NewzIntel.com

Category: Environment

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Prescribed burns a health risk to skinks in Mt Lofty Ranges

    Source:

    23 April 2025

    The skink, Lampropholis guichenoti, is at significant risk due to prescribed burning.

    Prescribed burning in the Mount Lofty Ranges to reduce bushfire risks may be threatening the survival and biodiversity of skinks and other reptiles.

    That’s the finding from a new University of South Australia (UniSA) study that analysed the health of more than 1750 reptiles from eight species over a two-year period.

    The study, published in Forest Ecology and Management, investigated how reptiles respond to fire in native stringybark forests of the Mount Lofty Ranges, one of South Australia’s key biodiversity hotspots.

    According to lead author, UniSA PhD candidate Shawn Scott, the garden skink, Lampropholis guichenoti, had “significantly poorer body condition immediately following prescribed burns”.

    “This suggests that in the short term for the garden skink, fire may be depleting food sources, exposing them to predators, or otherwise stressing these animals in ways we hadn’t fully appreciated,” Scott says.

    In burnt areas, skinks showed the lowest body condition scores – a key indicator of animal health – in the first six months post-fire. While their condition improved over time, the initial decline raises concerns about long-term impacts, especially with increasingly frequent burns.

    Interestingly, the study found that reptiles with injuries such as tail loss (a common escape tactic known as autotomy), missing digits, or scarring had significantly lower body condition in two species. This suggests that injury, whether from predators or territorial fights exacerbated by reduced shelter, may compound the impact of fires on their health.

    Reptiles recaptured at study sites also told a compelling story. The skink L. guichenoti was most often recaptured in long-unburnt forests (more than 20 years since a fire), suggesting these habitats support higher survival or lower site emigration.

    South Australia’s Mount Lofty Ranges have seen an increase in prescribed fire activity in recent years, with 5% of high-risk vegetation areas targeted annually. Yet this region also contains some of the state’s most fragmented and ecologically important woodlands.

    “Prescribed burns are often advocated as beneficial for biodiversity,” says Scott, “but our research adds to growing evidence that one-size-fits-all approaches to fire may be harmful to small animals. More nuanced strategies, such as preserving long-unburnt refuges and monitoring fire effects on reptiles, are urgently needed.”

    The researchers used a combination of a before-after control-impact (BACI) and fire-age chronosequence experimental design across 18 sites, ranging from recently burnt to more than 20 years post-fire.

    Their detailed analyses incorporated body measurements, injury records, and recapture rates, providing one of the most comprehensive evaluations to date of reptile responses to fire in South Australian forests.

    The authors stress that more research is needed into the post-fire ecology of reptiles, especially in the face of climate change and increasing fire severity.

    “We had La Niña, mild, conditions,” says co-author and UniSA wildlife ecologist Assoc Prof S. “Topa” Petit. “The results could be more dramatic after a drought, for example.”

    “Reptiles are critical for healthy ecosystems – they control insect populations and serve as prey for birds and mammals,” says Scott. “If fire regimes are compromising their health or numbers, it could have cascading effects on the whole ecosystem.”

    “Effects of prescribed fire on body condition, injury, frequency, and recapture of reptiles in Mediterranean-type eucalypt forests is authored by researchers from the University of South Australia, Mid Torrens Catchment Group, and Kangaroo Island Research Station DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122683

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    Contact for interview: Shawn Scott E: shawn.scott@unisa.edu.au

    Media contact: Candy Gibson M: +61 434 605 142 E: candy.gibson@unisa.edu.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Markey, Baldwin Announce Resolution to Designate April as Earth Month

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Resolution Text (PDF)

    Washington (April 22, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-author of the Green New Deal resolution and member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) today announced the Earth Month resolution to recognize the importance of environmental stewardship and climate action. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) cosponsors the resolution.

    “Planet Earth is our home. Now more than ever, we need stewardship of our home. As the Trump administration is targeting environmental safeguards that ensure we have a livable future, I am doubling down on my commitment to fight back and uplift efforts that promote environmental stewardship and spur even more climate action. Earth Day is our moment to recommit and expand our movement for a just and livable future – a future with clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and clean land on which to live,” said Senator Markey. “We know environmental pollution and the climate crisis do not affect us all equally. That is why environmental stewardship and climate action must center the most marginalized communities, particularly Black and Indigenous communities who have been overburdened with pollution and the harms of climate change. Using the tenets of a Green New Deal – fighting for environmental justice and climate action while creating good-paying union jobs – we can work together toward a livable future every day, but especially during Earth Month.”

    “From the Great Lakes and the rolling hills of the Driftless Region, to the Great Northwoods and Mighty Mississippi, Wisconsin is rich with natural resources that have defined our state and way of life. I’m proud to carry on Wisconsin’s tradition of environmental stewardship and recognize Earth Month as we all do our part to protect and preserve Wisconsin’s wilderness and resources for the next generation,” said Senator Baldwin.

    “We proudly support Senators Markey’s & Baldwin’s Earth Month resolution as a vital affirmation of our collective responsibility to protect Mother Earth and the communities most impacted by environmental injustice. At a time when climate change is both accelerating and the solutions to it are being actively undermined, Congressional recognition of Earth Month sends a powerful message: that bold, equitable, and community-led climate action is not only necessary — it is the only thing that will solve the problem for us all,” said KD Chavez, Executive Director of the Climate Justice Alliance.

    “Since it was first observed in 1970, Earth Day has successfully provided countless Americans with an opportunity to reflect on the shared responsibility we have to preserve the beauty of our planet. The designation of Earth Month would help get and keep people engaged for more than just one day, as we rededicate ourselves to doing all we can to explore, enjoy, and protect our environment year round. Together, we can protect our lands, clean air, and clean water to ensure a livable planet for future generations. We’re incredibly thankful for the efforts of Senator Markey, a true champion in the fight to combat climate change and protect America’s wild places,” said Ben Jealous, Executive Director of the Sierra Club.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Golden praises President Trump’s fishing executive order, urges action on unfair Canadian trade and regulatory practices

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02)

    WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) today sent a letter to President Donald Trump highlighting the unfair trade practices and regulatory disparity Canada uses to benefit its lobster industry at the expense of American lobstermen. Golden’s letter follows yesterday’s executive order directing the Secretary of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative to address regulatory mismanagement informed by scientific uncertainty — a task Golden requested of the administration in a letter just last week and praised last night.

    “Throughout my time in the Maine State Legislature and Congress, I have heard from Maine’s seafood harvesters, processors, and those involved in the ocean economy that they cannot make the necessary investments to grow due to overregulation, arbitrary and capricious management, inconsistent policies from various federal agencies, and unfair trade action from Canada,” Golden wrote in his letter today. “Without your intervention, projections indicate that many commercial fishing operations in New England will become economically unviable within the next 30 years. This would lead to the collapse of a historic food production industry, the loss of thousands of jobs, the devastation of coastal communities that have shaped American maritime heritage for centuries, and an increased reliance on foreign food.”

    Discussing the unequal regulatory burden between the U.S. and Canada, Golden explained that Canadian lobstermen are not required to follow the same conservation measures, like releasing lobsters over a maximum size, that American lobstermen must. He also cited extensive regulations on American fishing gear and environmental practices that are absent in Canada; this burden is especially visible in the Gray Zone — 277 square miles fished by both Mainers and Canadians that remains one of America’s only contested maritime borders.

    Golden equally criticized market manipulation by Canadian seafood processors and expansive subsidies from the Canadian government to undercut the cost of competing American labor. 

    What they’re saying

    “The New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA) commends Congressman Jared Golden for highlighting the significant disparities faced by American lobstermen compared to their Canadian counterparts in his recent letter to the President. NEFSA has made it a top priority to raise awareness of the longstanding territorial dispute in the Gray Zone and the resulting economic and environmental consequences. Unbalanced regulatory frameworks between the United States and Canada continue to place American fishermen at a disadvantage—both in terms of access to seafood stocks and financial sustainability. We are encouraged by Congressman Golden’s advocacy and remain committed to working collaboratively with him, the White House, and NOAA to address these challenges and secure a fair and equitable future for American fishing communities,” saidDustin Delano, former lobstermen and chief operating officer of the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association.

    “The Maine Lobstering Union is thrilled President Trump is looking into imbalances in the US fisheries. Maine fishermen have been supporting Maine’s economy for generations. We continue to raise concerns that Canadian trade practices, unequal conservation, and regulations are hurting Maine families, and it is rewarding to see some of that noise is making its way to President Trump. We commend Representative Golden for working across the aisle. Representative Golden continues to deliver on his promise to put Mainers first. Families in Maine are struggling, and putting our state’s needs above all else is very refreshing,” said Virginia Olsen, lobstermen and director of the Maine Lobstering Union.

    “The Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) is grateful to President Trump for his commitment to making U.S. fisheries great again by allowing us to do what we do best — go fishing! The MLA has been fighting government over-regulation for years and won a historic court case that challenged draconian whale rules taking a big step forward in ending this abuse of power. The President’s executive order recognizes the challenges our fishing families and communities face and we appreciate the commitment to reduce burdensome regulations and strengthen the competitiveness of American seafood. We especially appreciate the Administration’s commitment to protecting the Maine lobster industry which is vital to the economy of our state and our coastal economies,” saidPatrice McCarron, executive director of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association.

    BACKGROUND

    Golden, who recently secured a seat on the House Natural Resources Committee, has fought fiercely on behalf of Maine’s fishing industry throughout his career as a lawmaker. In addition to his letter last week, he has pressed multiple administrations on the unequal regulations and unfair trade practices harming Maine lobstermen.

    Over the last year he has been the only representative from New England to join the effort to overturn a U.S.-only increase to the minimum catchable size of lobster, and helped pass a 6-year pause on new gear regulations in 2022.  His bipartisan Northern Fisheries Heritage Protection Act would also prohibit commercial offshore wind energy development in the critical, highly productive Maine fishing grounds of Lobster Management Area 1 — an issue he has been consistently outspoken on. 

    Golden’s letter can be found here and is included below in full:

    +++

    April 18, 2025

    The Honorable Donald J. Trump
    President of the United States
    The White House
    1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
    Washington, D.C. 20500

    Dear President Trump,

    In your executive order on “Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness,” you directed the Secretary of Commerce to consider suspending, revising, or rescinding regulations that overly burden America’s commercial fishing industries and the United States Trade Representative to examine other nations’ trade practices. As part of those investigations, I write in support of swift and decisive action to address the unequal regulatory burden between Maine and Canadian lobstermen and the unfair trade practices used by Canada and its lobster industry at the expense of the American lobster industry. 

    Throughout my time in the Maine State Legislature and Congress, I have heard from Maine’s seafood harvesters, processors, and those involved in the ocean economy that they cannot make the necessary investments to grow due to overregulation, arbitrary and capricious management, inconsistent policies from various federal agencies, and unfair trade action from Canada. Action to address the unequal regulatory burden between American and Canadian lobstermen and end Canada’s unfair trade practices in the lobster industry is squarely in line with your fisheries executive order and your administration’s “America First Trade Policy.” Any ensuing changes should be made in consultation with those who know the industry best, the harvesters themselves. 

    The American lobster fishery extends from Maine to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. In 2022, commercial landings of American lobster totaled 119 million pounds, valued at $515 million, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries. Maine has been at the forefront of American lobster landings for over three decades, and 93 percent of the coast-wide landings come from the Gulf of Maine lobster stock. 

    While I have written to your administration and previous administrations extensively about each issue, I want to highlight the following issues: 

    Unequal Regulatory Burden Between the U.S. and Canada:  

    Regulations are frustratingly inconsistent between the U.S. and Canada, significantly benefiting Canadian fishermen and actively harming U.S. fishermen. While the long-term viability of lobster stocks is essential for the economic success of American and Canadian harvesters, it is American fishermen and lobstermen who are required to adhere to the strictest conservation standards, whereas Canadian fishermen are not. Below is a list of the top issues causing an uneven regulatory playing field:  

    Maximum Size Limit: American lobstermen are required to follow a maximum size limit for harvesting lobster, and Canadian lobstermen do not.

    Whale Regulations: Since 2001, U.S. lobstermen have been required to comply with whale regulations, including new requirements for gear marking, breakaways, weak ropes, and inserts, as well as changes to trawl length due to the NOAA Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan. This plan was developed and implemented in response to the Marine Mammal Protection Act despite limited evidence linking Maine fishermen to whale deaths.

    These requirements increased costs and safety risks for U.S. fishermen. Canadian lobstermen do not face these same restrictions. For instance, U.S. fishermen must use whale-safe gear, which incurs additional costs, to protect whales that frequently transit through Canadian and American waters. Meanwhile, Canadian fishermen continue to fish with floating rope, which costs nearly 50% less than traditional methods. 

    If pending federal rules regulating even more restrictive gear requirements are implemented, American fishermen will face an even more significant competitive disadvantage. They would be forced to use untested, less efficient, more expensive equipment, while Canada’s gear would be untouched. 

    Gray Zone: The 277 square miles of ocean between the U.S. and Canada – commonly referred to as the Gray Zone – have been claimed by both countries since the Revolutionary War. For centuries, the lobstermen and fishermen of Downeast Maine have relied on the Gray Zone to harvest lobster, scallop, and halibut, often competing with their Canadian counterparts who utilize these same fishing grounds. 

    The disparity between the United States and Canadian fishing regulations in the Gray Zone not only escalates tensions among fishermen but also poses a serious threat to the future of an industry that has supported Maine families for generations. These concerning trends would only worsen if our federal regulators approved a new minimum allowable catch size for lobster starting in July 2025, without comparable restrictions for Canadian lobstermen enforced by their government. 

    Maine’s seafood harvesters have been waiting too long for a resolution to the Gray Zone, with significant consequences for their safety, businesses, and the natural resources they depend on. 

    A 2023 Department of State Report written for Congress titled “Progress Toward an Agreement with Canadian Officials Addressing Territorial Disputes and Collecting Fisheries Management Measures in the Gulf of Maine” incorrectly states:

    “The status quo benefits the United States by keeping the Gray Zone aligned with the more favorable measures applicable to the broader U.S. lobster management area within which it sits. Current cooperation has proved effective in managing the area. Negotiations to resolve the dispute would require significant dedicated resources. In the absence of a resolution of the territorial dispute, an agreement to resolve differing fisheries management measures in the Gray Zone could impact U.S. claims to sovereignty by creating regulations that differ from those applicable to the broader Gulf of Maine jurisdiction in which the Gray Zone lies.”

    The truth is that, as management currently exists, there is no cooperation in managing this area. This report is misleading, and American fishermen fishing in the Gray Zone will tell you that the uneven regulatory burden in the area does not benefit American fishermen; it hurts them. 

    Environmental Regulations: Canada has considerably fewer environmental regulations compared to U.S. processors. For example, Canadian processors can directly discharge wastewater into the ocean and spread shells in fields. In the U.S., processors must pay thousands of dollars to local municipalities for wastewater user fees and waste disposal.

    Unfair Trade Practices Utilized by the Canadian Lobster Industry at the Expense of the American Lobster Industry: 

    Canadian Subsidies:The Canadian Government uses labor and business subsidies to boost their lobster industry at the expense of the American lobster industry.    

    Since 1984, the Canada Health Act (CHA) gives all Canadians publicly funded single-payer healthcare insurance. This program gives all Canadian residents reasonable access to medically necessary hospital and physician services without paying out-of-pocket. To highlight the disparity, U.S. fishermen who buy a health insurance plan on HealthCare.gov would pay, on average, $456 per month more for insurance premiums, which is $5,472 per year more than Canadian fishermen.

    Canadian single-payer healthcare insurance also creates an impact on unemployment premiums. Under the Canadian system, workers’ compensation largely drives costs through lost earnings and wage-loss benefits. This causes U.S. fishermen to pay higher unemployment premiums. This distinction comes from their healthcare system, which incurs fewer administrative expenses and lower healthcare costs that affect an employer’s experience rating. 

    The Canadian lobster industry also has access to unlimited foreign labor and, as a result, low-wage workers. They provide salary subsidies covering up to 60% of the salary for immigrants or visible minority hires, up to a maximum equivalent to the current minimum wage of 40 hours per week. The Canadian government also makes major investments in training programs for the workforce and worker subsidy initiatives. For instance, their Summer Jobs wage subsidy offers financial support for summer employment and visas for foreign workers through the Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP) allows Canadian processors to bring unlimited overseas workers during peak seasons to fill labor shortages.

    Canada also utilizes infrastructure, innovation, and business operation subsidies to boost their lobster industry at the expense of the American industry. Through the Atlantic Fisheries Fund (AFF) and Quebec Fisheries Fund (QFF), Canadian fisheries receive substantial subsidies to support their infrastructure, innovation, and businessoperations. The AFF and QFF are financed 70% by the federal government and 30% by the provincial governments. They are managed by the Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), which aims to enhance opportunities and market value for sustainably sourced, high-quality fish and seafood products from Atlantic Canada. A recent announcement from the Canadian DFO indicated that it will invest over $400 million over seven years to support Canada’s fish and seafood sector. In the US, industry-based and driven science partnerships are limited and frequently funded by the industry.

    Market manipulation: Canadian processors are engaging in currency arbitrage and exploiting market conditions. For instance, in the U.S., we pay roughly $20 per hour at our processing plants. Canada pays the same $20 per hour. Canadian processors factor the hourly wage into the production of processed lobster. They produce the product in Canada and then sell it back to the U.S. The exchange rate does not favor U.S. processors because of the strength of the U.S. dollar, which makes imports to the U.S. cheaper and exports more expensive.

