying the Treaty and advances each of its three pillars. We are all committed to seeking a safer world for all and to creating the conditions for a world without nuclear weapons, in accordance with the goals of the NPT.
We salute, in particular, the decision by the United States and the Russian Federation to negotiate an agreement to replace the START. We call upon all nuclear-weapon states to undertake further steps in nuclear disarmament. We will intensify our efforts to bring into force the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. We welcome the adoption by the Conference on Disarmament of a programme of work for its 2009 session. We strongly support the early commencement of negotiations on a Treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices that includes provisions for international verification. We expressed appreciation for the Conference “Overcoming Nuclear Dangers”, organised by Italy, the Nuclear Threat Initiative and The World Political Forum in Rome on 16-17 April 2009. We look forward to other G8 states’ initiatives aiming at fostering the implementation of the NPT.
We keep on monitoring regional challenges to the non proliferation regime with a view to ensuring full compliance by all States with their non proliferation undertakings and relevant UNSC Resolutions. We call upon all states to fully implement UNSC Resolution 1540/2004. We support the 1540 Committee’s work and encourage all states to participate actively in the comprehensive review on the implementation of the Resolution. We will join in reinforcing IAEA safeguards and addressing serious violations of the NPT and IAEA safeguards. We reiterate our commitment to take appropriate steps for further implementation of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism.
We recognise the growing interest in peaceful uses of nuclear energy that should be carried out under the best safety, security and non proliferation conditions. We support the development of multilateral approaches to the nuclear fuel cycle and appreciate ongoing initiatives in this regard. We stress the key role played by IAEA in promoting the highest standards of non proliferation, safety and security, as well as in fostering cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy. We are ready to assist its member states in developing capacities that respect those standards.
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Counter-terrorism
Terrorism continues to represent one of the greatest challenges to international peace, stability and security. We reiterate, in the strongest terms, our firm condemnation of this phenomenon in all its manifestations, particularly suicide bombing and kidnapping, and our commitment to counter violent extremism. All acts of terrorism – by whomever committed – are criminal, inhuman and unjustifiable, especially when they indiscriminately target and injure civilians.
We continue to be concerned about the growing links between terrorism and other criminal destabilizing factors – e.g. narco-trafficking, arms smuggling and corruption – which are of particular concern in states with fragile institutions. A proactive response is therefore required, including multifaceted short and long-term initiatives, within the framework provided by relevant UN conventions, protocols and Security Council Resolutions.
We reiterate our commitment to respecting and defending human rights obligations, which is fundamental to countering terrorism. The respect of international law and the promotion of the rule of law are irrenounceable pillars of our endeavour to eradicate terrorism.
Prevention and repression of terrorism financing are vital elements of any international strategy. We support the full implementation of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations and of the United Nations sanctions regime. With special regard to the latter, we welcome the adoption of UNSC Resolutions 1730/2006 and 1822/2008, and call for their full implementation. Special attention should be paid to prevention of terrorism, i.e. to countering terrorist propaganda, incitement to terrorism and recruitment by terrorist organizations, as well as radicalization leading to violence. The use of cyber networks for terrorist purposes must be tackled as well.
The G8 continues to play a key role in supporting capacity building and technical assistance initiatives in third countries. We commit ourselves to further strengthen our coordination in this field and, to this end, we welcome the progressive reinforcement of the activities of the “Roma/Lyon Group” and of the Counter Terrorism Action Group (CTAG), as well as their further enhancement by “ad hoc” outreach initiatives with other relevant partners and the increased emphasis given to regional dimension in their work.
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Trans-national Organised Crime
International stability is directly affected by a number of activities of Trans-national Organised Crime, such as illicit trafficking in firearms, persons and drugs, cash smuggling, money laundering and corruption. In this context we are particularly concerned about the increasing penetration of organised criminal groups into the legal economy. We call for the universalisation and the full implementation of all relevant UN conventions, in particular the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (Palermo, 15 December 2000) and its protocols, and the United Nations Convention against Corruption that – through a financial asset oriented approach – effectively attack the ultimate interest of criminal organizations.
We commit ourselves to supporting capacity building and providing technical assistance for strengthening criminal justice systems in third countries. We are fully engaged in further enhancing coordination amongst ourselves, as much as our cooperation with relevant UN bodies, in particular with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
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Peace-keeping / Peace-building
Noting the progress in implementing commitments made at successive G8 Summits to enhance global capacity for peace support operations, we look forward to our experts’ report to Leaders on major achievements in this regard. We will continue to pursue a comprehensive approach to peace support operations in crisis areas, in which security, stabilization, post-conflict reconstruction and rule of law go hand in hand. We welcome the UN Secretary General’s Report on Peacebuilding in the Immediate Aftermath of Conflict and encourage all relevant actors to consider its recommendations.
Recognizing the leading role of the United Nations in the field of peacekeeping, in particular the UN Peacebuilding Commission, we further commit to enhancing international coordination in order to ensure the best possible application of resources. We pledge to support capacity building programs worldwide, with special attention to the police and civilian components as an effective bridge on the road from crisis to stability. In that context we look in particular at Africa, where we shall continue to work with the African Union, sub-regional organizations and African States, in order to increase continental peacekeeping capacity and strengthen institutions, including through enhanced cooperation between Training Centres, in keeping with the principle of local ownership.
We stress as well the need for enhanced cooperation in sustaining the African Union-led peace support operations.
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Piracy
We are seriously concerned about the increasing threat of piracy off the Gulf of Aden and the Eastern coast of Africa. We agree that dissuasion, prevention and suppression of acts of piracy are essential for maritime security and regional stability. We welcomed the ongoing international efforts to combat piracy through multilateral frameworks such as the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) – in particular the Djibouti Code of Conduct (DCC) – as well as individual and collective maritime operations. We are committed to enhancing coordination and information sharing among those actors as well as initiatives to reinforce their inclusiveness. Aiming at preventing pirates from achieving their goals, we recognize among others the need to cooperate at international level in order to ensure the development of adequate legal frameworks to fight piracy and other maritime-related crimes, to explore ways of tracking and freezing pirates’ assets, and to consider measures of shipping self protection.
We also agree on the need of a strengthened international commitment to target the root causes of piracy, by helping countries in the region meet a number of destabilizing domestic and external challenges (such as poverty, ongoing conflicts, lawlessness and the lack of a strong central authority).
Affected States have a significant role in prosecuting, and enabling the prosecution of, suspected pirates, in keeping with internationally accepted legal and human rights standards and practice. In parallel, and consistent with the orientations expressed at the Seoul High Level Meeting on Piracy off the Coasts of Somalia of 9-10 June 2009, we note the importance of strengthening maritime and legal capacities of countries in the region. The G8 commended the leadership role of Kenya in the prosecution and detention of pirates. It is urgent to assist regional states in building their own capacity of adequately controlling their borders, coasts and territorial waters. In the framework of the CGPCS and in cooperation with IMO, we shall help personnel from concerned States to take maximum advantage of training opportunities provided by the International Maritime Safety, Security and Environment Academy (IMSSEA), already operating in Genoa under an agreement with IMO, and the Regional Training Centre to be created in Djibouti. We shall consider offering concerned States, on a bilateral basis, further opportunities for coast guard and law enforcement agencies formation and training.
We agreed to follow-up, also through meetings in the region at Ambassadors and experts level, in order to ensure that the G8 members provide maximum support to the work of the CGPCS and the implementation of its guidelines.
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Iran
We are concerned about the aftermath of Iranian Presidential elections. We fully respect the sovereignty of Iran. At the same time, we deplore post-electoral violence, which led to the loss of lives of Iranian civilians. We express our solidarity with those who have suffered repression while peacefully demonstrating and urge Iran to respect fundamental human rights, including freedom of expression, as ensured by the international treaties it has ratified. The crisis should be settled soon through democratic dialogue and peaceful means on the basis of the rule of law. We call on the Iranian government to guarantee that the will of the Iranian people is reflected in the electoral process.
We remain committed to finding a diplomatic solution to the issue of Iran’s nuclear program and support renewed efforts to that effect, such as the readiness of the U.S. to enter into direct talks and the invitation from China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States to Iran to restart negotiations, as well as the constructive involvement of other G8 partners in the process. We stress the need for unity of action on the basis of agreed policy. We sincerely hope that Iran will seize this opportunity to give diplomacy a chance to find a negotiated solution to the nuclear issue. At the same time we remain deeply concerned over proliferation risks posed by Iran’s nuclear programme. We recognise that Iran has the right to a civilian nuclear programme, but that comes with the responsibility to restore confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear activities. We strongly urge Iran to cooperate fully with the IAEA and to comply with the relevant UNSC Resolutions.
Our meeting on the margin of the United Nations General Assembly opening week next September, will be an occasion for the G8 to take stock of the situation.
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Afghanistan and Pakistan
We remain firmly committed to supporting the democratically elected governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan as they confront grave security, humanitarian, counter narcotics, terrorism and economic challenges and will help them strengthening institutional capacity and increasing the effectiveness of government. We recognise the central role of the UN in ensuring the effectiveness and coherence of our efforts in Afghanistan. We look forward to our engagement in Trieste with our colleagues from Afghanistan and Pakistan and other regional actors. The outcomes of those discussions will be reported separately.
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DPRK
We condemn in the strongest terms the nuclear test conducted on 25 May 2009 in violation of UNSC Resolution 1718/2006 and the launch using ballistic missile technology of 5 April 2009 which constitute a threat to regional peace and stability. We welcome the adoption of UNSC Resolution 1874/2009 and call upon the international community to fully and transparently implement their obligations pursuant to this Resolution, including the prevention of transfer of proliferation-related materials to and from the DPRK. We urge DPRK to fulfil its obligations under relevant UNSC Resolutions, to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes as well as ballistic missile programmes, which affect international security, and to return to full compliance with its international obligations. We remain committed to the goal of the verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through the full implementation of the 19 September 2005 Joint Statement of the Six Party Talks. We demand DPRK not to conduct further destabilizing actions and resume its participation to the Six Party Talks. We recognise the need for all participants to take measures as agreed in this format. We also urge DPRK’s prompt action to address the concerns of the international community on humanitarian matters, including the abduction issue.
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Middle East
We reiterate the G8’s full support for the two-state solution, with the establishment of an independent, democratic, viable and contiguous Palestinian State living in peace with Israel and its other neighbours within secure and recognised borders. We salute our Leaders’ personal commitment for a comprehensive peace in the Middle East. We maintain our firm commitment to continue providing assistance to the Palestinian people and to strengthen the Palestinian democratic institutions. We call on all parties to re-enter direct negotiations on all standing issues consistent with the Roadmap, the relevant UNSC Resolutions and the Madrid principles. We also call on both parties to fulfil their obligations under the Roadmap, including a freeze in settlement activity (as well their “natural growth”) and an unequivocal end to violence and terrorism. We emphasized the urgency of a durable solution to the Gaza crisis through the full implementation of UNSC Resolution 1860/2009, including an end to arms smuggling and the immediate opening of crossings for the flow of humanitarian aid, commercial goods and persons. We remain committed to actively supporting the implementation of current and future peace agreements, and encourage others to do the same. Comprehensive peace in the Middle East requires a regional approach and we look forward to a comprehensive peace between Israel and its neighbours, also building upon the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative. We support the proposal of the Russian Federation to convene, in consultation with the Quartet and the Parties, an international conference on the Middle East peace process in Moscow in 2009.
We continue to support a secure and united Iraq and pledge our ongoing support for free and inclusive national elections in the year ahead.
We congratulate the Lebanese people for carrying out a peaceful national election on 7 June 2009 and express our continued support for a sovereign and independent Lebanon. Myanmar
We are deeply concerned about the recent developments. A real process of dialogue and national reconciliation is needed, with the full participation of representatives of all political parties and ethnic groups, leading to transparent, fair and democratic multiparty elections. In this regard we call on the Government of Myanmar to release all political prisoners, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi whose continued detention would undermine the credibility of the elections planned for 2010.
We reaffirm our full support to the UN Secretary General’s good office mission and the initiatives aimed at fostering dialogue and democratic transition in Myanmar, demanding international community to do likewise. We call on the Government of Myanmar to fully cooperate with the UNSG Special Advisor, as well as with the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Myanmar. We remain prepared to respond positively to substantive political progress undertaken by Myanmar.
Sri Lanka
While we welcome the end of the military conflict, we deeply regret the mass civilian casualties during the final phase of the fighting. We also recognise the steps already undertaken by the Government of Sri Lanka to address the humanitarian situation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and its cooperation with relevant UN agencies, and encourage it to take further measures toward remaining significant challenges, including the civilian nature of the camps, freedom of movement and early return for IDPs. While we acknowledge security concerns, unhindered access for humanitarian aid agencies should be ensured by the Government of Sri Lanka. We welcome the recent agreement between the UN Secretary General and the Government of Sri Lanka underlining the importance of an accountability process for addressing violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. We also welcome the government of Sri Lanka’s agreement to take measures to address those grievances. Further efforts are needed to ensure steady progress in the political process towards national reconciliation. Long-term security, post-conflict reconstruction and prosperity in the country can only be achieved through a process that addresses the legitimate concerns of all communities. Yemen
We recognise the strategic importance of enhancing international support to Yemen, whose integrity and effective control of the territory and borders are crucial for fighting against piracy and terrorism, as well as for security and stability in the Middle East, the Gulf and the Horn of Africa. We support a strengthened international cooperation aimed at helping the country in meeting domestic and external challenges. We will consider concerted and coordinated assistance, building upon the existing Consultative Group process. Increased integration of Yemen in regional cooperation would also be beneficial. BMENA
We reiterate full support to the G8 – BMENA Partnership as a crucial platform of dialogue and cooperation among Partner Governments, international organisations and the civil society in view of home-grown reforms in political, economic and social spheres. We look forward to the sixth “Forum for the Future”, scheduled next fall under the co-chairmanship of Italy and Morocco, in order to review the various initiatives undertaken since 2004 and strengthen the Partnership.
Africa
We shall work in order to create the conditions for transforming present problems in Africa into new opportunities for cooperation and development. We look forward to engaging African countries as partners on equal footing. We saluted recent efforts by African partners in strengthening governance in Africa, in building the capacities of continental and sub-regional organizations and in addressing situations of armed conflict. The G8 welcomed: recent free and fair elections in the region; the continuing implementation of the African Peer Review Mechanism and other initiatives associated with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and its integration with the activities of the African Union; and historically-high levels of regional economic growth in recent years.
These examples underscore the positive results that can be achieved when progressive national leadership is supported by sustained international engagement. Nevertheless, and notwithstanding these important successes, we expressed deep concern about the persistence of undemocratic transfers of power in Africa and commended the principled opposition of African partners, particularly the African Union, Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to these extra-constitutional changes of government. We call on the regimes which have taken power by such means to allow the restoration of constitutional order through free, fair and transparent elections as soon as possible.
We remain conscious of the political and economic challenges still confronting Africa – especially in the context of the food and economic crisis – and underscore the need for continued international cooperation in addressing them. We shall devote a special attention to protection of human rights, particularly on the most vulnerable such as children and women.
We remain seized of a number of specific situations.
Somalia – Sharing a deep concern over long-standing instability and the humanitarian crisis in Somalia, we reiterated our strong support to the Transitional Federal Government and its efforts aimed at securing an inclusive process of national reconciliation and sustainable peace. We recognise the need for enhanced and sustained humanitarian assistance and development efforts in Somalia, which we are willing to support. We welcomed the outcome of the International Conference in support of the Somali Security Institutions and the African Union Mission in Somalia, held in Brussels on 22-23 April 2009, and recognised the role played by the International Contact Group on Somalia, which lastly convened in Rome on 10-11 June 2009 with the participation of the Somali Prime Minister. We encourage African nations to join Burundi and Uganda in providing troops and support to AMISOM, while urging the whole international community to further engage in coordinated security and recovery efforts involving the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union and other relevant organizations, with a focus on building capacity for the TFG to deliver basic government services. In this regard, we are ready to consider financial assistance for training as well as other support for Somali security forces.
Sudan – We highlighted the importance of the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, as the foundation for a sustainable peace, and welcomed the recent CPA Forum hosted by the United States in Washington on 23 June 2009. We call on the international community to work together to secure full implementation of the Agreement. We urge all parties to commit in good faith to the Darfur peace negotiations. We salute the efforts of the AU-UN Joint Chief Mediator and Qatar in this regard and encourage regional players to support the process. UNAMID’s role is crucial in enhancing security in Darfur and we emphasise the importance of its full and effective deployment. We call on the Government of Sudan to work effectively with humanitarian organizations in order to facilitate humanitarian access and assistance, and demand all parties to comply fully with their obligations under international humanitarian law, human rights and refugee law. We also call on all parties to abide by their obligations under relevant UNSC Resolutions. In particular, we reaffirm the obligation for Sudan to abide by UNSC Resolution 1593/2005, as lasting peace cannot be achieved without justice and reconciliation.
Great Lakes – We acknowledged that stability in the Democratic Republic of Congo is paramount to security in the Great Lakes Region and in all of Africa. We applauded the recent cooperation between the governments of the DRC and Rwanda, which has created new opportunities for a concerted and sustainable solution to the crisis in eastern DRC. We encourage renewed cooperation among the countries of the region, including in regional fora, on all political, security and economic aspects that are underlying causes of the crisis. We encourage the disarmament and reintegration of all organised armed groups as necessary steps towards a lasting solution. We express our grave concerns about the prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence in the DRC and the Great Lakes Region, and emphasise the need to effectively punish its perpetrators and to address its root causes. It is essential that all parties protect civilians and facilitate full, safe and unhindered access for humanitarian workers providing assistance.
Zimbabwe – Progress has been made towards national reconciliation. We support the people of Zimbabwe and the transition government as they work to bring peace, stability, prosperity and democracy back to their country. We encourage a full application of the Global Political Agreement, which can positively respond to concerns for rule of law, economic governance and land issues. Illegal and violent farm seizures, repression of human rights, and restrictions on media and journalists must cease. We will work with the transition government as it builds the institutions necessary for free and fair elections in a timely manner. We look forward to a meaningful dialogue with Zimbabwe, leading to a full normalization of political and economic relations, contingent upon progress towards full respect of human rights, democracy, and re-establishment of effective rule of law in the country.
West Africa – Several states of West Africa are emerging from conflict and political stabilization processes in some parts of the region remain fragile. Rule of law continues to be a primary challenge for a number of states concerned, as demonstrated by a series of recent non-constitutional transfers of power. As one consequence, we are witnessing an increase in worrying phenomena such as terrorism, maritime insecurity and illegal activities (trafficking in drugs, small weapons and human beings, and kidnappings for ransom). In that regard, we are particularly concerned about the actions of Al Qaida in the Sahel region, including hostage taking of foreigners, and totally condemn the recent assassination of a British hostage. Trans-national organised crime is also striving to infiltrate and weaken institutions. At the same time, we acknowledge the effectiveness of peace and security initiatives undertaken through ECOWAS. We encourage and will continue to support states of the region in their common effort to build the capacity to effectively meeting these challenges, including by addressing their root causes. Caucasus
We expressed our commitment for achieving regional stabilization. We state our support to efforts carried out to that effect with the active involvement of the UN, the OSCE and the EU. We encourage all actors in the region to work towards the peaceful settlement of unresolved conflicts and to support humanitarian aid programs.
We strongly encourage the development of regional cooperation. In this framework, we welcome the efforts of Armenia and Turkey to normalise their relations and the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to seek a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The Caucasus region has the potential to become an area of peace and prosperity for all populations.
Source: Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
This Information System is provided by the University of Toronto Library and the G8 Research Group at the University of Toronto.
Please send comments to: g8@utoronto.ca
This page was last updated June 26, 2009.
The New G8 Logo
The new G8 logo: From La Maddalena to L’Aquila – G8 Summit 2009
In the wake of the decision to move the Summit initially scheduled for La Maddalena to L’Aquila, as a token of consideration and support for the communities hit by the earthquake on 6 April, the turtles remain in the Summit’s new symbol as a reminder of this G8’s “migrant” nature, accompanied by the wording: “G8 Summit 2009 – From La Maddalena to L’Aquila”.
Past Summits:
* Hokkaido Toyako, July 7-9 2008 (Japan)
* Heiligendamm, June 6-8 2007 (Germany)
* St Petersburg, July 15-17 2006 (Russia)
* Gleneagles, July 6-8 2005 (United Kingdom) – Website currently not available
* Sea Island, June 8-10 2004 (United States) – Website currently not available
* Evian, June 1-3 2003 (France)
* Kananaskis, June 26-27 2002 (Canada)
* Genoa, July 20-22 2001 (Italy) – Website currently not available
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To order a printed copy, please click here.
mailto:g8@utoronto.ca?subject=Please send me a copy of The G8 2009: From La Maddalena to L’Aquila
Contents Forewords
* De La Maddalena a L’Aquila (in Italian and English)
Silvio Berlusconi, prime minister, Italy
* For better global governance
Taro Aso, prime minister, Japan
* The 2010 Muskoka Summit
Stephen Harper, prime minister, Canada
* The G8: complementing the G20
Lee Myung-bak, president, Korea
Introduction
* Prospects for the 2009 L’Aquila G8 Summit
John Kirton, director, G8 Research Group
From G20 to G8: joint action
* Recovery and Reform
Daniel M. Price, partner at Sidley Austin LLP and former assistant to the US president for international economic affairs and former G8 and G20 sherpa
Economics, finance and trade
* Call to action
Angel Gurrìa, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Economic Development
* Restoring Growth
Robert Fauver, former US under secretary of state for economic affairs and former G7 sherpa * Mapping the route to recovery
Paola Subacchi, Chatham House
* Regulation and Reform
Jim O’Neill, Goldman Sachs
* Under pressure
Domenico Lombardi, Oxford Institute for Economic Policy and the Brookings Institution
* The common purse
Pietro Alessandrini, Università Politecnica della Marche, and Michele Fratianni, Indiana University and Università Politecnica della Marche
* Facing up to respondibility
Kimon Valaskakis, New School of Athens
Environment and climate change
* The environment-health axis
Achim Steiner, United Nations and United Nations Environment Programme
* Securing the future
Tobias Feakin, National Security and Resilience, Royal United Services Institute
* Trading our way out of climate change
Henry Derwent, International Emissions Trading Association
* Toward Copenhagen
Bjorn Stigson, World Business Council for Sustainable Development
* On thin ice
Christopher Wright, Grantham Institute on Climate Change, London School of Econonmics, and Centre for Development and Environment, University of Oslo
Energy
* The energy challenge
Nobuo Tanaka, International Energy Agency
* Renewing efforts
Sergey Koblov and Victoria Panova, International Sustainable Energy Development Centre
Health
* The global health challenge
Margaret Chan, World Health Organization
* Finding the cure
Michel Kazatchkine, Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
* Delivering on promises?
* James Orbinski, St. Michael’s Hospital, and Jenilee M. Guebert, Program on Global Health Governance, University of Toronto
Water, food and agriculture
* Out of our depth
Loïc Fauchon, World Water Council
* A roadmap for global food security
Jacques Diouf, Food and Agriculture Organization
* A green revolution
Kanayo f. Nwanze, International Fund for Agriculture and Development
* The food and energy challenge
C. Ford Runge, University of Minnesota
Development, investment and emerging economies
* The war on want
Kamalesh Sharma, Commonwealthsecretary general
* Opportunity out of crisis
Lars H. Thunell, International Finance Corporation
* Asia’s paradox
Haruhiko Kuroda, Assian Development Bank
* Rediscovering the Americas
Alicia Bárcena, United Nationsl Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
* The hour of need
Donald Kaberuka, African Development Bank
* Restructuring development
Diéry Seck, Centre for Research on Political Economy
* Looking east
Hisham El-Sherif, Nile Capital
IT and telecommunications
* Only connect
Hamadoun Touré, International Telecommunications Union
* A better Web for a better society
Tim Berners-Lee, Steve Bratt and Daniel Dardailler, World Wide Web Foundation and World Wide Web Consortium
Global governance and the growing G8
* Down but not out
Andrew F. Cooper, The Centre for International Governance Innovation
* A civil society
Peter I. Hajnal and Jenilee M. Guebert, G8 Research Group
Appendices
* Profiles
* G8 Research Group’s 2008 Interim Compliance Report
G8 Centre
Top This Information System is provided by the University of Toronto Library and the G8 Research Group at the University of Toronto.
Please send comments to: g8@utoronto.ca
This page was last updated June 24, 2009.
2009. University of Toronto unless otherwise stated.
G8 calls for immediate halt to Iran violence
26 June 2009
* Author: Carole Landry
* Source: Agence France Presse
The Group of Eight called on Iran Friday to immediately halt post-election violence but refrained from calling into question the legitimacy of President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad’s re-election.
The leading powers were divided over how to respond to the crisis in Iran with Russia warning against isolating Tehran with a toughly-worded condemnation that risked derailing talks on its nuclear drive. (more…)
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The Guardia di Finanza School in L’Aquila, Stronghold of the Institutions and the G8
The entrance of the non-Commissioned Officers School in Coppito, L’Aquila The Italian Government has decided to move the G8 Summit venue from La Maddalena to L’Aquila, the city symbolising the earthquake that hit Abruzzo on 6 April.
The Guardia di Finanza Non-Commissioned Officers’ School is the venue for an austere G8 increasingly alive to the issues of natural calamity-related risk prevention, aversion and management.
The School complex, already dubbed “Guardia di Finanza City” is located on the outskirts of L’Aquila, in the Coppito district, and since 6 April, after verifying its safety, it houses the Civil Protection Department’s Di.coma.c, or Direzione di Comando e Controllo of the Civil Protection System, which is coordinating emergency work in the wake of the earthquake. Since mid-April, the college also houses the institutions that lost their premises on account of the earthquake.
The college takes in 3,500 non-Commissioned officer cadets every two years. Building began in 1986, the first lot, comprising about 700,000 cubic metres, being completed over the subsequent six years.
The college’s perimeter wall, which is over 2 km long, encloses about 45 hectares of hilly ground, where the headquarters offices, the parade ground, the auditorium, the sports facilities, the cadets’ quarters and the multi-purpose unit are laid out. The classrooms and mess are located behind the cadets’ quarters, linked by raised walkways with arched glass roofs. The upper part is home to the permanent staff’s quarters, the infirmary, the vehicle fleet and the technology control rooms. Last but not least, the top of the hill features a helipad equipped for both day-and night-time take-off and landing.
Other facilities for the college’s exclusive use are located outside the perimeter wall, as is a car park capable of accommodating a thousand or so vehicles in an area of about 4,000 square metres.
Since the Cabinet meeting held on 23 April, which set the seal on the G8 Summit’s move right there in the college command room, officials and technical experts have been at work to ensure that the Guardia di Finanza campus will be able to play host to the foreign delegations from 8 to 10 July.
Bank failure list tops 45
The FDIC says banks in Georgia, Minnesota and California were shuttered by state regulators.
By Ben Rooney, CNNMoney.com staff writer
Last Updated: June 26, 2009: 10:38 PM ET
Map
Where the banks are failing
Bank failures and foreclosures keep mounting
View map
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Local banks in Georgia, Minnesota and California were closed Friday by state regulators, bringing the total number of failed banks this year to 45, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
The financial crisis has taken a heavy toll on small banks across the nation as losses in the housing market mount and unemployment dents household wealth. Analysts expect the trend to continue even as larger banks stabilize and the overall economy begins to recover.
Community Bank of West Georgia, which operated one branch in Villa Rica and another in Kennesaw, had total assets of $199.4 million and total deposits of $182.5 million, according to the FDIC.
The failed bank had roughly $1.1 million in deposits that exceeded the FDIC’s $250,000 insurance limit for individual accounts. However, this amount is expected to change as the agency obtains more information from uninsured customers, the FDIC said.
The FDIC will mail checks to insured depositors of the failed bank on Monday morning. Direct deposits from the federal government, such as Social Security and Veterans’ payments, will be transferred to United Community Bank of Blairsville, Ga.
Georgia regulators also shuttered the four branches of Neighborhood Community Bank, which is based in Newnan.
The FDIC said CharterBank of West Point will assume all of the failed bank’s $191.3 million deposits and the majority of its $221.6 million assets.
So far this year, nine banks in Georgia have failed.
In Minnesota, Horizon Bank of Pine City was closed and will be taken over by Stearns Bank, NA of St. Cloud. It was the first bank to fail in the Gopher State this year.
The failed bank, which operated two locations, had total assets of $87.6 million and total deposits of about $69.4 million. Stearns Bank paid a premium for all of Horizon Bank’s deposits and agreed to acquire $84.4 million of its assets. The remaining assets will be sold by the FDIC later.
Meanwhile, the sole branch of Irvine, Calif.-based MetroPacific Bank was closed Friday and Sunwest Bank, of Tustin, Calif., agreed to assume all of its non-brokered deposits.
MetroPacific had total deposits of approximately $73 million. Sunwest Bank will purchase nearly all of the failed bank’s $80 million worth of assets, the FDIC said.
The FDIC said it would pay about $6 million directly to brokers for deposits held in MetroPacific brokered accounts.
Later Friday, the FDIC said Mirae Bank of Los Angeles was closed. The bank’s five offices will reopen Monday as branches of Wilshire State Bank. Mirae Bank had total assets of $456 million and total deposits of approximately $362 million.
Wilshire State Bank will buy about $449 million of the failed bank’s assets. The FDIC will hold the remaining assets to dispose of later.
California has had six banks fail so far this year.
The FDIC said it entered a loss-share agreement with the acquiring banks for a portion of the failed banks’ assets. The agreement is intended to maximize returns on the assets and minimize disruptions for loan customers, the FDIC said.
The total cost of Friday’s bank failures to the FDIC is $264.2 million, bringing the total for this year to $11.94 billion. That compares with $17.6 billion in all of 2008.
The number of bank failures so far this year has already exceeded last year’s total of 25, with an average of 7 failures per month.
Over the next 5 years, the FDIC expects roughly $70 billion in losses due to the failures of insured institutions.
The FDIC, which is funded primarily by fees paid by banks, insures individual deposits up to $250,000. The amount was increased from $100,000 late last year in response to concerns about the stability of the nation’s banks. To top of page
First Published: June 26, 2009: 6:18 PM ET
My note –
I have a lot of paintings that I’ve done over the years. If I went to a bank or investor and asked to use them as collateral for a loan – what value would they give them? Do you really think it would be $3,000 – $4,000 dollars a piece when I might only get $25 dollars each for them if I’m lucky and catch the right person to talk them into it? That banker would tell me that as collateral, they are worthless.
And, if I had a recent track record of receiving $25 each, then that is the value that a banker, corporate investment manager, investor, “financial engineer” or business person would give them as a value, not what my costs were to create them, and not what they would be worth if the market was more favorable and not what they would be worth in comparison to other items selling in the marketplace.
It wouldn’t take a banker or accountant five minutes to say that to me and refuse a loan to me for a business based on those paintings or anything else. So, why do they get to value things as they see fit and why would our government let them do it after all the harms that have been caused by doing it that way?
– cricketdiane, 04-02-09
**
Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council
MEMBERS AS OF JANUARY 2009
Mr. Dennis H. Chookaszian
Chairman Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council
Ms. Joan L. Amble
Executive Vice President and Corporate Comptroller American Express Company
Dr. Ray Ball
Sidney Davidson Professor of Accounting Graduate School of Business
The University of Chicago
Mr. David Bianco
Managing Director and Head of U.S. Equity Strategy,
Valuation and Accounting UBS Investment Research
Mr. Mark M. Bielstein
Partner KPMG LLP
Dr. James L. Bothwell
Founder and President Financial Market Strategies LLC
Mr. Peter Bridgman
Senior Vice President and Controller PepsiCo, Inc.
Mr. Robert L. Bunting
Chair International Services Group Moss Adams LLP
Mr. Curtis L. Buser
Managing Director and Chief Accounting Officer The Carlyle Group
Dr. Carolyn M. Callahan
Professor
Doris M. Cook Chair in Accounting Sam Walton School of Business
University of Arkansas-Fayetteville
Mr. Michael P. Cangemi
Director of Various Boards and President & Chief Executive Officer Cangemi Company LLC
Mr. William G. Clark
Director State of New Jersey
Division of Investment
Mr. Vincent P. Colman
U.S. National Office Professional Practice Leader PricewaterhouseCoopers
Mr. Stephen J. Cosgrove
Vice President, Corporate Controller Johnson & Johnson
Mr. Timothy J. Curt
Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer Warburg Pincus LLC
Mr. Jerry M. de St. Paer
Executive Chairman GNAIE—Group of North American Insurance Enterprises
Mr. Richard K. Dinkel
Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer Koch Industries, Inc.
Mr. Lewis Dulitz
Vice President of Accounting Policies & Research Covidien
Mr. Ralph C. Ferrara
Managing Partner Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP
Mr. Leonard F. Griehs
Vice President, Investor Relations Campbell Soup Company
Ms. Marie N. Hollein
President and Chief Executive Officer Financial Executives Institute
Mr. Gary R. Kabureck
Vice President & Chief Accounting Officer Xerox Corporation
Dr. Mark H. Lang
Thomas W. Hudson, Jr./Deloitte and Touche L.L.P.
Distinguished Professor Kenan-Flagler Business School
University of North Carolina
Mr. Richard D. Levy
Executive Vice President & Controller Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
Mr. Feilong Li
Controller CNOOC Limited
Mr. John B. Morse, Jr.
Vice President—Finance, Chief Financial Officer The Washington Post Company
Mr. George Muñoz
Principal Muñoz Investment Banking Group
Mr. Joel S. Osnoss
Partner
Global IFRS and Offering Services Deloitte & Touche LLP
Mr. Lawrence K. Probus
Chief Financial Officer & Senior Vice President World Vision U.S.
Mr. Steven A. Rogers
President and Chief Administrative Officer Dominion Resources Services, Inc.
Mr. David E. Runkle
Director of Quantitative Research Trilogy Global Advisors
Ms. Arleen R. Thomas
Senior Vice President, Member Competency and Development American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Mr. Randy J. Vest
Vice President and Controller; Chief Accounting Officer Kimberly-Clark Corporation
Dr. Terry D. Warfield
Robert and Monica Beyer Professor of Accounting Wisconsin School of Business
Ms. Shannon S. Warren
Managing Director,
Corporate Accounting Policies Group JP Morgan Chase
Mr. William Widdowson
Head Group Accounting Policy UBS AG
Mr. Brent A. Woodford
Senior Vice President, Planning and Control The Walt Disney Company
Mr. Jed Wrigley
Director & Fund Manager Fidelity International Ltd.
Mr. William L. Yeates
National Director of Audit and Accounting Hein & Associates LLP
The Committee consists of a chair plus twelve members and includes four CPA practitioners, four financial statement preparers, and four users of private company financial statements. The founding members of the PCFRC are:
Judith H. O’Dell, Chair
President O’Dell Valuation Consulting, LLC
Charles Bramley
Partner Briggs Bunting & Dougherty
Daryl Buck
Vice President and CFO Reasor’s, Inc
John R. Burzenski
President Burzenski & Company
Michael Cain
Senior Executive Vice President Frost Bank
Thomas J. Groskopf
Director Barnes Dennig
Mary Ann Lawrence
Senior Vice President Key Corporation
David Lomax
Area Underwriting Manager Liberty Mutual Surety
Jerry Murphy
CFO Todd and Sargent Inc
Chris A. Rogers
Vice President of Finance and Administration Infragistics, Inc.
Steven A. Shelton
Partner Way, Ray, Shelton and Company
James K. Smith
Vice President and CFO Phonon Corporation
*** Financial Crisis Advisory Group (FCAG) CO-CHAIRS
Harvey J. Goldschmid
Former Commissioner, United States Securities and Exchange Commission
United States
Hans Hoogervorst
Chairman, AFM (the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets)
Europe MEMBERS
John Bogle Founder, Vanguard
United States
Jerry Corrigan Goldman Sachs and Former President of the New York Federal Reserve Bank
United States
Fermin del Valle Former President, International Federations of Accountants
Argentina
Jane Diplock Chairman, International Organization of Securities CommissionsExecutive Committee
New Zealand
Raudline Etienne Chief Investment Officer, New York State Common Retirement Fund
United States
Stephen Haddrill Director General, Association of British Insurers
United Kingdom
Toru Hashimoto Former Chairman, Deutsche Securities Limited
Japan
Nobuo Inaba Former Executive Director, Bank of Japan
Japan
Gene Ludwig Former Comptroller of the Currency
United States
Yezdi Malegam Board Member, National Reserve Bank of India
India
Klaus-Peter Müller Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Commerzbank
Germany
Don Nicolaisen Former Chief Accountant, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
United States
Wiseman Nkuhlu Chairman of the Audit Committee, AngloGold Ashanti; Former Economic Advisor to the President of the Republic of South Africa
South Africa
Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa Former Finance Minister
Italy
Lucas Papademos Vice-President, European Central Bank
Europe
Michel Prada Former Chairman, Autorité des marchés financiers
France OBSERVERS:
Basel Committee of Banking Supervisors
Committee of European Securities Regulators
Financial Stability Forum
International Association of Insurance Supervisors
Japan Financial Services Agency
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Nelson Carvalho, IASB Standards Advisory Council Chairman, Brazil
Dennis Chookaszian, Chairman, Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council, United States
In September of 2005, the FASB announced the launch of its Investor Task Force (ITF). The ITF is an advisory resource that provides the Board with sector specific insight and expertise from the professional investment community on relevant accounting issues.
The ITF is comprised of the nation’s largest institutional asset managers, each of which provides the FASB with an institutional contact point—typically the Director of Research—who identifies industry specific analysts at their respective firms that match the sector requirements of each standard setting initiative.
For example, if an issue on the FASB’s agenda relates to the oil industry, the ITF, as appropriate, would appoint an oil and gas analyst to advise the Board and staff from at least one of the ITF member firms.
ITF Member Firms and their affiliates maintain more than $3 trillion in assets under management. They include:
*** Valuation Resource Group
Last Updated: March 16, 2009 (Updated sections are indicated with an asterisk *)
The staff has prepared this summary of Board decisions for information purposes only. Those Board decisions are tentative and do not change current accounting. Official positions of the FASB are determined only after extensive due process and deliberations.
*Objective
*Issues Discussed to Date
*Valuation Resource Group Members
*History and Background
*Contact Information
*Objective
In step with its mission to improve and enhance the quality, consistency, and comparability of financial statements, the FASB continues to assess whether and to what extent additional and more specific valuation guidance is needed for financial reporting purposes beyond the guidance provided in FASB Statement No. 157, Fair Value Measurements. The Board seeks to solicit the views of its constituents through the formation of a resource group tasked with assisting the Board in matters involving valuation for financial reporting purposes.
The Valuation Resource Group (VRG) will provide the FASB staff with information on the existing implementation issues surrounding fair value measurements used for financial statement reporting purposes and the alternative viewpoints associated with those implementation issues. The VRG’s meetings are closed to the public and minutes are not distributed. The meetings are closed since this group does not make any authoritative decisions. Any authoritative decisions are subject to the FASB’s normal open due process, including open deliberation by the Board.
The next meeting of the VRG is scheduled for April 7, 2009. The VRG will hold a session with the FASB Board from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. that is open to the public. Constituents also may listen to that session via webcast.
*Issues Discussed to Date
The issues discussed at the February 5, 2009 meeting include:
The SEC Study on Mark-to-Market Accounting
Proposed FASB Staff Position (FSP) FAS 157-c, Measuring Liabilities under Statement No. 157
The AICPA Draft Issues Paper, FASB Statement No. 157 Valuation Considerations for Interests in Alternative Investments
Goodwill Impairment Considerations
The issues discussed at the September 23, 2008 meeting include:
The IASB Expert Advisory Panel White Paper: “Measuring and disclosing the fair value of financial instruments in markets that are no longer active”
Fair Value Disclosures
Observable vs. Unobservable Inputs
Fair Value Measurement of Liabilities under FAS 157
Allocation of In-Use Valuation to Individual Unit of Account
rued Liabilities
Identification and Allocation of Market Participant Synergies
Fair Value of a Noncontrolling Interest and a Previously Held Equity Interest
The issues discussed at the May 8, 2008 meeting include:
Observable vs. Unobservable Fair Value Measurements in the Current Credit Environment
Determining Whether a Discount should be Applied for a Restriction on Sale
Employee Benefit Plans
Contingent Liabilities
The issues discussed at the February 1, 2008 meeting include:
Accounting for assets that the acquirer does not intend to use or intends to use in a way other than its highest and best use
Overlapping customer relationships
Valuation of intangible assets using current replacement cost
Meaning of legally permissible in assessing highest and best use
Allocation of portfolio based credit adjustments for hedge effectiveness testing
The issues discussed at the November 9, 2007 meeting include:
Deferral of the effective date of FASB Statement No. 157, Fair Value Measurement
Development of market participant assumptions and use of an entity’s own data (similar to issue discussed at October 1, 2007 meeting)
Unit of valuation and exit markets, whether unit of valuation can be more disaggregated than the unit of account (similar to issue discussed at October 1, 2007 meeting)
Measurement of liabilities
Applicability of Statement 157 to plan assets of pensions and other postretirement benefit plans (similar to issue discussed at October 1, 2007 meeting)
Use of NAV to measure investments in fund of fund or certain investments with restrictions (similar to issue discussed at October 1, 2007 meeting)
Determining the fair value of a liability with a third-party guarantee
Highest and best use – land example
Definition of significant in determining the level in the fair value hierarchy
Accounting for Transaction Costs in Determining the Fair Value of an Investment
The issues discussed at the October 1, 2007 meeting include:
Determining the fair value of an asset in which the entity intends to transform the asset from its current form into a different form upon sale (such as whether to value a mortgage loan in the whole loan market vs. the securitization market)
Definition of an active market
Determination of the principal market when the majority of an entity’s trading activity occurs in a different market than where the majority of market participants’ trading occurs.
Highest and Best Use: Accounting for an asset that an entity does not intend to use or intends to use defensively
Determination of market participants (such as assets or entities acquired in an auction)
Assets and liabilities without markets
Pension plan disclosures
Use of net asset value to measure certain investments, such as in private equity.
The FASB staff will evaluate which, if any, of these issues to present to the Board for their consideration to add to its technical agenda. Based on the discussions and information provided by the VRG, the FASB has added several projects to its agenda to provide additional guidance to constituents. These projects address:
Determining when a market for an asset or a liability is active or inactive;
Determining when a transaction is distressed;
Applying fair value to interests in alternative investments, such as hedge funds and private equity funds; and,
Improving disclosures about fair value measurements will consider requiring additional disclosures on such matters as sensitivities of measurements to key inputs and transfers of items between the fair value measurement levels.
*Valuation Resource Group Members
Don Charles (accounting/valuation)
Ernst & Young
Frank Ciccotto
Standard and Poor’s
Brenna Wist (accounting/valuation)
KPMG
Greg Forsythe (accounting/valuation)
Deloitte
Andreas Ohl (accounting/valuation)
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Anita Ford (accounting/valuation)
Clifton Gunderson
Jolene Hart (accounting/valuation)
McGladry & Pullen
Jerry Mehm (valuation)
American Appraisal
Paul Barnes (valuation)
Duff & Phelps
Michael DeLuke (valuation)
Houlihan , Lokey, Howard & Zukin
Michael Mard (valuation)
The Financial Valuation Group
Chris Thorne (professional standard setting)
International Valuation Standards Committee
Carla Glass (valuation)
Hill, Schwartz, Spilker, Keller LLC
Amy Ripepi (accounting specialist)
Financial Reporting Advisors
Greg Ramsey (preparer)
Fannie Mae
Gina Weaver (preparer)
Pfizer
David Larsen (preparer – private equity)
Duff & Phelps
Gordon Goodman (preparer)
Occidental Petroleum
Wally Enman (user)
Moodys Investors Service
Shelley Luisi (observer)
SEC
Greg Scates (observer)
PCAOB
Hillary Eastman (observer)
IASB
Laurie Fitzpatrick Priest (observer)
Federal Reserve Board of Governors
Dan Noll (observer)
AICPA
*History and Background
In January 2007, the FASB issued an Invitation to Comment seeking views from constituents on (a) the need, if any, for valuation guidance related to the use of fair value measurements in financial reporting, (b) who should be involved in developing any such valuation guidance, and (c) the process and form of any such guidance-setting activities. Over 80 comment letters were received and posted to the FASB website. Additionally, the Board held a Public Roundtable on April 30, 2007 to enable constituents to elaborate on and discuss the issues raised in the Invitation to Comment. The Board issued a press release on June 21, 2007 announcing the formation of a resource group to address issues relating to valuation for financial reporting. The resource group has met on October 1, 2007, November 9, 2007, February 1, 2008, May 8, 2008, September 23, 2008, and February 5, 2009 to discuss issues surrounding the implementation of FASB Statement No. 157, Fair Value Measurements.
Contact Information
Kristofer Anderson
Valuation Fellow
keanderson@fasb.org
Meghan Clark
Postgraduate Technical Assistant
mmclark@fasb.org
So, while Sarkozy and Merkel are insisting on intelligent redesign of the regulations and transparency that will fix this mess which was directly caused by the lack of them, our Congressional and business leaders have succeeded in making a mockery of them and the entire G20 efforts by having the mark-to-market rule changed back to fantasy accounting.
On This Morning – 04-02-09, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, (FASB) will be changing the mark-to-market rule into something that no longer resembles reality once again by allowing bankers and others to use their own “significant judgment” in determining values for accounting purposes.
***
Mark-to-Market Accounting To be changed back to fantasy accounting or mark to make believe – Thursday, April 2, 2009 – while G20 meets the Financial Accounting Standards Board are stabbing them in the back by irresponsible current actions
***
****
Facts about FASB
Board Members
Robert H. Herz
Chairman
Robert H. Herz was appointed chairman of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), effective July 1, 2002, and was reappointed to a second term effective July 1, 2007. Previously, he was a senior partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Prior to joining the FASB, Mr. Herz was PricewaterhouseCoopers North America Theater Leader of Professional, Technical, Risk & Quality and a member of the firm’s Global and U.S. Boards. He also served as a part-time member of the International Accounting Standards Board. Mr. Herz is both a certified public accountant and a chartered accountant.
Mr. Herz joined Price Waterhouse in 1974 upon graduating from the University of Manchester in England with a B.A. degree in economics. He later joined Coopers & Lybrand becoming its senior technical partner in 1996 and assumed a similar position with the merged firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers in 1998.
During his distinguished career, Mr. Herz has authored numerous publications on a variety of accounting, auditing, and business subjects. Included among those contributions is the recent book, The Value Reporting Revolution: Moving Beyond the Earnings Game, which he co-authored.
Among Mr. Herz’s other activities, he chaired the AICPA SEC Regulations Committee and the Transnational Auditors Committee of the International Federation of Accountants, and served as a member of the Emerging Issues Task Force, the FASB Financial Instruments Task Force, the American Accounting Association’s Financial Accounting Standards Committee, and the SEC Practice Section Executive Committee of the AICPA.
FASB Chairman Robert H. Herz Testifies on Mark-to-Market Accounting
Thu Mar 12, 2009 11:19am EDT
NORWALK, Conn.–(Business Wire)–
Robert H. Herz, Chairman of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), testified about mark to market accounting today before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises.
Herz appeared at a hearing convened by Congressman and Committee Chairman Paul E. Kanjorski (D-PA) on Mark-to-Market Accounting: Practices and Implications.
Many investors have made it clear that, in their view, fair value accounting
allows companies to report amounts that are more relevant, timely, and
comparable than amounts that would be reported under alternative accounting approaches, even during extreme market conditions, said Chairman Herz.
Herz underscored the importance of neutral, independent standard setting to
capital market investors, and noted that after gathering extensive input about
fair value from a diversity of capital market participants, the prevailing view
urged the FASB not to suspend or weaken mark to market accounting rules.
While bending the rules to favor a particular outcome may seem attractive to some in the short run, in the long run, a biased accounting standard is harmful to investors, creditors and the U.S. economy, said Herz.
Addressing misconceptions that mark to market is a broadly applied rule, Herz explained that so called mark to market accounting generally only applies to trading accounts and derivatives that don’t qualify as hedges.
Additionally, Herz clarified that the use of fair value for measurement depends on both the nature of a financial asset and its intended use by an institution. Herz added that current financial reporting in the U.S. and elsewhere across the world included the use of both fair value and historical cost.
In response to the current challenging market conditions and feedback from a
wide array of investors and constituents-including the SEC– the FASB recently announced projects intended to improve the application guidance used to determine fair values as well as improving disclosures in financial reports. (http://www.fasb.org/news/nr021809.shtml ). Earlier in the crisis, the FASB and SEC jointly issued new guidance on the application of fair value in illiquid markets. (http://www.fasb.org/news/2008-FairValue.pdf )
The fact that fair value measures have been difficult to determine for some illiquid instruments is not a cause of current problems but rather a symptom of the many problems that have contributed to the global crisis– including lax and fraudulent lending, excess leverage, the creation of complex and risky investments through securitization and derivatives, the global distribution of such investments across rapidly growing unregulated and opaque markets lacking a proper infrastructure for clearing mechanisms and price discovery, faulty ratings, and the absence of appropriate risk management and valuation processes at many financial institutions, Herz said.
Given the challenging economic environment, Herz underscored the FASB`s
commitment to continue working actively with regulators and constituents to
provide guidance on reporting issues emanating from the financial crisis and
continue its project with the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) to improve, simplify and converge the accounting standards for financial instruments .
The full text of Chairman Herz`s testimony is located at http://www.fasb.org.
About the Financial Accounting Standards Board
Since 1973, the Financial Accounting Standards Board has been the designated organization in the private sector for establishing standards of financial accounting and reporting. Those standards govern the preparation of financial reports and are officially recognized as authoritative by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Such standards are essential to the efficient functioning of the economy because investors, creditors, auditors, and others rely on credible, transparent, and comparable financial information.
For more information about the FASB, visit our
website at www.fasb.org.
***
Robert H. Herz, Chairman of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB),
testified about mark to market accounting today before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises.
Herz appeared at a hearing convened by Congressman and Committee Chairman Paul E. Kanjorski (D-PA) on Mark-to-Market Accounting: Practices and Implications.
Paul E. Kanjorski has been a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Pennsylvania’s 11th Congressional district, since 1985. The district includes Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and most of the Poconos. (map)
Contents
* 1 Record and controversies
o 1.1 Iraq War
o 1.2 Environmental record
o 1.3 Heart bypass surgery
* 2 Bio
o 2.1 Congressional career
+ 2.1.1 2006 elections
* 3 Money in politics
* 4 Committees and Affiliations
o 4.1 Committees
+ 4.1.1 Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)
* 5 More Background Data
* 6 Contact
o 6.1 Campaign Contact Information
* 7 Articles and Resources
o 7.1 Local blogs and discussion sites
Record and controversies
General information about important bills and votes for can be found in Congresspedia’s articles on legislation. You can add information you find on how Paul Kanjorski voted by clicking the [edit] link to the right and typing it in. Remember to cite your sources
Iraq War
Kanjorski voted for the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 that started the Iraq War.[1]
For more information see the chart of U.S. House of Representatives votes on the Iraq War.
Environmental record
For more information on environmental legislation, see the Energy and Environment Policy Portal
Heart bypass surgery
On March 19, 2007, Kanjorski underwent heart bypass surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. His office announced that the surgery was to operate on three blood vessels surrounding his heart, and not caused by a heart attack.
