Showing posts with label Army Corps of Engineers. Show all posts

18 November 2016

Win!!! Two days after our DAPL petition delivery BANK DNB SELLS IT'S INTEREST IN DAPL & Army Wants Further Study Of Dakota Access Pipeline Route 18&14NOV16

DAPL protest continue at Standing Rock in N Dakota as well as across the country and world. Norwegian Bank DNB was convinced it's involvement in DAPL was morally wrong because of a massive international petition campaign and is selling off it's investment in the project. This is a huge victory, one of more to come. From +Us @ SumOfUs ....
Huge news! Yesterday, Bank DNB announced it is going to sell its assets in the Dakota Access Pipeline project!

It’s clear our message is having an impact. On Tuesday, we delivered hundreds of thousands of signatures right to the Bank’s offices in Norway, and thousands of us flooded its Facebook page with messages in support of the Standing Rock Sioux Nation.

Two days later, we won.

The Chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council sent us this note:

We are pleased that Bank DNB is weakening its ties to DAPL. It was a wise decision, especially given Energy Transfer Partners’ continuous disregard for our land, water, and sovereignty. Recent comments by Energy Transfer Partners CEO indicate the company seems intent on ramping up aggression, which is why it is of the utmost importance that other banks follow the example of DNB.

This major milestone could only happen because all around the world, people like you stood in support of the Standing Rock Sioux and the courageous water defenders on the ground right now in North Dakota.

But our fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline is not over yet -- we have plans to force other banks to pull out of DAPL, and we promise we won’t stop until we win.

Also, check out the photos of the delivery! You can click on the pictures to see coverage in the Norwegian press.

Greenpeace Norway delivering the petition:

Greenpeace Norway and its allies outside, standing in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Nation:

Army Wants Further Study Of Dakota Access Pipeline Route

November 14, 20166:55 PM ET

Demonstrator Stephanie Jasper stands in the Cannonball River during a standoff with police at Turtle Island, north of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation.

Emily Kask for NPR

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Monday that it needs more information before it can decide whether to allow the Dakota Access Pipeline to be built along its planned route.

In a joint statement by the U.S. Army and Department of the Interior, the Corps announced it had finished a review of the route, and concluded that more study was needed before it could grant the pipeline company the easement it needs to cross under a section of the Missouri River.

THE TWO-WAY

Protesters, Police Still Clashing Over Disputed North Dakota Pipeline

The pipeline company Energy Transfer Partners is building the pipeline to bring crude oil from central North Dakota, near the Bakken oil fields, down to Illinois. The current route crosses the river close to the Standing Rock Sioux reservation north of Cannon Ball, N.D.

Army Assistant Secretary Jo-Ellen Darcy wrote in a letter to the company and to tribal leaders that, "additional discussion with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and analysis are warranted," reported The Associated Press, and that the discussion would include possible changes to the river crossing which could reduce the risk of an oil spill.

Protesters have been occupying land in the area since the summer. Members of the tribe have said they are concerned that the pipeline could contaminate their drinking water if it leaks.

The tribe previously filed a motion seeking a temporary restraining order to stop construction of the pipeline, on the grounds that the Army Corps did not adequately consult with them about the route. In court documents, allies of the tribe alleged the pipeline route goes through sacred sites, and argued the tribe had not been able to survey the area for cultural artifacts and graves before the route was approved.

In September, a federal judge decided not to grant the restraining order, as we reported, but three federal agencies responded to the ruling by saying they would not allow the pipeline to cross the Missouri until until a review was completed.

That review, completed today, led the Army Corps to ask for more input from the tribe.

AROUND THE NATION

In Fight Over N.D. Pipeline, Tribe Leader Calls For Peace And Prayers

As the legal wrangling has gone on, many demonstrators have clashed with police. Earlier this month police used pepper spray and what they called nonlethal ammunition to keep people off private land, and in October more than 100 people were arrested, as NPR's Jeff Brady has reported.