    Without your intervention, projections indicate that many commercial fishing operations in New England will become economically unviable within the next 30 years. This would lead to the collapse of a historic food production industry, the loss of thousands of jobs, the devastation of coastal communities that have shaped American maritime heritage for centuries, and an increased reliance on foreign food. Addressing the unequal regulatory burden and unfair Canadian fishing and trade practices aligns strongly with your executive order on restoring America’s seafood competitiveness and America First Trade Policy and would ensure that American workers and businesses can compete on a level playing field.

    The United States should take all necessary steps to ensure that our fishermen and processors do not face a competitive disadvantage or miss out on economic opportunities because of unequal regulatory burden and unfair fishing and trade practices by Canada. I urge you to investigate Canada’s unfair trade and fishing practices and work with the American lobster industry to intervene with solutions to level the playing field.

     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker, Padilla, Reed Introduce Bills to Permanently Protect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans from Offshore Drilling

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
    WASHINGTON, D.C. –  On Earth Day, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Jack Reed (D-RI) announced a pair of bills to permanently protect the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean from the dangers of fossil fuel drilling. The package includes Booker and Reed’s Clean Ocean and Safe Tourism (COAST) Anti-Drilling Act, which would permanently prohibit the U.S. Department of the Interior from issuing leases for the exploration, development, or production of oil and gas in the North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Straits of Florida Planning Areas of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf, as well as Padilla’s West Coast Ocean Protection Act, which would permanently prohibit new oil and gas leases for offshore drilling off the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington.
    This legislation comes just after the 15th anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which resulted in the deaths of 11 workers, 134 million gallons spilled into the Gulf of Mexico over 87 days, the demise of thousands of marine mammals and sea turtles, and billions of dollars in economic losses from the fishing, outdoor recreation, and tourism industries.
    U.S. Representatives Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ-06), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Jared Huffman (D-CA-02), Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee, are leading companion legislation in the House for the Clean Ocean and Safe Tourism (COAST) Anti-Drilling Act and West Coast Ocean Protection Act respectively.
    Full text of the COAST Anti-Drilling Act is available here.
    Full text of the West Coast Protection Act is available here, and a one-pager is available here.
    “This week marks both Earth Day and the 15th anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster,” said Senator Booker. “I’m standing alongside my colleagues in the House and Senate to reaffirm our commitment to protecting our communities and our environment. Offshore drilling endangers our coastal communities – both their lives and their livelihoods – and threatens marine species and ecosystems. The COAST Act, along with this critical package of legislation, will ensure that marine seascapes along the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts, and the wildlife, industries, and communities that rely on them, are protected from the dangers of fossil fuel drilling.”
    “Offshore drilling in the Atlantic Ocean would open up the eastern seaboard to considerable risk, and we have seen the destruction that an accident can cause. This legislation is about more than simply protecting the environment, it’s also about protecting the tourism and fishing industries that create jobs and help power Rhode Island’s economy,” said Senator Reed.
    “We must end offshore oil drilling in coastal waters once and for all,” said Senator Padilla. “Over 50 years ago, after a catastrophic oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara, Californians rose up and demanded environmental protections, spurring the modern environmental movement and creating the very first Earth Day. As the Trump Administration threatens to recklessly open our coasts to new drilling, California and the West Coast need permanent safeguards to protect our communities from the devastation of fossil fuels and disastrous oil spills. We must act now to fulfill the promises we made to our children and our constituents to meet the urgency of this environmental crisis with bold action.”
    “For decades, I’ve fought to protect our coasts from the dangers of oil and gas development, and this legislative package reaffirms that commitment. Offshore drilling risks devastating spills, accelerates climate change, and threatens the livelihoods of coastal communities like those in New Jersey. On Earth Day and every day, we must stand up to Big Oil and prioritize renewable energy that actually protects our planet,” said Representative Pallone.
    “It’s clear that in the 15 years since the most catastrophic oil spill disaster in history, Republicans in the pocket of Big Oil have learned nothing. Offshore drilling poses significant threats to our public health, coastal economies, and marine life. The science is clear, and so is the public sentiment: we need to speed up our transition to a clean energy future, not lock ourselves into another generation of fossil fuel fealty,” said Representative Huffman. “We cannot let history repeat itself. My Democratic colleagues aren’t standing idly by as the Trump administration tries to reverse all of our progress so they can give handouts to Big Oil. Our legislation will cut pollution and ramp up clean energy, ensuring our coasts remain safe, clean, and open to all Americans— not turned into open season for fossil fuel billionaires looking to drill, spill, and cash in.” 
    These bills reaffirm vital protections for America’s coastal communities and ecosystems. The Biden Administration protected more than 625 million acres of U.S. ocean waters — including the Pacific coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California, the entire East Coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and parts of the Northern Bering Sea — from offshore oil and gas drilling. President Trump immediately tried to roll back those protections, attempting to illegally reopen those areas to drilling on day one of his second term. Trump’s record speaks for itself: during his first Administration, the Interior Department proposed a sweeping plan to open 47 offshore oil and gas lease areas across nearly every U.S. coastline, from California to New England.
    The two bills would protect critical coastal communities, economies, and ecosystems against offshore drilling, which is especially important in the face of the climate crisis. U.S. coastal counties support 54.6 million jobs, produce $10 trillion in goods and services, and pay $4 trillion in wages. Offshore drilling poses significant threats to public health, coastal economies, and diverse marine life that play an important economical, ecological, and cultural role in our ecosystem. 
    The COAST Anti-Drilling Act is cosponsored by Senator Padilla as well as Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Angus King (I-ME), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR). It is endorsed by organizations including Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Oceana, Surfrider Foundation, Earthjustice, Turtle Island Restoration Network, Nassau Hiking & Outdoor Club, Lee (MA) Greener Gateway Committee, South Shore Audubon Society (Freeport, NY), Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, Futureswell, Ocean Conservancy, Environment America, Food & Water Watch, Waterspirit, Business Alliance to Protect the Atlantic, Clean Ocean Action, Jersey Coast Anglers Association (NJ), American Littoral Society, Save Coastal Wildlife, Environmental Protection Information Center, Defenders of Wildlife, Ocean Defense Initiative, Center for Biological Diversity, The Ocean Project, North Carolina Coastal Federation, Animal Welfare Institute, Wild Cumberland, Climate Reality Project – North Broward and Palm Beach County Chapter, U.S. Climate Action Network, National Aquarium, American Bird Conservancy, and Hispanic Access Foundation.
    The West Coast Protection Act is cosponsored by Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) as well as Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR). It is endorsed by organizations including Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Oceana, Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, Surfrider Foundation, Seattle Aquarium, Turtle Island Restoration Network, Nassau Hiking & Outdoor Club, Lee (MA) Greener Gateway Committee, South Shore Audubon Society (Freeport, NY), Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, Futureswell, Ocean Conservancy, Environment America, WILDCOAST, Food & Water Watch, Environmental Protection Information Center, Ocean Defense Initiative, Center for Biological Diversity, The Ocean Project, Business Alliance to Protect the Pacific Coast, Animal Welfare Institute, Wild Cumberland, Climate Reality Project – North Broward and Palm Beach County Chapter, U.S. Climate Action Network, American Bird Conservancy, Surf Industry Members Association, Business Alliance for Protecting the Pacific Coast (BAPPC), Clean Ocean Action, and Hispanic Access Foundation.
    “It’s time to end the threat of expanded drilling off America’s coasts forever,” said Joseph Gordon, Oceana Campaign Director. “Oceana applauds these Congressional leaders for reintroducing pivotal legislation that would establish permanent protections from offshore oil and gas drilling for millions of acres of ocean. Earth Day is an important reminder that every coastal community deserves healthy oceans and oil-free beaches. This bill is part of a national movement to safeguard our multi-billion-dollar coastal economies from dirty and dangerous offshore drilling. Congress must swiftly pass these bills into law and reject any expansion of drilling to protect our coasts.”
    “Protecting these waters puts coastal communities and wildlife above polluters and brings us closer to a world where our waters are free from oil spills, endangered whale populations are free from seismic blasting, and local economies can thrive,” said Taryn Kiekow Heimer, Director of Ocean Energy at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). “Now more than ever, we need leadership from Congress to protect our oceans from an industry that only cares about its bottom line – and a Trump administration willing to do anything to give those oil billionaires what they want.”
    “The Trump administration’s path of so-called ‘energy dominance’ is paved with threats to American coasts,” said Sierra Weaver, senior attorney for Defenders of Wildlife. “This set of bills offers real protections for coastal communities and wildlife against unwanted, unreasonable and unsafe offshore oil drilling. This is just the type of bold action we need on the 15th anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history.”
    “Imperiled species like Southern resident orcas and sea otters need clean, healthy ocean habitats to thrive. New offshore drilling would bring habitat destruction, noise pollution and the threat of spills and chronic contamination to those species and their homes,” said Joseph Vaile, Northwest Program senior representative for Defenders of Wildlife. “This legislation is a critical step toward permanently safeguarding marine mammals and coastal communities from irreversible harm. We thank Senator Padilla for championing the West Coast Ocean Protection Act at a time when the threat of offshore drilling is especially urgent.”
    “California’s spectacular marine life — including complex kelp forests and charismatic sea otters — and vibrant coastal economies rely on healthy ecosystems. This legislation could, once and for all, block offshore drilling activities along the continental shelf, and protect critical marine habitats along California’s iconic Pacific Coast,” said Pamela Flick, Defenders of Wildlife California Program Director.
    “These bills will permanently protect our coastal communities from the threats of offshore drilling. Oil spills like the one caused by the deadly BP drilling disaster 15 years ago are dangerous to people’s health and our public waters. The economic vitality of entire regions depend on oceans staying healthy,” said Earthjustice Senior Legislative Representative Laura M. Esquivel. “We applaud these Members of Congress for doing what’s right on behalf of their constituents.” 
    “These important bills will protect our environment, communities, and economy from the harmful effects of offshore oil and gas development. Offshore drilling is a dirty and damaging practice that threatens our nation’s ocean recreation, tourism, and fisheries industries valued at $250 billion annually. The Surfrider Foundation urges members of Congress to support this important legislation to prohibit new offshore drilling in U.S. waters,” said Pete Stauffer, Ocean Protection Manager, Surfrider Foundation.
    “These bills are critical, especially now. Protecting our environment and frontline communities from the dangers of offshore oil and gas development must be a top priority in the face of the escalating climate and biodiversity crises,” said Elizabeth Purcell, Environmental Policy Coordinator with Turtle Island Restoration Network. “Congress must act swiftly and support these bills to protect our oceans from further exploitation by the oil and gas industry, ensuring a healthy and safe planet for all.”
    “We are the generation that will live with the consequences of today’s energy choices. As young ocean advocates, we want to leave a better legacy for ocean health behind us than what has been left for us,” said Mark Haver, North America Regional Representative with Sustainable Ocean Alliance. “Congress has a moral responsibility to prevent new offshore oil and gas drilling leases. We will be counting on Congress to act on behalf of our ocean and future generations.”
    “Our coasts are a source of life, livelihood, and recreation for coastal communities and the millions of visitors they see every year,” said Athan Manuel, Director of the Sierra Club’s Lands Protection Program. “They also support untold diverse wildlife and ecosystems that are put at risk by exploitation from the oil and gas industry. These bills provide much-needed critical protections for the health of our coastal communities and to ensure that future generations will get to enjoy the wonders of our oceans and beaches.”
    “It has been clear for years that we cannot afford to expand fossil fuel extraction and burning if we want any hope of staving off the ever worsening effects of climate change,” said Mitch Jones, Managing Director of Policy and Litigation at Food & Water Watch. “In addition to the threat of worsening climate chaos, offshore drilling directly endangers local environments, wildlife, and economies due to the threats of oil spills and disruptions to aquatic life. We urge Congress to pass these bills to protect our coastlines and our oceans from Trump’s disastrous push for more drilling.”
    “Water is the pulse of our planet, the sacred thread that connects all life. We all have a responsibility to protect the very essence that sustains us,” said Rachel Dawn Davis, Public Policy & Justice Organizer at Waterspirit. “The threat of exploitation-whether through drilling or pollution-puts ecosystems and future generations at risk. We must continue to honor and defend our waters; in preserving them, we preserve life itself.”
    “Our oceans provide forever benefits in so many ways for both local communities and whole nations. We thoroughly support the bipartisan protections put forward in these Bills, which would position the United States to lead the world and reap huge benefits for tourism, energy security, health and local jobs, not to mention the beautiful wildlife that drives billions of dollars of tourism and other benefits,” said Global Rewilding Alliance.
    “A clean ocean is crucial for the conservation of marine biodiversity,” said Jenna Reynolds, Executive Director of Save Coastal Wildlife. “A polluted ocean poses significant risks to marine wildlife, including increased vessel traffic around oil platforms, which can lead to collisions with marine animals, especially sea turtles and juvenile whales which are difficult to see from moving vessels. Oil spills can directly coat and kill marine animals, including seabirds, sea turtles, marine mammals, and can also damage coastal ecosystems like beaches and coastal wetlands, impacting wildlife and people that rely on these areas. We need to bring back and fully protect biodiversity in our ocean!”
    “We must work toward a future where our coastal communities, economies, and marine life can thrive thanks to a healthy ocean. As the Trump Administration seeks to threaten our favorite beaches and ecosystems with new offshore drilling, it’s more important than ever for ocean champions in Congress to advance ocean protections,” said Sarah Guy, Ocean Defense Initiative. “We are grateful for the leadership of members supporting these bills, and commit to working toward a future where all our coasts are protected from the harms of offshore drilling.”
    “We believe our coasts are far too valuable to risk for short-term fossil fuel gains,” said Katie Thompson, Executive Director of Save Our Shores. “Permanently protecting offshore areas from oil and gas leasing is a critical step toward safeguarding marine ecosystems, coastal communities, and our climate future. These bills reflect the will of the people to prioritize ocean health and long-term sustainability over polluting industries of the past.”
    “This suite of legislation is a critical move to safeguard our marine resources against Trump and his Big Oil agenda,” said Rachel Rilee, oceans policy specialist at the Center for Biological Diversity. “It’s been 15 years since the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster devastated coastlines and killed hundreds of thousands of marine animals. Our oceans and the incredible ecosystems they support are counting on us. Congress must pass these bills and then get right back to work protecting marine life and coastal communities from every manmade danger and every Republican attack.”
    “Americans love our coasts. For some of us, they’re home, and for many others, they’re home to wonderful memories, including family vacations at the beach, fishing trips with friends, and encounters with wildlife like sea turtles, dolphins, and whales. But oil spills can destroy all of that. It’s simply not worth the risk. We must not squander our children’s inheritance,” said Bill Mott, Executive Director of The Ocean Project. “The ocean offers endless inspiration, recreational opportunities, and serves as a critically important economic driver. Yet despite its vastness, it is incredibly vulnerable. As we’ve seen too many times before, offshore oil and gas drilling is not compatible with stewarding our ocean. We all share a responsibility to keep our coasts clean and our ocean healthy for future generations. That’s why we urge Congress to act now to prohibit new offshore oil and gas development forever.”
    “AWI commends these Congressional leaders for taking bold action to protect our oceans and coasts from dirty, dangerous oil and gas development along the outer continental shelf,” said Georgia Hancock, Senior Attorney and Director of the Animal Welfare Institute’s marine wildlife program. “Fifteen years after the Deepwater Horizon disaster, it remains painfully clear: there is no such thing as safe offshore oil drilling, nor is there any way to fully clean up a significant oil spill. Keeping oil rigs out of the ocean prevents unnecessary harm to sensitive marine animals like sea turtles, whales, and seabirds, and avoids the massive costs associated with environmental remediation when things go wrong. These bills draw a clear line in the sand: our marine ecosystems are too precious to risk.”
    “The Pacific west coast economy provides over $80 Billion in GDP via industries like tourism, outdoor recreation, fishing, retail, and real estate, supporting more than 825,000 jobs. And BAPPC’s 8,100 business members rely on a clean ocean to drive their revenues and provide for their customers, employees and families. We strongly support the West Coast Protection Act and other legislation to prohibit new offshore drilling and protect our businesses by prioritizing a healthy coastal ecosystem,” said Grant Bixby, Founding Member, The Business Alliance for Protecting the Pacific Coast.
    “The impact of offshore oil drilling on marine life is well-documented, from toxic discharges of drilling mud and fracking chemicals, to chronic oil spills, to the effects of a major well blow-out as has occurred many times in the history of offshore oil drilling. It is time we stopped burning fossil fuels and switch to non-polluting sources such as wind, solar, and other green energy sources. Industrializing our oceans is the last thing we should be doing,” said the International Marine Mammal Project, Earth Island Institute.
    “The oceans and coasts are the lifeblood of the US economy. They deserve not only protection but increased investment and stewardship. Anyone that threatens the coasts puts the entire US economy at risk,” said the Center for the Blue Economy.
    “We strongly support these bills to protect our vital coastal ecosystems and ocean health, which are increasingly threatened by the climate crisis. Offshore oil and gas leasing not only poses a direct risk of pollution to our waters and endangers marine life, but also contributes to climate change by perpetuating our reliance on fossil fuels. We urge swift passage of these protections to safeguard coastal communities, their economies, and a livable future for all,” said the U.S. Climate Action Network.
    “Offshore oil and gas drilling threatens coastal communities and endangers whales, sea turtles and other wildlife that Americans treasure,” said National Aquarium President and CEO John Racanelli. “On Earth Day and every day, all of us – people and wildlife – rely on a healthy ocean for our very survival. The science is clear that moving from dependence on fossil fuels towards clean energy sources safeguards marine ecosystems and protects public health. Legislation that places sensible limits on new oil and gas development along our shores is just smart public policy.”
    “President Biden’s recent permanent ban on offshore drilling in most ocean realms of the US is strong and cause for celebration! That said, codifying this long-overdue protection with acts of Congress is needed to add bulwark against attempts to override the ban as well as provide proof of bipartisan support for the ocean. The reason is simple: a healthy ocean sustains all life on earth and is essential to a vibrant clean ocean economy,” said Cindy Zipf, Executive Director of Clean Ocean Action.
    “Last year President Biden issued an executive action to protect more than 625 million acres of federal waters from fossil fuel development, a historic and bold decision to defend coastal communities, public health, and ecosystems. Azul’s 2024 nationwide poll found that Latinos across political ideologies support action to ban offshore drilling and are even willing to pay more out of pocket to make it happen. We applaud the leadership of members of Congress seeking to codify protections for coastal waters against offshore drilling, and these added protections are needed to defend against threats to undo existing protections against offshore drilling,” said Marce Gutiérrez-Graudins, Founder of Azul.
    “Protecting our oceans is a matter of safeguarding our health, our economy, and our future. Proposals to reduce existing ocean protections and expand offshore drilling raise serious concerns for coastal communities, marine ecosystems, and millions of livelihoods,” said Maite Arce, President and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation. “Latino communities, many of whom live along our coasts and rely on clean water and healthy marine environments for recreation, jobs, and cultural connection, are uniquely impacted. We support efforts that uphold strong protections and ensure our public lands and waters remain preserved for future generations. Now is the time for bold, bipartisan leadership that centers communities and protects the ocean legacy we all share.”
    “The New Jersey Environmental Lobby unequivocally supports all of the bills,” said Anne Poole, President of the NJ Environment Lobby. “Our organization’s primary focus is State legislation and policies that affect our densely populated coastal state, but oceans know no national or state boundaries.  The oceans are connected and impact all life on this globe.  What affects one coast eventually affects us all. Thank you to all of these ocean champions for their foresight and political courage!”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: McClellan, Matsui, Neguse, Cohen Lead Resolution to Celebrate Earth Day

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (Virginia 4th District)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), member of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) joined Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07), Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse (CO-02), and Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)  to lead a group of 48 lawmakers in introducing a resolution to commemorate Earth Day 2025. The resolution celebrates recent historic environmental actions that have improved the health and wellbeing of our planet, while also reaffirming the work that still needs to be done to secure a livable future for the next generation. 

