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Category: Environment

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Tests New Ways to Stick the Landing in Challenging Terrain

    Source: NASA

    Advancing new hazard detection and precision landing technologies to help future space missions successfully achieve safe and soft landings is a critical area of space research and development, particularly for future crewed missions. To support this, NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) is pursuing a regular cadence of flight testing on a variety of vehicles, helping researchers rapidly advance these critical systems for missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.  
    “These flight tests directly address some of NASA’s highest-ranked technology needs, or shortfalls, ranging from advanced guidance algorithms and terrain-relative navigation to lidar-and optical-based hazard detection and mapping,” said Dr. John M. Carson III, STMD technical integration manager for precision landing and based at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. 
    Since the beginning of this year, STMD has supported flight testing of four precision landing and hazard detection technologies from many sectors, including NASA, universities, and commercial industry. These cutting-edge solutions have flown aboard a suborbital rocket system, a high-speed jet, a helicopter, and a rocket-powered lander testbed. That’s four precision landing technologies tested on four different flight vehicles in four months. 
    “By flight testing these technologies on Earth in spaceflight-relevant trajectories and velocities, we’re demonstrating their capabilities and validating them with real data for transitioning technologies from the lab into mission applications,” said Dr. Carson. “This work also signals to industry and other partners that these capabilities are ready to push beyond NASA and academia and into the next generation of Moon and Mars landers.” 
    The following NASA-supported flight tests took place between February and May: 

    Identifying landmarks to calculate accurate navigation solutions is a key function of Draper’s Multi-Environment Navigator (DMEN), a vision-based navigation and hazard detection technology designed to improve safety and precision of lunar landings.  
    Aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard reusable suborbital rocket system, DMEN collected real-world data and validated its algorithms to advance it for use during the delivery of three NASA payloads as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. On Feb. 4, DMEN performed the latest in a series of tests supported by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program, which is managed at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. 
    During the February flight, which enabled testing at rocket speeds on ascent and descent, DMEN scanned the Earth below, identifying landmarks to calculate an accurate navigation solution. The technology achieved accuracy levels that helped Draper advance it for use in terrain-relative navigation, which is a key element of landing on other planets. 

    Several highly dynamic maneuvers and flight paths put Psionic’s Space Navigation Doppler Lidar (PSNDL) to the test while it collected navigation data at various altitudes, velocities, and orientations.  
    Psionic licensed NASA’s Navigation Doppler Lidar technology developed at Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, and created its own miniaturized system with improved functionality and component redundancies, making it more rugged for spaceflight. In February, PSNDL along with a full navigation sensor suite was mounted aboard an F/A-18 Hornet aircraft and underwent flight testing at NASA Armstrong.  
    The aircraft followed a variety of flight paths over several days, including a large figure-eight loop and several highly dynamic maneuvers over Death Valley, California. During these flights, PSNDL collected navigation data relevant for lunar and Mars entry and descent.  
    The high-speed flight tests demonstrated the sensor’s accuracy and navigation precision in challenging conditions, helping prepare the technology to land robots and astronauts on the Moon and Mars. These recent tests complemented previous Flight Opportunities-supported testing aboard a lander testbed to advance earlier versions of their PSNDL prototypes. 

    Researchers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, developed a state-of-the-art Hazard Detection Lidar (HDL) sensor system to quickly map the surface from a vehicle descending at high speed to find safe landing sites in challenging locations, such as Europa (one of Jupiter’s moons), our own Moon, Mars, and other planetary bodies throughout the solar system. The HDL-scanning lidar generates three-dimensional digital elevation maps in real time, processing approximately 15 million laser measurements and mapping two football fields’ worth of terrain in only two seconds.  
    In mid-March, researchers tested the HDL from a helicopter at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with flights over a lunar-like test field with rocks and craters. The HDL collected numerous scans from several different altitudes and view angles to simulate a range of landing scenarios, generating real-time maps. Preliminary reviews of the data show excellent performance of the HDL system. 
    The HDL is a component of NASA’s Safe and Precise Landing – Integrated Capabilities Evolution (SPLICE) technology suite. The SPLICE descent and landing system integrates multiple component technologies, such as avionics, sensors, and algorithms, to enable landing in hard-to-reach areas of high scientific interest. The HDL team is also continuing to test and further improve the sensor for future flight opportunities and commercial applications. 

    Providing pinpoint landing guidance capability with minimum propellant usage, the San Diego State University (SDSU) powered-descent guidance algorithms seek to improve autonomous spacecraft precision landing and hazard avoidance. During a series of flight tests in April and May, supported by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program, the university’s software was integrated into Astrobotic’s Xodiac suborbital rocket-powered lander via hardware developed by Falcon ExoDynamics as part of NASA TechLeap Prize’s Nighttime Precision Landing Challenge.  
    The SDSU algorithms aim to improve landing capabilities by expanding the flexibility and trajectory-shaping ability and enhancing the propellant efficiency of powered-descent guidance systems. They have the potential for infusion into human and robotic missions to the Moon as well as high-mass Mars missions.  

    By advancing these and other important navigation, precision landing, and hazard detection technologies with frequent flight tests, NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate is prioritizing safe and successful touchdowns in challenging planetary environments for future space missions.  
    Learn more:  https://www.nasa.gov/space-technology-mission-directorate/  
    By: Lee Ann ObringerNASA’s Flight Opportunities program

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ready for the summer: Governor Newsom announces lifesaving heat-ranking tool, invests $32 million to help communities combat extreme heat

    Source: US State of California 2

    May 29, 2025

    What you need to know: California is launching CalHeatScore – a groundbreaking tool to help protect vulnerable populations from dangerous heatwaves. The state’s new tool provides localized warnings and resources for extreme heat events. Governor Newsom is also announcing $32.4 million in funding to help 47 California communities protect people from dangerous heat events.

    SACRAMENTO – With summer around the corner and temperatures expected to soar to record highs this weekend, California is taking new actions to protect communities from extreme heat – the number one cause of weather-related deaths in the state. 

    Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the launch of CalHeatScore, a cutting-edge tool to forecast and rank heat severity risks and connect Californians with available resources to stay safe during extreme heat events. With CalHeatScore, California becomes the first state in the nation – and one of the only jurisdictions in the world – to launch a heat-ranking system. Today’s announcement comes as the Trump Administration makes life-threatening cuts to the federal government’s weather monitoring apparatus.

    CalHeatScore, developed by the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), brings together ZIP-code level data to provide locally tailored guidance. The tool identifies groups most susceptible to extreme heat – such as older adults and children – and provides tips for staying safe, such as how to recognize signs of heat illness. The tool additionally integrates other important data sets, like locations for the nearest cooling centers.

    Map above shows CalHeatScore extreme heat forecast for Friday, May 30. The darkest shades represent the highest heat score of 4 (scale of 0 to 4).

    Governor Newsom additionally announced $32.4 million to support 47 California communities in lifesaving extreme heat mitigation efforts. The Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program aims to support local, tribal, and regional efforts to combat dangerous heat exposure by building long-lasting infrastructure solutions and strengthening community resilience needed to withstand extreme heat events.

    Extreme heat kills – and with the federal government cutting the very programs that help forecast it, California is taking aggressive action to protect residents from the impacts of extreme heat and build resilience in our most vulnerable communities.

    With the first major heat of the summer expected this weekend, we’re connecting more Californians – particularly those that are most vulnerable to dangerous heat – to life-saving information, resources, and programs across the state.

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    In a hotter, drier world, connecting Californians with extreme weather information and resources has never been more important – especially as the federal government cuts critical programs providing pertinent information on weather.

    First-in-the-nation heat-ranking tool

    The new CalHeatScore tool will be leveraged across state government, providing early warning that allows resources to be mobilized with greater speed and precision to communities that need it. To ensure the new tool works for Californians, the state will continue gathering input from the public, which will be used to shape future updates. 

    “Every single preventable death is one too many,” said Yana Garcia, California’s Secretary for Environmental Protection. “This groundbreaking tool will help Californians plan and respond so they can stay safe when a heat wave is about to strike. And it will shore up the state’s all-in fight against the very real dangers that climate change keeps bringing to our doorstep.”

    In 2021, the California Department of Insurance’s Climate Insurance Workgroup recommended California build a system to rank heat waves to better communicate the deadly risks to Californians and help communities prepare, similar to how tropical storms and hurricanes are described by “category” level. 

    As part of a broader climate package in 2022, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2238 by Assemblymember Luz Rivas to codify CDI’s recommendation by requiring the state to develop a statewide extreme heat ranking system. 

    “CalHeatScore is an important tool to prepare Californians for extreme heat,” said Nancy Ward, Director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). “It helps increase our readiness for heat events and protect those at greatest risk.”

    Chart above shows the range of CalHeatScore rankings.

    Building on investments to protect Californians

    The funding announced today builds on the Governor’s Extreme Heat Action Plan, which guides the state’s response to extreme heat events. Developed in partnership with more than 20 state agencies and informed by more than 1,000 individuals through listening sessions and public engagement, these grants respond directly to community needs and build on existing state programs. 

    Extreme heat solutions announced today combine physical infrastructure with nature-based solutions and in-home technology to create more resilient communities. In Los Angeles, the county will work with local organizations to provide safer spaces by planting tree canopies, installing water fountains, and hosting educational programming in parks across the county. In Northern California, North Coast Opportunities and the Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California, will partner to provide solar-powered air conditioning in the homes of vulnerable community members.  

    “California is taking aggressive action to protect residents from the impacts of extreme heat and build resilience in our most vulnerable communities,” said Samuel Assefa, Director of Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI), the agency overseeing the funding. “With lives on the line each summer, the Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program will provide critical infrastructure investments in heat vulnerable communities.”

    Extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the state, claiming more lives annually than any other climate threat, including fires and floods. Last year, California communities experienced the hottest summer on record in 130 years. According to a report from the Department of Insurance, from 2013 to 2022, seven extreme heat events resulted in nearly 460 deaths, over 5,000 hospitalizations and about 344 adverse birth outcomes.

    State research shows a correlation between heat and a range of negative health effects including death, lower birth weight, and increased emergency room visits and hospitalizations for conditions ranging from heart conditions to poor mental health. Extreme heat also takes an economic toll on the state, with an estimated $7.7 billion of lost wages, agricultural disruptions, and power outages. 

    Extreme heat calls for more water 

    During periods of extreme heat, access to water is more critical than ever to prevent illness and death. California is expected to lose 10% of its water supply due to hotter and drier conditions, threatening the water supply for millions of Californians. As part of the May Revision, the Governor advanced a groundbreaking proposal to fast-track and streamline one of California’s most important water management and climate adaptation projects, the Delta Conveyance Project, creating much-needed and long-overdue improvements to the State Water Project, which provides water for 27 million people and 750,00 acres of farmland. These vital improvements will help offset and recover these future climate-driven water losses, and yet, it has been plagued by delays and red tape.

    Without action, the ability of the State Water Project to reliably deliver water to homes, farms and businesses will decline. The Governor calls on the legislature to quickly adopt these improvements to ensure that California is ready for a drier and hotter future, and its communities are safe and protected.   

    Press releases, Recent news

    Recent news

    May 29, 2025

    News Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring May 2025, as “Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.”The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below: PROCLAMATIONCalifornia is home to more than 6…

    May 28, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:LaCandice Ochoa, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Director of the Independent Living and Community Access Division at the Department of Rehabilitation. Ochoa has been Dean of…

    May 28, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom issued the following statement after a federal court ruled today that President Trump exceeded his use of emergency powers to enact broad-sweeping tariffs that hurt states, consumers, and businesses: “Like we said when we filed…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Rosneft supports social projects for children and teenagers in Russian regions

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Rosneft and its subsidiaries, within the framework of cooperation agreements with Russian regions, are implementing projects aimed at creating a modern social infrastructure and a favorable environment for the development of medicine, mass sports, culture, educational projects and the upbringing of the younger generation.

    Bashneft supports the construction and reconstruction of children’s institutions within the framework of a cooperation agreement with the Republic of Bashkortostan. For example, in 2024, the Children’s Art Center in the village of Verkhneyarkeevo in the Ilishevsky District was reconstructed, a multifunctional educational center was built in the village of Elan-Chishma in the Yermekeyevsky District, Ufa kindergarten No. 2 was improved, and a multifunctional sports and health complex was built on the territory of the Republican Engineering Boarding School in Ufa.

    In the Samara Region, with the support of Rosneft, the reconstruction of schools No. 28 and No. 29 in Syzran, the Harmony gymnasium in Otradny and school No. 24 in Samara has been completed. Thanks to the help of oil workers, the children’s surgical department and the perinatal center of the Syzran Central City Hospital have been equipped with high-tech equipment. They now have an operating table, an operating shadowless lamp and an open resuscitation system for newborns.

    With the support of Rosneft, a new building of the Small Academy of Sciences with modern laboratories, a biotechnology center with laboratories for genomics and the study of ancient DNA, an IT center, a library, a TV studio, a sports hall and a gym was built in Yakutia. Children’s playgrounds and sports grounds were also opened in Yakutsk, Tas-Yuryakh, Myndyb and elsewhere. In the sponsored school of the Botuobuinsky nasleg of the Mirninsky district, in the school where children of indigenous peoples study, the robotics rooms, 3D modeling, and the press center were renovated, a stadium was built and the assembly hall was reconstructed.

    Under the agreement with the government of Yugra, Rosneft supports the construction and reconstruction of educational and sports institutions in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug. In 2024, a kindergarten, the Lider and MediaQuant youth clubs, and an outdoor sports and play complex were opened in Nizhnevartovsk.

    RN-Yuganskneftegaz is implementing a comprehensive program to support children and young people. In 2024, School No. 9 in Khanty-Mansiysk received modern equipment, including interactive panels and equipment for physics lessons. Much attention is paid to the development of children’s sports: ten sports schools in Yugra received almost a thousand units of modern hockey equipment, including sticks, skates and protective helmets. A modern sports complex was opened in the village of Lyamina.

    In Achinsk, with the support of the Company, major repairs are underway at the inpatient department of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Center for the Protection of Motherhood and Childhood No. 2.

    A project IT laboratory has been opened in Udmurtia and two sports halls have been renovated in School No. 12 in the city of Votkinsk in Udmurtia. The laboratory is equipped with modern technology, including an interactive panel, a 3D printer, a laser 3D scanner and all the necessary software.

    In addition, the Company creates “Rosneft-classes” in the regions of its operations based on the best educational institutions: schools, lyceums and gymnasiums. As part of the project, students receive a high-quality general secondary education. Schoolchildren in grades 10-11 study according to programs with in-depth study of mathematics, physics, chemistry and computer science. The project is aimed at career guidance and motivation of teenagers to enter universities in the Company’s core specialties and subsequent employment of graduates at Rosneft enterprises.

    In the completed academic year, 2.7 thousand schoolchildren studied in 118 Rosneft-classes. The project is being implemented in 56 general education organizations located in 47 cities and towns in 20 regions of Russia.

    In anticipation of International Children’s Day, volunteers of the Company and its subsidiaries are organizing dozens of festive events aimed at developing sports and a healthy lifestyle, and the cultural and patriotic education of youth.

    Kuibyshev Oil Refinery presented an educational interactive project “City of Safety”. Hundreds of children and teenagers have already taken part in it. In a game format, children learn the rules of safe behavior in various life situations, including road traffic and the Internet.

    Workers of the Novokuibyshevsk Oil Refinery organized a holiday for children from social institutions of the city with quizzes dedicated to oil professions. Oil refiners annually organize an ecological family festival “Ecofest” for city residents; this year the festival brought together more than 400 schoolchildren.

    Volunteers of the Syzran Oil Refinery brought gifts to the children of the center for helping children left without parental care. Samaraneftegaz organized a holiday for the children of employees called “Hello, Summer!” with the participation of representatives of the Russian Emergencies Ministry, who conducted a safety lesson in an entertaining manner.

    Employees of the Saratov Oil Refinery conducted an interactive lesson “Ecology” for kindergarten children and donated sports equipment to the social rehabilitation center “Vozvrashchenie”.

