Gulf Oil Spill

In anticipation of today's Senate and House hearings over the final report by President Obama's National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling, oilfield operations expert Phil Rae warns that fundamental mistakes made in the panel's findings threaten to undermine efforts to ensure such a tragedy never occurs again: "After $6 million dollars, 6 hearings, and seven months, the cause of the April 20th blowout laid out in the commission's report varies little from the one initially proposed by BP. It's a theory that still fails to explain all documented observations and known facts. More troubling though, the commission's 398-page report contains several claims that are factually incorrect." Full release

U.S., U.K. and other global investors in BP have agreed to work together to hold BP accountable following last year's oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. As a result, a planned shareholder resolution seeking increased disclosure of the company's efforts to mitigate risk across operations has not been filed. A diverse coalition of investors, led by members of the U.S.-based Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) withdrew the resolution in favor of a historic agreement with institutional investors of the Church Investor Group (CIG) in the U.K. The agreement gives BP more time to address investor concerns but holds out the possible return to a resolution in 2012 if progress is not seen. Full release

The following is a statement by David Yarnold: "The report uses two words the drillers didn't want to hear: 'Systemic failure.' Make no mistake: the report says drillers are unprepared for disasters like this. Even after killing 11 and triggering the worst environmental disaster in a generation, industry spokespeople want to distract us from the truth. They claim this was an isolated instance caused by rogue companies. That's an insult to the families who suffered and to anyone who wants to see reasonable safeguards. The report is clear; the Interior Department is outgunned by the drillers and needs the people and the dollars to police the industry." Full release

The U.S. Senate should heed the recommendation by the staff of the bipartisan National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling that "Congress should direct 80 percent of civil and criminal Clean Water Act penalties" [PDF] to Gulf Coast restoration, according to eight non-profit groups. While the full commission report is expected in January, the groups urged the Senate to act on this staff recommendation before the lame duck congressional session ends later this month. Full release

Building upon the extensive testing and protocols already in use by federal, state and local officials for the fishing waters of the Gulf, NOAA and FDA have developed and are using a chemical test to detect dispersants used in the Deepwater Horizon-BP oil spill in fish, oysters, crab and shrimp. Trace amounts of the chemicals used in dispersants are common, and levels for safety have been previously set. Experts trained in a rigorous sensory analysis process have been testing Gulf seafood for the presence of contaminants, and every seafood sample from reopened waters has passed sensory testing for contamination with oil and dispersant. Full release

Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR) and the America's WETLAND Foundation will release Wednesday, Oct. 20, a landmark study by McKinsey & Company with startling data that shows the need for billions in annual investments to sustain America’s Energy Coast of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.

The study, which will be presented by McKinsey during the America’s Energy Coast policy forum at the conclusion of the DELTAS2010: World Deltas Dialogue conference, has been eight months in the making and looks at assets across 77 coastal parishes and counties in the Gulf region. The report shows that without large-scale adaptation efforts, the region’s gross domestic product may be unable to keep up with the costs of protecting nationally critical assets. Full release

Terradime Modular™, a manufacturing and innovation enterprise focused on energy efficient technologies, today held an international product launch to unveil cutting-edge products designed to help people conserve energy and live cleaner, healthier lives. The products were created by alumni from Carnegie Mellon University.

The Ecoplex™ is the first mass produced modular trailer for use in natural disasters (and many other applications) that does not contain cancer causing toxins and is 100% recyclable. It is a fresh solution to the "toxic boxes" that have been used to shelter people in natural disasters like those that have occurred with the BP oil spill or Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. The Smart-e™ is a unique energy monitoring system that replaces the traditional home or office thermostat and allows remote access to home or office from anywhere in the world. Both products can have a compelling and positive impact on the lives of millions of people. Full release

Almost six months after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion caused the oil spill now globally known as the worst environmental disaster in our nation's history, Children's Health Fund (CHF) is expanding its New Orleans's Children's Health Project (NOCHP) by bringing a Crisis Response Unit to lower Plaquemines Parish. The new project will be in partnership with Tulane University and Plaquemines Community C.A.R.E. Center. The mobile pediatric unit will bring badly needed medical, mental, and public health services to oil disaster affected families.