    “Our children deserve a future where clean air, safe water, and a stable climate are not luxuries, but guarantees,” said Congresswoman McClellan. “This Earth Day, we must reaffirm our commitment to climate action and environmental justice. We are not just responding to a crisis today — we are building a better, more just world that our children will inherit tomorrow.”

    “Since the first declaration of Earth Day fifty-five years ago, we have made incredible progress towards protecting and restoring the natural world that we rely on and enjoy,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “However, in less than 100 days, President Trump has worked to erase decades of progress, dismantling climate science, weakening critical environmental agencies, and launching an all-out assault on clean air and clean water. This unprecedented assault on clean air and clean water is a stark reminder that Earth Day remains as important and revolutionary today as it was in 1970. This Earth Day, I am honored to join my colleagues in reaffirming and celebrating our shared responsibility to protect and preserve our planet for future generations, and I will never stop fighting to uphold these ideals at every level of government.”

     “On Earth Day, communities across the country reaffirm their commitment to protecting the environment and our treasured public lands,” said Congressman Neguse. “And for me, as a proud Coloradan, the fight to ensure future generations can enjoy the outdoors the same way we have is deeply personal. Which is why I’m proud to join my colleagues in continuing to charge forward in Congress with efforts that prioritize protecting our planet.” 

    “Fifty-five years after the first Earth Day, our commitment to environmental protection must be stronger than ever,” said Congressman Cohen. “The Trump administration is once again doing the bidding of polluters—rolling back clean air and clean water standards, halting enforcement of environmental safeguards, and illegally freezing congressionally authorized funding meant to combat climate change, reduce pollution, and protect public health. Climate change is accelerating. Our air, water, and communities are under threat. Earth Day is not just a reminder of what’s at stake—it’s a call to rededicate ourselves to the fight for a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable planet for the next generation.”

    Congresswoman McClellan has been a leader of clean energy efforts since she was a member of the Virginia Assembly, leading the Virginia Clean Economy Act and the Solar Freedom Act. She championed the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project, which creates jobs and develops clean energy infrastructure. Since coming to Congress, she has led efforts to invest in clean and renewable energy, support soil carbon sequestration research and monitoring, address the risks to infrastructure integrity resulting from changing climate and environmental conditions and more.

    Read the full resolution HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Pulse Seismic Inc. Reports Strong Q1 2025 Financial Results and Increases Regular Quarterly Dividend

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pulse Seismic Inc. (TSX:PSD) (OTCQX:PLSDF) (“Pulse” or the “Company”) is pleased to report its financial and operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2025. The unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements, accompanying notes and MD&A are being filed on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) and will be available on Pulse’s website at www.pulseseismic.com.

    Today, Pulse’s Board of Directors approved a 17% increase to the regular quarterly dividend, declaring a dividend of $0.0175 per share. This results in an increase to the annual regular dividend from $0.06 per share to $0.07 per share. The total dividend declared will be approximately $889,000 based on Pulse’s 50,794,563 common shares outstanding as of April 22, 2025, to be paid on May 20, 2025, to shareholders of record on May 12, 2025. This dividend is designated as an eligible dividend for Canadian income tax purposes. For non-resident shareholders, Pulse’s dividends are subject to Canadian withholding tax.

    “I am very pleased to report today’s decision by Pulse’s Board of Directors to approve the third annual increase to the Company’s regular dividend since 2023. Having licensed $22.8 million of seismic data for the quarter, our balance sheet has been further strengthened, ending the period with $14.3 million of cash and $14.2 of working capital,” stated Neal Coleman, Pulse’s President and CEO. “As a business with significant fluctuations in annual revenue, having a low-cost structure like ours lends itself to significant increases in EBITDA margins and shareholder free cash flow generation in higher revenue years. Compared to last year, we have already generated 97% of annual revenue,” he continued. “We remain focused on returning capital to shareholders as evidenced by the 17% increase to the regular quarterly dividend, on top of the special dividend of $0.20 per share that was declared in February,” concluded Coleman.

    HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2025

    • A regular dividend of $0.015 per share and a special dividend of $0.20 per share were declared and paid in the first quarter of 2025, totalling $10.9 million.
    • The Company renewed its Normal Course Issuer Bid (NCIB) on February 24, 2025. During the three months ended March 31, 2025, the Company purchased and cancelled 43,300 shares under the NCIB at an average price of $2.43 per share, for total cost of approximately $106,000;
    • Total revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2025, was $22.8 million, compared to $8.8 million for the same period in 2024. Revenue generated in the first quarter of 2025 represents approximately 97% of the total recorded for the full year ended December 31, 2024;
    • Shareholder free cash flow(a) was $15.4 million ($0.30 per share basic and diluted) compared to $5.0 million ($0.10 per share basic and diluted) for the three months ended March 31, 2024; 
    • EBITDA(a) was $20.0 million ($0.39 per share basic and diluted) compared to $6.2 million ($0.12 per share basic and diluted) for the three months ended March 31, 2024; 
    • Net earnings were $13.4 million ($0.26 per share basic and diluted) compared to net earnings of $2.7 million ($0.05 per share basic and diluted) for the three months ended March 31, 2024; and 
    • At March 31, 2025, the Company had a cash balance of $14.3 million as well as $5.0 million of available liquidity on its revolving demand credit facility.
    SELECTED FINANCIAL AND
    OPERATING INFORMATION    		        
             
             
    (Thousands of dollars except per share data,   Three months ended March 31, Year ended,
    numbers of shares and kilometres of seismic data)   2025 2024 December 31,
        (Unaudited) 2024
    Revenue   22,759 8,777 23,379
             
    Amortization of seismic data library   2,225 2,270 9,090
    Net earnings   13,375 2,681 3,391
    Per share basic and diluted   0.26 0.05 0.07
    Cash provided by operating activities   16,615 10,464 14,195
    Per share basic and diluted   0.33 0.20 0.28
    EBITDA (a)   20,048 6,229 15,496
    Per share basic and diluted (a)   0.39 0.12 0.30
    Shareholder free cash flow (a)   15,419 5,038 12,408
    Per share basic and diluted (a)   0.30 0.10 0.24
             
    Capital expenditures        
    Seismic data   – 225 225
    Property and equipment   – – 45
    Total capital expenditures   – 225 270
             
    Dividends        
    Regular dividends declared   763 715 3,018
    Special dividends declared   10,167 – 2,548
    Total dividends declared   10,930 715 5,566
             
    Normal course issuer bid        
    Number of shares purchased and cancelled   43,300 627,300 1,784,000
    Cost of shares purchased and cancelled   106 1,185 3,880
             
    Weighted average shares outstanding        
    Basic and diluted   50,829,404 52,122,006 51,448,985
    Shares outstanding at period-end   50,794,563 51,994,563 50,837,863
             
    Seismic library        
    2D in kilometres   829,207 829,207 829,207
    3D in square kilometres   65,310 65,310 65,310
             
    FINANCIAL POSITION
    AND RATIO    		        
        March 31, March 31, December 31,
    (Thousands of dollars except ratio)   2025 2024 2024
    Working capital   14,201 10,579 9,222
    Working capital ratio   3.7:1 3.8:1 5.1:1
    Cash and cash equivalents   14,305 13,765 8,722
    Total assets   27,412 31,122 21,516
    Trailing 12 -month (TTM) EBITDA(b)   29,315 30,045 15,496
    Shareholders’ equity   20,533 26,543 18,295
             

    (a)The Company’s continuous disclosure documents provide discussion and analysis of “EBITDA”, “EBITDA per share”, “shareholder free cash flow” and “shareholder free cash flow per share”. These financial measures do not have standard definitions prescribed by IFRS and, therefore, may not be comparable to similar measures disclosed by other companies. The Company has included these non-GAAP financial measures because management, investors, analysts and others use them as measures of the Company’s financial performance. The Company’s definition of EBITDA is cash available for interest payments, cash taxes, repayment of debt, purchase of its shares, discretionary capital expenditures and the payment of dividends, and is calculated as earnings (loss) from operations before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. The Company believes EBITDA assists investors in comparing Pulse’s results on a consistent basis without regard to non-cash items, such as depreciation and amortization, which can vary significantly depending on accounting methods or non-operating factors such as historical cost. EBITDA per share is defined as EBITDA divided by the weighted average number of shares outstanding for the period. Shareholder free cash flow further refines the calculation of capital available to invest in growing the Company’s 2D and 3D seismic data library, to repay debt, to purchase its common shares and to pay dividends by deducting non-discretionary expenditures from EBITDA. Non-discretionary expenditures are defined as non-cash expenses, debt financing costs (net of deferred financing expenses amortized in the current period), net restructuring costs and current tax provisions. Shareholder free cash flow per share is defined as shareholder free cash flow divided by the weighted average number of shares outstanding for the period.
    These non-GAAP financial measures are defined, calculated and reconciled to the nearest GAAP financial measures in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis.
    (b) TTM EBITDA is defined as the sum of EBITDA generated over the previous 12 months and is used to provide a comparable annualized measure.
    These non-GAAP financial measures are defined, calculated and reconciled to the nearest GAAP financial measures in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis.

    OUTLOOK

    Pulse had a very strong first quarter, generating revenue of $22.8 million and ending the quarter with $14.3 million of cash and $14.2 million of working capital. This was one of the top three quarters in the Company’s history, representing 97% of annual 2024 revenue. Pulse’s ability to predict future revenue generation has always been challenging, as significant annual fluctuations are the norm in the seismic data library business. This strong quarterly result has improved our balance sheet and positioned the Company for solid financial performance in 2025.

    Industry trends that we consider relevant include land sales in Western Canada, drilling forecasts for the year, commodity price levels, M and A forecasts and the status of industry infrastructure improvements. Early in 2025, industry projections included high levels of M & A activity for the year and improving commodity prices. It is difficult to predict in the midst of the current market dynamics how this will unfold through the remainder of 2025. Alberta land sales through 2024 and into 2025 were strong, and in British Columbia land sales were resumed in Q3 2024 after a pause of over 3 years. New infrastructure, such as the TMX pipeline expansion, a driver of increased drilling activity, which was completed in 2024 has provided increased export capacity. The Canadian Association of Energy Contractors, in November 2024 forecast an increase to 6,604 wells to be drilled in 2025, an approximate 7% increase over 2024. There has been no update published to this forecast, and drilling activity is reported to be relatively stable. The pending completion of LNG Canada’s liquified natural gas export facility is expected to contribute to the forecast increase in drilling and may lead to an improvement in Canadian natural gas prices.

    Of course, there is a high level of uncertainty on the political and economic fronts. The impacts of the recent change in administration in the United States and the uncertainty around energy tariffs and trade policy, together with Canadian federal government leadership changes and the pending Canadian federal election outcome are contributing to the lack of clarity for the future. It is clear that Canada needs to continue to build pipelines and increase natural gas egress, to support the country’s energy security, as well as to secure new buyers of Canadian energy.

    Pulse, as previously stated, has low visibility regarding future seismic data library sales levels, regardless of industry conditions. The Company remains focused on business practices that have served throughout the full range of conditions. The Company maintains a strong balance sheet and carries no debt. Led by an experienced and capable management team, Pulse operates with a low-cost structure and focuses on maintaining excellent client relations and providing exceptional customer service. Pulse’s strong financial position, high leverage to increased revenue in its EBITDA margin and careful management of its cash resources have resulted in the return of capital to shareholders through regular and special dividends and the repurchase of its shares.

    CORPORATE PROFILE

    Pulse is a market leader in the acquisition, marketing and licensing of 2D and 3D seismic data to the western Canadian energy sector. Pulse owns the largest licensable seismic data library in Canada, currently consisting of approximately 65,310 square kilometres of 3D seismic and 829,207 kilometres of 2D seismic. The library extensively covers the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, where most of Canada’s oil and natural gas exploration and development occur.

    For further information, please contact:
    Neal Coleman, President and CEO
    Or
    Pamela Wicks, Vice President Finance and CFO
    Tel.: 403-237-5559
    Toll-free: 1-877-460-5559
    E-mail: info@pulseseismic.com.
    Please visit our website at www.pulseseismic.com

    This document contains information that constitutes “forward-looking information” or “forward-looking statements” (collectively, “forward-looking information”) within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “plan”, “intend”, “forecast”, “target”, “project”, “guidance”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “estimate”, “predict” or similar words suggesting future outcomes or language suggesting an outlook.

    The Outlook section herein contain forward-looking information which includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding:

    >        The outlook of the Company for the year ahead, including future operating costs and expected revenues;

    >       Recent events on the political, economic, regulatory, and legal fronts affecting the industry’s medium- to longer-term prospects, including progression and completion of contemplated infrastructure projects;

    >        The Company’s capital resources and sufficiency thereof to finance future operations, meet its obligations associated with financial liabilities and carry out the necessary capital expenditures through 2025;

    >        Pulse’s capital allocation strategy;

    >        Pulse’s dividend policy;

    >        Oil and natural gas prices and forecast trends;

    >        Oil and natural gas drilling activity and land sales activity;

    >        Oil and natural gas company capital budgets;

    >        Future demand for seismic data;

    >        Future seismic data sales;

    >        Pulse’s business and growth strategy; and

    >        Other expectations, beliefs, plans, goals, objectives, assumptions, information and statements about possible future events, conditions, results and performance, as they relate to the Company or to the oil and natural gas industry as a whole.

    By its very nature, forward-looking information involves inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks that predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved. Pulse does not publish specific financial goals or otherwise provide guidance, due to the inherently poor visibility of seismic revenue. The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on these statements as a number of important factors could cause the actual results to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations and anticipations, estimates and intentions expressed in such forward-looking information.

    These factors include, but are not limited to:

    >        Uncertainty of the timing and volume of data sales;

    >        Volatility of oil and natural gas prices;

    >        Risks associated with the oil and natural gas industry in general;

    >        The Company’s ability to access external sources of debt and equity capital;

    >        Credit, liquidity and commodity price risks;

    >        The demand for seismic data;

    >        The pricing of data library licence sales;

    >         Cybersecurity;

    >        Relicensing (change-of-control) fees and partner copy sales;

    >        Environmental, health and safety risks;

    >        Federal and provincial government laws and regulations, including those pertaining to taxation, royalty rates, environmental protection, public health and safety;

    >        Competition;

    >        Dependence on key management, operations and marketing personnel;

    >        The loss of seismic data;

    >        Protection of intellectual property rights;

    >        The introduction of new products; and

    >        Climate change.

    Pulse cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. Additional information on these risks and other factors which could affect the Company’s operations and financial results is included under “Risk Factors” in the Company’s most recent annual information form, and in the Company’s most recent audited annual financial statements, most recent MD&A, management information circular, quarterly reports, material change reports and news releases. Copies of the Company’s public filings are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

    When relying on forward-looking information to make decisions with respect to Pulse, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Furthermore, the forward-looking information contained in this document is provided as of the date of this document and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking information, except as required by law. The forward-looking information in this document is provided for the limited purpose of enabling current and potential investors to evaluate an investment in Pulse. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking information may not be appropriate, and should not be used, for other purposes.

