State and Local Permitting Authority Responses to Tailoring Rule Request [to Comply with GHG Regulations] (60-day Letters)

US EPA http://www.epa.gov/nsr/2010letters.html [From a Greenwire article by Robin Bravender, subscription required] U.S. EPA has released states’ plans to comply with federal climate rules after a Republican lawmaker pressed the agency to unveil the documents. The agency has publicly posted letters from state and local permitting authorities about how they plan to comply with the … Continue reading »

Transboundary Flood Risk Management: Experiences from the UNECE

UN Economic Commission for Europe, Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes http://tinyurl.com/2e4vpjv A 2009 publication of the United Nations Economic Commission For Europe pursuant to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes. This publication describes problems and progress made regarding transboundary flood management … Continue reading »

A Bill to Amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to Authorize Advances from Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

US Congress http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:SN03473:|TOM:/bss/d111query.html S.3473 : A bill to amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to authorize advances from Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Sponsor: Sen Reid, Harry [NV] (introduced 6/9/2010) Cosponsors (None) Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-191 [H/T: PEN-e]

IER Testimony for the Hearing on the Global Clean Energy Race

Institute for Energy Research testimony (no person named) before the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming — Hearing on the Global Clean Energy Race, September 22, 2010 http://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Green-Energy-Competition.pdf [From press release] …In an effort to garner support for implementing policies to advance renewable generation in lieu of traditional sources, the Administration and others … Continue reading »

Disaster Response: Criteria for Developing and Validating Effective Response Plans

US Government Accountability Office http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-10-969T Among the lessons learned from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was that effective disaster response requires planning followed by the execution of training and exercises to validate those plans. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is responsible for disaster response planning. This testimony focuses on (1) criteria for effective disaster … Continue reading »

National Flood Insurance Program: Continued Actions Needed to Address Financial and Operational Issues

US Government Accountability Office http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-10-1063T The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), established in 1968, provides policyholders with insurance coverage for flood damage. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) within the Department of Homeland Security is responsible for managing NFIP. Unprecedented losses from the 2005 hurricane season and NFIP’s periodic need to borrow from the U.S. … Continue reading »