Bio
Kanjorski was born April 7, 1937 in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania. He was educated at Temple University and the Dickinson School of Law. He also served in the United States Army. Before his election to Congress, Kanjorski was a trial attorney in Northeastern Pennsylvania. During that time, he served as a worker’s compensation administrative law judge and served as solicitor to several communities.
Congressional career
Kanjorski ran four times for Congress in the early 1980s. On the fourth try, in 1984, he was finally elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Kanjorkski has had a mixed voting record – liberal on economics and moderate on social issues. Kanjorski usually plays behind-the-scenes roles in the advocacy or defeat of legislation and steers appropriations money toward improving the infrastructure and economic needs of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
2006 elections
In 2006, Republicans nominated Joseph F. Leonardi to face Kanjorski in his November 2006 bid for reelection. (See U.S. congressional elections in 2006) [1] Kanjorski retained his seat.
Money in politics
This section contains links to – and feeds from – money in politics databases. For specific controversies, see this article’s record and controversies section.
Top Contributors to Paul E. Kanjorski (D) during the 2006 Election Cycle
Rank Donor Amount (US Dollars)
1 SLM Corp $ 18,950
2 New Century Financial Corp $ 17,000
3 National Assn of Realtors $ 11,000
4 Natl Assn/Insurance & Financial Advisors $ 10,000
4 Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance $ 10,000
4 United Food & Commercial Workers Union $ 10,000
4 National Assn of Home Builders $ 10,000
4 American Assn for Justice $ 10,000
4 American Institute of CPAs $ 10,000
4 Liberty Mutual Insurance $ 10,000
4 Machinists/Aerospace Workers Union $ 10,000
4 Credit Union National Assn $ 10,000
4 UBS AG $ 10,000
4 Mortgage Bankers Assn $ 10,000
4 National Air Traffic Controllers Assn $ 10,000
4 National Assn of Federal Credit Unions $ 10,000
4 New York Stock Exchange $ 10,000
Source: The Center for Responsive Politics’ http://www.OpenSecrets.org site.
Note: Contributions are not from the organizations themselves, but are rather from
the organization’s PAC, employees or owners. Totals include subsidiaries and affiliates.
Links to more campaign contribution information for Paul Kanjorski
from the Center for Responsive Politics’ OpenSecrets.org site.
Fundraising profile: 2006 election cycle Career totals
Top contributors by organization/corporation: 2006 election cycle Career totals
Top contributors by industry: 2006 election cycle Career totals
* Revolving door profile for Paul Kanjorski from the Center for Responsive Politics’ OpenSecrets.org website.
* 2006 privately funded travel profile for Paul Kanjorski from the Center for Responsive Politics’ OpenSecrets.org website.
* Personal finance profile for Paul Kanjorski from the Center for Responsive Politics’ OpenSecrets.org website.
Committees and Affiliations
Committees
* House Committee on Financial Services
o Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises -Chair
o Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology
o Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
* House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
o Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement
o Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives
* House Committee on Science and Technology o Subcommittee on Environment and Energy
Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)
* House Committee on Financial Services
o Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
o Subcommittee on Capital Markets Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises – Ranking Minority Member o Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy Trade and Technology
* House Committee on Government Reform
o Subcommittee on Federalism and the Census
o Subcommittee on Government Management Finance and Accountability
More Background Data
* Background information on Paul Kanjorski from Project Vote Smart
* Interest group scorecard ratings for Paul Kanjorski from Project Vote Smart
* Voting record for Paul Kanjorski from the Washington Post database
* Information on Paul Kanjorski from Congress Merge
Wikipedia also has an article on Paul Kanjorski. This article may use content from the Wikipedia article under the terms of the GFDL.
Contact
DC Office:
2188 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-3811
Phone: 202-225-6511
TollFree: 1-800-222-2346
Fax: 202-225-0764
Web Email
Website
District Office- Mount Pocono:
102 Pocono Boulevard
Mount Pocono, PA 18344-1412
Phone: 570-895-4176
Fax:
District Office- Scranton:
546 Spruce Street
Scranton, PA 18503
Phone: 570-496-1011
Fax: 570-496-6439
District Office- Wilkes-Barre:
The Stegmaier Building
7 North Wilkes-Barre Boulevard, Suite 400 M
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702-5283
Phone: 570-825-2200
TollFree: 1-800-222-2346
Fax: 570-825-8685
Campaign Contact Information
Official Kanjorski for Congress Web site
Pennsylvanians For Kanjorski
126 South Franklin Street
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701
Telephone: (570) 825-6070
vote@kanjorski.org
Articles and Resources
* Official website
* Campaign website
* Open Secrets – 2006 congressional races database
* Kanjorski has surgery Roll Call
Local blogs and discussion sites
* Gort 42
* The All-Spin Zone
Corresponding article on Wikipedia and Cause Caller. (If Cause Caller link does not work, pick from its list of senators and representatives.)
Current Office: U.S. House of Representatives
111th Congress
Leadership Position:
Committees Chaired:
Committees,
Ranking Member On:
Caucuses:
Committees:
110th Congress
Leadership Position:
None Committees Chaired:
Committees,
Ranking Member On:
Caucuses:
Committees: House Committee on Financial Services, House Committee on Financial Services/Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit, House Committee on Financial Services/Subcommittee on Capital Markets Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises, House Committee on Financial Services/Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy Trade and Technology, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform/Subcommittee on Information Policy Census and National Archives, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform/Subcommittee on Government Management Organization and Procurement, House Committee on Science and Technology, House Committee on Science and Technology/Subcommittee on Energy and Environment
Congressional Career
First Elected to Current Office:
November 6, 1984 First Took Current Office:
January 3, 1985 Next Election:
November 2, 2010 Term Ends:
Freshman Member?
No Previous Political Work?
None or not available Other Party Membership:
District Offices:
1. 102 Pocono Boulevard, Mount Pocono, PA 18344-1412
Phone: 570-895-4176 / Fax:
2. 546 Spruce Street, Scranton, PA 18503
Phone: 570-496-1011 / Fax: 570-496-6439
3. The Stegmaier Building, 7 North Wilkes-Barre Boulevard, Suite 400 M, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702-5283
Phone: 570-825-2200 / Fax: 570-825-8685
Campaign Contact:
Website: Official Kanjorski for Congress Web site
Webform Email: vote@kanjorski.org / Email: vote@kanjorski.org
Campaign Offices:
1. Pennsylvanians For Kanjorski, 126 South Franklin Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701
Phone: 570-825-6070 / Fax:
Categories: Pennsylvania and the U.S. Congress | Members of the U.S. Congress from Pennsylvania | Members of the U.S. House of Representatives – temp | Congresspedia | Members of U.S. House of Representatives | Democratic Party (USA) | Congresspedia pages missing a District Office 1 Fax field
2007-2008 Based on a point system, with points assigned for actions in support of or in opposition to American Forest and Paper Association’s position, Representative Kanjorski received a rating of 50 percent.
2007-2008 Representative Kanjorski supported the interests of the Associated General Contractors of America 75 percent in 2007-2008.
2007-2008 In 2007-2008 National Federation of Independent Business gave Representative Kanjorski a rating of 60 in its 110th (2007-2008) Pre-Election Congressional Report.
2007-2008 Based on a point system, with points assigned for actions in support of or in opposition to National Restaurant Association’s position, Representative Kanjorski received a rating of 60.
2007-2008 Based on a point system, with points assigned for actions in support of or in opposition to National Retail Federation’s position, Representative Kanjorski received a rating of 40 percent.
2007 Representative Kanjorski supported the interests of the Business-Industry Political Action Committee 7 percent in 2007.
2007 Representative Kanjorski supported the interests of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce 45 percent in 2007.
2006 Representative Kanjorski supported the interests of the Business-Industry Political Action Committee 35 percent in 2006.
2006 Representative Kanjorski supported the interests of the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association 41 percent in 2006.
2006 Representative Kanjorski supported the interests of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce 43 percent in 2006.
2005-2006 Representative Kanjorski supported the interests of the American Forest and Paper Association 36 percent in 2005-2006.
2005-2006 Representative Kanjorski supported the interests of the Associated General Contractors of America 40 percent in 2005-2006.
Choose your cycle:
First Elected: 1984
Next Election: 2008
Committee Assignments:
* Financial Services
* Oversight and Government Reform
* Science
Leadership PAC: Citizens for Action
Cycle Fundraising, 2007 – 2008
Raised: $2,517,285
Spent: $3,153,006
Cash on Hand: $340,023
Debts: $0
Last Report: Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Top 5 Contributors, 2007-2008
AXA $33,000
SLM Corp $26,150
PMA Group $20,250
FMR Corp $16,500
Federated Investors Inc $16,000
Top 5 Industries, 2007-2008
Insurance $345,548
Securities & Investment $312,049
Lawyers/Law Firms $201,697
Real Estate $178,550
Finance/Credit Companies $92,516
Total Raised vs. Average Raised, 2007-2008
2007-2008 Fundraising
Cycle Source of Funds, 2007-2008
legend Individual Contributions $881,518 (35%)
legend PAC Contributions $1,531,728 (61%)
legend Candidate self-financing $0 (0%)
legend Other $104,039 (4%)
NOTE: All the numbers on this page are for the 2007-2008 election cycle and based on Federal Election Commission data available electronically on April 01, 2009. ( Help The numbers don’t add up… )
Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit the Center for Responsive Politics. For permission to reprint for commercial uses, such as textbooks, contact the Center.
Paul E. Kanjorski personal relations:
Nancy Kanjorski – sister-in-law, spouse
Peter Kanjorski – brother
Other current Paul E. Kanjorski relationships:
Citizens for Action – PAC
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform – member
House Science and Technology Committee – member
K&K Real Estate – co-owner
U.S. House of Representatives – member
Paul E. Kanjorski past relationships:
Financial markets bailout bill (House -9/29/08) – voted for
Financial markets bailout bill (House -10/3/08) – voted for
Paul E. Kanjorski connections, once removed:
Paul E. Kanjorski is connected to …
Peter Kanjorski >> through K&K Real Estate >> Map it
Note: This may be a partial list. Click on the map above to explore more connections.
Congressional & campaign info:
Paul E. Kanjorski is a Democrat from PA
representing congressional district 11
Contact info and committee assignments
Campaign contributors (from the Center for Responsive Politics)
Power ranking (by Knowlegis)
House Committee on Financial Services/Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises
From OpenCongress Wiki < House Committee on Financial Services
This is a subcommittee of the House Committee on Financial Services.
Membership
Member ? Party ? State ?
Paul Kanjorski D PA
Gary Ackerman D NY
Brad Sherman D CA
Michael Capuano D MA
Ruben Hinojosa D TX
Carolyn McCarthy D NY
Joe Baca D CA
Stephen Lynch D MA
Brad Miller D NC
David Scott D GA
Nydia Velazquez D NY
Carolyn Maloney D NY
Melissa Bean D IL
Gwen Moore D WI
Paul Hodes D NH
Ron Klein D FL
Ed Perlmutter D CO
Joe Donnelly D IN
Andre Carson D IN
Jackie Speier D CA
Travis Childers D MS
Charles Wilson D OH
Bill Foster D IL
Walt Minnick D ID
John Adler D NJ
Mary Jo Kilroy D OH
Suzanne Kosmas D FL
Alan Grayson D FL
Jim Himes D CT
Gary Peters D MI
Scott Garrett R NJ
Tom Price R GA
Mike Castle R DE
Peter King R NY
Frank Lucas R OK
Donald Manzullo R IL
Ed Royce R CA
Judy Biggert R IL
Shelley Moore Capito R WV
Jeb Hensarling R TX
Adam Putnam R FL
Gresham Barrett R SC
Jim Gerlach R PA
John Campbell R CA
Michele M. Bachmann R MN
Thaddeus McCotter R MI
Randy Neugebauer R TX
Kevin McCarthy R CA
Bill Posey R FL
Lynn Jenkins R KS
Previous memberships
110th Congress
Members of the
Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises,
110th Congress
Democrats: Republicans:
* Paul Kanjorski (Pa.), Chairman
* Gary Ackerman (N.Y.)
* Brad Sherman (Calif.)
* Greg Meeks (N.Y.)
* Dennis Moore (Kan.)
* Michael Capuano (Mass.)
* Ruben Hinojosa (Texas)
* Carolyn McCarthy (N.Y.)
* Joe Baca (Calif.)
* Stephen Lynch (Mass.)
* Brad Miller (N.C.)
* David Scott (Ga.)
* Nydia Velazquez (N.Y.)
* Melissa Bean (Ill.)
* Gwen Moore (Wis.)
* Lincoln Davis (Tenn.)
* Albio Sires (N.J.)
* Paul Hodes (N.H.)
* Ron Klein (Fla.)
* Tim Mahoney (Fla.)
* Ed Perlmutter (Colo.)
* Chris Murphy (Conn.)
* Joe Donnelly (Ind.)
* Robert Wexler (Fla.)
* Jim Marshall (Ga.)
* Dan Boren (Okla.)
* Deborah Pryce (Ohio), Ranking Member
* Rick Renzi (Ariz.)
* Richard Baker (La.)
* Chris Shays (Conn.)
* Paul Gillmor (Ohio)
* Mike Castle (Del.)
* Peter King (N.Y.)
* Frank Lucas (Okla.)
* Donald Manzullo (Ill.)
* Ed Royce (Calif.)
* Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.)
* Adam Putnam (Fla.)
* Gresham Barrett (S.C.)
* Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.)
* Ginny Brown Waite (Fla.)
* Tom Feeney (Fla.)
* Scott Garrett (N.J.)
* Jim Gerlach (Pa.)
* Jeb Hensarling (Texas)
* Geoff Davis (Ky.)
* John Campbell (Calif.)
* Michele M. Bachmann (Minn.)
* Peter Roskam (Ill.)
Based on Federal Election Commission data available electronically on Monday, March 02, 2009.
NOTE: All the numbers on this page are for the 2007-2008 election cycle. ( Help The numbers don’t add up… )
Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit the Center for Responsive Politics. For permission to reprint for commercial uses, such as textbooks, contact the Center.
***
**** [ SLM gave over $18,000 to Congressman Paul E. Kanjorski who just demanded FASB to hearing in front of his committee and pressured the change away from mark-to-market accounting. 04-09]
SLM – Corporate board
Anthony P. Terracciano is Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. Terracciano joined the board in January 2008 following the failed sale of Sallie Mae to J.C. Flowers.
Mr. Terracciano was formerly President of First Union Corporation (now Wachovia), Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of First Fidelity Bank Corporation, President and Chief Operating Officer of Mellon Bank, Vice Chairman of Chase Manhattan Bank, and non-executive Chairman of both The Dime Bank and Riggs National Corporation.
Al Lord currently holds the positions of Vice Chairman and CEO. Mr. Lord joined Sallie Mae in 1981, took over as CEO in 1995, and led the company’s privatization.
*** Anthony P. Terracciano
Chairman of the Board/Director SLM Corporation
Reston , VA
Sector: FINANCIAL / Credit Services
68 Years Old Anthony P. Terracciano, Chairman, SLM Corporation-January 2008 to present; Chairman, Riggs National Corporation-2004 to 2005; Vice Chairman, American Water Works Company Inc.-1998 to 2003; Chairman, Dime Bancorp-2000 to 2002; President, First Union Corporation (now Wachovia); Chairman and CEO, First Fidelity Bancorp; President Mellon Bank Corp.; Vice Chairman and Chief Financial officer, Chase Manhattan Bank. Directorships of Other Public Companies: IKON Office Solutions. Other Activities: Director, Avaya, Inc. Trustee, Monmouth Medical Center, University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey State Investment Council.
Director Compensation (Knoll, Incorporated) for 2007
Fees earned or paid in cash $43,750.00
Stock awards $0.00
Option awards (in $) $15,463.00
Non-equity incentive plan compensation $0.00
Change in pension value and nondisqualified compensation earnings $0.00
All other compensation $0.00
Total Compensation $59,213.00
Director Compensation (Knoll, Incorporated) for 2006
Fees earned or paid in cash $32,500.00
Stock awards $0.00
Option awards (in $) $25,290.00
Non-equity incentive plan compensation $0.00
Change in pension value and nondisqualified compensation earnings $0.00
All other compensation $0.00
Total Compensation $57,790.00
Albert L. Lord Director/CEO/Vice Chairman
John J. Hewes Chief Credit Officer/Executive VP
Robert S. Autor Executive VP/Chief Information Officer
John (Jack) F. Remondi CFO/Vice Chairman/Chief Accounting Officer Anthony P. Terracciano Chairman of the Board/Director
Robert S. Lavet Senior VP/General Counsel
Michael E. Sheehan General Counsel/Senior VP
Earl A. Goode Director
Ann Torre Bates Director
J. Lance Franke Executive VP, Divisional See All Executives and Directors at SLM Corporation
Anthony P. Terracciano current relationships:
SLM Corporation – chairman
Anthony P. Terracciano past relationships:
American Water Works Company Inc. – vice chairman
Avaya Inc. – director
Dime Bancorp. – chairman
IKON Office Solutions Inc. – director
Knoll Inc. – director
Riggs National Corporation – chairman
Anthony P. Terracciano connections, once removed:
Anthony P. Terracciano is connected to …
PNC Financial Services Group acquired Riggs National in 2005.
Riggs National Corporation past relationships:
Joe L. Allbritton – CEO
Robert L. Allbritton – chairman & CEO
Lawrence I. Hebert – CEO PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. – acquirer
Anthony P. Terracciano – chairman
SLM Corporation financial information:
Securities and Exchange Commission filings
Stock quote and chart
People related to SLM Corporation:
Ann Torre Bates – director
William M. Diefenderfer III – director
Diane Suitt Gilleland – director
Earl A. Goode – director
Ronald F. Hunt – director
Albert L. Lord – CEO & vice chairman
Michael E. Martin – director
Barry A. Munitz – director
Howard H. Newman – director
A. Alexander Porter Jr. – director
Frank C. Puleo – director
John F. Remondi – vice chairman & CFO
Wolfgang Schoellkopf – director
Steven L. Shapiro – director
Anthony P. Terracciano – chairman
Barry L. Williams – director
Barry Lawson Williams – director
Other current SLM Corporation relationships:
Clark & Weinstock, Inc. – lobby firm
Downey McGrath Group – lobby firm
Sallie Mae – parent corporation
Van Scoyoc Associates – lobby firm
SLM Corporation past relationships:
Charles L. Daley – director
Thomas J. Fitzpatrick – CEO & vice chairman
Benjamin J. Lambert III – director
People related to Sallie Mae:
Charles Elliott Andrews – president
Robert S. Autor – EVP & CIO
Charles Elliott Fitzpatrick – EVP & CFO
June M. McCormack – EVP
Other current Sallie Mae relationships:
Global USA – lobby firm
ML Strategies LLC – lobby firm
Patton Boggs LLP – lobby firm
Sallie Mae PAC – PAC
SLM Corporation – parent corporation
Student Loan Marketing Association – division
Sallie Mae past relationships: John B. Breaux – lobbyist
Thomas J. Fitzpatrick – CEO
While in the Senate, Breaux was a beacon of insight on energy issues. He served as co-chair of the Oil and Gas Caucus and was a conferee on energy legislation that was eventually written into the 2005 Energy Bill. He was active in advancing legislation to promote domestic oil and gas production, and was a cosponsor of the Marginal Well Preservation Act, a tax incentive program that encouraged oil production from marginal oil wells. He was also a principal author of the Outer Continental Shelf Land Act.
***
ML Strategies LLC
People related to ML Strategies LLC:
David J. Leiter – VP
Other current ML Strategies LLC relationships:
American Science and Engineering, Inc. – lobby firm
Astellas Pharma US – lobby firm
Business Software Alliance – lobby firm
Cablevision Systems Corporation – lobby firm
Contractors International Group on Nuclear Liability – lobby firm
Direct Carbon Technologies – lobby firm
Distributed Energy Systems, Inc. – lobby firm
eBay Inc. – lobby firm Exxon Mobil Corp. – lobby firm
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. – lobby firm
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care – lobby firm
Inland Northwest Research Alliance – lobby firm
Israel Policy Forum – lobby firm
Madison Square Garden – lobby firm
Minuteclinic, Inc. – lobby firm National Automobile Dealers Association – lobby firm
National Cable & Telecommunications Association – lobby firm
New Energy Capital – lobby firm
NPower NY – lobby firm
Sallie Mae – lobby firm
Station Casinos Inc. – lobby firm
Tenneco, Inc. – lobby firm
Trigen Cos. – lobby firm
SLM Corporation is based in Reston, VA
Business sector:
personal credit institutions
SLM Corporation financial information:
Securities and Exchange Commission filings
Stock quote and chart
People related to SLM Corporation:
Ann Torre Bates – director
William M. Diefenderfer III – director
Diane Suitt Gilleland – director
Earl A. Goode – director
Ronald F. Hunt – director
Albert L. Lord – CEO & vice chairman
Michael E. Martin – director
Barry A. Munitz – director
Howard H. Newman – director
A. Alexander Porter Jr. – director
Frank C. Puleo – director
John F. Remondi – vice chairman & CFO
Wolfgang Schoellkopf – director
Steven L. Shapiro – director
Anthony P. Terracciano – chairman
Barry L. Williams – director
Barry Lawson Williams – director
Other current SLM Corporation relationships:
Clark & Weinstock, Inc. – lobby firm
Downey McGrath Group – lobby firm
Sallie Mae – parent corporation
Van Scoyoc Associates – lobby firm
SLM Corporation past relationships:
Charles L. Daley – director
Thomas J. Fitzpatrick – CEO & vice chairman
Benjamin J. Lambert III – director
**
William M. Diefenderfer III
William M. Diefenderfer III current relationships:
Diefenderfer, Hoover & Wood – partner
SLM Corporation – director
U-Store-It Trust – chairman
William M. Diefenderfer III past relationships:
U.S. Office of Management and Budget – deputy director
[Ford and Bush administrations – various appointments]
EXECUTIVE PROFILE*
William M. Diefenderfer III Return to SLM Corp.
Chairman, U-Store-It Trust
This person is connected to 25 board members in 2 different organizations across 2 different industries.
See Board Relationships
Age: 62 —
BACKGROUND*
William M. Diefenderfer, III has been a Partner in the law firm of Diefenderfer, Hoover, Boyle & Wood, Pittsburgh, PA since 1991. Mr. Diefenderfer Co-founded Enumerate Solutions Inc., in 1998 and served as its Chief Executive Officer and President from 2000 to 2002. Mr. Diefenderfer’s accomplished career spans three fields – law, business, and public service.
Mr. Diefenderfer Founded USA Education, Inc. (Sallie Mae) and Chart House Enterprises, Inc.
He served as Deputy … Director of the Office of Management and Budget from 1989 to 1991. From 1992 to 1996, he served as Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of Icarus Aircraft, Inc.
He has held senior leadership positions on the staffs of members of Congress, and in the White House for President Gerald Ford and George H. Bush. In October 2006, he served with the Commission on the Future of American Veterans, the purpose of which is to formulate a clear plan to guide the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs for the next twenty years.
He has been the Chairman of U-Store-It Trust since February 14, 2007. Mr. Diefenderfer has been Vice-Chairman of the Board of Enumerate Solutions Inc. since 2000.
He has been an Independent Director of SLM Corp., since May 20, 1997. He serves as a Director of The Student Loan Marketing Association Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SLM Corporation. He serves as Director of USA Education, Inc. (Sallie Mae) and Chart House Enterprises, Inc.
He has been an Independent Trustee of U-Store-It Trust since October 2004.
He served as a Member of Standing Advisory Group of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Boards from 2004 to 2005. He served as Chief of Staff of two U.S. Senate Committees: the Committee on Finance and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Mr. Diefenderfer holds degrees from Dickinson College (B.A.), Duquesne University School of Law (J.D.), and Kings College, University of London (L.L.M.). .
CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS*
460 East Swedesford Road
Wayne, Pennsylvania 19087
United States
Phone: 610-293-5700
Fax: — BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEMBERSHIPS*
2007-Present
Chairman
U-Store-It Trust
1997-Present
Independent Director, Chairman of Audit Committee, Member of Nominations & Governance Committee and Member of Executive Committee SLM Corp. EDUCATION*
BA
Dickinson College
JD
Duquesne University School of Law OTHER AFFILIATIONS*
AM-CH, Inc. SLM Corp.
enumerate Solutions Incorporated
Dickinson College
Duquesne University School of Law
ANNUAL COMPENSATION*
There is no Annual Compensation data available.
STOCK OPTIONS*
There is no Stock Options data available.
TOTAL COMPENSATION*
Total Annual Cash Compensation $54,914
Total Calculated Compensation $103,000
*** William M. Diefenderfer
Trustee/Chairman of the Board
U-Store-It Trust
Cleveland , OH
Sector: FINANCIAL / REIT – Industrial
Director , SLM Corporation
Reston , VA
Sector: FINANCIAL / Credit Services
62 Years Old
William M. Diefenderfer III, 62, has served as our Chairman of the Board since February 2007 and as a trustee since our initial public offering in October 2004. Mr. Diefenderfer has been a partner in the law firm of Diefenderfer, Hoover, Boyle & Wood since 1991. He served as Chief Executive Officer and President of Enumerate Solutions Inc., a privately-owned technology company that he co-founded, from 2000 to 2002. From 1992 to 1996, Mr. Diefenderfer served as Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of Icarus Aircraft, Inc., a privately-owned aviation technology company. Mr. Diefenderfer served a two-year term on the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s Standing Advisory Group from 2004 through 2005. In October 2006, he accepted appointment to the Commission on the Future of American Veterans, the purpose of which is to formulate a clear plan to guide the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs for the next twenty years. Mr. Diefenderfer serves as Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Enumerate Solutions Inc., as well as chairman of its Audit Committee. He currently serves on the board of SLM Corporation, a publicly-traded company more commonly known as Sallie Mae, a leading provider of student loans and administrator of college savings plans.
Director Compensation (U-Store-It Trust) for 2007
Fees earned or paid in cash $54,914.00
Stock awards $41,158.00
Option awards (in $) $0.00
Non-equity incentive plan compensation $0.00
Change in pension value and nondisqualified compensation earnings $0.00
All other compensation $6,928.00
Total Compensation $103,000.00
Director Compensation (SLM Corporation) for 2007
Fees earned or paid in cash $92,000.00
Stock awards $0.00
Option awards (in $) $114,889.00
Non-equity incentive plan compensation $0.00
Change in pension value and nondisqualified compensation earnings $0.00
All other compensation $100,057.00
Total Compensation $306,946.00
Director Compensation (SLM Corporation) for 2006
Fees earned or paid in cash $0.00
Stock awards $0.00
Option awards (in $) $292,946.00
Non-equity incentive plan compensation $0.00
Change in pension value and nondisqualified compensation earnings $0.00
All other compensation $70,081.00
Total Compensation $363,027.00
Director Compensation (U-Store-It Trust) for 2006
Fees earned or paid in cash $58,000.00
Stock awards $0.00
Option awards (in $) $0.00
Non-equity incentive plan compensation $0.00
Change in pension value and nondisqualified compensation earnings $0.00
All other compensation $3,073.00
Total Compensation $61,073.00
***
United Student Aid Funds or USA Funds is a nonprofit corporation that works to enhance postsecondary-education preparedness, access and success by providing and supporting financial and other valued services. USA Funds links colleges, universities, proprietary schools, private lenders, students and parents to promote financial access to higher learning.
Established in Indianapolis in 1960 to help families finance rising college costs, USA Funds has grown to become the nation’s largest guarantor of loans made under the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP), the largest federal source of financial aid for higher education. During the past 44 years, the USA Funds guarantee has supported a total of nearly $115.5 billion in financial aid for higher education. USA Funds has served more than 13.6 million students and parents. SMS Hawaii, the nonprofit student-loan secondary market for Hawaii, is an affiliate of USA Funds. Another USA Funds affiliate, Northwest Education Loan Association, is a nonprofit guarantor that serves the Pacific Northwest. NELA is the designated guarantor for the states of Idaho and Washington. USA Funds guarantees education loans for students and parents throughout the nation. In addition, USA Funds serves as the designated guarantor of federal education loans in eight states: Arizona, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada and Wyoming.
Affiliation with Sallie Mae
USA Funds contracts with affiliates of Sallie Mae, the leading guarantor-servicing organization, to deliver some of the services necessary to support USA Funds’ guarantee.
Before July 31, 2000, USA Funds was an affiliate of USA Group. USA Funds contracted with other USA Group affiliates to these lenders contract with Sallie Mae for servicing and loan acquisition; others have no contractual relationships with Sallie Mae. Postsecondary institutions, their students, and parents are free to choose the lenders with which they wish to work while using the USA Funds guarantee.
Sallie Mae – Private Student Loans, Federal Student Loans, Private …
SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America. Resources for tuition in tough times …
Show stock quote for SLM http://www.salliemae.com/
SLM Corp. debt offerings
Commercial paper: SLM Corp. generally issues its commercial paper on a daily basis through various commercial paper dealers. Maturities for our commercial … www.salliemae.com/about/investors/debtasset/slmcorp/
***
News results for SLM Corp Fitch Affirms 230 Classes from 51 SLM FFELP Student Loan Transactions – Mar 31, 2009 The loans are originated by SLM Corp. SLM is rated ‘BBB/F3’ on Rating Watch Negative by Fitch. The loans are serviced by Sallie Mae, Inc. which is rated …
FOXBusiness
***
SLM Corporation Debt Offerings
Debt Offerings
Medium Term Notes Program: Prospectus and Prospectus Supplements, Pricing Supplements
EdNotes® Medium Term Notes Program: Prospectus and Prospectus Supplements, Pricing Supplements
Senior Notes: Prospectus and Prospectus Supplements
Commercial paper: SLM Corp. generally issues its commercial paper on a daily basis through various commercial paper dealers. Maturities for our commercial paper range from 1 day to 270 days. There is no additional information related to SLM Corp.’s commercial paper on this website.
Information on SLM Corporation Debt
Search for information on a particular SLM Corp. debt offering by CUSIP number.
Rate/payment/general information for all SLM Corp. debt offerings.
SLM Corporation, commonly known as Sallie Mae, is the parent company of a number of college savings, education lending, debt collection, and other subsidiaries.
The corporate structure chart shows how Sallie Mae’s business is organized.
***
.
Sallie Mae
* Home |
* About us |
* Contact us |
* Scholarships
Find
Corporate structure
About us
* Careers at Sallie Mae
* News and information
* Investors
* Corporate overview
o Corporate structure
+ Sallie Mae, Inc.
+ Academic Management Services
+ Arrow Financial Services
+ General Revenue Corporation
+ GRP Financial Services
+ Nellie Mae Corporation
+ Pioneer Credit Recovery, Inc.
+ Sallie Mae Bank
+ Sallie Mae Education Trust
+ SLM Financial Corporation
+ Southwest Student Services Corporation
+ Student Assistance Corporation
+ Student Loan Finance Association
+ Student Loan Funding Resources LLC
o Senior management
* Philanthropy at Sallie Mae
* The Sallie Mae Fund
Corporate structure
Sallie Mae business organization
SLM Corporation®
Corporate structure
1995–2009 Sallie Mae, Inc.
SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.
Market Winners & Losers: SLM Corp., AIG – FOXBusiness.com
Mar 26, 2009 … The market fought off the bad economic numbers again to close the session up 2.8% on average. While all three of the indices finishing in … www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/market-winners–losers-slm-corp-aig/
*** SLM Corporation
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Sallie Mae)
SLM Corporation
Type Public (NYSE: SLM)
Founded 1972
Headquarters Reston, VA, USA
Key people Anthony P. Terracciano, Chairman
Al Lord, Vice Chairman and CEO
Industry Education finance
Products Government guaranteed student loans
Private student loans
K-12 loans
College savings plans
Employees 12,000 (2007)
Website SallieMae.com
CollegeAnswer.com
Be Debt Savvy
Upromise.com
SLM Corporation NYSE: SLM, commonly known as Sallie Mae, is the United States’ largest college student loan company, managing more than $126.9 billion in debt for more than 10 million borrowers, and employing 12,000 individuals at offices nationwide.
The company primarily provides federally guaranteed student loans originated under the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) and offers resources to assist students, parents, and guidance professionals with the financial aid process.
Contents
* 1 History
* 2 Corporate information
* 3 Corporate board
* 4 Social Responsibility
* 5 Controversies
* 6 Subsidiaries
* 7 References
* 8 See also
* 9 External links
History
The Student Loan Marketing Association was originally created in 1972 as a government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) and began privatizing its operations in 1997, a process it completed at the end of 2004 when Congress terminated its federal charter, ending its ties to the government. The company remains the country’s largest originator of federally insured student loans. Through its specialized subsidiaries and divisions, Sallie Mae also provides debt management services as well as business and technical products to a range of business clients, including colleges, universities and loan guarantors.
In 2005, Sallie Mae was among 53 entities that contributed the maximum of $250,000 to the second inauguration of President George W. Bush.[1] [2] [3]
In August 2006, Sallie Mae acquired Upromise, a company which provides rebates to buyers of certain brands, which can be applied to college savings accounts. Sallie Mae and Upromise plan to market comprehensive financial packages to parents and students, including investment plans, financial aid information, and student loans.
On April 16, 2007, Sallie Mae announced that an investor group led by J.C. Flowers & Co. signed an agreement to purchase Sallie Mae for approximately $25 billion (USD). Had the transaction completed, J.C. Flowers along with private-equity firm Friedman Fleischer & Lowe would have owned 50.2 percent of Sallie Mae, and Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase would each have owned 24.9 percent. Sallie Mae would have ceased to be a publicly traded company.[4] The deal fell through in September 2007, with the buyers blaming adverse changes to the business’s outlook as a result of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 and the tightening of global credit markets following the 2007 subprime mortgage financial crisis[5]. Sallie Mae subsequently began legal action, only to drop it in January 2008 upon completion of a $31 billion funding round, including funding from Bank of America[6].
Corporate information
Sallie Mae operates servicing centers in Gilbert, Arizona; Panama City, Florida; Indianapolis, Indiana; Mount Laurel, New Jersey; Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania; Killeen, Texas, and Whitewater, Wisconsin, as well as 71 other offices in the United States.
Sallie Mae is listed on both the Fortune 500 and the Forbes Global 2000. The company has been recognized as one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens according to Business Ethics magazine and one of the top 30 companies for executive women by the National Association of Female Executives.
Corporate board
Anthony P. Terracciano is Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. Terracciano joined the board in January 2008 following the failed sale of Sallie Mae to J.C. Flowers. Mr. Terracciano was formerly President of First Union Corporation (now Wachovia), Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of First Fidelity Bank Corporation, President and Chief Operating Officer of Mellon Bank, Vice Chairman of Chase Manhattan Bank, and non-executive Chairman of both The Dime Bank and Riggs National Corporation. Al Lord currently holds the positions of Vice Chairman and CEO. Mr. Lord joined Sallie Mae in 1981, took over as CEO in 1995, and led the company’s privatization.
Social Responsibility
Corporate Responsibility Officer has named Sallie Mae one of America’s 100 Best Corporate Citizens five times. Corporations (over 1,100 are evaluated) are selected according to community, governance, diversity, and environmental best business practices.
Sallie Mae sponsors The Sallie Mae Fund, a charitable organization with a mission to increase access to higher education for America’s students by supporting and starting programs and initiatives that help open doors to higher education. The Sallie Mae Fund prepares families and students for college and provides scholarship funding that focuses on minority, low-income, and first in the family students. Since 2001, The Sallie Mae Fund has awarded $10 million in scholarships to help 4,000 students enroll in college. That is $1 donated for every $12,690 under their management.
Through The Fund’s work, Sallie Mae was named among BusinessWeek’s Top 15 Corporate Philanthropists in 2004. The Washington Business Journal identified the company as the top local corporate philanthropist in 2005.[1]
Sallie Mae won the Ron Brown Award for Corporate Leadership in 2006. It was honored for three college-access programs developed by The Sallie Mae Fund: Latino College Access Campaign, Project Access: DC, and The Sallie Mae Fund Scholarship Programs.
The Sallie Mae Fund earned the 2007 Insight Award for Customer Advocacy in Financial Services (from Insight Forums, LLC). The award recognizes financial communications initiatives that proactively enable customers to make fully-informed choices.
Controversies
On November 9, 2005, former Sallie Mae employee Michael Zahara filed a federal lawsuit against the company, alleging that it had a pattern and practice of granting forbearance in a purposeful effort to increase total student loan debt. That lawsuit is still ongoing.[7] On October 29, 2008, permission was granted to his legal counsel to withdraw from the case, citing From counsel’s perspective, a breakdown in trust has resulted from the discovery that Relator has been arrested for extortion, the circumstances surrounding that arrest, and Relator’s failure to disclose the arrest to counsel. [8][9]
A 60 Minutes segment (originally aired May 7, 2006) examined Sallie Mae, including its business practices.[2] A professor of law at Harvard Law School, Elizabeth Warren, who is also an expert on bankruptcy and an outspoken critic of consumer lenders, questions Sallie Mae’s dual role as both lender and collector.[3]
In February, 2007, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo launched an investigation into alleged deceptive lending practices by student loan providers, including The College Board, EduCap, Nelnet, Citibank, and Sallie Mae.[4]
On April 11, 2007, Cuomo ended his investigation of Sallie Mae and announced that Sallie Mae had voluntarily agreed to change its lending standards to satisfy a new code of conduct for student loan practices established by Cuomo, and to donate $2 million (USD) to a fund devoted to educating college-bound students about their loan options. [5]
On October 10, 2007, documents surfaced showing that Sallie Mae was attempting to use the Freedom of Information Act to force colleges to turn over students’ personal information.[10] The university involved, the State University of New York system, is expected to decline the request and be forced to defend its position in court.
On December 19, 2007, Chairman Al Lord acted out in frustration during an earnings call with analysts, he ended the call with There are no more questions. Let’s get the fuck out of here. Sallie Mae’s stock price fell 21% that day.[11]
Subsidiaries
* Academic Management Services Corp. (Acquired 2003)
* Arrow Financial Services (Acquired Majority Interest September 2004)
* First Trust Financial
* General Revenue Corporation (Acquired January 2002)
* GRP Financial Services (Acquired August 2005)
* Nellie Mae (Acquired July 1999)
* Pioneer Credit Recovery Inc.
* Sallie Mae Bank
* Sallie Mae Home Loans
* Sallie Mae Inc.
* SLM Financial Corporation
* Southwest Student Services Corporation (Acquired October 2004)
* Student Assistance Corporation
* Student Loan Finance Association (Acquired November 2004)
* Student Loan Funding (Acquired July 7, 2000)
* Upromise (Acquired August 23, 2006)
* Fannie Mae
* Farmer Mac
* Freddie Mac
* Ginnie Mae
* USA Funds
External links
* SallieMae.com
* The Sallie Mae Fund
Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SLM_Corporation
Categories: Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange | Companies based in Reston, Virginia | Companies established in 1972 | Education finance | Financial aid | Financial services companies of the United States
Note – WHAT HAPPENED to the $35 Billion dollar loan made through the Dept. Of Energy last fall for the re-tooling of these plants to create fuel efficient and alternative fuel cars’ production?
****
Today, the financial accounting standards board is voting to suspend mark-to-market accounting rules. And, why?
I had noticed that the financial accounting standards board (FASB) chairman (and others) had been called to a Congressional committee to a hearing about mark-to-market. At that point, he was pressured to change this accounting standard and to suspend it.
Going back to a fantasy based accounting system has been demanded by Republicans heavier and heavier every day, but it seemed odd that this Financial Committee Chairman who called the hearing was Democrat, Paul E. Kanjorski. So I looked it up and it turns out that $937,495 dollars in campaign contributions had come to him in 2008 from finance, industry and real estate PACs, along with those who will benefit directly.
He also received over $18,000 in 2008 from SLM – so who is that and what do they do? (See chart below)
Oh, my God – can we say twisted and illegal conflicts of interest ?
cricketdiane, 04-02-09
(Posted on Facebook – 5:25 a.m., 04-02-09)
****
The circle of influence in Washington around the Congressional Halls must be pay to play – The interesting connections between the FASB change to the Mark to Market rule and Paul Kanjorski (Pa.), Chairman of House Committee on Financial Services/Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises who has forced the suspension of mark-to-market to be made
***
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*** Members of the International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee
The International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC) comprises 14 voting members drawn from a variety of countries and professional backgrounds.
They are appointed by the Trustees of the IASC Foundation and are selected for their ability to maintain an awareness of current issues as they arise and the technical ability to resolve them.
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The Financial Instruments Working Group will help the IASB take a fresh look at the accounting standard IAS 39 Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement by examining and questioning the fundamentals of the standard within the context of the IASB’s Framework.
The review will therefore focus on improving, simplifying and ultimately replacing IAS 39 and will examine broader questions of the application and extent of fair value accounting, a topic on which the IASB has not reached any conclusion.
Although any major revision of IAS 39 may take several years to complete, the IASB is willing to revise the standard in the short term if any immediate solutions emerge from the working group’s discussions. Members
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* Ralph Odermatt, Managing Director, Head of Group Accounting Policies and Support, UBS, Switzerland
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* Elisabeth Schmalfuss, Head of Accounting and Controlling Policies, Siemens, Germany
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* Pauline Wallace, Partner in IFRS Services, PwC, United Kingdom
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The Research Task Force serves as a forum for research economists from member institutions to exchange information and engage in research projects on supervisory and financial stability issues. It also acts as a mechanism for facilitating communication between economists at member institutions and in the academic sector. It is co-chaired by Mr Myron Kwast, Senior Associate Director of the Division of Research and Statistics at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, United States, and Mr Peter Praet, Executive Director at the National Bank of Belgium and member of the Management Committee of the Banking, Finance and Insurance Commission, Belgium.
The Trading Book Group adresses issues relating to the application of Basel II to certain exposures arising from trading activities. A current focus of this group is the appropriate capital treatment of event risk in the trading book. It is co-chaired by Ms Norah Barger, Associate Director, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, United States, and Mr Thomas McGowan, Assistant Director, Securities and Exchange Commission, United States.
The Working Group on Liquidity serves as a forum for information exchange on national approaches to liquidity risk regulation and supervision. In September 2008, the Working Group issued Principles for Sound Liquidity Risk Management and Supervision, the global standards for liquidity risk management and supervision. The Working Group is also examining the scope for additional steps to promote more robust and internationally consistent liquidity approaches for cross-border banks. The group is co-chaired by Mr Nigel Jenkinson, Executive Director for Financial Stability at the Bank of England, and Mr Marc Saidenberg, Senior Vice President in the Banking Supervision Group of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, United States.
The Definition of Capital Subgroup explores emerging trends in eligible capital instruments in member jurisdictions. It currently is reviewing issues related to the quality, consistency and transparency of capital with a particular focus on Tier 1 capital. The group is co-chaired by Mr Hirotaka Hideshima, Director, Deputy Head of the International Affairs Section at the Bank of Japan, and Mr Richard Thorpe, Head of Capital Adequacy Policy Department and Accounting and Audit Sector Leader at the Financial Services Authority, United Kingdom.
In the course of implementation of Basel II, national supervisors are monitoring capital requirements to ensure that banks in their jurisdiction maintain a solid capital base throughout the economic cycle. The Basel Committee has established a Basel II Capital Monitoring Group that will from time to time share national experiences in monitoring capital requirements. This group is chaired by Mr Thilo Liebig, Head of Banking Supervision Research at the Deutsche Bundesbank.
Cross-border Bank Resolution Group: the CBRG is comparing the national policies, legal frameworks and the allocation of responsibilities for the resolution of banks with significant cross-border operations. It is co-chaired by Ms Eva Hüpkes, Head of Regulation, Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA), and Mr Michael H Krimminger, Special Advisor for Policy to the Chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
The Accounting Task Force (ATF) works to help ensure that international accounting and auditing standards and practices promote sound risk management at financial institutions, support market discipline through transparency, and reinforce the safety and soundness of the banking system. To fulfil this mission, the task force develops prudential reporting guidance and takes an active role in the development of international accounting and auditing standards. Ms Sylvie Mathérat, Director of Financial Stability, Bank of France, chairs the ATF.
Three working groups report to the ATF: the Conceptual Framework Issues Subgroup, the Financial Instruments Practices Subgroup, and the Audit Subgroup. The Conceptual Framework Issues Subgroup monitors and responds to the conceptual accounting framework project of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the Financial Accounting Standards Board in the United States. The Subgroup is co-chaired by Mr Jerry Edwards, ATF member and Senior Advisor on Accounting and Auditing Policy, Bank for International Settlements, Switzerland, and Mr Patrick Amis, Head of Accounting Affairs, Commission Bancaire, France.
The Financial Instruments Practices Subgroup assesses implementation of international accounting standards related to financial instruments, and the links between accounting practices in this area and prudential supervision. The Subgroup is chaired by Mr Ian Michael, Technical Specialist, Accounting and Auditing Policy, Financial Services Authority, United Kingdom.
The Audit Subgroup promotes reliable financial information by exploring key audit issues from a banking supervision perspective. It focuses on responding to international audit standards-setting proposals, other issuances of the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board and the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants, and audit quality issues. The Subgroup is chaired by Mr Marc Pickeur, Advisor for Supervisory Policy at the Banking, Finance and Insurance Commission, Belgium.
The newly established International Liaison Group (ILG) provides a forum for deepening the Committee’s engagement with supervisors around the world on a broader range of issues. It gathers senior representatives from eight Committee member countries (France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States), 16 supervisory authorities that are not members of the Committee (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, the Czech Republic, Hong Kong, India, Korea, Mexico, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, and the West African Monetary Union), the European Commission, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Financial Stability Institute , the Association of Supervisors of Banks of the Americas and the Islamic Financial Services Board. The ILG is chaired by Mr Giovanni Carosio, Deputy General Director, Bank of Italy.
Two working groups report to the ILG: the ILG working group on Capital (ILGC) and the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Expert Group (AML/CFT EG).
The ILGC is working together with the AIG on Basel II implementation issues and both groups regularly hold joint meetings. The ILGC is chaired by Mr Karl Cordewener, Deputy Secretary General of the Basel Committee.
The AML/CFT EG is responsible for monitoring AML/CFT issues that have a bearing on banking supervision. It is co-chaired by Mr Errol Kruger, Registrar of Banks and Executive General Manager, South African Reserve Bank, and Mr Edouard Fernandez-Bollo, Director of Legal Services, Commission Bancaire, France.
Coordination with other standard setters
Formal channels for coordinating with supervisors of non-bank financial institutions include the Joint Forum, for which the Basel Committee Secretariat provides the secretariat function, and the Coordination Group.
The Joint Forum was established in 1996 to address issues common to the banking, securities and insurance sectors, including the regulation of financial conglomerates. The Coordination Group is a senior group of supervisory standard setters comprising the Chairmen and Secretaries General of the Committee, the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) and the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS), as well as the Joint Forum Chairman and Secretariat. The Coordination Group meets twice annually to exchange views on the priorities and key issues of interest to supervisory standard setters. The position of chairman and the secretariat function for the Coordination Group rotate among the member representatives of the three standard setters every two years.
*** Principles for Sound Liquidity Risk Management and Supervision
September 2008
Liquidity is the ability of a bank to fund increases in assets and meet obligations as they come due, without incurring unacceptable losses. The fundamental role of banks in the maturity transformation of short-term deposits into long-term loans makes banks inherently vulnerable to liquidity risk, both of an institution-specific nature and that which affects markets as a whole. Virtually every financial transaction or commitment has implications for a bank’s liquidity. Effective liquidity risk management helps ensure a bank’s ability to meet cash flow obligations, which are uncertain as they are affected by external events and other agents’ behaviour. Liquidity risk management is of paramount importance because a liquidity shortfall at a single institution can have system-wide repercussions. Financial market developments in the past decade have increased the complexity of liquidity risk and its management.
The market turmoil that began in mid-2007 re-emphasised the importance of liquidity to the functioning of financial markets and the banking sector. In advance of the turmoil, asset markets were buoyant and funding was readily available at low cost. The reversal in market conditions illustrated how quickly liquidity can evaporate and that illiquidity can last for an extended period of time. The banking system came under severe stress, which necessitated central bank action to support both the functioning of money markets and, in a few cases, individual institutions.
In February 2008 the Basel Committee on Banking supervision published Liquidity Risk Management and Supervisory Challenges. The difficulties outlined in that paper highlighted that many banks had failed to take account of a number of basic principles of liquidity risk management when liquidity was plentiful.
Many of the most exposed banks did not have an adequate framework that satisfactorily accounted for the liquidity risks posed by individual products and business lines, and therefore incentives at the business level were misaligned with the overall risk tolerance of the bank. Many banks had not considered the amount of liquidity they might need to satisfy contingent obligations, either contractual or non-contractual, as they viewed funding of these obligations to be highly unlikely. Many firms viewed severe and prolonged liquidity disruptions as implausible and did not conduct stress tests that factored in the possibility of market wide strain or the severity or duration of the disruptions. Contingency funding plans (CFPs) were not always appropriately linked to stress test results and sometimes failed to take account of the potential closure of some funding sources.
In order to account for financial market developments as well as lessons learned from the turmoil, the Basel Committee has conducted a fundamental review of its 2000 Sound Practices for Managing Liquidity in Banking Organisations. Guidance has been significantly expanded in a number of key areas. In particular, more detailed guidance is provided on:
* the importance of establishing a liquidity risk tolerance;
* the maintenance of an adequate level of liquidity, including through a cushion of
liquid assets;
* the necessity of allocating liquidity costs, benefits and risks to all significant business
activities;
* the identification and measurement of the full range of liquidity risks, including
contingent liquidity risks;
* the design and use of severe stress test scenarios;
* the need for a robust and operational contingency funding plan;
* the management of intraday liquidity risk and collateral; and
* public disclosure in promoting market discipline
Guidance for supervisors also has been augmented substantially. The guidance emphasises the importance of supervisors assessing the adequacy of a bank’s liquidity risk management framework and its level of liquidity, and suggests steps that supervisors should take if these are deemed inadequate. The principles also stress the importance of effective cooperation between supervisors and other key stakeholders, such as central banks, especially in times of stress.
This guidance focuses on liquidity risk management at medium and large complex banks, but the sound principles have broad applicability to all types of banks. The implementation of the sound principles by both banks and supervisors should be tailored to the size, nature of business and complexity of a bank’s activities. A bank and its supervisors also should consider the bank’s role in the financial sectors of the jurisdictions in which it operates and the bank’s systemic importance in those financial sectors. The Basel Committee fully expects banks and national supervisors to implement the revised principles promptly and thoroughly and the Committee will actively review progress in implementation.
This guidance is arranged around seventeen principles for managing and supervising liquidity risk.
***
Mark to market rules weren’t intended to make companies look bad – this rule intends to provide a realistic view of assets and their liquidity such that appropriate capitalization can be set up to insure viability and long-term survival for corporations, banks and financial institutions – and it works.
My note –
Where does it say to make up values for assets as companies damn well please to make it look like assets are liquid and available which are not?
Principles for Sound
Liquidity Risk
Management and
Supervision
September 2008
***
Financial Instruments Working Group
The Financial Instruments Working Group will help the IASB take a fresh look at the accounting standard IAS 39 Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement by examining and questioning the fundamentals of the standard within the context of the IASB’s Framework.
The review will therefore focus on improving, simplifying and ultimately replacing IAS 39 and will examine broader questions of the application and extent of fair value accounting, a topic on which the IASB has not reached any conclusion.