    PDF available: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/a8c573ed-9098-4949-97bc-2c4553e2eae4

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Carbajal Reintroduces Bill to Ban Future Offshore Oil Drilling in California

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Salud Carbajal (CA-24)

    This week, Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) announced the reintroduction of the California Clean Coast Act. The California Clean Coast Act was the first bill Congressman Carbajal introduced as a Member of Congress, demonstrating his longstanding commitment to protecting California’s coast from offshore drilling and the devastating impact of oil spills.

    The California Clean Coast Act would permanently ban future offshore oil and gas leasing in areas of the Outer Continental Shelf off the coast of California. 

    “Santa Barbara knows firsthand how devastating oil spills can be on our marine ecosystems and coastline,” said Rep. Carbajal. “I’m proud to lead this bill to ban future offshore oil drilling in our state and ensure California’s world-famous coastline is protected for future generations to enjoy.”

    “California’s spectacular marine life — including complex kelp forests and charismatic sea otters — and vibrant coastal economies rely on healthy ecosystems. This legislation could, once and for all, block offshore drilling activities along the continental shelf, and protect critical marine habitats along California’s iconic Pacific Coast,” said Pamela Flick, Defenders of Wildlife California Program Director.

    “The California Clean Coast Act is critical to protecting our coast and climate from the threats of offshore oil drilling,” said Linda Krop, Chief Counsel of the Environmental Defense Center, which was founded in the aftermath of the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill.  “From the 1969 blowout at Platform A to the 2015 pipeline spill along the Gaviota Coast, the California Coast has suffered the devastating effects of offshore oil development on communities who live, play, and work here. We know that when it comes to offshore oil drilling, it is not a question of if – but when – another spill will devastate our beaches, our ocean, our wildlife, and our economy. The California Clean Coast Act will preserve our precious coast from the threats of future oil spills and climate change.”

    Rep. Carbajal has been a staunch advocate to ban future offshore drilling off the Central Coast. At the end of the Biden Administration, Carbajal’s 8-year push to ban future offshore oil drilling came to fruition when President Biden invoked his authority to protect over 625 million acres of federal waters —including the entire East Coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California, and parts of the Northern Bering Sea— from oil and gas exploration. Congressman Carbajal was one of 12 members of Congress who wrote to President Biden requesting this action before the end of his term.

    For the full bill text click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Open fire season for Tāmaki Makaurau

    Source: Auckland Council

    Fire and Emergency New Zealand is moving Auckland City, Waitematā and Counties-Manukau Districts back to an open fire season from 8am on Wednesday 23 April, until further notice.

    An open fire season means people planning to light fires outdoors no longer need to apply to Fire and Emergency for authorised permits.

    The exceptions are the Hauraki Gulf Islands – populated islands will move to a restricted fire season, with permits needed from Fire and Emergency before lighting outdoor fires, and Department of Conservation islands remain in a prohibited fire season, with all outdoor fires banned.

    Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s Te Hiku Region Manager Ron Devlin says a steady amount of rain across the Auckland region in the last few days and continued cooler forecasts have triggered the fire season changes.

    “The damper autumn conditions means there is now less of a fire risk throughout Tāmaki Makaurau,” he says.

    “However, we do still ask people to take care when lighting any fires, and to check the requirements for your location on checkitsalright.nz.

    “Make sure your fires are fully extinguished and keep checking for reignition in the following days and weeks.”

    Northland District changed to an open fire season last Friday. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shapiro Administration Celebrates Earth Day with New Growing Greener Grants

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    April 22, 2025 – Pine Grove, PA

    Shapiro Administration Celebrates Earth Day with New Growing Greener Grants

    The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has announced the opening of the next round of Growing Greener Plus Grant Program applications. Growing Greener is the largest single investment of state funds in Pennsylvania’s history to address critical environmental concerns like flooding. The grant openings are being announced in celebration of Earth Day and a field visit by the Shapiro Administration, the Schuylkill Conservation District, and other local officials to the Swatara Creek Floodplain Restoration site near Pine Grove Borough.

    “Growing Greener is one of the most successful conservation programs in Pennsylvania history, and it is great to see the positive impact that these projects can have for our communities. These grants empower communities to build environmental improvements right where they live – ensuring cleaner water, healthier ecosystems, and more resilient infrastructure,” said DEP Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley. “We’re proud to open the next round of funding on Earth Day to recognize that protecting the environment benefits our communities and the people of Pennsylvania.”

    Growing Greener grants can be awarded to watershed groups, local or county government, municipal authorities, county planning commissions, county conservation districts, educational institutions, or non-profit organizations. To date, Growing Greener Grants have provided almost $420 million in funding to more than 2,800 environmental projects.

    Speakers Include:
    Wayne Lehman, Schuylkill County Conservation District
    Sierra Diebert, Guilford Performance Textiles by Lear Corporation
    Kelly Stine, Guilford Performance Textiles by Lear Corporation
    Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley, Department of Environmental Protection
    Elaine Holley, Pine Grove Borough
    Christine Verdier, Sen. Argall’s office
    Rep. Joanne Stehr, 107th district
    Gary Hess, Schuylkill County Commissioner

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: LANCASTER – Shapiro Administration, Partners to Celebrate Stream Restoration Investments to Little Conestoga Creek

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    April 23, 2025 – Lancaster, PA

    ADVISORY – LANCASTER – Shapiro Administration, Partners to Celebrate Stream Restoration Investments to Little Conestoga Creek

    The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Lancaster Clean Water Partners will host a site visit to the Little Conestoga Creek Blue Green Connector Project, celebrating stream restoration investments made possible through an innovative partnership led by the Little Conestoga Creek Foundation and the Steinman Foundation.

    The Blue Green Connector in Lancaster County is a prime example of how sustained investments, including Growing Greener funds, are restoring water habitats and recreation across Pennsylvania’s share of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

    Media are invited to attend and should RSVP to DEP Southcentral Regional Communications Manager John Repetz.

    WHO:
    Department of Environmental Protection Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley

    WHEN:
    Wednesday, April 23, 2025, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM

    WHERE:
    Caretaker’s Home at Conestoga House, 1604 Marietta Avenue, Lancaster, PA

    WHAT:
    The event will begin with remarks by project partners and Acting Secretary Shirley, followed by photo opportunities and a short walk to tour the stream restoration site.

    For more information, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s website, or follow DEP on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, or LinkedIn.

    MEDIA CONTACT: John Repetz, jrepetz@pa.gov, 717-705-4904

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: L.A. Pawn Shop Owner Indicted for Allegedly Conspiring to Sell Stolen Andy Warhol Trial Proof and Lying to the FBI About Its Sale

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – The owner of a pawn shop in the Mid-City area of Los Angeles was indicted today for allegedly conspiring to sell a stolen Andy Warhol print trial proof, which was shipped from the Beverly Hills office of an auction house to Dallas, then lying about it to federal agents.

    Glenn Steven Bednarsh, 58, of Farmington, Michigan and formerly of Beverly Hills, is charged in a two-count federal grand jury indictment with conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen goods.

    He is expected to be arraigned in the coming weeks in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

    According to the indictment, in February 2021, Bednarsh knowingly purchased for $6,000 a stolen Warhol trial proof depicting Russian revolutionary and Soviet Union leader Vladimir Lenin, which is worth an estimated $175,000. Bednarsh allegedly asked a co-conspirator, Brian Alec Light, 58, of Hudson, Ohio, and formerly a resident of downtown Los Angeles, to help him sell the stolen Warhol Lenin trial proof. Light then contacted the Beverly Hills of an auction house based in Dallas about selling the Warhol trial proof. 

    In March 2021, Bednarsh transported the trial proof to the Beverly Hills office of the auction house, which then shipped it to Dallas. Light e-signed an auction house consignment agreement and called the auction house to state he had dropped off the trial proof and to ask about receiving a cash advance for it.

    An employee of the auction house in Dallas reached out to the gallery in West Hollywood for its opinion of the piece, according to court documents. The gallery immediately recognized the piece as stolen, then notified the auction house and the FBI.

    Later in March 2021, when FBI agents began inquiring about the stolen Warhol trial proof, Light lied to them by saying he bought it at a Culver City garage sale for $18,000 and provided a fake receipt.

    In August and September of 2021, Bednarsh lied to FBI agents by telling them Light asked him to store the Warhol Lenin trial proof for him and that he agreed to do so out of friendship and not for financial gain. 

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    Light pleaded guilty in November 2024 to one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods. His sentencing is currently set for May 27, and he faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

    The FBI’s Art Crime Team is investigating this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Erik M. Silber of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section and Matthew W. O’Brien of the Environmental Crime and Consumer Protection Section are prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: These 3 climate misinformation campaigns are operating during the election run-up. Here’s how to spot them

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alfie Chadwick, PhD Candidate, Monash Climate Change Communication Research Hub, Monash University

    Australia’s climate and energy wars are at the forefront of the federal election campaign as the major parties outline vastly different plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and tackle soaring power prices.

    Meanwhile, misinformation about climate change has permeated public debate during the campaign, feeding false and misleading claims about renewable energy, gas and global warming.

    This is a dangerous situation. In Australia and globally, rampant misinformation has for decades slowed climate action – creating doubt, hindering decision-making and undermining public support for solutions.

    Here, we explain the history of climate misinformation in Australia and identify three prominent campaigns operating now. We also outline how Australians can protect themselves from misinformation as they head to the polls.

    Misinformation vs disinformation

    Misinformation is defined as false information spread unintentionally. It is distinct from disinformation, which is deliberately created to mislead.

    However, proving intent to mislead can be challenging. So, the term misinformation is often used as a general term to describe misleading content, while the term disinformation is reserved for cases where intent is proven.

    Disinformation is typically part of a coordinated
    campaign     to influence public opinion. Such campaigns can be run by corporate interests, political groups, lobbying organisations or individuals.

    Once released, these false narratives may be picked up by others, who pass them on and create misinformation.

    Climate change misinformation in Australia

    In the 1980s and 1990s, Australia’s emissions-reduction targets were among the most ambitious in the world.

    At the time, about 60 companies were responsible for one-third of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions. The government’s plan included measures to ensure these companies remained competitive while reducing their climate impact.

    Despite this, Australia’s resource industry began a concerted media campaign to oppose any binding emissions-reduction actions, claiming it would ruin the economy by making Australian businesses uncompetitive.

    This narrative persisted even when modelling repeatedly showed climate policies would have minimal economic impacts. The industry arguments eventually found their way into government policy.

    Momentum against climate action was also fuelled by a vocal group of climate change-denying individuals and organisations, often backed by multinational fossil fuel companies. These deniers variously claimed climate change wasn’t happening, it was caused by natural cycles, or wasn’t that a serious threat.

    These narratives were further exacerbated by false balance in media coverage, whereby news outlets, in an effort to appear neutral, often placed climate scientists alongside contrarians, giving the impression that the science was still unclear.

    Together, this created an environment in Australia where climate action was seen as either too economically damaging or simply unnecessary.

    What’s happening in the federal election campaign?

    Climate misinformation has been circulating in the following forms during this federal election campaign.

    1. Trumpet of Patriots

    Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots party ran an advertisement that claimed to expose “ the truth about climate change”. It featured a clip from a 2004 documentary, in which a scientist discusses data suggesting temperatures in Greenland were not rising. The scientist in the clip has since said his comments are now outdated.

    The type of misinformation is cherry-picking – presenting one scientific measurement at odds with the overwhelming scientific consensus.

    Google removed the ad after it was flagged as misleading, but only after it received 1.9 million views.

    2. Responsible Future Illawarra

    The Responsible Future campaign opposes wind turbines on various grounds, including cost, foreign ownership, power prices, effects on views and fishing, and potential ecological damage.

    Scientific evidence indicates offshore wind farms are relatively safe for marine life and cause less harm than boats and fishing gear. Some studies also suggest the infrastructure can create new habitat for marine life.

    However, a general lack of research into offshore wind and marine life has created uncertainty that groups such as Responsible Future Illawarra can exploit.

    It has cited statements by Sea Shepherd Australia to argue offshore wind farms damage marine life – however Sea Shepherd said its comments were misrepresented.

    The group also appears to have deliberately spread disinformation. This includes citing a purported research paper saying offshore wind turbines would kill up to 400 whales per year, when the paper does not exist.

    3. Australians for Natural Gas

    Australians for Natural Gas is a pro-gas group set up by the head of a gas company, which presents itself as a grassroots organisation. Its advertising campaign promotes natural gas as a necessary part of Australia’s fuel mix, and stresses its contribution to jobs and the economy.

    The ad campaign implicitly suggests climate action – in this case, a shift to renewable energy – is harmful to the economy, livelihoods and energy security. According to Meta’s Ad Library, these adds have already been seen more than 1.1 million times.

    Gas is needed in Australia’s current energy mix. But analysis shows it could be phased out almost entirely if renewable energy and storage was sufficiently increased and business and home electrification continues to rise.

    And of course, failing to tackle climate change will cause substantial harm across Australia’s economy.

    How to identify misinformation

    As the federal election approaches, climate misinformation and disinformation is likely to proliferate further. So how do we distinguish fact from fiction?

    One way is through “pre-bunking” – familiarising yourself with common claims made by climate change deniers to fortify yourself against misinformation

    Sources such as Skeptical Science offer in-depth analyses of specific claims.

    The SIFT method is another valuable tool. It comprises four steps:

    • Stop
    • Investigate the source
    • Find better coverage
    • Trace claims, quotes and media to their original sources.

    As the threat of climate change grows, a flow of accurate information is vital to garnering public and political support for vital policy change.

    Alfie Chadwick is a recipient of an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship.

    Libby Lester receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. These 3 climate misinformation campaigns are operating during the election run-up. Here’s how to spot them – https://theconversation.com/these-3-climate-misinformation-campaigns-are-operating-during-the-election-run-up-heres-how-to-spot-them-253441

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: AUSA Hot Topic highlights strategic vision for transforming Army installations

    Source: United States Army

    1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Mr. David Dentino, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Energy and Sustainability in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Installations Housing and Partnerships, participates on a panel discussion on building, maintaining, and restoring infrastructure to enable warfighter readiness. (Photo Credit: Leroy Council Jr.) VIEW ORIGINAL
    2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Mr. Brandon Cockrell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Energy and Sustainability in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, participates on a panel discussion on transforming at pace of emerging operation requirements. (Photo Credit: Leroy Council Jr.) VIEW ORIGINAL

    ARLINGTON, Va. — Top Army officials and key stakeholders from across the Department of Defense and industry gathered last week for the Association of the United States Army’s “Hot Topic” forum, focusing on one of the Army’s most critical priorities: transforming installations to support the future force.

    Hosted at AUSA’s General Gordon R. Sullivan Conference and Events Center, the event — themed “Transforming Army Installations: Our Foundations of Warfighter Readiness and Lethality” — brought together over 130 participants. Attendees engaged in discussions aimed at modernizing, maintaining and operating the Army’s installations to ensure they meet the needs of Soldiers and their families. The conference highlighted the critical role installation transformation plays in strengthening national security, deterring adversaries and ensuring the Army’s readiness to fight and win future conflicts.

    The forum opened with remarks from Lt. Gen. David Wilson, Deputy Chief of Staff, G-9, who set the tone for the day’s discussions by underscoring the strategic importance of installations by enabling readiness and operational reach.

    Throughout the event, senior leaders laid out a clear vision of how Army installations must evolve to meet the demands of multidomain operations and a rapidly shifting threat environment. Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer focused on just that by participating on a panel discussion on operationalizing installations to support the missions of today and tomorrow.

    Mr. David H. Dentino, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Housing and Partnerships, participated in a panel discussion on the Army’s roadmap to build, maintain and restore infrastructure to enable warfighter readiness. He pointed to a need for more adaptive, responsive and efficient installations that are capable of supporting the full spectrum of military operations.

    Mr. Brandon C. Cockrell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Energy and Sustainability, participated in a panel discussion on transforming at the pace of emerging operational requirements.

    “Installations must be capable of becoming an island in a contested environment,” he said. “We must leverage technology and innovation to transform installations to meet current and emerging threats. This transformation will directly lead to increased lethality and resilience across the Army. Our goal is to create modern installations that are self-sufficient and capable of projecting power, all while providing top-notch facilities and services for our Soldiers, civilians and their families.”

    Lt. Gen. Omar J. Jones IV, commanding general of U.S. Army Installation Management Command, talked about IMCOM’s mission to ensure Army readiness at 104 installations in 13 countries around the globe. IMCOM, whose motto is “We are the Army’s home,” works tirelessly to deliver programs and services, Jones said, and to maintain infrastructure for the Soldiers, families and civilians who live, work and train on Army installations.

    The event provided a venue for military leaders, policymakers and industry to align around shared goals and to chart actionable paths forward.

    As the Army continues to confront the demands of large-scale combat operations and great power competition, leaders at the event were united in their message: transforming Army installations is not just a facilities issue — it’s a strategic imperative.

    “This is about readiness, lethality and ensuring our Soldiers have what they need — not just to fight, but to win,” said Dentino. “And it starts at home, on the installations that support them every day.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Stein Celebrates Earth Day at Eno River Park

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Governor Stein Celebrates Earth Day at Eno River Park

    Governor Stein Celebrates Earth Day at Eno River Park
    lsaito

    Raleigh, NC

    Today, Governor Josh Stein, North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) Secretary Pam Cashwell, and North Carolina Department of Enviornmental Quality (DEQ) Secretary Reid Wilson celebrated Earth Day at Eno River State Park in Durham. Governor Stein toured the park with Eno River Superintendent Kimberly Radewicz and spoke with park rangers to learn about the park’s economic and cultural impact. 