Founded in 1987 by singer/songwriter Paul Simon and pediatrician/advocate Irwin Redlener, MD, Children's Health Fund (CHF) is the nation's leading pediatric provider of mobile-based health care for homeless and low-income children and their families. CHF's mission is to bring health care directly to those in need through the development and support of innovative medical programs, response to public health crises, and the promotion of guaranteed access to health care for all children. Full release

President Obama's signing today of an executive order to create a Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force is a key first step to fulfilling his promise to restore the Gulf and to make it even better than it was before the BP oil disaster, according to five local and national environmental groups.

The executive order creating the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force - which will be led by EPA Administrator and New Orleans native Lisa Jackson - was one of the recommendations in a long-term Gulf Coast recovery plan [PDF] that was released last week by Navy Secretary and former Mississippi Governor Ray Mabus. Full release

"Playing politics with Gulf Coast restoration is a losing proposition.

"This poll of Gulf voters is a wake-up call for anyone who would put political bickering ahead of the restoration that can safeguard the people, the ecosystems and the future of the Gulf.

"Senators seeking to block restoration plans and funding had better pay attention: Three of five Gulf Coast voters say they'd be less likely to cast ballots for federal legislators who vote against restoration funding. Nearly eight out of ten want to see a separate restoration fund created from the billions that BP will pay in fines. And nearly nine out of ten see the health of the Gulf as important to their states' economies. These are not concerns to be trifled with. Full release

Three environmental groups joined a bipartisan call for action today for President Obama to fulfill the commitment that he made in his very first oval office speech on June 15 to restore the Gulf Coast to make it better than it was before the BP oil disaster. At a news conference in New Orleans this morning, Louisiana U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu and Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise urged the President to dedicate BP oils spill penalties to the long-term restoration of the Gulf Coast and its economy. Full Release

A report released today by BP spreads blame for the Gulf Coast disaster across many entities, including Transocean and Halliburton. Meanwhile, news accounts have indicated that final payment protocols for the BP fund / Gulf Coast Claims Facility will require claimants to waive future legal rights against all corporations involved in the disaster. The following is a statement from American Association for Justice President Gibson Vance: "From the very beginning, BP has distorted the impact of this disaster and attempted to skirt accountability, so the accuracy and candor of their report is unknown. But in light of BP spreading blame among multiple corporations, claimants must not be forced to sign away all their legal rights if accepting settlements from the Gulf Coast Claims Facility. To force Gulf Coast residents and businesses to grant all these corporations blanket immunity before the disaster and its scope is fully understood is unconscionable." Full release.

Stratos Global, the leading global provider of advanced mobile and fixed-site remote communications solutions, today announced it has begun deployment of its new StratosMAX II broadband service across the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) region. The new StratosMAX II service provides last-mile radio connectivity accessing Stratos' industry-leading digital microwave network. It connects customers back to shore through diverse shore crossings and onshore Stratos interconnection facilities. StratosMAX II now is providing reliable voice service, high-speed Internet connectivity, Stratos Hot Spot WiFi service and a wide range of mobile communications applications to oil rigs, platforms, offshore vessels and professionals managing the Gulf Oil Disaster containment and cleanup efforts. Full release.

With tens of thousands of hurricane survivors still prevented from returning or rebuilding five years after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita-and the Gulf Coast now reeling from the disastrous oil spill-actor Nicolas Cage is speaking up on behalf of victims in a video produced by Amnesty International USA. In the film http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=305hghTajTw Cage talks with local community leaders in New Orleans as he tours the storms' devastation in the Lower Ninth Ward. "People in the Gulf Coast have the right to return to affordable safe housing," says Cage, who participated in Amnesty International's Annual General Meeting in New Orleans last spring. Full release.