    Slavneft-Krasnoyarskneftegaz organized a city football tournament in Krasnoyarsk, during which 150 children had the opportunity to play at a professional stadium. In Krasnoyarsk Krai, oil workers delivered gifts to kindergarten children in the remote village of Kuyumba, overcoming a difficult route by helicopter and special equipment.

    Orenburgneft volunteers conducted a series of eco-lessons as part of the Eco-School environmental marathon, where students were told about a responsible attitude towards the environment.

    Tyumenneftegaz organized a big family day out in the fresh air with sports games, master classes and treats. Volunteers of Kharampurneftegaz organized an excursion to the zoo and an environmental quiz for the children of the Siyanie Severa family center. Volunteers of the corporate institute in Tomsk together with Tomsk Polytechnic University organized a quest game for schoolchildren of the city called “Oil Journey: from the Deposit to the Gas Station”. In a game form, the participants got acquainted with oil and gas professions, and as a reward, the winners received additional points for admission to the university.

    Rosneft Scientific Institute in Ufa is implementing a volunteer project called “Social Tutor”. For the fifth year in a row, the institute’s employees have been voluntarily tutoring children from low-income families online.

    Employees of Rosneft-Stavropol together with representatives of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate held road safety lessons for preschoolers. At the Rosneft gas station in Stavropol Krai, young guests received educational books with creative tasks “Travel with a Polar Bear Cub” as a gift. In Arkhangelsk, RN-North-West organized an educational event “Children for Safe Roads”, where children studied traffic rules and tried themselves in the role of drivers.

    Rosneft employees take an active part in all-Russian and regional campaigns, including the New Year’s “Wish Tree”, “Help Go to School”, “Give a Child a Holiday”, “Spring Week of Kindness”, “Warmth for Children”, “A Backpack for a First-Grader”, “Let’s Get a Child Ready for School”, “There Are No Other People’s Children”, “Santa Claus in Every Home”, “A Gift for School”, “A Gift from Santa Claus” and others.

    Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft May 30, 2025

    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 Asia-Pac: Appointments to Advisory Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Appointments to Advisory Committee on Agriculture and FisheriesMr Anthony Lam Sai-hoMs Cheuk Fung-ting
    Ms Katie Chick Hiu-lai
    Mr Chu Kam-ming
    Mr Chung Ka-yau
    Mr Fung Kin-chung
    Ms Tendy Lam Pui-tung
    Mr John Lau Hon-kit
    Ms Lau Kam-fung
    Dr Lau Kin-wai
    Mr Noah Law Yiu-wing
    Ms Lee Man-sa
    Mr Leung Ming-kin
    Mr Ling Man-sum
    Mr James Ling Wai-hon
    Ms Merlinda Ng Man-ling
    Mr Poon Cheuk-man
    Dr Yan Wa-tat
    Professor Yen Hui-ling
    Legislative Council Member representing the Agriculture and Fisheries Constituency (Ex-officio Member)
    Representative of the Environment and Ecology Bureau
    Representative of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department
    Issued at HKT 15:45

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Leasing arrangements announced for public market stalls in June

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) announced today (May 30) that open auctions for a total of 541 stalls in 47 public markets will be held in June. Market stalls not taken at open auctions will be available to the public for renting at their upset prices on June 20 on a first-come, first-served basis.

    (1) Open auctions—————————————————————————-
    Auction date: June 6 (Friday) (pm)
    Number of stalls: 106—————————————————————————-
    Auction date: June 9 (Monday) (am)
    Number of stalls: 125——————-
    Auction date: June 9 (Monday) (pm)
    Number of stalls: 19—————————————–
    Auction date: June 10 (Tuesday) (am)
    Number of stalls: 68—————–
    Auction date: June 10 (Tuesday) (pm)
    Number of stalls: 3—————————————–
    Auction date: June 11 (Wednesday) (am)
    Number of stalls: 45—————————————–
    Auction date: June 11 (Wednesday) (pm)
    Number of stalls: 11———————
    Auction date: June 12 (Thursday) (am)
    Number of stalls: 84———————
    Auction date: June 13 (Friday) (am)
    Number of stalls: 80 A spokesman for the FEHD said, “Bidders or applicants for the market stalls must be at least 18 years old and ordinarily reside in Hong Kong. To allow more people to bid for or select the stalls and increase customer choices by enhancing the diversity in terms of the variety of stalls, there will be a restriction on the number of stalls to be rented in the same market by a single tenant. Any person who is currently a stall tenant is not allowed to bid in the first round of auction for any stall in the same market, and will only be allowed to bid for one stall in the second round of auction or to select one stall in the same market on a first-come, first-served basis. The existing tenants under the new three-year fixed term tenancy scheme (i.e. those persons who became stall tenants through the market open auctions after August 2022) are allowed to bid for a stall in the auction or select a stall on a first-come, first-served basis in the same market, but shall vacate the current stall and return it to the FEHD before the effective date of commencement of the new tenancy agreement.”

    Details of the open auctions and the public market stalls concerned (including stalls for open auction at reduced upset prices) have been uploaded to the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pleasant_environment/tidy_market/open_auction_coming.html

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Private Columbaria (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 comes into force

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Private Columbaria (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 comes into force 
    With a pragmatic and sympathetic approach, the Government introduced the Private Columbaria Ordinance (Cap. 630) in 2017 to establish a licensing regime for the regulation of private columbaria, including new operators and “pre-cut-off columbaria” (i.e. those that were in operation and had ashes interred in them before the announcement of the proposal to establish a licensing regime at 8am on June 18, 2014), and progressively rectified violations of requirements from the operation of private columbaria in the past.
     
    One of the primary purposes of the Amendment Ordinance is to provide “pre-cut-off columbaria” an additional option to make new applications for exemption. “Pre-cut-off columbaria” that successfully obtain an exemption through the new application can retain niches they sold before the enactment of the Ordinance. It enables them to continue operating at their current scale, avoids social disruption from large-scale ash disposal, and at the same time, minimises their impact on the neighbourhood.
     
    A spokesperson for the Environment and Ecology Bureau said, “The Private Columbaria Licensing Board will specify the time limit for making new applications for exemption by ‘pre-cut-off columbaria’. The Private Columbaria Affairs Office of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) will, through case managers, individually notify relevant ‘pre-cut-off columbaria’ and provide them with targeted assistance to enable them to make appropriate decisions as to the way forward for their operations.”
     
    To strengthen the protection of consumers’ interests and foster the public’s confidence in the operation of private columbaria in compliance with requirements, the Amendment Ordinance enhances enforcement-related provisions for greater deterrent effect. It includes the introduction of new offences prohibiting the sale of niches not covered in the approved plans or sale of interment rights exceeding the approved ash interment capacity (i.e. “overselling niches”), or keeping ashes other than in niches covered in the approved plans (i.e. “over-placing ashes”). Relevant penalties have also been increased.
     
    Additionally, the Amendment Ordinance enhances the operation of the Private Columbaria Appeal Board, requiring the Appeal Board to only receive and consider new materials not previously provided to the Licensing Board upon special grounds being shown. It ensures the adoption of a consistent standard by appeal panels and makes the arrangement clearer to members of the Appeal Board and appellants. The Appeal Board has updated its Rules on Practice and Procedure. The Amendment Ordinance also clearly stipulates the arrangement for eligible masons’ workshops that meet certain conditions to keep ashes temporarily for operational reasons, and the industry has been notified.
     
    Members of the public and the trade may visit the dedicated website “Regulation of Private Columbaria” of the FEHD (www.fehd.gov.hk/rpc/Issued at HKT 10:00

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Government to further reduce emission allowances of power plants

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Government to further reduce emission allowances of power plants 
         The Tenth TM, which is issued under the Air Pollution Control Ordinance (the Ordinance), reduces the annual emission allowances of sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and respirable suspended particulates (RSPs) from the electricity sector from 2030 onwards at 2 302 tonnes, 8 350 tonnes and 317 tonnes respectively. This represents further tightening by 19 per cent, 25 per cent and 14 per cent respectively when compared with the emission allowances for the electricity sector for 2026 set under the Ninth TM.
     
         A spokesperson for the Environment and Ecology Bureau (EEB) said, “In setting the new emission allowances, we have taken into account factors such as local electricity demand, the gas-fired electricity generation of the two power companies (including the progress of constructing new gas-fired units for replacement of coal-fired units), the emission performance of existing generating units, the estimated import of nuclear power and clean energy, and the projected electricity intake from renewable energy sources. The Government has also been requiring the two power companies to adopt the best practicable means in their plants’ design and operational management to minimise emissions of air pollutants.”
    　　  
         The Hongkong Electric Company Limited is building a new gas-fired generating unit for operation in 2029, while an existing coal-fired generating unit will be decommissioned correspondingly by then. As for CLP Power Hong Kong Limited (CLP), driven by major infrastructure developments (such as the Northern Metropolis), the electricity demand in 2030-2031 is forecasted to be about 9 per cent higher than the forecast made in the Ninth TM. CLP plans to increase the output of its existing gas-fired generating units to meet the additional electricity demand, and will import more zero-carbon energy from the Mainland. These measures can further reduce the two power companies’ reliance on coal-fired power generation, thereby reducing pollutant emissions.

    　　The spokesperson added, “Hong Kong’s air quality has been improving continuously in recent years. The ambient concentrations of SO2, nitrogen dioxide and RSPs recorded in 2024 had been reduced by 45 per cent to 88 per cent when compared with that in 2004. The number of hours of reduced visibility observed had also been greatly reduced by 82 per cent from its peak in 2004. The significant improvement is also attributable to the Government’s efforts in implementing measures to reduce air pollutant emissions from power plants. As emissions from the electricity sector accounted for 61 per cent, 27 per cent and 13 per cent of the territory-wide emissions of SO2, NOx and RSPs respectively in 2022, the tightened emission allowances for power plants will help further improve the air quality in Hong Kong and the PRD region.　　 
    　　The Tenth TM will be tabled at the Legislative Council on June 4 for commencement by the end of 2025. In accordance with the Ordinance, the new set of emission allowances will come into effect on January 1, 2030.
    Issued at HKT 11:30

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: IAEA Teaches Fukushima Students Environmental Remediation

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    The lectures, based on the IAEA Safety Standards, covered the basics of radiation and radiation monitoring, environmental remediation and decontamination and radioactive waste management. Students also attended a workshop in which they used different devices to detect and measure radiation in various environmental samples such as soil and minerals.

    “I would expect that the IAEA lectures will motivate Fukushima Prefecture university students to learn more about environmental radiation as a subject and the current state of environmental remediation in the prefecture,” said Hiroshi Aoki, then Director General of the Fukushima Prefectural Centre for Environmental Creation.

    “We hope the younger generation will learn from the collective knowledge and experience of the IAEA and apply this to the next steps for reconstruction and revitalization in Fukushima Prefecture, which would also contribute to international nuclear safety,” added Kenichiro Tanaka, Director of the International Nuclear Cooperation Division at Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    The programme, a pilot exercise that took place at the end of 2024, was requested by the Government of Japan under a cooperation agreement with the IAEA that started in 2012 and will run until 2027. Under the agreement, the IAEA has been assisting Fukushima Prefecture in activities related to radiation monitoring, environmental remediation, decontamination and waste management, in line with IAEA safety standards.

    “After the lectures I hope to be able to share accurate information about radiation with those around me, when the topic comes up on television or other media,” said Hiroki Furuchi, a student at Higashi Nippon International University.

    The feedback from this first course will be collected and used by the IAEA to further adapt the content to the prefecture’s needs in line with IAEA Safety Standards, before returning to Fukushima to continue the programme at more universities in 2025.

    Read more about the cooperation between Fukushima Prefecture and the IAEA on radiation safety since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident here.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Sir Loyd Grossman’s (CBE) term as The Royal Parks Chair extended for 9 months

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Sir Loyd Grossman’s (CBE) term as The Royal Parks Chair extended for 9 months

    The Secretary of State has extended Sir Loyd’s third term for a further 9 months, from 01 June 2025 to 28 February 2026, while the process to appoint a new permanent Chair of The Royal Parks is run.

    Sir Loyd Grossman CBE

    Loyd is a broadcaster, entrepreneur and writer who has a long association with the arts and heritage sectors. He is Chair of The Royal Society of Arts and a Vice President of the Churches Conservation Trust.

    Loyd’s past appointments include as a board member of English Heritage, the Museums and Galleries Commission and the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. He has been Chairman of the Churches Conservation Trust, Chair of the Heritage Alliance, Chairman of National Museums Liverpool and Vice Chair of the Royal Drawing School. He was awarded a Knighthood in the King’s New Year Honours List for services to heritage in 2024. He was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to heritage in 2015.

    Remuneration and Governance Code

    The Chair of The Royal Parks is not remunerated. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Sir Loyd Grossman has not declared any significant political activity.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Highland Council agrees environmental scheme endorsement for major developers

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    Members of Highland Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee have today agreed to the principle of the Council endorsing proposed environmental scheme sites in advance for new infrastructure projects.

    Economy and Infrastructure Committee Chair, Councillor Ken Gowans said: “Developers delivering major infrastructure projects often find it challenging to quickly secure sufficient land for their environmental scheme obligations. This can lead to delays in projects starting and often results in sub-optimal biodiversity improvements. By endorsing proposed biodiversity enhancement and compensatory planting schemes in advance of planning permission being applied for, we hope to help mitigate delays, minimise negative environmental impacts and deliver the best outcomes possible for our world-class natural environment, whilst giving developers the confidence to enter into early agreements with landowners.”

    The approach gives developers more time to identify suitable land before entering into legal agreements with the assurance that proposed environmental schemes have already been endorsed by the Council as being competent and compliant. A Memorandum of Understanding between the Council and developers will establish a framework for developers to submit details of a proposed environmental scheme for endorsement in advance of a formal planning application. Once endorsed, the scheme would then be considered competent for the developer to draw down from.

    Cllr Gowans continued: “Environmental schemes are important for our communities as they ensure that biodiversity is improved when new infrastructure projects are developed. We have a duty to ensure that developers deliver schemes that contribute positively to our natural habitats and ecosystems, but due to the short timeframe between planning permission being granted and project implementation, it can be challenging for developers to fully maximise opportunities for biodiversity enhancement.

    “This new approach has the potential to ensure that environmental schemes benefit communities and result in landscape-scale improvements throughout the Highlands. It will also support the Council in addressing and mitigating environmental impacts more effectively as part of our commitment to sustainable development.”

    Next steps include finalising terms and pre-application fees, establishing a steering group to review and endorse schemes and developing monitoring and reporting structures to track the progress of endorsed environmental schemes.

    30 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Power plants’ emission caps to drop

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Government today published a technical memorandum in the Gazette with the aim of further reducing the emission allowances of air pollutants for power plants from 2030 onwards, thereby improving the air quality in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta region.

     

    Issued under the Air Pollution Control Ordinance, the Tenth Technical Memorandum for Allocation of Emission Allowances in Respect of Specified Licences (the Tenth TM) reduces the annual emission allowances of sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and respirable suspended particulates (RSPs) from the electricity sector from 2030 onwards at 2,302 tonnes, 8,350 tonnes and 317 tonnes respectively.

     

    The Environment & Ecology Bureau said it represents further tightening by 19%, 25% and 14% respectively when compared with the emission allowances for the electricity sector for 2026 set under the Ninth TM.

     

    The Tenth TM will be tabled at the Legislative Council on June 4 for commencement by the end of 2025.

     

    In accordance with the ordinance, the new set of emission allowances will come into effect on January 1, 2030.

     

    The bureau said it has taken into account various factors in setting the new emission allowances.

     

    Such factors include local electricity demand, the gas-fired electricity generation of the two power companies, the emission performance of existing generating units, the estimated import of nuclear power and clean energy, and the projected electricity intake from renewable energy sources.

     

    The Government has also been requiring the two power companies to adopt the best practicable means in their plants’ design and operational management to minimise emissions of air pollutants, the bureau added.