    “From the Blue Ridge Mountains to the barrier islands and everywhere in between, like Eno River State Park, North Carolina’s natural beauty enriches our quality of life and attracts millions of visitors each year,” said Governor Josh Stein. “I am proud to celebrate Earth Day on the Eno alongside some of our dedicated state park rangers. We must all work together to preserve North Carolina’s natural beauty.”  

    “Earth Day is a chance for us to celebrate North Carolina’s 41 state parks and recreational areas, and the team that keeps them beautiful for the millions of visitors each year,” said Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary Pamela B. Cashwell. “It also serves as a reminder that we all have a role to play in keeping our state’s parks and trails in good order.”

    “I admire the people across North Carolina who are spending Earth Day working and volunteering within their communities to build a healthier environment,” said Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson. “We’re all in this together as we work to create a future with clean water, clean air, and healthy lands for everyone in our beautiful state.”

    As Attorney General, Stein held polluters accountable for dumping forever chemicals into the Cape Fear River and won a $1.1 billion settlement for coal ash cleanup that helped North Carolinians save on their energy bills. Now, Governor Stein is committed to ensuring that all North Carolinians have access to clean air and water and that the state maintains its natural beauty and its leadership in the clean energy economy. 

    Apr 22, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 04.18.2025 ICYMI: Sen. Cruz, EPA Administrator Zeldin Visit West Texas to Promote American Energy Dominance

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
    MIDLAND, TX – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), joined by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin, on Thursday conducted a series of events focused on unleashing American energy, including visiting a Permian Basin oil and gas rig, conducting a roundtable with energy industry leaders and workers, and hosting a press conference on the issue.
    Watch the press conference here. 
    Sen. Cruz said, “The Biden administration waged war against oil and gas jobs, especially in Texas. President Trump and the new Republican Congress are committed to returning America to a position of energy dominance, and I fully expect and will work to ensure that Texas leads the way. I’m proud to continue championing the oil and gas industry here in the Lone Star State.”
    Admin. Zeldin said, “When I was going through my confirmation process, I made a commitment to Senator Cruz that I would travel down to Midland, tour an oil rig, and reaffirm my support to achieve energy dominance. The oil and gas industry and its hard-working employees help power our nation and we must do more to produce right here in America to compete on the world stage. The Trump EPA does not believe in regulating this industry out of existence. Instead, we want to partner with leaders to keep producing American energy using the cleanest and safest practices on the planet.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Tours NOAA Western Regional Office in Seattle, Meets with Meteorologists & Staff—Visit Comes as NOAA Faces Unprecedented Threats from Trump & Elon

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ICYMI: Senator Murray, Former NOAA Administrator and WA State NOAA Employees Fired for No Reason Slam Trump & Elon’s Destructive Mass Layoffs at NOAA

    ***PHOTOS and B-ROLL HERE***

    Seattle, WA— Today, on Earth Day, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, toured the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Western Regional Center, which is NOAA’s largest campus by square footage in the U.S. NOAA has a large footprint in Washington state—where it employs approximately 1,000 people at the Western Regional Center, including non-NOAA contractors. Communities across Washington state rely on the work NOAA does—from providing storm warnings and weather forecasts to protecting and restoring marine resources that are essential to our state’s economy and culture.

    On the tour, Senator Murray visited the National Weather Service, met with meteorologists, and saw the cutting-edge equipment they use to forecast the weather and issue severe weather warnings to protect life and property. Senator Murray also met with scientists and researchers at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center and the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory who work together to steward our ocean resources and habitat.

    “It was a pleasure visiting NOAA’s Western Regional Center today and hearing from scientists about the vital research they do and services they provide that help all of us. Whether they know it or not, every American relies on the work NOAA does—from creating accurate weather forecasts and storm warnings to managing our fisheries. Here in Washington state, our marine resources are essential to our state’s economy and culture—and the experts at NOAA play a critical role in protecting our waterways and habitats,” said Senator Murray.

    “But Trump and Elon are mass firing experts at NOAA, terminating research programs, and closing facilities—taking a wrecking ball to NOAA and the work it does that helps our country in so many ways, and Washington state in particular,” continued Senator Murray. “NOAA staffing cuts are threatening years of salmon harvest—a multibillion dollar industry in Washington state. Our seafood industry benefits tremendously from NOAA’s work protecting the Puget Sound, NOAA’s storm warnings save lives and property, and shipping routes are dependent on the weather forecasts NOAA provides, to name just a few examples. This administration’s massive, thoughtless cuts at NOAA are putting all of this at risk—I will continue doing everything I can to raise the alarm, speak out, and drive home how essential NOAA’s work is for communities across America.”

    Senator Murray has been outspoken in calling attention to how Trump and Elon’s indiscriminate mass layoffs—including at NOAA—are hurting people across the country and will undermine services Americans everywhere rely on. In March, Senator Murray held a press conference with former NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad and NOAA employees in Washington state who were fired through no fault of their own. More than 650 NOAA employees have already been fired for no reason by Trump and Elon, with another round of job cuts targeting more than 1,000 additional employees still expected. In addition to employees who accepted the “Fork in the Road” offer, NOAA could potentially see a combined loss of 20 percent of its staff with this next round of cuts. Before January 2025, NOAA’s workforce exceeded 12,000 people worldwide, with more than 50 percent being scientists and engineers. Probationary employees at NOAA who were fired in February were temporarily reinstated in mid-March after a federal court ruling—but the Supreme Court reversed the reinstatements on April 8th, and probationary workers at NOAA and other federal agencies were re-fired.

    Senator Murray has been a leading voice raising the alarm about how Trump and Elon’s mass firings across the federal workforce will undermine services all Americans rely on and hurt families, veterans, small businesses, farmers, and so many others in Washington state and across the country. Senator Murray has spoken out on the Senate floor repeatedly against this administration’s attacks on federal workers, held multiple press conferences with federal workers—including at NOAA—who are being fired for no reason and through no fault of their own, released information about the mass firings, and repeatedly outlined her concerns with the administration’s so-called “Fork in the Road” offer to her constituents in Washington state.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: On Earth Day, Schatz, Casten Introduce Legislation To Address Costs, Financial Risks Of Climate Change

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Representative Sean Casten (D-Ill.) introduced the Climate Change Financial Risk Act, legislation that directs the Federal Reserve to conduct stress tests on large financial institutions to measure their resilience to climate-related financial risks.

    “Risk is risk—we should not be treating some risks different from others just because they’re hard to quantify. Federal regulators are legally obligated to ensure a stable and efficient financial system, and that means reducing the risk of a climate-driven financial crisis,” said Senator Schatz. “Instead of taking steps to reduce the risks facing communities across the country from increasingly frequent and severe extreme weather and disasters—including significantly higher costs for homeowners insurance—the Trump administration is trying to roll back our progress in the climate fight and gut the programs that will make us safer.”

    “Climate change poses a grave and imminent threat to the stability of our financial system. It is essential that our regulators establish parameters so that our financial institutions adequately prepare for and respond to these risks, and that they do so before the next extreme weather crisis strikes,” said Representative Casten. “Our bill will move us toward safeguarding our financial systems—from short-term climate impacts, such as direct uninsured losses from wildfires, hurricanes, and flooding events, as well as from long-term global shifts to a net-zero economy, which may require a reshaping of a bank’s lending and investment activities.”

    Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events like floods and wildfires. It is also changing long-term climate patterns in ways that will ultimately affect every sector of our economy. Financial institutions face the risk of direct losses from severe weather events and fundamental changes like drought and sea level rise—for example, lower property values from increased flooding. They also face risks from market instability, an erosion of investor confidence, and changes in carbon-intensive asset values resulting from government policies and consumer preferences.

    These risks to our financial system are critical for financial institutions to measure and manage, as recognized in the pilot climate scenario analysis exercise that the Federal Reserve conducted in 2023 and the Principles for Climate-Related Financial Risk Management for Large Financial Institutions published by agencies in 2023. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency announced in March 2025 that it was withdrawing from its participation in these principles. The Climate Change Financial Risk Act will make sure that financial institutions manage climate risks with stress tests that quantify and measure their resilience.

    The Climate Change Financial Risk Act would require the Federal Reserve to create climate change scenarios for financial stress tests, with input from federal scientific agencies and an advisory group of climate scientists and climate economists. The Federal Reserve would then conduct stress tests every two years on the largest financial institutions. The biennial tests will require each covered institution to create and update a resolution plan, which will describe how the institution plans to evolve its capital planning, balance sheet and off-balance sheet exposures, and other business operations to respond to the most recent test results. Federal Reserve objections to a resolution plan would limit the institution’s ability to proceed with capital distributions until it improves its plan. The Federal Reserve will also partner with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to design a survey to assess the ability of a broader set of financial institutions to withstand climate risks.

    Schatz’s legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.). The House companion legislation, led by Casten, is cosponsored by U.S. Representatives Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.), Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.), and Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.).

    “Those of us in the West are already experiencing the cost of climate inaction firsthand – from higher home insurance rates and utility bills for hardworking families to lower profits for producers. As the impacts of climate change intensify, we need to do everything we can to make our local economies more resilient for families, workers, and small businesses,” said Senator Heinrich. “This Earth Day, I’m proud to introduce the Climate Change Financial Risk Act with Senator Schatz to protect New Mexicans from the costly consequences of worsening climate change by strengthening the ability of our financial institutions to withstand extreme weather events like prolonged droughts and wildfires, which can trigger market instability and shake investor confidence.”

    “Trump’s Dirty Energy First strategy is fanning the flames of climate chaos, and it’s essential to understand the risk that poses to our major financial institutions,” said Senator Merkley. “We must not ignore the danger climate change poses to the economic security of hardworking Americans.”

    The Climate Change Financial Risk Act is supported by League of Conservation Voters, Ceres, the Sierra Club, Public Citizen, and Americans for Financial Reform.

    “US regulators must get back in the business of managing the systemic financial risks posed by increasing floods, fires, and storms,” said Steven M. Rothstein, Managing Director of the Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets, Ceres. “We commend Senator Schatz and Representative Casten for reintroducing this legislation and laying out a clear role for the Federal Reserve Board to address climate-related financial risks. This legislation will provide the clarity and analysis needed to ensure the financial industry makes informed decisions that protect individual institutions from climate-related shocks and insulate the financial system from widespread loss.”

    “As financial regulators retreat under political pressure, this bill represents a much-needed step to ensure our financial system is better prepared for the growing risks of climate change. Investors need regulators to provide clear, forward-looking assessments of systemic risk — and to ensure that financial institutions aren’t throwing more fuel on the fire of the climate crisis. With climate disasters escalating and financial consequences mounting, leaders at all levels of government must act to build a more stable and sustainable financial system. We applaud Sen. Schatz and Rep. Casten for their continued leadership to make that happen,” said Ben Cushing, Sustainable Finance Campaign Director, the Sierra Club.

    The text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Severe Thunderstorm Watch 159 Status Reports

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: On Earth Day, NCDHHS Recognizes the Critical Work of Environmental Health Programs

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: On Earth Day, NCDHHS Recognizes the Critical Work of Environmental Health Programs

    On Earth Day, NCDHHS Recognizes the Critical Work of Environmental Health Programs
    stonizzo

    This Earth Day, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is recognizing the essential role environmental health plays in protecting and promoting a safe and healthy environment for all North Carolinians. 

    “We know the environment where we live, work and play directly impacts our health and well-being,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. “Our environmental health and epidemiology teams work every day to protect families from unseen dangers such as contaminated water, excessive heat, foodborne illness and heavy metals in soil.”

    Environmental health plays a vital role in North Carolina communities. For example, approximately 25% of the state’s population depends on private wells for drinking water. Programs like NCDHHS Private Well and Health program help families interpret test results and understand treatment options. The program is also developing a mapping tool to identify areas of increased concern due to arsenic, bacteria, nitrates and other contaminants.

    Many of these programs that help keep North Carolinians safe — from clean drinking water and extreme heat alerts to childhood lead poisoning prevention and food safety — are at risk of going away due to staffing reductions at key federal agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. At least one program has already been paused, and others are in jeopardy due to the loss of federal staff supports.

    Examples of critical environmental health work in North Carolina supported by federal funding:   

    • Extreme heat alert systems and illness tracking program which monitors emergency department visits for heat-related illness and issues local alerts when temperatures reach dangerous levels. In 2024, NCDHHS tracked 4,688 emergency department visits and issued over 1,200 local alerts.
    • Childhood lead exposure prevention,  including inspections and interventions in homes, child-care centers, and from food sources
    • Outbreak response and investigations of foodborne illness outbreaks
    • The Environmental Health Data Dashboard, a widely used tool that provides public access to 120 environmental and health indicators
    • Education and testing that protect families and workers from pesticide and industrial pollution
    • Occupational health monitoring, including exposure to hazards like carbon monoxide and lead
    • Improving safe drinking water through private well testing and treatment projects in Sampson County for families who rely on well water and who may have fewer options to keep their water safe to drink.

    “These programs often operate quietly in the background—but they’re essential to everyday health and safety,” said Dr. Kelly Kimple, Interim State Health Director and NCDHHS Chief Medical Officer. “NCDHHS remains committed to protecting our communities, but continued investment is vital. As North Carolina faces increasing environmental threats from hurricanes to heatwaves, we can’t afford to lose these safeguards.”

    Apr 22, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ON EARTH DAY, CASTEN, SCHATZ INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO ADDRESS THE COSTS AND FINANCIAL RISKS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Sean Casten (IL-06)

    April 22, 2025

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Sean Casten (D-IL-06) and U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) introduced the Climate Change Financial Risk Act, legislation that directs the Federal Reserve to conduct stress tests on large financial institutions to measure their resilience to climate-related financial risks.

    “Risk is risk—we should not be treating some risks different from others just because they’re hard to quantify. Federal regulators are legally obligated to ensure a stable and efficient financial system, and that means reducing the risk of a climate-driven financial crisis,” said Senator Schatz. “Instead of taking steps to reduce the risks facing communities across the country from increasingly frequent and severe extreme weather and disasters—including significantly higher costs for homeowners insurance—the Trump administration is trying to roll back our progress in the climate fight and gut the programs that will make us safer.”

    “Climate change poses a grave and imminent threat to the stability of our financial system. It is essential that our regulators establish parameters so that our financial institutions adequately prepare for and respond to these risks, and that they do so before the next extreme weather crisis strikes,” said Representative Casten. “Our bill will move us toward safeguarding our financial systems—from short-term climate impacts, such as direct uninsured losses from wildfires, hurricanes, and flooding events, as well as from long-term global shifts to a net-zero economy, which may require a reshaping of a bank’s lending and investment activities.”

    Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events like floods and wildfires. It is also changing long-term climate patterns in ways that will ultimately affect every sector of our economy. Financial institutions face the risk of direct losses from severe weather events and fundamental changes like drought and sea level rise—for example, lower property values from increased flooding. They also face risks from market instability, an erosion of investor confidence, and changes in carbon-intensive asset values resulting from government policies and consumer preferences. 

    These risks to our financial system are critical for financial institutions to measure and manage, as recognized in the pilot climate scenario analysis exercise that the Federal Reserve conducted in 2023 and the Principles for Climate-Related Financial Risk Management for Large Financial Institutions published by agencies in 2023. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency announced in March 2025 that it was withdrawing from its participation in these principles. The Climate Change Financial Risk Act will make sure that financial institutions manage climate risks with stress tests that quantify and measure their resilience.

    The Climate Change Financial Risk Act would require the Federal Reserve to create climate change scenarios for financial stress tests, with input from federal scientific agencies and an advisory group of climate scientists and climate economists. The Federal Reserve would then conduct stress tests every two years on the largest financial institutions. The biennial tests will require each covered institution to create and update a resolution plan, which will describe how the institution plans to evolve its capital planning, balance sheet and off-balance sheet exposures, and other business operations to respond to the most recent test results. Federal Reserve objections to a resolution plan would limit the institution’s ability to proceed with capital distributions until it improves its plan. The Federal Reserve will also partner with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to design a survey to assess the ability of a broader set of financial institutions to withstand climate risks. 

    Casten and Schatz’s legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J), and U.S. Representatives Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.), Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.), and Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.).

    “Those of us in the West are already experiencing the cost of climate inaction firsthand – from higher home insurance rates and utility bills for hardworking families to lower profits for producers. As the impacts of climate change intensify, we need to do everything we can to make our local economies more resilient for families, workers, and small businesses,” said Senator Heinrich. “This Earth Day, I’m proud to introduce the Climate Change Financial Risk Act with Senator Schatz to protect New Mexicans from the costly consequences of worsening climate change by strengthening the ability of our financial institutions to withstand extreme weather events like prolonged droughts and wildfires, which can trigger market instability and shake investor confidence.”

    “Trump’s Dirty Energy First strategy is fanning the flames of climate chaos, and it’s essential to understand the risk that poses to our major financial institutions,” said Senator Merkley. “We must not ignore the danger climate change poses to the economic security of hardworking Americans.”

    The Climate Change Financial Risk Act is supported by the League of Conservation Voters, Ceres, the Sierra Club, Public Citizen, and Americans for Financial Reform.

    “US regulators must get back in the business of managing the systemic financial risks posed by increasing floods, fires, and storms,” said Steven M. Rothstein, Managing Director of the Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets, Ceres. “We commend Senator Schatz and Representative Casten for reintroducing this legislation and laying out a clear role for the Federal Reserve Board to address climate-related financial risks. This legislation will provide the clarity and analysis needed to ensure the financial industry makes informed decisions that protect individual institutions from climate-related shocks and insulate the financial system from widespread loss.”