See the Bigger Picture originated in 2009, when Airbus, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and National Geographic launched an international photo competition for young people to submit their photographic interpretations of biodiversity. The exhibit, which has obtained worldwide acclaim, has already visited cities such as Paris, Madrid, Hamburg and Whistler (during the Winter Olympics), and will go on to Japan later in the fall. Airbus, which has an engineering base in Mobile, Ala., felt it was imperative to bring the exhibit to the Gulf Coast. "Airbus is committed to the Gulf Coast community as this is one of our many homes around the world," said David Trent, Site Director of Mobile's Airbus Engineering Center. "With the oil spill, it's now more important than ever to draw attention to the stunning variety and importance of nature and to encourage everyone to get involved in preserving it." Full release.

One Gulf, resilient Gulf, a new report released today by Oxfam America, the Gulf Coast Fund for Ecological Health and Community Renewal, the Gulf Restoration Network, and more than 100 endorsing Gulf Coast and national organizations working on the response to the oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, represents the broadest effort yet to create a detailed plan to restore the region devastated by the BP oil spill. The full report can be found at www.OxfamAmerica.org/publications/one-gulf-resilient-gulf-a-plan-for-coastal-community-recovery. On the eve of the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the expected release of Sec. Ray Mabus' Gulf Coast Recovery Plan, residents and advocates who have been responding to the disaster are calling for a recovery plan that addresses the core needs of those who have lived through both disasters and ensures that the status quo of degradation, inaction, and vulnerability will no longer be accepted. Full release.

Rev. Larry Snyder, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA, the national social service network celebrating its Centennial this year, called for a greater commitment of volunteer and financial resources today at the Corporation for National and Community Service Gulf Coast Convening in New Orleans, LA. The meeting brought together national, state, and local leaders from nonprofit, government and private sectors to coordinate a national service response to the Gulf Coast Oil Spill and to raise public attention on the human service needs of gulf residents affected by the disaster. "Volunteers are the backbone of the Catholic Charities Network," said Fr. Snyder. "There is a dire need for both volunteer and financial resources in the Gulf region to support the long-term needs of the growing vulnerable population." Full release.

In a side-by-side laboratory study looking at both Gulf and Atlantic seafood samples, The Daily Beast profiled large shrimp, crabmeat and red grouper, and the results demonstrated no detectable amounts of selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or dispersant ingredients. Under FDA protocol, federal and state authorities each must determine that any patch of water is both free from oil and chemicals, both presently and in the near-term. Then, the state in question must submit an approved number of samples, where samples are given sensory testing (primarily, viewed and smelled) for oil, dispersants, or any type of contamination. From there, they are then sent to an FDA lab for confirmatory chemical testing. "We are confident in the process for reopening and protective controls that were developed and agreed to," Margaret A. Hamburg, commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration tells The Daily Beast. Full release.

The following is a statement from American Association for Justice President Gibson Vance regarding today's release of protocols for the emergency payments from the BP / Gulf Coast Claims Facility: "As we stated when this fund was first conceived, AAJ is firmly behind efforts to quickly and fairly compensate Gulf Coasters for their losses due to the spill. The voluntary claims process may provide adequate and immediate relief to certain claimants through this emergency payment process. However, the protocols still leave questions to be answered about the future and final claim protocols. For example, it would be detrimental to claimants if they are forced to accept final payments before the full impact of the spill is realized." Full release.

United States Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Chair, Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., today held a field hearing entitled "The Deepwater Drilling Moratorium: An Economic Disaster for Louisiana's Small Businesses?" in Lafayette, Louisiana. Testifying before the Committee were elected officials and business owners from a broad range of industries that are being impacted by the Administration's deepwater drilling moratorium. "Some 121 days ago, the Deepwater Horizon explosion took the lives of 11 men and sent an estimated 4.9 million of barrels of oil spewing into the Gulf, onto our shores, and into our marshes," Senator Landrieu said. "Today, thousands of Gulf Coast businesses are fighting their way out of this government imposed economic disaster that not only threatens jobs and businesses-including oil and gas field services, transportation, and fabrication companies-but also a way of life, just as surely as the massive oil spill does, and perhaps even more." Full release.