     

    Hong Kong’s air quality has been improving continuously in recent years.

     

    The ambient concentrations of SO2, nitrogen dioxide and RSPs recorded in 2024 had been reduced by 45% to 88% when compared with that in 2004.

     

    The number of hours of reduced visibility observed had also been greatly reduced by 82% from its peak in 2004.

     

    As emissions from the electricity sector accounted for 61%, 27% and 13% of the territory-wide emissions of SO2, NOx and RSPs respectively in 2022, the tightened emission allowances for power plants will help further improve the air quality in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta region.

     

    The bureau said it will review the technical memorandum again not later than 2027 to ensure timely revision of the emission allowances.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Campfire and private burn-off safety urged this coming long weekend

    Source:

    As Victorians head outdoors to enjoy the King’s Birthday long weekend, fire and land authorities are reminding campers and visitors to forests and parks to be safe around campfires.

    Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic) Chief Fire Officer Chris Hardman said with cooler temperatures settling in, it might feel like the fire risk has passed, but with parks and forests remaining dry, campfires can quickly escape and become devastating bushfires.

    After a warmer and drier-than-average autumn and normal rainfall expected this winter, the fire risk is higher than usual – particularly in parts of western, southwestern and southeastern Victoria.

    “Even at this time of year, just one unattended or poorly managed campfire can cause serious damage to the environment and put lives and property at risk,” Mr Hardman said.

    “This season, we’ve responded to more than 370 incidents involving campfires. This included the Boroka Lookout Fire, where an illegal campfire turned into a bushfire in difficult terrain, on the edge of the cliff diverting resources responding to bushfires in the Grampians National Park.

    “With a little extra care around your campfire this long weekend, we can keep forests and parks healthy and safe for everyone to enjoy.

    “Never leave a campfire unattended and use water to fully extinguish it – if it’s cool to touch it’s safe to leave.

    Chief Conservation Regulator Kate Gavens said: “Campfires are a cause of bushfires that are 100% preventable and our authorised officers will be visiting campsites throughout Victoria’s parks and forests to make sure everyone is following the rules so we can all have a safe and enjoyable long weekend.”

    Parks Victoria Executive Director of Operations Kylie Trott said: “We want people to get out and enjoy Victoria’s great outdoors, but unsafe campfires can have devastating consequences. It only takes one camper ignoring the rules to endanger the community and our environment.”  

    CFA Acting Chief Officer Garry Cook AFSM said while conditions over the weekend will also be an opportune time for residents to burn-off, extreme care should be taken to ensure enough water and resources are on hand to extinguish burns properly.

    “Escaped burn-offs, particularly in the current dry conditions, continue to cause significant concern and great risk to our communities across the state,” he said.

    “It is really important landowners have someone monitoring their fire activity at all times.  Although cooler days are arriving, now is not the time to be complacent.

    “This weekend, take a moment to check the wind forecast, ensure you’ve left ample room in your fire break and please register your burn-off online to help reduce unnecessary callouts to emergency services.”

    Before hitting the road, people should be familiar with local campfire regulations and safety measures to help protect the environment and local communities at https://www.vic.gov.au/campfires-stoves-and-bbqs. 

    People who breach campfire regulations on public land face a maximum penalty of $19,759 if the matter is prosecuted in court. The maximum penalty for lighting or maintaining a fire during a day of Total Fire Ban is $47,421.60 and/or 2 years in jail.   

    Report unattended campfires to 136 186 or call 000 to report a bushfire.    

    Remember, if you light it, you own it!

    Submitted by Lucy Bishop

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Speech: Meg O’Neill Address to the 2025 Australian Energy Producers Conference & Exhibition – Australian Energy Producers

    Source: Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association

    Headline: Speech: Meg O’Neill Address to the 2025 Australian Energy Producers Conference & Exhibition – Australian Energy Producers

    Thank you, Samantha, for that kind introduction.

    Welcome everyone to the 2025 Australian Energy Producers Conference!

    I’d like to begin by acknowledging the Jagera and Turrbal people as the traditional custodians of the land upon which we are meeting today.

    Thank you also to Shannon Ruska for that wonderful Welcome to Country.

    It was a fantastic way to open our conference and mark the start of National Reconciliation Week.

    Looking around at this room, it is great to see such strong support for our industry.

    Thank you to each and every one of you for the effort you have made to be here.

    It’s really valuable for us to come together and share knowledge and debate ideas, with the aim of constantly improving how we work, and how we can chart a brighter future for our industry and the nation in the years to come.

    We’ve already had some thoughtful speeches this morning.

    Thank you Sam for your dedication to promoting the great work of our members.

    And Minister King, thank you for your reflections and your strong advocacy for our industry.

    We look forward to continuing to work with you.

    I would also like to acknowledge that Senator Anthony Chisholm, Assistant Minister for Resources is here.

    Senator Chisolm, thank you for your attendance.

    Later this morning we’ll hear from former Australian Treasurer and Ambassador to the United States Joe Hockey and the Queensland Treasurer and Minister for Energy David Janetzki.

    I am very much looking forward to hearing their perspectives on the economic and energy challenges facing Australia, and nations around the world.

    I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Albanese Government on its election victory.

    Campaigning for office is not for the faint of heart. It takes passion, discipline and a belief in the idea that Australia can be better. I admire the commitment and endurance of those who run in modern-day elections.

    One vital pathway to building a brighter future for Australia is to ensure that we and our regional partners have the energy we need to build prosperity and succeed in the energy transition.

    So, I would also like to thank the Government for its clear acknowledgement of the critical role that gas plays in the Australian economy and in the nation’s trading relationships.

    The vital importance of gas has also been emphasised by the Liberals and Nationals, and we appreciate this bipartisan support.

    The Government’s Future Gas Strategy, led by Minister King, makes a powerful and compelling case for the role of gas in supporting the quality of life in Australia, and in providing energy security in our region.

    We thank the Minister for her leadership and vision in laying out this roadmap for Australia’s gas endowment.

    The opportunity now is to take real actions that deliver the Government’s Future Gas Strategy.

    And Minister King, you have our industry’s support in working together with all stakeholders to achieve this for the long-term.

    Celebration of the year’s success

    One of my favourite things about this conference is the chance to celebrate our industry’s success in helping meet Australia’s energy needs, and in delivering strong economic outcomes at local, state and national levels.

    I think it’s fitting we are here in Brisbane, because this year marks 10 years since the Queensland LNG industry began operating.

    It’s hard to imagine the Australian industry without our Queensland operators and I think we should celebrate this achievement with a round of applause.

    From the vast offshore fields of Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Victoria – to the rich onshore basins of Queensland, South Australia and New South Wales – and to the emerging basins such as the Perth Basin and the Beetaloo – Australia’s oil and gas industry stands as a powerhouse of innovation and economic strength.

    By exploring, developing and producing these resources, we play a critical role in providing the energy needed in Australia and the Asian region.

    But we cannot take this for granted.

    Reflection on Australia’s energy edge

    For decades, Australia’s vast energy resources have provided a major competitive advantage for the nation’s economy.

    In particular, safe, affordable and reliable domestic gas has helped underpin the success of many Australian businesses, especially in mining and manufacturing.

    While the LNG industry has made a significant contribution to Australia’s prosperity through taxes and royalties, skilled jobs, community support and economic development.

    KPMG analysis commissioned by AEP found the gas industry contributed 105 billion dollars to Australia’s gross domestic product and supported 215,000 ongoing jobs across the economy in 2021-22.

    This is in addition to taxes and royalties paid to Australian governments, which in 2023‑24 totalled an estimated 17.1 billion dollars.

    But our energy edge is at risk.

    This is evidenced by forecasts of looming supply shortfalls on both the east and west coasts and weakened investor confidence in investing in new supply.

    AEP has this week released a Wood Mackenzie report that analysed Australia as an investment destination.

    The study involved data analysis and a survey of CEOs of AEP member companies.

    It makes for sobering reading, confirming what many in this room already know.

    Certainty around Australia’s energy and climate policies, environmental regulation and timely approvals is critical to driving investment.

    95 per cent of respondents said they have had investments directly impacted by a change in government policy or regulation.

    Of these investments, a fifth did not proceed or were relocated outside of Australia, and almost half were significantly delayed.

    Learning from experiences in prior years, we have an opportunity now to create the foundations for the next wave of energy investment in Australia.

    We must continue to make the most of our natural resources and our ingenuity, so that we keep jobs and revenue in Australia.

    Implications

    What is also at stake is the nation’s ability to compete on the global stage for the industries of the future.

    These include artificial intelligence, data centres, critical minerals manufacturing and no doubt sectors we haven’t even imagined yet. All of which depend on reliable and affordable power.

    The recent blackouts in Spain and Portugal are a forceful reminder of the consequences of losing reliable supplies of energy, upon which we rely for our daily lives and jobs.

    While the causes of the blackouts are still being investigated, what we can see with certainty is that these events reinforce the need to focus on energy security and energy affordability, as well as – and not instead of – emissions reduction.

    All three matter.

    When we lose sight of any one of these, all three are at risk.

    I am encouraged by evidence – including the Government’s Future Gas Strategy – that policymakers are increasingly willing to recognise and speak up for the critical importance of natural gas, including as the stabilising partner to higher levels of renewables and as a lower emissions source of power than coal.

    I welcome more government policy decisions to reflect the strategy in practice.

    And I think it is time that the opponents of our industry face up to the fact that they are making the energy transition harder and more risky by slowing down investment and trying to take practical options off the table.

    If Australia loses its energy edge, we also lose opportunities to contribute to decarbonisation at home and abroad.

    As we know, when used to generate electricity, gas typically produces half the life cycle emissions of coal.

    Coal demand in the Asia Pacific continues to grow and drive up global emissions.

    This underlines why Australia must maximise opportunities to supply LNG to Asian customers who want to reduce their reliance on coal through a combination of gas and renewables.

    Furthermore, the opportunity to service growing demand for natural gas is one that Australia’s competitor nations will seize, if Australia is not able to take the opportunities before it.

    For example – we have seen significant pro-energy investment policy changes in the USA with the change in administration, and I am eager to hear Joe Hockey’s take on this.

    But no one doubts where the US stands on developing its natural resources – the President has declared an Energy Emergency, and prioritised development of the US’s energy resources – both for domestic use and for customers abroad.

    And there is genuine urgency to tackle permitting reform and make energy investment easier.

    Our offer and our ask

    All of us in this room recognise the enormous opportunity that Australia has to help meet essential energy needs – and the necessity of doing so responsibly.

    Australian Energy Producers’ message to policymakers here in Australia, is that we will play our part in supplying affordable, reliable energy to customers, while also tackling climate change.

    We are committed to doing this through innovation and collaboration.

    We are designing and operating out emissions from our assets, implementing CCS, and diversifying into new lower-carbon commodities and technologies.

    As a proof point – Australia now has two of the world’s largest CCS projects, with the Gorgon project having sequestered over 11 million tons of CO2 since it commenced operations, and the Moomba CCS project starting up last year.

    Something else we’re committed to is ensuring the public discussion about energy policy includes balance and facts.

    Through AEP’s advocacy, we are calling out misinformation and disinformation campaigns that seek to downplay our sector’s significant economic and tax contribution, and the essential role of gas in achieving decarbonisation goals.

    We appreciate government efforts to help build community understanding of the role of gas and foster support for what we deliver.

    It’s vital that people hear the facts about gas and understand its importance to their lives, the Australian economy and decarbonising Asia.

    By equipping people with knowledge about energy production, consumption and role in the energy transition, we make it harder for our opponents to spread misinformation, and easier to have the respectful policy debates that can lead to better industry and environmental outcomes.

    With a new federal parliament elected, it is an opportunity to finally cut red and green tape, to simplify and streamline Australia’s approvals system.

    Cutting red and green tape will promote innovation, and enable businesses to thrive.

    And it will create more jobs for Australians.

    Streamlining approvals will also drive the productivity growth Australia needs to remain competitive in an increasingly protectionist world.

    And in news hot off the press, it was a huge relief last week to see the Native Title Tribunal clear a path for Santos’s much-needed Narrabri gas development to go ahead.

    As an industry, we look forward to working with new Environment Minister Murray Watt as he takes on the critical role of ensuring energy development in Australia is conducted responsibly and sustainably.

    We acknowledge that Minister Watt is working through the process to take a decision on the North West Shelf extension and we look forward to an outcome.

    We all recognise that energy development must meet rigorous environmental standards and maintain the confidence of the community.

    The Government’s Future Gas Strategy is a clear roadmap for policy reform to ensure that these objectives are met as the nation’s resources are responsibly developed.

    This includes implementing clear and unambiguous offshore consultation rules.

    Regulatory loopholes are in no-one’s interests.

    The industry fully supports consulting with impacted traditional owners and other stakeholders – but the rules for consultation must be clear to provide predictable outcomes for all parties.

    It is also essential that exploration resume in earnest in Australia.

    This starts with regular offshore acreage licensing rounds, and clear regulations around the well-proven and safe technology of seismic surveys.

    We must get exploration going now to ensure the energy future of the 2030’s and 2040’s is secure.

    Conclusion

    In closing, Australia has the key ingredients to sustain its energy edge for decades to come.

    We have been gifted natural resource potential like few other nations.

    We have the talented, capable and motivated workforce we need to unlock the potential.

    We have a long track record of supporting downstream domestic industries and providing feedstock and energy to build Australia’s prosperity.

    We also have proximity to the world’s fastest growing energy markets, who are looking for secure, reliable supplies to power their own development.

    We have the opportunity now to build on the decades of success – unlocking new resources, powering a bright future, and doing so responsibly.

    There will be headwinds, but we have the resilience and the vision as an industry to ensure that Australia’s energy edge delivers for every Australian, for decades to come.

    Thank you everyone, I wish you a great conference.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: NAB backs farmers and Victorian Drought taskforce

    Source: Premier of Victoria

    NAB today announced its support for a new Victorian Drought Response Taskforce.

    NAB Group CEO Andrew Irvine said: “NAB is ready to play our role in helping farmers, their families and regional Victorian businesses and communities as they deal with the devastating impacts of the drought.

    “Multi-generational farmers who have been on the same land for over a century are telling us it is one of the worst droughts on record. Some of them are making the heart-breaking decision to reduce their stock because they can’t afford to feed them or provide enough water.  Businesses that service farms are hurting too.

    “It’s also vital we consider the mental health impacts for the farmers, their families, and those businesses and communities that support them.”

    NAB does a third of all lending to farmers and many NAB bankers live and farm in areas impacted by the drought. NAB’s Regional and Agribusiness Executive Khan Horne will represent NAB on the taskforce to provide the perspectives of customers.

    Mr Irvine said NAB was here to help any customer who needed financial support.

    “For any farmer or business, please call your bank.  The sooner you call the sooner we can help,” he said.

    Help may range from payment pauses, changes to your repayments and temporary relief from existing financial commitments. NAB can also provide access to mental health support for any customer who needs it.

    Environment

    SEE ALL TOPICS

    Media Enquiries

    For all media enquiries, please contact the NAB Media Line on 03 7035 5015

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for May 30, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on May 30, 2025.

    French politicians in New Caledonia to stir the political melting pot
    By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk French national politicians have been in New Caledonia as the territory’s future remains undecided. Leaders from both right-wing Les Républicains (LR) and Rassemblement National (RN), — vice-president François-Xavier Bellamy and Marine Le Pen respectively — have been in the French Pacific territory this week. They expressed

    Elon Musk promises more risky launches after sixth Starship failure
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Webb, Lecturer, Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology What goes up must come down, and earlier this week yet another of SpaceX’s Starships, the biggest and most powerful type of rocket ever built, came back down to Earth in spectacular fashion. In the

    Tracking crime from the cradle: why some people keep breaking the law while most of us never do
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ayda Kuluk, PhD Candidate in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Griffith University Alena Lom/Shutterstock A major Australian study tracking more than 80,000 Queenslanders from birth to adulthood reveals stark differences between men and women in patterns of criminal behaviour. These patterns offer insights into effective crime prevention strategies.