    “As financial regulators retreat under political pressure, this bill represents a much-needed step to ensure our financial system is better prepared for the growing risks of climate change. Investors need regulators to provide clear, forward-looking assessments of systemic risk — and to ensure that financial institutions aren’t throwing more fuel on the fire of the climate crisis. With climate disasters escalating and financial consequences mounting, leaders at all levels of government must act to build a more stable and sustainable financial system. We applaud Sen. Schatz and Rep. Casten for their continued leadership to make that happen,” said Ben Cushing, Sustainable Finance Campaign Director, the Sierra Club.

    The full text of the bill is available here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmytro Patrushev and Kherson Region Governor Volodymyr Saldo Discussed Development of Regional Agriculture

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Deputy Prime Minister Dmytro Patrushev held a working meeting with the Governor of the Kherson region Volodymyr Saldo. The topics of the meeting were the development of the region’s agro-industrial and fisheries complexes and environmental issues.

    The Vice Prime Minister and the Governor discussed the situation in agriculture. The topic of restoring orchards in the region, in particular fruit and berry orchards, was touched upon. The issue of restoring the irrigation system was also raised. This year, six projects were submitted for the competitive selection in the field of melioration from the Kherson region.

    Dmytro Patrushev drew attention to the importance of high-quality spring field work in the Kherson region. The region should monitor the implementation of the structure of sowing areas, as well as the provision of farmers with financial resources and means of production – seeds, mineral fertilizers, fuels and lubricants, agricultural machinery.

    The development of the regional fisheries complex was also discussed at the meeting. The need was noted not only to increase the volume of catch of aquatic bioresources in the region, but also to expand the range, increase the production of products with high added value. This will allow the creation of highly efficient production and new jobs.

    In addition, Dmitry Patrushev and Volodymyr Saldo discussed the results of the implementation of the national project “Ecology” and the readiness of the Kherson region for the events of the new national project “Ecological Well-being”. The region takes part in four federal projects: “Closed-loop Economy”, “Water of Russia”, “Forest Preservation” and “General Cleaning”. By 2030, the region is planned to be allocated more than 2 billion rubles under these projects.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Lamont Applauds Legislative Approval of Release-Based Cleanup Regulations

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Commissioner Katie Dykes, and Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) Commissioner Daniel O’Keefe are applauding the vote today by the Connecticut General Assembly’s Legislative Regulation Review Committee to approve the adoption of Release-Based Cleanup Regulations.

    These newly adopted regulations will streamline the remediation and redevelopment of blighted properties impacted by pollution from past industrial uses. They are the result of a four-year, legislatively authorized, stakeholder-driven process to overhaul the Transfer Act, the state’s framework governing the cleanup of contaminated sites. Almost 5,000 properties have entered into the Transfer Act program since the 1980s, however less than half have been remediated. Adoption of the release-based framework aligns Connecticut’s regulatory environment with the approach used in 48 other states, allowing for faster, owner-initiated cleanups that will address longstanding pollution and bring blighted properties back to productive reuse.

    The regulations were developed by DEEP in collaboration with DECD and a stakeholder working group. Since December 2020, DEEP and DECD have met at least monthly with a working group of more than 50 environmental transaction attorneys, commercial real estate brokers, and licensed environmental professionals who work every day to remediate and redevelop polluted property in Connecticut. The resulting regulations will make it easier to clean up polluted sites, bringing thousands of properties back into productive reuse. Economists at DECD estimate that moving to a release-based system will have significant economic benefits, generating more than 2,100 new construction jobs, $3.78 billion in new GDP growth, and $115 million in new revenue for the state over the next five years alone.

    “This is a gamechanger for Connecticut,” Governor Lamont said. “This new system truly is a win-win, resulting in faster environmental clean-ups and unlocking countless blighted properties that will go from being community hazards to being community assets.”

    “Replacing the Transfer Act with a release-based framework is one of the most significant improvements to Connecticut environmental regulation in many years,” Commissioner Dykes said. “This milestone is the result of thousands of hours of work by DEEP and DECD staff, environmental professionals, industry stakeholders, and legislators. I’m thankful for Governor Lamont’s leadership on this issue, the partnership with legislative leadership, and the Legislative Regulation Review Committee for their careful consideration and approval of these regulations. I look forward to implementing this modern cleanup program and bring valuable properties back into productive reuse.”

    “The move to release-based regulations is a long overdue reform that provides the predictability that businesses need, fueling new investment that will create thousands of construction jobs, generate millions in new tax revenue, and accelerate our efforts to build vibrancy in our cities and towns,” Commissioner O’Keefe said.

    “Today’s adoption of the Release-Base Cleanup Regulations and the sunsetting of the outdated Transfer Act will exponentially drive economic development, as well as improve environmental outcomes in Connecticut,” State Senator Joan Hartley (D-Waterbury) said. “DECD estimates that the transition from the Transfer Act to the Release-Base model will create 2,100 new construction jobs, $3.78 billion in new GDP growth and $115 million in new revenue for the state in just the next five years. This would not have been possible but for the thousands of hours of hard work by the members of the Transfer Act working group and the leadership of DEEP and DECD. Thank you to all who got us here.”

    “It has long been time to move past the Transfer Act and modernize how we respond to pollution being released in Connecticut,” State Representative John-Michael Parker (D-Durham, Madison), co-chair of the Environment Committee, said. “With the adoption of these regulations, we will expedite business transactions and help our environment – a win-win for Connecticut’s climate and economic development. Thank you to all my colleagues and collaborators who helped push this important change forward.”

    The new release-based regulatory structure is anticipated to take effect in spring of 2026. DEEP and DECD look forward to spending time before then working with a wide variety of stakeholders in impacted industries and beyond to prepare the state for this important transition.

    Timely completion of the Released-Based Clean Up Regulations is one of several goals DEEP is announcing as part of its new 20By26 initiative. That initiative set 20 goals to meet by the end of 2026 that improve the transparency, predictability, and efficiency of the DEEP regulatory process. Today’s legislative approval marks the completion of Goal 1.

    Several other objectives from the 20By26 initiative are contained in legislation on environmental permitting that Governor Lamont proposed earlier this year.  That legislation, House Bill 6868, was approved last month by the Environment Committee and is now pending further action by the House of Representatives.

    To learn more about the Release-Based Clean Up Regulations, click here.

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: On Earth Day, $60 Million for Green Resiliency Grants

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced $60 million in Environmental Bond Act funding for the next round of Green Resiliency Grants. The program supports vital stormwater management and resilient infrastructure projects in flood-prone communities across New York State. This action advances Governor Hochul’s comprehensive clean water and resiliency agenda to protect New Yorkers from extreme weather, while making these projects more affordable to minimize the financial impact on local ratepayers.

    “On Earth Day, we’re reminded that New Yorkers are on the front lines of increasingly dangerous and frequent extreme weather events,” Governor Hochul said. “This investment helps prepare and protect our homes, neighborhoods and families when disaster strikes — all while creating more good-paying jobs. This is how we fight for the future New Yorkers deserve.”

    The $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022 continues to deliver historic investments to safeguard water quality, reduce pollution, strengthen resiliency and create green jobs.

    Governor Hochul launched the Green Resiliency Grant program in 2024, awarding $60 million to 13 transformational projects across the State in the inaugural round. Building on the success of the 2024 program, the second round will prioritize projects offering significant risk reduction, helping communities build storm-ready infrastructure that provides long-term solutions and stability.

    Green infrastructure projects provide benefits such as:

    • Safer, more resilient communities by managing stormwater to mitigate flooding and better protect our homes and businesses.
    • Cleaner water and air by reducing and treating stormwater at the source.
    • Cooler cities by reducing urban heat island effect to create a more comfortable environment.
    • Thriving ecosystems by restoring habitats to bring nature back to communities.
    • Vibrant communities by encouraging economic development, revitalizing neighborhoods and enhancing recreational opportunities.

    The New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation will open the grant round on May 1. Applications, guidance, and webinar information will be available on EFC’s website. Any community that needs help with its project is encouraged to reach out to EFC’s Community Assistance Teams.

    New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation President & CEO Maureen A. Coleman said, “Families shouldn’t have to live with the fear of flooding every time it rains. With Governor Hochul’s support through the Green Resiliency Grant program, we’re giving communities the tools they need to build safer neighborhoods, cleaner waterways, and a stronger local economy. These investments don’t just build vital resilient infrastructure—they protect New Yorkers, restore peace of mind, and create jobs. This is resilience in action.”

    New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Acting Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “The Green Resiliency Grant program is another example of how the historic Clean Air, Clean Water and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act and Governor Hochul are making sustained and generational investments to protect and strengthen New York’s flood-prone communities. The $60 million grants announced today will provide significant support for local governments to implement transformative green infrastructure projects that will help make their communities more resilient to extreme weather caused by climate change across New York State.”

    State Senator Pete Harckham said, “These new climate resiliency grants announced by Governor Hochul will allow local municipalities across the state to identify climate-smart projects that will ensure the health and safety of our residents. The partnership of the governor and state legislature in building more resilient communities shows the need to address the impacts of the climate crisis head-on while also creating good green jobs and protecting the environment.”

    Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick said, “As climate change continues to intensify extreme weather patterns, we must make investments statewide to prepare for this new reality. Not only will this essential funding help protect our communities’ homes and infrastructure but will also help to mitigate the discharge of untreated stormwater into our waterways. I look forward to seeing these grants make a difference around the state.”

    New York’s Commitment to Water Quality
    New York State continues to increase its nation-leading investments in water infrastructure, including more than $2.2 billion in financial assistance from EFC for local water infrastructure projects in State Fiscal Year 2024 alone. With an additional $500 million proposed for clean water infrastructure in Governor Hochul’s FY26 Executive Budget, New York will have invested a record $6 billion in water infrastructure since 2017.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: On Earth Day, We Finally Have a President Who Follows Science

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    Under President Donald J. Trump, America is back — leveraging environmental policies rooted in reality to promote economic growth while maintaining the standards that have afforded Americans the cleanest air and water in the world for generations.
    Unlike the previous administration, which wasted billions of taxpayer dollars on virtue signaling and ineffective grifts, the Trump Administration’s policies are rooted in the belief that Americans are the best stewards of our vast natural resources — no “Green New Scam” required.
    Here are key actions President Trump is taking on the environment:
    President Trump is promoting energy innovation for a healthier future.
    By supporting cutting-edge technologies like carbon capture and storage, nuclear energy, and next-generation geothermal, the Trump Administration is ensuring America leads in both energy production and environmental innovation — producing the cleanest energy in the world. Moreover, by ending the Biden-era pause on liquefied natural gas export approvals, the U.S. is sharing cleaner energy with allies, reducing global emissions, and creating American jobs — building on President Trump’s first-term successes, where the U.S. led the world in greenhouse gas emission reductions.
    President Trump is championing sound forest management.
    The Trump Administration’s proactive forest management policies protect America’s forests, reduce catastrophic wildfires, and promote sustainable land use. By streamlining regulations and expanding responsible logging, President Trump is safeguarding millions of acres of forestland, improving wildlife habitats, and supporting rural economies at the same time.
    President Trump is ending the forced use of paper straws.
    Not only are paper straw mandates flawed in their alleged scientific backing, they’re also bad for humans and the environment. According to a new report, paper straws contain dangerous PFAS chemicals — “forever chemicals” linked to significant long-term health conditions — that infiltrate the water supply. Moreover, studies have found producing paper straws can have a larger carbon footprint and require more water than plastic straws for “approximately zero environmental impact.”
    President Trump is cutting wasteful regulations that stifle innovation and raise costs.
    Actions like pausing restrictive emissions rules for coal plants and revising the National Environmental Policy Act implementation have accelerated responsible energy and infrastructure projects while maintaining rigorous environmental standards — saving American families thousands annually on energy bills and proving that a strong economy and a healthy environment go hand-in-hand.
    President Trump is protecting public lands.
    The Trump Administration has prioritized access to federal lands for energy development while ensuring responsible management. By opening more federal lands and waters for oil, gas, and critical mineral extraction, the U.S. is strengthening energy security and reducing reliance on foreign resources. Simultaneously, investments in conservation, such as $38 billion in clean water infrastructure during President Trump’s first term, continue to safeguard America’s natural heritage for future generations.
    President Trump is pushing back on unfair trade practices that harm the environment and undercut U.S. producers and exporters.
    For years, foreign countries have taken advantage of our generosity at the expense of American workers and the environment. Deforestation in Brazil is at a 15-year high, China’s unfair, harmful fishing practices flood the global market with illegal fish and deplete stocks, and Mexico fails to deter illegal fishing — all while enjoying massive trade deficits with the U.S. and contributing to global environmental degradation.
    President Trump is cracking down on China — the most prolific polluter in the world.
    According to Reuters, China is “responsible for the most ocean plastic pollution per year with an estimated 2.4 million tons, about 30 percent of the global total.” By imposing tough trade measures and promoting American manufacturing, the Administration is reducing reliance on China’s high-pollution industries, ensuring the U.S. leads by example with cleaner production and responsible global stewardship.
    President Trump is protecting wildlife.
    By pausing certain wind projects, President Trump is recognizing wind turbines’ detrimental environmental impact, particularly on wildlife, which often outweighs their benefits.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Brownley Statement on the Climate Crisis and Trump’s Attack on Environmental Protections

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Julia Brownley (D-CA)

    Washington, DC – On Earth Day, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA) issued the following statement condemning the Trump Administration’s failure to act on the climate crisis and its continued assault on environmental protections and the future of our planet:

    “The climate crisis is not a distant threat – it’s already here. In Ventura County and across the Conejo Valley, we are seeing firsthand the consequences of inaction: more destructive wildfires, extreme weather events, and risks to critical infrastructure, including Naval Base Ventura County and the Port of Hueneme, which are vital to our national security and local economy.

    “At the very moment when bold action is needed, the Trump Administration is doing the opposite. They have laid off thousands of climate scientists at NOAA, proposed a 65% cut to the EPA’s workforce, and frozen billions in funding for electric vehicle infrastructure.

    “This is not leadership – it is climate denialism weaponized into policy, and it is leaving Americans more vulnerable by the day.

    “This is an all-out attack on the policies and people protecting our environment and public health. They’re slashing science funding, dismantling oversight, and threatening to eliminate vital agencies like the EPA, NOAA, and FEMA and crippling our country’s ability to prepare for disasters and recover after them. These are deliberate acts of sabotage against our nation, the environment, our economy, and our future.

    “They are also targeting the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service, putting treasured places like the Channel Islands National Park at risk. Over 4,000 park and forest workers have already been fired, including more than 10% of the Channel Islands National Park staff. These reckless cuts undermine wildfire prevention and threaten the long-term preservation of our public lands.

    “Worse still, these policies are being driven not by science or the public interest, but by corporate polluters and fossil fuel lobbyists who have found willing allies in this administration. This administration is doling out giveaways to polluters and special interests at the expense of future generations.

    “Not only are these policy mistakes, they are moral failures. The consequences of the Trump administration’s anti-climate actions will be felt for decades. They threaten our ecosystems, our local economy, and our ability to confront climate change before it is too late. And by walking away from climate leadership, this administration is weakening global efforts and ceding ground to other nations, risking not only our environment, but our standing in the world.

    “As a member of the House Natural Resources Committee and the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, I am working with my Democratic colleagues in Congress to fight back. Together, we are fighting to advance legislation to protect our public lands and waters, strengthen wildfire resilience, defend environmental safeguards, and invest in a clean energy future. We are committed to responsible stewardship of our planet and to holding accountable those who seek to destroy what generations of Americans have worked to preserve.

    “In California, we know what’s at stake. When lives are lost, when homes are destroyed, when wildfires rage, we are reminded that climate change is not abstract. It’s real. It’s personal. And it demands action.

    “This administration has made clear it is willing to sacrifice our planet and our children’s futures for short-term political gain. We cannot and will not stand by. The American people expect their leaders to protect them and not endanger their health, their homes, and their future. We all share the responsibility to be good stewards of our environment and to fight for the future we hope to see for our children and grandchildren.

    “Our children and grandchildren are watching, and history will judge whether we met this moment or let it pass us by.”

    ###

    Issues: 119th Congress, Climate Crisis, Environment

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Booker, Reed Introduce Bills to Permanently Protect the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans from Offshore Drilling

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla, Booker, Reed Introduce Bills to Permanently Protect the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans from Offshore Drilling

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Earth Day, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Jack Reed (D-R.I.) announced a pair of bills to permanently protect the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans from the dangers of fossil fuel drilling. The package includes Padilla’s West Coast Ocean Protection Act, which would permanently prohibit new oil and gas leases for offshore drilling off the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington, as well as Booker and Reed’s Clean Ocean and Safe Tourism (COAST) Anti-Drilling Act, which would permanently prohibit the U.S. Department of the Interior from issuing leases for the exploration, development, or production of oil and gas in the North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Straits of Florida Planning Areas of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.

    This legislation comes just after the 15th anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which resulted in the deaths of 11 workers, 134 million gallons spilled into the Gulf of Mexico over 87 days, the demise of thousands of marine mammals and sea turtles, and billions of dollars in economic losses from the fishing, outdoor recreation, and tourism industries.

    Representative Jared Huffman (D-Calif.-02), Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee, and Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.-06), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, are leading companion legislation in the House for the West Coast Ocean Protection Act and the Clean Ocean and Safe Tourism (COAST) Anti-Drilling Act, respectively.

    A one-pager on the West Coast Protection Act is available here.