Attorney Stuart H. Smith, representing the United Commercial Fishermen's Association, the Louisiana Environmental Action Network, public and private entities, and citizens harmed by the BP oil catastrophe, today issued this statement: "Independent analysis by toxicologists dispute FDA claims made in the last few days that chemical dispersants used by BP during the oil catastrophe may not accumulate in marine animals. In fact, in a full report by Dr. Bill Sawyer released today, there is a grave problem caused by dispersants, due to the fact that these were used in deep waters and on such a vast scale. Studies of other spills show that the toxic components of crude oil 'bio-accumulate' into the food chain and become highly toxic to marine reproduction, even when dispersants are applied at the surface and the chemical toxins may be sufficiently diluted over time to pose only minimal risks." Full release.

Five years after Hurricane Katrina, an increasing majority of the city's residents says the rebuilding process is going well, but substantial majorities still report that the city has not recovered and feel the nation has forgotten them, according to a new comprehensive survey of the lives and attitudes of New Orleans residents by the Kaiser Family Foundation. "New Orleans Five Years After The Storm: A New Disaster Amid Recovery," the third survey in a series that Kaiser has conducted in the aftermath of Katrina, also finds the scope and immediacy of the Gulf oil spill weighing heavily on New Orleans residents' minds. Asked which disaster would cause more damage, more people pointed to the oil spill than picked Katrina and the levee breaks that followed the hurricane. Full release.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has called on Kenneth Feinberg, the independent claims administrator for the $20 billion relief fund created by BP Oil Company, to cover mental health needs resulting from the company's massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. In comments before the House Judiciary Committee on July 21, Feinberg said that the fund is not likely to pay damages for mental illness and distress caused by the spill unless a "physical injury" is also present. In a letter to Feinberg, NAMI Executive Director Michael J. Fitzpatrick said the statement is "incompatible with modern scientific knowledge of mental illness and the impact of traumatic events." Full release.

The Justice Department and BP announced that they have finished negotiations to implement a $20 billion fund for victims of the Gulf oil spill and that BP will make a $3 billion initial deposit in September. The government said the company still needs to ensure that all the necessary funds will be available if something happens to the BP subsidiary that established the trust and that the Justice Department looks forward to completing an appropriate security arrangement in the near future. Kenneth Feinberg, the Obama administration's pay czar, takes over processing claims from the $20 billion oil spill compensation fund later in August. Full release.

In the wake of significant financial losses from the BP oil spill and in response to a proliferation of deepwater offshore drilling worldwide, more than 50 U.S. and other global investors have sent letters to major energy companies asking them to disclose information regarding their risk oversight measures, including spill prevention and response plans, for their own offshore oil operations around the world. The letters, sent to CEOs at 27 oil and gas companies, were signed by 58 global investors with collective assets totaling more than $2.5 trillion, including the Pennsylvania State Treasurer, New York State Comptroller, California State Treasurer, Florida State Board of Administration and the UK-based Local Authority Pension Fund Authority Forum. Full release.

Fifty independent energy industry representatives joined U.S. Senator John Cornyn (TX) and former Congressman John Peterson at a Capitol Hill press conference to urge the Obama Administration and Members of Congress to lift the moratorium on energy exploration in the Gulf of Mexico and resist efforts to raise taxes on U.S. energy companies. The event, which took place this morning, was organized by Save U.S. Energy Jobs, a project of the American Energy Alliance. "My job matters," Thomas Clements a small business owner from Broussard, Louisiana, said. "So I've come to Washington to find somebody to hear me, to see my hopelessness, my no-man's-land that I'm in because of these proposed tax changes to the energy industry and the moratorium. I hope that Congress listens to us and protects American jobs." Full release.

As American's attention spans for the Deep Water Horizon oil spill begin to wane, Blue Point Brewing Company today announced a batch of charity brew created specifically to help birds hurt by oil spills, both now and in the future. The Black IPA (India Pale Ale) called Toxic Sludge will be available for distribution in draft and 22 oz bottles just in time for fall migration. "Our poor little beaked brethren think they are vacationing in the sunny Gulf but they are really flying straight into a disaster zone," said Pete Cotter, president of Blue Point Brewing. "While others are focused on cleaning up the beaches and water, our efforts are purely for the birds." Full release.