    Most of Australia’s conservation efforts ignore climate risks – here are 3 fixes
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yi Fei Chung, PhD Candidate in Environmental Policy, The University of Queensland Imagine replanting various native species only to have them die because the area is too hot or too dry. Or reconnecting woodland habitat only to lose large tracts to bushfire. Well, our new research suggests

    Earth’s seasonal rhythms are changing, putting species and ecosystems at risk
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Hernández Carrasco, PhD Candidate in Ecology, University of Canterbury Shutterstock/Colin Stephenson Seasonality shapes much of life on Earth. Most species, including humans, have synchronised their own rhythms with those of Earth’s seasons. Plant growth cycles, the migration of billions of animals, and even aspects of human

    Google is going ‘all in’ on AI. It’s part of a troubling trend in big tech
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zena Assaad, Senior Lecturer, School of Engineering, Australian National University Google recently unveiled the next phase of its artificial intelligence (AI) journey: “AI mode”. This new feature will soon be released as a new option to users of Google’s search engine in the United States, with no

    People with disability are dying from cancers we can actually prevent, our study shows
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yi Yang, Research Fellow, Social Epidemiology, Melbourne Disability Institute, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne Chona Kasinger/Disabled and Here, CC BY-SA People with disability are missing out on screening programs that could help detect cancer early, and after diagnosis, are less likely

    Researchers created a chatbot to help teach a university law class – but the AI kept messing up
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Armin Alimardani, Senior Lecturer in Law and Emerging Technologies, University of Wollongong Mikhail Nilov/ Pexels , CC BY “AI tutors” have been hyped as a way to revolutionise education. The idea is generative artificial intelligence tools (such as ChatGPT) could adapt to any teaching style set by

    NSW is again cleaning up after major floods. Are we veering towards the collapse of insurability?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Booth, Associate Professor of Human Geography, University of Tasmania Once again, large parts of New South Wales have been devastated by floods. It’s estimated 10,000 homes and businesses may have been damaged or destroyed and the Insurance Council of Australia reports more than 6,000 insurance claims

    Talk to Me was a rollercoaster, but the Philippou brothers’ Bring Her Back will trap you in a house of horrors
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Balanzategui, Associate Professor in Media, RMIT University A24 They may have only made two feature films so far, but Danny and Michael Philippou are already being hailed as Australia’s premiere horror auteurs. Their 2023 debut Talk To Me sparked a bidding war between distributors upon its

    Grattan on Friday: Trump, tariffs and the Middle East are looming challenges for Albanese
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Australia these days receives invitations to big-league international conferences. And so Anthony Albanese will be off soon to the G7 meeting in Alberta, Canada, on June 15-17. For the prime minister, what’s most important about this trip is not so

    Radical legal step towards ending impunity for Israel over killing Gaza journalists
    Pacific Media Watch Journalists have been targeted, detained and tortured by the Israeli military in Gaza — and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has now taken a new approach towards bringing justice these crimes. The Paris-based global media freedom NGO has submitted multiple formal requests to the International Criminal Court (ICC) asking that Palestinian journalists who

    New Australian data shows most of us have PFAS in our blood. How worried should we be?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian A. Wright, Associate Professor in Environmental Science, Western Sydney University New Africa/Shutterstock The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has this week released new data which tells us about the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Australians’ bodies. The data comes from concentrations measured in

    Labor gains Senate seats in Victoria and Queensland, and surges to a national 55.6–44.4 two-party margin
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Buttons have been pressed to electronically distribute preferences for the Senate in Victoria, the ACT, Queensland and Western Australia. Labor gained a seat from the Liberals in

    Influencer Andrew Tate is charged with a raft of sex crimes. His followers will see him as the victim
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Roberts, Professor of Education and Social Justice, Monash University British prosecutors have this week charged social media influencer Andrew Tate with a string of serious sexual offences, including rape and human trafficking, alleged to have been committed in the United Kingdom between 2012 and 2015. This

    How the North West Shelf expansion risks further damage to Murujuga’s 50,000-year-old rock art
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Smith, Professor of Archaeology (World Rock Art), School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Yesterday, new environment minister Murray Watt approved an extension for the North West Shelf liquefied natural gas project. The gas plant at Karratha, Western Australia, will run until 2070. This

    UNESCO expresses ‘utmost concern’ at the state of the Great Barrier Reef
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jon C. Day, Adjunct Principal Research Fellow, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee has again raised grave fears for the future of the Great Barrier Reef, highlighting the problems of water pollution, climate change and unsustainable fishing. The committee this week

    Trump’s global trade plans are in disarray, after a US court ruling on ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Stone, Credit Union SA Chair of Economics, University of South Australia A US court has blocked the so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs that US President Donald Trump imposed on imported goods from around 90 nations. This puts implementation of Trump’s current trade policy in disarray. The Court

    30 years ago Australia confronted its Stolen Generation past – then the Howard government blew it
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anne Maree Payne, Senior Research Fellow, Indigenous Land & Justice Research Group, UNSW Sydney May 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the national inquiry into the forcible removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families. Conducted by the Human Rights and

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Elon Musk promises more risky launches after sixth Starship failure

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Webb, Lecturer, Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology

    What goes up must come down, and earlier this week yet another of SpaceX’s Starships, the biggest and most powerful type of rocket ever built, came back down to Earth in spectacular fashion. In the sky above the Indian Ocean, it exploded.

    This was the ninth test flight for the rocket, and the third catastrophic failure in a row, just this year.

    Is this what we should expect from the very ship some are counting on to take humans further than we’ve ever been in the solar system? Or does this failure point to deeper concerns within the broader program?

    A decade of development

    The Starship program from Elon Musk’s space technology company, SpaceX, has been in development for more than a decade now and has undergone many iterations in its overall design and goals.

    The Starship concept is based upon the SpaceX Raptor engines to be used in a multistage system. In a multistage rocket system, there are often two or three separate blocks with their own engine and fuel reserves. These are particularly important for leaving Earth’s orbit and travelling to the Moon, Mars and beyond.

    With Starship, the key factor is the ability to land and reuse vast amounts of the rocket stages again and again. The company’s Falcon 9 vehicles, which used this model, were fantastically successful.

    Initial tests of Starship began in 2018 with two low-altitude flights showing early success. Subsequent flights have faced numerous challenges with now four complete failures, two partial failures and three successes overall.

    Just two days ago, during the latest failed attempt, I watched alongside over 200 other space industry experts at the Australian Space Summit in Sydney. Broadcast live on a giant screen, the launch generated an excited buzz – which soon turned to reserved murmurs.

    Of course, designing and launching rockets is hard, and failures are to be expected. However, a third catastrophic failure within six months demands a pause for reflection.

    On this particular test flight, as Starship positioned itself for atmospheric re-entry, one of its 13 engines failed to ignite. Shortly after, a booster appeared to explode, leading to a complete loss of control. The rocket ultimately broke apart over the Indian Ocean, which tonnes of debris will now call home.

    Polluting Earth in pursuit of space

    We don’t know the exact financial cost of each test flight. But Musk has previously said it is about US$50–100 million.

    The exact environmental cost of the Starship program – and its repeated failures – is even harder to quantify.

    For example, a failed test flight in 2023 left the town of Port Isabel, Texas, which is located beside the launch site, shaking and covered in a thick cloud of dirt. Debris from the exploded rocket smashed cars. Residents told the New York Times they were terrified. They also had to clean up the mess from the flight.

    Then, in September 2024, SpaceX was fined by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for 14 separate incidents since 2022 where the launch facilities discharged polluted water into Texas waterways. Musk denied these claims.

    That same month, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposed a fine of US$633,009 in civil penalties should be issued to SpaceX. This was on the grounds of using an unapproved launch control room and other violations during 2023. Musk denied these claims too and threatened to countersue the FAA for “regulatory overreach”.

    It’s unclear if this suit was ever filed.

    Two other failed launches in January and March this year also rained rocket debris over the Caribbean, and disrupted hundreds of commercial flights, including 80 which needed to be diverted and more than 400 requiring delayed takeoff to ensure they were entering safe air space.

    Success of different space programs

    Until last year, the FAA allowed SpaceX to try up to five Starship launches a year. This month, the figure was increased to 25.

    A lot can go wrong during a launch of a vehicle to space. And there is a long way to go until we can properly judge whether Starship successfully meets its mission goals.

    We can, however, look at past programs to understand typical success rates seen across different rocketry programs.

    The Saturn V rocket, the workhorse of the Apollo era, had a total of 13 launches, with only one partial failure. It underwent three full ground tests before flight.

    SpaceX’s own Falcon 9 rocket, has had more than 478 successful launches, only two in flight failures, one partial failure and one pre-flight destruction.

    The Antares rocket, by Orbital Sciences Corporation (later Orbital ATK and Northrop Grumman) launched a total of 18 times, with one failure.

    The Soyuz rocket, originally a Soviet expendable carrier rocket designed in the 1960s, launched a total of 32 times, with two failures.

    No sign of caution

    Of course, we can’t fairly compare all other rockets with the Starship. Its goals are certainly novel as a reusable heavy-class rocket.

    But this latest failure does raise some questions. Will the Starship program ever see success – and if so when? And what are the limits of our tolerance as a society to the pollution of Earth in the pursuit of the goal to space?

    For a rocketry program that’s moving so fast, developing novel and complex technology, and experiencing several repeated failures, many people might expect caution from now on. Musk, however, has other plans.

    Shortly after the most recent Starship failure, he announced on X (formerly Twitter, that the next test flights would occur at a faster pace: one every three to four weeks.

    Sara Webb does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Elon Musk promises more risky launches after sixth Starship failure – https://theconversation.com/elon-musk-promises-more-risky-launches-after-sixth-starship-failure-257726

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pallone Announces $266,000 for New Jersey to Monitor Beach Water Quality and Protect Public Health

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)

    Funding Supports Statewide Efforts to Keep Beaches Safe Under BEACH Act He Helped Author and Is Working to Reauthorize

    New Brunswick, NJ – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today announced that New Jersey will receive $266,000 in federal funding through the BEACH Act to monitor water quality at coastal beaches and notify the public when conditions are unsafe for swimming. The grant is part of a nationwide $9.7 million investment by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help states, Tribes, and territories keep recreational waters safe and clean.

    “New Jersey’s beaches are a cornerstone of our state’s identity, drawing millions of visitors every summer and powering our local economies,” Pallone said. “This funding ensures beachgoers can enjoy our shorelines with confidence, knowing that water quality is being rigorously monitored and that they’ll be informed if there are any health risks. I am fighting to reauthorize and strengthen the BEACH Act so states like New Jersey have the tools to protect public health and preserve our coastal environments for generations to come.”

    The funding comes on the heels of bipartisan legislation Pallone helped introduce earlier this year to reauthorize and expand the BEACH Act, which has played a critical role since 2000 in helping states like New Jersey test recreational waters and warn the public of potential contamination. The reauthorization bill increases eligible uses of grant funds to include identification of pollution sources, a change Pallone championed to help communities address contamination at its root.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray Meets with WA State Emergency Management Leaders, Hears How Trump’s Attacks on FEMA Threaten Emergency Response Ahead of Wildfire Season

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ICYMI: Senators Murray, Merkley, WA & Oregon Fire Officials Lay Out How Trump is Putting Wildfire Preparedness & Response at Risk

    ***PHOTOS AND B-ROLL FROM EVENT HERE***

    ***AUDIO HERE***

    Sultan, WA — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, held a roundtable discussion with emergency management leaders in Washington state to hear about the impacts of the Trump administration’s attacks on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other federal agencies, and how these changes are already affecting communities around the state as they respond and prepare for disasters. As climate change continues to increase the severity and unpredictability of natural disasters like wildfires, communities across Washington State need to be able to rely on help from the federal government to both respond to disasters and to prepare for them—but the Trump administration’s reckless and chaotic policy changes are putting that work in jeopardy. Joining Senator Murray for the roundtable were: Lucia Schmit, Emergency Management Director at Snohomish County; Julie de Losada, Chief of Emergency Management at Skagit County; Angel Cortez, Emergency Preparedness Manager at Tulalip Tribes; Hannah Cleverly, Washington State Emergency Management Association Secretary and Deputy Director at Grays Harbor County Emergency Management; Sharon Wallace, Deputy Director of the Washington State Emergency Management Division; Chandra Fox, Deputy Director at Spokane County Emergency Management; and Tony Miller, Director of Emergency Management at Yakima County.

    “I am incredibly grateful for all the work our emergency responders do to protect our families—whether it’s floods, tsunamis, wildfires, or mudslides—and I was glad to have the opportunity to hear from emergency management leaders today about the importance of planning and preparing for natural disasters before they strike,” said Senator Murray. “Unfortunately, we have a new administration that doesn’t understand that—and doesn’t seem to care if their policies put people in danger. Trump and his DHS Secretary want to eliminate FEMA completely. They are doing all they can to leave us less prepared by proposing to slash FEMA’s budget, pushing out thousands of employees, freezing funds that were already allocated, and cancelling BRIC grants and other critical programs. It is sending our communities reeling and creating painful and unnecessary chaos for disaster response efforts in Washington state and across the country. States rely on federal support, both to respond to disasters and prepare for them, and the Trump administration’s reckless policy changes have already put years of emergency management preparation work, and lives, at risk. I will keep shining a spotlight on how Trump’s senseless decisions to destroy our emergency management system are threatening the safety of our families and communities.”

    Under the Trump Administration, FEMA has undergone significant cuts to staff and funding reductions, leading to worries about the agency’s ability to respond and address disasters effectively. The Trump Administration has proposed to cut FEMA’s budget in the coming fiscal year, pushed out approximately 2,000 full-time staff, from terminations and employees participating in the deferred resignation program, roughly one-third of the total staff employed at the end of 2024, frozen over $100 billion in previously awarded FEMA grants and disaster assistance, and canceled the Building Resilience Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, which supports states, local and territorial governments, and Tribal Nations as they work to reduce their hazard risk. BRIC has invested over $5 billion in projects nationwide, reducing harm from floods, wildfires, and more. Senator Murray recently led a letter with Senators Van Hollen, Tillis, and Murkowski urging Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Acting FEMA Administrator David Richardson to reinstate the BRIC grant program—in Washington state, over $200 million in BRIC funding across 67 applications was impacted.

    “All disasters begin and end at the local level. This has always been true. But one of the things that makes this nation strong is how we all come together to help during the hard times,” said Lucia Schmit, Snohomish County Emergency Management Director. “When the slide buried the Steelhead Haven neighborhood and Highway 530 near Oso in 2014, killing 43, responders from over 120 organizations—including from other counties and states—waded into the mud. We were all able to work together because of the critical role the federal government plays in supporting a common emergency management system. To hazard that partnership courts disaster.”

    “I want to thank Senator Murray for her leadership at the federal level to ensure we are prepared for and can respond to emergencies of all types,” Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said. “Our county is no stranger to emergencies like landslide, floods, or fires. We live in a remarkably beautiful place, and that comes with the responsibility to limit risks and respond to needs in communities near powerful rivers, active volcanoes, and expansive forests. The federal government has been a key partner in that work, but proposed changes threaten to fracture that partnership. In the long run, I would expect reduced support for planning, mitigation, and recovery to cost our nation more, both in dollars and human suffering.”

    “Skagit County is facing increasingly complex threats such as coastal and riverine flooding, encroaching wildfires, and the potential for the Cascadian earthquake. We already have the frameworks in place to address these challenges with FEMA, but effective emergency management is only possible if federal agencies fulfill their obligation to being a reliable and enduring partner to local emergency responders. The federal government must not abandon communities during times of crisis, and we call on them to adhere to their responsibility to support local jurisdictions in emergency preparedness, response, and recovery,” said Julie de Losada, Skagit County Emergency Management Chief.

