EPA Says Dispersants Are Not Affecting Gulf Coast Environment

Robert Hune-Kalter - Talk Radio News Service

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson told the Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday that the high amount of dispersants being used in the Gulf of Mexico has not produced any negative side effects, yet. 

Committee members grow wary of dumping high amounts of oil dispersants into the Gulf and showed particular concern about the short and long-term effects these dispersants will have on the environment.

“As of yesterday, BP had used 1.8 million gallons of oil dispersants in the Gulf,” said Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.). “In Exxon Valdez we used 250 thousand barrels.  By comparison, Deepwater, the biggest oil spill in history, now uses 35-60 thousand barrels a day.”

Jackson assured the committee that the EPA has not seen any significant environmental impacts from the dispersants so far. Due to unknown scientific factors regarding these dispersants, the EPA has directed BP to greatly reduce the number of barrels of dispersants being dumped into the Gulf. The number of gallons being dumped has been reduced nearly 70% since May 26.

Dispersants have not been used within 30 miles of the coast and are prohibited from being used off shore because of the time it takes the dispersants to break up oil.

“Yesterday, the state of Louisiana reopened some state waters to fishing after tests showed no presence of oil or dispersants,” said Jackson.

Oil continues to spew from the well unabated after BP failed to cap it earlier this week.

Helping Prisoners Re-enter The Community Successfully

By Kayleigh Harvey - Talk Radio News Service

The House Appropriations Committee held a Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee hearing today on “What Works for Successful Prisoner Re-entry.”

Speaking before the committee were Representative Danny Davis (D-Ill), Professor James Byrne, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at University of Massachusetts, Lowell and Jeremy Travis, President of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Chairman Alan Mollohan (D-WV) said: “It’s becoming more and more apparent that effective reentry programs are the key to reducing recidivism and the strains on our communities and prison resources associated with recidivism.”

Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA) asked the witnesses whether there was “any other country that is doing something really great, that we’re not aware of?”

Professor Byrne suggested looking at the model used in the Republic of Ireland. “I went to a prison in Dublin last year...I was amazed by the work programs...there was 320 people in the prison and every one of them had work and a job, they had a job training program there. The first thing I noticed was the one to one ratio of inmates to guards, I was shocked at that.”

Mr. Travis expanded on this point stating: “America stand apart from the rest of the Western world, worse, in terms of our levels of incarceration, how we treat people while they are in prison and the approach to reintegration.” Mr. Travis suggested that America look at reintegration strategies used in the United Kingdom and Germany.

Congressman Davis said: “Half the people in prison are due to drug related crimes.”

Talking about what should be done now Mr. Travis said: “We don’t link drug treatment, we should make sure that people who have drug addiction and are coming back home, that they go to the head of the list rather than the back of the list for drug treatment. Why do we send someone home and tell them to wait five months for drug treatment, when we knew what date they were coming out and could have planned it so they’d have the continuity at this high risk period.”

Leading Entertainers Fight for Art Funding

The National Endowment for the Arts testified in front of Congress today to discuss appropriations for the 2009 fiscal year. President Bush has lowered the amount given to the arts and the NEA, and supporters are lobbying for support in restoring the funding level to $176 million, a recorded high from 1992.

A panel of speakers was present including Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of American for Arts, Mayor Mufi Hannemann of Honolulu, acclaimed actress Kerry Washington, five-time Grammy winner John Legend and Academy Award-winner and activist Robert Redford. All were on hand to offer their stories and how the arts influenced them in where they are today.

Lynch pronounced at the end of his testimony that "a great nation deserves great art" while John Legend offered his musical education as a way to keep him grounded. Coming from a musical family, Legend also said that music was a way to stay away from trouble. Kerry Washington and Robert Redford spoke for an extended period of time with Robert Redford offering an account on his childhood. Redford stated that in his childhood, he was accused of being "dumb" due to his personality, but he ended up finding his calling in the arts which has led to him being one of the most prominent figures in the arts today.

Furthermore, testimony given showed the relationship of arts to the stimulation of a society and economy. Attention was also given to the furthering of arts programs nationally and internationally including reading and general education programs.