Although any major revision of IAS 39 may take several years to complete, the IASB is willing to revise the standard in the short term if any immediate solutions emerge from the working group’s discussions.
Members
* Melissa Allen, European Head of New Business and Technical Accounting Support Credit Suisse First Boston, United Kingdom
* Joseph Boateng, Chief Investment Officer, Casey Family Programs, United States
* Philippe Bordenave, Group Chief Financial Officer, BNP, France
* Gunther Gebhardt, Professor, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Germany
* Mark Kirkland, Vice President, Corporate Treasury, Philips, The Netherlands
* Leanne Leong, General Manager, Capital Management & Securitisation, Commonwealth Bank, Australia
* François Masquelier, Head of Corporate Finance and Treasury, RTL, France * Esther Mills, Managing Director, Accounting Standards and Controls, Morgan Stanley, United States
* Ralph Odermatt, Managing Director, Head of Group Accounting Policies and Support, UBS, Switzerland * Russell Picot, Group Chief Accounting Officer, HSBC, United Kingdom
* Kristian Pullola, Director, Treasury Finance & Control, Nokia Corporation, Switzerland
* Francis Ruijgt, ING Group Corporate Insurance Risk Management, Deputy Chief Insurance Risk Officer International Actuarial Association/ING Group, The Netherlands
* Yoshio Sato, Partner in Financial Industries Group, Deloitte, Japan
* Elisabeth Schmalfuss, Head of Accounting and Controlling Policies, Siemens, Germany
* Sadaki Takagi, Senior Director for Bank Accounting, Japanese Bankers Association, Japan * Bob Uhl, Managing Director, Accounting Policy, Goldman, Sachs & Co., United States
* Pauline Wallace, Partner in IFRS Services, PwC, United Kingdom
Observers
* Basel Committee on Banking Supervision
* European Central Bank
* European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG)
* International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS)
* International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO)
* Representative from the Insurance Working Group
***
A map of how the mark to market rule suspension being voted today is being bought and will deepen the US and Global Economic Crisis just to make poorly run insolvent business gamblers look good temporarily
Worlds largest reinsurer Swiss Re outgoing Chairman Peter Forstmoser (R) and designated Chairman Walter Kielholz shake hands at the end of the annual general meeting of the company in Zurich March 13, 2009. Troubled reinsurer Swiss Re should be able to generate enough funds to buy back convertible bonds issued to Warren Buffetts Berkshire. (Picture caption)
Swiss Re, the world’s second-largest reinsurer, is to cut almost 1,000 jobs worldwide.
The company said it was reducing its workforce by about 10%.
The Zurich-based company said as well as cutting costs, it wanted to centralise its operations.
Swiss Re intends to reduce its current global headcount of 11,560 by approximately 10% over the next 12 months, a company statement said.
Analysts said the cut was expected.
It is not unexpected, the company had already announced it wanted to cut costs and now we know where the savings will come from, said ZKB analyst Georg Marti.
The company wants to centralise its business more so the impact on sales will hopefully be limited.
The job cuts are expected to focus mainly on back office and similar functions rather than on the company’s relationship managers.
Swiss Re shares are set to opened 2% higher on the news.
2:30pm UK, Thursday April 02, 2009
Nearly 1,000 jobs are being axed at aircraft maker Bombardier in Belfast, Sky sources have said.
The figure is on top of 300 jobs that were axed earlier this year, taking the job total toll to just under 1,300 for 2009.
Canadian-owned Bombardier produces planes for a worldwide market.
The firm, which is struggling with £27m of debts, specialises in small and medium-sized aircraft for regional markets, and is best known for its Learjet executive plane.
It has appointed Begbies Traynor as administrators of the business.
Three directors – Rupert Lowe, Andrew Cowen and Michael Wilde – have resigned with immediate effect.
***
Mar 30,2009 Job Cuts Mount In Financial Sector
10:18am UK, Monday March 30, 2009
Workers in the financial services industry are losing their jobs at the fastest rate since 1993.
A survey by business lobby group CBI and PricewaterhouseCoopers found that the number of people employed in financial services fell dramatically in the three months to early March.
And staff turnover fell for the fourth quarter in a row due to nervousness about switching jobs and a shortage of vacancies.
The survey revealed a sixth successive heavy quarterly decline in business volumes, with only 9% of financial services firms saying volumes had risen and 56% reporting a drop.
The CBI also reported steep falls in profitability, while investment plans have been scaled back.
Among major job reduction announcements in the period, RSA Insurance said it would axe 1,200 UK jobs by the middle of next year, while RBS also announced it planned to cull 2,300 jobs.
January saw Barclays slash 2,130 positions in investment banking and investment management, and announce it was in consultations over a further 2,100 cuts in retail, commercial banking and credit card divisions.
Ian McCafferty, CBI chief economic adviser, said: Conditions remain exceptionally tough in the financial services sector, and have not been helped by equity markets having fallen further since our last survey in December.
Sharp drops in revenues and profitability are causing continued suffering, while business volumes remain very weak.
Firms are making heavy cuts to staff numbers and investment plans to make savings and reflect weak demand.
3:50pm UK, Thursday April 02, 2009
Insurance giant Aviva has confirmed it is to axe 1,700 jobs.
Aviva is carrying out a review of its operations
The company said the positions would go at York, Sheffield and Norwich.
Norwich Union Life, which is owned by Aviva, said 1,100 permanent jobs by the end of the year, while a further 590 contract positions would end in the next few months.
The company said 349 permanent and 222 contract jobs would be cut in York, 226 permanent and 254 contract jobs in Norwich, 54 permanent and 43 contract jobs in Sheffield and 35 permanent and 68 contract posts in Eastleigh, Hampshire.
Most of the job cuts are in business change and IT, with the rest spread across other areas of the company.
Derek Simpson, the union’s joint leader, said: The announcement by Aviva to cut 1,100 staff will cause alarm across the insurance industry.
Today we see a scenario where a company that is continuing to deliver positive results is slashing the staff that have enabled them to weather the current financial storm.
Unite is angry that Aviva is repeating what appears to be an annual exercise of cutting thousands of staff.
He added: It is unacceptable that once again shareholders received their full dividends, while the workers who brought the company this success are rewarded with job losses.
The Aviva workforce is continuing to live under constant uncertainty about their future.
Unite has been told that these job losses are unrelated to the economic downturn.
New Accounting Rules for Mortgage-Backed Securities
By FLOYD NORRIS 1 minute ago
The new guidelines could reduce the losses banks have been forced to report as the values of their securities have crumbled.
By FLOYD NORRIS
Published: April 2, 2009
A once-obscure accounting rule that infuriated banks, who blamed it for worsening the financial crisis, was changed Thursday to give banks more discretion in reporting the value of mortgage securities.
The change seems likely to allow banks to report higher profits by assuming that the securities are worth more than anyone is now willing to pay for them. But critics objected that the change could further damage the credibility of financial institutions by enabling them to avoid recognizing losses from bad loans they have made.
Critics also said that since the rules were changed under heavy political pressure, the move compromised the independence of the organization that did it, the Financial Accounting Standards Board.
During the financial crisis, the market prices of many securities, particularly those backed by subprime home mortgages, have plunged to fractions of their original prices. That has forced banks to report hundreds of billions of dollars in losses over the last year, because some of those securities must be reported at market value each three months, with the bank showing a profit or loss based on the change.
Bankers bitterly complained that the current market prices were the result of distressed sales and that they should be allowed to ignore those prices and value the securities instead at their value in a normal market. At first FASB, pronounced FAS-bee, resisted making changes, but that changed within a few days of a Congressional hearing at which legislators from both parties demanded the board act.
“There is a perception that we are yielding to political pressure,” one board member, Lawrence W. Smith, said as he voted for the changes.
“We are an independent standard setter, and it is important that we maintain our independence,” Mr. Smith added. “At the same time, how can we ignore what is going on around us?”
A group headed by two former chairmen of the Securities and Exchange Commission, one who served under President Bill Clinton and one who was appointed by President George W. Bush, said that it feared that politicization of accounting standards would destroy the credibility of the board.
It is not clear how much bank profits will improve as a result of the change; that will depend on how much the banks use their newly approved discretion to set values. Nor is it clear whether investors will put much faith in the new figures.
Early answers to those questions may become available within a few weeks. The board said banks could apply the new rules to their financial statements for the quarter that ended this week.
One major bank, Citigroup, said the new standard would not cause any change in its statements.
It is rare that the application of an accounting rule becomes a political issue, but that happened this year in both the United States and Europe, where the International Accounting Standards Board held an emergency meeting to change its rule after such a move was demanded by the French president.
In the United States, FASB acknowledged the investor criticism of the rules the board proposed after the Congressional hearing and responded on Thursday by voting to require banks to make additional disclosures about the assets in question.
The five-member board approved three changes to the rules, two by unanimous votes and one with two dissents. That disputed change makes it possible for banks to keep some declines in asset values off their income statements.
Robert H. Herz, the board’s chairman and the man who faced the Congressional pressure, said he voted for the changes because he thought the improved disclosures would help investors.
Mr. Smith said he had considered changing his vote as recently as Thursday morning. That would have led to the defeat of one change sought by the banks and perhaps set off a confrontation with Congress. “But,” he said, “I ultimately decided this is an improvement, because we have significantly improved the amount of information” being disclosed.
The American Bankers Association, which pushed legislators to demand the board make changes, praised the board. “Today’s decision should improve information for investors by providing more accurate estimates of market values,” said Edward Yingling, the association’s president.
One change adopted by the board would require banks to disclose the effect of the changed interpretation, although the final wording has not been released and it is not clear how detailed that disclosure will be.
For some other assets, banks must write them down to market value only if they conclude that the decline is “other than temporary.” The measure that drew dissents will allow banks to keep part of such declines off their income statements, although the decline would still show on the institutions’ balance sheets.
One of the dissenters, Thomas J. Linsmeier, argued that accounting rules already allowed the “fiction all banks are well capitalized,” adding that the changes would “make them seem better capitalized.”
The adoption of the rules was widely expected. It came on the same day that the stock market soared, but that rally began in Asia, well before the board met, and seemed to be tied to indications that the world economy might no longer be getting worse, even if recovery was not imminent.
While it was the banks who pressed for the rule, it will affect all financial institutions. But the board said it would make small changes to assure that it did not change accounting in mutual funds, which must mark their assets to market value every day.
Bank regulators already have the power to adjust accounting in computing capital, and some investor groups argued they should do that, rather than give the banks more freedom to value assets at what they think they should be worth, rather than what someone will pay for them.
The board added to the latest rule a statement that the goal of reflecting market value remained the same, but the rules will still allow more judgment by managers, and thus gives them more ability to control the numbers they report.
The vote drew condemnation from an organization called the Investors Working Group, and the two former S.E.C. chairman who lead it — William H. Donaldson, appointed by the second President Bush, and Arthur Levitt Jr., who served in the Clinton administration.
“In order to create high-quality accounting standards, it is critical that the process be independent and free from political pressure,” the group said in a statement. “This will ensure that such standards are neutral and faithfully represent economic reality. To the extent that these new FASB proposals reduce the free flow of transparent and reliable financial information, they undermine investor interests and weaken their ability to make sound investment decisions.”
Basel Committee on Banking Supervision
Principles for Sound Liquidity Risk Management and Supervision
September 2008 Fundamental principle for the management and supervision of liquidity risk Principle 1
A bank is responsible for the sound management of liquidity risk. A bank should establish a robust liquidity risk management framework that ensures it maintains sufficient liquidity, including a cushion of unencumbered, high quality liquid assets, to withstand a range of stress events, including those involving the loss or impairment of both unsecured and secured funding sources.
Supervisors should assess the adequacy of both a bank’s liquidity risk management framework and its liquidity position and should take prompt action if a bank is deficient in either area in order to protect depositors and to limit potential damage to the financial system.
8.
A bank should establish a robust liquidity risk management framework that is well integrated into the bank-wide risk management process.
A primary objective of the liquidity risk management framework should be to ensure with a high degree of confidence that the firm is in a position to both address its daily liquidity obligations and withstand a period of liquidity stress affecting both secured and unsecured funding, the source of which could be bank-specific or market-wide.
In addition to maintaining sound liquidity risk governance and management practices, as discussed further below, a bank should hold an adequate liquidity cushion comprised of readily marketable assets to be in a position to survive such periods of liquidity stress.
A bank should demonstrate that its liquidity cushion is commensurate with the complexity of its on- and off-balance sheet activities, the liquidity of its assets and liabilities, the extent of its funding mismatches and the diversity of its business mix and funding strategies.
A bank should use appropriately conservative assumptions about the marketability of assets and its access to funding, both secured and unsecured, during periods of stress. Moreover, a bank should not allow competitive pressures to compromise the integrity of its liquidity risk management, control functions, limit systems and liquidity cushion.
***
Thursday, April 2, 2009, 12:47pm CDT New unemployment claims continues rise
Nashville Business Journal
The number of people filling new unemployment claims rose to the highest level in more than 25 years in the week ending March 28.
Seasonally adjusted initial claims was 669,000 nationally for the week, an increase of 12,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 657,000, according to figures released Thursday by the U.S. Labor Department.
The four-week moving average was 656,750, an increase of 6,500 from the previous week’s revised average of 650,250.
State data released for the week ending March 21 showed Tennessee had 11,307 new jobless claims, down 2,707 from the week earlier, but 6,548 higher than a year earlier.
The four-week moving average of those collecting unemployment benefits in Tennessee has risen to 116,868. In February, the state had a total unemployment rate of 9.1 percent, with a seasonally adjusted 12.5 million unemployed people in the state. The national unemployment rate for February was 8.4 percent.
The seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate — the percentage of the workforce collecting unemployment benefits — was 4.3 percent for the week ending March 21, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week.
The number of seasonally adjusted insured unemployed during the week was 5,728,000, an increase of 161,000 from the preceding week’s revised level of 5,567,000. The 4-week moving average was 5,496,500, an increase of 163,500 from the preceding week’s revised average of 5,333,000.
The fiscal year-to-date average for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment for all programs is 4.7 million.
*** Foreclosure Surge in Feb. is “Surprising,” RealtyTrac Says
By PAUL JACKSON March 13, 2009 8:13 AM CST
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Foreclosures nationwide surged 6 percent from January levels, and were up 30 percent from year-ago, according to data released Thursday morning by RealtyTrac, which provides nationwide listings of properties in foreclosure and owned by banks.
The company’s data showed that foreclosure filings — default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions — were reported on 290,631 U.S. properties during the month, compared to 274,399 one month earlier.
The increase in foreclosure activity from January to February is somewhat surprising, given that many of the foreclosure prevention efforts and moratoria in place in January were extended through most of February as well,” said James J. Saccacio, chief executive officer of RealtyTrac.
Saccacio highlighted the effects of recent legislation in the foreclosure data, as well, including a 45-day voluntary moratorium in Florida expired at the end of January; foreclosure activity there was up 14 percent from the previous month, as a result. And New York saw foreclosures surge 23 percent, after a new state law had delayed the foreclosure process by an extra 90 days.
Nationally, the increase in what’s called “foreclosure activity” was actually driven by two components — new borrower defaults and an increase in reported REO inventory. Actual foreclosure sales appear to have decreased, owing to the effect of new and pending legislation that is increasingly seeking to keep borrowers in their homes at almost any cost. Notice of Defaults and Lis Pendens — the first step in the foreclosure process — increased 10.6 percent between January and February, while reported REO volume increased 5.9 percent. In contrast, Notices of Trustee Sale and Notices of Foreclosure Sale — the final step in foreclosure that signals a courthouse auction is imminent — actually fell 1.4 percent.
Foreclosure filings were reported on 80,775 California properties in February, RealtyTrac said, the most of any state and a 5 percent increase from the previous month. The state’s foreclosure activity increased 51 percent from February 2008, with auction sale notices increasing nearly 179 percent — the most of any category on a year-over-year basis.
Florida and Arizona continued to rank second and third in overall foreclosure volume, according to the report.
Write to Paul Jackson at paul.jackson@housingwire.com.
*** Impac’s future could resemble Thornburg’s fall
[Posted on April 1, 2009 at 2:49 PM]
The two mortgage lenders are ailing and their prospects for continued survival amid the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression are dimming.
Another mortgage company bites the dust. Thornburg Mortgage Inc. said Wednesday that it expects to file for Chapter 11, close shop and sell off its remaining assets. While the news is not surprising, the market has forced many to refocus their businesses or face extinction.
There’s not many public mortgage lenders left as the sector has contracted in step with the downfall of residential real estate. Meanwhile, the few who’ve survived and restructured still have an uphill road ahead of them. One such company and former Thornburg competitor is Impac Mortgage Holdings Inc. (OTC:IMPM).
Although Impac Mortgage CEO Joseph Tomkinson pledged in 2007 his company would not go bankrupt, it’s hard to see why not. The mortgage lender has fallen to a penny stock and was forced in August 2007 to get out of its primary bread-and butter of investing primarily in non-conforming Alt-A residential loans, and to a lesser extent, small balance commercial and multifamily loans. Alt-A and its riskier cousin sub-prime are the type of mortgages that helped sink the mortgage industry and sicken the rest of the financial services industry.
Although Impac has moved on to offer new services that include asset management, escrow services and financial consulting, the restructuring, however, might be too little too late. Despite registering a stronger third-quarter in November compared to the same year-ago period, it still reported a net loss of $16.2 million, or $0.26 per diluted shared. In the third quarter 2007, Impac recorded a staggering net loss of $1.2 billion or $15.70 per share.
What the company does have in cash is $24.5 million as of September from a buyout of an advisory services agreement. The amount, however, seems paltry compared to its precarious situation. Impac’s recent entrance into new sectors within the mortgage industry seem plausible but it will take a long time to make inroads in these areas as Americans are buying less homes and becoming more conservative with their finances. – Gerald Magpily
The company that owns the Chicago Sun-Times and 58 other newspapers and online sites said Tuesday it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Wednesday, 01 April 2009 12:44
The Sun-Times Media Group, Inc. said it would continue to operate its newspapers and Web sites as usual while it improves its cost structure and stabilizes operations.
The company that owns the Chicago Sun-Times and 58 other newspapers and online sites said Tuesday it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Tuesday’s announcement comes amid a raft of newspaper closings and cuts that has seen the end of print editions of The Rocky Mountain News in Denver, Colorado; The Seattle Post-Intelligencer; and The Christian Science Monitor.
The Rocky Mountain News shut down completely; both the Seattle paper and the Christian Science Monitor remain in online editions.
The chain that owns the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune is in bankruptcy and other papers are on the brink. And two industry giants, The Washington Post and The New York Times, announced last week they are cutting costs and staff amid tumbling revenue and continued economic decline.
The Sun-Times said similar cost-cutting measures failed to turn around the company’s fortunes.
“The significant downturn in the print advertising environment that has affected newspapers across the country has continued to severely impact us,” said Jeremy Halbreich, chairman and interim chief executive of the Sun-Times Media Group. “Unfortunately, this deteriorating economic climate, coupled with a significant, pending IRS tax liability dating back to previous management, has led us to today’s difficult action.”
Halbreich said the company would explore the potential sale of assets or new investment in the company to help it remain viable.
At least 120 newspapers in the United States have shut down since January 2008, according to Paper Cuts, a Web site tracking the newspaper industry. More than 21,000 jobs at 67 newspapers have vaporized in that time, according to the site.
Newspapers have struggled to meet challenges posed by changing reader habits, a shifting advertising market, an anemic economy, and the newspaper industry’s own early strategic errors.
“We provide the area’s best source of local news and information and remain committed to continuing to serve our readers, advertisers, and communities,” Halbreich said. “We have enjoyed a long, rich history in the Chicago area and our goal is to preserve and sustain these strong print and online news and information assets that are such an integral part of the fabric of Chicago and its neighboring communities.”
The company said it expects the Chapter 11 process to be completed this year.
The changes proposed on March 16 to fair-value, also known as mark-to-market accounting, would allow companies to use “significant judgment” in valuing assets and reduce the amount of writedowns they must take on so-called impaired investments, including mortgage-backed securities. A final vote on the resolutions, which would apply to first-quarter financial statements, is scheduled for April 2.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO), formerly known as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO), is a mid-20th century creation. The Convention which established the IMCO was adopted in Geneva in 1948,[1] but it only came into force ten years later; and the new Organization met for the first time the following year in 1959. The IMCO name was changed to IMO in 1982.[2]
Headquartered in London, in the United Kingdom, the IMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations with 168 Member States and three Associate Members.[2] The IMO’s primary purpose is to develop and maintain a comprehensive regulatory framework for shipping and its remit today includes safety, environmental concerns, legal matters, technical co-operation, maritime security and the efficiency of shipping. IMO is governed by an Assembly of members and is financially administered by a Council of members elected from the Assembly. The work of IMO is conducted through five committees and these are supported by technical subcommittees.
The IMO is supported by a permanent secretariat of employees who are representative of its members. The secretariat is composed of a Secretary-General who is periodically elected by the Assembly, and various divisions such as those for marine safety, environmental protection, and a conference section.
IMO is the source of approximately 60 legal instruments that guide the regulatory development of its member states to improve safety at sea, facilitate trade among seafaring states and protect the maritime environment. The most well known is the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).
IMO regularly enacts regulations, which are broadly enforced by national and local maritime authorities in member countries, such as the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREG). The IMO has also enacted a Port State Control (PSC) authority, allowing domestic maritime authorities such as coast guards to inspect foreign-flag ships calling at ports of the many port states. Memoranda of Understanding (protocols) were signed by some countries unifying Port State Control procedures among the signatories.
Current issues
Recent initiatives at the IMO have included amendments to SOLAS, which upgraded fire protection standards on passenger ships, the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) which establishes basic requirements on training, certification and watchkeeping for seafarers and to the Convention on the Prevention of Maritime Pollution (MARPOL 73/78), which required double hulls on all tankers. All these initiatives were instigated by representatives of the United States before the IMO.
In December 2002, new amendments to the 1974 SOLAS Convention were enacted. These amendments gave rise to the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, which went into effect on 1 July 2004. The concept of the code is to provide layered and redundant defenses against smuggling, terrorism, piracy, stowaways, etc. The ISPS Code required most ships and port facilities engaged in international trade to establish and maintain strict security procedures as specified in ship and port specific Ship Security Plans and Port Facility Security Plans.
The IMO is also responsible for publishing the International Code of Signals for use between merchant and naval vessels.
The First Intersessional Meeting of IMO’s Working Group on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ships is currently taking place in Oslo, Norway (23-27 June, 2008), tasked with developing the technical basis for the reduction mechanisms that may form part of a future IMO regime to control greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping, and a draft of the actual reduction mechanisms themselves, for further consideration by IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC). [3]
ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) research indicates that acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships in the second quarter of 2007 have jumped by 37% when compared to the second quarter of 2006.
Top
12-07-2007 11:47:16 GMT
The International Chamber of Commerce’s International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has launched an online piracy map which gives users a visual on the nature and location of attacks to help them better understand and track incidents.
Top
01-09-2006 9:52:46 GMT
2003 – 2008 Petrospot Limited: The content of this web site is copyright by Petrospot Limited.
Climate factors, international cooperation key to saving Aral Sea …
Earthtimes (press release) – ?May 1, 2009?
… of the related UN convention, was released today. It describes the development of a consultative process to deal with matters ranging from piracy to the …
**
History of the chamber movement
The long history of the chamber movement can be traced back to 1599, when the term “chamber of commerce” appeared for the first time, in Marseille, France.
Moving beyond individual interests to that of a collective group, the establishment of chambers provided merchants, traders, craftsmen and industrialists a public forum to discuss issues facing them as a business community. This representation of common interests became, and remains, the foundation of chambers of commerce worldwide.
Gaining acceptance from public authorities also helped the chamber cause. Public authorities rapidly established close dialogue with chambers, seeing them as the legitimate and institutionalized common voice of business.
Today, chambers of commerce exist in almost every country of the world.
Chambers of commerce today are diverse in name as in the business communities they represent. The word “chamber” is still predominantly used in most countries. No longer just chambers of “commerce” and “industry”, chambers are also including words like “manufacturers”, “entrepreneurship”, “training”, “shipping”, “commodity exchanges”, “agriculture” to help reflect the community they serve.
Chambers have been established along bilateral lines (eg. Swedish British Chamber of Commerce) as well as community and special interest chamber groups eg. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce, and the Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. Transnational associations of chambers are also a feature of our landscape, such as the Confederation of Asia Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Association of Latin American Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
However, as diverse as the name has become, as well as the cross-section of interests they represent and their methods, the common goal remains – the support of business enterprises. Chambers are still the most important type of multi-sectoral business organizations in the world.
While chambers of commerce have evolved and grown based upon a nation’s own historical context, two basic models prevail.
The “continental” or “public law” model is founded on the remains of medieval guilds. From its origins in France, chambers were established quickly across other European countries like Austria, Germany, Italy, Slovenia and Spain. This type of chamber is called “public law” as it is established and regulated by national legislation. A key characteristic is that under most “public law” chamber systems, membership is mandatory for all enterprises.
Public law chambers are generally found on the European continent as well as French speaking Africa and other former French colonies. Other countries like North Korea, Bhutan, as well as the majority of Arab nations fall under this model.
The predominate model in the world is the “private law” or “Anglo-Saxon” model originated in Great Britain and spread to other countries influenced by British tradition. It is also prominent in the Nordic countries. Reflecting more the “laissez faire” economic policies of these nations, chambers are established by the desires and needs of their local business community. These chambers are not created and governed by public statute, but are established under private law requiring only registration in the business or association registers.
Private law models are found in Great Britain, other countries of the British Commonwealth, North America, Scandinavia, Belgium and Switzerland.
While most chambers can be classified as one of these two models, some countries have incorporated features of both systems more compatible with their own political and economic development. Such hydrid models can be found in China, Cuba, Paraguay as well as other Latin American countries, Singapore and Vietnam. Though established by national legislation, the chambers operate with voluntary membership systems.
Footnote
A worldwide history of the chamber of commerce movement is currently being written by the WCF. Chambers are encouraged to send any information they may have on the chamber movement in their region to help us with the development and regular revisions of this document.
ICC – International Chamber of Commerce – concerned trade finance may suffer due to proposed bank leverage rules
Paris, 4 May 2010 ICC has expressed concern that proposals to introduce a new framework to limit excessive leverage in the world’s banking system may have unintended, negative consequences on trade finance, and it urged the creation of a special trade finance working group to examine the problem.
I have a copy of an article somewhere – I’ll find it and I’ve already put it in an earlier post which explains that because the US has not signed the Treaty of the Sea – other nations are divvying up the Arctic for oil drilling there and leaving us with no say in the matter whatsoever and no rights either.
– cricketdiane
But the GOP doesn’t want that Treaty signed by the US. (note article below) –
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GOP ‘Sovereignty Caucus’ Battles Obama on Treaties
Small But Influential Coalition of Hawks Holds Surprising Sway Over International Agreements
By David Weigel 7/1/09 11:53 AM
An anti-Law of the Sea Treaty ad from the Coalition to Preserve American Sovereignty (YouTube)
An anti-Law of the Sea Treaty ad from the Coalition to Preserve American Sovereignty (YouTube)
Shortly after leaving their offices on June 24, dozens of Hill staffers, foreign policy experts, and old Washington hands made their way to the lower floor of the Capitol Visitors Center, a sprawling complex below the halls of Congress. The occasion was the low-key launch of the new House Sovereignty Caucus, the project of three Republican members — Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), Rep. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.), and Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.) — who had become more and more worried about Americans ceding their rights to foreign institutions. Retired Lt. Col. Oliver North and former Undersecretary of Defense Douglas J. Feith stopped by to make remarks and pose for photos. Patrick Henry College Chancellor Michael Farris made small talk near a table of fruits, vegetables and soft cheeses.
Image by: Matt Mahurin
Image by: Matt Mahurin
“I have said for years that we ought to get the U.S. out of the U.N. and the U.N. out of the U.S.,” said Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.), addressing the crowd in an impromptu speech. “I’ll do everything I can in the Congress to maintain the U.S. as a sovereign nation, subservient to no one but the almighty God.”
A series of traffic delays meant that, Frank Gaffney, the president of the Center For Security Policy, was the last supporter of the new caucus to give a speech. He bemoaned the confirmation of Harold Koh as Legal Adviser to the State Department, an “enemy” of sovereignty, shortly after the Senate had agreed to move ahead to a vote on his nomination. But he was optimistic. “We may now have in the House a vehicle for keeping the so-called ‘Upper House’ more honest on these issues.”
While Republicans and conservative activists were disappointed by the confirmation of Koh, the long delay leading up to the vote and its relative closeness — 65 to 31 to end debate on the nomination and 62-35 to confirm him — have boosted their hopes of successfully battling treaties that they characterize as threats to American rights and national interests. Treaties need the votes of 67 senators to be ratified, and can gum up the business of the Senate for weeks if they become flash points for controversy. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, for example, has convinced Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.) — a member of the House Sovereignty Caucus — to introduce a Constitutional amendment protecting the right of American parents to discipline their children and send them to religious schools.
Those hopes are likely to be tested at least twice this year. According to staffers for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, or the Law of the Sea Treaty — a 1982 treaty that governs the right of countries to use the oceans — could be reintroduced next month. And President Obama is in Russia this week in part to move forward the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, the 1996 agreement on weapons testing that was rejected by the Senate in 1999, when the upper chamber contained 55 Republicans and 45 Democrats. Of the 16 treaties that the State Department included on its priority list in a May 11 letter to the committee, both sides agree that these two will be the first to face full votes. And both sides agree that the Koh vote provided a good idea of the support these treaties might command from a very skeptical Senate Republican conference.
“The vote against Harold Koh is probably the minimum vote against both of those treaties,” said John Bolton, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under George W. Bush, and who has been a forceful critic of both treaties. “I think that a lot of Republicans, whether they agreed or disagreed with Koh’s views, basically agreed that president had the right to appoint his own team. Whether they would also support these treaties, given their concerns about national sovereignty, is another question.”
The power to approve treaties rests entirely with the Senate; on the surface, that would seem to make the House Sovereignty Caucus and its supporters less relevant. But both supporters and opponents of the treaties said that skeptics of international law and international agreements will have an outsized influence in this debate. Senate staffers from both parties, experts from liberal groups, and experts from conservative groups all cited the same handful of people as the ones able to turn opinion on treaties: Bolton, Frank Gaffney of the Center for Security Policy, and fellows at the Heritage Foundation and Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI). For an example of their influence, one supporter of the treaties pointed out what happens when someone does a basic Google search for “Law of the Sea.” The first links include the Heritage Foundation’s page on the treaty, CEI’s page, and the site UNLawoftheSeaTreaty.org, owned by another think tank that opposes the treaty.
Myron Ebell, director of energy and global warming policy at CEI, said that there was some truth to this characterization. “At the one end, the American people are very suspicious of more United Nations involvement in their lives,” said Ebell. “When you’re saying that you’ll put the UN in charge of the oceans, that’s pretty strongly opposed by the American people. But at the other end, most Washington insiders, a lot of experts who work on this, a lot of admirals, say we ought to do that and say that the problems have been fixed since President Reagan opposed it. So we’re not a very broad coalition.”
Treaty supporters, who had hoped that a Democratic president and heavily Democratic Senate could get past this standoff, are frustrated by the conservatives’ success. “The fight over the Law of the Sea has been a textbook example of the politics of intensity trumping the politics of common sense,” said Don Kraus, the CEO of Citizens for Global Solutions, a group that supports both treaties. “The treaty’s narrow group of opponents have whipped up conspiracy theories to feed political temper tantrums in swing states.”
While negotiations that could lead to progress on the CTBT are taking center stage this week, treaty opponents are focusing on the Law of the Sea Treaty because it will come up first, and because its fate in the last Congress provided a roadmap for both sides. A tough campaign against the treaty, which included TV ads from the Competitive Enterprise Institute and pressure on conservative senators like Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), whittled down its support. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who had long supported the treaty, backed down and said that it needed “changes” shortly before the 2008 New Hampshire presidential primary.
According to Baker Spring, a fellow at the Heritage Foundation, opposition to international law and treaties like these has coalesced in the wake of the campaign against the Law of the Sea Treaty and because of worries about President Barack Obama. “We have a president in office who is potentially serious about this agenda. Nobody held the view that George W. Bush was going to scurry down a road that would undermine our national sovereignty.”
Spring suggested that Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), the ranking member on the Foreign Relations Committee, slow-walked the treaty last year because he wanted to get a majority of Republicans on board. Lugar spokesman Mark would not confirm that, but he pointed out that so far the Obama administration’s support for the treaty is comparable to the Bush administration’s — just one of the items on the priority list. “The Obama campaign was fantastic at using social networking to organize and build up grassroots support,” said Hayes. “The administration has chosen to use that skill on some campaigns, like the health care push, but not on other campaigns.”
Unless that happens, skeptics of international law suggested that high-visibility coalitions like the House Sovereignty Caucus can win the argument.
“I think it can have a real impact if it raises the volume of the debate,” said John Bolton. “The higher the salience of the issue, for conservatives in particular, the greater the likelihood that people will oppose these treaties.”
These are the same people that gave our United States sovereignty away to the oil companies in the Gulf of Mexico, in Alaska, across our national lands and our national coastal waters – both offshore and onshore.
– cricketdiane, 06-09-10
***
Research Shows Little Effect From Arctic Offshore Oil Drilling …
Oct 3, 2003 … “In fact, the entire offshore area was near pristine. … 2008) — The area north of the Arctic Circle has an estimated 90 billion barrels … Oil Exploration In Arctic Highly Risky: ‘Response Gap’ In Case Of Oil Spill, … http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/10/031002055859.htm
Arctic Circle’s oil-rich seabeds: Off-limits to the U.S.? – Aug. 8 …
Aug 8, 2007 … Melting icecaps in the Arctic Circle are giving way to oil-rich waters … a drilling industry lobbyist, “and I think now we’ll finally get …
money.cnn.com/2007/…/arctic_oil…/index.htm
Time to Permit Oil Drilling In the Arctic Refuge | The Heritage …
Time to Permit Oil Drilling In the Arctic Refuge … ANWR is an enormous area of land located in the Northeast corner of Alaska within the Arctic Circle. … http://www.heritage.org/…/Time-to-Permit-Oil-Drilling-In-the-Arctic-Refuge
(my note – I hate them – they won’t be happy until the United States is nothing but a wasteland where no man, woman, child, elderly, family, community, bird, animal, fish, mammal, clean air, clean water, clean earth can exist for the rest of eternity. They are genuinely and considerately wrong over and over and over again, and it just doesn’t seem to matter – even as their policies destroy and decimate and obliterate and ultimately destroy our country in fact. – cricketdiane, 06-09-10)
# Putin Tries to Lay Claim to Arctic Circle – Associated Content …
Jun 28, 2007 … In the past, any country could drill for oil and mine in the arctic … The Arctic is very heavy in oil supply. If Russia were able to take … http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/…/putin_tries_to_lay_claim_to_arctic.html
# Petroleum exploration in the Arctic – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1 Canada; 2 Russia; 3 Greenland; 4 Geological basins in the Arctic … of the arctic circle) could contain up to 110 billion barrels (17×10^9 m3) of oil. …
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_exploration_in_the_Arctic
# Arctic – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Battle for the Next Energy Frontier: The Russian Polar Expedition and the Future of … “The great Arctic Circle oil rush.” CNN. August 8, 2007. ^ Shaw, Rob. …. Arctic Refuge drilling controversy • Parks, reserves and refuges …
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic
#
Parker Drilling Company
… in Russia and has developed a productive oil field north of the Arctic Circle. … Houston-based Parker Drilling Co. was the first drilling company granted a … “Putin wants to develop Russia’s oil industry fast to get the economy … http://www.parkerdrilling.com/newsroom/coverage_putin.html
# EIA – Arctic Oil and Natural Gas Potential
Region within the Arctic Circle (North America is to the left and … Large Arctic oil and natural gas discoveries began in Russia with the discovery …. Shell had reactivated and towed the Kulluk arctic drilling ship to the Beaufort … http://www.eia.doe.gov › … › Natural Gas Analysis Reports
# Oil and Gas Production and Exploration Companies
Circle Oil Plc – is an oil and gas exploration, development and …. CJSC – Development of oil and gas fields on Russia’s Arctic continental shelf … http://www.subsea.org/equipment/exploration+and…/listcat.asp
# Offshore Drilling: An Arctic Future
May 4, 2010 … But we’ve been drilling under water since 1947, and we’re not going … 400 oil and gas fields north of the Arctic Circle in Canada, Russia … http://www.investingdaily.com/ce/…/offshore-drilling-an-arctic-future.html
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Cruise Ships Dumping Tons Of Waste In Caribbean Waters
by Dionne Jackson Miller
(IPS) KINGSTON — The multi-million dollar Caribbean shipping industry, necessary to the economic prosperity of the region’s small island states, also has its negative side: the generation of tons of waste, which these countries are often ill-prepared to cope with.
The Caribbean has the ‘most intensive maritime traffic in the world,’ with some 50,000 ships and 14.5 million tourists visiting annually, according to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).
A typical cruise ship carries 3,000 passengers and produces between 400 and 1,200 cubic metres of watery waste daily, including waste from kitchens and showers, according to UNEP.
‘They don’t have the facilities to accept ship waste, and more importantly, lack the necessary resources and organizational structure to monitor ships,” whether cargo or passenger vessels, Ian Blair, senior vice president of the Jamaican Port Authority, told Tierramerica.
There are major concerns related to the disposal of ship-generated garbage, oily bilge water (water accumulated in part of the ship’s hull) and ballast water, which is taken in by ships to increase their stability and manoeuvrability while in transit.
Oily waste and garbage affect water quality and marine life, and ballast water carries into the region organisms from far-flung places, which can alter ecosystems and hurt biodiversity, Cowell Lyn, a consultant working on a rehabilitation project for Jamaica’s Kingston Harbor, explained to Tierramerica.
Invasive species threaten the existence of endemic flora and fauna, that is, native species that are unique, not found in any other part of the world, and which are already threatened by deforestation and urbanization.
The Dominican Republic has recorded the presence of 186 invasive species, the largest number in the region, followed by Puerto Rico, with 182, and the Bahamas, with 159.
Passenger cruise ships also dump as much as 70 litres of dangerous waste a day into the sea. Toxins include photo processing chemicals, paints, solvents and batteries, which threaten animal and human life alike, as 70 percent of the Caribbean population lives in coastal areas.
The region is also affected by heavy oil tanker traffic. Several of the world’s leading crude oil producers are in the Greater Caribbean area, including Venezuela, Mexico, Colombia and Trinidad and Tobago.
Petroleum often ends up dumped in the Caribbean waters, due to erratic waste management or to accidental spills.
Cuba’s Havana Bay is the most polluted, with 1,200 milligrams of hydrocarbons per kilogram of dry sediment, while Jamaica’s Kingston Harbour has 578 milligrams per kilo of dry sediment, according to UNEP.
The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 73/78 — developed in 1973 and amended in 1978) regulates the disposal of oil, toxic substances, and garbage from ships.
Annex Five, which entered into force on December 31, 1988, governs the disposal of garbage and imposes a complete ban on the dumping into the sea of all forms of plastic.
A 1993 amendment designated the ‘Wider Caribbean’ as a vulnerable ‘special area’ with restrictions on how ships can deal with garbage disposal.
This designation has not yet come into force, however, because states have not advized the oversight body, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), as to whether adequate facilities exist to deal with ship generated waste.
‘It may be that the systems are there but they have not been reported,” IMO regional adviser Curtis Roach told Tierramerica.
IMO Secretary General Efthimios Mitropoulos urged Caribbean countries ‘to redouble their efforts to ensure that the provisions of the Special Area status take effect without further delay,’ during a regional seminar in Barbados last July,
The Wider Caribbean encompasses the region’s islands and the coastal areas of the mainland Latin American countries, from Mexico to French Guyana, as well as El Salvador, even thought its shoreline is on the Pacific Ocean.
Its institutional manifestation is the Association of Caribbean States, created in 1994, with 25 independent states as full members, plus Aruba, Dutch Antilles and France (on behalf of Guadeloupe, French Guyana and Martinique).
According to Caribbean Environment Outlook, a publication prepared by the United Nations Development Program for the Jan. 10-14 Mauritius meeting of small island states, the nine-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is reporting “harmonized policies and legislation for both shore and ship generated waste.”
St. Lucia cites improved ship waste reception at major ports and marinas. And in Jamaica, extensive groundwork is now being done to establish a facility to dispose of ship generated garbage.
Originally published Jan. 15 by Latin American newspapers that are part of the Tierramerica network. Tierramerica is a specialized news service produced by IPS with the backing of the United Nations Development Program and the United Nations Environment Program
Did you know that if they don’t ratify the Law of the Sea Treaty, then our nation has no standing where they are fighting to drill in the Arctic? That seems like a major crisis –
And while you’ve focused on bait fish – which I’m sure is critical to fishing – particularly sport and recreational fishing – have you noticed the entire Gulf of Mexico is covered in crude oil?
Dumping of ballast water has been an on-going and continuing problem from shippers. I’m not sure that the largest ship builders are in China, but certainly many of the world’s largest ship builders are in Asia. Have you noticed the US to be anywhere on that list of the world’s largest or best shipbuilders? Doesn’t that seem to be a problem constituting even more jobs in an area where we are no longer competitive?
There are many organizations and government agencies across the world which have shifted from being protection for the public interest to serving interests of businesses. I’m not sure that is completely the case with the IMO but it has been the case even with many of our national organizations and state agencies and within some of our federal agencies during the multiple years of Republican administrations.
But, partly that is also our fault as citizens – the businesses and their lobbies showed up, they pitched for their interests, they schmoozed, they powdered the palms of those in authority and they did whatever it took to serve their interests. The citizens of our nation didn’t come close to matching their influence at the table, even if we showed up at all. Every time I hear one of them use the word “stakeholders” – I cringe because it is a sure indication we weren’t at that table when they were deciding something that would affect us forever and the only real stakeholders they’ve served didn’t include us except maybe in some twisted estimation of what that would be.
If you are really interested in doing something about them dumping ballast water indiscriminately without sequestering it and handling it properly, then I suggest you interact with the ICC – International Chamber of Commerce who is widely interconnected with the US Chamber of Commerce and mostly run by bankers and large insurance conglomerates, hedge fund brokers and assholes – or maybe all assholes which happen to also be bankers, oil companies, insurance giants and hedge funds. They make more of the decisions about the choices to dump ballast water than anyone else and it is being done in a way that suits them.The ICC and US Chamber have lobbied heavily to prevent those ballast dumping regulations all around the world and in the IMO, at the UN, in the US Congressional Chambers, throughout the shipping industry and everywhere else something might be done. So, get up there at the table with them and set them straight.
The bait fish situation is likely a direct result of the Commerce Department, the use of the Fish and Wildlife agencies by some business interests being served over the local interests and regional wildlife interests. They have, as have many agencies been shifted to serve different missions in a lot of our states than what was originally mandated. And, through many tiny changes – the addition of words and phrases in the laws intended to protect people, to protect wildlife, to protect regional and local interests, to protect health, to protect the public interest, to protect clean air and water, etc. – the business interests with their attorneys and lobbyists have been changing our laws and regulations to suit their own interests whatever they might be. My suggestion is to back up through those laws affecting the use of bait fish from outside NY or that were intended to protect local wildlife, fish and regional waters – I bet they were changed to allow what is happening to serve the interests of somebody way beyond the Secretary of State, Clinton or her home state of Arkansas. After a bit of tracking, you’ll probably find whose idea it was to change it and how they did it. You can request a review of those laws that were altered by your Senators and Congressmen, the Inspector General of those agencies whose application of the state’s policy violates the federal laws that supercede them or directly request review by the US Congressional and Senate committees who provide oversight and legislation concerning those specific subjects.
The thing is this – let’s say that you and I sit down at a table to decide something and we come to the table with the public interest at heart. And, then thirty people sit down at that table with us, each of whom serve a business interest, a huge corporate set of interests, or some political interest and all of whom have none of the public interest in mind with any decency or common sense. So, you and I are then going to do the polite thing and listen to hear them out and each of those at that table although they are only serving their individual profit interests or their own sustained power interests are making it sound like doing it their way will serve the public’s interest. Then, after awhile – with no other voices at the table as well versed intellectually about how it will serve the public’s interest doing it their way – start to sound like it just must make sense. Hell, there are thirty well-dressed, well-educated, well-funded people saying so – how could it be wrong? That is exactly how entire cities and towns in Iceland were sold a bill of goods by Wall Street brokers that came to convince them to put their public funds into derivatives and it is how the Minerals Management Service was convinced to serve the interests of the oil industries it was supposed to be running roughshod over and it is how the EPA came to be agents and representatives at the state level in many states across our nation – of the chemical industries rather than to regulate them and enforce the regulations in place for the public good.
The question becomes – now, our survival is being impinged by many of these things and actually decimated in some cases – but the corporations still believe they are doing the right thing. It never occurs to them that by decimating the populations which will be their ultimate consumers, sooner or later their corporation will be decimated as well. In their minds – people are a dime a dozen and purely an expendable whether it is their own employees or their customers or the people in communities they are negatively affecting or even destroying.
It is one way to look at the US as the best and brightest. At times we have been. We are not that now. It is a shame that we have excluded all that could make it that way. We’ve shelved the best and brightest ideas or sold them off to other national interests and often given them to other nations as if those concepts weren’t marketable anyway. Then, other nations reaped the benefits from them. And, now they have all our money. And, all kinds of other goodies for their own national interests rather than for our own. And, now the foreign policy of international inter-dependence that started with Reagan and Bush Sr. has made our nation dependent on everybody. We’ve allowed our food sources to become controlled by monopolies of a few. Our manufactured goods are manufactured elsewhere, even those things we might need to buy every day or every week. And, our national energy needs for transportation are controlled by huge monopolies of a few and other nations. So, there you go.
Now, what?
You still wanna bitch about Senator Clinton – now Secretary of State Clinton. Or can you do some things to figure out how these laws were changed and challenge them and figure out who pushed for the changes that would benefit their profits or political interests? And, figure out what is going to be able to fix it while you’re at it.
And the next time you start getting all wrecked about bait fish – look around and check the unemployment figures at 27% in many California areas, the Gulf of Mexico that looks like a crude oil swamp and take a quick look at Goldman Sach’s man Blankfein testifying or being interviewed saying he is doing “God’s work” as he and his company steals people’s life savings and bankrupts companies that have been in business for over a hundred and fifty years and decimates economies around the world – including ours. Just add it to the list . . .
– cricketdiane, 06-03-10
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(my response to a comment on my blog about the dumping of ballast waters and NY state allowing bait fish from Arkansas to be used which put mom and pop bait shops out of business.)
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My Note – today
I’m glad President Obama is going back to the Gulf Coast again. I’ve seen a little of the interview that is supposed to be aired on Larry King Live tonight – which obviously isn’t live – but the video clip shown on CNN a little while ago certainly is right. I’m telling you – the oil industry does not know what they’ve gotten into this time. Its going to take more than some strippers and a bag of cocaine to fix this one.
– cricketdiane
***
By the way –
On bloomberg last night there was an Englishman – didn’t ever see his name that mentioned how emotive the situation is in the Gulf of Mexico – he said, they can hold up a shrimp with some oil on it and a couple pelicans with oil on their wings – etc. which seems to be rather more contempt than concern.
And, in the interview – a note was made that 1 pound in every 7 pounds in the UK economy is from BP. I don’t know if that is true – I sure do hope not, but if it is – they are in trouble that hasn’t begun to be seen yet.
As much as the mind has trouble grasping the amount of money BP has made and is making – I do know that a drop of 34% of the stock value is nothing in comparison to what it will be. And, I do know that as people realize the huge extent of this massive spill and the facts starting to add together about the massive numbers of incidents both by BP and many other oil industry giants over recent and past history – there is not going to be the same world coming out of this that there was going into it.
When I think about the ways that oil industry players have been resolving things with strippers and cocaine – it seems they might have put more efforts elsewhere for solutions beyond that to be handy when needed. I’m glad Tony Hayward made the commercial which has aired and used up $50 million dollars to take it out across America and wherever else it is playing. I am glad he did that before we all lynched the son of a bitch. That would’ve been ugly.
– cricketdiane
***
I have a dumb question that I’ve been meaning to ask or say somewhere. In the photos of the new “top hat cap” or whatever it is called today – why is the pipe running from the oil spill capper – so much smaller by so many times than the pipe and the degree of oil that is coming out of the well? Doesn’t that seem like a sure way for the oil to be shoved out under that cap instead of up to a ship? They have a lot of petroleum engineers working on this which are in all likelihood – based on what I’ve seen of their approaches – mechanical engineers. They need some materials science engineers and chemical engineers and physicists on their team, along with maybe some aerodynamic / thermodynamic engineers who specialize in knowledge of these pressures, velocities of flow and extreme engineering sciences.
But, since they don’t have those people on their teams or in enough numbers and respect to be heard or something – it seems just to look at it that common sense would indicate that a big, poofy cloud bursting everywhere at that phenomenal speed and at massive quantities would be further hindered by the cap system and its very small pipe outlet in relation to the pipe diameter where it is being placed. If I were to try that relationship at home, it seems that most of the oil or whatever else coming out at such high pressures would simply be blown off under the cap in the opposite direction. Isn’t that so?
To me, that means that something less than 20% would be captured up the pipe and 80% or maybe more would be thrusting out the other side in the opposite direction under the cap filling the ocean everyday until August, if the relief wells actually do hit the damn thing under the seabed.
I also saw a story about one of the Island’s residents and businesses in the Gulf of Mexico that are totally against the people who are being brought in by buses to clean up the oil from the beaches. Not only is it hot – there was no provision for bathrooms for those workers – maybe they’ve fixed that now. There was nothing but complaints from the people and businesses on the Island who don’t want the workers “messing up their beach” by being there, and don’t like them staging in their parking lots, and don’t want people to have breaks in the shade after working for any period of time in the heat of summer sun on the beach after breathing whatever nasty it is today, and don’t want them coming in their stores and restaurants, and don’t want them there at all and I don’t even know what they’re thinking. Obviously those store owners, restaurants, hotels, residents and townships have noticed there is an ongoing problem with oil coming up on their beaches – would they prefer to get out there in the hot sun themselves and clean it up? Or would they rather wait until fall or winter and get all of it up at once and the hell with whatever birds and animals die in it?
Personally, I think that if the people on that island and their businesses looked at these people coming there to clean up as their equals and fellow team members that are tackling this thing – I think their hospitality would have been a lot different.
And, I was pretty disgusted watching the store owner interviewed in the story who is sitting back in her nice clean, cool, air conditioned store as if the oil is going to magically be cleaned up by someone without any inconvenience to her or participation by her or affect on her business or on her as a resident. As if she and her fellow business owners and residents just don’t get what is going on around the Gulf of Mexico and the massiveness of it which will be impacting their lives for years upon years upon years and may make their island uninhabitable from the pervasive fumes and damages from the oil spill.
Hmmmmm……….
Oh yeah, and the other thing I noticed in that story on the news – was the state or county deputies that were acting as security forces around the buses of workers who considered the news crews, reporter and cameraman as the enemy – as criminal – as wrong and bad – as the bad guys – and generally, as the evil at hand. So, not only is that dangerous and somebody’s going to end up getting hurt as a result – but the media are not the bad guys and certainly not the criminals and they aren’t the enemy. I didn’t like the star badge of authority to be on that man’s belt as he acted like the Gestapo and I didn’t like the fact that he considered the media acting in the public’s interest to be the bad guys and I didn’t like the intimidating and threatening way he acted as if he was considering shooting them with tazer, gun or desiring to beat them off with a baton within an inch of their lives. AND I didn’t like any legal police authority being used in that way. (period.)