    “Tribes being a sovereign nation, each individually unique, comes with its own sets of challenges. The uncertainty of FEMA potentially being dismantled and pulling up critical funding leaves tribes in a position that makes it harder to implement mitigation strategies, plans, response and to recover in the event or prior to a disaster happening. Tribes also face a historical challenge with their local and state governments that you and I are both aware of,” said Angel Cortez, Emergency Preparedness Manager at Tulalip Tribes. “The reality of today is we need FEMA, and FEMA needs us. We need our states and local partners, and they need us too. None of us will be able to go through a major disaster alone. For disasters are not restricted to borders, political ideologies, or economic status.”

    “Whether you call it FEMA reform, change, restructuring, or transformation—what matters is that it’s thoughtful, strategic, incremental, and grounded in the real needs of our communities,” said Sharon Wallace, Deputy Director of Washington’s Emergency Management Division.

    “Effective and sustainable resilience in the face of wildland fire requires cooperation and collaboration across all levels of government.  We need to have engaged federal partners supporting our efforts in Public Education, Fuels Reduction, and Incident Management, as well as Response and Recovery,” said Chandra Fox, Deputy Director at Spokane County Emergency Management. “The Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) program provides essential funding to Fire Agencies and community partners, directly supporting fuels reduction and home hardening efforts at the local level.  Without this funding opportunity, these efforts would be severely curtailed, limiting their effectiveness and reach.”

    Senator Murray is a leading voice pushing back against the Trump administration’s attacks on FEMA and other federal agencies, including NOAA and the U.S. Forest Service, that support disaster preparedness and response in Washington state and across the country. At a budget hearing, Senator Murray grilled Secretary Kristi Noem on the Department of Homeland Security’s sweeping funding freeze, including FEMA disaster relief and public safety grants, and its plans to weaken FEMA and recent denials of disaster declarations. Last week, Senator Murray led Washington state’s entire congressional delegation in a letter President Donald Trump urging him to reconsider the denial of Washington state’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration as a result of the devastating windstorms, heavy rainfall, flooding, and mudslides caused by a bomb cyclone that struck Washington state in November 2024. Murray previously led the entire delegation in a letter urging President Biden to grant the request for a Major Disaster Declaration in January.

    Earlier this month, Senator Murray held a press conference with Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and wildfire officials in Washington state and Oregon to sound the alarm on how the Trump administration’s funding freezes and punishing cuts to the workforce at the U.S. Forest Service and other key agencies are seriously undermining wildfire preparedness and response in Washington state and Oregon and putting communities at risk. Senator Murray is working to secure critical investments in wildfire suppression and mitigation—and in our firefighters. Last year, as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, she secured nearly $22 million in funding for wildfire risk reduction projects across Washington state as part of the USFS Wildfire Crisis Strategy. In the Interior and Environment appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2024, she worked to include essential investments in wildfire preparedness and suppression. And in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, she secured $25 million in funding for wildfire mitigation projects across Washington state.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Most of Australia’s conservation efforts ignore climate risks – here are 3 fixes

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yi Fei Chung, PhD Candidate in Environmental Policy, The University of Queensland

    Imagine replanting various native species only to have them die because the area is too hot or too dry. Or reconnecting woodland habitat only to lose large tracts to bushfire.

    Well, our new research suggests those scenarios are entirely possible.

    We analysed the two most common ways to prevent overall biodiversity loss on private land in Australia. We found these efforts largely ignore climate risks such as fire, heat, drought and floods.

    Climate change is already threatening the survival of species. Unless conservation efforts are made more resilient to climate change, Australia’s aim to to reverse biodiversity loss could fail.

    What we found

    We examined two types of biodiversity measures in Australia. One is “biodiversity offsets”, which aim to compensate for damage caused by development. The other is voluntary conservation programs, including “conservation covenants”.

    We analysed 77 policy documents underpinning nine biodiversity offset policies and 11 voluntary conservation programs.

    Of the 77 documents, 84% did not consider the impact of climate change. What’s more, only 44% of biodiversity offset policies and 27% of voluntary conservation programs considered climate risk. Even then, they often lacked detail or tools to translate policy into real action on the ground.

    The most common climate adaptation strategies were:

    • safeguarding climate refuges
    • connecting habitat so wildlife can escape extreme heat, fires or droughts
    • targeting funding
    • avoiding offset sites vulnerable to threats such as sea-level rise.

    But most documents lacked details on implementing these strategies.

    We suggest three practical steps to ensure conservation efforts deliver lasting results in a changing climate.

    Few private land conservation programs or biodiversity offset policies took climate change into account.
    Chung, Y. F., et al, (2025) Biological Conservation

    1. Identify and protect climate refuges

    Climate refuges are areas somewhat shielded from the effects of climate change. Gullies, sheltered slopes and forests with good water supplies can help species survive during heatwaves and droughts.

    These places can provide a lifeline for endangered species and prevent local extinctions. Species may shelter in these areas during climate extremes and recolonise well-connected habitats when conditions improve.

    Protecting climate refuges by restricting land clearing or other damaging activities is a common climate adaptation strategy. We found it featured in six policy documents supporting voluntary conservation programs and biodiversity offsets across Australia. But few policy documents explain where these places are or how to protect them.

    For example, the New South Wales Biodiversity Conservation Investment Strategy lists climate refuges as high-priority assets under threat. The strategy says future investment should target these areas.

    But we found no explanation of how investments would be prioritised, or where to find that information. Without this detail, mentioning climate refuges in policy documents is little more than having good intentions.

    To be effective, refuges need to be mapped, prioritised and supported with appropriate protections and incentives. Nature law reform must strengthen protection of climate refuges to prevent further loss.

    Conservation programs could also specifically incentivise landholders to protect or restore refuges on their properties.

    Here’s how to protect Australia’s native species from climate change (The Climate Council)

    2. Promote the actions that build resilience

    On the ground, conservation actions must adapt to climate change. That could mean doing things differently. For example, planting species more likely to survive future climates, or connecting habitat so wildlife can move to new areas.

    While these strategies are well established, we only found three policy documents that mention them. One is the Heritage Agreement policy in South Australia. This offers guidance and potential funding to help landholders implement these actions.

    As Australia’s nature laws are reformed, funding commitments and conservation guidelines need to follow suit.

    Financial incentives or technical support could be offered to landholders for activities that build resilience. Biodiversity offset policies could also mandate conservation actions that improve climate resilience at offset sites.

    3. Adapting to climate change needs to link policy to on-ground action

    Our research found a clear gap between high-level intent and guidelines for on-ground actions. If they don’t line up, then conservation efforts risk falling short. Field programs may lack legal backing, or legislation may not translate into action where it matters most.

    Climate change should be considered at all levels of conservation policies – from high-level legislation to guidelines for implementing individual programs.

    Policies should include clear and consistent targets informed by climate risk. This should be supported by regulations ensuring compliance and practical guidelines for on-ground action.

    Voluntary conservation programs in New South Wales show how it can be done. State biodiversity conservation legislation includes conserving biodiversity under climate change as a key objective. This can then shape real-world programs. For example, the NSW Conservation Management plan echoes this climate commitment. It makes addressing climate change impacts one of the main targets.

    A chance to get it right

    National nature law reform and state reviews present an opportunity to future-proof Australia’s conservation policies.

    These policies must consider the accelerating pace of change and ensure adaptation is embedded through to action. Such actions must be clear, well-resourced, and equipped with practical tools government agencies and landholders can use.

    Otherwise, we risk making conservation policies unfit for the future – missing a golden opportunity to safeguard biodiversity.



    Read more:
    Want genuine progress towards restoring nature? Follow these 4 steps

    Yi Fei Chung receives funding from a UQ Research Training Scholarship. He is also involving in an Australian Research Council Linkage Project that receives financial and in-kind support from the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, the Biodiversity Conservation Trust, Tweed Shire Council, and the NSW Koala Strategy.

    Jonathan Rhodes receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the NSW Government, the Biodiversity Conservation Trust, Tweed Shire Council, the NSW Koala Strategy, and the Queensland Government.

    – ref. Most of Australia’s conservation efforts ignore climate risks – here are 3 fixes – https://theconversation.com/most-of-australias-conservation-efforts-ignore-climate-risks-here-are-3-fixes-257131

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Capito Applauds Unanimous SCOTUS Decision Tightening NEPA Requirements

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, applauded the unanimous decision from the Supreme Court of the United States in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County. Project opponents have used litigation over agencies’ obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to delay important projects, but today’s decision clearly narrows the scope of burdensome NEPA reviews, as well as the judicial review of those documents.

    Last September, Chairman Capito joined an amicus brief in the Supreme Court of the United States opposing the judicial expansion of NEPA, led by U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), with U.S. Senators Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), and Ted Cruz (R-Texas).

    “Today’s unanimous decision by the Supreme Court of the United States validates what my colleagues and I have long been saying, that NEPA obligations have been utilized beyond their scope to create roadblocks for infrastructure projects instead of protecting the environment. By focusing NEPA reviews on the impacts of the project at hand, instead of hypotheticals, we can move important infrastructure initiatives like pipelines, roads, and energy development swiftly to completion to benefit the communities they serve. The Court’s opinion also reins in lower courts’ reviews of the NEPA documents, which in many cases have unnecessarily invalidated projects by reviewing them under the wrong standard. This is a big win for permitting reform and will help states like West Virginia build again without endless litigation and needless delays,” Chairman Capito said.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Historic Garden of England protected with new sparkling National Nature Reserve

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Historic Garden of England protected with new sparkling National Nature Reserve

    Eighth Kings Series National Nature Reserve to be announced

    Credit: Michael Charlton

    • The North Kent Woods and Downs National Nature Reserve is home to around 1700 ancient and veteran trees, as well as a mosaic of natural habitats including wildflower meadows, rare arable plants and chalk grasslands.
    • Around 400,000 people live within 5 miles of the new reserve, and will have new opportunities to connect with this unique landscape.
    • First National Nature Reserve to include an organic and carbon-negative vineyard, bringing a boost for both nature recovery and the local economy.

    Kent has reaffirmed its reputation as the ‘Garden of England’ with the announcement of a new National Nature Reserve (30 May) boasting flagship species including, Man and Lady orchids, the Maidstone mining bee, Hazel dormouse and skylarks.

    The county is said to have been given its famous nickname by Henry VIII to acknowledge its beautiful green landscape and abundant supply of food and drink. While much has changed over the centuries, modern day visitors to the newly opened reserve will find that it is still worthy of this title. The site offers access to a rich mix of wildflower meadows, chalk grasslands and ancient woodlands which have maintained tree cover since the Tudor era.

    Many people have enjoyed the picturesque North Kent countryside, including Charles Dickens, who praised the fresh greenery and bustling wildlife of Kent, and frequently returned to the area in his writings, drawing inspiration from this idyllic landscape. The natural beauty of the area has now been put back in the spotlight with this declaration.

    Over 400,000 people live within five miles of the new North Kent Woods and Downs National Nature Reserve and 8 million people live just an hour’s drive away, making this opening an exciting opportunity for people to connect with internationally important nature. 

    The new National Nature Reserve covers 800 hectares, equivalent to over 1100 football pitches, and partners will be working to support conservation efforts beyond the boundary of the reserve, helping to create a joined-up approach to nature recovery for a further 1100 hectares in the surrounding area.

    Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England said:  

    Creating bigger, better and more joined up natural areas is one of the most vital and fundamental steps we must take in meeting our national targets for Nature’s recovery. This new reserve, with its hundreds of ancient trees set amid extensive chalk grasslands, lays the foundations for multiple partners to work together to improve Nature across a significant area of countryside. This reserve presents one further excellent example of the progress that can be made when people decide to work together across landscapes.

    Millions of people visit our National Nature Reserves and having a new one accessible to so many people and with such fantastic Nature is truly a cause for celebration.

    Nature Minister Mary Creagh said: 

    This new National Nature reserve will give people the opportunity to explore Kent’s magical landscapes from wildflower meadows to ancient woodlands.

    Reserves like this one, and others in the King’s Coronation Series, will deliver on our promise to improve access to nature and protect nature-rich habitats, as well as boosting the local economy in line with our Plan for Change.

    Alongside long-term management for the precious habitats found at the site, the declaration of the newest National Nature Reserve in the King’s Series also offers the prime example of how conservation and economic growth can go hand in hand. 

    The site is home to the Silverhand Estate, the largest single organic and carbon-negative vineyard in the UK. For organisations like Silverhand, a healthy natural environment is essential to business, which serves as a reminder that nature underpins all parts of our economy. 

    The creation of the reserve will offer a boost to tourism in the Garden of England, as National Nature Reserve status highlights the internationally important nature found in the area. More than 20 million people visit National Nature Reserves each year, helping to put the natural beauty and ecological importance of our landscapes in the spotlight and boost the visitor economy of the areas around them. 

    This new National Nature Reserve directly supports the government’s commitment to restore and protect our natural world by expanding nature-rich habitats where people can explore and wildlife can thrive.

    This is the 8th reserve to be launched as part of the King’s Series of National Nature Reserves, which will leave a lasting public legacy for people and nature by creating or extending 25 National Nature Reserves by 2027. 

    With support from Natural England and Kent Downs National Landscape, the Reserve will be managed by a number of partners including the National Trust, Woodland Trust, Kent County Council, Plantlife, Silverhand Estate (Vineyard Farms Ltd), and the West Kent Downs Countryside Trust. Affiliated partners include Gravesham Borough Council, Birling Estate, Shorne Parish Council, Tarmac and Forestry England. 

    ENDS 

    QUOTES PACK 

    Nick Johannsen, National Landscape Director, Kent Downs National Landscape:

    The North Kent Woods and Downs National Nature Reserve is especially exciting because of the sheer scale, nearly 20 square kilometres of land managed for nature, people, its beauty and history and for scientific research and so close to the urban centres of Gravesend and the Medway Towns.

    Many partners from the public, private, community and charity sectors are working together here, on some of the very best sites for wildlife in England. Together we have committed to work for nature recovery and connect our land. Our partnership has worked for over 2 years to develop a vision for the NNR and carry out detailed research and development. This crucial stage has been supported by the National Highways Designated Funds. Our friends in Natural England guided the proposal through the legal processes and we’ve done it!

    A fantastic new National Nature Reserve in the Kent Downs National Landscape. This launch celebrates all of the work done so far, and will provide added momentum to make more positive change on the ground, securing more flourishing nature and engaging with more and more diverse communities.

    Ben Sweeney, Ranscombe Farm Reserve Manager, Plantlife:

    It is truly exciting that Ranscombe Farm, Plantlife’s flagship nature reserve, is now part of such a concerted effort to bring together conservation, community and sustainable land use at the landscape scale. Ranscombe Farm, a wonderful patchwork of arable fields, ancient woodland and chalk grasslands, is a globally significant place for wild plants and other wildlife.

    Not only is Ranscombe the last wild UK site for Corncockle, it also harbours the largest population of the endangered Broad-leaved cudweed and a wide variety of rare wild orchids. But it is much more than just a treasure trove of rare and threatened plants; visitors are welcome to enjoy 10 miles of footpaths through the mosaic of habitats covering over 600 acres and marvel at the stunning displays of poppies in June and July.

    Gary Smith, CEO, Silverhand Estate:

    We are delighted to be a part of and working alongside the NNR. Sustainability, regenerative farming and protection of the landscape is at the heart of everything we do on our Estate. The work our conservation team does has had an enormously positive impact on the local landscape and we are excited to be able to share this with the community going forward.

    Cllr Emma Morley, Gravesham Borough Council’s cabinet member for operational services:

    We are blessed to have such beautiful and historically significant landscapes within our borough, which are rightly being recognised through the creation of this NNR. Nature does not recognise human boundaries, and so we look forward to working with the various partners and colleagues to protect and nurture this extensive, beautiful and fascinatingly varied reserve, allowing generations to come to enjoy its beauty.

    Jenny Scholfield, Regional Director at the Woodland Trust: 

    We are delighted that Ashenbank Wood, a SSSI site with ancient woodland, veteran trees and home to rare and declining species including the hazel dormouse, is part of the new National Nature Reserve in North Kent.