The oil spill ravaging the Gulf of Mexico has inflicted widespread psychological distress among coastal residents of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, etching scars even deeper than those whipped by Hurricane Katrina, according to a survey by Ochsner Health System, a nonprofit, academic healthcare delivery system. The survey of the four-state area, the first to measure mental health impacts after the explosion aboard BP's Deepwater Horizon oil rig off the Louisiana coast on April 20, found three in every 10 people surveyed (30 percent) suffer from "probable serious" or "probable mild-moderate" mental illness, based on the K6 psychological distress scale. The percentage of those suffering from serious mental illness varied, depending on location. Full release.

A new report released today on the 100th day of the BP oil disaster details short- and long-term strategies for the Obama administration to make coastal Louisiana less vulnerable to future oil spills and hurricanes, including negotiating with BP for a $5 billion down payment on expected payments for natural resource damages. The report by Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society and the National Wildlife Federation, "Common Ground: A Shared Vision for Restoring the Mississippi River Delta," outlines the necessary steps to restore and rebuild an ecosystem that has lost more than 2,300 square miles of wetlands-an area larger than the state of Delaware-since the 1930s. Full release.

Based on a landmark analysis of 25 recent natural and manmade disasters, Oxford Economics today projected that the effects of the BP oil spill on travel to the Gulf Coast are likely to last up to three years and cost the region $22.7 billion. An aggressive and comprehensive $500 million effort to attract visitors to the Gulf Coast could reduce the total economic impact by $7.5 billion. "History and current trends indicate a potential $22.7 billion economic loss to the travel economies of the Gulf Coast states over the next three years," said Adam Sacks, managing director of Oxford Economics USA. "One of the most cost-effective ways to mitigate these damages is to immediately fund strategic marketing to counter misperceptions and encourage travel to the region." Full release.

To break up crude oil unleashed by the Deepwater Horizon rig, BP has injected nearly two million gallons of Corexit chemical dispersants into the Gulf of Mexico. The massive volume of dispersants and the way they have been applied-both on the surface and 5,000 feet beneath it-is unprecedented. Once oil is dispersed in deep water, it cannot be recovered. Although the gusher is currently capped, deep concern about negative impacts the dispersant/crude oil mix will have on both the marine ecosystem and human health has prompted leading ocean scientists to issue a consensus statement that urges a halt to any further dispersant use in the Gulf. Full release.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today after the House passed two bills in response to the disastrous BP oil spill. The first-H.R. 2693, the Oil Pollution Research and Development Program Reauthorization-will strengthen research, development, and demonstration of innovative tools, methods, and technologies for oil spill cleanup. The second-H.R. 5716, the Safer Oil and Natural Gas Drilling Technology Research and Development Program-will launch a new R&D effort in new technologies to make deepwater drilling safer and prevent future oil spill disasters. Full release.

In the face of the Gulf oil spill and in response to ongoing coastal restoration needs, the Women of the Storm, a non-partisan, grassroots organization formed in New Orleans and South Louisiana in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, announce today the launch of a campaign to Restore the Gulf. A grassroots initiative to secure long-term funding to restore and protect the Gulf Coast and area wetlands, Restore the Gulf features the viral distribution of a celebrity-studded video, "Be the One," designed to capture signatures to an online petition in support of this cause. Full release.

The White House today announced the creation of a unifying national ocean policy that will protect key natural resources and ensure that sustainability will drive future economic activities offshore and close to shore. "Our planet is 70 percent blue, and our national economic and environmental policies should keep it that color," said Chris Mann, senior officer for the Pew Environment Group. "Whether it's recovering from the devastating oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, reducing polluted runoff or protecting important marine and coastal habitat, we have a lot of work ahead of us to achieve that goal." Full release.