    Full text of the West Coast Protection Act is available here, and full text of the COAST Anti-Drilling Act is available here.

    “We must end offshore oil drilling in coastal waters once and for all,” said Senator Padilla. “Over 50 years ago, after a catastrophic oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara, Californians rose up and demanded environmental protections, spurring the modern environmental movement and creating the very first Earth Day. As the Trump Administration threatens to recklessly open our coasts to new drilling, California and the West Coast need permanent safeguards to protect our communities from the devastation of fossil fuels and disastrous oil spills. We must act now to fulfill the promises we made to our children and our constituents to meet the urgency of this environmental crisis with bold action.”

    “This week marks both Earth Day and the 15th anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster,” said Senator Booker. “I’m standing alongside my colleagues in the House and Senate to reaffirm our commitment to protecting our communities and our environment. Offshore drilling endangers our coastal communities – both their lives and their livelihoods – and threatens marine species and ecosystems. The COAST Act, along with this critical package of legislation, will ensure that marine seascapes along the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts, and the wildlife, industries, and communities that rely on them, are protected from the dangers of fossil fuel drilling.”

    “Offshore drilling in the Atlantic Ocean would open up the eastern seaboard to considerable risk, and we have seen the destruction that an accident can cause. This legislation is about more than simply protecting the environment, it’s also about protecting the tourism and fishing industries that create jobs and help power Rhode Island’s economy,” said Senator Reed.

    “It’s clear that in the 15 years since the most catastrophic oil spill disaster in history, Republicans in the pocket of Big Oil have learned nothing. Offshore drilling poses significant threats to our public health, coastal economies, and marine life. The science is clear, and so is the public sentiment: we need to speed up our transition to a clean energy future, not lock ourselves into another generation of fossil fuel fealty,” said Representative Huffman. “We cannot let history repeat itself. My Democratic colleagues aren’t standing idly by as the Trump administration tries to reverse all of our progress so they can give handouts to Big Oil. Our legislation will cut pollution and ramp up clean energy, ensuring our coasts remain safe, clean, and open to all Americans— not turned into open season for fossil fuel billionaires looking to drill, spill, and cash in.” 

    “For decades, I’ve fought to protect our coasts from the dangers of oil and gas development, and this legislative package reaffirms that commitment. Offshore drilling risks devastating spills, accelerates climate change, and threatens the livelihoods of coastal communities like those in New Jersey. On Earth Day and every day, we must stand up to Big Oil and prioritize renewable energy that actually protects our planet,” said Representative Pallone.

    These bills reaffirm vital protections for America’s coastal communities and ecosystems. The Biden Administration protected more than 625 million acres of U.S. ocean waters — including the Pacific coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California, the entire East Coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and parts of the Northern Bering Sea — from offshore oil and gas drilling. President Trump immediately tried to roll back those protections, attempting to illegally reopen those areas to drilling on day one of his second term. Trump’s record speaks for itself: during his first Administration, the Interior Department proposed a sweeping plan to open 47 offshore oil and gas lease areas across nearly every U.S. coastline, from California to New England.

    The two bills would protect critical coastal communities, economies, and ecosystems against offshore drilling, which is especially important in the face of the climate crisis. U.S. coastal counties support 54.6 million jobs, produce $10 trillion in goods and services, and pay $4 trillion in wages. Offshore drilling poses significant threats to public health, coastal economies, and diverse marine life that play an important economical, ecological, and cultural role in our ecosystem. 

    California began efforts to block offshore drilling in 1969 when an oil rig off the coast of Santa Barbara leaked 3 million gallons of crude oil into the ocean, blanketing beaches with a thick layer of oil and killing thousands of marine mammals and birds. It was the largest oil spill in U.S. history until the Exxon Valdez spill 20 years later. California is also approaching the 10th anniversary of the Refugio State Beach Oil Spill, in which a Plains All American Pipeline in Santa Barbara County ruptured and spilled hundreds of thousands of gallons of crude oil, marking the worst spill in the area since 1969 and impacting some of the most biologically diverse regions along California coast.

    After the 1969 Santa Barbara spill, California blocked all new offshore oil drilling in state waters, protecting our coastal waters up to three miles from the shore. The state reinforced that ban in 1994 by passing the California Coastal Sanctuary Act, which prohibited new leasing in state waters. However, in 2018, the Trump Administration released a five-year offshore leasing plan that proposed opening up the entire West Coast to new drilling despite widespread opposition in Pacific coast states. This proposal was blocked by the courts, but the threat of drilling remains until a permanent ban is enacted.

    The West Coast Protection Act is cosponsored by Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). It is endorsed by organizations including Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Oceana, Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, Surfrider Foundation, Seattle Aquarium, Turtle Island Restoration Network, Nassau Hiking & Outdoor Club, Lee (MA) Greener Gateway Committee, South Shore Audubon Society (Freeport, NY), Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, Futureswell, Ocean Conservancy, Environment America, WILDCOAST, Food & Water Watch, Environmental Protection Information Center, Ocean Defense Initiative, Center for Biological Diversity, The Ocean Project, Business Alliance to Protect the Pacific Coast, Animal Welfare Institute, Wild Cumberland, Climate Reality Project – North Broward and Palm Beach County Chapter, U.S. Climate Action Network, American Bird Conservancy, Surf Industry Members Association, Business Alliance for Protecting the Pacific Coast (BAPPC), Clean Ocean Action, and Hispanic Access Foundation.

    The COAST Anti-Drilling Act is cosponsored by Senator Padilla as well as Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Angus King (I-Maine), Markey, Merkley, Sanders, Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Whitehouse, and Wyden. It is endorsed by organizations including Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Oceana, Surfrider Foundation, Earthjustice, Turtle Island Restoration Network, Nassau Hiking & Outdoor Club, Lee (MA) Greener Gateway Committee, South Shore Audubon Society (Freeport, NY), Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, Futureswell, Ocean Conservancy, Environment America, Food & Water Watch, Waterspirit, Business Alliance to Protect the Atlantic, Clean Ocean Action, Jersey Coast Anglers Association (NJ), American Littoral Society, Save Coastal Wildlife, Environmental Protection Information Center, Defenders of Wildlife, Ocean Defense Initiative, Center for Biological Diversity, The Ocean Project, North Carolina Coastal Federation, Animal Welfare Institute, Wild Cumberland, Climate Reality Project – North Broward and Palm Beach County Chapter, U.S. Climate Action Network, National Aquarium, American Bird Conservancy, and Hispanic Access Foundation.

    “It’s time to end the threat of expanded drilling off America’s coasts forever,” said Joseph Gordon, Oceana Campaign Director. “Oceana applauds these Congressional leaders for reintroducing pivotal legislation that would establish permanent protections from offshore oil and gas drilling for millions of acres of ocean. Earth Day is an important reminder that every coastal community deserves healthy oceans and oil-free beaches. This bill is part of a national movement to safeguard our multi-billion-dollar coastal economies from dirty and dangerous offshore drilling. Congress must swiftly pass these bills into law and reject any expansion of drilling to protect our coasts.”

    “Protecting these waters puts coastal communities and wildlife above polluters and brings us closer to a world where our waters are free from oil spills, endangered whale populations are free from seismic blasting, and local economies can thrive,” said Taryn Kiekow Heimer, Director of Ocean Energy at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). “Now more than ever, we need leadership from Congress to protect our oceans from an industry that only cares about its bottom line – and a Trump administration willing to do anything to give those oil billionaires what they want.”

    “The Trump administration’s path of so-called ‘energy dominance’ is paved with threats to American coasts,” said Sierra Weaver, senior attorney for Defenders of Wildlife. “This set of bills offers real protections for coastal communities and wildlife against unwanted, unreasonable and unsafe offshore oil drilling. This is just the type of bold action we need on the 15th anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history.”

    “Imperiled species like Southern resident orcas and sea otters need clean, healthy ocean habitats to thrive. New offshore drilling would bring habitat destruction, noise pollution and the threat of spills and chronic contamination to those species and their homes,” said Joseph Vaile, Northwest Program senior representative for Defenders of Wildlife. “This legislation is a critical step toward permanently safeguarding marine mammals and coastal communities from irreversible harm. We thank Senator Padilla for championing the West Coast Ocean Protection Act at a time when the threat of offshore drilling is especially urgent.”

    “California’s spectacular marine life — including complex kelp forests and charismatic sea otters — and vibrant coastal economies rely on healthy ecosystems. This legislation could, once and for all, block offshore drilling activities along the continental shelf, and protect critical marine habitats along California’s iconic Pacific Coast,” said Pamela Flick, Defenders of Wildlife California Program Director.

    “These bills will permanently protect our coastal communities from the threats of offshore drilling. Oil spills like the one caused by the deadly BP drilling disaster 15 years ago are dangerous to people’s health and our public waters. The economic vitality of entire regions depend on oceans staying healthy,” said Earthjustice Senior Legislative Representative Laura M. Esquivel. “We applaud these Members of Congress for doing what’s right on behalf of their constituents.” 

    “These important bills will protect our environment, communities, and economy from the harmful effects of offshore oil and gas development. Offshore drilling is a dirty and damaging practice that threatens our nation’s ocean recreation, tourism, and fisheries industries valued at $250 billion annually. The Surfrider Foundation urges members of Congress to support this important legislation to prohibit new offshore drilling in U.S. waters,” said Pete Stauffer, Ocean Protection Manager, Surfrider Foundation.

    “These bills are critical, especially now. Protecting our environment and frontline communities from the dangers of offshore oil and gas development must be a top priority in the face of the escalating climate and biodiversity crises,” said Elizabeth Purcell, Environmental Policy Coordinator with Turtle Island Restoration Network. “Congress must act swiftly and support these bills to protect our oceans from further exploitation by the oil and gas industry, ensuring a healthy and safe planet for all.”

    “We are the generation that will live with the consequences of today’s energy choices. As young ocean advocates, we want to leave a better legacy for ocean health behind us than what has been left for us,” said Mark Haver, North America Regional Representative with Sustainable Ocean Alliance. “Congress has a moral responsibility to prevent new offshore oil and gas drilling leases. We will be counting on Congress to act on behalf of our ocean and future generations.”

    “Our coasts are a source of life, livelihood, and recreation for coastal communities and the millions of visitors they see every year,” said Athan Manuel, Director of the Sierra Club’s Lands Protection Program. “They also support untold diverse wildlife and ecosystems that are put at risk by exploitation from the oil and gas industry. These bills provide much-needed critical protections for the health of our coastal communities and to ensure that future generations will get to enjoy the wonders of our oceans and beaches.”

    “It has been clear for years that we cannot afford to expand fossil fuel extraction and burning if we want any hope of staving off the ever worsening effects of climate change,” said Mitch Jones, Managing Director of Policy and Litigation at Food & Water Watch. “In addition to the threat of worsening climate chaos, offshore drilling directly endangers local environments, wildlife, and economies due to the threats of oil spills and disruptions to aquatic life. We urge Congress to pass these bills to protect our coastlines and our oceans from Trump’s disastrous push for more drilling.”

    “Water is the pulse of our planet, the sacred thread that connects all life. We all have a responsibility to protect the very essence that sustains us,” said Rachel Dawn Davis, Public Policy & Justice Organizer at Waterspirit. “The threat of exploitation-whether through drilling or pollution-puts ecosystems and future generations at risk. We must continue to honor and defend our waters; in preserving them, we preserve life itself.”

    “Our oceans provide forever benefits in so many ways for both local communities and whole nations. We thoroughly support the bipartisan protections put forward in these Bills, which would position the United States to lead the world and reap huge benefits for tourism, energy security, health and local jobs, not to mention the beautiful wildlife that drives billions of dollars of tourism and other benefits,” said Global Rewilding Alliance.

    “A clean ocean is crucial for the conservation of marine biodiversity,” said Jenna Reynolds, Executive Director of Save Coastal Wildlife. “A polluted ocean poses significant risks to marine wildlife, including increased vessel traffic around oil platforms, which can lead to collisions with marine animals, especially sea turtles and juvenile whales which are difficult to see from moving vessels. Oil spills can directly coat and kill marine animals, including seabirds, sea turtles, marine mammals, and can also damage coastal ecosystems like beaches and coastal wetlands, impacting wildlife and people that rely on these areas. We need to bring back and fully protect biodiversity in our ocean!”

    “We must work toward a future where our coastal communities, economies, and marine life can thrive thanks to a healthy ocean. As the Trump Administration seeks to threaten our favorite beaches and ecosystems with new offshore drilling, it’s more important than ever for ocean champions in Congress to advance ocean protections,” said Sarah Guy, Ocean Defense Initiative. “We are grateful for the leadership of members supporting these bills, and commit to working toward a future where all our coasts are protected from the harms of offshore drilling.”

    “We believe our coasts are far too valuable to risk for short-term fossil fuel gains,” said Katie Thompson, Executive Director of Save Our Shores. “Permanently protecting offshore areas from oil and gas leasing is a critical step toward safeguarding marine ecosystems, coastal communities, and our climate future. These bills reflect the will of the people to prioritize ocean health and long-term sustainability over polluting industries of the past.”

    “This suite of legislation is a critical move to safeguard our marine resources against Trump and his Big Oil agenda,” said Rachel Rilee, oceans policy specialist at the Center for Biological Diversity. “It’s been 15 years since the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster devastated coastlines and killed hundreds of thousands of marine animals. Our oceans and the incredible ecosystems they support are counting on us. Congress must pass these bills and then get right back to work protecting marine life and coastal communities from every manmade danger and every Republican attack.”

    “Americans love our coasts. For some of us, they’re home, and for many others, they’re home to wonderful memories, including family vacations at the beach, fishing trips with friends, and encounters with wildlife like sea turtles, dolphins, and whales. But oil spills can destroy all of that. It’s simply not worth the risk. We must not squander our children’s inheritance,” said Bill Mott, Executive Director of The Ocean Project. “The ocean offers endless inspiration, recreational opportunities, and serves as a critically important economic driver. Yet despite its vastness, it is incredibly vulnerable. As we’ve seen too many times before, offshore oil and gas drilling is not compatible with stewarding our ocean. We all share a responsibility to keep our coasts clean and our ocean healthy for future generations. That’s why we urge Congress to act now to prohibit new offshore oil and gas development forever.”

    “AWI commends these Congressional leaders for taking bold action to protect our oceans and coasts from dirty, dangerous oil and gas development along the outer continental shelf,” said Georgia Hancock, Senior Attorney and Director of the Animal Welfare Institute’s marine wildlife program. “Fifteen years after the Deepwater Horizon disaster, it remains painfully clear: there is no such thing as safe offshore oil drilling, nor is there any way to fully clean up a significant oil spill. Keeping oil rigs out of the ocean prevents unnecessary harm to sensitive marine animals like sea turtles, whales, and seabirds, and avoids the massive costs associated with environmental remediation when things go wrong. These bills draw a clear line in the sand: our marine ecosystems are too precious to risk.”

    “The Pacific west coast economy provides over $80 Billion in GDP via industries like tourism, outdoor recreation, fishing, retail, and real estate, supporting more than 825,000 jobs. And BAPPC’s 8,100 business members rely on a clean ocean to drive their revenues and provide for their customers, employees and families. We strongly support the West Coast Protection Act and other legislation to prohibit new offshore drilling and protect our businesses by prioritizing a healthy coastal ecosystem,” said Grant Bixby, Founding Member, The Business Alliance for Protecting the Pacific Coast.

    “The impact of offshore oil drilling on marine life is well-documented, from toxic discharges of drilling mud and fracking chemicals, to chronic oil spills, to the effects of a major well blow-out as has occurred many times in the history of offshore oil drilling. It is time we stopped burning fossil fuels and switch to non-polluting sources such as wind, solar, and other green energy sources. Industrializing our oceans is the last thing we should be doing,” said the International Marine Mammal Project, Earth Island Institute.

    “The oceans and coasts are the lifeblood of the US economy. They deserve not only protection but increased investment and stewardship. Anyone that threatens the coasts puts the entire US economy at risk,” said the Center for the Blue Economy.

    “We strongly support these bills to protect our vital coastal ecosystems and ocean health, which are increasingly threatened by the climate crisis. Offshore oil and gas leasing not only poses a direct risk of pollution to our waters and endangers marine life, but also contributes to climate change by perpetuating our reliance on fossil fuels. We urge swift passage of these protections to safeguard coastal communities, their economies, and a livable future for all,” said the U.S. Climate Action Network.

    “Offshore oil and gas drilling threatens coastal communities and endangers whales, sea turtles and other wildlife that Americans treasure,” said National Aquarium President and CEO John Racanelli. “On Earth Day and every day, all of us – people and wildlife – rely on a healthy ocean for our very survival. The science is clear that moving from dependence on fossil fuels towards clean energy sources safeguards marine ecosystems and protects public health. Legislation that places sensible limits on new oil and gas development along our shores is just smart public policy.”

    “President Biden’s recent permanent ban on offshore drilling in most ocean realms of the US is strong and cause for celebration! That said, codifying this long-overdue protection with acts of Congress is needed to add bulwark against attempts to override the ban as well as provide proof of bipartisan support for the ocean. The reason is simple: a healthy ocean sustains all life on earth and is essential to a vibrant clean ocean economy,” said Cindy Zipf, Executive Director of Clean Ocean Action.

    “Last year President Biden issued an executive action to protect more than 625 million acres of federal waters from fossil fuel development, a historic and bold decision to defend coastal communities, public health, and ecosystems. Azul’s 2024 nationwide poll found that Latinos across political ideologies support action to ban offshore drilling and are even willing to pay more out of pocket to make it happen. We applaud the leadership of members of Congress seeking to codify protections for coastal waters against offshore drilling, and these added protections are needed to defend against threats to undo existing protections against offshore drilling,” said Marce Gutiérrez-Graudins, Founder of Azul.