    For over 40 years Woodland Trust has been caring for and managing this site for trees, wildlife and people and we are pleased that Ashenbank is recognised and protected as an important part of the Kent landscape as part of this initiative. We are looking forward to further collaboration with the NNR partners to strengthen our efforts for nature recovery across this unique landscape.

    Jonathan Ireland, Lead Ranger at National Trust, Cobham Woods:

    Cobham Wood’s inclusion in the North Kent Woods and Downs National Nature Reserve is a significant step in safeguarding one of Kent’s most precious landscapes. This ancient woodland, home to centuries-old veteran trees and a rich diversity of wildlife, provides a vital habitat for rare species, from saproxylic invertebrates to nesting birds.

    Through this pioneering partnership and shared learnings, we can ensure the continued restoration of its historic wood pasture, allowing nature to flourish while welcoming visitors to experience its beauty firsthand. By working together across a landscape scale, we are creating a connected and resilient environment where biodiversity can thrive, ensuring Cobham Wood is protected for future generations to explore and enjoy.

    Simon Jones, Corporate Director, Growth, Environment and Transport for Kent County Council, said:

    At the heart of the National Nature Reserve is a partnership working together as one area, sharing work, knowledge and planning for the whole ecosystem to be connected as opposed to working in individual areas. Shorne Woods and Trosley Country Parks are part of the NNR and are home to flagship species such as orchids, arable plants, dormice, great crested newts and spectacular veteran trees, each playing a vital role in the ecosystem.

    The ambition for the NNR partnership is to make a positive change at landscape scale and enhance the vitality of these communities, giving them greater access and awareness of first-class green spaces on their doorstep. Some of Kent’s more deprived areas fall within five miles of the NNR. The social ambitions of the partners include linking the landscape and its urban residents and inviting them to discover what is on their doorstep.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Wānaka bridges ‘fit for a King’ to reopen this weekend

    Source: NZ Department of Conservation

    Date:  30 May 2025

    Yesterday a small group of Makarora residents and conservation groups met to admire the bridges and upgraded Blue Pools Track walkway located 70 km north of Wānaka.

    DOC Operations Manager Charlie Sklenar says the occasion warrants a royal celebration after a two-year slog involving engineers, contractors, specialists, geotechnical consultations, unexpected complexities and a lot of hard work.

    “In May 2023 engineering reports on Blue Pools and Rob Roy bridges showed they needed to be upgraded for public safety, while Makarora’s swing bridge had to be completely replaced. We closed all three to get the work done.

    “In peak summer season 550 people a day cross the Blue Pools and Makarora bridges. At times 75 people would cross the bridges each hour, and visitors were regularly exceeding the signposted ‘safe number of people to cross’ advice. We needed to ensure these structures were safe for the public.”

    Upgrades included:

    • a new longer Makarora swing bridge with higher capacity,
    • a 160-metre-long elevated board walk, and
    • extensive upgrades to the Blue Pools bridge offering an improved experience for visitors.

    “We are so fortunate to have the stunning clear waters, native forest and dramatic alpine scenery of Tititea Mt Aspiring National Park on our doorstep,” says Charlie.

    “These upgrades mean people can safely experience this special place for years to come and do so in a way that protects nature.

    “It’s an investment that preserves our natural taonga species and supports our local communities who rely on outdoor recreation and tourism.”

    Yesterday was a big day for the Makarora community, with a parallel celebration for the opening of the 1.1 km Charteris Track in nearby Makarora township.

    Built by the Upper Clutha Tracks Trust on land donated by Makarora resident Gary Charteris, the track is a valuable last link in a loop that takes in the Makarora township.

    Note: Reminder Blue Pools and Makarora bridges are not officially open to the public until Saturday 31 May. Contractors may still be site.

    Visitors should check the DOC website before heading out.

    Blue Pools Track: Mount Aspiring National Park, Otago region

    Contact

    For media enquiries contact:

    Email: media@doc.govt.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Terms of Reference Inquiry into Ports and the Maritime Sector

    Source: New Zealand Parliament –

    New Zealand’s ports (both marine and inland) and maritime sectors plays a crucial role in global trade, transportation, and economic development.

    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee will establish an Inquiry into the Ports and Maritime Sectors to examine the current state, challenges, and future opportunities within the ports and maritime sectors. The Inquiry will focus on:

    1. Economic Contribution and Efficiency
      • Assessing the contribution of ports and maritime industries to trade, logistics, and both regional and national economic development. This includes the scale, nature of operations, and markets of ports around New Zealand.
      • Understanding how ports and related infrastructure interact with other marine fleets operating in New Zealand (such as the national fishing fleet).
      • Investigating instances where competition between ports may be affected by market distortions.
    2. Infrastructure and Investment needs
      • Evaluating the adequacy of existing infrastructure and identifying key investment priorities to support future growth.
      • Reviewing the interface between ports and the relevant parts of the land and maritime transport system.
      • Examining the current and potential role of coastal shipping within New Zealand’s broader transport network.
      • Looking into the adequacy and locations of drydock facilities.
      • Reviewing technological developments in the sector and how these can help support the sector’s growth.
      • Looking into the safety practices, both in ports and on the sea.
      • Understanding the consenting environment facing ports.
    3. Regulation, Governance, and Ownership of Ports
      • Reviewing the current regulatory frameworks, funding, ownership, and governance structures to ensure effective oversight and coordination.
      • Examining the role of Maritime New Zealand in regulating the maritime sector.
    4. Environmental Sustainability
      • Investigating the environmental impact of the sector
      • Understanding the sector’s progress toward decarbonisation.
      • Reviewing the climate resilience of the sector.
    5. Workforce and Skills Development
      • Considering the workforce capacity, training and education pipeline, and labour market challenges facing the industry.
    6. Security and Supply Chain Resilience
      • Examining the sector’s role in national security, emergency response, and supply chain continuity.
      • Understanding international shipping and supply arrangements.

    The committee will gather evidence through public submissions, hearings, and stakeholder consultations, and report its findings and recommendations to Parliament.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Earth’s seasonal rhythms are changing, putting species and ecosystems at risk

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Hernández Carrasco, PhD Candidate in Ecology, University of Canterbury

    Shutterstock/Colin Stephenson

    Seasonality shapes much of life on Earth. Most species, including humans, have synchronised their own rhythms with those of Earth’s seasons.

    Plant growth cycles, the migration of billions of animals, and even aspects of human culture – from harvest rituals to Japanese cherry blossom viewings – are dictated by these dominant rhythms.

    However, climate change and many other human impacts are altering Earth’s cycles. While humans can adapt their behaviour by shifting the timing of crop harvests or Indigenous fire-burning practices, species are less able to adapt through evolution or range shifts.

    Our new research highlights how the impacts of shifting seasons can cascade through ecosystems, with widespread repercussions that may be greater than previously thought.

    This puts species and ecosystems at risk the world over. We are still far from having a full picture of what changes in seasonality mean for the future of biodiversity.

    Almost every ecosystem on Earth has seasons

    From tropical forests to polar ice caps and abyssal depths, the annual journey of Earth around the Sun brings distinct seasons to all corners of the planet.

    These seasonal rhythms shape ecosystems everywhere, whether through monsoonal rains in equatorial regions or the predictable melt of snowpack in mountain ranges.

    But the seasonality of these processes is changing rapidly due to local human impacts. This includes dams in many rivers, which completely and abruptly disrupt their natural flow, and deforestation, which changes the timing of the onset of the rain season.

    These local influences are compounded by climate change, which is systematically modifying seasonal patterns in snow cover, temperature and rainfall around the world.

    Monsoon rains represent one of Earth’s major seasonal cycles.
    Shutterstock/Milju varghese

    From the earlier seasonal melting of glaciers and the snowpack to the disruption of monsoonal rain cycles, the effects of these changes are being felt widely.

    Many important ecological processes we rely on could be affected. A mismatch between plankton blooms and the life cycles of fish could affect the health of fisheries. Tourism dependent on seasonal migrations of large mammals could suffer. Even the regulation of the climate system itself is tightly controlled by seasonal processes.

    Changing seasonality threatens to destabilise key ecological processes and human society.

    Evolutionary adaptations to seasonal fluctuations

    The seasonal rhythms of ecosystems are obvious to any observer. The natural timing of annual flowers and deciduous trees – tuned to match seasonal variations in rainfall, temperature and solar radiation – transforms the colours of whole landscapes throughout the year.

    The arrival and departure of migratory birds, the life cycle of insects and amphibians, and the mating rituals of large mammals can completely change the soundscapes with the seasons.

    These examples illustrate how seasonality acts as a strong evolutionary force that has shaped the life cycles and behaviour of most species. But, in the face of unprecedented changes to Earth’s natural rhythms, these adaptations can lead to complex negative impacts.

    Snowshoe hares are struggling to adapt to shifts in the timing of the first snowfall and melt.
    Shutterstock/Karen Hogan

    For instance, snowshoe hares change coat colour between winter and summer to blend in with their surroundings and hide from predators. They are struggling to adapt to shifts in the timing of the first snow and snowmelt. The impact of changing seasonality on hare populations is linked with changes in predation rates. But predators themselves may also be out of sync with the new onset of seasons.

    Our research highlights that these kinds of complex interactions can propagate impacts through ecosystems, linking individual species’ seasonal adaptations to broader food web dynamics, or even ecosystem functions such as carbon sequestration.

    Although biologists have studied seasonal processes for centuries, we know surprisingly little about how they mediate any ecological impacts of altered seasonality. Our findings show we are likely underestimating these impacts.

    The distinct mechanisms involved deserve further attention. Until we account for these complex processes, we risk overlooking important ecological and human consequences.

    The more we understand, the better prepared we are

    Understanding the extent to which impacts of altered seasonality can interact and propagate from individuals to whole ecosystems is a big challenge. It will require different types of research, complex mathematical modelling and the design of new experiments. But it is not easy to manipulate the seasons in an experiment.

    Scientists have come up with inventive ways of experimentally testing the effects of altered seasonality. This includes manually removing snow early in spring, manipulating rainfall patterns through irrigation and moving plants and animals to places with different seasonality.

    Some researchers have even recovered seeds from centuries-old collections to sprout them and look at how recent changes in climate have affected plant populations.

    These efforts will be of great value for forecasting impacts and designing effective management strategies beneficial for ecosystems and humans alike. Such efforts help to anticipate future shocks and prioritise interventions.

    For instance, understanding the mechanisms that allow native and non-native species to anticipate seasonal changes has proven useful for “tricking” non-native plants into sprouting only in the wrong season. This gives an advantage to native plants.

    Similarly, studies on the molecular mechanisms involved in the response to seasonality can help us determine whether certain species are likely to adapt to further changes in seasonal patterns. This research can also point out genes that could be targeted for improving the resilience and productivity of crops.

    Not only are we likely underestimating the ecological risks of shifting seasons, we tend to forget how much our everyday lives depend on them. As Earth’s rhythms change, the risks multiply. But so does our opportunity to better understand, anticipate and adapt to these changes.

    Daniel Hernández Carrasco receives funding from a Doctoral Scholarship by the University of Canterbury.

    Jonathan Tonkin receives funding from a Rutherford Discovery Fellowship administered by the Royal Society Te Apārangi and the Centres of Research Excellence Bioprotection Aotearoa and Te Pūnaha Matatini.

    – ref. Earth’s seasonal rhythms are changing, putting species and ecosystems at risk – https://theconversation.com/earths-seasonal-rhythms-are-changing-putting-species-and-ecosystems-at-risk-257660

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Applauds EPA for Awarding Nearly $4 Million in Grants to Clean Up Communities Across Kansas

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) released the following statement after U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the selection of nearly $4 million in Brownfields Grants to clean up Kansas communities.
    “I am grateful to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin for awarding nearly $4 million to the Sunflower State,” Senator Marshall said. “This funding will help us revitalize our communities, create opportunities for growth, and protect Kansans’ health. Thanks to President Donald Trump’s leadership, the EPA is restoring American greatness by ensuring we have the cleanest air, land, and water while being good stewards of American taxpayer dollars.”
    “The $267 million in Brownfield Grants will transform contaminated properties into valuable spaces for businesses and housing, creating new opportunities that strengthen local economies and directly benefit American families,” EPA Administrator Zeldin said. “EPA’s Brownfields program demonstrates how environmental stewardship and economic prosperity complement each other. Under President Trump’s leadership, EPA is Powering the Great American Comeback, ensuring our nation has the cleanest air, land, and water while supporting sustainable growth and fiscal responsibility.”
    EPA Region 7 Administrator Jim Macy, Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Janet Stanek, and Mitchell County Economic Development Director Emily Benedick also joined Senator Marshall and EPA Administrator Zeldin in releasing the following statements.
    “EPA Region 7 is proud to work with our partners across the state of Kansas, advancing cooperative federalism and empowering local and state partners to take the lead in revitalizing their communities,” EPA Region 7 Administrator Jim Macy said. “This collaborative approach ensures fiscal responsibility, promotes economic development, and transforms potentially contaminated properties into clean, usable land that supports long-term growth and sustainability.”
    “The Community Wide Assessment Grant for State and Tribal will help increase property values and create jobs across Kansas,” Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Janet Stanek said. “Receiving these substantial dollars to support the redevelopment of brownfields throughout the state not only benefits the environment, but it elevates communities and industries by turning underutilized and vacant properties into productive ones. This is a win for the entire state.”
    “The City of Beloit is incredibly grateful and excited to receive EPA Brownfield Cleanup funding. This funding enables our community to repurpose two vacant buildings into housing, a critical need in our rural community,” Mitchell County Economic Development Director Emily Benedick said. “This grant gives us the peace of mind to know we are providing a safe environment for future housing development.”
    The following organizations in Kansas have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding:

    The City of Beloit has been selected to receive $418,620. Grant funds will be used to clean up the Kansas Industrial School Campus, located at 1720 N. Hersey Avenue. The 0.8-acre cleanup site operated as a juvenile detention center for girls and has been vacant since 2009. It is contaminated with inorganic contaminants. Grant funds will also be used to conduct community engagement activities.
    The Flint Hills Regional Council has been selected to receive $1 million. The grant will be used to capitalize a revolving loan fund (RLF), from which Flint Hills Regional Council Inc. will provide up to three loans and up to two subgrants to support cleanup activities. Grant funds will also be used to establish the RLF, market the program, and support community engagement activities. RLF activities will focus on Chase, Geary, Lyon, Morris, Pottawatomie, Riley, and Wabaunsee counties, with a focus on the cities of Herington, Junction City, and Manhattan.
    The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has been selected to receive $2 million. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct 116 Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds will also support the development of at least three cleanup plans and at least one community meeting annually, with each community to provide general updates on the grant. The target area for this grant includes the Oak Grove neighborhood in Kansas City and the cities of Eureka and El Dorado. Priority sites include Land Bank properties in Oak Grove; a former horse racetrack, a former nursing home, sites adjacent to the existing fire department to accommodate its expansion, Memorial Hall, and the former Masonic Lodge in Eureka; and the Grizzly Development in El Dorado.
    The City of Topeka has been selected to receive $500,000. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct eight Phase I and three Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds will also be used to inventory brownfield sites and support reuse planning and community engagement activities. The target area for this grant is the City of Topeka. Priority sites include the 36-acre, former White Lakes Mall and two former schools.

    Background:
    EPA’s Brownfields program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.9 billion in Brownfield Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. To date, brownfield investments have leveraged over $42 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. Over the years, the relatively small investment of federal funding created over 220,500 jobs from both public and private sources.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PRESS RELEASE: Congresswoman Barragán Calls on JCI Jones Chemicals to Improve the Safety of Harbor Gateway Facility

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    May 29, 2025
    Contact: Jin.Choi@mail.house.gov

    Congresswoman Barragán Calls on JCI Jones Chemicals to Improve the Safety of Harbor Gateway Facility

    Harbor Gateway, CA – Last week, Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (CA-44) sent a letter to JCI Jones Chemicals, Inc. (JCI) to express concern with the company’s repeated failure to properly maintain equipment and address other unsafe conditions at their chemical plant in Harbor Gateway. 