Some 412 people have been arrested in connection with the protests, according to the United Nations. The U.N. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues has expressed "deep concerns" about the route, saying "numerous individuals have confirmed that there has been little consultation by the federal government related to the DAPL project."

Environmental and indigenous-rights groups supporting the protesters were planning to attract attention to the issue with demonstrations outside Army Corps of Engineers offices, along with banks and other locations in multiple cities on Tuesday, according to email press releases from the groups.

11 May 2013

Tom Coburn says after national park gun ban lifted, violent crime fell by 85 percent 9MAI13

sen tom coburn r OK deliberately lied on Morning Joe about the the level of violent crime in our National Parks since the law was changed allowing guns in the parks since 2010. Looking at the stats there is no way his claim can be attributed to an error. He is taking his orders from the nra and is employing their tactics of deception, misrepresentation, manipulation and lying, performing as the good nra minion he is, in their campaign against gun control. One really has to ask how his willingness to be dishonest for political and financial gain squares with his professed Christian faith? That is something he will have to settle with God, along with his responsibility for any harm done to anyone as a result of his actions. From PolitiFact.....

The Truth-O-Meter Says:

"In 2010, everybody said you can't dare let guns go into the national parks, and of course the rapes, murders, robberies and assaults are down about 85 percent since we did that."

Tom Coburn on Thursday, May 9th, 2013 in an interview with MSNBC's "Morning Joe"

Tom Coburn says after national park gun ban lifted, violent crime fell by 85 percent

During an interview on the MSNBC show Morning Joe, Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., argued for legislation he’s proposing that would allow guns to be carried into lands controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers.

To make the case that guns make places safer, Coburn cited a dramatic before-and-after statistic that stems from the lifting of a ban on guns in national parks. Coburn was a leader in the effort to get Congress to approve the change. President Barack Obama signed the national park provision into law, and it took effect in February 2010.

"In 2010," Coburn said on Morning Joe, "everybody said you can't dare let guns go into the national parks, and of course the rapes, murders, robberies and assaults are down about 85 percent since we did that."

That’s a pretty stunning drop. Is it accurate?

When we checked with Coburn’s office, John Hart, a spokesman, acknowledged that his senator had misspoken in a way that overstated the decline.

Hart said Coburn’s office had compared FBI crime data on National Park Service land from 2008 to 2011, the most recent year available. By the office’s calculations, the number of violent incidents actually dropped by 12 percent, not 85 percent.

"The numbers show crime rates have declined, but he misspoke when he mentioned 85 percent," Hart said. "On balance, the facts support our conclusion that crime rates would go down under our policy, not the conclusion of the amendment’s critics who said that allowing guns in national parks would lead to more crime."

However, before we bless Coburn’s revised analysis, let’s look at the original data. Here’s a summary chart for violent crimes in the national parks between 2008 and 2011.

Year	Murder and non-negligent manslaughter	Forcible rape	Robbery	Aggravated assault	Total violent crimes
2008	5	37	66	259	367
2009	3	34	64	206	307
2010	15	45	58	251	369
2011	7	34	58	224	323
Change, 2008-11	+40%	-8%	-12%	-14%	-12%
Change, 2009-11	+133%	0	-9%	+9%	+5%

A few issues jump out to us. First, murders actually went up between 2008 and 2011, contrary to what Coburn said.

More importantly, using 2008 as the "before" year in this before-and-after comparison amounts to cherry picking.

As we noted, the law went into effect in 2010, so the most obvious way to frame the comparison would be to use the data from 2009 (the last full year before the gun ban was lifted) and 2011 (the most recent year). And as it turns out, the comparison to 2009 is not nearly as favorable to Coburn’s overall point.

Between 2009 and 2011, these four categories of violent crimes actually rose collectively by 5 percent. Robberies did decline by 9 percent, but murders more than doubled (from a very small base), the number of rapes was stable and the tally of aggravated assaults -- by far the most common of these four crimes -- rose by 9 percent.

Meanwhile, it’s also worth noting that the number of crimes in national parks is generally pretty small, which makes it unclear how much stock anyone should place in year-to-year percentage increases and decreases.

