Protecting Rivers & Your Clean Water
Congress Plays Armchair General, Risking Public Safety
July 25, 2011 | Water Pollution, Floods & Floodplains, Climate ChangeAs Ronald Regan once said, “There they go again.” This week the House of Representatives once again threw common sense out the window and put politics in front of people by voting to block the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Responses to Climate Change Program; Representative Rob Woodall
Read more »House of Representatives Passes Bipartisan Bill; Will Improve the Environment
Eileen Fretz, Flood Policy Director
July 15, 2011 | Floods & Floodplains
That headline might come as a shock to anyone who’s been paying close attention to the goings on in Congress these days. But I’m happy to report that the House of Representatives actually broke their streak of attacks on the environment this week when they passed H.R. 1309, The Flood Insurance Reform Act by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 406-22.
Read more »Fish and Wildlife Service urges removal of Martis Dam on Truckee River
July 8, 2011 | Dams & Dam Removal, Floods & FloodplainsPotential removal of Martis Creek Dam, located near Lake Tahoe on a tributary to the Truckee River, has drawn the attention of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). While the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) is currently evaluating options for what to do about Martis Creek Dam, considered one of the 10 most dangerous dams in the county, the USFWS urged for dam removal so that Martis Creek can flow freely and provide habitat for threatened Lahontan cutthroat trout.
Read more »Putting Climate Politics Before People: USDA Edition
June 17, 2011 | Floods & Floodplains, Climate ChangeStop me if this sounds familiar. The House of Representatives today passed an amendment (subs required) that would keep the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from integrating future climate conditions into its programs and operations. This is like the Department of Homeland Security amendment from a couple weeks ago -- another short-sighted political maneuver that threatens taxpayers, businesses, the environment, and frankly people’s lives.
Read more »Putting climate change politics before people
June 3, 2011 | Climate Change, Floods & FloodplainsYesterday was a sad day for common sense in Washington, DC. The House of Representatives approved an amendment by Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) that would keep the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from participating in the Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force, which is helping to ensure that federal agencies are preparing for potential climate change impacts and that they will continue to function smoothly and efficiently in the future.
Read more »Policy Reforms That Save Money and Prepare Communities for Climate Change
May 26, 2011 | Water Pollution, Floods & Floodplains, Climate Change, Water SupplyThe recent Mississippi River floods have shown us how profoundly vulnerable we are to extreme weather. The record rains have drowned crops, inundated homes, and ground economic activity to a halt in many places. They’ve created agonizing choices that involve choosing which homes will be ruined and which will be saved.
Read more »Preparing for extremes in Nashville
Gerrit Jöbsis, Southeast Regional Director
May 24, 2011 | Climate Change, Floods & Floodplains, Stormwater & Sewage
Hit a year ago by one of the worst floods in its history, Nashville suffered the loss of more than 30 lives and over $1 billion of property damage. Just three years prior to that Tennessee was in the grips of the 2007 drought, one of the driest years in a century with 500,000 citizens on mandatory water restrictions, damages to agricultural crops and rivers without enough water for navigation.
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