    “Protecting our oceans is a matter of safeguarding our health, our economy, and our future. Proposals to reduce existing ocean protections and expand offshore drilling raise serious concerns for coastal communities, marine ecosystems, and millions of livelihoods,” said Maite Arce, President and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation. “Latino communities, many of whom live along our coasts and rely on clean water and healthy marine environments for recreation, jobs, and cultural connection, are uniquely impacted. We support efforts that uphold strong protections and ensure our public lands and waters remain preserved for future generations. Now is the time for bold, bipartisan leadership that centers communities and protects the ocean legacy we all share.”

    “The New Jersey Environmental Lobby unequivocally supports all of the bills,” said Anne Poole, President of the NJ Environment Lobby. “Our organization’s primary focus is State legislation and policies that affect our densely populated coastal state, but oceans know no national or state boundaries.  The oceans are connected and impact all life on this globe.  What affects one coast eventually affects us all. Thank you to all of these ocean champions for their foresight and political courage!”

    In 2021, Senator Padilla joined West Coast Senators in calling on Senate leadership to include the West Coast Ocean Protection Act in the Senate version of the budget reconciliation bill after an estimated 126,000 gallons of oil spilled off the coast of California.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Lamont Announces $10 Million in Grants Awarded for Continued Broadband Expansion

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced today the second round of awards in the state’s ConneCTed Communities Grant Program. Totaling $9.9 million, these funds will be used by internet service providers to build out broadband infrastructure, which will serve an estimated 3,802 residences and businesses in 44 towns and cities.

    The grant awards announced today build on $24 million in grants benefitting 88 cities and towns announced last year in round 1 of this program. Funded through the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund, the ConneCTed Communities Grant Program was established to fund the construction and deployment of broadband infrastructure designed to support the goal of universal access to fast, affordable, and reliable broadband. DEEP has made great progress towards awarding funds to advance this work.

    To date, with this second round included, the ConneCTed Communities Grant Program has announced $34 million in awards to support buildouts for:

    • 5,582 locations;
    • 116 cities and towns; and
    • 30 distressed municipalities.

    “This is a milestone in the state’s ongoing work to increase access to high-speed broadband for all Connecticut residents,” Governor Lamont said. “Fast, affordable internet connectivity is essential to the success and wellbeing of our residents. Being able to go online and access the internet is tied to nearly every aspect of daily life from paying bills to finding employment and housing and even accessing healthcare.”

    “This latest round of grant awards is supporting the vital work of bringing broadband infrastructure to locations with the greatest needs,” DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said. “Research shows that 92% of jobs require digital skills and 60% of adults get health information online. This effort is critical. It’s about increasing access to vital elements of daily life, and helping to improve health, safety, affordability, and prosperity for the people of Connecticut.”

    The grant recipients for the second round of the ConneCTed Communities Grant Program are as follows:

    Provisional Awardee

    Project Area

    Number of Locations in Project Area

    Number of Units in Project Area*

    Grant Funding

    Frontier Communications (d.b.a. Frontier)

    Canterbury, Griswold, Killingly, Plainfield, Putnam, Sterling, Woodstock

    1180

    1423

    $1,232,486.00

    Frontier Communications

    Enfield, Granby, Somers, Stafford

    164

    412

    $624,227.00

    Frontier Communications

    Colebrook, Cornwall, Goshen, Litchfield, Morris, Sharon, Torrington, Warren, Watertown, Winchester

    504

    698

    $5,076,560.00

    Frontier Communications

    New Fairfield, New Milford, Newtown, Sherman

    105

    158

    $69,805.00

    Frontier Communications

    Bridgeport, Darien, Milford, Norwalk, Stamford

    153

    518

    $755,971.00

    Frontier Communications

    East Haddam, East Lyme, Meriden, Waterford

    297

    480

    $919,205.00

    Comcast**

    Griswold, Killingly, North Canaan, Voluntown

    35

    49

    $762,295.77

    Comcast

    Bolton, Burlington, Colchester, East Haddam, East Lyme, Guilford, North Haven, Salem, Sharon, Shelton, Wallingford, Watertown

    38

    64

    $540,273.06

     

    For an interactive map of locations awarded in this grant round, click here.

    DEEP is also administering the $144 million Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, which is in the deployment phase now, and will bring broadband to unserved and underserved locations and community anchor institutions.

    ConneCTed Communities Funds Still Available

    DEEP has approximately $6.7 million remaining in funding available through the ConneCTed Communities Program. Municipalities, community organizations, and internet service providers are eligible to apply. A major focus of this initiative is supporting broadband upgrades in multi-dwelling units (MDUs). To identify MDUs in need of faster, more reliable broadband, DEEP has launched a survey to help with the identification process. Learn more about this effort and take the survey here.

    As noted in the 2024 Connecticut Broadband Report, the state has made great strides toward Governor Lamont’s goal of ensuring broadband internet speeds of 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) download and 100 megabits per second (Mbps) upload for all residents. Gigabit-speed broadband is now available to nearly 850,000 locations statewide, up from nearly zero in 2022. The percentage of residential and small business locations lacking basic internet access has dropped from 1.7% in 2022 to just 0.4% in 2024.  Efforts to address price and non-price barriers to adoption have helped contribute to a rise in overall internet subscriptions, now covering 92.2% of households.

    For more information about the many initiatives supporting broadband expansion in Connecticut, click here.

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Preston City Council demonstrates commitment to tackling noise complaints

    Source: City of Preston

    Preston City Council has an ongoing commitment to using the full extent of its powers to tackle anti-social behaviour and protect residents from disturbances that can impact their quality of life.

    Mark Taylor, Interim Director of Environment, Property and Neighbourhood Services at Preston City Council, said:

    “Noise nuisance can be very distressing and is one of the most common causes of neighbour disputes. We always encourage residents to speak with their neighbours where possible, but when that fails and a legal notice is ignored, as in this case, enforcement action becomes necessary.

    Recently, Preston City Council seized noise equipment from a property in Avenham under powers granted by the Environmental Protection Act 1990, following persistent complaints and repeated warnings.

    The Council’s Environmental Protection team had received numerous reports of excessive noise and issued multiple warnings to the occupant. Despite being served with a legal abatement notice requiring them to reduce noise levels to prevent disturbance, the warnings were ignored and the nuisance continued.

    As a result, Council officers applied for and were granted a warrant to enter the property to abate the ongoing statutory nuisance. With the support of Lancashire Constabulary, the property was entered and equipment capable of producing excessive noise, including stereos and loudspeaker, was seized.

    The occupant may apply to have the equipment returned after 28 days, subject to payment of the Council’s costs.

    Mark Taylor added;

    “This operation sends a clear message that anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated in Preston. We urge anyone suffering from persistent or excessive noise to contact our Environmental Protection team for support.”

    Visit our report a noise nuisance page for more information or to report a noise issue.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Inaugural USGS Wildlife Health Awareness Day – April 25, 2025

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Filter Total Items: 83

    Antibodies to influenza A virus in Lesser (Aythya affinis) and Greater Scaup (Aythya marila) in the USA

    Scaup, including both Lesser and Greater (Aythya affinis and Aythya marila, respectively), are a grouping of populous and widespread North American diving ducks. Few influenza type A viruses (IAV) have been reported from these species despite a high prevalence of antibodies to IAV being reported. Existing virologic and serologic data indicate that IAV infection routinely occurs in scaup…

    Authors

    Harrison Huang, Rebecca L. Poulson, Jeffery D. Sullivan, Susan E.W. De La Cruz, Hutchison Walbridge, David E. Stallknecht, Diann Prosser

    Reproductive trends in Little Brown Bats before and after the onset of white-nose syndrome in Virginia

    Myotis lucifugus (Little Brown Bat) declines in Virginia following white-nose syndrome (WNS) prompted an investigation into reproductive behaviors of surviving individuals. To examine reproductive change, we examined female bats prior to, during and after endemism establishment. We also examined capture trends of juveniles at maternity colonies. Timing and proportion of reproductive…

    Authors

    Karen E. Powers, W. Mark Ford, Richard J. Reynolds, William D. Orndorff, David E. Yates, Thomas E. Malabad

    Defining the pathobiomes associated with drippy blight in Colorado and drippy nut in California

    Drippy blight, an emergent bacterial disease of oaks, was described recently from urban oaks in the Front Range of Colorado, U.S.A. This disease, which causes branch dieback and oozing of bacterial exudates from cankers, is caused by Lonsdalea quercina and primarily affects red oaks, with northern red oak (Quercus rubra) being the most susceptible. Drippy nut is a similar, less acute…

    Authors

    Hope Raymond, Rachael Sitz, Ian Pearse, Jorge Caballero Ibarra, Brad Lalande, Jane Stewart

    Demographic risk factors vary in the invasion front of chronic wasting disease in West Virginia, USA

    After detecting chronic wasting disease (CWD) in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Hampshire County, West Virginia, USA, in 2005, we investigated the change of CWD apparent prevalence and potential factors influencing infection risk during the invasion front. Over eight sampling years (2006–2012 and 2017) during a 12-yr period within a 101-km2-area monitoring zone, we sampled…

    Authors

    Brian Scott Dugovich, Ethan P. Barton, James M. Crum, M. Kevin Keel, David E. Stallknecht, Mark G. Ruder

    Genomic characterization of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza viruses from Alaska during 2022 provides evidence for genotype-specific trends of spatiotemporal and interspecies dissemination

    The ongoing panzootic of highly pathogenic H5 clade 2.3.4.4b avian influenza (HPAI) spread to North America in late 2021, with detections of HPAI viruses in Alaska beginning in April 2022. HPAI viruses have since spread across the state, affecting many species of wild birds as well as domestic poultry and wild mammals. To better understand the dissemination of HPAI viruses…

    Authors

    Christina Ahlstrom, Mia Kim Torchetti, Julianna B. Lenoch, Kimberlee Beckmen, Megan Boldenow, Evan J Buck, Bryan Daniels, Krista Dilione, Robert Gerlach, Kristina Lantz, Angela Matz, Rebecca L. Poulson, Laura Celeste Scott, Gay Sheffield, David R. Sinnett, David E. Stallknecht, Raphaela Stimmelmayr, Eric B. Taylor, Alison R. Williams, Andrew M. Ramey

    Pathology of tissue loss in three key gorgonian species in the Mediterranean Sea

    The Mediterranean is known for its marine biodiversity, especially gorgonian forests. Unfortunately, these are experiencing rapid declines due to climate change, manifested by repeated marine heat waves resulting in mass mortality events since the early 1990 s. To better understand why gorgonians are declining, more systematic approaches to investigate the exact causes are needed, and…

    Authors

    Jacopo Gobbato, Thierry M. Work, Martina P. Facchinelli, Federica M. Siena, Enrico Montalbetti, Davide Seveso, Yohan D. Luisa, Paolo Galli, Simone Montano

    Freshwater mussel viromes increase rapidly in diversity and abundance when hosts are released from captivity into the wild

    Freshwater mussels create habitat, filter water, and enhance food webs, but they are also among the world’s most imperiled taxa. Conservation efforts largely rely on captive propagation in which mussels are grown in protected aquaculture environments (hatcheries) for later release. Recent evidence has highlighted the importance of pathogens in population losses of freshwater mussels. In…

    Authors

    Jordan C. Richard, Tim W. Lane, Rose E. Agbalog, Sarah Colletti, Tiffany Leach, Christopher D. Dunn, Nathan Roy Bollig, Addison R. Plate, Joseph T. Munoz, Eric M. Leis, Susan Knowles, Isaac Standish, Diane L. Waller, Tony L. Golberg

    The skin I live in: Pathogenesis of white-nose syndrome of bats

    The emergence of white-nose syndrome (WNS) in North America has resulted in mass mortalities of hibernating bats and total extirpation of local populations. The need to mitigate this disease has stirred a significant body of research to understand its pathogenesis. Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the causative agent of WNS, is a psychrophilic (cold-loving) fungus that resides within the…

    Authors

    Marcos Isidoro-Ayza, Jeffrey M. Lorch, Bruce S. Klein

    Quantitative support for the benefits of proactive management for wildlife disease control

    Finding effective pathogen mitigation strategies is one of the biggest challenges humans face today. In the context of wildlife, emerging infectious diseases have repeatedly caused widespread host morbidity and population declines of numerous taxa. In areas yet unaffected by a pathogen, a proactive management approach has the potential to minimize or prevent host mortality. However…

    Authors

    Molly Bletz, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Graziella Vittoria DiRenzo

    Disentangling genetic diversity of Myotis septentrionalis: population structure, demographic history, and effective population size

    Myotis septentrionalis (Northern Long-eared Bat) has recently suffered a >90% decline in population size in North America due to white-nose syndrome (WNS). We assessed genetic diversity, population structure, current effective population size, and demographic history of M. septentrionalis distributed across the United States to determine baseline levels pre-WNS. We analyzed RADseq data…

    Authors

    Jenna R. Grimshaw, Deahn M. Donner, Roger W. Perry, W. Mark Ford, Alex Silvis, Carlos J. Garcia, Richard D. Stevens, David A. Ray

    Host jump of an exotic fish rhabdovirus into a new class of animals poses a disease threat to amphibians

    Spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV) is a rhabdovirus that primarily infects cyprinid finfishes and causes a disease notifiable to the World Organization for Animal Health. Amphibians, which are sympatric with cyprinids in freshwater ecosystems, are considered non-permissive hosts of rhabdoviruses. The potential host range expansion of SVCV in an atypical host species was evaluated by…

    Authors

    Eveline J. Emmenegger, Emma K. Bueren, Carla M. Conway, George E. Sanders, A. Noble Hendrix, Tamara Schroeder, Emiliano Di Cicco, Phuc H. Pham, Lumsden John S., Sharon C. Clouthier

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Premier’s, minister’s statements on Earth Day

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Premier David Eby has issued the following statement marking Earth Day:

    “On Earth Day, people in British Columbia join other Canadians and people around the world in celebrating our planet as we rededicate our efforts to protect it.

    “British Columbia is lucky to have so many marvelous natural wonders, from snowcapped mountains to verdant valleys to spectacular coastlines. Our government is working in partnership with more than 60 First Nations on stewardship projects embracing local and Indigenous knowledge to protect nature. Our unique biospheres are our inheritance. We have an obligation to preserve them as our legacy for future generations.

    “For 55 years, Earth Day has been raising awareness and encouraging action on critically important environmental issues. This year’s Earth Day theme is Our Planet, Our Power. It is a call for the world to harness renewable energy to build a healthy, equitable and prosperous future. A transition to renewable energy is driving innovation in industry, transportation and agriculture, and spurring technological advancements, while creating millions of new jobs around the world, including here in British Columbia.

    “The urgency has never been clearer. Our climate is changing. British Columbians have endured record-breaking wildfire seasons, as well as floods, droughts and heat waves. That is why we are building our province’s capacity to produce clean fuels, such as biofuels, hydrogen and hydroelectricity, as well as wind and solar power.

    “Our province is already a clean-energy superpower. To build a clean economy and support growing communities, we need to expand our clean-energy capacity. BC Hydro’s $36-billion, 10-year capital plan is critical to our efforts to build a clean economy, powered by electricity, that works for everyone.

    “First Nations have long been leaders in the clean-energy sector, and we will advance reconciliation by working in collaboration and partnership with First Nations to advance projects on their territories – including eight new wind-energy projects that have majority First Nations equity ownership.

    “Our plan, called Powering Our Future: B.C.’s Clean Energy Strategy, also shows how investment in energy efficiency saves people and businesses on their energy bills, reduces energy waste and cuts down on harmful pollution, while creating jobs and economic opportunities.

    “By working together, we will ensure our province remains a place where our children and our children’s children can continue to enjoy clean air, water and land.”

    Tamara Davidson, Minister of Environment and Parks, said:

    “People throughout British Columbia are blessed to be able to celebrate Earth Day where the beauty of nature is ever-present. We all cherish the natural wonders this province provides for us and we take this time to renew our efforts to protect it.

    “Since 1970, Earth Day has stood as a time for all of us to reflect on how we can continue to care for our planet so it will continue to take care of us. With the ongoing effects of climate change being felt annually in the form of worsening drought, wildfires, heat waves and other weather events, now is the time to ramp up our efforts to work with our environment, not against it, for the betterment of all.

    “The theme of this 55th Earth Day is Our Power, Our Planet, an idea we are passionate about. That’s why the Province is exempting wind-farm projects from environmental assessments and working on expediting reviews of projects such as solar farms. Producing clean energy to meet the electricity needs of people and the economy is pivotal to our future. We want to make it easier for investors to create this energy and, at the same time, fuel our economy.

    “The people of British Columbia continue to show how much they cherish the beauty of this land by visiting provincial parks and recreation sites in high numbers year after year. As a vital part of our physical and mental well-being, our world-renowned parks and protected areas are more important than ever. They play a critical role in preserving unique species and ecosystems, along with cultural and historical values, and contribute to local economies through tourism.

    “Since 2017, we’ve added more than 2,000 new campsites to BC Parks and recreation sites, with more to come. Accessibility upgrades continue to be made in parks throughout the province to ensure these natural treasures can be enjoyed by everyone.

    “Earth Day allows us to reflect on where we are and where we need to go to build a cleaner, sustainable future. I am committed to do my part in stewarding our environment for future generations to benefit from, care and enjoy.”

    MIL OSI Canada News –