Finally, we’ll point out that Coburn’s stated decline may -- or may not -- have been caused by the deterrence of having guns around. But if they were a cause for the decline from 2008 to 2011, what’s to stop someone from arguing that they were the cause of the increase from 2009 to 2011? The numbers alone simply don’t tell us.

Our ruling

On Morning Joe, Coburn said, "In 2010, everybody said you can't dare let guns go into the national parks, and of course the rapes, murders, robberies and assaults are down about 85 percent since we did that."

Coburn’s office acknowledges that he misspoke; they actually calculated a decline of 12 percent, which is dramatically lower than 85 percent.

But we find even the revised statistic to be questionable. It hinges on using 2008 data, when 2009 data would be more appropriate -- and a comparison using data from 2009 actually shows an increase in violent crime in national parks since the gun ban took effect. Meanwhile, it’s far from clear that guns had an influence on the relatively small number of crimes that take place in national parks.

We rate Coburn’s statement False.

About this statement:

Published: Thursday, May 9th, 2013 at 5:49 p.m.

Subjects: Guns, Recreation

Sources:

Tom Coburn, interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, May 9, 2013

FBI, "Offenses Known to Law Enforcement, by State, Tribal, and Other Agencies," 2008

FBI, "Offenses Known to Law Enforcement, by State, Tribal, and Other Agencies," 2009

FBI, "Offenses Known to Law Enforcement, by State, Tribal, and Other Agencies," 2010

FBI, "Offenses Known to Law Enforcement, by State, Tribal, and Other Agencies," 2011

NBC News, "New law allows loaded guns in national parks," Feb. 19, 2010

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, "Rising Tide of Violence," accessed May 9, 2013

Email interview with Jeff Ruch, executive director for Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, May 9, 2013

Email interview with Kurt Repanshek, founder and editor-in-chief of National Parks Traveler, May 9, 2013

Email interview with Mike Litterst, acting chief spokesman for the National Park Service, May 9, 2013

Email interview with John Hart, spokesman for Tom Coburn, May 9, 2013

Written by: Louis Jacobson
Researched by: Louis Jacobson
Edited by: Angie Drobnic Holan

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2013/may/09/tom-coburn/tom-coburn-says-after-national-park-gun-ban-lifted/

15 May 2011

Bayous Flood As La. Residents Scramble 15MAI11 & Haley Barbour To Flood-Stricken Mississippians: You’re On Your Own 11MAI11

A flood of epic proportions, I hope this is a wake up call to the people of the area and they consider just what would be happening now if it wasn't for the federal government. The repiglicans and tea-baggers would have cut the funding for the Army Corps of Engineers and FEMA, there wouldn't be the hundreds of people on duty necessary to maintain the flood control system and do their best to manage the river and the aftermath of the flood. Think this is all bunk? Consider the lack of government response in Pakistan during and after the massive Indus River floods of 2010, that is how the repiglicans and tea-baggers would handle the Mississippi River floods of 2011. Need proof, see the words of tea-bagger gop governor haley barbour to the citizens of Mississippi on 11MAI11.

by Greg Allen

Listen to the Story

Weekend Edition Sunday

[4 min 30 sec]

A member of the Louisiana National Guard stands guard as water diverted through the Morganza Spillway begins to fill a pasture in Morganza, La., on Saturday.

Enlarge Patrick Semansky/AP A member of the Louisiana National Guard stands guard as water diverted through the Morganza Spillway begins to fill a pasture in Morganza, La., on Saturday.