And, it reminds me that for a company (BP and its Marine Spill Response Corporation handling these cleanup operations, etc.) that can’t get its act together to fix anything worth a damn – they sure do know how to run every last government resource as an agent serving their own interests over that of the public at any and every given point. If they had put even half that effort into knowing what the hell they’re doing – we wouldn’t even need people cleaning up oil off our beaches in the first place.
Level B/Type 2 suit. SCBA is outside suit - Type 2: Protects against liquid and gaseous chemicals. Non gas tight. (prEN 943 part 1). More or less equivalent to US level B.1 - HazMat suit with Respirator
It still pisses me off that they aren’t protecting the workers from these fumes where the fumes are pervasive and it makes people sick. And, then to see our EPA and OSHA acting like these petroleum crude oil and dispersant chemicals can’t hurt anybody and their tests show clean air and clean water where anyone can see the nastiest muck of petroleum chemical stew is nothing short of criminal and disgusting. To go to their website and see that they are telling workers that they don’t even need breathing respirators, clean air / oxygen on standby for recovery or chemical splash protection goggles – is just too wrong for words when everywhere there are scientific and medical science and chemistry-based documents that support the dangers of those chemicals to human health short term and long term. And, when I find out that it was no more than $6.00 each for those respirators against those chemical fumes at a wholesale, huge lot price – I’m going to be even more pissed off about it and the unnecessary life-altering damages they caused by doing it BP’s way and the oil industry’s way and the Marine Spill Response Corporation way – instead of protecting people’s well-being.
I don’t care if they have to buy hazmat suits for every living citizen in the coastal areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Texas along with everybody that lives and works this oil spill disaster. AND respirators with chemical deterrent filters and chemical splash protection goggles. It is a small price compared to the overwhelming loss of health over the course of many years and the effects of that ill health on families, on social and family relationships and health, on children’s health, on people’s future lives, on the public health generally and on the future opportunities of all those affected.
When it was SARS – people wore masks. The governments didn’t play with that stuff – they called it like it was and started issuing face masks for protection and telling people how to handle things safely from hand-washing properly to other appropriate measures. They didn’t pretend there wasn’t a problem. Why would our agencies intended and mandated by mission to protect people’s health get their panties in a wad over the ill health that comes from sugary sodas or smoking and then put people in harm’s way with known carcinogenic and health damaging petroleum chemicals without protection?
See, it just becomes a fashion thing at a point. I know – that is something though isn’t it . . . .
And those gas masks and respirators are not as given to something fashion oriented – but maybe with women’s sense of style – they can become a nice high tech addition to the blue tooth stuck on everybody’s ears.
– cricketdiane
***
I’m not sure where I found this – but considering it is now 2010 – and considering that we’ve been doing it the way that favors businesses and “protects” business interests in the way they’ve seen fit – (and their concepts of “protecting innovation” as their best excuse to do things their way without regard to the public’s best interest and health) –
2007 - 2008 Business Bankruptcies Chart - (from AACER)
No telling how many it has been now. And, that was with everything favoring them and their interests as they have seen fit without regard and without any regulations to hinder their activities. And, we don’t have the innovations that they claimed to be protecting either. Those innovations are happening all around the world, elsewhere – not in America for the most part. The great designs for a hovercraft amphibious vehicle wasn’t a US design – it was made in the Scandinavian countries maybe. And, the greatest number of innovative transportation systems and designs that don’t use petroleum – are not from the US but from countries around the world that are gearing up factories to produce them en masse. We can’t seem to get that together for any of the designs although I understand that the Bush administration group working the federal agencies held up a certain amount of the electric car progress demanding that a gasoline miles per gallon figure be provided, among other similar insanities.
The great breakthroughs in science, technology, engineering, chemistry, bio-chemistry, alternative energy sources like geothermal systems and non-turbine wind to electricity generation, alternative transportation fuels and devices and vehicles, and a multitude of other things – aren’t coming from the US because the rally cry for innovation isn’t combined with a friendly supportive atmosphere for those innovations and breakthroughs. They are shelved when found. They are refused entry to compete on a level playing field. They are denied the subsidies that have been used as a never-ending pool of resources by the petroleum industry and traditional corporate interests done in the same old ways another day from vehicles to solar to home energy to alternative fuels to you name it –
Hazmat suits come basically in two variations: splash protection and gastight suits. As the name implies the splash protection suits are designed to prevent the wearer from coming into contact with a liquid. These suits do not protect against gasses or dust. Gastight suits protect the wearer from basically any outside influence apart from heat and radiation.
When I can go to databanks and resources around the world and have more access, greater transparency, more reasonable provided and arranged information and access to scientific, technological and engineering, high tech and research information – than I can in the US – it just makes me madder than hell. I want to spit nails sometimes when I try to find things that I know are available in the US and about the only way to find them is through some internet site somewhere else in the world and come back to them from there. And, that includes some of the most ridiculous things to be kept from easy availability by the US and its business communities from the true toxic nature of chemicals in stuff to the text of a speech given somewhere by our President to where chemical spills and oil spill have taken place that are known around the world but told to the American people that they never happened by certain groups and industries in our nation.
At one point, I was trying to find out how the tests were conducted to find out if the dams in our country are safe. How in the world do they test them? How often are dams and levees tested? You know, stuff like that isn’t exactly some technological secret. You wouldn’t believe what it took to find that information and where all I had to go around the world in order to find how it is being done in the United States. Or even, to find the charts of all the dams in the state where I live and who is responsible for their upkeep – now finding that stuff was ridiculous.
And then, I found out part of why they don’t want people to know and it was even more obscene in this technologically advance age of cements and polymers and technical tests and analysis methods that are available. And the cross-structuring of who is responsible for doing something to keep up a certain level of safety for dams across the United States and in what ways they have to answer for that.
A few dams on one part of one Georgia river in the state of Georgia - not all owned by the government
Don’t even go there – it is maddening and frightening in its irresponsible arrangements for any of it and all of it. I think for many dams the final analysis is that once every ten years there is a schedule that gets some of the dams which takes a cylinder section of the concrete to a lab and smashes it to find out how much stress it takes at the point they collect it – to smush it into small pieces of debris. That is supposed to indicate how brittle the concrete has become over time, weather and the UV degradation that occurs.
And, at some point there are people who go out and take soundings if the need arises – which is to ping it with a sound and then listen for the return of it and record it on a graph of some kind which is supposed to show material integrity of the structure and unless it were done over every square inch externally and internally – I don’t see how it would show anything before a crack or stress fracture pulls the whole thing down.
But, there you go – that’s the best we can do in the twenty-first century in America. I think they were doing it the same way in 1930 and 1940 – some of our dams were built before then – one in Georgia I found was built around the turn of the century – 1899 or something and some may be older than that in our country – I wouldn’t doubt it. And these – many of which are privately owned which I still don’t see how they can do when so many lives would be in danger downstream of them if and when they fail, are not even tested or checked at all until they are starting to obviously fail which is almost too late.
– cricketdiane
I just don’t get it.
It is easier for me to find a water driven energy system being built in South Korea than it is to find out if the United States has even one project like that anywhere underway – or planned or under consideration or designed or any thing about the ones around the world at all – unless I get away from the US information to find out about them. I just don’t get it.
***
Level A/Type 1 suit. SCBA is inside suit - Type 1: Protects against liquid and gaseous chemicals. Gas tight. (prEN 943 part 1). More or less equivalent to US level A. - HazMat suit - new beach attire for the United States
I’ve been meaning to say this – if the people who have lived along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico would embrace the reality that has beset the people around the Exxon Valdez spill and in Spain and Australia where large spills have destroyed economies and health for years – and just gather what all they can to somewhere else – it would protect their lives, their health, their families, their children, their sustenance, their economic well-being and their futures. And, that is the truth. No matter what else happens now – they are facing the next twenty years of their lives raggedly stressed running through lawsuits that won’t hardly pay enough to be worth it – too late to matter and in the meantime, their communities will be decimated around them and their health affected until every single relationship is damaged by it. And, if you don’t believe me – look up the interview with the fisherman from Alaska that spoke to CNN on the video available on their website. It is already so.
Mapecos - US toxic release map - Now the entire Gulf of Mexico can be colored purple as a toxic petroleum waste dump and superfund site
And the local tourist businesses can join with their states’ hospitality industry association and tourism bureaus and chambers of commerce producing ads to entice the public across the world and throughout the US to ignore what is happening with crude oil spilling across massive square miles of the Gulf of Mexico till hell freezes over and it will fool some of the people for awhile. But, it won’t stop the oil from coming and it won’t solve the problems of those businesses dependent on tourism and eventually, it settles nothing for the people who rely on those businesses to be profitable and healthy. Maybe the ideas for the tourism industry that I posted a couple weeks ago were not very appreciated, but I wasn’t being facetious. Either provide reality a place in the tourism as reality is now – or leave and take those business skills where they can do some good in a place not fraught with health hazards, dangers and sure destruction of the business before it costs any more than it has already.
Having been poor and without economic opportunities for a long time, I can say this about it. If I had accepted at the beginning that this is how it would be – I would’ve taken all the money I could get my hands on and found another country to live in starting thirty years ago – or found a place with a friendlier environment where there was some appreciation for me, my talents, my knowledge and my skill sets. But, I didn’t accept it and despite many years of fight to do something better for myself, for my children and for my life – the results were not one bit different than they would’ve been if I had done absolutely nothing. – well, except that I would’ve had more money to work with if I had done absolutely nothing at all, having used the little I had every day over many years to continue trying to invest in knowledge and skills and job searches and trying to start small businesses and building prototypes of designs and creating solutions and countless other things of a similar nature that were apparently a waste of time, efforts, money and resources.
And, if I don’t believe that for a minute, my family and children explain it to me again – there has been no success in it, no money, no profits, no opportunities, no chance of success and no real possibilities of anything working – but I didn’t want to believe it.
– cricketdiane, 06-03-10
DEA agents wearing Level B hazmat suits.
Now, I’m saying it again. The reality of the situation in the Gulf of Mexico is not going to go away. Tourists coming to Dauphin Island or Grande Isle would have to be issued hazmat attire and the beaches are closed anyway – and the residents and businesses don’t have any other source of revenue. This isn’t rocket science. This event factually – historically – accurately reflected by facts – goes on for years and years and years – over twenty years ahead of us right now. Do what you want – I’d get over to a better place before the economic and financial conditions become where you can’t.
Been there – done that.
And, no amount of ads are going to fix this.
airpod
Isn’t that just the cutest thing you’ve ever seen – I’ve got to get me one of those and an aptera in every color. It is just too nifty.
Lookout Kroger – here I come.
Its already bring your own air around here – walking to the store a mile away or to the post office two miles from here – is like a walk in a diesel machine bay where mechanics have been idling the engines for hours without ventilation.
mdi-air-car-uncovered
very nifty – maybe not in green though – it would be nifty in a candy apple red or neon yellow with zebra stripes – just for good measure.
Terrafugia-Transition - probably not electric but very nifty anyway
Definitely has potential –
***
china_life_insurance_03
Isn’t that pretty – we’re not doing that in the US – we’re busy fighting crappy oil in the Gulf of Mexico and crappy air across America and struggling to pay for superfund chemical hazard sites to be cleaned up which takes twenty-five years and more for some other reason than what I can make any sense of –
articulated-robot
Maybe put scoops on the boots and clean the oil up from the beaches so they don’t need bathrooms and time out of the fumes – I don’t know how they are going to do in sunshine though and salty air with petroleum in it. If the sun doesn’t fry the circuits, the salty air and petroleum fumes might melt the wire casings and connectors.
But, it is a thought.
aptera-7-typ-1-e
I still like this one – I think this is the model that is all electric but I’m not sure without running around and looking up the exact model. But it is nifty and I definitely need several of them in different colors. I wish it was available for me to buy and use where I live. And, no – I don’t know how many miles per gallon it is rated for either. I don’t think it uses gasoline, thankfully.
– cricketdiane
***
ws4ab wind turbine generating electricity for homes and businesses
ws2b - wind turbine generating electricity - large structure
But here is one that is even niftier –
roof-turbine-470b-0709
This one – if I chose the right one, has an internal cowling with permanent magnets and then each blade has a magnet on the end. As the wind passes through the blades, the interaction between the magnets create electricity. It is something like that – I’ll have to look it up – but I do have another picture.
honeywell-turbine-470-1109
And this –
The Air Car
We seem to have gone backwards from there for some reason – there used to be steam engine cars, air cars, electric cars and even Tesla supposedly grabbed up a bunch of vacuum tubes and whatnots from his lab and managed to run a Packard without gasoline. But, no – we want to fill our cars with gasoline and diesel fuels or we don’t want ’em.
– cricketdiane
***
I was looking up specialty fabrics and found this – which is just too nifty to be passed by – so here it is –
Philips Lumalive is a technology that integrates LEDs into fabrics. This means glowing T-shirts. The technology can be used for promotional purposes at trade shows. For decades, researchers have been fascinated by the possibilities that might arise by exploring the fusion of electronics and fabrics. Within Philips, experiments were carried out on dynamic light and color generation from fabrics, and on weaving printed circuit boards into fabrics. Lumalive integrates a flexible array of miniature light-emitting diodes into clothing, which allows the cloth to display graphics, text, and animation.
This inspired a small team to assemble LEDs on shirts and to demonstrate this colorful medium at the 2006 IFA in Berlin. The result was extremely popular on Youtube, with millions of viewings. Not surprisingly, this attracted the attention of entrepreneurial management in Philips, which initiated and funded the set up of a new business unit. This business unit was tasked with investigating the commercial and technological options, offered by luminating fabrics and to prepare a future business around this idea. Philips Lumalive opened for business on 1st July 2007 and quickly achieved its first commercial success. The first customer and partner was Boost Products, who have successfully deployed Lumalive Event Gear in numerous events around the globe.
Lumalive Event Gear features the striking effect of colorful dynamic light, seamlessly integrated in the clothing of the hosts. Combined with the active role of the hosts in delivering the message, Lumalive Event Gear provides the ultimate flexibility in messaging, timing and location.
Philips Lumalive is a business unit within Royal Philips Electronics.
Well, I was actually looking at this category on wikipedia here – when I found it and then there are also categories of architectural fabrics also and geotextiles which are very nifty
But this (below) which I’ve had in my files actually caught my attention that took me to check the above sites as I was thinking about it – and somebody will probably be pissed that I put here – but this is a national emergency and an international incident after all – so let’s hope they don’t shoot me –
silicon-nanotubes-image-01
***
And, this is so great – but we won’t get to have it in the United States either.
SENSEable_5_270x202
SENSEable_3_610x403
SENSEable_1_610x431
***
Lumalive at Lumiere
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Sky Arts, in collaboration with Artichoke event agency, commissioned Lumalive to transform Durham’s historic landmarks and city streets, into a breathtaking nocturnal landscape of art during Lumiere. More then 40 stewards on the ground were wearing Lumalive and interacting with the audience. Lumiere, a festival of light, which took place from the 12th-15th November 2009, presented light-specific installations, new commissions and performances created by international and UK artists and performers. 75,000 people visited Lumiere (Durham city area itself has a population of 42,100) and the Observer (a national British broadsheet) called it “…the biggest [light] show England has known…”
nov 18, 2009
Sky Arts, in collaboration with Artichoke event agency, commissioned Lumalive to transform Durham’s historic landmarks and city streets, into a breathtaking nocturnal landscape of art during Lumiere festival.
***
And what are we doing? We’re up to our elbows in petroleum throughout the Gulf of Mexico we’re fighting and up to our ears in bankruptcies and foreclosures with unemployment and a few extremely wealthy people living very, very fine while everybody else and every other place in America suffers budget cuts to their basic educational resources and state’s treasuries.
Hmm….
Yes, it obviously does hurt people when the business and financial interests were operating without any checks and balances. And, it has hurt people damaging entire communities and broad sectors of our society.
– cricketdiane
***
An ad for an attorney or business debt company is right now advertising on the cable news and they stated that 40,000 businesses close their doors every month. Yeah – that Republican trickled down economic program sure did do something that we’re going to live with for a long, long, long time. Even old businesses that took 50, 75 or even a hundred years to build – were totally and completely brought to disaster. And it isn’t over yet.
Apparently we had an economic war and lost – but I think, looking around now that who we lost to – isn’t another nation – it is the wizards of Wall Street that found a way to steal from all of us. It looks like they have all the money and where the money used to be – it isn’t there anymore. If China hadn’t bailed us out – we would’ve had a depression like no other – including the last one that was manufactured by Republican policies of unregulated speculation and extreme legal leverage ratios. Same thing that brought our economy down to shit this time, too. It is obscene because I know damn good and well they studied what happened the last time they did it.
– cricketdiane
***
The Honeywell Wind Turbine from WindTronics measures just 6 feet (182 cm) in diameter and weighs 170 lbs (77kg) providing 18 % of an average household’s (DOE) energy needs.
The Honeywell Wind Turbine’s Blade Tip Power System (BTPS) replaces the traditional gear box, shaft and generator of current wind turbine technology. The Honeywell Wind Turbine’s gearless Blade Tip Power System creates a “free wheeling’’ turbine, generating energy from the blade tips (where the speed lies) rather than through a mechanical center gear. By practically eliminating mechanical resistance and drag, the Honeywell Wind Turbine creates significant energy (2752 kWh/yr in class 4 winds at 33′) operating in a greater range of wind speeds (2-42 mph/3-68 km/h) than traditional wind turbines. The highest output, lowest cost per kWh installed turbine ever made (in class and size). So powerful, so simple.
You know there was a house out in West Georgia that was built probably forty years ago which included a fully self-sustaining energy / power system with passive heating and cooling simply by running the air from an outside vent through a pipe underground and then into the house. It had a waterwheel producing electricity from a creek simply by dropping the elevation of the creek at an extreme angle in one point along its natural course. It had solar water heating, solar panels for some electricity production and the home a number of features that would have seemed to make it stick out from all the other homes – yet it didn’t. It had the same brick facade on the other side of a small fishing lake and aside from a few things people told me and that I found in books about it – no one would’ve even known that it was fully self-sustained for its energy needs. I’ve forgotten the kind of little windmill system it used – but I do know this, that to have forty years of not paying any light bills, gas bills, heating and electricity bills and maybe even selling some of their electricity back to the grid – they had more disposable income than I did.
– cricketdiane
***
One more quick thing – before I start another post or go do something else – You know back when hurricane Katrina was a category five hurricane and during some of the others that were threatening to come ashore in places also – many people, including me – suggested that – why didn’t they just seed the clouds and drop some of the power out of it before landfall. Maybe people don’t remember – but the many scientists and weather folks from NOAA and government experts at the time said, no – no – no – we wouldn’t want to do that because it could change the weather in other places and something about it being illegal, immoral, unethical, against federal regulations to do that and against international agreements that the US doesn’t do that and I don’t even know what all – that their ideas of science said explained why we don’t do that and can’t do that and won’t do that and how it wasn’t a good idea or a practical one to alter the weather like that. Okay, so over the next year or so as I was researching – there was something I found about how there are common cloud seeding practices going on in our country the whole time, all the time – in fact every time they want rain or snow in some places – here is the map I found:
cloud seeding_map_t180
from the Desert Research Institute
The authority has been involved in the institute’s cloud-seeding program for years — but not in Nevada. It has paid the research institute $121,000 over the past three years to conduct cloud-seeding research and spur precipitation in the mountains between Denver and Grand Junction, Colo. The bill went to the authority’s Enterprise Fund, which gets most of its money from wholesale delivery charges to municipal water agencies.
Because 90 percent of Las Vegas’ drinking water comes from the Colorado River, and because snowmelt from the upper basin has dropped amid the drought, paying for cloud seeding there made sense. In that case, the authority was effectively trying to create its own water.
Cloud seeding means adding chemicals to clouds to induce or increase precipitation. In Nevada that most often involves pumping silver iodide particles into clouds from a remote controlled mountaintop station when the right cloud patterns are present. The silver iodide changes the composition of ultracold water in the clouds, turning the liquid into snow or ice, which then falls to the ground.
Desert Research Institute has 23 cloud-seeding stations in Nevada and six in the Sierra Nevada range along the California-Nevada border. They create about 65,000 acre-feet of precipitation each year in Nevada, mostly in the form of snow, according to institute data.
The institute is a world leader in cloud-seeding research and technology dating to the 1970s. The program developed remote-controlled mountaintop cloud seeding stations used today in Nevada and around the world.
The seeding program increases snowpack by 2 percent to 10 percent, the higher percentages coming in drought years, according to the institute’s figures. When that snowpack melts, some of it recharges the aquifers in the valleys below.
Desert Research Institute Tom Swafford, left, and Bryan Loss dismantle cloud-seeding equipment at Alpine Meadows outside Truckee, Calif. Such dismantling efforts are on hold as the Desert Research Institute, which has operated the cloud-seeding program for years, works with Washoe County to find funding and resuscitate the program. Cloud seeding for snow - Nevada and to spur precipitation in the mountains between Denver and Grand Junction, Colo.
My Note –
See – they’ve been doing that for years to create snow for skiers inadvertently and it just so happens to create that snowfall where a lot of very pricey places host a bunch of very wealthy folks and their families’ ski vacations and then when the snow melts it is supposed to provide water downstream of those mountains. And, they’ve been doing it for years.
But, it can’t be used to drop a hurricane’s strength from a category 5 to a category 3 (or 2 or let the water drop in the ocean instead of flooding everywhere else? or I don’t know – but apparently it is okay to do it for making snow that just happens to provide for skiers vacationing, including legislators and the few rich people in the nation?
I’m just saying – there’s some pretty strange ideas of what is alright and what isn’t. And, it didn’t matter to anybody how that may have affected the weather patterns in other places – causing droughts or more severe storms or tornadoes or flooding or whatever else may have happened as a result. And, they’ve been doing it for years – long before this 2009 article talks about it losing a certain amount of its funding. Beats all I’ve ever seen.
And, with hurricane Katrina and Rita and Ivan and Ike and Igor and the rest of them – Frances and Opal and – good grief at the damage that didn’t have to happen and the deaths that were preventable and the New Orleans levees failing and the storm surges that could’ve been mitigated. Damn.
And if it wasn’t okay for that – then what are they doing seeding clouds to make snow for any program that doesn’t work within nor fit with some overall plan and understanding of how it all fits together with everywhere else in the country?
Just a thought – saw it in my file and remembered – and maybe a storm this time could be considered an event for seeding – but the oil is still going to come in anyway, I suppose. I just wish they would bring more things to bear on this capping the well, containment and protection of the coasts – and the cleanup and spill mitigation – than the least of what basic mechanical engineering has to offer. It is ridiculous.
– cricketdiane
***
The same article above describes this too
The water authority’s entrance into the discussion, though, has changed the dialogue. The agency wants to pump tens of thousands of acre-feet of water each year from rural Nevada basins. Most rural Nevadans, including many in areas that depend on cloud seeding, oppose that prospect.
The Bureau of Land Management is expecting to complete its draft environmental impact statement on the pipeline in early 2010, but construction isn’t likely to begin for several years.
The project faces mounting opposition from ranchers, farmers, environmentalists, American Indians and national parks enthusiasts who say it will suck dry some of the most beautiful country in the state and ruin the lives of local residents.
The authority has acquired water rights in four of the five basins from which it wants water. In Spring Valley, it had to purchase and operate large ranches to get the water it wanted. And it has made deals with Lincoln County to exchange 3,000 acre-feet of water each year for support for its water rights applications there. The agency recently agreed, as part of a water basin agreement between Nevada and Utah, to wait 10 years before pursuing the water rights it applied for in a final basin, Snake Valley.
Pipeline opponents see the cloud-seeding proposition as yet another way the water authority is trying to manipulate rural Nevadans into supporting the pipeline. For them and other pipeline foes, it serves as another “ah ha” moment.
“It appears that the SNWA is acknowledging that there just isn’t enough water in the basins they have targeted, at least if they are going to avoid widespread defoliation and environmental destruction,” said Launce Rake, spokesman for the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada.
Another Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior disaster in progress. Where did they get the people in the Bureau of Land Management – from the bowels of hell somewhere serving the wrong master or what? Can they not see the problems with the environment that they are creating with all these things? Doesn’t anybody have anything to say that these people can hear that aren’t dressed in $3,000 suits and a Rolex? Maybe they are part of the problems that have been increasing the desertification in the US across the last thirty years. They’ve been doing it since the 1970’s from what the article says. I’m sure its only one possible contributing factor – however, why didn’t that bunch doing that several times a month cloud seeding in those mountains have to answer to a bigger picture meteorological government group of any kind? How is it that any state can just do that to suit themselves without any overall consideration for the impacts it would have elsewhere?
And this below – which is another bunch of junk by the Bureau of Land Management and the Minerals Management Service agency that is a part of them –
NEW ORLEANS – Central Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Lease Sale 213, …Minerals Management Service (MMS) announced the release of the Gulf of Mexico Oil and … http://www.gomr.mms.gov/ – Cached – Similar
May 21, 2010 … The MMS is working with the U.S. Coast Guard and the operator of the … BP’s Gulf of Mexico Regional Oil Spill Response Plan ( 62 KB PDF) … www.mms.gov/offshore/ – Cached – Similar
(and this – )
About Centralia, Pennsylvania and the fire that won’t go out underground –
Since the dead of winter is the “best” time to visit Centralia, I thought now a good point to post a review. Some perhaps are already familiar with it due to Bill Bryson’s evocative description of the abandoned hamlet in “A Walk in The Woods”, some perhaps have heard of it as it was an inspiration for an awful excuse for a horror movie, “Silent Hill”…
The ghosts that haunt this town are naught but billows of smoke & steam issuing forth from the earth, wispy evidence of the fire that rages underneath the surface in the veins of anthracite coal that have made many a Pennsylvania borough prosperous. Tragically, the same coal that made Centralia a conservatively booming mining town became its downfall due to this inextinguishable fire which crept its way into the deposits after a unsuccessful attempt at putting out a fire in the town dump back in ’60s. It shows no sign of stopping, decades after it’s start, and the danger involved has chased away all but a handful of people who refuse to leave ye ole homestead.
Why visit? Well, it’s truly an experience to be surrounded by shrouds of smoke (much more visible in the bracing air of winter, hence my posting now)…to have your olfactory senses assaulted by an acrid sulphurous smell, gawk at the spidery cracks in the asphalted roads leading up to the town…press your bare hand to the hardened soil and feel the almost nauseating warmth…and look from a distance upon the fortified houses that still stand.
I honestly haven’t a clue if it bothers those few souls who remain, seeing curious people scrambling all over their once-happy town…so I try to keep a distance from the houses and be as inconspicuous as possible. You can judge from this review and the others here if a stop would be worth your while but for me, the very palpable and ineffable feeling that hangs heavy as I extend my fingers in wonder into a furl of smoke is enough to bring me back on occasion, especially if I’m passing through.
Familiar with the “Silent Hill” video game? Consider visiting Centralia. After all, it’s pure desolation, the remnants of infrastructure in coal country: house-less driveways complete with mailboxes, lonely fire hydrants, and smoke swirling about graveyards.
Beer bottles and discarded condoms are proof folks still stop by, but it’s dangerous. Feel that warmth? That’s the town’s famous mine fire, practically the fires of Hell, that has been burning for years. (It’s supposed to stop burning in about 250 years.)
Pondering how easy I could’ve died here – it’s an easy feat to fall through the unstable earth or inhale toxic fumes – I’m lucky I didn’t, and I have no plans to return anytime soon.
***
And today and yesterday – as I’ve watched the Toxic America show on CNN – I look at Elizabeth Whelan who says there are no dangerous chemicals and yesterday’s who done it of the chemical industry representatives from Lake something or nother saying there wasn’t any chemicals from their plants making people sick and the Vinyl trade association saying there is no danger – these three people should be put in a room filled with benzene and then let us know if they find any illness from it once they have spent two days in there. Especially Ms. Whelan who sets public policy – and believes and speaks for all chemicals not having any dangers despite whatever science may say about it.
As I watched Elizabeth Whelan who looks like a bizarre twelve year old female child stuck on an old woman’s body and watched the Mr. Larry DeRoussel of the Lake Area Industry Alliance with his flat expressionless poker face death mask and I’ve thought it isn’t fair that when they showed us pictures of what the devil looked like and his legions of demons – that nobody said they would look like those two people or any of the countless others like them who facilitate industries making people’s lives a living hell and destroying their communities and creating horrible suffering and premature deaths for tens of thousands of people.
And, those people including Whelan, DeRoussel and the people at the Minerals Management Service and Chemical Industries and Petroleum Industries and their lobbyists have been intentionally refocusing attention on some things of far less danger than the dioxins and other chemical cancers on mankind that are now – directly because of them – in lethal combinations and lethal concentrations damn near everywhere in the United States. There is no county untouched by it, no place safe from it and no chemistry work being done figuring out how to fix it – because they and others like them have been standing in the way of defining it as a problem in the first place.
And, I thought about some of the superfund cleanup sites that I’ve seen and read about – including the sodium reactor facility that had a meltdown near where my family almost bought a house in California – the facility is called the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (or facility) – it housed a sodium reactor and other experimental nuclear goodies. The state of California didn’t want to deal with further cleanup and decided to make it into a glow-in-the-dark tourist spot for day hikers, picnickers and provide walking trails over the contaminated landscape and near the continuing superfund qualified toxic dump site with hazardous materials, soils, contaminated water – and other nasty things.
Oct 13, 2009 …Facility Areas and Communities around Santa Susana Field Laboratory. Figure 2. Area II rocket test stands and surrounding terrain. … www.atsdr.cdc.gov/hac/pha/pha.asp?docid=78&pg=0
A nuclear energy R&D facility owned by the Department of Energy, and operated by Rocketdyne/Boeing, involved in applying nuclear technologies related to … ludb.clui.org/ex/i/CA4970/
These are two of the places that I noticed on the Deepwater Horizon response incident sites – and the BP page about the oil spill has a place on the right hand side of the page for suggestions also.
Please do send it along to them. I’m sure there are other contact points too. For businesses that are interested in offering business prepared, business-oriented solutions (in a business already – but I’m not sure if that’s completely necessary) – the main people deciding much of what is being used and available are these folks not found at any of the above sites for suggestions – but they are looking for subcontractors and new products should probably go to them to be considered. That group is the Marine Spill Response Corporation (MSRC) – I’m unsure there exact process for proposals and other businesses to be added to what they have available to bring to bear on the spill and the containment, the protection systems to keep oil out of areas and the cleanup – but I am sure they have some way to accept proposals and add other businesses beyond those they’ve already screened before the event.
Good luck – I also know states, local parishes and counties along the coast, cities, associations such as those for fishermen and tourism, small towns and other coastal associations are also looking for solutions they can bring to bear on the situation. But, the Marine Spill Response Corporation is the best chance for a business to be included or for a novel product which has a business model to promote it.
Thanks so much for your comment –
As I said, good luck with it and I mean that honestly –
– cricketdiane
(response to a comment on my blog about where to go to offer solutions, suggestions – and I include products that could help solve the problems caused by the spill in the Gulf of Mexico)
***
From this page in the Marine Spill Response Corporation Site –
MSRC was formed in 1990 to offer spill response services and mitigate damage to the environment. These services are available to organizations, including those involved in the handling and transport of oil and other substances. The capabilities of MSRC are also intended to help members of the Marine Preservation Association (MPA) satisfy their facility and vessel response planning requirements mandated by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA-90). OPA-90 requires that those who transport petroleum and petroleum products in U.S. coastal waters ensure by contract the resources necessary to respond to a “worst case discharge” to the “maximum extent practicable.”
MSRC offers response capability intended to help satisfy the following response planning requirements:
Worst Case Discharge;
Maximum Most Probable Discharge;
Average Most Probable Discharge (as arranged, if requested);
Shallow Water Response Capability; and
Shoreline Protection and Cleanup;
MSRC offers these services in the “Oceans”, “Inland”, and “Rivers and Canals” operating environments on the U.S. East, Gulf and West coasts, the U.S. Caribbean and the Hawaiian Islands. Today’s MSRC also offers in situ burn and dispersants services as well as international and hazardous materials spill response on a case by case basis. In 1999, MSRC added services in response to non-spill emergencies, such as hurricanes, floods, fires, and other disasters.
To provide these services, MSRC relies on its extensive inventory of owned response equipment. This equipment is dedicated to spill response, and is stored and maintained at MSRC’s equipment pre-position sites across the US. MSRC’s capabilities are augmented by a network of over 100 participants in the Spill Team Area Responders (“STARs”) program, an affiliation of environmental response contractors located at over 200 locations throughout the country.
In addition to the need for “hard” response equipment, an effective spill response effort is successful only when proper attention is directed to the human element of spill response. This “softer” side of response capability includes personnel training, subcontractor training, communications, and equipment maintenance and repair programs. MSRC tests all aspects of response through an internal Quality Assurance program incorporating MSRC funded drills and inspections.
What it means is that those aligned with this group get to participate in the oil spill cleanup before any and all local resources are used. They also serve as a clearinghouse for the products used and those that are neglected and excluded from the available assets.
Note:
The Eastern and Southern regions of MSRC have merged into one known as the Atlantic/Gulf Region. The regional office is located in Houston, Texas. The information in MSRC’s website does not reflect this change due to other website development. For additional information, please contact Judith Roos at roos@msrc.org or (703) 326-5617.
This is under the tab or link on the left side bar for
MSRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to diversity in our workforce. It is not our policy to retain the resumes and/or applications we receive. Therefore, we encourage you to apply separately for every vacancy in which you are interested. To apply for a position below, click on its corresponding button.
Marine Operations
The Marine Operations Division is accepting applications for the following positions on our Oil Spill Response Vessels:
* Chief Engineer, W.C. Park Responder, DDE 4000 HP or higher and STCW 95
* Chief Engineer, Delaware Responder, DDE 4000 HP or higher and STCW 95
* Mate, Hawaii Responder, 500 Ton Oceans or higher, STCW95, ARPA and GMDSS
* Mate, Mississippi Responder, 500 Tons Oceans or higher, STCW 95, ARPA and GMDSS
* Able Bodied Seaman, New Jersey Responder, AB Special or higher and STCW 95
* Able Bodied Seaman, Oregon Responder, AB Special or higher and STCW 95
* Able Bodied Seaman, Virginia Responder, AB Special or higher and STCW95
* Able Bodied Seaman, Gulf Coast Responder, AB Special or higher and STCW95
* Able Bodied Seaman, Texas Responder, AB Special or higher and STCW 95
* Assistant Engineer, Pacific Responder, DDE 4000 HP or higher and STCW 95 or Oiler/QMED-MMD or MMC with Oiler/QMED endorsement and STCW 95
If you are interested in applying for one of these position(s), please click on the appropriate button below to download the documents and fax the completed documents confidentially to (703) 880-7495 or email to
Position: Responder Site Location:Belle Chasse, LA Date Posted: March 9, 2010
Apply
The Operational Responder is the entry-level position among the MSRC Responder positions. The Operational Responder specializes in all phases of oil spill response equipment operation, preventive maintenance, basic corrective maintenance, deployment, retrieval, cleaning, and storage. This position uses basic hand tools, portable power tools, cranes, material handling equipment, and possesses basic computer skills in the accomplishment of routine tasks. Basic seamanship skills include line handling, rigging, small boat operations including anchoring and mooring, are an essential part of daily activities. Responders routinely work as members of an integrated team.
Position: CGA Responder Site Location:Lake Charles, LA Date Posted: November 30, 2009
Apply
The CGA Responder is a non-exempt position for Clean Gulf Association. This position possesses significant experience with oil spill response equipment, operations in the marine environment under a variety of weather and visibility conditions, advanced training and significant experience in oil spill response operations, drills, and exercises. Operational Responders have the ability to supervise operations of significant scope and/or complexity. Operational Responders also demonstrate excellent administrative and management skills, the ability to design and execute drills, exercises, and formal training courses, detailed knowledge of Logistics and Maintenance procedures, and the ability to assume increased responsibility in the management of day to day activities as well as during spill response operations.
Position: Responder Site Location: Perth Amboy, NJ Date Posted: March 20, 2010
Apply
The MSRC Responder specializes in all phases of oil spill response equipment operation, preventive maintenance, deployment, retrieval, cleaning, and storage.
Position requirements include seamanship skills – line handling, rigging and small boat operations including anchoring and mooring. Effective problem solving, communications and computer skills required. Additionally, a high school diploma or equivalent, valid drivers license and willingness to maintain a readiness position in accordance with MSRC’s policies as well as be available to travel required. Preferred skills include 100 Ton USCG Master, experience in responding to emergencies, oil spill experience and a mechanical aptitude.
MSRC will provide training, excellent benefit package, retirement plan, competitive salary, and exciting work in return.
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There are currently no job postings for this region.
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Corporate Group
Position:Dispersant Operations Manager Site Location: Houston, TX Date Posted: April 6, 2010
Apply
The Dispersant Operations Manager is responsible for operational, technical, and financial oversight of the MSRC dispersant program.
Essential elements of the position include:
Understanding and familiarization of all aspects of dispersant operations;
Knowledge of aerial dispersant providers, (which will include a basic understanding of applicable FAA requirements);
Understanding and familiarization of MSRC customer relationships and requirements as they pertain to dispersants. A collegial working relationship with MSRC’s customers and other industry stakeholders while working within the MSRC system is essential;
Participation on-scene and/or in a Command Post setting for all actual responses and exercises;
Familiarity with Federal and State requirements regarding dispersant; Working knowledge of 8/31/09 USCG Dispersant regulations. Assist MSRC in transition to meet these requirements, as appropriate;
Oversight and management of the MSRC dispersant budget in accordance with objectives jointly developed with the MSRC Program Manager;
Development and management of other dispersant related items as directed by MSRC’s Program Manager.
This position requires a Bachelor’s degree and at least 8 years of experience in environmental protection or industrial hygiene in industry or government positions.
The range of responsibilities of this position demands proven leadership and interpersonal skills. The successful candidate will be a recognized team player willing and capable of working issues in a positive, uniform manner. Familiarity with regulatory agencies associated with the inspection and application of dispersants is highly desired. Demonstrated ability to positively represent MSRC with the public, maritime and response industry, and other appropriate Federal, State and municipal agencies is also required.
This position will require on-call availability and immediate travel, as necessary.
Position: Marine Engineer Site Location: Herndon, VA Date Posted: July 29, 2009
Apply
The Marine Engineer, working closely with the Manager, Marine Engineering Services, is responsible for the drydocking, Underwater Inspection in Lieu of Drydocking (UWILD) programs, providing internal and external engineering services, coordinating the preventive maintenance program and performing related duties as assigned.
This position requires a Bachelor’s degree in marine engineering or equivalent. A Master’s degree in marine related discipline such as naval architecture or engineering is preferred. This position also requires at least 5 – 8 years of related work experience as a port engineer. A Professional Engineer (P.E.) credential is desired. A detailed knowledge of the design, construction and operations of vessels is required. Strong interpersonal, estimating, and negotiating skills are required.
This position will be located in Herndon, VA with a heavy travel schedule of up to 50% with some periods of 3 or 4 consecutive weeks. Must be available to respond 24 hours a day, 365 days a year anywhere.
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There are currently no job postings for this region.
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Pacific Northwest Region
Position: Responder Site Location:Honolulu, HI Date Posted: December 14, 2009
Apply
The MSRC Responder specializes in all phases of oil spill response equipment operation, preventive maintenance, deployment, retrieval, cleaning, and storage.
Position requirements include seamanship skills – line handling, rigging and small boat operations including anchoring and mooring. Effective problem solving, communications and computer skills required. Additionally, a high school diploma or equivalent, valid drivers license and willingness to maintain a readiness position in accordance with MSRC’s policies as well as be available to travel required. Preferred skills include 100 Ton USCG Master, experience in responding to emergencies, oil spill experience and a mechanical aptitude.
MSRC will provide training, excellent benefit package, retirement plan, competitive salary, and exciting work in return.
California Region
Position: Responder Site Location:Richmond, CA Date Posted: February 10, 2010
Apply
The MSRC Responder specializes in all phases of oil spill response equipment operation, preventive maintenance, deployment, retrieval, cleaning, and storage.
Position requirements include seamanship skills – line handling, rigging and small boat operations including anchoring and mooring. Effective problem solving, communications and computer skills required. Additionally, a high school diploma or equivalent, valid drivers license and willingness to maintain a readiness position in accordance with MSRC’s policies as well as be available to travel required. Preferred skills include 100 Ton USCG Master, experience in responding to emergencies, oil spill experience and a mechanical aptitude.
MSRC will provide training, excellent benefit package, retirement plan, competitive salary, and exciting work in return.
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Currently there are no positions available. Please check back soon.
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This page was last updated: 6/2/2010 10:23:08 AM
(from their career opportunities page at the Marine Spill Response Corporation who is handling all of the oil spill operations in the Gulf of Mexico besides the Louisiana National Guard.)
I think that BP and their incident response commander, Mike Ulster – you can see that on their website at BP – and the BP attorneys are demanding that all the spill coordination and response go through the Marine Spill Response Corporation because they claim as a result of it being on the original MMS documents for satisfying the plan for a response legally. Now, it looks like that has become the bottleneck organization who is handling all of it badly or it can’t be done whatsoever. They are backed by the oil industry members as seen above at this site – listed as their backers –
In every practical sense, if the Marine Spill Response Corporation does a bad job, and ineffective job or a poor job, they get paid anyway – but it also means that any products to be used or available for use – must go through them and every subcontractor from those who put together the first “top hat” upside down funnel system to the one they are using now – and any boats, workers, cleanup crews, continuing use of the same flimsy booms that aren’t worth a damn – is going through them and directly from them or not at all.
BP and their army of attorneys and executives and incident command group are apparently – just from what I can see – both running interference for that process through the Marine Spill Response Corporation to be used and also insisting on it being the legal representative for coordinating the response and products, etc. brought to bear on it. That has been 90% of the problem from just what I can see from here and the paperwork filed with the MMS as a oil spill incident plan is being used to demand legally that they do it this way and continue to have it done this way.
That is wrong.
This method was evidently not prepared for a spill of this magnitude. They have no vested interest in the well-being of the Gulf of Mexico, the coastal cities nor of the United States. That is not how they were set up. They were set up to satisfy the minimum legal requirements being placed on the oil industry and oil shippers and others in the oil companion businesses. They had a minimum plan as the fine print of the laws and regulations allowed. And, when better products or methods were available – they had no incentive to include them – not only in the US but elsewhere and in other incidents where they are called to be the only resource for emergency response.
– cricketdiane
***
I just have to add this here – it is so nifty – we don’t even need damn BP –
Aptera - Aptera unveiled the design-intent 2e on April 14. (All electric vehicle design)
MPA was established independent of MSRC to oversee broad policy issues affecting its members’ industries generally, including funding objectives for spill response capabilities and the mechanisms by which the MPA membership will share in the cost of such funding. MSRC provides independent spill response resources and capability based on the funding received from MPA. While the two organizations operate independently, well established communication is on-going between the two entities. Members of MPA deal directly with MPA with respect to overall membership and funding issues and, as customers of MSRC, deal directly with MSRC regarding all operational and technical aspects associated with spill response.
Further information on membership in MPA can be obtained by contacting:
Judith Roos, Vice President Marketing, Customer Services & Corporate Relations
Marine Spill Response Corporation
220 Spring Street – Suite 500
Herndon, Virginia 20170
Phone: (703) 326-5617
Fax: (703) 326-5660
Brett Drewry, President & Chief Executive Officer
Marine Preservation Association
8777 N. Gainey Center Drive, Suite 165
Scottsdale, AZ 85258Phone: (480) 991-5500
Fax: (480) 991-6085
Representative Markey just now on AC360 – (CNN) was explaining that BP will be fined based on the barrels released in the spill. Well, that certainly explains why they’ve been fudging the numbers at every turn and doing all they can do to hinder the precise measurements of those amounts of crude oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico.
So, attorneys are running their decisions and actions – and public relations firms along with those attorneys are running what they allow people to see or bar them from seeing.
And the Marine Spill Response Corporation with its Marine Preservation Association who runs it is determining every solution and product and contractor and asset and vessel and subcontractor and operation that is occurring or absolutely prevented from participating in the oil spill containment, the oil well capping, the dispersants and dispersant choice along with delivery of dispersants by air and undersea at the well, the containment booms in use and their placement, cleanup crews, boats being used or denied access, and every thing else – including putting people out there with their heads over the petroleum crude oil in the grasses of the marsh cleaning it blade by blade with “paper towels” without breathing protection whatsoever.
And, they are the ones denying access to a multitude of solutions, contractors with solutions, options, products, products that might work, denying provisions of protective breathing gear and chemical splash protection goggles to subcontractors they’ve hired – and they are also the ones – (at the Marine Spill Response Corporation and Marine Preservation Association filled with oil company members running it) – that aren’t paying the fishermen and charter boats that have gone out to help for over the last fifteen days of holding up those payments and are the same ones not using local resources until after all of their list of contractors have been given work for those BP funds that are being spent.
Hmm…
– cricketdiane
***
Contact them at the Marine Preservation Association – but better yet, I think it would be worth finding where they are getting their power at the Minerals Management Service and who is running interference for them there –
by the way – on the Marine Spill Response Corporation site – there are a few places to contact them but they are few and far between and hard to find – but they must have a command center operating somewhere that is interacting with their contractors and the MMS. So, I’m going to go find them on MMS and see if their paperwork is listed there somewhere – and I bet it is. But, it may be hard to find. I’ll go see.
So I’ve gone here to the Minerals Management Site and using their search engine on site – I put in these terms –
OPA 90 Deepwater Horizon
(from the part of the Oil Pollution Act – section 90 which requires legally that a plan be made that satisfies specific requirements as found on the MPAZ site – under the MSRC tab – “Because of that, membership in MPA satisfies many of the obligations for an oil spill response plan, as mandate by OPA 90.”)
The OilPollutionAct The OilPollutionActof1990 (OPA or OPA90) (33 U.S.C. 2701 et seq .) is … or other than a pipeline or deepwater port … stratigraphically important horizons in …
In our 90-day finding for this petition (73 FR 28080), we organized potential threats … where waters transition from saturated to unsaturated is called the saturation horizon …
… Office of National Marine Sanctuaries OPAOilPollutionAct PCB … priority management needs over a 15-year planning horizon … submersibles have established the presence of deepwater …
Aside from this one saying its security certificate was invalid –
it goes to this and one thing I noticed right off is that it is for the entire exploratory offshore drilling of new leases in the deeper waters offshore – and one statement mentions why things are like they are now -that caught my attention –
Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act
The OCSLA of 1953 (43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.), as amended, established Federal jurisdiction over submerged lands on the OCS seaward of State boundaries. The Act, as amended, provides guidelines for implementing an OCS oil and gas exploration and development program.
The basic goals of the Act include the following:
• to establish policies and procedures for managing the oil and natural gas resources of the OCS that are intended to result in expedited exploration and development of the OCS in order to achieve national economic and energy policy goals, assure national security, reduce dependence on foreign sources, and maintain a favorable balance of payments in world trade;
(etc.)
My Note –
Therefore, at some point an “expedited exploration and development of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands – OCS” was put into place. That word expedited means they intended to cut corners in preference to the interests of the oil companies and drilling companies and oil industry generally.
Okey dokey.
– cricketdiane
Let me see what else –
***
It also means that when President Obama and his team opened up the previously assigned and planned offshore leases to auction and those leases were made – then the entire operation of MMS expediting their exploration drilling kicked into high gear based on the policies they already had in place.
Hmmmm……..
Under the OCSLA, the Secretary of the Interior is responsible for the administration of mineral exploration and development of the OCS. Within the Department of the Interior, the MMS is charged with the responsibility of managing and regulating the development of OCS oil and gas resources in
accordance with the provisions of the OCSLA. The MMS operating regulations are in Chapter 30, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 250 (30 CFR 250); 30 CFR 251; and 30 CFR 254. Under Section 20 of the OCSLA, the Secretary shall “. . . conduct such additional studies to establish environmental information as he deems necessary and shall monitor the human, marine, and coastal environments of such area or region in a manner designed to provide time-series and data trend information which can be used for comparison with any previously collected data for the purpose of identifying any significant changes in the quality and productivity of such environments, for establishing trends in the area studied and monitored, and for designing experiments to identify the causes of such changes.”
Through the Environmental Studies Program (ESP), the MMS conducts studies designed to provide information on the current status of resources of concern and notable changes, if any, resulting from OCS Program activities.
In addition, the OCSLA provides a statutory foundation for coordination with the affected States and, to a more limited extent, local governments. At each step of the procedures that lead to lease issuance, participation from the affected States and other interested parties is encouraged and sought.
I’m watching an ad for the Mississippi Gulf Coast just now during the show “Toxic America” on CNN being re-broadcast right now. I’ve seen a lot of those for the different Gulf Coast areas. And, I keep thinking they need to add that you can fill up your car with the crude oil washing up on the beach and not have to pay over $3.00 a gallon for gas.
Oh well,
There was a lady on the news earlier whose child had been swimming in the Gulf waters of Alabama where now there is oil spinning around in it and oil clods of thick blobs and goops on the shore. That mother told the child to keep his mouth closed while he was swimming in it.
Nobody even told them it is dangerous to that child and to those parents for that matter. Nope, because the money is too important. And, after bringing people out to clean the sand, the oil – petroleum – hydrocarbons – crude oil and toxic dispersants that have been put in that water as well – are still going to be in that ocean water. I’m sorry they did it that way. I really am ashamed that they made those choices for oil drilling to be more important than people and to decide not to tell people the truth about what could happen.
But, now – to not tell people the truth is totally unacceptable – it is more than a shame – it is criminal to mislead people about the dangers of it. I don’t care if the EPA and NIH and OSHA is now saying there is no danger – when I or anyone can look up the considerable number of documents on their sites which say it is dangerous and anyone with any common sense – who has ever handled gasoline or any petroleum derived product knows not to sniff it, not to be exposed to it for long, not to get it on the skin or in the eyes.
The fact that these agencies are now saying it poses no danger to workers and those who would come to vacation and swim in the waters with it are something I don’t recognize as credentialed and responsible federal agencies acting with people’s health and well-being first on their list of priorities.
Their own documents and others from around the world – prove that petroleum and the COREXIT dispersants are all dangerous and cause serious health hazards with even small exposures presenting certain risks.
Would that mother mind having a child that had been blinded by those products getting in his eyes and possibly having sores irritating him from where the oil was on his feet and hands and body?
Does she mind that he was breathing fumes from it on that beach, in those winds coming from the Gulf of Mexico and might develop some asthma or breathing difficulties during their “vacation” which will prevent all of them from enjoying their vacation?
The workers who are being sent out without breathing respirators and eye protection – are being sent without it by those whose best goals are to protect us – not to protect the interests of the oil industry. Even the Marine Spill Response Corporation is legally and civilly liable for misleading those who they’ve sent out without these protections knowing that the spill contains oil, petroleum, derivatives of petroleum, toxic dispersants, crude oil, and all of the other crap that was already there in the Gulf of Mexico that it is now combining with to produce an absolute chemical stew.