Louisiana State University Endowed Chair of Banking and nationally-renowned economist Dr. Joseph R. Mason estimates that the first six months of the Obama administration's moratorium on oil and natural gas exploration in the Gulf of Mexico will trigger a loss of more than 8,000 jobs, nearly $500 million in wages, and over $2.1 billion in economic activity in the Gulf region alone. "The data are clear. The moratorium will cost the Gulf Coast region jobs, money, and economic development. In fact, the moratorium could be more costly, than the oil spill itself," Dr. Mason said. "The region is already struggling from devastating losses from Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Gustav, and the nation's depressed economy. By stifling one of the area's primary economic engines, the administration is crippling the local economy and risking long term consequences." Full release.

The Obama Administration's response to the BP oil spill is pushing the U.S. toward an oil shortage and the Gulf Coast toward long-term economic calamity, writes Mario Loyola in the cover story for the latest issue of National Review magazine. Mr. Loyola, policy analyst for the Armstrong Center for Energy & the Environment at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, recently toured the Gulf Coast region, visiting with government officials, legal experts, and local businesses to get an on-the-ground perspective on the oil spill. Loyola highlights several examples of how efforts to clean up the spill have been "warped" by the Obama Administration's efforts to satisfy its political constituencies. Full release.

After a conversation with his dad about wanting to do something about the oil spill, teenager Matt Pierce started a non-profit called "Teenagers Care" to fundraise for animals suffering from this disaster. This one spark of an idea has spread in such a short time that, in less than two weeks, the organization has raised almost $5,000. The spill just seems to get worse every day. It's the hope of Matt, and other teenagers who care, that their efforts will help a little with the cleanup of the animals and beaches. Full release.

The International Association of Drilling Contractors filed testimony with the Department of Energy's National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling advocating a prompt return to deep-water drilling. IADC presented data that offshore drilling, including deep water, has a proven safety record when conducted according to accepted industry standards. Some 14,000 deep-water wells have been drilled without major incident until the recent Macondo blowout, "an extreme and unprecedented event," the testimony said. According to government statistics, more than 2,500 deep-water wells have been drilled since 2006. Only three well control incidents spilling 25.5 barrels occurred over that time, excluding Macondo. The employment and economic implications of a continued ban are severe and potentially catastrophic, IADC said. Its study of 11,875 offshore and support personnel shows that these individuals call 296 (68 percent) of Congressional Districts home. Full release.

The National Commission on the BP Oil Spill wants to hear from residents of the Gulf. To help, it has launched a new feature on its official website, which allows members of the public to make comments about how they have been impacted by the spill and offer suggestions about prevention and response. At its first public meeting in New Orleans today and tomorrow, the Commission is facilitating a public comment session, which will be open to as many people as the room can accommodate. Citizens of the Gulf are encouraged to attend. Full release.

During this time of crisis with oil in the Gulf of Mexico, the area's uninsured residents will be able to receive free medical care during a two-day free health clinic in New Orleans on Tuesday, August 31, and Wednesday, September 1. The National Association of Free Clinics (NAFC) will sponsor the free clinic at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. "This free clinic will be held exactly five years after Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath devastated New Orleans and much of the Gulf Coast," NAFC Executive Director Nicole Lamoureux said. "At that time, thousands of people whose homes were flooded gathered at the convention center in search of help. Five years later, as an oil-related disaster threatens the livelihoods of many of the area's residents, those who still need help will find free medical care there and be connected to additional resources available to them." Full release.

At the direction of Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis, July 7 through 9, three U.S. Department of Labor agency heads will travel to Gulf states impacted by the BP Deepwater spill. The delegation will include Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Jane Oates, Wage and Hour Division Deputy Administrator Nancy J. Leppink and Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs Director Patricia A. Shiu. During their visit, the federal labor officials will meet with local fishermen, community-based organizations, and state and local appointed and elected officials in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi. Full release.

Today, the American Energy Alliance (AEA) launches Save U.S. Energy Jobs, a project to promote jobs in the U.S. energy sector, to ensure that citizens are informed about the importance of energy jobs to the American economy and American consumers, and to educate citizens about how the U.S. energy industry addresses safety and health issues. AEA President Thomas J. Pyle says, "The BP oil spill is a disaster that will have significant social and economic consequences. The accident was and is tragic. We need to ensure that its effects are mitigated as much as possible. We need to ensure that the environment is restored. We need to make sure that those affected are assisted in their efforts to recover." Full release.