    In the letter, the Congresswoman raised alarm with Clean Air Act violations and other safety issues identified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during past inspections of JCI’s facility in Harbor Gateway. Unsafe conditions found during the last site inspection in 2024 included corroded pipes and valves, a dilapidated roof structure, improper storage of hazardous materials. Additionally, the Congresswoman expressed concerns with the company’s lack of progress toward meeting an updated requirement of the federal Risk Management Program (RMP) for nearly 12,000 chemical plants nationwide, including the JCI facility in Harbor Gateway, to install community notification systems. 

    To address these concerns and improve the safety of the facility, the Congresswoman requested JCI to commit to the RMP regulations by maintaining all equipment on site, fully enclose the facility with proper equipment to mitigate an accidental chemical release, provide an update in the next sixty days on JCI’s plans to install a community notification system, and engage with the local community on the company’s actions to improve the safety of the facility. 

    “My constituents and I are alarmed that JCI has not made greater efforts to improve the safety of this facility where hazardous materials are stored and moved through for transit to other locations,” wrote Congresswoman Barragán. “These conditions are unsafe and unacceptable.”

    Read the full letter HERE.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Joins Bicameral Legislation to Require the Supreme Court to Adopt Binding and Enforceable Code of Ethics

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    Congress, the executive branch, all lower federal courts, and every state supreme court have ethics guardrails and a mechanism for enforcing ethics rules
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and U.S. Representative Hank Johnson (D-GA-04) in reintroducing the bicameral Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency (SCERT) Act, legislation to require Supreme Court justices to adopt a binding code of conduct and create a mechanism to investigate alleged violations of the code of conduct and other laws. The SCERT Act would improve disclosure and transparency when a justice has a connection to a party or amicus before the Court, end the practice of justices ruling on their own conflicts of interests, and require justices to explain their recusal decisions to the public. 
    “Vermonters I talk with don’t understand why Supreme Court justices are allowed to accept lavish private airplane travel and yacht vacations from billionaires. It’s no surprise that these ethical problems have shattered public trust in our nation’s most powerful court,” said Senator Welch. “This ethics legislation is unfortunately necessary, because the Supreme Court will not do what it has the responsibility to do. This is a long-overdue step, and one my Republican colleagues should support.” 
    “Supreme Court justices have repeatedly gotten caught red-handed receiving extravagant gifts from politically active billionaires and refusing to report the gifts as required by law. It’s not even clear proper taxes were paid. Despite these ethical problems, the Court does not allow basic fact-finding regarding the justices’ behavior, or any neutral process to resolve ethics questions,” said Senator Whitehouse. “This Court has repeatedly proven that it cannot police itself, so it’s time for fair and transparent guardrails, with clear procedures for receiving, investigating, and resolving ethics complaints. With Trump’s persistent improper pressure on the judiciary, it’s now urgent to get this right.” 
    “A judiciary whose members are accountable for their conduct, that is transparent to its citizens, and that is free from bias or partiality is truly independent,” said Representative Johnson. “Americans need to feel confident that when serious concerns arise, the judiciary can diligently investigate and correct judicial misconduct, no matter who might be implicated. That is a judiciary whose judgements will be accepted, observed, and respected. An independent judiciary is crucial to our democracy now more than ever.” 
    In the last two years, reporting from ProPublica and the New York Times has exposed Justice Clarence Thomas’s long record of accepting undisclosed gifts from politically active right-wing billionaires. Further reporting from ProPublica found that Justice Samuel Alito accepted private jet travel to an all-expenses-paid vacation from a hedge fund billionaire who had contributed over $80 million to Republican political organizations and had business before the Court. Justice Alito’s luxury vacation was organized by Leonard Leo, the engineer of the current right-wing Supreme Court supermajority at the behest of a cadre of right-wing billionaires and special interests. 
    The SCERT Act would address these ethical shortfalls and help restore Americans’ faith in the judicial branch. The bill would: 
    Develop a Process for Enforcement of a Code of Conduct 
    Require the Supreme Court to adopt a code of conduct within 180 days; 
    Require the Supreme Court to publish its code of conduct and any other rules or procedures related to ethics, financial disclosure, and judicial misconduct; 
    Require the Supreme Court to create a transparent process for the public to submit ethics complaints against the justices, and for a random panel of chief judges from the lower courts to investigate and make recommendations based on those complaints; 
    Require safeguards modeled on the lower courts’ complaints process to deter and punish frivolous ethics complaints. 
    Improve Gift Rules and Transparency 
    Require the Supreme Court to adopt rules requiring disclosure of gifts, travel, and income received by justices and law clerks that are at least as rigorous as the House and Senate disclosure rules; 
    Require the rules for what gifts justices can accept to be as restrictive as Congress’s; 
    Require greater disclosure of amicus curiae funding; 
    Require parties and amici curiae before the Supreme Court to disclose any recent gifts, travel, or reimbursements they’ve given to a justice; 
    Require parties and amici curiae before the Supreme Court to disclose any lobbying or money they spent promoting a justice’s confirmation to the Court. 
    Strengthen Recusal Requirements 
    Create new recusal requirements governing gifts, income, or reimbursements given to judges; 
    Create new recusal requirements governing a party’s lobbying or spending money to campaign for a judge’s confirmation; 
    Ensure that requests for a judge to recuse are reviewed by a panel of randomly selected, impartial judges, or by the rest of the justices at the Supreme Court; 
    Require written notification and explanations of recusal decisions; 
    Require the judiciary to develop rules explaining when a judge’s connection to an amicus curiae brief might require recusal; and 
    Require the Federal Judicial Center to study and report to Congress every two years on the extent to which the judiciary is complying with recusal requirements. 
    Late last year, the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts released a report that found every state supreme court (or equivalent high court) subjects its judges or justices to ethics reviews—similar to the processes that apply to all federal judges except the Supreme Court under the Judicial Conduct and Disability Act. The SCERT Act would eliminate this loophole by establishing an ethics review process for the Supreme Court. 
    In addition to Senators Welch and Whitehouse, the legislation is cosponsored by Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).  
    The Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency (SCERT) Act is endorsed by Accountable.US/Accountable.NOW, Common Cause, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Citizens United/Let America Vote, Demand Justice, Fix the Court, New York City Bar Association, People’s Parity Project, League of Conservation Voters, Court Accountability Action, Free Law Project, American Governance Institute, Lawyers for Good Government, Public Citizen, and Stand Up America.  
    As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Welch continues to push for transparency and ethics reform at the U.S. Supreme Court. Last year, Senator Welch led his colleagues in introducing the High Court Gift Ban Act, bicameral legislation that would ban Supreme Court Justices from receiving gifts valued at over $50 and help strengthen ethical standards of the Supreme Court. In October 2011, Senator Welch joined 45 of his then-House colleagues in sending a letter to the House Judiciary Committee urging the investigation of outstanding ethical questions surrounding the court. 
    Read and download the full text of the SCERT Act. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Lead the Charge to Establish Binding Code of Ethics for U.S. Supreme Court

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

    May 29, 2025

    Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act would require the Supreme Court to adopt a binding and enforceable code of ethical conduct; Congress, the executive branch, all lower federal courts, and every state supreme court have ethics guardrails and a mechanism for enforcing ethics rules

    Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today they joined their colleagues to reintroduce the bicameral Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency (SCERT) Act. The legislation would require Supreme Court justices to adopt a binding code of conduct and create a mechanism to investigate alleged violations of the code of conduct and other laws. Led by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and U.S. Representative Hank Johnson (D-GA), the SCERT Act would improve disclosure and transparency when a justice has a connection to a party or amicus before the Court, end the practice of justices ruling on their own conflicts of interests, and require justices to explain their recusal decisions to the public.

    “All Supreme Court justices should be held to a binding code of ethics, just like all other federal judges, the executive branch, and Members of Congress,” said Merkley. “Thanks to the Federalist Society, the highest court in the land has become compromised, pushing a right-wing, corporate viewpoint above all else. To restore a government in service of the people—not the powerful—it’s clear we need to pass the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act.”

    “It’s imperative the U.S. Judicial Branch serve its Constitutional duty to uphold laws set by Congress, not accept lavish gifts from constituents scheming to curry favor with the court,” said Wyden. “I’ve been watchdogging Clarence Thomas’ unethical acceptance of gifts and sounding the alarm that he and any other judge who won’t recuse themselves in cases where they have a vested interest are compromising their oaths to defend the Constitution. If they won’t recuse themselves, we must prevent any egregious breach of ethics by passing the Supreme Court Ethics, Recuse and Transparency Act.”

    In the last two years, reporting from ProPublica and the New York Times has exposed Justice Clarence Thomas’s long record of accepting undisclosed gifts from politically active right-wing billionaires. Further reporting from ProPublica found that Justice Samuel Alito accepted private jet travel to an all-expenses-paid vacation from a hedge fund billionaire who had contributed over $80 million to Republican political organizations and had business before the Court. Justice Alito’s luxury vacation was organized by Leonard Leo, the engineer of the current right-wing Supreme Court supermajority at the behest of a cadre of right-wing billionaires and special interests.

    The SCERT Act would address these ethical shortfalls and help restore Americans’ faith in the judicial branch. The bill would:

    Develop a Process for Enforcement of a Code of Conduct

    • Require the Supreme Court to adopt a code of conduct within 180 days;
    • Require the Supreme Court to publish its code of conduct and any other rules or procedures related to ethics, financial disclosure, and judicial misconduct;
    • Require the Supreme Court to create a transparent process for the public to submit ethics complaints against the justices, and for a random panel of chief judges from the lower courts to investigate and make recommendations based on those complaints;
    • Require safeguards modeled on the lower courts’ complaints process to deter and punish frivolous ethics complaints.

    Improve Gift Rules and Transparency

    • Require the Supreme Court to adopt rules requiring disclosure of gifts, travel, and income received by justices and law clerks that are at least as rigorous as the House and Senate disclosure rules;
    • Require the rules for what gifts justices can accept to be as restrictive as Congress’;
    • Require greater disclosure of amicus curiae funding;
    • Require parties and amici curiae before the Supreme Court to disclose any recent gifts, travel, or reimbursements they’ve given to a justice;
    • Require parties and amici curiae before the Supreme Court to disclose any lobbying or money they spent promoting a justice’s confirmation to the Court.

    Strengthen Recusal Requirements

    • Create new recusal requirements governing gifts, income, or reimbursements given to judges;
    • Create new recusal requirements governing a party’s lobbying or spending money to campaign for a judge’s confirmation;
    • Ensure that requests for a judge to recuse are reviewed by a panel of randomly selected, impartial judges, or by the rest of the justices at the Supreme Court;
    • Require written notification and explanations of recusal decisions;
    • Require the judiciary to develop rules explaining when a judge’s connection to an amicus curiae brief might require recusal; and
    • Require the Federal Judicial Center to study and report to Congress every two years on the extent to which the judiciary is complying with recusal requirements.

    A recent report from Senator Whitehouse found every state supreme court (or equivalent high court) subjects its judges or justices to ethics reviews—similar to the processes that apply to all federal judges except the Supreme Court under the Judicial Conduct and Disability Act. The SCERT Act would eliminate this loophole by establishing an ethics review process for the Supreme Court.

    Congress has an appropriate and well-established role in oversight of the judiciary and updating ethics laws that apply to federal officials, including federal judges and justices. Congress passed the Ethics in Government Act and judicial recusal law, which expressly apply to Supreme Court justices. Congress created through statute the Judicial Conference, which administers financial disclosure laws for the entire judiciary. Congress also has the authority to regulate and make exceptions to which cases justices can hear, outside of a small category of cases required by the Constitution.

    In addition to Merkley and Wyden, the legislation was cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Peter Welch (D-VT).

    The legislation was endorsed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Fix the Court, Public Citizen, Demand Justice, Accountable.US/Accountable.NOW, Common Cause, End Citizens United/Let America Vote, New York City Bar Association, People’s Parity Project, League of Conservation Voters, Court Accountability Action, Free Law Project, American Governance Institute, Lawyers for Good Government, and Stand Up America.

    Full text of the bill is available by clicking here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: The path to resilience: Alfred Nzo municipality’s journey

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    In the heart of South Africa’s Eastern Cape, the Alfred Nzo District Municipality, characterized by its rural landscapes and environmental vulnerability, is quietly undergoing a transformation. With rising threats from floods, wildfires, droughts, and even snowstorms, the district’s leadership has embarked on a journey to equip its local institutions with the tools, knowledge, and partnerships needed to prevent hazards from becoming disasters.

    From 6 to 8 May 2025, over 50 local government officials and stakeholders participated in the Urban Risk-Informed Development Planning and Making Cities Resilient workshop. Organized by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) in collaboration with Alfred Nzo District Municipality and funded through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Resilience Initiative Africa, the workshop advanced the efforts towards achieving the Sendai Framework target E: substantially increasing the number of local DRR strategies by 2030.

    From Global Framework to Local Action

    Alfred Nzo has made notable strides. “We’ve developed a Climate Change Response Plan, Environmental Management Framework, and ecosystem-based projects focused on water conservation, invasive species control, and rangeland restoration,” said Zola Mbuyana, Assistant Manager for Environmental Management and Water Quality. 

    Learning by Doing: From Theory to Action 

    Local government officials explored how to align local planning with national policy and the Sendai Framework. The Making Cities Resilient 2030 initiative provides specific tools, such as the Disaster Resilience Scorecard for Cities and the Ten Essentials for Making Cities Resilient, designed specifically to support local governments in aligning strategies with global DRR commitments. The preliminary assessments revealed key strengths, such as the existence of a Disaster Management Centre and a climate change strategy. However, gaps remain, such as the lack of dedicated disaster risk management units in the four local municipalities, poor coordination among stakeholders, and limited budget allocations.

      Prioritizing What Matters

    “This workshop marks a step toward ensuring local governments like Alfred Nzo lead from the front in risk-informed development,” said Ms. Isabel Njihia, Programme Management Officer at UNDRR. “The Scorecard is not a performance audit but a practical guide for identifying priority actions and aligning local efforts with global resilience targets.” Understanding local risk in Alfred Nzo, including flood patterns, wildfire zones, and snowstorm vulnerabilities, was emphasized as critical to developing relevant solutions. Emphasis was placed on community engagement, indigenous knowledge, and local leadership as pillars of sustainable DRR strategies.

    “We cannot stop the floods or droughts from coming, but we can ensure our communities are prepared, our infrastructure is resilient, and our response systems are ready before disaster strikes,” Mduduzi Mkhalane, Deputy Director Health Programmes

    Building a Blueprint for Resilience

    By the final day, the officials moved from diagnosis to creating a draft DRR Action Plan rooted in local risks and realities. This plan promotes a phased, multi-sectoral approach, with clear indicators for progress and defined roles across departments. Some key priorities for action include establishing dedicated DRM units in all local municipalities, conducting multi-hazard infrastructure audits and mainstreaming DRM into urban design and development and developing a Post-Disaster Recovery Framework.

    Toward a Resilient Future

    What emerged from the Alfred Nzo workshop was more than a plan – it was a shared commitment. Local leaders recognized that resilience is a continuous process, requiring learning, investment, and inclusive governance. The plan calls for the engagement of NGOs, private sector actors, traditional leaders, and marginalized groups, affirming the principle of leaving no one behind, embedded in both the Sendai Framework and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. The Alfred Nzo District Municipality now has a draft roadmap, built on evidence, collaboration, and global best practice. With the guidance of UNDRR and the support of GIZ’s Resilience Initiative Africa, the next phase will be crucial: finalizing, endorsing, and implementing the DRR Action Plan with appropriate institutional backing and funding. Continued intersectoral cooperation, community awareness, and adequate funding will be vital. This journey is just beginning, but one thing is clear: in Alfred Nzo, the principles of the Sendai Framework are not just ideals – they are being translated into action.