Now, how is it they (over at BP and the Marine Spill Response Corporation) are hiding behind the skirts of MMS and whatever legally required hoopla they had initially filed and using it to bamboozle the very bright folks of a multitude of US federal government agencies?
Hmmm……..
– cricketdiane
***
Oh by the way – there was just an interview with Lisa Jackson who heads up the EPA on the Toxic America show with Dr. Sanjay Gupta – and she stated that she isn’t a medical doctor but rather an engineer – she probably isn’t a chemist either. Now, that does explain a lot.
****
National Environmental Policy Act
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) provides a national policy that encourages “productive and enjoyable harmony between man and his environment; to promote efforts which will prevent or eliminate damage to the environment and biosphere and stimulate the health and welfare of man . . . .”
The NEPA requires that all Federal agencies use a systematic, interdisciplinary approach to protection of the human environment; this approach will ensure the integrated use of the natural and social sciences in any planning and decisionmaking that may have an impact upon the environment.
The NEPA also requires the preparation of a detailed EIS on any major Federal action that may have a significant impact on the environment. This EIS must address any adverse environmental effects that cannot be avoided or mitigated, alternatives to the proposed action, the relationship between short-term uses and long-term productivity of the environment, and any irreversible and irretrievable commitments of resources involved in the project.
In 1979, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) established uniform guidelines for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA. These regulations (40 CFR 1500 to 1508) provide for the use of the NEPA process to identify and assess the reasonable alternatives to proposed actions that avoid or minimize adverse effects of these actions upon the quality of the human environment.
“Scoping” is used to identify the scope and significance of important environmental issues associated with a proposed Federal action through coordination with Federal, State, and local agencies; the public; and any interested individual or organization prior to the development of an impact statement. The process is also intended to identify and eliminate, from further detailed study, issues that are not significant or that have been covered by prior environmental review.
(read the identify and eliminate from further detailed study – part – their intention was exclusionary rather inclusive and comprehensive, my note) The Marine Mammal Protection Act
Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the Secretary of Commerce is responsible for all cetaceans and pinnipeds, except walruses; authority for implementing
the Act is delegated to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries (NOAA Fisheries), formerly known as the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The Secretary of the Interior is responsible for walruses, polar bears, sea otters, manatees, and dugongs; authority is delegated to the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The Act established the Marine Mammal Commission (MMC) and its Committee of Scientific Advisors on Marine Mammals to provide oversight and advice to the responsible regulatory agencies on all Federal actions bearing upon the conservation and protection of marine mammals. The MMPA established a moratorium on the taking of marine mammals in waters under U.S. jurisdiction. The MMPA defines “take” to mean “to harass, harm, shoot, wound, trap, hunt, capture, or kill, or attempt to engage in any such conduct (including actions that induce stress, adversely impact critical habitat, or result in adverse secondary or cumulative impacts).”
Harassment is the most common form of taking associated with OCS Program activities. The moratorium may be waived when the affected species or population stock is within its optimum sustainable population range and will not be disadvantaged by an authorized taking (e.g., will not be reduced below its maximum net productivity level, which is the lower limit of the optimum sustainable population range).
The Act directs that the Secretary, upon request, authorize the unintentional taking of small numbers of marine mammals incidental to activities other than commercial fishing (e.g., offshore oil and gas exploration and development) when, after notice and opportunity for public comment, the Secretary finds that the total of such taking during the 5-year (or less) period will have a negligible impact on the affected species.
The MMPA also specifies that the Secretary shall withdraw, or suspend, permission to take marine mammals incidental to oil and gas and other activities if, after notice and opportunity for public comment, the Secretary finds (1) that the applicable regulations regarding methods of taking, monitoring, or reporting are not being complied with or (2) the taking is, or may be, having more than a negligible impact on the affected species or stock.
In 1994, a subparagraph (D) was added to the MMPA to simplify the process for obtaining “small take” exemptions when unintentional taking incidental to activities such as offshore oil and gas development is by harassment only. Specifically, incidental take (IT) by harassment can now be authorized by permit for periods of up to one year (as opposed to the lengthy regulation/Letter of Authorization process that was formerly in effect). The new language also sets a 120-day time limit for processing harassment IT authorizations.
In October 1995, NOAA Fisheries issued regulations (50 CFR 228) authorizing and governing the taking of bottlenose and spotted dolphins incidental to the explosive removal of oil and gas drilling and production structures in State waters and on the Gulf OCS for a period of five years (Federal Register, 1995a).
My Note –
I think that means its okay for them to kill, explode or poison dolphins for a period of five years – incidental to oil and gas drilling and production structures in State waters and on the Gulf Outer Continental Shelf, Gulf of Mexico.
Hmmmm…………….
Now that’s just nasty and against every international law that exists and in antithesis of a multitude of other federal regulations that protect wildlife.
– cricketdiane
***
So I need to find the detailed EIS required by the NEPA – alrighty then.
But, first – I’m going to take a break for little while because this use of our federal government and its agencies is just too shitty to think about and it needs some coordinated thought reaching back to about 1991 when the thrust started for putting this in place – or maybe prior to that. Who were the legislators responsible for this mucked up crap?
Growl and growl again. That is just plain wrong.
Damn.
Damn.
And, damn.
– cricketdiane
Be back in a bit.
***
What is HSEES?
The Hazardous Substances Emergency Events Surveillance (HSEES) system was established by ATSDR to collect and analyze information about acute releases of hazardous substances and threatened releases that result in a public health action such as an evacuation. The goal of HSEES is to reduce the morbidity (injury) and mortality (death) that result from hazardous substances events, which are experienced by first responders, employees, and the general public.
What states currently participate in HSEES?
Fourteen state health departments currently have cooperative agreements with ATSDR to participate in HSEES: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.
The ATSDR ToxFAQs™ is a series of summaries about hazardous substances developed by the ATSDR Division of Toxicology. Information for this series is excerpted from the ATSDR Toxicological Profiles and Public Health Statements. Each fact sheet serves as a quick and easy to understand guide. Answers are provided to the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) about exposure to hazardous substances found around hazardous waste sites and the effects of exposure on human health.
Each ToxFAQs™ is available in both the standard HTML format below or in the PDF format which provides the familiar two page print version widely used at community meetings and distributed via our mailing list. This PDF format requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded free from the Adobe web site.
You can get further information on our web site about all the ATSDR Toxicological Profiles and how they are developed. You can also get a longer version of these ToxFAQs™ , called the Public Health Statements, from the Public Health Statements (PHS) home page as well as from each of the ToxFAQs™ links below.
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Specialists in these clinics can recognize, evaluate, and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns.
OPA 90 Deepwater Horizon (and others in the Gulf of Mexico probably)
To ensure that OCS activities adhere to the MMPA, the MMS has conducted studies to identify possible associations between cetaceans and high-use areas of the northern Gulf of Mexico. For example, MMS and the Biological Resources Division (BRD) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) funded the “GulfCet” (Gulf cetaceans) Program, which was conducted jointly by Texas A&M University at Galveston and NOAA Fisheries. The purpose of GulfCet was to determine the distribution and abundance of cetaceans along the continental slope in the northern Gulf of Mexico and to help MMS assess the potential effects of deepwater oil and gas exploration and production on marine mammals in the Gulf of Mexico.
The studies included systematic aerial and shipboard (visual and acoustic) surveys, behavioral observations, and photo-identification of individual sperm whales. During 1991-1994, the GulfCet I study examined seasonal and geographic distribution of cetaceans along the continental slope in the north-central and western Gulf (Davis andFargion, 1996). GulfCet II (1996-1997) was designed, in part, to determine the distribution and abundance of whales and dolphins in the Eastern Gulf, an area of potential oil and gas exploration and production (Davis et al., 2000).
Another component of GulfCet II was to conduct focal studies specifically designed to address whale and dolphin associations with habitats (physical environment and available prey). The GulfCet Program demonstrated that whales and dolphins are not sighted randomly throughout the northern Gulf. Cetacean distribution is influenced by both bottom depth and by the presence of mesoscale hydrographic features.
Since 1986, the MMS, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, operators, and removal contractors have been following strict NOAA Fisheries requirements in order to avoid the incidental taking of marine mammals and to prevent adverse impacts to endangered sea turtles. Regulations allowing for the incidental taking of coastal dolphin species by harassment (Subpart M of 50 CFR 216) expired in November 2000. The MMS and NOAA Fisheries are working to develop improved measures to minimize the take of marine mammals and endangered or threatened species as a result of removing OCS structures using explosives. During the interim period while new Subpart M regulations are being formalized, OCS lessees and operators are required to follow, at a minimum, the mandatory mitigation measures set forth in the expired Subpart M regulations.
pp, 1-7 middle of the page
(link pdf above)
***
My Note –
Obviously in the above list of chemicals that are known hazards from the ASTDR – you won’t find petroleum or crude oil – but gasoline is there as is kerosene and many of the chemicals that make up petroleum listed individually and heating oil among others.
Also this – it probably gives more power than is being utilized to halt BP’s continued damage of the environment and the animals that live there –
The Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) (16 U.S.C. 1631 et seq.) of 1973, as amended (43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.), establishes a national policy designed to protect and conserve threatened and endangered species and the ecosystems upon which they depend. The ESA is administered by FWS and NOAA Fisheries.
Section 7 of the ESA governs interagency cooperation and consultation. Under Section 7, MMS formally consults with NOAA Fisheries and FWS to ensure that activities in the OCS under MMS jurisdiction do not jeopardize the continued existence of threatened or endangered species and/or result in adverse modification or destruction of their critical habitat.
The results of these consultations are presented as a Biological Opinion (BO).
The FWS and NOAA Fisheries make recommendations on the modification of oil and gas operations to minimize adverse impacts, although it remains the responsibility of MMS to ensure that proposed OCS activities do not impact threatened and endangered species. If an unauthorized taking occurs, or if the authorized level of incidental take (as described in the previous section) is exceeded, reinitiation of formal consultation is required.
The MMS Environmental Studies Program (Chapter 1.6) complies with the ESA’s intent of conserving endangered or threatened species by contracting research on sea turtles and cetaceans.
My Note –
37% of the Gulf of Mexico is now closed to fishing. And there is obviously a known jeopardizing of the continued existence of threatened and endangered species which have definitely resulted from an adverse modification and destruction of their critical habitat because of the BP’s failure to follow very basic, reasonable common sense safety measures operating their drilling operation and commercial activities including those involved in that aftermath of the event.
***
From the ASTDR – although gasoline in the retail form is derived from crude oil petroleum – it has many of the same characteristics – and health hazards, as does jet fuel and kerosene and fuel oil and heating oil among others, my note.
This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is important because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
SUMMARY: Exposure to automotive gasoline most likely occurs from breathing its vapor at a service station while filling a car’s fuel tank. At high levels, automotive gasoline is irritating to the lungs when breathed in and irritating to the lining of the stomach when swallowed. Exposure to high levels may also cause harmful effects to the nervous system. Automotive gasoline has been found in at least 23 of the 1,430 National Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have not classified automotive gasoline for carcinogenicity. Automotive gasoline is currently undergoing review by the EPA for cancer classification.
Some laboratory animals that breathed high concentrations of unleaded gasoline vapors continuously for 2 years developed liver and kidney tumors. However, there is no evidence that exposure to gasoline causes cancer in humans.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). 1996. Managing Hazardous Materials Incidents. Volume III – Medical Management Guidelines for Acute Chemical Exposures: Automotive Gasoline. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). 1995. Toxicological Profile for automotive gasoline. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
SUMMARY: Fuel oils are liquid mixtures produced from petroleum, and their use mostly involves burning them as fuels. Drinking or breathing fuel oils may cause nausea or nervous system effects. However, exposure under normal use conditions is not likely to be harmful. Fuel oils have been found in at least 26 of the 1,430 National Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Fuel oils are produced by different petroleum refining processes, depending on their intended uses. Fuel oils may be used as fuel for engines, lamps, heaters, furnaces, and stoves, or as solvents.
Some commonly found fuel oils include kerosene, diesel fuel, jet fuel, range oil, and home heating oil. These fuel oils differ from one another by their hydrocarbon compositions, boiling point ranges, chemical additives, and uses.
How might I be exposed to fuel oils?
Using a home kerosene heater or stove, or using fuel oils at work.
Breathing air in home or building basements that has been contaminated with fuel oil vapors entering from the soil.
Drinking or swimming in water that has been contaminated with fuel oils from a spill or a leaking underground storage tank.
Touching soil contaminated with fuel oils.
Using fuel oils to wash paint or grease from skin or equipment.
How can fuel oils affect my health?
Little information is available about the health effects that may be caused by fuel oils. People who use kerosene stoves for cooking do not seem to have any health problems related to their exposure.
Breathing some fuel oils for short periods may cause nausea, eye irritation, increased blood pressure, headache, light-headedness, loss of appetite, poor coordination, and difficulty concentrating. Breathing diesel fuel vapors for long periods may cause kidney damage and lower your blood’s ability to clot.
Drinking small amounts of kerosene may cause vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, stomach swelling and cramps, drowsiness, restlessness, painful breathing, irritability, and unconsciousness. Drinking large amounts of kerosene may cause convulsions, coma, or death. Skin contact with kerosene for short periods may cause itchy, red, sore, or peeling skin.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). 1995. Toxicological Profile for fuel oils. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
Ethylbenzene – It is naturally found in coal tar and petroleum
CAS# 100-41-4
Ethylbenzene is a colorless liquid found in a number of products including gasoline and paints. Breathing very high levels can cause dizziness and throat and eye irritation. Breathing lower levels has resulted in hearing effects and kidney damage in animals. Ethylbenzene has been found in at least 829 of 1,689 National Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
What is ethylbenzene?
Ethylbenzene is a colorless, flammable liquid that smells like gasoline.
It is naturally found in coal tar and petroleum and is also found in manufactured products such as inks, pesticides, and paints.
Ethylbenzene is used primarily to make another chemical, styrene. Other uses include as a solvent, in fuels, and to make other chemicals.
What happens to ethylbenzene when it enters the environment?
Ethylbenzene moves easily into the air from water and soil.
It takes about 3 days for ethylbenzene to be broken down in air into other chemicals.
In surface water, ethylbenzene breaks down by reacting with other chemicals found naturally in water.
Ethylbenzene can move through soil into groundwater
In soil, it is broken down by bacteria. (eventually, my note)
How can ethylbenzene affect my health?
Exposure to high levels of ethylbenzene in air for short periods can cause eye and throat irritation. Exposure to higher levels can result in dizziness.
Irreversible damage to the inner ear and hearing has been observed in animals exposed to relatively low concentrations of ethylbenzene for several days to weeks.
Exposure to relatively low concentrations of ethylbenzene in air for several months to years causes kidney damage in animals.
How likely is ethylbenzene to cause cancer?
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined that ethylbenzene is a possible human carcinogen.
How does ethylbenzene affect children?
There are no studies evaluating the effects of ethylbenzene exposure on children or immature animals. It is likely that children would have the same health effects as adults. We do not know whether children would be more sensitive than adults to the effects of ethylbenzene.
We do not know if ethylbenzene will cause birth defects in humans. Minor birth defects and low birth weight have occurred in newborn animals whose mothers were exposed to ethylbenzene in air during pregnancy.
Is there a medical test to show whether I’ve been exposed to ethylbenzene?
Ethylbenzene is found in the blood, urine, breath, and some body tissues of exposed people. The most common way to test for ethylbenzene is in the urine. This test measures substances formed by the breakdown of ethylbenzene. Because these substances leave the body very quickly, this test needs to be done within a few hours after exposure occurs.
These tests can show you were exposed to ethylbenzene, but cannot predict the kind of health effects that might occur. (tests must be done very quickly after exposure, and specifically be looking for the secondary breakdown chemicals from the ethylbenzene – or it won’t be any good to show exposure and it isn’t much good to show exposure levels – my note)
Has the federal government made recommendations to protect human health?
The EPA has determined that exposure to ethylbenzene in drinking water at concentrations of 30 ppm for 1 day or 3 ppm for 10 days is not expected to cause any adverse effects in a child. (but see above information about health hazards known for this chemical – so this and the one below are misleading, my note).
The EPA has determined that lifetime exposure to 0.7 ppm ethylbenzene is not expected to cause any adverse effects. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has limited workers’ exposure to an average of 100 ppm for an 8-hour workday, 40-hour workweek. (does that mean over the course of a lifetime distributed in micro amounts over a long course of time – not sniffing concentrated fumes? – my note)
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). 2007. Toxicological Profile for Ethylbenzene. (Draft for Public Comment). Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
Dispersion of crude oil in seawater: The role of synthetic surfactants
References and further reading may be available for this article. To view references and further reading you must purchase this article.
Charles Brochu, Emilien Pelletier, Gaston Caron and Jacques E. Desnoyers
INRS-Océanologie, 310 avenue des Ursulines, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
Available online 6 June 2005.
Abstract
Over the last two decades, the use of chemical dispersants as a countermeasure to oil spills at sea has become accepted worldwide. The recent development of more efficient and less toxic dispersants has renewed interest for basic studies on dispersant improvement and on the fate of dispersed oil in seawater. This work reports interfacial tensions and the effectiveness in oil dispersion of many synthetic, commercially available surfactants when used alone and in various blends. The results are discussed in terms of the local structure of the oil-water interface. The maximum efficiency is reached when the surfactant molecules have a structure compatibility and can form stable arrangements at the interface. An improved knowledge of interfacial phenomena responsible for the oil dispersion helps in formulating better dispersants by guiding a judicious combination of surfactants in appropriate proportions.
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions about 2-hexanone. For more information, you may call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422-8737. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is important because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
SUMMARY: Exposure to 2-hexanone is most likely to occur from living near or working in plants that make gas from coal, process oil shale, or produce wood pulp. You may also be exposed if you live near a hazardous waste site where 2-hexanone is found. In people, exposure to hexanone is most likely to affect the nervous system. This chemical has been found in at least 199 of 1,416 National Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency.
2-Hexanone is also known as methyl n-butyl ketone, MBK, or propyl acetone. It is a clear, colorless liquid with a sharp odor. It dissolves very easily in water, and can evaporate easily into the air as a vapor.It was used in the past in paint and paint thinner, to make other chemical substances, and to dissolve oils and waxes.
It is no longer made or used in the United States because it has harmful health effects. It is formed as a waste product resulting from industrial activities such as making wood pulp and producing gas from coal, and in oil shale operations.
Breathing 2-hexanone can harm your nervous system. Workers who were exposed to 2-hexanone in the air for almost a year felt weakness, numbness, and tingling in the skin of the hands and feet.
Similar effects were seen in different animals that ate or breathed high levels of 2-hexanone.
In one study, pregnant rats that breathed 2-hexanone did not gain as much weight during their pregnancy, had fewer babies, and had babies that were smaller and less active than the rats that were not exposed.
We do not know if breathing 2-hexanone affects human reproduction or causes birth defects.
We do not know whether touching or ingesting 2-hexanone would affect your health. Animal studies have shown that ingesting high levels of 2-hexanone harms the nervous system. Also, animals that ingested 2-hexanone experienced decreased body weight and effects on reproduction.
The Department of Health and Human Services has not classified 2-hexanone as to human carcinogenicity.
Also, the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have not classified 2-hexanone as to human carcinogenicity.
There is no information available on the potential carcinogenic effects of 2-hexanone in people or in experimental animals.
Is there a medical test to show whether I’ve been exposed to 2-hexanone?
Several tests are available to tell whether you have been exposed to 2-hexanone. These tests can measure the levels of 2-hexanone, or its breakdown products, in your blood or urine. This test only tells you if you have been exposed and cannot predict whether your health will be affected.
These tests are not routinely performed at your doctor’s office, but your doctor can take blood or urine samples and send them to a testing laboratory.
Has the federal government made recommendations to protect human health?
The Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) has set a limit for exposure of workers to an average level of 100 parts of 2-hexanone per million parts of air (ppm) for an 8-hour workday over a 40-hour workweek.
The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) recommends an exposure limit of 5 ppm for an 8-hour workday over a 40-hour workweek in workplace air.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that workers be exposed to no more than an average of 1 ppm for up to a 10-hour workday over a 40-hour workweek.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). 1992. Toxicological Profile for 2-hexanone. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate, and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns.
For more information, contact:
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 1-888-42-ATSDR (1-888-422-8737)
FAX: (770)-488-4178
Email: ATSDRIC@cdc.gov
by C Brochu – 1987 – Cited by 9 – Related articles
Jun 6, 2005 … 883sulfur content 2. 28 w/whexanes insoluble fraction 22.0 w/wviscosity ….. It shouldbe mentioned that the commercial dispersant Corexit 9550 was … the surfactants were dissolved in cyclo-hexanone in the proportion …
linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0269857986800302
(the above info listing)
***
Canadian Sediment Quality Guidelines
(CSeQGs) http://www.ec.gc.ca/ceqgrcqe/
English/Ceqg/Sediment/default.cfm The Canadian Sediment Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Aquatic Life (CSeQGs) protect aquatic organisms that live in or on the sediment that forms on the bottom of lakes and rivers. Good quality sediment provides habitat and food for aquatic life. Many toxic chemicals entering lakes and rivers end up in the sediment. Some of these substances may leave the sediment, returning to the water or entering the
food web. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration –
Sediment Quality Guidelines http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/cpr/s
ediment/SQGs.html
Through its National Status and Trends (NS&T) Program, NOAA generates considerable amounts of chemical data on sediments. Without national criteria or other widely-applicable numerical tools, NOAA scientists found it difficult to estimate the possible toxicological significance of chemical concentrations in sediments. Thus, numerical sediment quality guidelines were developed as informal, interpretive tools for the NS&T Program.
The guidelines were initially intended for use by NOAA scientists in ranking areas that warranted further detailed study on the actual occurrence of adverse effects such as toxicity. Also, they were intended for use in ranking chemicals that might be of potential concern. In many regional surveys of sediment toxicity performed throughout North America, NOAA has used the guidelines to compare the degree of contamination among sub-regions, and to identify chemicals elevated in concentration above the guidelines that were also associated with measures of adverse effects.
The guidelines were not promulgated as regulatory criteria or standards. They were not intended as cleanup or remediation targets, as discharge attainment targets, as pass-fail criteria for dredged material disposal
decisions or any other regulatory purpose. Rather, they were intended as informal (non-regulatory) guidelines for use in interpreting chemical data from analyses of sediments. USEPA Sediment Quality Guidelines
The Clean Air Act, which was last amended in 1990, requires EPA to set National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for widespread pollutants from numerous and diverse sources considered harmful to public health and the environment. The Clean Air Act established two types of national air quality standards.
Primary standards set limits to protect public health, including the health of “sensitive” populations such as asthmatics, children, and the elderly.
Secondary standards set limits to protect public welfare, including protection against visibility impairment, damage to animals, crops, vegetation, and buildings. The Clean Air Act requires periodic review of the science upon which the standards are based and the standards themselves. EPA has set NAAQS for six principal pollutants, which are called “criteria” pollutants. WHO Air Quality Guidelines for Europe
http://www.euro.who.int/document/e71922.pdf
This publication includes an introduction on the nature of the guidelines and the methodology used to establish guideline values for a number of air pollutants. In addition, it describes the various aspects that need to be considered by national or local authorities when guidelines are transformed into legally binding standards.
For the pollutants addressed, the sections on “Health risk evaluation” and “Guidelines” describe the most relevant considerations that have led to the recommended guideline values. For detailed information on exposure and on the potential health effects of the reviewed pollutants, the reader is referred
to the Regional Office’s web-site, where the background documents on the individual air pollutants can be accessed.
Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry (ATSDR) –
Hazardous Substance Release and
Health Effects Database http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/hazdat.html HazDat, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry’s
Hazardous Substance Release/Health Effects Database, is the
scientific and administrative database developed to provide access to
information on the release of hazardous substances from Superfund
sites or from emergency events and on the effects of hazardous
substances on the health of human populations. The following
information is included in HazDat: site characteristics, activities and
site events, contaminants found, contaminant media and maximum
concentration levels, impact on population, community health
concerns, ATSDR public health threat categorization, ATSDR
recommendations, environmental fate of hazardous substances,
exposure routes, and physical hazards at the site/event. In addition,
HazDat contains substance-specific information such as the ATSDR
Priority List of Hazardous Substances, health effects by route and
duration of exposure, metabolites, interactions of substances,
susceptible populations, and biomarkers of exposure and effects.
HazDat also contains data from the US Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Information System (CERCLIS)
database, including site CERCLIS number, site description,
latitude/longitude, operable units, and additional site information. AICS Online http://www.nicnas.gov.au/obligations/aics/searc
h.asp
Contains the Australian Inventory of Chemical Substances listing
over 38,000 industrial chemicals that are on the non-confidential
inventory. ATSDR Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
(CERCLA) http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/clist.html
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act (CERCLA) section 104 (i), as amended by the
Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA), requires
ATSDR and the EPA to prepare a list, in order of priority, of
substances that are most commonly found at facilities on the
National Priorities List (NPL) and which are determined to pose the
most significant potential threat to human health due to their known
or suspected toxicity and potential for human exposure at these NPL
sites. CERCLA also requires this list to be revised periodically to
reflect additional information on hazardous substances. ATSDR Minimal Risk Levels
(MRLs) http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/mrls.html
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act (CERCLA) [42 U.S.C. 9604 et seq.], as amended by the
Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) [Pub. L.
99-499], requires that the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry (ATSDR) develop jointly with the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), in order of priority, a list of hazardous
substances most commonly found at facilities on the CERCLA
National Priorities List (NPL) (42 U.S.C. 9604(i)(2)); prepare
toxicological profiles for each substance included on the priority list
of hazardous substances, and to ascertain significant human exposure
levels (SHELs) for hazardous substances in the environment, and the
associated acute, subacute, and chronic health effects (42 U.S.C.
9604(i)(3)); and assure the initiation of a research program to fill
identified data needs associated with the substances (42 U.S.C.
9604(i)(5)).
The ATSDR Minimal Risk Levels (MRLs) were developed as an initial response to the mandate. Following discussions with scientists within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the EPA, ATSDR chose to adopt a practice similar to that of the EPA’s Reference Dose (RfD) and Reference Concentration (RfC) for deriving substance-specific health guidance levels for non-neoplastic endpoints.
An MRL is an estimate of the daily human exposure to a hazardous substance that is likely to be without appreciable risk of adverse noncancer health effects over a specified duration of exposure. These substance-specific estimates, which are intended to serve as screening levels, are used by ATSDR health assessors and other responders to identify contaminants and potential health effects that may be of concern at hazardous waste sites. It is important to note that MRLs are not intended to define clean-up or action levels for ATSDR or other Agencies. Environment Canada’s National
Pollutant Release Inventory http://www.ec.gc.ca/pdb/npri/npri_home_e.cfm
The National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) is the only
legislated, nation-wide, publicly-accessible inventory of its type in
Canada. It is a database of information on annual releases to air,
water, land and disposal or recycling from all sectors – industrial,
government, commercial and others. European Chemicals Bureau http://ecb.jrc.it/
The European Chemicals Bureau (ECB) is the focal point for data
and the assessment procedure on dangerous chemicals. European Environment Agency –
Star Database (Guidelines for Soil,
Water Nature and Air) http://star.eea.eu.int/available.asp
‘STAR’ stands for Sustainability Targets and Reference value. The
STAR database is an inventory of current environmental policy
targets and sustainability reference values (SRVs) which apply in the
EU, in a range of countries in the European Free Trade Association
(EFTA), in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), and in the Newly
Independent States (NIS). IPCS INCHEM – Chemical Safety Information from Intergovernmental Organizations http://www.inchem.org/
IPCS INCHEM is a means of rapid access to internationally peer
reviewed information on chemicals commonly used throughout the
world, which may also occur as contaminants in the environment and
food. It consolidates information from a number of
intergovernmental organizations whose goal it is to assist in the
sound management of chemicals. National Pollutant Inventory http://www.npi.gov.au/
The NPI now holds emission data for close to 3400 facilities, 33
airsheds and 32 water catchments around Australia. Emissions are
estimated for industrial facilities across Australia, and for diffuse
sources such as transport and domestic activities in airsheds, and
agriculture in water catchments.
NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical
Hazards http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npg.html#dload
The NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards is intended as a
source of general industrial hygiene information for workers,
employers, and occupational health professionals. The Pocket Guide
presents key information and data in abbreviated tabular form for
677 chemicals or substance groupings (e.g. manganese compounds,
tellurium compounds, inorganic tin compounds, etc.) that are found
in the work environment. The industrial hygiene information found
in the Pocket Guide should help users recognise and control
occupational chemical hazards. The chemicals or substances
contained in this revision include all substances for which the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has
recommended exposure limits (RELs) and those with permissible
exposure limits (PELs) as found in the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA) General Industry Air Contaminants
Standard (29 CFR 1910.1000).
UK Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs – Chemical Defra’s chemicals pages are a source of information on what the Government is doing to protect the environment, and consequently, Information http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/chemical
s/index.htm
human health, from the risks posed by exposure to hazardous
chemicals. At the same time, the Government aims to maximise the
important socio-economic benefits that we rely on chemicals for.
Whether a chemical represents a hazard or not depends on its
scientific properties. Defra’s job is to manage the risks relating to
such hazards, that is, the chances of a hazard leading to the harm of
humans or the environment.
USEPA Numeric Criteria – Water
Quality Standards Database http://oaspub.epa.gov/wqsdatabase/wqsi_epa_c
riteria.rep_parameter
The report includes: Priority Pollutant, EPA Freshwater CMC, EPA
Freshwater CCC, EPA Saltwater CMC, EPA Saltwater CCC, EPA
Water and Organism, EPA Organism Only, Pollutant Unit, and
Effective Date. USEPA Ecotox Database www.epa.gov/ecotox The ECOTOXicology database (ECOTOX) is a source for locating
single chemical toxicity data for aquatic life, terrestrial plants and wildlife. ECOTOX was created and is maintained by the U.S.EPA,
Office of Research and Development (ORD), and the National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory’s (NHEERL’s) Mid-Continent Ecology Division. USEPA Integrated Risk Information
System (IRIS) http://www.epa.gov/iris/ IRIS is a database of human health effects that may result from
exposure to various substances found in the environment. IRIS was initially developed for EPA staff in response to a growing demand
for consistent information on chemical substances for use in risk
assessments, decision-making and regulatory activities. The
information in IRIS is intended for those without extensive training
in toxicology, but with some knowledge of health sciences. USGS Acute Toxicity Database http://www.cerc.usgs.gov/data/acute/acute.html The following database summarises the results from aquatic acute toxicity tests conducted by the USGS CERC located in Columbia, Missouri. The acute toxicity test provides a relative starting point for hazard assessment of contaminants and is required for federal
chemical registration programs such as the Federal Insecticide
Fungicide Rodenticide Act (PL 80-104) as amended by the Federal
Environmental Pesticide Control Act of 1972 (7 U.S.C. 136-136y)
and the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 (PL 94-469). USGS National Contaminant
Biomonitoring Program Database http://www.cerc.usgs.gov/data/ncbp/ncbp.html
The National Contaminant Biomonitoring Program (NCBP) was
established to document trends in the occurrence of persistent toxic
chemicals that may threaten fish and wildlife resources. Begun in
the early 1960s as part of the National Pesticide Monitoring Program,
the NCBP has expanded its initial focus on persistent organochlorine
insecticides to include industrial chemicals, herbicides, and
potentially toxic elemental contaminants.
The program also provides necessary feedback to the regulatory process by documenting the success (or failure) of regulatory actions related to environmental contaminants. The NCBP provides a nationwide source of material that is searched analytically for the occurrence of new or previously
undetected environmental contaminants to provide information on emerging problems and for the development of new and improved analytical methods.
Through its archival function, the NCBP also provides a means for retrospective analyses and documentation of historical trends for newly identified environmental contaminants. Information from this historical program has also provided an impetus for developing a revised and expanded monitoring program (Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends BEST), which was transferred to USGS in 1996.
**
From their glossary – a few of the terms –
Acute toxicity
The ability of a substance to cause severe biological harm or death
soon after a single exposure or dose. Also, any poisonous effect
resulting from a single short-term exposure to a toxic substance. Acute-to-chronic ratio (ACR)
The ratio of the acute toxicity to chronic toxicity of a chemical or sample that can be used to predict acute toxicity from chronic data and vice-versa.
Example: LC50 = 100 μg/l and Chronic Value = 5 μg/l, ACR = 20.
Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) Estimate of the amount of a substance in food or drinking water, expressed on a body mass basis (usually mg/kg body weight), which can be ingested daily over a lifetime by humans without appreciable health risk.
Assessment Factor (AF)
Method of dividing the lowest toxicity value by an assessment factor,
the magnitude of which is based on the number, character and quality
of the available toxicity data. The more data, and the more realistic
they are, the lower the magnitude of the assessment factor. Typical
assessment factors used are 10, 100 and 1,000. The aim of such
methods is to protect all species from lifetime exposures to toxicants.
This type of approach is used by a variety of countries including
Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, Denmark, The Netherlands
and South Africa and the OECD has recommended it.
Bioconcentration
A process by which there is a net accumulation of a chemical directly
from water into aquatic organisms resulting from simultaneous
uptake (e.g. by gill or epithelial tissue) and elimination. Biomagnification
A cumulative increase in the concentration of a persistent substance
in successively higher trophic levels of the food chain. The process
by which the concentration of a substance increases in different
organisms at higher levels in the food chain. For example, if another
organism eats an organism, these substances move up the food chain
and become more concentrated at each step. Biota
Plants, animals, including humans, fungi or bacteria.
Chronic toxicity
A long-term toxic effect produced in an organism by a toxicant, a
substance or a mixture of substances.
Contamination
The impairment of water, sediments, plants, or animals by chemicals
or bacteria to such a degree that it creates a hazard to public and
environmental health through poisoning, bioconcentration
(bioaccumulation), or the spread of disease. Contamination can be
naturally occurring or manmade. Criteria
Statements of the conditions presumed to support or protect the
designated use or uses of an environment. Criteria may be narrative
or numeric. Critical Limit
A prescribed tolerance that must be met to ensure that a CCP
effectively controls a potential health hazard; a criterion that separates
acceptability from unacceptability (Codex Alimentarius). Decision framework or
decision tree
A series of steps for tailoring guideline trigger values to a specific site
or region and for assessing water quality by considering the local or
regional environmental factors that will modify the effect of the
particular water quality parameter. The decision frameworks or trees
begin with the simplest steps and finish with the most difficult and
expensive.
Environmental Concern Level
(ECL)
ECLs are derived for chemicals for which there is no trigger value but
should only be used as working levels until more data can be obtained
or the guidelines can be independently derived. Environmental values
Particular values or uses of the environment that are important for a
healthy ecosystem or for public benefit, welfare, safety or health and
that require protection from the effects of pollution, waste discharges
and deposits. Several environmental values may be designated for a
specific water body.
Exposure
Contact of a chemical, physical or biological agent with the outer
boundary of an organism, e.g. inhalation, ingestion or dermal contact. Exposure assessment
The estimation (qualitative or quantitative) of the magnitude,
frequency, duration, route and extent of exposure to one or more
contaminated media.
(etc.)
National Chemical Reference Guide – Standards in the Australian Environment
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions about hydrazines. For more information, you may call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422-8737. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is important because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
Highlights
Hydrazines are colorless liquids that are used in rocket fuels, chemical manufacturing, and as boiler water treatments. Exposure to hydrazines may cause nervous system effects, as well as liver and kidney damage. Hydrazines have been found in at least 8 of the 1,416 National Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
What are hydrazines?
Hydrazines are clear, colorless liquids with an ammonia-like odor. There are many kinds of hydrazine compounds, including hydrazine, 1,1-dimethylhydrazine, and 1,2-dimethylhydrazine. Small amounts of hydrazine occur naturally in plants. Most hydrazines are manufactured for use as rocket propellants and fuels, boiler water treatments, chemical reactants, medicines, and in cancer research. Hydrazines are highly reactive and easily catch fire.
What happens to hydrazines when they enter the environment?
Hydrazines can be released into the environment during their production or use, or from accidental spills.
Hydrazines easily evaporate to the air, where they are broken down by reactions within minutes or hours.
Hydrazines can also dissolve in water, where they usually break down into less toxic compounds within a few weeks.
Hydrazines may build up in some fish living in contaminated water, but are not expected to remain at high levels over long periods of time.
In soil, hydrazines may stick to particles and be changed within a few days to less harmful compounds.
How might I be exposed to hydrazines?
Breathing contaminated air in or near a facility that makes, processes, or uses hydrazines.
Eating fish contaminated with hydrazines.
Drinking or swimming in water that has been contaminated with hydrazines.
Touching soil contaminated with hydrazines, such as near some military bases or hazardous waste sites.
Breathing cigarette smoke indirectly or using tobacco products may expose you to small amounts of hydrazine or 1,1-dimethylhydrazine.
Working in greenhouses where the chemical Alar is used may result in your being exposed to small amounts of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine.
How can hydrazines affect my health?
Breathing hydrazines for short periods may cause coughing and irritation of the throat and lungs, convulsions, tremors, or seizures. Breathing hydrazines for long periods may cause liver and kidney damage, as well as serious effects on reproductive organs.
Eating or drinking small amounts of hydrazines may cause nausea, vomiting, uncontrolled shaking, inflammation of the nerves, drowsiness, or coma.
How likely is hydrazines to cause cancer?
Tumors have been seen in many organs of animals that were exposed to hydrazines by ingestion or breathing, but most tumors have been found in the lungs, blood vessels, or colon. 1,2-Dimethylhydrazine has caused colon cancer in laboratory animals following a single exposure.
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has determined that hydrazine and 1,1-dimethylhydrazine are known carcinogens.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined that hydrazine, 1,1-dimethylhydrazine, and 1,2-dimethylhydrazine are possible human carcinogens.
The EPA has determined that hydrazine, 1,1-dimethylhydrazine, and 1,2-dimethylhydrazine are probable human carcinogens.
The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) currently lists hydrazine and 1,1-dimethylhydrazine as suspected carcinogens, but has recently recommended that the listing of hydrazine be changed to that of animal carcinogen, not likely to cause cancer to people under normal exposure conditions.
Is there a medical test to show whether I’ve been exposed to hydrazines?
There are tests available to detect the presence of hydrazines or their breakdown products in the blood, urine, and feces. These tests must be done soon after exposure, before the compounds are broken down and eliminated from the body. These tests aren’t available at most doctors’ offices, but can be done at special laboratories that have the right equipment. These tests cannot be used to tell how much hydrazines you were exposed to or if any health effects will occur.
Has the federal government made recommendations to protect human health?
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that the levels of hydrazine and 1,1-dimethylhydrazine in workplace air not exceed 0.03 and 0.6 parts of compound per million parts of air (0.03-0.6 ppm), respectively, for a 2-hour period.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) limits the amount of hydrazine and 1,1-dimethylhydrazine in workplace air to 1 and 0.5 ppm, respectively, for an 8-hour workday.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ruled that hydrazine cannot be added to water used for making steam which will contact food.
The EPA requires that spills or accidental releases into the environment of 1 pound or more of hydrazine or 1,2-dimethylhydrazine, or more than 10 pounds of 1,1-dimethylhydrazine be reported to the EPA.
Glossary
Carcinogen: A substance with the ability to cause cancer.
CAS: Chemical Abstracts Service.
Evaporate: To change into a vapor or gas.
Ingest: To eat or drink something.
ppm: Parts per million.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). 1999. Toxicological Profile for Hydrazines. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
More from the ATSDR – about petroleum – crude oil hydrocarbons – crude oil and derivatives that have the same toxic and hazardous similarities due to being made from petroleum crude oil –
SUMMARY: JP-4 and JP-7 are liquid mixtures produced from petroleum and used by the U.S. Air Force as aircraft fuels. Breathing large amounts of the vapors from these fuels may cause nausea and nervous system effects. JP-4 has been found in at least 4 of the 1,430 National Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). JP-7 has not been found at any sites.
What are jet fuels JP-4 and JP-7?
Jet fuels JP-4 and JP-7 (jet propellant-4 and jet propellant-7) are flammable, colorless to straw-colored liquid mixtures that come from crude petroleum. They smell like kerosene. Jet fuels are blends of other chemicals made according to U.S. Air Force standards for use as aircraft fuels.
Although JP-4 and JP-7 are liquids at room temperature, they also evaporate easily.
How might I be exposed to jet fuels JP-4 and JP-7?
Exposure to JP-4 occurs primarily in workers who manufacture, transport, or use jet fuels.
Exposure to JP-4 is most likely to occur through skin contact or breathing contaminated air.
You may be exposed to JP-4 by breathing some of the chemicals that evaporate from a spill or leak site.
You may also be exposed through drinking or swimming in water that has been contaminated with JP-4, or from touching soil contaminated from a spill or leak.
There is no information about how individuals may be exposed to JP-7, but it is reasonable to assume that you could be exposed in the same ways as for JP-4.
How can jet fuels JP-4 and JP-7 affect my health?
Little information is available about the health effects that may be caused by JP-4 and JP-7. Inhaling large amounts of JP-4 vapor may cause painful breathing and a feeling of suffocation, as well as headache, dizziness, nausea, depression, anxiety, memory loss, and irritability.
Animal studies have shown that inhaling extremely large amounts of JP-4 or JP-7 vapor does not cause death. However, animals breathing high levels of JP-4 vapor for short periods exhibited poor coordination and convulsions. A depressed activity level has been seen in animals breathing low levels of JP-4 vapor. Other effects seen in animals breathing JP-4 or JP-7 vapor have been skin and eye irritation, changes in liver cells, and decreased numbers of white blood cells.
We do not know whether JP-4 or JP-7 can cause birth defects or if they affect reproduction in people.
Is there a medical test to show whether I’ve been exposed to jet fuels JP-4 and JP-7?
There is no medical test that shows if you have been exposed to JP-4 and JP-7. Tests are available to determine if some of the chemicals commonly found in jet fuels are in your blood. However, the presence of these chemicals in blood may not necessarily mean that you have been exposed to JP-4 or JP-7.
Has the federal government made recommendations to protect human health?
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set an exposure limit of 500 parts of petroleum distillates per million parts of air (500 ppm) for an 8-hour workday, 40-hour workweek.
The Air Force Office of Safety and Health (AFOSH) has set an exposure limit of 400 ppm petroleum distillates for an 8-hour workday, 40-hour workweek.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that average workplace air levels not exceed 350 milligrams of petroleum distillates per cubic meter of air (350 mg/m³) for a 40-hour workweek.
The Department of Transportation (DOT) lists JP-4 and JP-7 as hazardous materials and, therefore, regulates their transportation.
Glossary
CAS: Chemical Abstracts Service.
Evaporate: To change into a vapor or a gas.
Milligram: One thousandth of a gram.
ppm: Parts per million.
Sediment: Mud and debris that have settled to the bottom of a body of water. ReferencesAgency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). 1995. Toxicological Profile for jet fuels JP-4 and JP-7. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
The Clean Air Act
The 1970 Clean Air Act (CAA) (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.) established the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The CAA required Federal promulgation of national primary and secondary standards. The primary NAAQS standards are to protect public health; the secondary standards are to protect public welfare. Under the Clean Air Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) sets limits on how much of a pollutant can be in the air anywhere in the United States. Although the CAA is a Federal law covering the entire country, the states do much of the work to carry out the Act. The law allows individual states to have stronger pollution controls, but states are not allowed to have weaker pollution controls than those set for the whole country.
The law recognizes that it makes sense for states to take the lead in carrying out the CAA because pollution control problems often require special understanding of local industries, geography, housing patterns, etc.
States may have to develop state implementation plans (SIP’s) that explain how each state will come into or remain in compliance with the CAA, as amended. The states must involve the public, through hearings and opportunities to comment, in the development of the SIP. The USEPA must approve the SIP, and if the SIP is not acceptable, USEPA can take over enforcing the CAA, as amended, in that state.
The U.S. Government, through USEPA, assists the states by providing scientific research, expert studies, engineering designs, and money to support clean air programs.
The CAA established the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) program to protect the quality of air in the regions of the United States where the air is cleaner than required by the NAAQS. Under the PSD program, air quality attainment areas in the United States were classified as Class I or Class II (a Class III designation was codified but no areas were classified as such). Class I areas receive the most protection.
Any new major (250 tons per year or larger) permanent source of emissions is required to receive a review by the Federal permitting agency, and the Federal permitting agency must consult with the appropriate Federal land manager prior to granting approval.
The FWS is the Federal land manager for Breton, St Marks, Okefenokee, and Chassahowitzka Class I areas. The National Park Service (NPS) is the Federal land manager for the Everglades Class I area.
The CAA, as amended, delineates jurisdiction of air quality between the USEPA and DOI. For (OCS) Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Oil Drilling and Oil Industry operations in the Gulf of Mexico, those operations east of 87.5oW. longitude are subject to USEPA air quality regulations and those west of 87.5oW. longitude are subject to MMS air quality regulations. In the (OCS) Outer Continental Shelf areas under MMS jurisdiction, the MMS regulations at 30 CFR 250 are in force.
(also it further states – which explains why the EPA is running around taking ozone measurements and saying it is safe instead of testing for the petroleum and crude oil chemical fumes known to be there – )
The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) (Public Law No. 101-549)) required that MMS conduct and complete a study to evaluate impacts from the development of OCS petroleum resources in the Gulf on air quality in the ozone nonattainment areas. (Florida was not included in the study area since, at that time, the counties in the Panhandle were in compliance with the Federal ozone standard.)
That study was completed in late 1995. Based on the results of this study, the Secretary has consulted with the USEPA Administrator to determine if new requirements are needed for the OCS areas in the Gulf of Mexico that remain under MMS jurisdiction (the areas west of 87o30′W. longitude). Based on the consultation, it was determined that no new requirements are needed at this time.
The MMS air quality regulations are at 30 CFR 250 Subpart C. These regulations are based on potential impacts; as such, the farther away from shore, the larger the allowable emission rate before an air quality impact analysis is required. All OCS plans are required to include emission information and receive air quality review. The regulations allow MMS to select which OCS plans require emissions information for air quality review.
In 1994, the Gulf of Mexico Region issued a Letter to Lessees requiring operators to submit standardized emissions information with all OCS plans. This requirement is more stringent than corresponding onshore requirements because MMS applies the same exemption levels and significance levels to temporary sources as it does to permanent sources.
Under the onshore PSD regulations temporary sources are typically exempt from air quality permitting requirements. The MMS’s impact-based regulations establish a three-tier process for identifying potentially significant emission sources.
There are no screening models developed for offshore use. The only model approved by USEPA as a preferred model for modeling offshore emission sources’ impacts upon onshore areas is the Offshore and Coastal Dispersal (OCD) model developed by MMS in 1989. The OCD model is based on steady-state Gaussian assumptions.
My Note – Would somebody tell Florida Senator Nelson that the Marine Spill Response Corporation is legally required by the MMS to fulfill the contracts on this spill – and that is the disconnect. He was just on CNN – and I swear that sure does look like it is 90% of the problem.
The way it is set up legally right now and has been since that was accepted as the answer for the oil industry – the Marine Spill Response Corporation run by the Marine Preservation Association has the responsibilities to make all contracts for cleanup, for arrangements, for placement of assets including cleanup crews, containment booms, skimmers, vessels, dispersants, along wiht the choices of all these things that are to be used and the contracting of those gizmos and devices like the top hat and the other upside down funnel thing and probably whoever’s saw it was that got stuck trying to do the job.
It is possible that the incident command group headed by the Coast Guard has actually had their hands tied most of this time and even possibly, today. But, the surprise Ace in the Hole that our nation has – is the President of the United States that happens to be a capable law professional. Boy are they in for a surprise. And, around him are the finest group of educated thinking minds that know the law as well. They have been part of the legislative process and a part of the academic understanding of handling information. I know that they will find a way to break the logjams in this situation. We have an Ace in our corner and a White House team of people that I guarantee are smarter than what the oil industry is expecting.
So, if someone would explain it to Senator Nelson so he can explain it to his colleagues in Congress – and they can figure out if that is indeed the case and those people in the oil industry are bamboozling them about what can be done or what can’t because of the authority and legal rights to handle it that have already been given to the Marine Spill Response Corporation by MMS.
The other thing is that these chemicals in the petroleum and dispersants are toxic and do require proper protective breathing gear and eye protection. They need to make BP and its Marine Spill Response Corporation to provide them – it is the law and it doesn’t matter what EPA or OSHA or whoever else down there in Louisiana or elsewhere is now saying about it being safe – the fact is – these workers and others are being subjected to this over a long many hours – and every document about it from their own files and around the world say it is dangerous with known health hazards – both short term and long term. These are known facts.
On the websites about workers being exposed to these petroleum compounds now from the official government sites concerning the Deepwater Horizon response and BP – it claims there is no problem and that the workers do not need respiratory protection. And, at the briefing yesterday, the administrator from NOAA listed off all the experts they are using to define that – and what did they do – ignore all the facts they have known for years about it before this and not expect that anyone with the ability to read can read them and know they are wrong about it not being dangerous? Anyone knows not to sniff petroleum fumes for any length of time or to be subjected to those fumes for many hours of time.
To refuse to check for the known contaminants that are contained in petroleum and to take water monitoring samples that indicate there is clean appropriate unpolluted water or air in the Gulf of Mexico has to be criminal because of the life-threatening consequences of the chemicals and health hazards that are known to be there – that can be seen in many, many photos of the areas and in videos and where those smells have been reported even inland along the coasts of the Gulf.
I did see the advertisement from BP with Tony Hayward put on the tele today and it is brilliant. He does pull it off well and appears to mean what he says. I think that in a lot of ways – the information isn’t complete that is coming to him and to the people in the incident command group at BP. It cannot possibly be available to them in many respects and it could be as simple as having an outline of the oil spill as it existed yesterday on the map that is being used for the incident response today – like I noted earlier – where none of the landfalls or undersea plumes that have been found are even on the map.
And, no telling what other very basic practical things like that are happening – including the fact that placement of resources is being done by a third party in between the decision-makers and the actual event – what information are they using or do they wait for somebody to call and request something using some proper chain of command or lines of communication. I mean does – Commdr. Thad Allen of the Coast Guard have to request of BP to request of the Marine Spill Response Corporation to request their contractors to be available to do such and so somewhere (or something like that)?
There was no evidence that the executives nor the incident commander at BP, Mike Ulster – from his video comments and from Bob Dudley’s comments on air and from Doug Suttles comments on air and from Tony Hayward’s comments individually here and there – that any of them knew of many things that any of us watching the news can know and see and understand from the scientific collection of data that showed oil plumes to the finding of oil in the surf and on the sand in coastal areas farther east – Alabama, Mississippi or on whatever islands where it is being found now. I mean – maybe it is like Hurricane Katrina in one respect for sure, is that they’ve hunkered down in these rooms with charts that aren’t even showing an outline of the oil spill from today – don’t show the marshes covered in thick syrupy oil and they aren’t seeing the news coverage and photos and videos coming from the area either that are showing up around the world online and across many news stations on cable (including CNN and bloomberg and BBC America and cnbc and CBS and ABC and even on television in Germany and probably Japan.)
But, if they never see those Reuters photos and AP stories and AP photos and Getty photos and CNN videos and bloomberg interviews -etc., they aren’t going to know about the finding of oil plumes and the marshes covered in crude oil stew and the huge splats of crude oil on beaches that look like somebody dumped ten gallons of chocolate syrup but it isn’t chocolate and its probably thicker than syrup too for that matter. And, by never having gone out to any of the live places – or rather dead places now in the Gulf of Mexico – then what could the incident commander know – he can’t smell it – it isn’t giving him a headache. BP executives that have gone out to places have gone to places nearly already cleaned and likely not overwhelming with fumes from crude oil and death – not in comparison to some places where the oil is sitting.