Whitewater cascaded through the gate of the Morganza Floodway in Louisiana Sunday, part of an emergency effort to save Baton Rouge and New Orleans from the rising Mississippi River. The Army Corps of Engineers opened the first gate in the spillway on Saturday, diverting waters that will flood communities along the bayous that thousands call home.
It's a historic moment; the Morganza Floodway has only been opened once before, in 1973.
Army Corps of Engineers Col. Ed Fleming says it's the first time the Corps has ever operated three floodways at once on the Mississippi. In Missouri, the Corps blew holes in levees earlier this month to open the Birds Point Floodway. That lowered the river and protected Cairo, Ill., from flooding. The Corps has also opened the Bonnet Carre spillway of New Orleans and now the Morganza Floodway. Fleming says the Morganza is being opened to keep stress off the Mississippi levees that protect Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
"We'll take approximately 10,000 cubic feet per second off the top of the Mississippi River," he says.
That's just a fraction of what the Morganza can handle. Even when the river crests in this area late next week, the Corps expects to open just a quarter of the floodgates. Fleming says the Corps will open the gates slowly — just one or two at a time — for a few reasons. One is to protect the spillway.
"The water will come out of here pretty quickly," he says. "You don't want to scour the backside of this structure. From an environmental perspective, obviously there are lots of bear and other kinds of wildlife. And we want to make sure they have the opportunity to get to higher ground. And last but most importantly, we want to make sure folks have the understanding that water's coming their way and they need to evacuate."
About 60 miles south of the Morganza spillway, the people of Butte La Rose have gotten the message. At the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, Teddy and Michelle Wyatt, along with their friend Clo Comeaux, were stacking pews from the church on a trailer.
"We just volunteered to take everything out, to salvage what we could," they say. "The pews, the altar, the cross, you know, everything that was moveable."
Down by the levee, a group of prisoners from the St. Martin Parish jail are working to fill sandbags to protect private and public buildings. They're being supervised by Clayton Landry, with the sheriff's department. He says it's been a busy week in Butte La Rose.
"People are trying to move out, move their gear out of their homes and camps and save as much as they can," he says. "The sheriff hasn't announced a mandatory evacuation yet, but as soon as the water rises, they will announce it."
That could come in the next few days. The Corps says it will take about three days for water in the floodway to reach the southern end, near Morgan City. Then it will begin to back up throughout the Atchafalaya Basin, backflooding bayou communities that are home to as many as 25,000 people. In these communities, people aren't happy about having to fight the water, but few question the corps' decision to open the floodway.
As for Corps officials, they're cautiously optimistic that with the Morganza, plus all the other levees and floodways in their toolbox, they'll be able to handle the 2011 flood and avert a catastrophe.
But Corps Gen. Michael Walsh says it's important that hundreds of workers with the Corps and other agencies keep patrolling the levees to watch for warning signs. History, he says, shows the price of failure.
"There was an 80-mile width of water covering five states from the '27 flood. So any type of failure or any type of concern from that regard in regards to underseeping and overtopping — we're gonna be on rapidly," he says.
The Corps expects to keep the Morganza Floodway open until the Mississippi crests in Louisiana and falls below a level that's a threat to levees in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Unfortunately for people in the Atchafalaya Basin, that may be another three weeks.

Haley Barbour To Flood-Stricken Mississippians: You’re On Your Own

In the past week, the Mississippi Delta has been hit hard by flooding in the Mississippi River. The rising water wiped out crops, forced families out of their homes, and caused river-front casinos to shut down, costing the government up to $13 million a month. The Associated Press reported that the damage in Memphis was estimated at $320 million, but that “the worst is yet to come, with the crest expected over the next few days.”
Gov. Haley Barbour (R-MS) –- instead of pledging to do everything possible to help the people of his state deal with the flood -– called for the federal government to declare a flooding disaster, moved his furniture out of his lake house, and told flood-stricken families to rely on their friends to get to higher ground because the state wouldn’t help:

As the water rose, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour moved furniture out of his lake house outside Vicksburg on family land that was inundated during the 1927 flood. A week ago, he urged residents to flee low-lying areas, saying that the state wouldn’t assist the evacuations and that people should help one another secure their property and get out.

With Barbour’s staunch opposition to efforts to reduce climate pollution — which is driving the extreme flooding — it’s probably a good thing for America that he took his hat out of the ring for the presidency late last month.
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/05/11/haley-barbour-on-your-own/

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