    Explore the Making Cities Resilient 2030 initiative at mcr2030.undrr.org.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: First Stage of New Midtown Bus Terminal Construction Marked

    Source: US State of New York

    The deck-overs represent the first step in the replacement of the existing 75-year-old, functionally obsolete bus terminal with a world-class facility. When complete, the project will include a new main terminal, a separate storage and staging building and new ramps leading directly into and out of the Lincoln Tunnel. The project plan — including the permanent closure of a portion of 41st Street between Eighth and Ninth avenues, a central main entrance, more street-facing retail, a soaring multi-story indoor atrium and new public open space — will enhance the commuter experience at the world’s busiest bus terminal and become a centerpiece for the community. The project is expected to create approximately 6,000 good-paying union construction jobs.

    Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Chairman Kevin O’Toole said, “It is incredibly satisfying to break ground on the first stage of construction of a new Midtown Bus Terminal that will improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of daily commuters between New Jersey and New York, and greatly improve the community hosting it. I’d like to thank Governor Murphy and Governor Hochul for their full support of a project that will bring economic growth and vitality to our bistate region for decades to come.”

    Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Executive Director Rick Cotton said, “Today’s groundbreaking for the first stage of a new Midtown Bus Terminal is a momentous accomplishment that moved forward after years of delay by focusing on two key propositions — improving the lives of tens of thousands of daily commuters and providing real benefits to a community burdened by an architectural eyesore and a deluge of bus traffic. By focusing on benefits both to commuters and the surrounding community, we are now moving forward with a project that enjoys unprecedented support at every level of government on both sides of the river. And at last, we are on our way to creating a gateway that our region deserves.”

    Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Vice Chairman Jeffrey Lynford said, “Today marks the start of a long-awaited transformation: replacing one of our region’s most notorious eyesores with a modern, best-in-class bus terminal. When complete, this new facility will not only improve commutes — it will also serve as a valuable neighborhood asset. This project is the result of over a decade of work, including hundreds of meetings with community leaders, transit advocates, and elected officials, as well as a rigorous environmental review led by the Federal Transit Administration. Thanks to that deep engagement, the project has earned broad support — from the local community to every level of government.”

    NJ TRANSIT President and CEO Kris Kolluri said, “The new Midtown Bus Terminal represents a transformative investment in the future of regional mobility. For NJ TRANSIT, as the largest tenant, this project is more than just infrastructure — it’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine the commuting experience for the tens of thousands of New Jersey residents who depend on it every day. The new terminal will stand as a gateway to opportunity, and a powerful symbol of our shared commitment to a stronger, more connected region.”

    Reliable and efficient bus service between New York and New Jersey is critical to the interconnected economies of both states, as hundreds of thousands of New Jersey residents work in New York City. The new terminal is designed to meet projected 2040-50 commuter growth, provide a best-in-class customer experience that serves the region’s 21st century public transportation needs, and enhance the surrounding community. The project does not include the taking of any private property as it will be built on existing Port Authority of New York and New Jersey property stretching as far west as 11th Avenue.

    The new bus terminal will be built for the future and designed to be net-zero emissions, accommodating all-electric bus fleets and implementing modern high technology innovations. The new ramp structure will provide a direct connection to the Lincoln Tunnel, with added queue space and bypass capability, thereby reducing congestion, bus circulation, idling and parking on local city streets. Community-friendly outward-facing local retail will benefit commuters and the community alike.

    The final plan for the Midtown Bus Terminal replacement project incorporates extensive public feedback from a broad community outreach effort, including input from New York City, New Jersey, commuters, local community boards and elected officials in both states. The total cost of the replacement project has been estimated at approximately $10 billion, with actual procurement for phase one of the project actively in progress. Construction of the Dyer Avenue deck-overs is now underway. The project has received unprecedented support from the community, the city, state and federal agencies.

    The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s construction plan for the new bus terminal calls for it to be built in phases, with the deck-overs being built first followed by the storage and staging facility. The Dyer Avenue deck-overs project encompasses the construction of two decks over below-grade portions of Dyer Avenue and the Lincoln Tunnel Expressway between West 37th and West 38th streets and between West 38th and West 39th streets. The storage and staging facility can serve as a temporary terminal while the existing terminal is demolished and replaced.

    Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said, “The Midtown Bus Terminal is a relic of a bygone era and overdue for a much-needed upgrade. This first step makes it possible to rebuild the bus terminal with minimal interruptions for hundreds of thousands of passengers every day. This project will also represent a long-term investment in the city by creating 6,000 new jobs and 3.5 acres of much-needed open space in Midtown. I am grateful to the Port Authority for reaffirming its commitment to a world-class 21st century travel experience in New York.”

    Representative Jerry Nadler said, “Finally, after many years of discussion and hard-fought community negotiation, we are finally breaking ground on the first phase of a brand-new Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown, the Dyer Avenue deck-overs. The replacement bus terminal is long overdue and thankfully moving forward. A new bus terminal will improve air quality and make our streets safer for pedestrians by removing all commuter and inter-city buses from our streets. And it will replace the outdated and deteriorating bus terminal with a modern, efficient transportation hub that meets the needs of both commuters and residents while contributing to the continued growth and success of New York City. These new deck-overs will eventually lead to a new 3.5-acre publicly accessible open space on the West Side, something that is desperately needed in Hell’s Kitchen. I have been proud to support this project and helped it secure up to $1.9 billion in federal funding from the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) Loan Program championed by the Biden Administration’s Build America Program.”

    State Senator Jeremy Cooney said, “Hundreds of thousands of travelers from New York and New Jersey rely on this route and the Midtown Bus Terminal. This project will mean good-paying construction jobs, more efficient travel, and eventually new green spaces for the community to enjoy. I want to thank Governor Hochul and Governor Murphy for their dedication to making this project a reality and creating a more seamless transportation experience between our two states.”

    State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal said, “Construction on our new, state-of-the-art Midtown Bus Terminal is officially underway. The deck-overs, breaking ground today, will allow work on this project to begin without disrupting service at the busiest bus terminal in the world. It’s particularly exciting that when construction of the terminal is complete, not only will we have a bus terminal that will reduce congestion and accommodate more riders, we will also have new park land, as the deck-overs will be transformed into 3.5 acres of publicly accessible green space. I look forward to the day that the construction is completed and the Midtown Bus Terminal goes from ‘worst’ to ‘first’ in the eyes of the millions of New Yorkers who utilize or live near the terminal, including my constituents on the west side of Manhattan.”

    Assemblymember Tony Simone said, “The start of construction over Dyer Avenue marks the beginning of the total transformation of our outdated bus terminal into a world class transit hub. This massive investment by the Port Authority will not only get buses off our crowded streets, these deck overs will eventually be new green space for the west side. When complete, this neighborhood will be unrecognizable from its current state, becoming a place New Yorkers will want to spend in, all while drastically changing how millions move through our city and region.”

    New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, “Today marks a major milestone in building the future of public transit for our region. Breaking ground on the Dyer Avenue deck-overs is more than the start of construction — it’s the beginning of a transformative investment in sustainable infrastructure, improved air quality, and expanded public space. The new Midtown Bus Terminal will not only modernize a vital commuter hub, but will also reconnect our neighborhoods, support thousands of good-paying jobs, and create a greener, more accessible West Side for generations to come.”

    Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine said, “Breaking ground on the Dyer Avenue deck-overs is an important first step in the replacement of the Midtown Terminal, which will be a transformational project for the west side. It is time for the busiest bus terminal in the world to become a world-class facility for commuters, visitors, and residents. I am excited for this project to become a reality and will continue to work with the Port Authority and the community to ensure the best outcomes during and after construction.”

    New York City Councilmember Erik Bottcher said, “Today’s groundbreaking marks a truly transformative moment for New York City — and especially for the West Side. After years of collaboration, planning, and deep community engagement, we are finally beginning the next chapter for the Midtown Bus Terminal. This project isn’t just about replacing a building — it’s about restoring a neighborhood. By removing buses from our streets and creating a network of vibrant green spaces, we are reconnecting Hell’s Kitchen, healing the urban fabric, and delivering the modern transit infrastructure New Yorkers deserve. This is a victory for the community, for sustainability, and for the future of our city. I’d like to thank the Port Authority, Manhattan Community Board 4 and my colleagues in government for all the work they have done to bring us to this point.”

    New York City Councilmember Selvena Brooks-Powers, Chair of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure “Reliable, accessible public transportation is essential to our region’s economic health and quality of life. The Midtown Bus Terminal is a critical link for commuters across the city and beyond, and this groundbreaking marks an important step toward delivering a modern, efficient facility that meets 21st-century needs. I look forward to continued engagement with the Port Authority to ensure that this project centers equity, sustainability, and community benefit at every phase.”

    New York City Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Andrew Kimball said, “With today’s groundbreaking on the Dyer Avenue deck-overs, the Midtown Bus Terminal vision moves one step closer to becoming reality and Midtown Manhattan gets a huge upgrade. The new terminal is more than just one of the busiest transit hubs in the country, it will bring new open space, reduce congestion, employing thousands of union workers during its construction, and bring massive quality of life upgrades to Midtown Manhattan.”

    New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said, “It is welcome news to the city, to bus riders, and to the local communities on Manhattan’s west side that construction of the Dyer Avenue deck-overs is now underway. By reducing bus congestion and idling, easing the commuter experience, and creating new public space the midtown bus terminal replacement project will greatly enhance this area that New York City has outgrown. NYC DOT congratulates the Port Authority on breaking ground and we look forward to continuing to support them in this impactful initiative.”

    New York City Department of City Planning Director Dan Garodnick said, “It’s hard to overstate how vital the Midtown Bus Terminal is to New York City, the tri-state region, and the country. It’s one of the great front doors to our city. With today’s groundbreaking on the Dyer Avenue deck-overs, we’re taking the first step toward a modern, world-class transit hub that New Yorkers deserve. I look forward to seeing this transformation take shape and serve residents, commuters, and visitors for generations to come.”

    Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York President Gary LaBarbera said, “Today marks a crucial milestone for the Midtown Bus Terminal Replacement Program, a key critical infrastructure project that will not only establish a modern and state-of-the-art transit hub for New Yorkers and visitors alike, but also generate thousands of family-sustaining union construction careers. We applaud Governor Hochul and Governor Murphy, along with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for pushing forward this major development that will serve as an economic boon for our city and surrounding communities. Our members look forward to playing a role in building this project and pursuing the paths to the middle class that it creates.”

    New York League of Conservation Voters President Julie Tighe said, “The new Midtown Bus Terminal will be a game changer for commuters and neighborhood residents alike and a huge win for the environment. While serving hundreds of thousands of daily passengers, the new zero-emission, electric-bus friendly commuter hub will cut air pollution, ease the burden on neighborhood streets, and create thousands of good-paying union jobs in the process. Just as important, the addition of 3.5 acres of new public green space will deliver lasting environmental and public health benefits to the surrounding community. We commend Governors Hochul and Murphy and the Port Authority for prioritizing climate-smart design and investing in a healthier, more sustainable future.”

    New York Building Congress President and CEO Carlo A. Scissura said, “This groundbreaking is a landmark moment not just for the transformation of Manhattan’s West Side but the entire region. The Port Authority is advancing a bold vision for transit and public space that delivers real benefits and will create over 6,000 good-paying union jobs and 3.5 acres of public open space, all while providing long overdue infrastructure upgrades. The new Midtown Bus Terminal project is exactly the kind of investment New York needs, and we proudly stand alongside those who made it happen today – with special thanks to Rick Cotton for his leadership – as we break ground on this exciting and essential project.”

    Real Estate Board of New York President James Whelan said, “REBNY and its members are pleased to see the launch of this project. More than just supporting the growth of New York City’s diverse regional transit infrastructure, the project will energize our economy with thousands of new jobs and retail in Midtown.”

    Regional Plan Association President and CEO Tom Wright said, “Today’s groundbreaking is the result of years of thoughtful partnership to deliver a shared vision for a reimagined Midtown Bus Terminal that strengthens the local community and expands regional connectivity. The Port Authority Bus Terminal is one of the most high-traffic transportation hubs in the nation and is critical to the tri-state region’s continued economic vitality. This moment marks an important step towards the creation of a modern, expanded, best-in-class terminal that will not only serve the needs of commuters but create an amenity and attraction for the community.”

    Association for a Better New York CEO Emma Pfohman said, “As the gateway for millions of commuters and travelers each year, the revitalized Midtown Bus Terminal will not only improve the daily lives of New Yorkers but also fuel our city’s continued growth and resilience. The Association for a Better New York applauds Governor Hochul, Governor Murphy, and the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey for leading this important investment in the region’s transportation infrastructure and in our city’s future.”

    Times Square Alliance President Tom Harris said, “The Midtown Bus Terminal is an extremely vital aspect of the commuter life of the hundreds of thousands of people who commute to Times Square every day. We applaud both governors for taking this first step toward the new world class terminal to come that will provide another reason why Times Square is one of the strongest transportation hubs in the city and beyond.”

    Bryant Park Corporation President Dan Biederman said, “We’ve seen an early version of the Port Authority’s plans for the bus terminal. They’re excellent, just what we’d expect from the agency that has had recent success with terminals at Newark and LaGuardia airports. We strongly endorse their interim steps to at long last make the PABT, which serves as a gateway for Bryant Park visitors, an attractive facility.”

    Manhattan Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jessica Walker said, “This is an exciting day for all New Yorkers as well as employees and visitors coming here from the broader region. This forward-looking project is critical to New York’s preparation for future growth and demand. It is innovative and aspirational in nature, understanding that our city’s best days are ahead. Congratulations to the Port Authority and Governors Hochul and Murphy for bringing us to this point.”

    Manhattan Community Board 4 Chair Jessica Chait said, “Community Board 4 is proud to mark this milestone toward a cleaner, less congested, and more connected region. The Dyer Avenue deck-overs lay the literal groundwork for a modern, sustainable transit hub that reflects a welcoming and efficient gateway to New York City. We thank the Port Authority and our elected partners for centering community input in a project that will improve air quality, reduce street-level congestion, and bring vital open space to our neighborhood.”

    Hudson Yards Hell’s Kitchen Alliance President Robert J. Benfatto said, “The Hudson Yards Hell’s Kitchen Alliance is looking forward to the completion of the construction of the Midtown Bus Terminal project, including the Dyer deck-overs, so that the neighborhood can begin using a new, first-in-class bus transit facility. We will continue to advocate for our community throughout this long process, as our mission states that we are dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of the diverse population who lives, works and visits within the district.

    About the Midtown Bus Terminal

    What is now the world’s busiest bus terminal opened in 1950, after the mayor of New York City requested the Port Authority to consolidate eight separate, smaller bus terminals throughout Midtown Manhattan in order to relieve street congestion. As the regional population grew and spread geographically, the Port Authority expanded the terminal’s capacity in 1963 by converting parking space to a fourth level of bus operations and adding three new levels of public parking for 1,000 cars. By 1966, the terminal served nearly 69 million passengers, once again requiring increased bus capacity. In 1970, the Port Authority created a 2-mile exclusive bus lane (XBL) on the New Jersey Route 495 approach to the Lincoln Tunnel, giving buses faster access directly to the bus terminal and saving commuters up to 20 minutes in travel time.

    In 1981, the Port Authority expanded the bus terminal’s capacity by 50 percent with a new North Wing extension to 42nd Street and the diagonal girder façade now familiar to bus riders. The current facility spans 1.9 million square feet as the nation’s largest bus terminal and the world’s busiest. Individual carriers, the largest of which is NJ Transit, serve routes for daily commuters throughout New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, and the lower Hudson Valley, as well as provide intercity services to and from locations such as upstate New York, New England, the Mid-Atlantic and Canada. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the bus terminal accommodated an estimated 260,000 passenger trips on an average weekday. As of 2024, the terminal served approximately 205,000 average weekday daily passengers.

    For more information on the replacement project, visit the Port Authority’s website on the Midtown Bus Terminal replacement.

    MIL OSI USA News –