Well, today is a rainy day in that territory an it has east driving rains and winds and currents – so it is just a matter of time now. And, the crude oil pumping out of the well is looking more like the 100,000 barrels a day mark in the video feeds that have been shown.
Oh well – I can’t fix it but I wish all those families would simply get up and go before it gets any one bit worse. Even if it were stopped today – all that oil and oil mixed with toxic dispersants are still going to be in the Gulf of Mexico and affecting people that live in towns all along the coastline for years.
June 1, 2010 – EPA official information about the oil spill findings –
Air Data >>
EPA’s air monitoring conducted through May 30, 2010, has found that air quality levels for ozone and particulates are normal on the Gulf coastline for this time of year.
EPA has observed odor-causing pollutants associated with petroleum products along the coastline at low levels. Some of these chemicals may cause short-lived effects like headache, eye, nose and throat irritation, or nausea. People may be able to smell some of these chemicals at levels well below those that would cause short-term health problems.
Water Data >>
Most of the water samples collected May 20 through 26, 2010 along the Gulf coast did not reveal elevated levels of chemicals usually found in oil.
One sample, collected May 21 along the coast of Louisiana, found nickel, a chemical associated with oil. This sample exceeded long-term water quality benchmarks. At these levels nickel may cause risk to aquatic life.
Sediment
Sediment Data >>
The sediment samples collected through May 16, 2010 along the Gulf coast did not reveal elevated levels of chemicals usually found in oil.
Any chance that water in which animals and birds die would indicate to the EPA that it is toxic and lethal – and that those waters include dangerous pollutant chemicals? You know, like the petroleum and oil mixed dispersants and dispersants – all of which are known to be toxic chemicals and lethal. You can’t drink it without dying – you can’t sniff fumes from any petroleum products without brain damage and lung damage and liver damage and maybe dying – how could the EPA tests monitoring the air and water quality not show any of what we know about these dangerous substances that petroleum is and absolutely is – and not show anything dangerous in their samples – how could they give a clean bill of health to places polluted with known toxic chemicals?
That is a betrayal of trust and mission given to the EPA – bit of illegal here and there as well. And it is in violation of federally mandated laws and regulations about water quality, air quality, pollution, and massive spills of pollutants, as well.
It looks like it is time to get the attorney generals of the states along the Gulf Coast to hold the EPA accountable for disseminating lies and falsehoods about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that will directly and permanently damage the health and well-being of their citizens before things get any worse.
And, I don’t care what the “new” OSHA crap says or the EPA and BP air and water monitoring – these chemical hazards are there in that water and in that air and in that sediment. It is lethal and toxic. It is killing the animals, the marine wildlife, the birds, the sea turtles and other aquatic life and it will kill more people if they don’t stop dicking around with the pretense that it is safe when it is not and sending people out without the proper protective breathing gear, breathing protection, respirators, chemical gas masks and eye protection. And, telling people the truth about it.
Withdrawal of Certain Federal Human Health and Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria Applicable to Vermont, the District of Columbia, Kansas and New Jersey
Federal standards for Indian country (not issued) (PDF) (40 pp, 528K) – unofficial pre-publication copy of the January 19, 2001, proposed rule to promulgate “core” Federal standards in Indian country. EPA is providing this unofficial pre-publication copy for public reference. This document was never published in the Federal Register, and is not an official version upon which EPA ever sought public comment.
But what do we do when the water looks like this –
Water Data >>
Most of the water samples collected May 20 through 26, 2010 along the Gulf coast did not reveal elevated levels of chemicals usually found in oil.
One sample, collected May 21 along the coast of Louisiana, found nickel, a chemical associated with oil. This sample exceeded long-term water quality benchmarks. At these levels nickel may cause risk to aquatic life.
louisiana-oil-spill_100406 – This is what the EPA says is clean water with no evidence of petroleum or crude oil or petroleum chemicals in it according to their tests – from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill – June 1, 2010
Gulf of Mexico oil spill – EPA and British Petroleum water quality tests show no sign of crude oil – petroleum – dangerous chemicals – or chemicals found in crude oil – June 1, 2010 – EPA says this is clean water without chemical hazards – no danger – no fumes from petroleum / gasoline smelling fumes – nothing here of danger
Water Data >>
Most of the water samples collected May 20 through 26, 2010 along the Gulf coast did not reveal elevated levels of chemicals usually found in oil.
One sample, collected May 21 along the coast of Louisiana, found nickel, a chemical associated with oil. This sample exceeded long-term water quality benchmarks. At these levels nickel may cause risk to aquatic life.
Sediment
Sediment Data >>
The sediment samples collected through May 16, 2010 along the Gulf coast did not reveal elevated levels of chemicals usually found in oil.
June 1, 2010 – EPA official information about the oil spill findings –
Air Data >>
EPA’s air monitoring conducted through May 30, 2010, has found that air quality levels for ozone and particulates are normal on the Gulf coastline for this time of year.
EPA has observed odor-causing pollutants associated with petroleum products along the coastline at low levels. Some of these chemicals may cause short-lived effects like headache, eye, nose and throat irritation, or nausea. People may be able to smell some of these chemicals at levels well below those that would cause short-term health problems.
Water Data >>
Most of the water samples collected May 20 through 26, 2010 along the Gulf coast did not reveal elevated levels of chemicals usually found in oil.
One sample, collected May 21 along the coast of Louisiana, found nickel, a chemical associated with oil. This sample exceeded long-term water quality benchmarks. At these levels nickel may cause risk to aquatic life.
Sediment
Sediment Data >>
The sediment samples collected through May 16, 2010 along the Gulf coast did not reveal elevated levels of chemicals usually found in oil.
Inhalants can be classified by the intended function. Most inhalant drugs that are used non-medically are ingredients in household or industrial chemical products that are not intended to be concentrated and inhaled. A small number of recreational inhalant drugs are pharmaceutical products that are used illicitly.
Inhalants can also be classified by chemical structure.[3] Classes include:
It is also possible to classify inhalants by the effect they have on the body. Many inhalants act primarily as asphyxiant gases, with their primary effect due to oxygen deprivation.[4] Other agents may have more direct effects at receptors.
Some gases such as propane and butane gases are inhaled directly from the canister. Once these solvents or gases are inhaled, the extensive capillary surface of the lungs rapidly absorb the solvent or gas, and blood levels peak rapidly. The intoxication effects occur so quickly that the effects of inhalation can resemble the intensity of effects produced by intravenous injection of other psychoactive drugs.[7]
The effects of solvent intoxication can vary widely depending on the dose and what type of solvent or gas is inhaled. A person who has inhaled a small amount of rubber cement or paint thinner vapor may be impaired in a manner resembling alcohol inebriation. A person who has inhaled a larger quantity of solvents or gases, or a stronger chemical, may experience stronger effects such as distortion in perceptions of time and space, hallucinations, and emotional disturbances.
In the short term, many users experience headache, nausea and vomiting, slurred speech, loss of motor coordination, and wheezing. A characteristic “glue sniffer’s rash” around the nose and mouth is sometimes seen after prolonged use.
General risks of all agents in inhalant class
In some cases, inhalant users can be injured or killed due to the effects of inhaling solvents or gases, which can cause hypoxia (lack of oxygen), pneumonia, cardiac failure or arrest[6], or aspiration of vomit. The inhaling of some solvents can cause hearing loss, limb spasms, and damage to the central nervous system and brain.[6] Serious but potentially reversible effects include liver and kidney damage and blood oxygen depletion. Death from inhalants is generally caused by a very high concentration of fumes. Deliberately inhaling solvents from an attached paper or plastic bag or in a closed area greatly increases the chances of suffocation. Brain damage is typically seen with chronic long term use as opposed to short term exposure.[13]
There is some evidence of birth defects and disabilities in babies born to women who sniffed solvents such as gasoline. Driving while using solvents presents the same dangers as other types of impaired driving because many solvents cause an alcohol-type intoxication.
In the short term, death from solvent abuse occurs most commonly from aspiration of vomit while unconscious, or from a combination of respiratory depression and hypoxia, the second cause being especially a risk with heavier than air vapors such as butane or gasoline vapor. Deaths typically occur from complications related to excessive sedation and vomiting. Actual overdose from the drug does occur, however, and indeed inhaled solvent abuse is statistically more likely to result in life-threatening respiratory depression than intravenous use of opiates such as heroin. Most deaths from solvent abuse could be prevented if individuals were resuscitated quickly when they stopped breathing and their airway cleared if they vomited. However, most inhalant abuse takes place when people inhale solvents by themselves or in groups of people who are intoxicated. Certain solvents are more hazardous than others, such as gasoline.
Risks associated with specific agents
The hypoxic effect of inhalants can cause damage to many organ systems (particularly the brain, which has a very low tolerance for oxygen deprivation) but there can also be additional toxicity resulting from either the physical properties of the compound itself, or additional ingredients present in a product.
Carbon tetrachloride can cause significant damage to multiple systems, but its association with liver damage is so strong, it is used in animal models to induce liver injury.[17]
Toxicity may also result from the pharmacological properties of the drug; excess NMDA antagonism can completely block calcium influx into neurons and provoke cell death through apoptosis, although this is more likely to be a long term result of chronic solvent abuse than a consequence of short term use.
“Sudden sniffing death”
Inhaling butane gas can cause drowsiness, narcosis, asphyxia, cardiac arrhythmia and frostbite. Butane is the most commonly misused volatile solvent in the UK, and caused 52% of solvent related deaths in 2000. By spraying butane directly into the throat, the jet of fluid can cool rapidly to –20 °C by expansion, causing prolonged laryngospasm. Some inhalants can also indirectly cause sudden death by cardiac arrest, in a syndrome known as “sudden sniffing death”[20] The anesthetic gases present in the inhalants appear to sensitize the user to adrenaline. In this state a sudden surge of adrenaline (e.g., from a frightening hallucination or run in with the law), can cause a fatal cardiac arrhythmia.[21]
Furthermore, the inhalation of any gas which is capable of displacing oxygen in the lungs (especially gasses heavier than oxygen), carries the risk of hypoxia due to the mechanism by which breathing is triggered. Since reflexive breathing results from elevated carbon dioxide levels, rather than depressed oxygen in the blood, breathing a concentrated, relatively inert gas (such as the computer-duster tetrafluoroethane, or nitrous oxide), will allow for adequate elimination of carbon dioxide from the blood, meaning that there are no outward signs of suffocation even when the brain is undergoing hypoxia. By the time the full symptoms of hypoxia appear, it may be too late to breathe without assistance, especially if the gas is heavy enough to reside in the lungs for extended periods. Even completely inert gasses, such as argon, can have this effect if oxygen is largely excluded (e.g. via a mask).
Believe it or not – petroleum from which gasoline and half the above petroleum based chemicals are derived has the same effects.
But, you know – I can say it and say it and say it and publish the facts and where I found them – and our EPA and OSHA can still send people out into those oil covered spaces filled with toxic fumes – and what I’ve written or said doesn’t mean a damn thing.
What is shown on the news and seen around the world means absolutely nothing – if EPA and BP want to call the water clean and the air safe – then there is nothing that is capable of telling the truth and have it known – even though it denies the truth, the facts and even the photographs from the affected areas.
And, they are foisting it on an entire public community where those petroleum fumes will potentially deform the children in the wombs of the women there, will give years upon years of ill health to the families and children there being subjected to it and yield untold suffering to their spouses who have worked out in it without the simplest inexpensive breathing protections of a respirator offered by BP and at OSHA’s proper insistence.
It is the strangest nightmare that I don’t believe could ever happen in America but apparently it has happened a lot in America as we kiss the feet of these huge corporations who own us and own our nation and own our nation’s lands and resources and air and water.
There is no greater evil.
The only difference is the outside look of the gas chamber.
and that is evil – and this has more long-term suffering for hellish moments over the rest of the course of these lives and their consciousness and that of their families.
It is horrific.
– cricketdiane
But, you can’t tell ’em anything – not one solution that I’ve offered, not one fact, not one evidence of the truth – they don’t have anything to hold dear besides BP’s interests and BP’s money and the oil industry profits overall.
***
What if BP doesn’t get away with it and whatever supervisor at BP and the EPA who conducted those air and water tests whose results defy reality were fired and prosecuted?
And what if every product made by BP in any respect is left unsold around the world because the entire world knows what they’ve done to people exposing them to this toxic petroleum sewage while telling people lies about it being safe?
And what if every shareholder of BP stocks and bonds is held accountable for their full liability and the US taxpayer doesn’t pay one dime of it?
And what if everyone involved with BP including its financial backers are held accountable for the full measure of their civil, criminal, ethical and financial extended liabilities which could be required of them now rather than twenty or thirty years from now?
what if they didn’t get away with it.
What if they had to provide respirators for every single person in every community along the Gulf Coast and every single person going out anywhere in the Gulf of Mexico to work anywhere in it.
What if they had to provide a new place to live in another community with economic opportunities and safe air quality away from the Gulf of Mexico for every single town and community and family and child and woman and man who had been living there before this happened? What if BP had to pay to do that right now before those health risks make irreparable harms that require our nation to pay for those damages to people’s health and well-being.
What if they had to do that now?
What if they didn’t get away with it this time and get to keep their money for the next twenty years keeping it from the people they are currently harming?
***
what if every asset of BP Global and BP America and every subsidiary of BP were frozen and used to pay Shell Oil to come cap the damn well they can’t seem to get stopped. And pay for the real cleanup and protection of people in the areas of the Gulf Coast and have every last asset disposed of to pay out the real losses to families, towns, businesses, and the fishing and tourism industry losses along with others in the area starting right now today.
what if it is illegal to lie about a known health hazard to the people who will be permanently affected by it –
See what I found at the National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health
… nickel, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, toluene , and xylene. Total petroleum hydrocarbons is a term used to describe the several … Most exposure to crude oil is through total petroleum hydrocarbons and crude oil byproducts such as gasoline, oil …
toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/text_version/chemicals.php?id=73 – NLM Programs and Services
Lewander WJ, Aleguas A Jr. Petroleum distillates and plant hydrocarbons. In: Shannon MW, Borron SW, Burns MJ, eds. Haddad and Winchester’s Clinical Management of Poisoning and Drug Overdose . 4th ed. Philadelphia, …
Lewander WJ, Aleguas A Jr. Petroleum distillates and plant hydrocarbons. In: Shannon MW, Borron SW, Burns MJ, eds. Haddad and Winchester’s Clinical Management of Poisoning and Drug Overdose . 4th ed. Philadelphia, …
… contain oxygen and are synthesized from other chemicals. Hydrocarbon solvents contain hydrogen and are derived mainly from petroleum. Halogenated solvents contain one or more of the …
toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/text_version/chemicals.php?id=28 – NLM Programs and Services
Benzene is a clear, liquid, petroleum-based chemical that has a sweet smell. Benzene poisoning occurs when someone swallows, breathes in, or touches benzene. This is for …
Asphalt is a brownish-black liquid petroleum material that hardens when it cools. Asphalt cement poisoning occurs when someone swallows asphalt. This is for information only and not for …
… Journalists (WFSJ) competition and ‘Schools on Board’ programs. Hydrocarbon Energy from the Arctic: Holy Grail or Pipe … Abstracts The central Labrador margin is experiencing renewed hydrocarbon exploration interests; 008 land sales commit a minimum …
… SMOKE INHALATION OR EXP SMOKE SS 6 = 5 AND PETROLEUM OR 5 AND OILS SS 7 = (TW) OIL OR OILS OR PETROLEUM SS 8 = (TW) SMOKE OR BURNING OR ALL FIRE# SS … Al-Majed N. Exposure to particle-bound polyaromatic hydrocarbons in the Al-Mansoria residential area during the …
Classify works on radioactive pollution in WN 615; general works on industrial seawater pollution in WA 788; on pollution of bathing beaches in WA 820.
Following the 1962 publication of Rachel Carson’s landmark book Silent Spring, environmental toxicity captured the public’s attention as a primary health threat. Carson warned people about the deadly effects of chemical pollution and her book became the catalyst for federal laws banning DDT and other harmful chemicals. In 1970, the first Earth Day and the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency set the stage for a plethora of environmental legislation on both federal and state levels. Congress approved a series of sweeping legislative measures, including the Clean Air Act (1970), the Water Pollution Control Act (1972), and the Environmental Pesticide Control Act (1972), each designed to clean up hundreds of chemicals in the environment and preclude further irreparable damage.
Hazardous chemicals also took center stage for a number of international organizations in the 1970s and 1980s. The International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS), for example, was established in 1980 as a joint program of three cooperating organizations-the International Labor Organization, the United Nations Environmental Programme, and the World Health Organization-to carry out and disseminate evaluations of the risk to human health and the environment from exposure to chemicals. The IPCS evaluates the risk to human health and the environment from exposure to chemicals, provides an intergovernmental mechanism for chemical risk assessment and management, establishes the scientific basis for the safe use of chemicals, and strengthens national capabilities and capacities for chemical safety. Additionally, the IPCS designs promotional materials such as the three posters below, which illustrate the relationship between toxic chemicals, health, and the environment as part of their educational division.
This image, featuring two children playing in a stream, employs a common motif in public health posters — the photographs of children are used to evoke a feeling of responsibility or accountability in the viewer. The specific message is only conveyed clearly with the combination of image and text. The viewer is encouraged to read the poster in order to discover its meaning. Even the headline — “Let the world breathe” — is too general to communicate the central piece of advice: “Use chemicals with care to keep air fresh and water pure.” The poster encourages behavior modification by emphasizing the consequences of complacency, not for the viewer alone but for innocent children as well.
In 1961, Congress authorized President John F. Kennedy to designate the third week in March as the annual National Poison Prevention Week. The Poison Prevention Week Council was organized to coordinate this annual event and encourage local communities to raise awareness of the dangers of accidental poisoning and to take preventative measures as warranted. This IPCS poster is part of this tradition of accidental poisoning prevention. In the photograph, two children crouch beside a window, preparing to open a bottle of weed killer. One child looks back over her shoulder, evoking a sense of helplessness. The message is clearly and prominently presented above the photograph, “Children At Risk!” At the bottom of the poster, viewers are encouraged to “Store chemicals safely out of reach of children.
Since the 1950s, the WHO has supported research on the safe use of food additives and the evaluation of the carcinogenic hazards presented by imperceptible chemicals present in food at very low levels. Additives are non-nutritive substances added intentionally to food, generally in small quantities, to improve its appearance, flavor, texture, or storage properties. Imperceptible chemicals include a number of environmental contaminants that may get into food from packaging or residues from the use of solvents, veterinary drugs, or pesticides. This poster uses the same motif of the two posters above, featuring a photograph of children as symbolic motivation for responsible and accountable adult behavior. When combined with the textual message that, “Food additives and pesticides should be used with care,” the photo of the children, sharing an apple and an ice cream, is designed to encourage reflection on the part of the viewer. The headline, “Acceptable Daily Intake!” refers to the amount of a particular chemical found in food that, it is believed, can be safely consumed on a daily basis over a lifetime without harm. The ADI is widely used by organizations such as the WHO as a means of achieving some uniformity of approach in regulatory control. The ADI is designed to ensure that the actual human intake of a substance is well below toxic levels.
The posters below are part of a very different kind of public health campaign inspired by toxic chemicals. Created by the Texas Prevention Partnership (TPP), which was founded in 1990 by the Entertainment Industries Council and Harvey Weiss, the posters address the alarming trend of “huffing” — the inhaling of CFCs, Freon, household cleaning products, and other toxic chemicals for a quick high. At the time, inhalant abuse was gaining popularity at a staggering rate in the state of Texas and surrounding areas. Following a massive campaign that included the distribution of bilingual posters and radio and television public service announcements, Texas saw an immediate decline in the number of deaths from inhalant abuse, and between 1990 and 1994 there was a reduction of more than 32% in elementary school inhalant use and a reduction of about 20% at the high school level.This work inspired TPP to found and lead the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition.
This poster is part of a series that warns adolescents about the serious dangers of inhalants. The posters use black and white photographs of representatives from the target audience, a common motif in public health advertisements. The inhalant medium, such as correction fluid, markers, or spray paints, is symbolically used to whiteout, color, or coat the part of the body damaged by the fumes. In this dimly lighted photograph, for example, the adolescent boy is distinguished by a white spot on his sweatshirt, which symbolizes the accompanying admonition, “Sniffing correction fluid can stop your heart.” The caption at the bottom of the poster warns, “If you sniff to get high, you’re inhaling poisons that do definite damage. So stop. Before your heart does.”
The adolescent boy in this photograph is distinguished by the red magic marker scribbled on his forehead. The image works effectively as a visual representation of the textual message in the title, which warns plainly, “Sniffing markers destroys your brain.” Accompanied by the caption, “Sniffing stuff like spray paint or markers can cause brain damage, lung damage, even death,” the poster succinctly and symbolically expresses the risks associated with the inhalant.
Repeating the motif in the series, this image features an adolescent girl whose lungs are outlined with dripping orange paint. The title, “Sniffing spray paint destroys your lungs,” is accompanied by the warning designed to challenge the misguided notion that inhalants are harmless. The caption warns, “Sniffing stuff like markers or spray paint can kill you. The first time, the second time, even the hundredth time.”
This poster is part of a series designed to introduce parents to the problem of huffing. Employing an eye-catching graphic layout that contrasts black and white photography with bright colors, the central textual message is symbolically placed over the blocked-out nose of the model, informing the viewer, “We’d like to introduce you to the cocaine of the ’90s. Your child may already be familiar.” The picture caption informs the parent, “one in four kids has done it by seventh grade” and that “anytime these products are ‘huffed,’ they can kill.”
The title message in this poster, covering the eyes of the model, informs parents, “Unless you know what to look for, the signs of sniffing inhalants are almost invisible.” The blackened strip over the eyes in the photograph symbolizes how parents might be blind to the problem. The picture caption identifies signs and symptoms of inhaling chemical fumes, reminding parents that one of four kids has abused them by seventh grade. The viewer is advised to “face this problem with both eyes open.”
Also designed to inform parents, the self-referential message in this poster notifies the viewer, “This ad will tell you things about sniffing inhalants your child probably won’t.” The problem with ignoring or denying the extent of the risk is represented by the blackened out title over the mouth of the model. The picture caption informs the parent about the popularity of inhaling fumes and recommends calling the toll-free phone number or asking their child, because, “They may know more than they are telling.”
and breathing raw crude petroleum fumes – will all yield the same results – and ya’ll were worried about terrorists dumping poison chemicals and whether you ate organic food or not – pesticides are made from the petroleum BP brings out of the ground and sea.
Huh – what about that? who’d a thought it might be a problem?
Just eat healthy, don’t smoke, go to church and work for BP sniffing gas fumes from petroleum.
– cricketdiane
By the way – why do we even have a surgeon general and national institutes of health if in the midst of the largest crude oil spill in the history of the planet and the largest poisoning of air and waters along a massive stretch of the United States – they don’t mention that the shit is dangerous?
Damn.
***
Air Pollution
During the 1960s, environmental issues began moving to the forefront of the policy-making agenda. Responding to scientific studies linking air pollution to health issues, public opinion moved Congress into action. Starting with the Clean Air Act of 1963, Congress began funding research programs on air quality problems. In 1967, the Air Quality Control Act established a system for defining standards that limited emissions, setting the stage for a larger federal role in air quality management. The Clean Air Act of 1970 allowed the newly created Environmental Protection Agency to set and enforce national air quality standards. Twice amended in 1977 and 1990, it has become one of the most complex and ambitious pieces of federal legislation dealing with any environmental issue. Its primary goal is the protection of public health from pollutants that find their way into the atmosphere. The American Lung Association (ALA), the oldest voluntary health organization in the United States, created the posters below as part of a series of broad campaigns against the health effects of air pollution. Originally founded in 1904 to fight tuberculosis, the ALA today fights lung disease in all its forms. The ALA still creates a number of extensive poster campaigns targeting environmental health, asthma, and tobacco control.
These 1977 posters illustrate two common techniques in public health advertisements: 1) using a simple photograph of a child to appeal to the adult viewer’s sense of accountability; and 2) changing the photograph and content of the poster while preserving the basic style and layout, frequently in an attempt to make a connection with different segments of the viewing population. Without reading the text, these posters featuring photographs of smiling children might address any number of topics. This is part of the attempt to catch the interest of viewers and encourage them to read the text. The message in the headline introduces the issue of air pollution and speaks to the viewer in first person plural in order to create the sense that “we’re all in this together.” The uncertain smile on the boy in the poster on the left reflects the positive but generalized message that people should do their part to fight air pollution and that their Lung Association is there to support them. The hopeful smile of the child in the poster on the right is combined with the expectation of compliance in the text. While the headline-“We all share the same air”-could reflect a message of general accountability similar to the first poster, the caption beneath the photograph targets the smoker by thanking them “for not smoking.” Even here, however, the language is suggestive and encouraging rather than domineering or condescending.
The American Lung Association created this idyllic illustrated poster as part of their environmental health education program in the 1980s. The ALA has been one of the leading public advocates for clean air and pollution control, while serving as a chief source of information and public education on the health hazards of air pollution. This illustration identifies pollution generated by factories, homes, landfills, vehicles, and individuals, with the headline reminding us that this is all part of “The Air We Breathe.” The poster offers a cautionary tale about interconnectivity, demonstrating that alongside polluting activities children can be found playing, a man fishing, livestock grazing, and people camping.
In 1985, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that toxic chemicals found in the air of almost every American home are three times more likely to cause some type of cancer than outdoor pollutants. Two years later, the Indoor Air Quality Act of 1987 was first introduced to Congress to address the pervasive problem of indoor air pollution. A number of indoor air problems were concurrently associated with “sick building syndrome”-a term used to describe situations in which building occupants experience acute health and comfort effects that appear to be linked to time spent in a building, but with no specific illness or cause identified. This poster from the ALA responds to these problems by using an anatomical illustration of “How Indoor Air Pollutants Affect the Body.” By diagramming the physiological effects of specific chemicals, this poster, funded by industrial giant Honeywell Incorporated, functions as an important educational and diagnostic tool for employers and employees alike. The anatomical imagery is used to demonstrate how the unsuspecting person can be affected by exposure to airborne pollutants. This lends a degree of scientific authority to the information provided.
Crude oil is an oily liquid found in underground reservoirs that is extracted and used to make fuel and other petroleum products.
What is crude oil?
Crude oil is a dark yellow-to-black oily liquid that is usually found in natural underground reservoirs. It was formed when the remains of animals and plants from millions of years ago were covered by layers of sand. Heat and pressure from these layers turned the remains into crude oil. This process is why crude oil is called a fossil fuel. Crude oil is extracted and used to make fuel and other petroleum products.
Crude oil is a mixture of a wide variety of constituents. It consists primarily of hydrocarbons, which are chemicals composed of hydrogen and carbon. Crude oil also contains hundreds of substances that include benzene, chromium, iron, mercury, nickel, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, toluene, and xylene. Total petroleum hydrocarbons is a term used to describe the several hundred chemical compounds that originally come from crude oil.
There are four types of crude oil:
Class A: Light, Volatile Oils: These oils are highly fluid and highly toxic to humans, and include jet fuel and gasoline.
Class B: Non-Sticky Oils: These oils are waxy and less toxic to humans, and include diesel fuel and light crude oil.
Class C: Heavy, Sticky Oils: These oils are brown or black and sticky or tarry, and include most crude oils. Their toxicity is low, but if spilled, their impacts on waterfowl and wildlife can be severe.
Class D: Non-Fluid Oils: These oils are non-toxic and include heavy crude oils. They are difficult to clean up, and if spilled, their impacts on waterfowl and wildlife can be severe.
Crude oil is refined to produce gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, residential fuel oil, kerosene, liquefied petroleum gases such as propane and other sources of energy to produce heat or electric power. It is also used to make lubricants, waxes, ink, crayons, eyeglasses, tires, CDs and DVDs, ammonia, dishwashing liquid, and some health and personal care products. The United States is the third top crude oil-producing country, after Russia and Saudi Arabia.
How might I be exposed to crude oil?
You can be exposed to crude oil if you live near an oil refinery or if there is an oil spill or leak nearby. You can be exposed if you eat contaminated seafood. Most exposure to crude oil is through total petroleum hydrocarbons and crude oil byproducts such as gasoline, oil products, heating sources, or consumer products. Everyone is exposed to total petroleum hydrocarbons from many sources.
You may be exposed to crude oil from an oil spill through tarballs at a beach or shoreline. Winds and waves can tear patches of spilled oil into smaller pieces called tarballs. Tarballs are small pieces of oil that are remnants of oil spills and can stick to rocks, sand, or marine animals. Oil contaminants may stick to the fur of pets, who can transfer the contamination to people.
You can be exposed to crude oil if you work in an oil refinery, on an oil drilling rig, or on an offshore oil facility. Exposure at work can occur through contact with the skin, ingestion, or breathing crude oil liquid, drops, or fumes.
How can crude oil affect my health?
Exposure to crude oil may irritate the eyes, skin, and respiratory system. It may cause dizziness, rapid heart rate, headaches, confusion, and anemia. Prolonged skin contact with crude oil may cause skin reddening, edema, and burning of the skin.
If you are exposed to burning crude oil, you may be exposed to high levels of particulate matter and may experience the health effects of particulate matter. Exposure to burning crude oil may harm the passages of the nose, airways, and lungs. It may cause shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, coughing, itching, red or watery eyes, and black mucous.
Handling tarballs may cause an allergic skin reaction or skin rashes.
If you think your health has been affected by exposure to crude oil, contact your health care professional.
For poisoning emergencies or questions about possible poisons, contact your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. Web Links from MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine) Hazardous Waste
Exposure to crude oil may irritate the eyes, skin, and respiratory system. It may cause dizziness, rapid heart rate, headaches, confusion, and anemia. Prolonged skin contact with crude oil may cause skin reddening, edema, and burning of the skin.
If you are exposed to burning crude oil, you may be exposed to high levels of particulate matter and may experience the health effects of particulate matter. Exposure to burning crude oil may harm the passages of the nose, airways, and lungs. It may cause shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, coughing, itching, red or watery eyes, and black mucous.
Handling tarballs may cause an allergic skin reaction or skin rashes.
If you think your health has been affected by exposure to crude oil, contact your health care professional.
For poisoning emergencies or questions about possible poisons, contact your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222.
(from above)
***
CONCLUSION: Air environment polluted due to crude oil spill into sea water caused impaired lung function and this impairment was associated with dose response effect of duration of exposure to air polluted by crude oil spill into sea water.
BACKGROUND, AIM AND SCOPE: The volatile organic compounds Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and Xylene (BTEX) are commonly found in petroleum derivatives and, at relatively high levels, can be associated with human health risks. Due to industrial activities, accidental petroleum spills are the main route of soil and groundwater contamination.
The volatile organic compounds Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and Xylene (BTEX) indoor exposure can occur through three principal pathways: inhalation, ingestion and dermal absorption.
The Office of the Director (OD)
The Office of the Director is the central office at NIH for its 27 Institutes and Centers. The OD is responsible for setting policy for NIH and for planning, managing, and coordinating the programs and activities of all the NIH components. OD’s program offices include the Office of AIDS Research and the Office of Research on Women’s Health, among others. more >
NIH Institutes
National Cancer Institute (NCI) – Est. 1937
NCI leads a national effort to eliminate the suffering and death due to cancer. Through basic and clinical biomedical research and training, NCI conducts and supports research that will lead to a future in which we can prevent cancer before it starts, identify cancers that do develop at the earliest stage, eliminate cancers through innovative treatment interventions, and biologically control those cancers that we cannot eliminate so they become manageable, chronic diseases. more >
National Eye Institute (NEI) – Est. 1968
NEI conducts and supports research that helps prevent and treat eye diseases and other disorders of vision. This research leads to sight-saving treatments, reduces visual impairment and blindness, and improves the quality of life for people of all ages. NEI-supported research has advanced our knowledge of how the eye functions in health and disease. more >
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) – Est. 1948
NHLBI provides leadership for a national program in diseases of the heart, blood vessels, lung, and blood; blood resources; and sleep disorders. Since October 1997, the NHLBI has also had administrative responsibility for the NIH Woman’s Health Initiative. The Institute plans, conducts, fosters, and supports an integrated and coordinated program of basic research, clinical investigations and trials, observational studies, and demonstration and education projects. more >
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) – Est. 1989
NHGRI is devoted to advancing health through genome research. The Institute led NIH’s contribution to the Human Genome Project, which was successfully completed in 2003 ahead of schedule and under budget. Building on the foundation laid by the sequencing of the human genome, NHGRI’s work now encompasses a broad range of research aimed at expanding understanding of human biology and improving human health. In addition, a critical part of NHGRI’s mission continues to be the study of the ethical, legal and social implications of genome research. more >
National Institute on Aging (NIA) – Est. 1974
NIA leads a national program of research on the biomedical, social, and behavioral aspects of the aging process; the prevention of age-related diseases and disabilities; and the promotion of a better quality of life for all older Americans. more >
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) – Est. 1970
NIAAA conducts research focused on improving the treatment and prevention of alcoholism and alcohol-related problems to reduce the enormous health, social, and economic consequences of this disease. more >
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) – Est. 1948
NIAID research strives to understand, treat, and ultimately prevent the myriad infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases that threaten millions of human lives. more >
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) – Est. 1986
NIAMS supports research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases, the training of basic and clinical scientists to carry out this research, and the dissemination of information on research progress in these diseases. more >
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) – Est. 2000
NIBIB improves health by promoting fundamental discoveries, design and development, and translation and assessment of technological capabilities in biomedical imaging and bioengineering, enabled by relevant areas of information science, physics, chemistry, mathematics, materials science, and computer sciences. more >
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) – Est. 1988
NIDCD conducts and supports biomedical research and research training on normal mechanisms as well as diseases and disorders of hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, and language that affect 46 million Americans. more >
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) – Est. 1948
NIDCR provides leadership for a national research program designed to understand, treat, and ultimately prevent the infectious and inherited craniofacial-oral-dental diseases and disorders that compromise millions of human lives. more >
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) – Est. 1950
NIDDK conducts and supports basic and applied research and provides leadership for a national program in diabetes, endocrinology, and metabolic diseases; digestive diseases and nutrition; and kidney, urologic, and hematologic diseases. Several of these diseases are among the leading causes of disability and death; all seriously affect the quality of life of those who have them. more >
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) – Est. 1973
NIDA leads the nation in bringing the power of science to bear on drug abuse and addiction through support and conduct of research across a broad range of disciplines and rapid and effective dissemination of results of that research to improve drug abuse and addiction prevention, treatment, and policy. more >
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) – Est. 1969
NIEHS reduces the burden of human illness and dysfunction from environmental causes by, defining how environmental exposures, genetic susceptibility, and age interact to affect an individual’s health. more >
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) – Est. 1962
NIGMS supports basic biomedical research that is not targeted to specific diseases. NIGMS funds studies on genes, proteins, and cells, as well as on fundamental processes like communication within and between cells, how our bodies use energy, and how we respond to medicines. The results of this research increase our understanding of life and lay the foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. NIGMS also supports research training programs that produce the next generation of biomedical scientists, and it has special programs to encourage underrepresented minorities to pursue biomedical research careers. more >
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) – Est. 1949
NIMH provides national leadership dedicated to understanding, treating, and preventing mental illnesses through basic research on the brain and behavior, and through clinical, epidemiological, and services research. more >
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) – Est. 1950
The mission of the NINDS is to reduce the burden of neurological diseases — a burden borne by every age group, every segment of society, and people all over the world. To accomplish this goal the NINDS supports and conducts research, both basic and clinical, on the normal and diseased nervous system, fosters the training of investigators in the basic and clinical neurosciences, and seeks better understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of neurological disorders. more >
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) – Est. 1986
NINR supports clinical and basic research to establish a scientific basis for the care of individuals across the life span–from the management of patients during illness and recovery to the reduction of risks for disease and disability; the promotion of healthy lifestyles; the promotion of quality of life in those with chronic illness; and the care for individuals at the end of life. This research may also include families within a community context, and it also focuses on the special needs of at-risk and under-served populations, with an emphasis on health disparities. more >
National Library of Medicine (NLM) – Est. 1956
NLM collects, organizes, and makes available biomedical science information to scientists, health professionals, and the public. The Library’s Web-based databases, including PubMed/Medline and MedlinePlus, are used extensively around the world. NLM conducts and supports research in biomedical communications; creates information resources for molecular biology, biotechnology, toxicology, and environmental health; and provides grant and contract support for training, medical library resources, and biomedical informatics and communications research. more >
NIH Centers
Center for Information Technology (CIT formerly DCRT, OIRM, TCB) – Est. in 1964
CIT incorporates the power of modern computers into the biomedical programs and administrative procedures of the NIH by focusing on three primary activities: conducting-computational biosciences research, developing computer systems, and providing computer facilities. more >
Center for Scientific Review (CSR) – Est. in 1946
CSR is the focal point at NIH for the conduct of initial peer review, the foundation of the NIH grant and award process. The Center carries out peer review of the majority of research and research training applications submitted to the NIH. In addition, the Center serves as the central receipt point for all such Public Health Service (PHS) applications and makes referrals to scientific review groups for scientific and technical merit review of applications and to funding components for potential award. To this end, the Center develops and implements innovative, flexible ways to conduct referral and review for all aspects of science. more >
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) – Est. in 1999
NCCAM is dedicated to exploring complementary and alternative medical (CAM) practices in the context of rigorous science; training CAM researchers and disseminating authoritative information. more >
National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD) – Est. in 1993
The mission of NCMHD is to promote minority health and to lead, coordinate, support, and assess the NIH effort to reduce and ultimately eliminate health disparities. In this effort NCMHD will conduct and support basic, clinical, social, and behavioral research, promote research infrastructure and training, foster emerging programs, disseminate information, and reach out to minority and other health disparity communities. more >
National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) – Est. in 1962
NCRR provides laboratory scientists and clinical researchers with the environments and tools they need to understand, detect, treat, and prevent a wide range of diseases. With this support, scientists make biomedical discoveries, translate these findings to animal-based studies, and then apply them to patient-orientated research. more >
NIH Clinical Center (CC) – Est. in 1953
CC is the clinical research facility of the National Institutes of Health. As a national resource, it provides the patient care, services, and environment needed to initiate and support the highest quality conduct of and training in clinical research. more >
Wonder what it might be if its true that 70,000 barrels a day or more actually came from that well over the course of 43 days?
Hmmmm…… – how many tonnes is that?
42 gallons per barrel
or
7.33 barrels of oil per metric ton (US)
x 43 days
And is BP still using 5,000 barrels to decide how many parts per billion of petroleum oil / crude oil / hydrocarbons are being measured at the water where the oil is gushing out into the Gulf of Mexico? Is that how BP is able to measure clean water there?
Yep – bet so.
– cricketdiane
HMMMM.
how is it the math team arrived at 12,000 – 19,000 barrels a day?
Hmmmm….
how much were they influenced by what that would mean when BP has to pay a fine per gallon? or per barrel? or per day per barrel?
they ought to determine those volumes based on the square mileage where the slick has been covering over the course of various days in expansiveness and the three-dimensional volumes that have been located with the addition of known quantities emanating from video using mechanical mathematics and equations for volume estimations as the professor from Purdue used – now that all the video feeds and archives from the very beginning of the oil gushers (three or more of them) have been made available. And then dump the BP executives in the dead marshes and see if they find any oil there to add to the calculations – just on general principles.
– cricketdiane, 06-02-10
Oh wait, that’s right – the National Institutes of Health are busy worrying about where they can get us to stop having such fat butts – they can’t be bothered with fumes from petroleum poisoning mass numbers of people and killing animals and birds and causing health damages to the unborn and the new born and the children and the families along the Gulf Coast – they have more important things to do like taxing the sugar in our colas so we’ll stop drinking the stuff like that which is so bad for our health and making us fat.
Yep, that’s the important thing.
***
Its just a little oil in a big ocean like Tony Hayward explained to us and there’s no oil plumes under the surface of the sea and no fumes that require respirators or masks and the toxic dispersants COREXIT products aren’t toxic and there aren’t more than a couple birds with a little oil on their wings. And what’s a cup of oil on the beach or in a marsh somewhere.
Even Dougie Suttles of BP says there is no evidence of crude oil in any serious measure in the water samples at the place in the ocean where their pipes are blowing out oil like the clouds of a volcano explosively covering tens of thousands of gallons a day and maybe more for forty three days – but none of that shows up in their tests – so it isn’t there.
– and even OSHA and the EPA agree with BP and say there is no need to have protection from the chemicals of the petroleum in the air and in the water – because their tests show there aren’t any chemicals in the air or the water just like BP said and no danger to any workers with their faces down in the grasses covered in crude oil in the marshes of Louisiana wiping them off with paper towels.
Now, let’s see – I’m crazy and poor and don’t have a college degree and am certified mentally delusional. And they live on top of the world with the finest of everything and make millions upon millions of dollars personally every single year with education from the finest colleges and universities in the world. And everybody agrees with them and cowers before them and hovers on their every word as if it is from the very word of God and everybody in our government agencies supposed to protect us – including the EPA and OSHA and MMS and the Department of the Interior, and the Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health and the CDC agree with them. So, I must be wrong and I must be delusional and I must be just having another crazy episode thinking I know any thing about it. They are rich and well-received. I am not. They have everything. I own nothing. They are considered sane. I’m not.
So, they must be right – except that they’re not. And they keep being proven wrong. And they keep being proven to be liars. And they keep doing things that are endangering people. And, there really are over 500 birds dead and over 244 sea turtles dead, and many other animals,, fish and birds dead and dying. And people have been killed by them – eleven this time, fifteen another time – and I don’t know how many more – but people are getting sick from it now and some of them will also die and some miscarriages will happen because of breathing the vapors from the petroleum and dispersant and being exposed to it in the air and when their husbands come home from work with it on them and more and more people working in it will have permanent damage from it.
But, what could I possibly know.
– cricketdiane
***
And I never even thought to cheat, steal and con people out of millions and billions of dollars like Goldman Sachs and Lehman and AIG and Citigroup and Bank of America and hedge funds and Bernie Madoff. What could I possibly have worthy of respect when they have been given respect even after people have known what they did and suffered those losses personally and collectively?
June 1, 2010 – EPA official information about the oil spill findings –
Air Data >>
EPA’s air monitoring conducted through May 30, 2010, has found that air quality levels for ozone and particulates are normal on the Gulf coastline for this time of year.
EPA has observed odor-causing pollutants associated with petroleum products along the coastline at low levels. Some of these chemicals may cause short-lived effects like headache, eye, nose and throat irritation, or nausea. People may be able to smell some of these chemicals at levels well below those that would cause short-term health problems.
Water Data >>
Most of the water samples collected May 20 through 26, 2010 along the Gulf coast did not reveal elevated levels of chemicals usually found in oil.
One sample, collected May 21 along the coast of Louisiana, found nickel, a chemical associated with oil. This sample exceeded long-term water quality benchmarks. At these levels nickel may cause risk to aquatic life.
Sediment
Sediment Data >>
The sediment samples collected through May 16, 2010 along the Gulf coast did not reveal elevated levels of chemicals usually found in oil.
Gulf of Mexico oil spill – EPA and British Petroleum water quality tests show no sign of crude oil – petroleum – dangerous chemicals – or chemicals found in crude oil – June 1, 2010 – EPA says this is clean water without chemical hazards – no danger – no fumes from petroleum / gasoline smelling fumes – nothing here of danger
Oil plume and pollutants coming from BP well pipes in the Gulf of Mexico –
The information about COREXIT from its safety hazard sheet – appears below the satellite photos – but here is the links for it – in several places it says to use respiratory protection – and chemical splash goggles over eyes and to wear protective clothing –
This one that goes with every bottle or barrel of the product and to all personnel at the BP corporation involved in its use – and the EPA and the local authorities are supposed to have including the fishermen going out into those areas – (get it, print it, save it into your computer – and read the whole thing because some is more insistent on into the document about safety.)
COREXIT 9500 safety and hazards sheet – official document with product –
The petroleum – oil – hydrocarbons – crude oil that BP and their lapdogs – the US EPA says isn’t there – (nothing but clean water as far as their tests showed)
Gulf of Mexico polluted water from the crude oil exploding into the waters for 43 days that the US EPA says isn't there and BP can't find scientific evidence of existing there - not even at their well pipes where it is gushing out 70,000 barrels per day for 43 days
(from an AP photo and source – forgive me not posting that part – don’t shoot me – it really is important to put it in the context of EPA testing that proves to them it isn’t there.)
***
My NOTE –
See they have these maps from the satellite in the command center – but they are using the incident response map for planning and placements of their resources and it uses the oil spill location from the day before – along with information that is clearly left off of it –
Hancock County Emergency Operations Director Brian Adam at the EOC (Emergency Operations Center in Waveland, MS. 25 May 2010
And then I heightened the contrast and it gives this – from today’s image – May 31, 2010 (from MODIS / NOAA / NASA false color satellite image of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill – it is only using information that is already there – )
NOAA / NASA / MODIS false color image from satellite photo – May 31, 2010 – t1.10151.USA7.721.2000m – May 31 – 2010 – false color with high contrast – 2 – Gulf of Mexico oil spill
Gee – let’s see how close is that for planning an operation – about as good as throwing horseshoes – or maybe not as good as trying to hit the broad side of a barn with hand grenade from a mile away . . .
– cricketdiane
That screw up with the maps being used to place response assets – starts to give some answer as to why the incident command group has been consistently wrong about placing those assets on a large scale, but mostly too consistently wrong. It is the old “garbage in – garbage out” thing at play.
Without the information on the incident response mapping and the information of the spill parameters accurately conveyed from today’s satellite image – there is obviously the same sense they would have that nothing beyond what they are seeing there exists.
And, then they would keep thinking what a fine job they are doing even as the maps which show their markings of placed boom are failing to reflect the fact that the booms aren’t working, their flimsiness allows the oil to circumvent them, the winds and real world wave conditions are breaking them and driving them up on the grasses or beaches where they aren’t protecting anything, and similar crap.
Along with the fact that – landfall areas known to be heavily coated with oil including the marsh areas – are not on their maps – so they don’t exist. They would think that they are keeping the oil out in the sea far away from the land. And, unless they went far out of their way to find the lists and reports (which aren’t even complete for all the animals that have died) about the animals and birds being recovered dead – they wouldn’t even know that those animals have died from the oil and from the dispersants.
The command center decision-makers also wouldn’t be hitting today’s targets. And, they don’t have the oil plumes that have been logged under the water – so those wouldn’t exist in their little isolated, clean, air-conditioned, wonderland environment either.
Wonder how it is over where the architects of solutions to cap the well have been working. Maybe that would explain a whole lot, too. It might be worth finding out the information they are getting and whether they have chemical engineers on board with the other team assets or if its just a whole bunch of petroleum engineers whose background is mechanical engineering.
Hmmmm….
– cricketdiane
My Note –
I would say that when anything is in the water that kills the animals in that water – there is a water quality standard infraction of significance. That is what we have in the Gulf of Mexico and in the marshes where all the animals are dead and along the shores where to walk with bare feet on the sand or wade into the water with bare feet walks back out again with raw crude oil on the skin and where animals and birds are washing up dead.
That is a definite legal definition of the evidence factually based in reality – that the water quality is amiss and has been seriously denigrated.
That and the fact that hundreds of thousands of barrels at 42 gallons per barrel of oil / petroleum / crude oil / “hydrocarbons” have poured into the Gulf of Mexico every single hour of every single day for 42 – now 43 days.
I’d say that makes it a dead given that there is a problem of significance –
You can’t drink petroleum crude oil safely, you can’t swim in petroleum crude oil safely, you can’t sniff its fumes safely whether it is gasoline fumes or crude oil fumes and you can’t find animals living healthy lives in it.
Those things make it evident that the waters of the Gulf of Mexico are polluted with crude oil / petroleum and oil dispersants also known to be toxic and for the EPA to state that there is no evidence of it in their tests – air, water and sediments – is contrary to good science, contrary to truthfulness, contrary to the public good, contrary to conscientious scientific inquiry and contrary to their legally mandated mission.
– cricketdiane
***
I think maybe it would be good to start another post – but maybe not –
let me see –
I went through about three pages to get to this – but here just this one –
The following elements must be included in each State’s water quality standards submitted to EPA for review:
(a) Use designations consistent with the provisions of sections 101(a)(2) and 303(c)(2) of the Act.
(b) Methods used and analyses conducted to support water quality standards revisions.
(c) Water quality criteria sufficient to protect the designated uses.
(d) An antidegradation policy consistent with §131.12.
(e) Certification by the State Attorney General or other appropriate legal authority within the State that the water quality standards were duly adopted pursuant to State law.
(f) General information which will aid the Agency in determining the adequacy of the scientific basis of the standards which do not include the uses specified in section 101(a)(2) of the Act as well as information on general policies applicable to State standards which may affect their application and implementation.
(a) Where disputes between States and Indian Tribes arise as a result of differing water quality standards on common bodies of water, the lead EPA Regional Administrator, as determined based upon OMB circular A–105, shall be responsible for acting in accordance with the provisions of this section.
(b) The Regional Administrator shall attempt to resolve such disputes where:
(1) The difference in water quality standards results in unreasonable consequences;
EPA is revising the current aquatic life criteria for lead, silver, and selenium, re-evaluating the current aquatic life criteria for ammonia, and developing new aquatic life criteria for atrazine.
Which offers this – and it is a lie – their own documents in the bowels of the EPA say otherwise – so they have to know it is a lie – whose side are they on?
Air Data >>
EPA’s air monitoring conducted through May 30, 2010, has found that air quality levels for ozone and particulates are normal on the Gulf coastline for this time of year.
EPA has observed odor-causing pollutants associated with petroleum products along the coastline at low levels. Some of these chemicals may cause short-lived effects like headache, eye, nose and throat irritation, or nausea. People may be able to smell some of these chemicals at levels well below those that would cause short-term health problems.
**
That is a lie and they have information on their data and that of other databanks that prove it, my note.
And this one isn’t even possible –
Water Data >>
Most of the water samples collected May 20 through 26, 2010 along the Gulf coast did not reveal elevated levels of chemicals usually found in oil.
One sample, collected May 21 along the coast of Louisiana, found nickel, a chemical associated with oil. This sample exceeded long-term water quality benchmarks. At these levels nickel may cause risk to aquatic life.
This is worse than being in the Cold War era Soviet Union -for the level of lies – lowballing the problems, mistruths, misguiding and misleading facts that deny the facts available in reality anywhere and the intentional misdirection and misleading information being offered through official but persuaded by BP corporate interests and BP websites –
– cricketdiane
***
petroleum oil hydrocarbons pouring into the Gulf of Mexico from one of several leaks running for 43 days from the BP Deepwater Horizon well polluting the Gulf of Mexico waters and air - EPA and BP say there is no health hazards - their samples show clean water - clean air - clean sediments even where it is coming out of the well under the sea -
You know, if it didn’t matter – I wouldn’t even care. But look up gasoline sniffing – look up petroleum or hydrocarbons or any of the dispersant products they are using or any labeling on any product with petroleum in it – or any of the numbers of photos and videos from the area – there is no way that water is clean.