The following is an op-ed by Thomas C. Galligan Jr., president of Colby-Sawyer College: The law ought to be fair, consistent, and up to date. It ought to make people whole for their losses and compensate them for the real damage they suffer. Now, in wrongful death cases on the high seas, it does none of those things but the U.S. Senate currently has a chance to fix this defect and it is time to do so. 11 men died in the initial explosion on the Deepwater Horizon. Their survivors have appeared before several Congressional committees and explained why the law today is unfair. Full release.

Expedia Media, the advertising sales division of global online travel leader Expedia, Inc., today announced efforts to provide marketing support to destinations impacted by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. During July, August and September 2010, Expedia Media will offer a three to one media matching program for destination marketing organizations (DMOs) and tourism boards located in the Gulf states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi. Organizations in these areas will receive three dollars in marketing value for every one dollar spent with Expedia Media. The matching program will allow destinations in need of tourism to stretch their promotional dollars and further increase their visibility among travel shoppers visiting the Expedia, Inc. sites. Full release.

"Safety systems should be designed to protect workers and the environment first, not exploration and production budgets," according to congressional testimony today by a conservation group that has worked on Gulf Coast restoration for more than three decades. "The loss of 11 lives on the Deepwater Horizon was the tragic beginning of a series of losses that continue to mount, including the accelerated loss of wildlife and wetlands, the impacts on sport and commercial fishermen and their associated industries, and the loss of tourism," testified Elgie Holstein, oil spill response coordinator for Environmental Defense Fund during a hearing on draft legislation, the "Blowout Prevent Act," before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee. Full release.

Fred McCallister, an investment banker with Allegiance Capital Corporation, will testify tomorrow before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee in a hearing titled "The Deepwater Horizon Tragedy: Holding Industry Accountable". For weeks, McCallister has labored to pierce the red tape involved in bringing oil skimmers and other equipment from Europe to the Gulf of Mexico to assist in cleanup efforts. "We submitted proposals for oil skimming vessels to BP on Monday, June 14th-25 million gallons of oil ago-and were promised they would be reviewed on an expedited basis. To date, we have received no meaningful response," said McCallister. Full release.

Gulf State health and fisheries officials joined with senior leaders from several federal agencies to affirm a shared commitment to ensuring the safety of seafood coming out of the Gulf of Mexico, through closures of affected waters, surveillance, and with an eye toward reopening closed waters as soon as possible, consistent with public health goals. Representatives from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) met last week in New Orleans with state health officers and state fisheries directors from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas to coordinate implementation of a joint protocol for sampling and reopening that will apply to both state and federal waters. Full release.

On Wednesday, June 30, 2010, at 10:00 a.m., the House Committee on Small Business will hold a hearing entitled, "Recovery in the Gulf: What the $20 Billion BP Claims Fund Means for Small Businesses." The hearing will examine the BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill and its impact on small businesses. The Committee will hear testimony from Kenneth Feinberg, the recently appointed administrator of the $20 Billion BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster Victim Compensation Fund. Full release.

A revered botanist at the Academy of Natural Sciences who first profiled and then named the delta bulrush says the plant has natural properties that could help reduce the impact of the Gulf oil spill on the Mississippi delta. Dr. Alfred Ernest Schuyler, the Academy's curator emeritus of botany and a prominent botanist in the international science community, is urging all sides involved in the crisis to give this slender sedge family member a hard look as they weigh their spill-fighting strategies. Full release.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has released a video of its CEO commenting on the horrific oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20 and its effect on wildlife, companion animals and food safety. The video can be viewed at www.AVMATV.org. "Like a lot of you, I am deeply concerned," said Dr. W. Ron DeHaven, chief executive officer of the AVMA. "This disaster affects almost every one of the areas that we are concerned about—the health and safety of companion animals, our precious yet vulnerable wildlife and the safety of our nation's food supply. The AVMA will do our part to help in any way we can to meet the challenges this problem presents." Full release

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