Why are they testing for ozone anyway – that isn’t the poison in the air where the air is filled with petroleum / gasoline fumes that is going to kill people.
And this one –
Sediment
Sediment Data >>
The sediment samples collected through May 16, 2010 along the Gulf coast did not reveal elevated levels of chemicals usually found in oil.
Were they taking samples in the only clean three feet square of land along the coast that clearly didn’t have anything but new sand that was brought in – or what?
oil - petroleum - crude oil - hydrocarbons in the Gulf of Mexico that EPA says is clean of any contaminants in their tests as of June 1, 2010
My Note –
I so want to email those people at the incident command center and deepwater horizon response group inquire page – and say –
“do you understand that we’ve seen pictures of the crude oil in the ocean water, in the marshes and on the beaches?”
“do you know that we can read?”
“do you understand that people and resources all over the world know beyond a shadow of doubt that it is dangerous to sniff gasoline and hence petroleum fumes?”
“do you think the people in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and throughout the United States are that stupid?”
“do you know that there are documents throughout our government agencies, science resources, chemistry resources and international resources and agencies that evidence the fact that the EPA tests and BP tests on air quality, water quality, sediment quality and oil in the area not being there, not being dangerous, not being there in quantities – are lies?”
“And, that we’ve seen the photos and evidently these monitoring tests being done are obvious lies as well that everyone can see across the United States and throughout the World – do you know that yet?”
– cricketdiane
***
doing a search for the clean air act – sections listed above –
Clean Air Act 101(a)(2) and 303(c)(2)
– that should be Clean Water Act – wait maybe its both –
*(((*
oil - petroleum - crude oil - hydrocarbons early in the oil spill from BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill (probably AP photo) - EPA and BP say there is no contamination of oil in the ocean water - their samples show safe, clean water and air as of June 1, 2010
(quickly bringing forward the EPA official results today online – )
From here – on the right hand side square listing – toward bottom of page
EPA tested this air as clean and no different than usual particulate matter in the Gulf of Mexico - from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and in situ controlled burning over 43 days
June 1, 2010 – EPA official information about the oil spill findings –
Air Data >>
EPA’s air monitoring conducted through May 30, 2010, has found that air quality levels for ozone and particulates are normal on the Gulf coastline for this time of year.
EPA has observed odor-causing pollutants associated with petroleum products along the coastline at low levels. Some of these chemicals may cause short-lived effects like headache, eye, nose and throat irritation, or nausea. People may be able to smell some of these chemicals at levels well below those that would cause short-term health problems.
Water Data >>
Most of the water samples collected May 20 through 26, 2010 along the Gulf coast did not reveal elevated levels of chemicals usually found in oil.
One sample, collected May 21 along the coast of Louisiana, found nickel, a chemical associated with oil. This sample exceeded long-term water quality benchmarks. At these levels nickel may cause risk to aquatic life.
Sediment
Sediment Data >>
The sediment samples collected through May 16, 2010 along the Gulf coast did not reveal elevated levels of chemicals usually found in oil.
Oil plume and pollutants coming from BP well pipes in the Gulf of Mexico -
***
So, they are using the maps from the day before to plan response placements and the places where the oil has taken over marshes and coasts aren’t on the incident response map – neither are the oil plumes that have been documented. And, they have BP samples monitoring the oil coming out of the well pipes area that they say are evidence that it isn’t enough crude oil to do anything – some parts per billion in their science. And the EPA working with BP claims there is no samples being taken that have petroleum crude oil nor petroleum products in the air, water and sediment samples. And, they say people who are smelling the fumes from the petroleum crude oil or are getting sick from them, don’t know what they are talking about because they have no evidence in their samples of any of those things.
Now, that is heinous and in defiance of federal statutes –
Water Data >>
Most of the water samples collected May 20 through 26, 2010 along the Gulf coast did not reveal elevated levels of chemicals usually found in oil.
One sample, collected May 21 along the coast of Louisiana, found nickel, a chemical associated with oil. This sample exceeded long-term water quality benchmarks. At these levels nickel may cause risk to aquatic life.
louisiana-oil-spill_100406 - This is what the EPA says is clean water with no evidence of petroleum or crude oil or petroleum chemicals in it according to their tests - from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill - June 1, 2010
Gulf of Mexico oil spill - EPA and British Petroleum water quality tests show no sign of crude oil - petroleum - dangerous chemicals - or chemicals found in crude oil - June 1, 2010 - EPA says this is clean water without chemical hazards - no danger - no fumes from petroleum / gasoline smelling fumes - nothing here of danger
Water Data >>
Most of the water samples collected May 20 through 26, 2010 along the Gulf coast did not reveal elevated levels of chemicals usually found in oil.
One sample, collected May 21 along the coast of Louisiana, found nickel, a chemical associated with oil. This sample exceeded long-term water quality benchmarks. At these levels nickel may cause risk to aquatic life.
Sediment
Sediment Data >>
The sediment samples collected through May 16, 2010 along the Gulf coast did not reveal elevated levels of chemicals usually found in oil.
crude oil - petroleum - hydrocarbons filling the Gulf of Mexico ocean water thick and soupy along with thousands of miles of oil slicks and deepwater plumes - but EPA says water is clean with no signs of petroleum or petroleum chemicals - (probably AP photo)
***
My Note –
found this and I just had to put it here – very interesting and so true –
(and according to CNN news – now they have people without respirators or any breathing protection whatsoever leaning over into crude oil syrupy marsh grasses covered in petroleum with their faces right up next to it using paper towels to get the oil off the grasses – it is insane and dangerous, too.)
Interesting juxtaposition of the Bush and Obama speeches – and a number of other nuggets! BP – “bad and pathetic” – thanks Garland!
Read his nots here:
14 Scary Truths about the BP Oil Leak
1. After Katrina, President Bush promised the Federal Government would not rest until all the wrongs had been made right. After the oil spill in the Gulf President Obama promised the same thing, using almost the exact same words. (But they promised, and the President of the United States is the most powerful position on the planet, right?)
2. BP may have purposely chosen not to do a final test that might have averted this catastrophe. (Minerals Management Service would’ve protected us from that, right?)
3. Halliburton might have left out a seal in the pipe that would’ve avoided the catastrophe. (Again, MMS protects us from that, right?)
4. The test BP chose NOT to conduct might have revealed the missing seal. (If BP made that pathetic choice – MMS still would’ve protected us from harm, right?)
5. BP said they are liable, but increasingly you can hear them now point responsibility to the contractor and rig owners. (But, MMS knows the truth, right?)
6. BP knowingly used dispersants banned in England with the blessing of the EPA. (But the Environmental Protection Agency protects us from harm, right?)
7. Some news agencies are reporting that BP has financial connections to the company that sells the dispersant. The claims are that the dispersant company’s leadership includes executives from BP and Exxon. (No conflict there, right? Nobody could have their suspicions aroused by that, right?)
8. BP didn’t reveal all the videos of the spewing oil. (But Secretary of the Interior makes sure there’s transparency, right?)
9. BP refused to allow scientists to measure the amount of oil flowing into the Gulf, all the while saying it was about 5,000 barrels a day. Yesterday (5/20/10) they finally admitted that was wrong. Yesterday a Purdue University scientist told a Congressional committee that his estimates are between 75,000 to 115,000 barrels a day. If he’s right, this spill would be the second largest in the world. (But National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has us covered there, right?)
10. Representatives from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration say…”Now is a time for awareness and preparation, not overreaction.” (They’re telling us not to overreact, when they don’t know how much is spilling into the Gulf?)
11. Some suggest there’s a conflict of interest in oil-slick testing. L.A.B.’s clients include BP. (But, the Energy Department has our backs there, right?)
12. The Coast Guard and BP representatives threatened to jail a CBS-TV crew if they filmed the oil spill. That report went nationwide…and worldwide on you tube. (But the justice department insures freedom of the press, right?)
13. We’re begging Congress to give us 37.5% of our oil reserves now, while for decades five other states get 50%. Incidentally, we’re not scheduled to get that 37% until 2017. After the blood and tears of Katrina they gave us the 37% handout, but will tease us with it for 7 years. (But, Mr. President “equal representation,” right? You know…they’re “Cinderella”…we’re the ugly sister.)
14. Governor Jindal (a Republican’t) who’s worked so hard throughout this oil crisis, is reduced to begging President Obama (the Demodon’t) to please allow us to dredge sand barriers to avoid more destruction of our wetlands. We want to use our own sand…OUR sand… did you get that, Washington? We can’t even use OUR sand? Oh, that’s right! the Army Corp of Engineers is here to protect us. They’ve just been “thinking” about it for WEEKS…as black crude lands on our shores and eats up our wetlands. (That whole Demodon’t/Republican’t thing – how’s that working for ya now? Are your parties coming through, when we need them most?!?)
A This recommended water quality criterion was derived from data for arsenic (III), but is applied here to total arsenic, which might imply that arsenic (III) and arsenic (V) are equally toxic to aquatic life and that their toxicities are additive. In the arsenic criteria document (PDF) (74 pp., 3.2 MB) (EPA 440/5-84-033, January 1985), Species Mean Acute Values are given for both arsenic (III) and arsenic (V) for five species and the ratios of the SMAVs for each species range from 0.6 to 1.7. Chronic values are available for both arsenic (III) and arsenic (V) for one species; for the fathead minnow, the chronic value for arsenic (V) is 0.29 times the chronic value for arsenic (III). No data are known to be available concerning whether the toxicities of the forms of arsenic to aquatic organisms are additive.
B This criterion has been revised to reflect The Environmental Protection Agency’s q1* or RfD, as contained in the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) as of May 17, 2002. The fish tissue bioconcentration factor (BCF) from the 1980 Ambient Water Quality Criteria document was retained in each case.
C This criterion is based on carcinogenicity of 10-6 risk. Alternate risk levels may be obtained by moving the decimal point (e.g., for a risk level of 10-5, move the decimal point in the recommended criterion one place to the right).
D Freshwater and saltwater criteria for metals are expressed in terms of the dissolved metal in the water column. The recommended water quality criteria value was calculated by using the previous 304(a) aquatic life criteria expressed in terms of total recoverable metal, and multiplying it by a conversion factor (CF). The term “Conversion Factor” (CF) represents the recommended conversion factor for converting a metal criterion expressed as the total recoverable fraction in the water column to a criterion expressed as the dissolved fraction in the water column. (Conversion Factors for saltwater CCCs are not currently available. Conversion factors derived for saltwater CMCs have been used for both saltwater CMCs and CCCs). See “Office of Water Policy and Technical Guidance on Interpretation and Implementation of Aquatic Life Metals Criteria (PDF),” (49 pp., 3MB) October 1, 1993, by Martha G. Prothro, Acting Assistant Administrator for Water, available from the Water Resource center and 40CFR§131.36(b)(1). Conversion Factors applied in the table can be found in Appendix A to the Preamble- Conversion Factors for Dissolved Metals.
E The freshwater criterion for this metal is expressed as a function of hardness (mg/L) in the water column. The value given here corresponds to a hardness of 100 mg/L. Criteria values for other hardness may be calculated from the following: CMC (dissolved) = exp{mA [ln(hardness)]+ bA} (CF), or CCC (dissolved) = exp{mC [ln (hardness)]+ bC} (CF) and the parameters specified in Appendix B- Parameters for Calculating Freshwater Dissolved Metals Criteria That Are Hardness-Dependent.
F Freshwater aquatic life values for pentachlorophenol are expressed as a function of pH, and are calculated as follows: CMC = exp(1.005(pH)-4.869); CCC = exp(1.005(pH)-5.134). Values displayed in table correspond to a pH of 7.8.
G This Criterion is based on 304(a) aquatic life criterion issued in 1980, and was issued in one of the following documents: Aldrin/Dieldrin (PDF) (153 pp., 7.3 MB) (EPA 440/5-80-019), Chlordane (PDF) (68 pp., 3.1 MB) (EPA 440/5-80-027), DDT (PDF) (175 pp., 8.3 MB) (EPA 440/5-80-038), Endosulfan (PDF) (155 pp., 7.3 MB) (EPA 440/5-80-046), Endrin (PDF) (103 pp., 4.6 MB) (EPA 440/5-80-047), Heptachlor (PDF) (114 pp., 5.4 MB) (EPA 440/5-80-052), Hexachlorocyclohexane (PDF) (109 pp., 4.8 MB) (EPA 440/5-80-054), Silver (EPA 440/5-80-071). The Minimum Data Requirements and derivation procedures were different in the 1980 Guidelines than in the 1985 Guidelines (PDF) (104 pp., 3.3 MB) . For example, a “CMC” derived using the 1980 Guidelines was derived to be used as an instantaneous maximum. If assessment is to be done using an averaging period, the values given should be divided by 2 to obtain a value that is more comparable to a CMC derived using the 1985 Guidelines.
H No criterion for protection of human health from consumption of aquatic organisms excluding water was presented in the 1980 criteria document or in the 1986 Quality Criteria for Water. Nevertheless, sufficient information was presented in the 1980 document to allow the calculation of a criterion, even though the results of such a calculation were not shown in the document.
I This criterion for asbestos is the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) developed under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
J This fish tissue residue criterion for methylmercury is based on a total fish consumption rate of 0.0175 kg/day.
K This recommended criterion is based on a 304(a) aquatic life criterion that was issued in the 1995 Updates: Water Quality Criteria Documents for the Protection of Aquatic Life in Ambient Water, (EPA 820-B-96-001, September 1996). This value was derived using the GLI Guidelines (60 FR 15393-15399, March 23, 1995; 40CFR132 Appendix A); the difference between the 1985 Guidelines and the GLI Guidelines are explained on page iv of the 1995 Updates. None of the decisions concerning the derivation of this criterion were affected by any considerations that are specific to the Great Lakes.
L The CMC = 1/[(f1/CMC1) + (f2/CMC2)] where f1 and f2 are the fractions of total selenium that are treated as selenite and selenate, respectively, and CMC1 and CMC2 are 185.9 g/l and 12.82 g/l, respectively.
M EPA is currently reassessing the criteria for arsenic.
N This criterion applies to total pcbs, (e.g., the sum of all congener or all isomer or homolog or Aroclor analyses.)
O The derivation of the CCC for this pollutant (Endrin) did not consider exposure through the diet, which is probably important for aquatic life occupying upper trophic levels.
P Although a new RfD is available in IRIS, the surface water criteria will not be revised until the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations: Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (Stage 2 DBPR) is completed, since public comment on the relative source contribution (RSC) for chloroform is anticipated.
Q This recommended water quality criterion is expressed as g free cyanide (as CN)/L.
R This value for selenium was announced (61 FR 58444-58449, November 14, 1996) as a proposed GLI 303(c) aquatic life criterion. EPA is currently working on this criterion and so this value might change substantially in the near future.
S This recommended water quality criterion for arsenic refers to the inorganic form only.
T This recommended water quality criterion for selenium is expressed in terms of total recoverable metal in the water column. It is scientifically acceptable to use the conversion factor (0.996- CMC or 0.922- CCC) that was used in the GLI to convert this to a value that is expressed in terms of dissolved metal.
U The organoleptic effect criterion is more stringent than the value for priority toxic pollutants.
V This value was derived from data for heptachlor and the criteria document provides insufficient data to estimate the relative toxicities of heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide.
W Although EPA has not published a completed criteria document for butylbenzyl phthalate it is EPA’s understanding that sufficient data exist to allow calculation of aquatic criteria. It is anticipated that industry intends to publish in the peer reviewed literature draft aquatic life criteria generated in accordance with EPA Guidelines. EPA will review such criteria for possible issuance as national WQC.
X There is a full set of aquatic life toxicity data that show that DEHP is not toxic to aquatic organisms at or below its solubility limit.
Y This value was derived from data for endosulfan and is most appropriately applied to the sum of alpha-endosulfan and beta-endosulfan.
Z A more stringent MCL has been issued by EPA. Refer to drinking water regulations (40 CFR 141) or Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791) for values.
aa This criterion is based on a 304(a) aquatic life criterion issued in 1980 or 1986, and was issued in one of the following documents: Aldrin/Dieldrin (PDF) (153 pp., 7.3 MB) (EPA 440/5-80-019), Chlordane (PDF) (68 pp., 3.1 MB) (EPA 440/5-80-027), DDT (PDF) (175 pp., 8.3 MB) (EPA 440/5-80-038), Endrin (PDF) (103 pp., 4.6 MB) (EPA 440/5-80-047), Heptachlor (PDF) (114 pp., 5.4 MB) (EPA 440/5-80-052), Polychlorinated biphenyls (EPA 440/5-80-068), Toxaphene (EPA 440/5-86-006). This CCC is currently based on the Final Residue Value (FRV) procedure. Since the publication of the Great Lakes Aquatic Life Criteria Guidelines in 1995 (60 FR 15393-15399, March 23, 1995), the Agency no longer uses the Final Residue Value procedure for deriving CCCs for new or revised 304(a) aquatic life criteria. Therefore, the Agency anticipates that future revisions of this CCC will not be based on the FRV procedure.
bb This water quality criterion is based on a 304(a) aquatic life criterion that was derived using the 1985 Guidelines (PDF) (104 pp., 3.3 MB) (Guidelines for Deriving Numerical NationalWater Quality Criteria for the Protection of Aquatic Organisms and Their Uses, PB85-227049, January 1985) and was issued in one of the following criteria documents: Arsenic (PDF) (74 pp., 3.2 MB) (EPA 440/5-84-033), Cadmium (EPA 822-R-01-001), Chromium (EPA 440/5-84-029), Copper (PDF) (150 pp., 6.2 MB) (EPA 440/5-84-031), Cyanide (PDF) (67 pp., 2.7 MB) (EPA 440/5- 84-028), Lead (EPA 440/5-84-027), Nickel (EPA 440/5-86-004), Pentachlorophenol (EPA 440/5-86-009), Toxaphene, (EPA 440/5-86-006), Zinc (EPA 440/5-87- 003).
cc When the concentration of dissolved organic carbon is elevated, copper is substantially less toxic and use of Water-Effect Ratios might be appropriate.
dd The selenium criteria document (EPA 440/5-87-006, September 1987) provides that if selenium is as toxic to saltwater fishes in the field as it is to freshwater fishes in the field, the status of the fish community should be monitored whenever the concentration of selenium exceeds 5.0 g/L in salt water because the saltwater CCC does not take into account uptake via the food chain.
ee This recommended water quality criterion was derived on page 43 of the mercury criteria document (PDF) (144 pp., 6.4 MB) (EPA 440/5-84-026, January 1985). The saltwater CCC of 0.025 ug/L given on page 23 of the criteria document is based on the Final Residue Value procedure in the 1985 Guidelines. Since the publication of the Great Lakes Aquatic Life Criteria Guidelines in 1995 (60 FR 15393-15399, March 23, 1995), the Agency no longer uses the Final Residue Value procedure for deriving CCCs for new or revised 304(a) aquatic life criteria.
ff This recommended water quality criterion was derived in Ambient Water Quality Criteria Saltwater Copper Addendum (Draft, April 14, 1995) and was promulgated in the Interim final National Toxics Rule (60 FR 22228-222237, May 4, 1995).
gg EPA is actively working on this criterion and so this recommended water quality criterion may change substantially in the near future.
hh This recommended water quality criterion was derived from data for inorganic mercury (II), but is applied here to total mercury. If a substantial portion of the mercury in the water column is methylmercury, this criterion will probably be under protective. In addition, even though inorganic mercury is converted to methylmercury and methylmercury bioaccumulates to a great extent, this criterion does not account for uptake via the food chain because sufficient data were not available when the criterion was derived.
ii This criterion applies to DDT and its metabolites (i.e., the total concentration of DDT and its metabolites should not exceed this value).
jj This recommended water quality criterion is expressed as total cyanide, even though the IRIS RFD we used to derive the criterion is based on free cyanide. The multiple forms of cyanide that are present in ambient water have significant differences in toxicity due to their differing abilities to liberate the CN-moiety. Some complex cyanides require even more extreme conditions than refluxing with sulfuric acid to liberate the CN-moiety. Thus, these complex cyanides are expected to have little or no ‘bioavailability’ to humans. If a substantial fraction of the cyanide present in a water body is present in a complexed form (e.g., Fe4[Fe(CN)6]3), this criterion may be over conservative.
kk This recommended water quality criterion was derived using the cancer slope factor of 1.4 (LMS exposure from birth).
ll This criterion has been revised to reflect the Environmental Protection Agency’s cancer slope factor (CSF) or reference dose (RfD), as contained in the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) as of (Final FR Notice June 10, 2009). The fish tissue bioconcentration factor (BCF) from the 1980 Ambient Water Quality Criteria document was retained in each case.
mm The available toxicity data, when evaluated using the procedures described in the “Guidelines for Deriving Numerical National Water Quality Criteria for the Protection of Aquatic Organisms and Their Uses” indicate that freshwater aquatic life should be protected if the 24-hour average and four-day average concentrations do not respectively exceed the acute and chronic criteria concentrations calculated by the Biotic Ligand Model.
See EPA’s Ecoregional criteria for Total Phosphorus, Total Nitrogen, Chlorophyll a and Water Clarity (Secchi depth for lakes; turbidity for streams and rivers) (& Level III Ecoregional criteria)
A This human health criterion is the same as originally published in the Red Book which predates the 1980 methodology and did not utilize the fish ingestion BCF approach. This same criterion value is now published in the Gold Book.
B The organoleptic effect criterion is more stringent than the value presented in the non priority pollutants table.
C A more stringent Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) has been issued by EPA under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Refer to drinking water regulations 40CFR141 or Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791) for values.
D According to the procedures described in the Guidelines for Deriving Numerical National Water Quality Criteria for the Protection of Aquatic Organisms and Their Uses, except possibly where a very sensitive species is important at a site, freshwater aquatic life should be protected if both conditions specified in Appendix C to the Preamble- Calculation of Freshwater Ammonia Criterion are satisfied.
E This criterion has been revised to reflect EPA’s q1* or RfD, as contained in the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) as of May 17, 2002. The fish tissue bioconcentration factor (BCF) used to derive the original criterion was retained in each case.
F The derivation of this value is presented in the Red Book (EPA 440/9-76-023, July, 1976).
G This value is based on a 304(a) aquatic life criterion that was derived using the 1985 Guidelines (Guidelines for Deriving Numerical National Water Quality Criteria for the Protection of Aquatic Organisms and Their Uses, PB85-227049, January 1985) and was issued in one of the following criteria documents: Aluminum (EPA 440/5-86-008); Chloride (EPA 440/5-88-001); Chloropyrifos (EPA 440/5-86-005).
H This criterion is based on carcinogenicity of 10-6 risk. Alternate risk levels may be obtained by moving the decimal point (e.g., for a risk level of 10-5, move the decimal point in the recommended criterion one place to the right).
I This value for aluminum is expressed in terms of total recoverable metal in the water column.
J This value is based on a 304(a) aquatic life criterion that was issued in the 1995 Updates: Water Quality Criteria Documents for the Protection of Aquatic Life in Ambient Water (EPA 820-B-96-001). This value was derived using the GLI Guidelines (60 FR 15393-15399, March 23, 1995; 40CFR132 Appendix A); the differences between the 1985 Guidelines and the GLI Guidelines are explained on page iv of the 1995 Updates. No decision concerning this criterion was affected by any considerations that are specific to the Great Lakes.
For open ocean waters where the depth is substantially greater than the euphotic zone, the pH should not be changed more than 0.2 units from the naturally occurring variation or any case outside the range of 6.5 to 8.5. For shallow, highly productive coastal and estuarine areas where naturally occurring pH variations approach the lethal limits of some species, changes in pH should be avoided but in any case should not exceed the limits established for fresh water, i.e., 6.5-9.0.
L There are three major reasons why the use of Water-Effect Ratios might be appropriate.
The value of 87 µg/l is based on a toxicity test with the striped bass in water with pH = 6.5–6.6 and hardness <10 mg/L. Data in “Aluminum Water-Effect Ratio for the 3M Plant Effluent Discharge, Middleway, West Virginia” (May 1994) indicate that aluminum is substantially less toxic at higher pH and hardness, but the effects of pH and hardness are not well quantified at this time.
In tests with the brook trout at low pH and hardness, effects increased with increasing concentrations of total aluminum even though the concentration of dissolved aluminum was constant, indicating that total recoverable is a more appropriate measurement than dissolved, at least when particulate aluminum is primarily aluminum hydroxide particles. In surface waters, however, the total recoverable procedure might measure aluminum associated with clay particles, which might be less toxic than aluminum associated with aluminum hydroxide.
EPA is aware of field data indicating that many high quality waters in the U.S. contain more than 87 g aluminum/L, when either total recoverable or dissolved is measured.
M U.S. EPA. 1973. Water Quality Criteria 1972. EPA-R3-73-033. National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA.; U.S. EPA. 1977. Temperature Criteria for Freshwater Fish: Protocol and Procedures. EPA 600/3-77-061. National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA.
O This criterion for manganese is not based on toxic effects, but rather is intended to minimize objectionable qualities such as laundry stains and objectionable tastes in beverages.
PLakes and Reservoirs in Nutrient Ecoregion: II EPA 822-B-00-007, III EPA 822-B-01-008, IV EPA 822-B-01-009, V EPA 822-B-01-010, VI EPA 822-B-00-008 , VII EPA 822-B-00-009, VIII EPA 822-B-01-015, IX EPA 822-B-00-011, XI EPA 822-B-00-012, XII EPA 822-B-00-013, XIII EPA 822-B-00-014, XIV EPA 822-B-01-011; Rivers and Streams in Nutrient Ecoregion: I EPA 822-B-01-012, II EPA 822-B-00-015, III EPA 822-B-00-016, IV EPA 822-B-01-013, V EPA 822-B-01-014, VI EPA 822-B-00-017, VII EPA 822-B-00-018, VIII EPA 822-B-01-015, IX EPA 822-B-00-019, X EPA 822-B-01-016, XI EPA 822-B-00-020, XII EPA 822-B-00-021, XIV EPA 822-B-00-022; and Wetlands in Nutrient Ecoregion (PDF) (77 pp., 257 K) XIII EPA 822-B-00-023.
Q EPA announced the availability of a draft updated tributyltin (TBT) document on August 7, 1997 (62 FR 42554). The Agency has reevaluated this document and anticipates releasing an updated document for public comment in the near future.
1. These criteria are based on organoleptic (taste and odor) effects. Because of variations in chemical nomenclature systems, this listing of pollutants does not duplicate the listing in Appendix A of 40 CFR Part 423. Also listed are the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) registry numbers, which provide a unique identification for each chemical.
Additional Notes
Criteria Maximum Concentration and Criterion Continuous Concentration
The Criteria Maximum Concentration (CMC) is an estimate of the highest concentration of a material in surface water to which an aquatic community can be exposed briefly without resulting in an unacceptable effect. The Criterion Continuous Concentration (CCC) is an estimate of the highest concentration of a material in surface water to which an aquatic community can be exposed indefinitely without resulting in an unacceptable effect. The CMC and CCC are just two of the six parts of an aquatic life criterion; the other four parts are the acute averaging period, chronic averaging period, acute frequency of allowed exceedence, and chronic frequency of allowed exceedence. Because 304(a) aquatic life criteria are national guidance, they are intended to be protective of the vast majority of the aquatic communities in the United States.
Criteria Recommendations for Priority Pollutants, Non Priority Pollutants and Organoleptic Effects
This compilation lists all priority toxic pollutants and some non priority toxic pollutants, and both human health effect and organoleptic effect criteria issued pursuant to CWA §304(a). Blank spaces indicate that EPA has no CWA §304(a) criteria recommendations. For a number of non-priority toxic pollutants not listed, CWA §304(a) “water + organism” human health criteria are not available, but EPA has published MCLs under the SDWA that may be used in establishing water quality standards to protect water supply designated uses. Because of variations in chemical nomenclature systems, this listing of toxic pollutants does not duplicate the listing in Appendix A of 40 CFR Part 423. Also listed are the Chemical Abstracts Service CAS registry numbers, which provide a unique identification for each chemical.
Human Health Risk
The human health criteria for the priority and non priority pollutants are based on carcinogenicity of 10-6 risk. Alternate risk levels may be obtained by moving the decimal point (e.g., for a risk level of 10-5, move the decimal point in the recommended criterion one place to the right).
Water Quality Criteria published pursuant to Section 304(a) or Section 303(c) of the CWA
Many of the values in the compilation were published in the California Toxics Rule. Although such values were published pursuant to Section 303(c) of the CWA, they represent the Agency’s most recent calculation of water quality criteria and are thus the Agency’s 304(a) criteria.
Calculation of Dissolved Metals Criteria
The 304(a) criteria for metals, shown as dissolved metals, are calculated in one of two ways. For freshwater metals criteria that are hardness-dependent, the dissolved metal criteria were calculated using a hardness of 100 mg/l as CaCO3 for illustrative purposes only. Saltwater and freshwater metals’ criteria that are not hardness-dependent are calculated by multiplying the total recoverable criteria before rounding by the appropriate conversion factors. The final dissolved metals’ criteria in the table are rounded to two significant figures. Information regarding the calculation of hardness dependent conversion factors are included in the footnotes.
Maximum Contaminant Levels
The compilation includes footnotes for pollutants with Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) more stringent than the recommended water quality criteria in the compilation. MCLs for these pollutants are not included in the compilation, but can be found in the appropriate drinking water regulations (40 CFR 141.11-16 and 141.60-63), or can be accessed through the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791) or online.
Organoleptic Effects
The compilation contains 304(a) criteria for pollutants with toxicity-based criteria as well as non-toxicity based criteria. The basis for the non-toxicity based criteria are organoleptic effects (e.g., taste and odor) which would make water and edible aquatic life unpalatable but not toxic to humans. The table includes criteria for organoleptic effects for 23 pollutants. Pollutants with organoleptic effect criteria more stringent than the criteria based on toxicity (e.g., included in both the priority and non-priority pollutant tables) are footnoted as such.
Gold Book
The “Gold Book” is Quality Criteria for Water: 1986. EPA 440/5-86-001.
Correction of Chemical Abstract Services Number
The Chemical Abstract Services number (CAS) for Bis(2-Chlorisoprpyl) Ether, has been revised in IRIS and in the table. The correct CAS number for this chemical is 108-60-1. The previous CAS number for this pollutant was 39638-32-9.
Contaminants with Blanks
EPA has not calculated criteria for contaminants with blanks. However, permit authorities should address these contaminants in NPDES permit actions using the States’ existing narrative criteria for toxics.
Specific Chemical Calculations
Selenium—Aquatic Life
This compilation contains aquatic life criteria for selenium that are the same as those published in the proposed CTR. In the CTR, EPA proposed an acute criterion for selenium based on the criterion proposed for selenium in the Water Quality Guidance for the Great Lakes System (61 FR 58444). The GLI and CTR proposals take into account data showing that selenium’s two prevalent oxidation states in water, selenite and selenate, present differing potentials for aquatic toxicity, as well as new data indicating that various forms of selenium are additive. The new approach produces a different selenium acute criterion concentration, or CMC, depending upon the relative proportions of selenite, selenate, and other forms of selenium that are present.
EPA is currently undertaking a reassessment of selenium, and expects the 304(a) criteria for selenium will be revised based on the final reassessment (63 FR 26186). However, until such time as revised water quality criteria for selenium are published by the Agency, the recommended water quality criteria in this compilation are EPA’s current 304(a) criteria.
Appendix A—Conversion Factors for Dissolved Metals
Appendix B—Parameters for Calculating Freshwater Dissolved Metals Criteria That Are Hardness-Dependent
Chemical
mA
bA
mC
bC
Freshwater Conversion Factors (CF)
CMC
CCC
Cadmium
1.0166
-3.924
0.7409
-4.719
1.136672-[(lnhardness)(0.041838)]
1.101672-[(lnhardness)(0.041838)]
Chromium III
0.8190
3.7256
0.8190
0.6848
0.316
0.860
Copper
0.9422
-1.700
0.8545
-1.702
0.960
0.960
Lead
1.273
-1.460
1.273
-4.705
1.46203-[(lnhardness)(0.145712)]
1.46203-[(lnhardness)(0.145712)]
Nickel
0.8460
2.255
0.8460
0.0584
0.998
0.997
Silver
1.72
-6.59
—
—
0.85
—
Zinc
0.8473
0.884
0.8473
0.884
0.978
0.986
Hardness-dependant metals’ criteria may be calculated from the following:
CMC (dissolved) = exp{mA [ln(hardness)]+ bA} (CF)
CCC (dissolved) = exp{mC [ln(hardness)]+ bC} (CF)
Appendix C – Calculation of Freshwater Ammonia Criterion
The one-hour average concentration of total ammonia nitrogen (in mg N/L) does not exceed, more than once every three years on the average, the CMC (acute criterion) calculated using the following equations:
The thirty-day average concentration of total ammonia nitrogen (in mg N/L) does not exceed, more than once every three years on theaverage, the CCC (chronic criterion) calculated using the following equations:
When fish early life stages are present:
CCC = ((0.0577/(1 + 107.688-pH)) + (2.487/(1 + 10pH-7.688))) x MIN (2.85, 1.45·100.028·(25-T))
Any chance that water in which animals and birds die would indicate to the EPA that it is toxic and lethal – and that those waters include dangerous pollutant chemicals? You know, like the petroleum and oil mixed dispersants and dispersants – all of which are known to be toxic chemicals and lethal. You can’t drink it without dying – you can’t sniff fumes from any petroleum products without brain damage and lung damage and liver damage and maybe dying – how could the EPA tests monitoring the air and water quality not show any of what we know about these dangerous substances that petroleum is and absolutely is – and not show anything dangerous in their samples – how could they give a clean bill of health to places polluted with known toxic chemicals?
That is a betrayal of trust and mission given to the EPA – bit of illegal here and there as well. And it is in violation of federally mandated laws and regulations about water quality, air quality, pollution, and massive spills of pollutants, as well.
It looks like it is time to get the attorney generals of the states along the Gulf Coast to hold the EPA accountable for disseminating lies and falsehoods about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that will directly and permanently damage the health and well-being of their citizens before things get any worse.
And, I don’t care what the “new” OSHA crap says or the EPA and BP air and water monitoring – these chemical hazards are there in that water and in that air and in that sediment. It is lethal and toxic. It is killing the animals, the marine wildlife, the birds, the sea turtles and other aquatic life and it will kill more people if they don’t stop dicking around with the pretense that it is safe when it is not and sending people out without the proper protective breathing gear, breathing protection, respirators, chemical gas masks and eye protection. And, telling people the truth about it.
Somebody decided we are looking at “hydrocarbons” now instead of gushing petroleum or crude oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico.
Alrighty then.
And Tony Hayward and Mike Ulster, BP’s incident commander – needs to be taken out to the marsh gorging with crude oil hydrocarbons and be forced to see them in person.
And, they didn’t do everything they could’ve done because at any point – they could have corralled this oil out in the ocean using the large substantial booms and then sucked it off the surface – without ever having used dispersants.
And, they could have bought a trainload of gas masks and appropriate respirators for workers going out into the Gulf that have been subjected to the crude oil / petroleum / hydrocarbons and the dispersants mixed with crude oil / petroleum / hydrocarbons that were already floating in the sea and to the aerial dispersant applications within a few miles of them.
And, they could have relocated the families and communities that are on the coast being exposed to these hydrocarbon / petroleum and dispersant fumes along with the excess measures of diesel exhaust and excess particulate matter and chemicals and soot from the “in situ burnoffs” / controlled burnoffs.
But, no …..
They could provide clean air recuperation spaces where people and children would find it way safer to breathe – whether in schools or in co-sponsoring the costs of home air systems designed to clean the chemicals out of the air so people at the very least could go into their homes and have air not filled with the smells of gasoline / petroleum /diesel exhaust / crude oil / petrol product and offer commonly found clinics and stations for restoring people’s ability to breathe with clean air rooms and some magazines or something.
I slathered through lots of the pictures, news stories and information online and noticed yesterday about the individual daily incident response maps being used in the command center that weren’t using today’s position of the oil spill but rather the one from the day before despite the map having today’s date on it. That could be done better and include the outline of today with places marked where dead animals have been washing up onshore and the places where the oil is already on beaches and marshes. It needs to include the information from the scientists that have found the oil plumes under the surface that have been measured and located with updates included.
Hell, they could use today’s satellite photos to make the outline of where the oil is today on the incident response map for that matter. That would help a whole lot – but the one thing that would help the most would be getting these decision makers including particularly the incident commander, Mike Ulster and BP executives out to that swamp to see the syrupy crude oil / petroleum / hydrocarbons filling it, to hear the silence of the death there, to smell the overwhelming fumes of the oil / hydrocarbons / petroleum they’ve filled the marsh with – and let them be within arms length of Governor Bobby Jindal, James Carville and Parish Presidents of the area with news crews to referee.
That moment – these men from BP and decision-makers would be different as they go back to their isolated, clean, air-conditioned, nice smelling, places where decisions are being made. It isn’t right for Tony Hayward of BP and other BP executives to keep incident command decision-makers – including themselves isolated away from the real effects of the real world conditions that they need to know in order to make appropriate decisions. They still think the booms work that they put out and that those are still in place working to keep the petroleum / oil / crude oil / hydrocarbons out of places which they haven’t done from the beginning. They need to see that and they need to see the handsfull of nothing but oil on the open ocean within 50 miles of the spewing pipes like reporters have shown and local officials have seen.
And they ought to be forced to hear the reports of dead birds recovered and dead marine animals that are being recovered every single day along with seeing charts of where they are being found as part of every day’s briefing before they start decision-making.
– cricketdiane
***
So isn’t today – June 1, 2010? In fact, my calendar says June 2, 2010 because I have it set on a different time zone – but isn’t it June 1, 2010 and this from yesterday is today’s release on the NOAA site – (it is now 7.10 pm ET)
24 Hour Trajectory Map: Jump down to Current Trajectory Maps on this page for full-sized versions.
As the nation’s leading scientific resource for oil spills, NOAA has been on the scene of the BP oil spill from the start, providing coordinated scientific weather and biological response services to federal, state and local organizations. More
Updated daily Situation: May 31, 2010
***
Fishery closure update (effective May 31)
NOAA Fisheries Service has updated its Fishery closure area in the Gulf of Mexico, effective 6 p.m. Eastern Time, May 31, 2010. Approximately 74 percent of the Gulf remains open for fishing.
Marine mammals and turtles (effective May 30):
Sea Turtles
The total number of sea turtles verified from April 30 to May 30 within the designated spill area is 244. The 244 turtles verified include four turtles collected alive with visible external evidence of oil and one dead stranded turtle with visible external evidence of oil. All others have not had visible evidence of external oil. Three of the live collected turtles with visible evidence of oil were captured during dedicated on-water surveys: two small Kemp’s Ridley and a larger sub-adult Loggerhead turtle. The fourth oiled turtle was collected alive by the US Coast Guard. One of the turtles that stranded dead – a Kemp’s ridley – had visible evidence of external oil. A total of 227 turtles stranded dead. A total of 14 stranded alive.Three of those subsequently died and one of the live stranded turtles –caught in marine debris — was disentangled and released. There are 13 turtles in rehabilitation (includes three captured during dedicated on-water surveys). Turtle strandings during this time period have been higher in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama than in previous years for this same time period. This may be due in part to increased detection and reporting, but this does not fully account for the increase.
Dolphins
From April 30 to May 30, there have been 29 dead dolphins verified within the designated spill area. So far, one of the 29 dolphins had evidence of external oil. Because it was found on an oiled beach, we are unable at this time to determine whether the animal was covered in oil prior to its death or after its death. The other 28 dolphins have had no visible evidence of external oil. Since April 30, the stranding rate for dolphins in Louisiana has been higher than the historic numbers for the same time period in previous years. This may be due to increased detection and reporting and the lingering effects of the earlier observed spike in strandings.
*Strandings are defined as dead or debilitated animals that wash ashore
***
My Note –
Obviously those are not today’s numbers – and I still don’t know why other marine animals aren’t being counted. One the daily reports – they list over 500 birds that have been recovered also – many of which were dead. Wait – I’ll look it up again. It is on pages into the NOAA site or the Deepwater Horizon incident site – Hold on – I’ll go get it.
In the news photos – and news stories – it looks like the entire oil spill has moved to the East significantly today also. Maybe that storm Agatha is shoving the whole thing eastward. Just a thought.
And buried in the text nearly two-thirds of the way down the page is this one paragraph – you’ve got to be kidding –
Hazards you may encounter
During the oil spill cleanup, workers may encounter hazards involved with working in the heat, working near water and in swamps, using boats, walking on slippery or uneven surfaces, being bitten by wildlife (insects, rodents, and reptiles), and using heavy equipment. Crude oil is also a hazard. A key concern is potential skin irritation and dermatitis from getting the “weathered” oil on the skin or in the eyes. There may also be hazards from inhaling the oil droplets and oily particles put into the air during cleanup operations.
Talk about downplaying something – “Crude oil is also a hazard.”
That’s an understatement.
And then they have a bulleted list on down the page –
Feb 12, 2009 … The potential dangers of inhaling gasoline vapors include limb spasms and even fatal cardiac arrhythmia. http://www.associatedcontent.com/…/sniffing_or_huffing_gasoline_vapors.html
Health question: How does sniffing gasoline effect us? sniffing gas kills a lot of brain cells. it kills more than any other drug except acid. brain cells …
wiki.answers.com/Q/How_does_sniffing_gasoline_effect_us
And a couple about teens using gasoline sniffing to get high –
But don’t tell me that something which is used to make petroleum based gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, transmission fuels, motor oils and smells like gasoline – isn’t the same thing whether it is called “hydrocarbons,” petroleum, crude oil, or whatever they call it next week.
– cricketdiane
***
Mr. Whore from Hell Hofmeister of Shell Oil – let me tell you why we hate oil companies –
When I was growing up (and I’m over fifty now) – your industry filled the dirt where I played beside my family’s driveway with lead and your industry knew for many years that something else could be used in the mix for the octane level – and you spent tons of money fighting against using anything else or doing it any other way. And then my children played in the dirt and grass filled with lead at every place where we lived that years of cars using your leaded fuels had filled with crap.
And, when I was growing up and my family went from Georgia to California to live – there was smog so thick in Los Angeles that it looked, wind or not – like a thick brown soup layered from ground level to thousands of feet above the city – including throughout the suburbs where every other day – we weren’t supposed to walk outside to play or walk to school because of the level of air pollution.
And, every time there was any way to fix it or important solutions were found – your industry fought with every last dollar available using public relations people, teams of attorneys, public relations ploys and advertising campaigns and armies of lobbyists.
Do you know that it would’ve been cheaper than that to simply do the things that would’ve been available to make things better – whether it was to improve the miles per gallon cars were getting, to allowing the subway system that was mostly built when GM and oil companies bought it, bankrupted it and shut it down, or when it was to simply place protective systems to take the crap out of the air before it got there on plants, facilities, ships, cars, trucks and other systems using petroleum and polluting chemistries.
But, no – didn’t want to take the lead out of gasoline – in fact, it is still in a number of fuels. Didn’t want to stick a filter system on smokestacks – which to get one when it was first suggested would’ve cost a few hundred dollars each and then about $3,000 each ten years later when you fought it the next time and then $5,000 each when you fought against it the next time. And the multitude of years when the catalytic converters weren’t put on cars that you and your buddies in the auto industry all decided you didn’t want to do either. And that design was the only one you’d accept finally – which puts more of other pollutants that are absolutely nasty into the air and water and soil.
And, then there’s the fact that now – over most every city, town, even rural area – soils are polluted, big layered socked in smog dirty and brown and filthy is the only air to breathe, diesel fumes fill the cabins of the busses our children must take to school – sometimes subjecting them to an hour in an enclosed space filling their sinuses and brains and lungs with those fumes and exhaust particulate matter. Our cities and freeways where diesel trucks run everywhere since you destroyed our rail lines systems – cover every particle of breathable air with diesel exhaust and soot and chemical derivatives from cars and trucks that look like a shopping list of exotic chemicals – 90% of which are causing brain damage, heart damage, liver damage, kidney damage, soft tissue damage, lung damage and cancers.
Then, you have the audacity to tell us you’re doing us a favor and have been doing good things for us that we should fall upon the ground and worship your very existence as an industry and as a benefactor of our great society with gratitude and fealty.
I don’t think so.
You’ve destroyed all that would compete with you as an alternative means of transportation, energy use, energy and fuel availability or possibility for any of the things petroleum has been providing. You’ve destroyed the national well-being and made us vulnerable to not only your twisted use of power and position but that of international players, copulus national forces within often barbaric other nation’s interests, subjected us to ill health and nasty living environments from the plains to the seas to the farms to the cities. And you’ve either held humanity or in short-sightedness, all of our lives in contempt or you’ve been so misguided as to spend your time, power, efforts, manpower, options, and resources – including money in greater measure to stop, to destroy, to refuse to change any of it than it would’ve cost to just do it in the first place.
That’s a little bit of why we hate the oil industry and why I in particular know that your industry has not acted as the “good guys.” And, you’re still not.
And, I know you know better now – maybe you didn’t in the fifties or in the twenties. But, I bet you did – even then.
– cricketdiane, 06-01-10
***
And, because you don’t place the same value on human lives and human health as anyone with a conscience would have.
********
Let me see if I can find the report about the animals found dead from BP’s oil / petroleum / hydrocarbon debacle as of today –
And I’m very glad to see Commandant Thad Allen of the Coast Guard getting away from those BP jackasses. I wouldn’t want to be within lightning striking those bastards either.
Well, now I’ve jumped into another page which is completely filled with shit – what the hell –
Good giggly wigglies – what a bunch of shit – nonsense, total nonsense –
But it does have this –
along the right hand side – a few other spills that according to the oil industry representatives taking over the ads and talking points for the industry – on every news show in the last month – have said didn’t ever happen –
and apparently they did a crisis drill which is also listed in this group on the right hand side – and for some reason – it did not in any way prepare them for the real one –
Regular and common occurrences – except from this site – there are tons found elsewhere that I’ve seen on lists which aren’t on this one and these aren’t on those lists –
What kind of data is that?
Well, here – sometime when there’s nothing better to do – this is the 32 pages of listed incidents on this site – from an 8 barrel oil release when a valve froze to multitudes of colliding ships, leaking oil from oil pipelines, and the Horizon Deepwater explosion and release of 70,000 barrels a day – or 19,000 barrels a day or 25,000 barrels a day or 120,000 barrels a day or whatever science and math and engineering finally ascertains it has been . . .
But to hear the oil industry people including Hofmeister of Shell Oil that gets on interviews for news shows and talk shows and every damn where else – there haven’t been any incidents at all ever . . .
Now, let me think if I can tell who is lying and what is the truth of it –
Gee, I guess the oil industry and their representatives know of these things and have known all along. So, they and BP are lying intentionally. And they say that the air is fine – that the water is being monitored and it doesn’t have oil in it at any level that is inappropriate or dangerous.
By the way – they don’t count fish, squid, jellyfish, crustaceans, lizards, bees, dragonflies, sharks, porpoises, tuna, large game fish, whales, whale calves, and numerous others of the over 400 species in the Gulf of Mexico and coastal areas that are also being found dead or dying.
There is smaller type on this thing every day – and they are re-working it to make it fancier – how nice. (that was not because I think it is a good use of their time.)
506 dead birds collected – I guess none died between yesterday and today.
584 birds collected in distress from oil / hydrocarbons totally – 24 released
253 total sea turtles collected with 228 plus 3 dead (at least)
228 sea turtles collected dead – but a number of them three or more at least died after being collected alive and in distress covered with oil / hydrocarbons
29 mammals – dolphins collected total – all of which were dolphins listed – as noted elsewhere
29 mammals – dolphins collected dead of the total of 29
and one other reptile is listed – also collected alive – no indication of what
And, there are numbers that aren’t counted which were also found dead and if they have been killed in the first part of the event – now over a forty-two day period – then they aren’t listed, nor counted.
And, there aren’t simply three kinds of animals in that region. Nor do the numbers show any of the other 400 species being affected by the oil including the countless fish that have been found dead laying in the waters and along the coasts and in the marshes.
So, this also appears on the above page – at this link on the reports –
Once found or captured, collected fish and wildlife are given an identifying number that will follow it throughout the evaluation process. Collected fish and wildlife are given an initial examination to search for broken bones, external oil or other injuries. As needed, this may be followed by a more thorough examination to search for less obvious injuries, such as oil in the mouth, throat or eyes. An additional step may include a partial or full necropsy (an autopsy for animals) to help determine the exact cause of death if possible.
***
My further note –
Isn’t that a cumbersome process – along a 4,000 mile stretch of coastline between Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida plus all of the islands in the Gulf and the estuaries / marshes and wildlife preserves – Have they been considering that they are not making a fair and reasonable representation of the damages to wildlife that is actually overtly occurring?
And, watching CNN with Mary Matalin talking shit one more day one more person telling us that the offshore oil drilling should be continuing rather than paused to check for the addition of safety measures, etc. I will be much happier when people like her have stuck their heads and feet into those marshes where the oil is sitting.
I’m getting to the point that I’ve had it with hearing their shit – that’s why we are at this place in history where our cities and towns are covered in burnt petroleum waste products and the Gulf of Mexico is filled with oil and a zone of death and destruction covering miles upon miles upon hundreds of thousands of miles in dimensional space and volumes of death. It is her and that lady Parish President that demanded the exact same thing of our President as she talked in his ear – like a tape recording of the oil industry talking points playing verbatim over and over and over and over and over and over again.
It comes out of so many mouths and it has for years every time anything could be made any different or any better. Is there even a brain in their heads that can think for themselves at all?
I hate that. It is like hearing the exact same tape recording coming out of every one of their mouths as they fill the airwaves here and there at every f__’g opportunity. It reminds me of the mind campaigns of the WWII Germany that allowed crap to go on despite good people there who could’ve stopped it.
Those same people told us that the oil industry was safe, that oil drilling in the deepwaters off our shores was safe, that the oil industry knew what they were doing, that spills never happen, that incidents of oil spilling, leaking, spewing, covering things, exploding, destroying things – didn’t happen when they have – couldn’t happen when they did – and won’t happen in the world – even as they do. And, now multiple countries are going to be drilling oil in the Arctic. So, now what?
Why do these people insist that their minds, mouths, time, efforts and opportunities require them to devote those places of public exposure of their ideas – to be used to further and to protect the interests of the oil industries?
Why does it make sense to them to repeat the oil industry talking points like a broken tape recorder replaying the identical same words that were serving the interests of the oil industry at our expense in the first place?
– cricketdiane
***
From here – on the right hand side square listing –
Which offers this – and it is a lie – their own documents in the bowels of the EPA say otherwise – so they have to know it is a lie – whose side are they on?
Air Data >>
EPA’s air monitoring conducted through May 30, 2010, has found that air quality levels for ozone and particulates are normal on the Gulf coastline for this time of year.
EPA has observed odor-causing pollutants associated with petroleum products along the coastline at low levels. Some of these chemicals may cause short-lived effects like headache, eye, nose and throat irritation, or nausea. People may be able to smell some of these chemicals at levels well below those that would cause short-term health problems.
**
That is a lie and they have information on their data and that of other databanks that prove it, my note.
And this one isn’t even possible –
Water Data >>
Most of the water samples collected May 20 through 26, 2010 along the Gulf coast did not reveal elevated levels of chemicals usually found in oil.
One sample, collected May 21 along the coast of Louisiana, found nickel, a chemical associated with oil. This sample exceeded long-term water quality benchmarks. At these levels nickel may cause risk to aquatic life.
This is worse than being in the Cold War era Soviet Union -for the level of lies – lowballing the problems, mistruths, misguiding and misleading facts that deny the facts available in reality anywhere and the intentional misdirection and misleading information being offered through official but persuaded by BP corporate interests and BP websites –
– cricketdiane
***
You know, if it didn’t matter – I wouldn’t even care. But look up gasoline sniffing – look up petroleum or hydrocarbons or any of the dispersant products they are using or any labeling on any product with petroleum in it – or any of the numbers of photos and videos from the area – there is no way that water is clean.
Why are they testing for ozone anyway – that isn’t the poison in the air where the air is filled with petroleum / gasoline fumes that is going to kill people.
And this one –
Sediment
Sediment Data >>
The sediment samples collected through May 16, 2010 along the Gulf coast did not reveal elevated levels of chemicals usually found in oil.
Were they taking samples in the only clean three feet square of land along the coast that clearly didn’t have anything but new sand that was brought in – or what?
<!– p></p–> Since the BP oil spill in the Gulf, EPA has received numerous suggestions regarding possible technology solutions for the oil spill response efforts. As a result, EPA has developed the voluntary submittal process described below to allow for faster review of the suggestions being offered and to provide guidance regarding what information would be most useful to the reviewing officials. The information we receive through this voluntary submittal process will be scrutinized for innovative ideas and technological solutions that are safe for the environment and public health and that can be deployed in the Gulf of Mexico to help with cleanup. We are interested in technology solutions that are protective of human health and the environment. The information you submit will be forwarded to the appropriate reviewing official who will contact you if necessary. Thank you for your interest in helping develop technology solutions for the spill response efforts.
Before you submit your suggestion there are a few things you should know. Specifically, you should be aware that:
EPA will NOT accept information claimed as confidential business information (CBI). By submitting information through this website, you acknowledge that none of the information you submit is CBI. If you do submit information claimed as CBI, it will be deleted without review.
This mechanism for the public to submit ideas and suggestions is not a request for proposals or a request for a quote to do business with EPA or other parts of the Federal government.
There is a regulatory process for assessing the performance, including the potential environmental impacts, of dispersants, surface washing agents, surface collecting agents, bioremediation products, and sorbents, before they can be used in this or any other response. If you have not already submitted your product through that process, you can do so by completing the requirements described in Subpart J of the National Contingency Plan (NCP), which can be found at http://www.epa.gov/emergencies/content/ncp/index.htm. If your product is currently listed on the NCP Subpart J Product Schedule (http://www.epa.gov/emergencies/docs/oil/ncp/schedule.pdf), please note that you do not need to make us aware of your product, nor do you need to submit any additional information, through this website.
There are a number of important environmental problems created by the oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico. Please help us understand what part of the response efforts your suggestion is intended to help by selecting one of the links below. Each link will take you to either a new solution submittal page or direct you to the NCP Product Schedule website. If you feel your suggestion could be applied in more than one aspect of the problem, you should fill out a separate submittal form for each problem category.
Wellhead – clean, safe, and innovative solutions for controlling or eliminating the leaks. If you have a technology or suggestion that fits this category, please contact BP at 281-366-5511. EPA is NOT collecting this type of information.
Surface Water Containment and Cleanup – clean, safe, and innovative solutions for preventing further spread of the oil and removing it from surface water.
Dispersant*
Dispersants means those chemical agents that emulsify, disperse, or solubilize oil into the water column or promote the surface spreading of oil slicks to facilitate dispersal of the oil into the water column.
Surface washing agents*
Surface washing agent is any product that removes oil from solid surfaces, such as beaches and rocks, through a detergency mechanism and does not involve dispersing or solubilizing the oil into the water column.
Surface collecting agents*
Surface collecting agents means those chemical agents that form a surface film to control the layer thickness of oil.
Miscellaneous oil spill control agents*
Miscellaneous oil spill control agent is any product, other than a dispersant, sinking agent, surface collecting agent, bioremediation agent, burning agent, or sorbent that can be used to enhance oil spill cleanup, removal, treatment, or mitigation.
Sorbents*
Sorbents are essentially inert and insoluble materials that are used to remove oil and hazardous substances from water through adsorption, in which the oil or hazardous substance is attracted to the sorbent surface and then adheres to it; absorption, in which the oil or hazardous substance penetrates the pores of the sorbent material; or a combination of the two. EPA does not require technical product data submissions for sorbents and does not include sorbents on the NCP Product Schedule. Manufacturers that produce sorbent materials that consist of materials other than those identified on the NCP Product Schedule website will need to file a Miscellaneous Oil Spill Control Agent application.
Bioremediation*
Bioremediation agents means microbiological cultures, enzyme additives, or nutrient additives that are deliberately introduced into an oil discharge and that will significantly increase the rate of biodegradation to mitigate the effects of the discharge.
We should all take a moment and use this one to explain to them that there is oil in the Gulf of Mexico – and we know they have documents that suggest the exact nature of the dangers of the oil that is there no matter what they call it.
That we know an air test for ozone does not incorporate the same chemistry sampling for what is known to be in the area that is dangerous even in small quantities –
– cricketdiane
***
My Note –
Maybe something worthy of note here –
Are we living in the United States or did somebody stick something else up under here while none of us was looking?
MODIS (or Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) is a key … Terra MODIS and Aqua MODIS are viewing the entire Earth’s surface every 1 to 2 days, … modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/about/
MODIS (Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) is a payload scientific instrument launched into Earth orbit by NASA in 1999 on board the Terra (EOS …
en.wikipedia.org/…/Moderate-Resolution_Imaging_Spectroradiometer
I picked this one – from May 24, 2010 of the oil spill and look at that –
(its in the middle about mid-way down the page – there is one just above it for May 25, that looks very similar but this one shows the tendrils of oil and the much wider spread of the oil slick and thick oil both that now we are being told don’t exist and didn’t ever exist and aren’t a problem or health hazard by BP and BP executives. – and the EPA)
And, Doug Suttles today said that the oil samples where the petroleum / hydrocarbons are obviously exploding out of their pipes under the sea – show the oil is in the parts per billion and not actually there. (on CNN earlier)
It ought to be against the law for BP, EPA and others to be lying about the dangers of this and that their samples show there isn’t any oil or petroleum chemicals in the samples both at the well, along the shores, in the ocean water, in the air, in the sediments – it is overtly false and denies the facts.
– cricketdiane
***
USA7.2010152.aqua.ndvi.1km-2 from June 1 - 2010 (NASA - MODIS) - Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill - Deepwater Horizon Incident 42 days later - June 1, 2010
(I reduced the overall size of this map – go to the page link below and see the full size image – it is beyond words.)
There are messages on all these pages as I’ve been using them that due to hardware problems the images aren’t available but by clicking on any number of them – they are available – they do save, I’ve already checked – etc.
And, by taking any of the real satellite images and adding high contrast – it is easier to see which part is oil and like the above map in odd colors – there are tendrils of oil and deepwater plumes that are obvious and would have to be obvious to the people at BP, EPA and the command centers as well.
– cricketdiane
***
See it says this – but the images are available –
“Due to hardware problems some of the subset imagery archive is temporarily unavailable.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.”
My blog format is cutting off half of that satellite photo above – save it and you can see the whole thing to work with it – however, there is some evidence that some of the oil extends the other way below the area shown by this photo which has been seen by European weather satellites and others showing the loop currents, etc.
USA7.2010152.aqua.721.1km2_cr - June 1, 2010 - NASA MODIS - Gulf of Mexico oil spill (hydrocarbons / petroleum / crude oil)
So, we can see it in photos from the Gulf of Mexico and in satellite images of the Gulf of Mexico – people report smelling the petroleum fumes and some have been sickened by it and reporting those illnesses even those living on the coast and at each case the EPA and BP says their samples show no significant amount of oil in the Gulf of Mexico – at the well where it is spewing out nor from the water and air samples taken from the coastal areas or ocean waters of the Gulf of Mexico – now isn’t that illegal to be a federal agency and tell a bald-faced lie about it like that where it will sicken people and cause literally brain damage, kidney damage, lung damage, liver damage and irreversible physical damages?
– cricketdiane
***
I heightened the contrast and hue saturation using the satellite image above – which I had cropped so it would fit my blog without reducing its size or quality – and this is what it shows – (June 1, 2010) –
And on my other computer I’ve done a quick google search for EPA which bumps to google maps for some reason on both my computers and then I have to force the search by clicking on the whole web tab to take me to their main listing – then I clicked on the science and technology link below it –
I’ll put that after this color and contrast enhanced satellite photo of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill from June 1, 2010 from NASA / MODIS –
USA7.2010152.aqua.721.1km2_cr-3 - color and contrast enhanced - using NASA / MODIS JUNE 1, 2010 satellite image of the Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon oil spill - the purple and white to the left of the spill mass is a cloud
– May 25EPA Responds to the BP Oil Spill along the Gulf Coast … The Seal of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Jump to main content.
www.epa.gov/ – Cached – Similar
EPA Responds to the BP Oil Spill along the Gulf Coast. Web site: English | Español | Tiếng Việt · Subscribe to our oil spill e-mail updates …
www.epa.gov/ – Cached – Similar
Information and analysis on hazards of residential lead exposure for children exposed to deteriorating lead-based paint, lead contaminated dust, …
www.epa.gov/lead/ – Cached – Similar
The EPA Climate Change site provides comprehensive information on the issue of climate change and global warming in a way that is accessible and meaningful …
www.epa.gov/climatechange/ – Cached – Similar
Information for homeowner, schools, commercial buildings and environmental professional on indoor air quality. Extensive links to sites.
www.epa.gov/iaq/ – 16 hours ago – Cached – Similar
US Environmental Protection Agency’s site for kids. Lots of fun and interesting things to read and do to learn about the environment.
www.epa.gov/kids/ – Cached – Similar
Evaluates pesticides and other chemicals to safeguard people, threatened species and ecosystems from environmental harm.
www.epa.gov/pesticides/ – Cached – Similar
US federal agency responsible for protecting and improving water quality. Details of national water programs, online library, local information, laws, …
www.epa.gov/ow/ – Cached – Similar
Discover the “who, what, where and why” that lead to a meaningful career at EPA. Gain insight into EPA’s different office locations, where we work to …
www.epa.gov/careers/ – Cached – Similar
Search the US EPA Web, publications and other EPA sites.
www.epa.gov/search.html – Cached – Similar
About 17,400,000 results
(0.24 seconds)
But, going back to the Science and Technology link on the first listing – before going to that search page –
Gives this –
My Note –
I think the inspector general in charge of the EPA might better take a look at what they are doing at this point – there is no way that the water nor the air is clean I don’t care what they are sampling or the tests they are using. But I do know that if they are using tests for ozone – which clearly isn’t the problem – it doesn’t mean that the air isn’t covered over and permeated by contaminants.
And, how many Bush administration – petroleum industry favorites are over at the EPA still leftover from the Republican years of running the place?
Hmmm……….
But, I have these documents from their studies on the dangers and hazards of oil, petroleum, all the chemicals of petroleum and crude oil pollutants in air, water, sediment and environments in my documents – so if I can’t find them now – its okay – I’ll just go take out the hard copy I’ve been flinging into files over the years – and use it.
– cricketdiane
***
From the above page on Science and Technology at the EPA – along the top bar at the very right side end is the word
Water quality standards are the cornerstone of state, territory, and tribal water quality standards management programs. The Basic Course is a comprehensive and highly structured course that introduces students to all aspects of the water quality standards program, including:
the interpretation and application of water quality standards regulation;
policies and program guidance;
the development of water quality criteria (human health, aquatic life, nutrient, and biological); and
other facets of the water program.
View these slides and speaker notes from modules presented at recent classroom academies:
You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA’s PDF page to learn more.
Water quality standards are the foundation of the water quality-based control program mandated by the Clean Water Act. Water Quality Standards define the goals for a water body by designating its uses, setting criteria to protect those uses, and establishing provisions to protect water quality from pollutants.
Water quality standards are important because they help to protect and restore the quality of the Nation’s surface waters, consistent with the requirements of the Clean Water Act. Standards help to identify water quality problems caused by, for example, improperly treated wastewater discharges, runoff or discharges from active or abandoned mining sites, sediment, fertilizers, and chemicals from agricultural areas, and erosion of stream banks caused by improper grazing practices. Standards also support efforts to achieve and maintain protective water quality conditions.
Water Quality Standards Review and Revision
Taking a water sample
Each state and authorized tribe has its own legal and administrative procedures for adopting water quality standards. In general, standards are adopted following a process in which draft revisions are developed and formally proposed for public comment. A public hearing is then held to receive input from the public regarding the proposal. The proposed water quality standards and supporting information are made available to the public prior to the hearing. States and Tribes are required to prepare a summary of the public comments received and how each comment was addressed. Pursuant to revisions to the water quality standards regulation promulgated in April of 2000 (the “Alaska” rule), new or revised water quality standards become effective for purposes of the Clean Water Act upon EPA approval.
The Clean Water Act requires States and authorized Indian Tribes to review their standards from time to time, but at least once every three years, and revise them if appropriate. Updates may be needed, for example, due to changing water quality conditions or waterbody uses or new scientific information on the effects of pollutants in the environment. In preparing proposed revisions to their standards, States and Tribes consider requests from industry, environmental groups, and the public, and review available information (e.g., CWA §305(b) reports, EPA guidance.
I would say that when anything is in the water that kills the animals in that water – there is a water quality standard infraction of significance. That is what we have in the Gulf of Mexico and in the marshes where all the animals are dead and along the shores where to walk with bare feet on the sand or wade into the water with bare feet walks back out again with raw crude oil on the skin and where animals and birds are washing up dead.
That is a definite legal definition of the evidence factually based in reality – that the water quality is amiss and has been seriously denigrated.
That and the fact that hundreds of thousands of barrels at 42 gallons per barrel of oil / petroleum / crude oil / “hydrocarbons” have poured into the Gulf of Mexico every single hour of every single day for 42 – now 43 days.
I’d say that makes it a dead given that there is a problem of significance –
You can’t drink petroleum crude oil safely, you can’t swim in petroleum crude oil safely, you can’t sniff its fumes safely whether it is gasoline fumes or crude oil fumes and you can’t find animals living healthy lives in it.
Those things make it evident that the waters of the Gulf of Mexico are polluted with crude oil / petroleum and oil dispersants also known to be toxic and for the EPA to state that there is no evidence of it in their tests – air, water and sediments – is contrary to good science, contrary to truthfulness, contrary to the public good, contrary to conscientious scientific inquiry and contrary to their legally mandated mission.
– cricketdiane
***
I think maybe it would be good to start another post – but maybe not –
let me see –
I went through about three pages to get to this – but here just this one –
The following elements must be included in each State’s water quality standards submitted to EPA for review:
(a) Use designations consistent with the provisions of sections 101(a)(2) and 303(c)(2) of the Act.
(b) Methods used and analyses conducted to support water quality standards revisions.
(c) Water quality criteria sufficient to protect the designated uses.
(d) An antidegradation policy consistent with §131.12.
(e) Certification by the State Attorney General or other appropriate legal authority within the State that the water quality standards were duly adopted pursuant to State law.
(f) General information which will aid the Agency in determining the adequacy of the scientific basis of the standards which do not include the uses specified in section 101(a)(2) of the Act as well as information on general policies applicable to State standards which may affect their application and implementation.
(a) Where disputes between States and Indian Tribes arise as a result of differing water quality standards on common bodies of water, the lead EPA Regional Administrator, as determined based upon OMB circular A–105, shall be responsible for acting in accordance with the provisions of this section.
(b) The Regional Administrator shall attempt to resolve such disputes where:
(1) The difference in water quality standards results in unreasonable consequences;
EPA is revising the current aquatic life criteria for lead, silver, and selenium, re-evaluating the current aquatic life criteria for ammonia, and developing new aquatic life criteria for atrazine.
Which offers this – and it is a lie – their own documents in the bowels of the EPA say otherwise – so they have to know it is a lie – whose side are they on?
Air Data >>
EPA’s air monitoring conducted through May 30, 2010, has found that air quality levels for ozone and particulates are normal on the Gulf coastline for this time of year.
EPA has observed odor-causing pollutants associated with petroleum products along the coastline at low levels. Some of these chemicals may cause short-lived effects like headache, eye, nose and throat irritation, or nausea. People may be able to smell some of these chemicals at levels well below those that would cause short-term health problems.
**
That is a lie and they have information on their data and that of other databanks that prove it, my note.
And this one isn’t even possible –
Water Data >>
Most of the water samples collected May 20 through 26, 2010 along the Gulf coast did not reveal elevated levels of chemicals usually found in oil.
One sample, collected May 21 along the coast of Louisiana, found nickel, a chemical associated with oil. This sample exceeded long-term water quality benchmarks. At these levels nickel may cause risk to aquatic life.
This is worse than being in the Cold War era Soviet Union -for the level of lies – lowballing the problems, mistruths, misguiding and misleading facts that deny the facts available in reality anywhere and the intentional misdirection and misleading information being offered through official but persuaded by BP corporate interests and BP websites –
– cricketdiane
***
You know, if it didn’t matter – I wouldn’t even care. But look up gasoline sniffing – look up petroleum or hydrocarbons or any of the dispersant products they are using or any labeling on any product with petroleum in it – or any of the numbers of photos and videos from the area – there is no way that water is clean.
Why are they testing for ozone anyway – that isn’t the poison in the air where the air is filled with petroleum / gasoline fumes that is going to kill people.
And this one –
Sediment
Sediment Data >>
The sediment samples collected through May 16, 2010 along the Gulf coast did not reveal elevated levels of chemicals usually found in oil.
Were they taking samples in the only clean three feet square of land along the coast that clearly didn’t have anything but new sand that was brought in – or what?
I so want to email those people at the incident command center and deepwater horizon response group inquire page – and say –
“do you understand that we’ve seen pictures of the crude oil in the ocean water, in the marshes and on the beaches?”
“do you know that we can read?”
“do you understand that people and resources all over the world know beyond a shadow of doubt that it is dangerous to sniff gasoline and hence petroleum fumes?”
“do you think the people in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and throughout the United States are that stupid?”
“do you know that there are documents throughout our government agencies, science resources, chemistry resources and international resources and agencies that evidence the fact that the EPA tests and BP tests on air quality, water quality, sediment quality and oil in the area not being there, not being dangerous, not being there in quantities – are lies?”
“And, that we’ve seen the photos and evidently these monitoring tests being done are obvious lies as well that everyone can see across the United States and throughout the World – do you know that yet?”
– cricketdiane
***
doing a search for the clean air act – sections listed above –
Clean Air Act 101(a)(2) and 303(c)(2)
– that should be Clean Water Act – wait maybe its both –
HHHHHHMMMM>>>>going to start a new post.
need to email them but I can’t think of three words to put together that don’t include the f____k, hell or damn.
or the word Bastards to describe them.
oh, well – that would not be good but it is accurate.
Rep. Edward Markey challenged the assertion by oil giant BP’s chief executive that no underwater oil plumes have formed because of the Gulf of Mexico spill. FULL STORY
(from CNN – US)
***
My Note –
As I said before – how much education does it take to know that sniffing gasoline fumes, diesel fuel or the petroleum crude oil it is made from – is dangerous? Nobody would let their kids do it – every product is marked that comes from it with multiple hazard warnings – why would anybody breathe those fumes without a respirator for 6 hours or 8 hours or longer – for days on end, day after day? Who could possibly be ignorant enough about gasoline, petroleum, crude oil and fuel oils to think that is okay?
BP CEO Tony Hayward said that fishermen and others don’t need any breathing protection from it. Is he that uneducated or is the group at BP in charge making a decision that twenty or thirty or fifty years from now the courts will make them pay a couple thousand dollars each on those claims and that is cheaper than buying a trainload of gas masks and chemical splash goggles and respirator gear for everybody today?
Or is BP and its executives pathological liars?
Hayward also said there is no respiratory problems from COREXIT although everything on its safety hazards sheet indicates that when there is any great or significant quantities of it – that breathing protection and eye protection and backup breathing equipment is absolutely required anywhere within so many miles of it – does he not read, is he without that college degree from Cambridge or wherever it was, or is he a pathological and sadistic anti-social psychopath? Or is the BP corporation a pathological, sadistic anti-social psychopath across the board – because it sure does look that way.
– cricketdiane, 05-31-10
***
I just have to put this – it is unbelievable – first there was that sinkhole up in Canada – Montreal or wherever it was recently that swallowed up a home with the people inside killing them and then – what was it, a three story building that was swallowed by this one? or was the three story building that collapsed in the Guatemala Agatha rains – a different location? But this is a sign of great dangers in a very unstable earth –
Tropical storm leaves more than 115 dead in Central America
By the CNN Wire Staff
May 31, 2010 7:15 p.m. EDT
Guatemala was hit hardest, with at least 92 deaths, 54 people missing and 59 injured, emergency officials said. Nearly 112,000 people have been evacuated and more than 29,000 areliving in temporary shelters, Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom said in an address to the nation late Sunday.
The devastation has been widespread throughout Guatemala with mudslides destroying homes and buildings and burying some victims. At least nine rivers have dramatically higher levels and 13 bridges have collapsed, the nation’s emergency services said.
In the northern part of Guatemala City, the downpour created a giant sinkhole that swallowed up a space larger than the area of a street intersection. Residents told CNN that a three-story building and a house fell into the hole.
The CNN article goes on to say that this was – thought to be caused by a poor sewage drainage system –
“A local newspaper reported that a private security guard was killed when the sinkhole opened up, but authorities had not confirmed the fatality. Residents said that a poor sewage drainage system underground was to blame for the sinkhole. A similar hole opened up nearby last year, they said.” – CNN story above
That is not what does this. It probably isn’t what caused the other sinkhole nearby either. – my note, cricketdiane
***
(from CNN Transcript for CNN Newsroom – on May 30, 2010 – last one on the list on the transcript page for that show and that date.)
So far nine people handling the oil have gotten so sick. You see them on stretchers, sent to the hospital. Some are blaming the chemical dispersants use to break up the oil. But the CEO of BP seems to think the problem stems from something else.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY HAYWARD, CEO, BRITISH PETROLEUM: I am sure they were genuinely ill but whether it has anything to do with dispersants and oil, whether it was food poisoning or some other reason for them being ill. You know food poisoning is surely a big issue when you have a concentration of this number of people in temporary camps, temporary accommodations, it’s something we have to be very, very mindful of. It is one of the big issues of keeping the Army operating. You know, the army is marching on their stomach.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, Brooke. The workers have been complaining of several different symptoms and they have included mostly things like dizziness, headaches, irritation of the nose, shortness of the breath. And I ran Mr. Hayward’s theory about food poisoning by Dr. Michael Osterholm, who was one of the foremost experts on food-borne illness in the United States.
And he said, I don’t think so. He said these symptoms do not sound like food-borne illness to me. He said, I don’t know what they are. I don’t know why these guys are getting sick, but it sounds much more respiratory to me than getting sick from food.
Brooke?
BALDWIN: Elizabeth, I want to talk about some other pictures that we’ve been seeing that I know you’ve been pointing out this past week, right? So we see these workers on these ships, some of them are laying the booms, and we haven’t seen one big thing, that being gas masks. And I know you’ve learn from one of the workers, he is trying to do something about that. In fact, he’s filed a restraining order here.
COHEN: That’s right. Just today, he filed a temporary restraining order. Brooke, you mentioned earlier that nine people had been hospitalized, nine of these cleanup workers. One of them and only one of them is still in the hospital. And this gentleman has filed a restraining order against BP saying do not use dispersants unless you’re going to give the workers masks. Now I just got off the phone with a spokesperson from BP, and he said, our measurement show we don’t need mask.
He’s saying, we’re checking the quality of the air, we’re being careful about what we’re putting workers, and the places we’re putting them, they do not need masks. And then he said, if the workers want to wear their own masks, they can do so, as long as we make sure that they have the proper training.
Now, I’ve spoken with some of these fishermen and they said that when they asked, hey, can I wear my own masks, that the folks at BP told them, no, you can’t. If you want to wear a mask, you will be fired. BP denies this.
NEW: Feds order another 1,200 square miles of Gulf of Mexico waters closed to fishing
Washington (CNN) — Rep. Edward Markey on Monday challenged the assertion by oil giant BP’s chief executive that no underwater oil plumes have formed because of the Gulf of Mexico spill.
Markey, D-Massachusetts, said in a letter to BP that scientific evidence showed such plumes have formed, and he asked for BP CEO Tony Hayward to provide evidence to back up Hayward’s claim Sunday that the oil had gone to the surface.
On Sunday, Markey, who heads the House Energy and Environment subcommittee, accused BP of issuing false statements about the spill.
( . . . )
The latest order from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration means about 26 percent of the Gulf is closed to fishing, up only slightly from 25 percent last week. But it comes on the eve of the opening of the recreational fishing season for red snapper, a strong draw for sport fishing in the region.
The closure extends from north of Louisiana’s Chandeleur Islands, east along the three-mile offshore border between federal waters and Alabama and Mississippi state waters to just west of Gulf Shores, Alabama. It follows NOAA forecasts that showed oil from the massive Deepwater Horizon spill spreading toward those states’ coasts later this week.
In a separate letter Monday to BP, Markey called for complete transparency regarding video feeds of the company’s underwater operations. BP is launching an effort to cut an opening to the leaking equipment so that a containment dome can be lowered on it.
“There cannot be any delay or gaps in our understanding of this situation, given that thousands of barrels of oil are spewing forth each day into the Gulf, with catastrophic long-term consequences,” said Markey’s letter to BP America head Lamar McKay, adding: “BP should not be controlling the view the American public has of this disaster in our ocean.”
BALDWIN: As we look ahead here to another week of difficult challenges in the Gulf, want to get some perspective from retired army Lieutenant General Russel Honore, who’s also a CNN contributor, but also from Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian and the author of “The Great Deluge,” about the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast. And I spoke with both of these men earlier. And I started by asking General Honore what he thinks should happen next along the Gulf.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LT. GEN. RUSSEL HONORE, (RET.), CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, what’s next is we’ve got to take this all along like we are fighting a war. We need to create a defensive plan. Admiral Allen has done much in the last couple of days to instill confidence that he has the capability and we’ll bring the capability and to do it.
But at the end of the day, Brooke, is the trust of the people, they don’t trust BP. BP deciding what they are going resource and where, BP deciding what level of compensation — look, we’ve got a Stafford Act Section 5122 that clearly says if you have an explosion, that the government will invoke the Stafford Act to take care of the suffering of the people.
That’s what needs to happen, the people don’t trust BP. It’s like being mugged on the street and having the criminal decide what level of care you get. We need to move on. Invoke the Stafford Act and start taking care of these people.
BALDWIN: All right. So you say we can’t trust BP.
Mr. Brinkley, do you trust BP? Can BP do more? And I also want to ask you just about the role of the federal government here? What can the President and the administration do to force BP’s hand to take action?
DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Well, of course I don’t trust BP. At this point, nobody in America should, nobody in the world should. This is a company that has been dishonest, disingenuous, rude. Tony Hayward the CEO said that this was a little drop in the sea, the oil spill. They’ve been in constant cover-up in attempt to minimize things.
( . . . )
Gen. Honore, you and I were talking last night about how you would like to declare this a national disaster because you believe the people along the Gulf region are the ones who have the best interests in mind of the area and should be leading this effort.
LT. GEN. HONORE: That’s right. And use the local people for the response. Divide this up in grids. And I know Admiral Allen is working with the parish presidents. But at any time, you know, a governor asks to put a barrier up, or you ask them for a boom and then that decision is approved by the Coast Guard and some BP person is saying yes or no based on what they want to pay for, that’s not the response that people are looking for.
The people of America didn’t vote for BP. They voted for our Congress and Senators and our President to take care of us in a time of need. We need to move on and put the government in charge of defending the coastline. When that oil comes here, we attack it and we have a lot more assets if we use national response plan because all of government then come. All of government is then required to see how they can help as opposed to being requested to help. And I know Admiral Allen and his team is doing the best they can. But this is all out war. We need land, sea, and air an attack on this thing and keep that oil out of the bayous.
BALDWIN: The marshes.
LT. GEN. HONORE: Look, we are right in the middle of going into hurricane season. The people here remember a 30-foot wall of water hitting Biloxi. They remember a 17-foot wall of water coming through Lake Morgan, coming in to Lake Pontchartrain. They know what the black wave will do.
( etc. )
BALDWIN: Yes, some beaches are most definitely open.
John Zarrella for us out of New Orleans.
John, thanks for that.
The paper trail now growing in the investigation into the deepwater horizon oil rig explosion. BP may have known about the problems nearly a year ago.
And with months of leaking still likely from the oil disaster, look what’s here. Check your calendar, hurricane season. What might a hurricane mean to clean up efforts? That’s next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: As we learn more about the possible causes of the BP disaster, we’re also finding that there were warning signs that not everything was OK on board that drilling rig. Perhaps here, the most telling, BP now acknowledging it had many unanswered questions about how crucial equipment like the blowout preventer operates at such depths.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN (voice-over): As BP struggles to control the flow of oil from the Deep Water Horizon site, more questions are being asked about the rig’s history and the design of some of its equipment.
BP managing director Bob Dudley was asked on ABC this week about problems back in March, said to involved gas seeping into the well.
ROBERT DUDLEY, BP MANAGING DIRECTOR: There were issues of well control and signs out there and there are strict procedures that are written for rig owners to walk through well control.
BALDWIN: The company’s CEO maintains the problems were with the procedure and not design.
HAYWARD: There is nothing unusual about the design of the well. We should await the full investigation. And trying to speculate without the fact is speculation.
BALDWIN: But design issues have led to friction at the on-going hearings in New Orleans and held by the Coast Guard and Minerals Management Service. BP drilling engineer Mark Hafle testified he made several changes to the casing designs to address problems with the well cement walls and leaking drilling mud. He was sharply challenged by one of the panel.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You still think the job was successful?
MARK HAFLE, BP DRILLING ENGINEER: I don’t have any data that says the job was not successful.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fact that the well flowed doesn’t tell you something.
HAFLE: The fact that the well flowed tells me that the well became out of control at some point after the cement job.
BALDWIN: In a submission to the House Energy and Commerce Committee earlier this month, BP said that it planned to review design and execution of the cement job. Then there are multiple issues with the blowout preventer.
REP. BART STUPAK (D), MICHIGAN: The blow out preventer it was only down there since February. In three months, the batteries went dead. Therefore, when we lost all power to it, the batteries should have kicked in but that didn’t work.
BALDWIN: A memo from the committee chairman Henry Waxman last week said, quote, “The BP investigation has raised concerns about the maintenance history, modification, inspection and testing of the BOP.”
BP’s Bob Dudley has since acknowledged there are many unanswered questions about the blowout preventers in deep water exploration.
(from)
CNN NEWSROOM
Dispute Over Oil Worker Illness; Residents Coping with Major Oil Disaster; Florida: Our Beach Are Oil Free; BP Rig’s History Scrutinized; Your Info Available to Anyone; Lionel Richie’s Patriotic Tone
Mar 4, 2010 … Paul opposes citizenship for babies of illegals 5/28/2010, 10:51 a.m. CDT … Nagin, who chaired the conference’s panel on Stafford Act reform, …. All for a 2 hour meeting, gives 2 minute speech and sleeps though the …
General Honore said the Stafford Act 51 – 2 should be brought to bear on this situation. I’m looking up what it is.
– cricketdiane
***
An Overview of the Stafford Act
The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (the Stafford Act)5 authorizes the President to issue major disaster or emergency declarations in response to incidents that overwhelm state and local governments.
Either type of declaration would authorize the distribution of a wide range of federal aid to individuals and families, certain nonprofit organizations, and public agencies, but major disaster and emergency classifications each trigger different kinds and amounts of assistance from the federal government.
Under the Stafford Act, a major disaster is defined as any natural catastrophe (including any hurricane, tornado, storm, high water, winddriven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, or drought), or, regardless of cause, any fire, flood, or explosion, in any part of the United States, which in the determination of the President causes damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant major disaster assistance under this chapter to supplement the efforts and available resources of States, local governments, and disaster relief organizations in alleviating the damage, loss, hardship, or suffering caused thereby.6
A major disaster declaration authorizes the President to offer a variety of federal assistance, although none is specifically required to be provided.7 The types of general federal assistance available include directing federal agencies to support in assistance efforts, coordinating assistance efforts, providing technical and advisory assistance, and distributing supplies and emergency assistance.
Under the major disaster classification, there are also more specific provisions, including repair and restoration of federal facilities, removal of debris, housing assistance, unemployment assistance, emergency grants to assist low-income migrant and seasonal farmworkers, food coupons and distribution, relocation assistance, crisis counseling assistance and training, community disaster loans, emergency communications, and emergency public transportation.8
In contrast the Stafford Act defines an emergency as any occasion or instance for which, in the determination of the President, Federal assistance is needed to supplement State and local efforts and capabilities to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in any part of the United States.9
An emergency declaration authorizes limited federal assistance when compared to a major disaster classification.10 The emergency declaration would not authorize grants, unemployment assistance, food coupons, crisis counseling assistance and training, or community disaster loans as would be available through a major disaster declaration.
An emergency declaration would authorize technical and advisory assistance to affected state and local governments for certain needs; emergency assistance through federal agencies; clearance of debris; housing assistance; and assistance in the distribution of medicine, food, and other consumable supplies.
The total amount of assistance available is also limited in an emergency declaration to $5 million, “unless the President determines that there is a continuing need; Congress must be notified if the $5 million ceiling is breached.”11
6 42 U.S.C. § 5122(2) (emphasis added).
7 Except in the case of food coupons and assistance to damaged federal facilities, the authority to determine what types of assistance to provide in the event of a major disaster declaration has been delegated to the Secretary of Homeland Security. Exec. Order No.
12148, § 4-203.
8 42 U.S.C. §§ 5172-5187.
9 42 U.S.C. § 5122(1) (emphasis added).
10 42 U.S.C. § 5192.
11 CRS Report RL33053, Federal Stafford Act Disaster Assistance: Presidential Declarations, Eligible Activities, and Funding, by Keith Bea, at 18, n.85.
For more than four years now, Mayor Ray Nagin has been telling everyone who will listen that the Stafford Act — the law that lays out the sometimes arcane rules for federal disaster aid — is clunky and in dire need of a rewrite.
Nagin, who chaired the conference’s panel on Stafford Act reform, will be joined by two other mayors, T.M. Franklin Cownie of Des Moines, Iowa, and Robert Duffy, of Rochester, N.Y.
Among other things, the mayors’ group recommends the creation of a disaster designation that would give the president authority to waive parts of the Stafford Act provisions and provide 100 percent federal funding for all categories of work during the disaster.
The group also is pushing the removal of a $5 million cap on federal loans given to communities that suffer disasters, a cap that can now be overridden through legislative action.
Posted by leveeliar
March 04, 2010, 9:24AM
“Nagin said “much has been said about the lessons learned from the catastrophic disaster that New Orleans experienced”
Ray, are you talking about the catastrophic disaster of your tenure in office. Its almost as bad as Katrina itself. With all your ideas like the Chevron Building episode, the Municipal Auditorium deal, the Zulu gift, the police chief, the crime cameras, Blakely, those green parking meter machines and increased hours & Saturdays, NOAH, first class trips all over the world, stopping garbage collections in the Quarter and this doesn’t include your stupid comments over the years about chocolate city, the N.O. Brand and the hole in the ground in NY. I sure hope some lessons have been learned from your reign of terror.
2010 Regular Legislative Session Convened on Monday, March 29, 2010
Final Adjournment no later than 6:00 pm on Monday, June 21, 2010
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Berlin, Germany (CNN) — German President Horst Koehler resigned suddenly Monday over what he said was heavy criticism about comments he made on Germany’s military role in the world, which he said had been misinterpreted.
It was the first time in German history that a president has resigned, the government-funded Deutsche Welle news agency reported.
Koehler said May 22 upon his return from a trip to Afghanistan that “in emergencies, military intervention is necessary to uphold our interests, like for example free trade routes, for example to prevent regional instabilities which could have a negative impact on our chances in terms of trade, jobs and income.”
Horst Koehler and his wife, Luise, leave a press conference on Monday in Berlin after he resigned as the German president.
By Win McNamee, Getty Images By Rick Jervis, USA TODAY NEW ORLEANS – Anger and frustration surged across the Gulf Coast on Monday as residents learned that the latest attempt to cap a renegade underwater well had failed and that oil may keep gushing …
Grand Isle, LA. A National Guard unit constructs Tiger Dams on the beach at Grand Isle
My Note –
These are the people and teams I am most proud of – they have made us all proud – The Louisiana National Guard (and the Navy) – they are prepared, they had real barriers and substantial equipment and knowledge to bring to bear on the situation. They have worked out in the hot sun and humidity – and the tools they have available to them from systems available around the world – they are putting into use in practical and efficient ways. Yep – this is what works.
Every photograph of the Louisiana National Guard has shown them putting intelligently designed equipment, tools and barrier systems into intelligent placement and brilliant use in places where it makes sense. Why can’t BP and their contractors do that? Are they over at BP not qualified to do that by any chance?
And, I’m not sure how much more qualified BP and their experts are to work with those depths and oil industry equipment at the spill. So, far not only did their first efforts by BP and their contractors to shutoff the blowout preventer fail, but over and over again every one of the efforts they have made have failed. BP and their contractors have consistently failed to think through the efforts they’ve planned in rational and intelligent ways despite whoever’s brains they are using to do it. Now, something is wrong with that process.
And, that is the truth.
– cricketdiane
***
My Note –
You just have to see this video and compare it with the CNN video with Governor Jindal in the syrupy crude oil soup in the marshes to see the dead stupidity of it. There is no way to describe it except in comparison to all the dead animals, dead zones, plumes of oil under the sea that have been found and measured by scientists and oceanographers, over 500 birds, over 240 sea turtles dead, 27 dolphins dead and countless other marine animals that haven’t been recovered nor counted by authorities.
What this man is saying at 20 days – and he is BP’s incident commander is insanely out of touch with the things any news crew or local leader could find on the coast with no signs of skimmers, cleanup or any kind of sanity being used for the dispersants which are killing everything in the Gulf of Mexico and endangering people as well.
That’s what it is – this man that is in charge as BP incident commander is sitting in a nice clean cool smelling good hotel or whatever conference center – making decisions based on maps, and people putting lines on maps where booms are located (without noting that real world conditions have broken them all to hell and allowed oil to wash over, around and under them,) etc.
Somebody needs to grab up that man – if it takes the Governor of Louisiana to do it and Mr. Carville holding him down – and take that son of a bitch out to the marshes where everything looks like crude oil thick with death and silence and the stench of petroleum like being inundated with gasoline fumes.
Then, maybe his decision-making skills would improve. They might run him out there where the aerial dispersant are a mile away with the winds carrying it over him to breath along with the petroleum fumes filling his head, and then we would know if he gets food poisoning from it or not.
Test case.
Reality check.
– cricketdiane, 05-31-10 / 06-01-10
***
Here is the other problem – They are using the spill map locations from May 30, 2010 for the spill map and resourcing on May 31, 2010
As my previous post showed – there were significant changes from May 30 to May 31 that can clearly be seen from the MODIS satellite images.
Look for yourself – this is the May 31, 2010 map of their command center use at BP put out on their site. I am assuming since it is dated May 31 and it acknowledges on the Map legend that the red line outlines the spill locations from May 30 – that is the way they’ve been doing it.
But the satellite images show something else for May 31, 2010. So, how can they know what the hell they are doing? ( my note – cricketdiane)
NOTE -There has to be a judge or governor or Coast Guard command or President Obama’s cabinet member or Senator or Congressman that can force that incident commander whose decisions are authority from BP – to go out into the marshes and see and smell this crap and understand what it is doing.
– cricketdiane
***
That map also doesn’t show all the places where the oil has already made landfall either. What?
How is that an incident map if it doesn’t show any of the places where the oil is known to have been making landfall, taking over the marshes, coating beaches to have to be cleaned off again at every low tide, and reports from Alabama about oil being in the water and on the beach getting on people’s feet – and dead birds and animals isn’t even included.
What about the marshes known to have deep enough oil that has killed everything that we’ve all seen on CNN pictures and video – that isn’t noted on the map as a landfall area or crude oil covered area of the spill either.
That isn’t even in their known spill zone – neither are the plumes at least two or three of which that stretch miles which scientists have measured and located under the water for hundreds of feet deep in oil stratified below the surface?
Where is that information that would normally be on such an incident map for those whose decisions affect how it is tackled and handled and where resources are being placed to deal with it?
– cricketdiane
***
According to their maps – and they have pictures on their website at BP of the command center – they don’t have any evidence of these things that we have all seen on the numerous reports of the oil spill coming out of the area, the circulating long streams of oil shown in aerial views, the deep ribbons stretching for miles under the water that can be seen in aerial photos and now have been measured by scientists – some 300 feet deep sideways columns of oil or oil mixed with dispersants that stretch for over twenty miles long and 6 or more miles wide. They don’t have the landfall areas on their maps where birds have already died from the oil or shores where sea creatures are showing up dead covered in oil.
They don’t have the marshes and beaches however we might be seeing them in photographs and videos – recorded on their maps of the incident nor shown to the people working in the command center. They’ve probably been too busy to watch the news and have had public relations and marketing geniuses doing that for facilitating strategies against it – but not for the incident commander and others in the command center to see what is on the ground – where are they when they make these decisions if not isolated with only the information being provided and in use?
MODIS Today: USA7 – May 31, 2010 (151) Terra Aqua True Color – Coastline – State borders – 2000m – NOAA – May 31, 2010
MODIS Today: USA7 – May 31, 2010 (151) – NOAA – May 31, 2010 – Gulf of Mexico oil spill catastrophe
– the one above is 1000m and cropped – then I enhanced the color saturation and look what it is –
May 31, 2010 NOAA / NASA MODIS – Gulf of Mexico oil spill – color saturation enhanced – BP oil spill – Deepwater Horizon event
Is that something?
I went to find what the actual scale of this oil slick and thick oil – but every one of the things I found were from April 29 – over a month ago and from earlier in May – like around the 1st and 4th of May – so, wonder where it is? I know that has been calculated by the Coast Guard and others.
– cricketdiane
***
OOH – Check out the one from yesterday – how odd –
MODIS – Gulf of Mexico – May 30, 2010 – oil spill from Deepwater Horizon BP – (NOAA / NASA) – May 30, 2010
But look at it today (as in the ones above this last one from yesterday – this one is today – May 31, 2010 – from the MODIS / NOAA site with false color as they do it – but look where it is now and how spread out it is that doesn’t include the deep sea plumes of oil that have been located and logged by scientists and oceanographers in the area, my note – cricketdiane)
MODIS / NOAA / NASA satellite photo in false color of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico – May 31, 2010 (today)
And then I heightened the contrast and it gives this – from today’s image – May 31, 2010 (from MODIS / NOAA / NASA false color satellite image of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill – it is only using information that is already there – )
NOAA / NASA / MODIS false color image from satellite photo – May 31, 2010 – t1.10151.USA7.721.2000m – May 31 – 2010 – false color with high contrast – 2 – Gulf of Mexico oil spill
Yes, they would have to know better than to have a map without the landfalls and plumes showing on it. And they would have to know better about this info about COREXIT too –
To not provide face masks, respirator style masks specifically and backup respiration equipment, safety goggles, and other safety equipment to anyone out in the Gulf of Mexico that might get any dose of windblown or ocean borne COREXIT dispersant – is criminal.
And, as I keep saying – everybody knows in America from 2-year old on up – that you do not sniff petroleum, gasoline, diesel or motor oil fumes of any kind that are made from petroleum. To say there is no danger – is criminal and cruelly so – because these fumes cause brain damage, can cause brain hemorrhages, lesions in the sinus passages, inflammation of the respiratory tracts and of the brachial tracts in the lungs, it gets into the blood stream chemistry and goes through into the cellular walls without hindrance replacing the healthy nutrients and healthy chemistry that was there with dire results that last for years and develop sicknesses over years after being exposed to it. Petroleum and its products also cause liver and kidney damages, besides brain damage and metabolic disturbances as it replaces the natural balancing chemistry of the bodies hormonal and electrolyte systems.
No – not my idea – ya’ll ought to get out and read more of the stuff available from a multitude of sources about this stuff. Just because we are so familiar to everyday uses and handling of petroleum, crude oil produce, crude oil products, break apart products that cell out from petroleum – such as gasoline, motor oils, transmission fluids, diesel fuels, kerosene, paraffin, asphalt, bitumen, and countless other petroleum distillates – doesn’t mean they are safe to sniff, breathe, handle without respect for the dangers of – or be in any space breathing them for any extended period of time beyond a very few minutes.
– cricketdiane, 05-31-10 / 06-01-10
***
The command BP and other groups in charge of this oil spill incident have to know this – and have to know the information below included in the COREXIT federally required safety hazards sheet, along with other information about it.
RESPIRATORY PROTECTION :
Where concentrations in air may exceed the limits given in this section, the use of a half face filter mask or air supplied breathing apparatus is recommended.
A suitable filter material depends on the amount and type of
chemicals being handled.
Consider the use of filter type: Multi-contaminant cartridge. with a Particulate pre-filter. In event of emergency or planned entry into unknown concentrations a positive pressure, full-facepiece SCBA should be used.
If respiratory protection is required, institute a complete respiratory protection program including selection, fit testing, training, maintenance and inspection.
HAND PROTECTION :
Nitrile gloves, PVC gloves
SKIN PROTECTION :
Wear standard protective clothing. EYE PROTECTION :
Wear chemical splash goggles.
HYGIENE RECOMMENDATIONS : Keep an eye wash fountain available.
Keep a safety shower available.
If clothing is contaminated, remove clothing and thoroughly wash the affected area.
Launder contaminated clothing before reuse.
ODOR – Hydrocarbon
CONDITIONS TO AVOID : Heat and sources of ignition including static discharges
MATERIALS TO AVOID :
Contact with strong oxidizers (e.g. chlorine, peroxides, chromates, nitric acid, perchlorate, concentrated oxygen, permanganate) may generate heat, fires, explosions and/or toxic vapors.
No toxicity studies have been conducted on this product.
HUMAN HAZARD CHARACTERIZATION :
Based on our hazard characterization, the potential human hazard is: Moderate
If released into the environment, see CERCLA/SUPERFUND in Section 15.
(***
IV. SPECIAL HANDLING AND WORKER PRECAUTIONS FOR STORAGE AND FIELD APPLICATION 1. Flammability:
COREXIT® EC9527A is not classified as flammable by either DOT or IMO regulations. 2. Ventilation:
Avoid prolonged breathing of vapors. Use with ventilation equal to unobstructed outdoors in moderate breeze.
3. Skin and eye contact; protective clothing; treatment in case of contact:
Avoid eye contact. In case of eye contact, immediately flush eyes with large amounts of water for at least 15 minutes. Get prompt medical attention. Avoid contact with skin and clothing. In case of skin contact, immediately flush with large amounts of water, and soap if available. Remove contaminated clothing, including shoes, after flushing has begun. If irritation persists, seek medical attention. For open systems where contact is likely, wear long sleeve shirt, chemical resistant gloves, and chemical protective goggles.
Environmental Fact Sheet– The Superfund Enforcement Process–How it works: Describes process for remedial actions, authorities, tools for enforcement, state and public participation, Summer 1988, 5 pp. (20 kB PDF)
Amendment to the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan–Procedures for Planning and Implementing Off-Site Response Actions, Final Rule: 9/22/93 FR pp. 49200-18. This final rule added a new section 300.440 to 40 CFR 300. The new section is titled, “Procedures for planning and implementing off-site response actions,” and applies to any remedial or removal action involving the off-site transfer of any hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.
See they have these maps from the satellite in the command center – but they are using the incident response map for planning and placements of their resources and it uses the oil spill location from the day before – along with information that is clearly left off of it –
Hancock County Emergency Operations Director Brian Adam at the EOC (Emergency Operations Center in Waveland, MS. 25 May 2010
And then I heightened the contrast and it gives this – from today’s image – May 31, 2010 (from MODIS / NOAA / NASA false color satellite image of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill – it is only using information that is already there – )
NOAA / NASA / MODIS false color image from satellite photo – May 31, 2010 – t1.10151.USA7.721.2000m – May 31 – 2010 – false color with high contrast – 2 – Gulf of Mexico oil spill
Gee – let’s see how close is that for planning an operation – about as good as throwing horseshoes – or maybe not as good as trying to hit the broad side of a barn with hand grenade from a mile away . . .
– cricketdiane
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gone to fry up some chicken and make some beans – be back in a bit – and rice and homemade chicken gravy pan-fried with fried chicken drippings, browned flour and milk and salt and pepper – hmmmmmmmm. yum.
and greany beanys – with butter, and salt and pepper.
yep – and fried chicken homemade from scratch. Now that is good.
– cricketdiane –
and I didn’t have to please anybody else with my old lumpy gravy that I like . . . Okay, so it wasn’t lumpy this time – don’t tell my children. They think it is the only kind I can make.
I always precook the chicken in the microwave where is cooks faster – it never takes as long as I think it will because I microwave the chicken breast while I work on the computer before I’ve really gotten in there to fiddle with it.
Well, that done – I had a thought.
That screw up with the maps being used to place response assets – starts to give some answer as to why the incident command group has been consistently wrong about placing those assets on a large scale, but mostly too consistently wrong. It is the old “garbage in – garbage out” thing at play.
Without the information on the incident response mapping and the information of the spill parameters accurately conveyed from today’s satellite image – there is obviously the same sense they would have that nothing beyond what they are seeing there exists.
And, then they would keep thinking what a fine job they are doing even as the maps which show their markings of placed boom are failing to reflect the fact that the booms aren’t working, their flimsiness allows the oil to circumvent them, the winds and real world wave conditions are breaking them and driving them up on the grasses or beaches where they aren’t protecting anything, and similar crap.
Along with the fact that – landfall areas known to be heavily coated with oil including the marsh areas – are not on their maps – so they don’t exist. They would think that they are keeping the oil out in the sea far away from the land. And, unless they went far out of their way to find the lists and reports (which aren’t even complete for all the animals that have died) about the animals and birds being recovered dead – they wouldn’t even know that those animals have died from the oil and from the dispersants.
The command center decision-makers also wouldn’t be hitting today’s targets. And, they don’t have the oil plumes that have been logged under the water – so those wouldn’t exist in their little isolated, clean, air-conditioned, wonderland environment either.
Wonder how it is over where the architects of solutions to cap the well have been working. Maybe that would explain a whole lot, too. It might be worth finding out the information they are getting and whether they have chemical engineers on board with the other team assets or if its just a whole bunch of petroleum engineers whose background is mechanical engineering.
This is the live video feed from BP – they haven’t cut the pipe yet – it appears and where are the video feeds of the other leaks?
Where is the very very first one – that was offered to the public twenty-three days after the event started? Where are the current pictures from that one?
And, is this operation supposed to have any influence over that oil gusher location? or is it simply going to siphon off some oil from the top of the blowout preventer while everything else continues spewing? or what? or is that other leak coming out of the pipe piece they are taking off? wait – I don’t think it is, they had a graphic of where the actual leaks were and the equipment diagrammed out on the BP site several days ago – let me see if I can find it to understand better.
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I wonder if that is the cutter they are going to use that they are bringing down now and transferring over to the ROVers. 2.33 am