Financial

MEDIA ADVISORY: Top US Department of Labor Officials to Travel to Gulf Coast to Meet with Affected Workers
 
Key contact numbers
Report oiled shoreline or request volunteer information: (866) 448-5816
Submit alternative response technology, services or products: (281) 366-5511 
Submit your vessel for the Vessel of Opportunity Program: (866) 279-7983 or (877) 847-7470
Submit a claim for damages: (800) 440-0858
Report oiled wildlife: (866) 557-1401
Deepwater Horizon Incident
Joint Information Center
Phone: (713) 323-1670
(713) 323-1671

WASHINGTON – At the direction of Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis, July 7 through 9, three U.S. Department of Labor agency heads will travel to Gulf states impacted by the BP Deepwater spill. The delegation will include Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Jane Oates, Wage and Hour Division Deputy Administrator Nancy J. Leppink and Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs Director Patricia A. Shiu.  During their visit, the federal labor officials will meet with local fishermen, community-based organizations, and state and local appointed and elected officials in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.
Secretary Solis visited the Gulf region in early June and promised to leverage her department’s resources to help communities impacted by the oil spill.  For information on the Labor Department’s recent efforts in the Gulf, visit http://www.dol.gov/dol/gulf.htm.
All the events listed below are OPEN PRESS.  All times are CDT.
Wednesday, July 7
8 - 8:45 a.m.                  Meeting with Mayor Landrieu
                                     Jefferson Business and Career Solutions Center
                                     1900 Lafayette St., Gretna, La.
 9 - 10 a.m.                    Meeting with local parish presidents
                                     Jefferson Business and Career Solutions Center
10 - 10:45 a.m.               Meeting with labor and health commissioners
                                      Jefferson Business and Career Solutions Center
 11 a.m. - noon                Meeting with fishermen from Asian-American/Pacific Islander and Hispanic communities
                                      Jefferson Business and Career Solutions Center
1 - 2:30 p.m.                   Meeting with area community-based organizations
                                      Jefferson Business and Career Solutions Center
4 - 5 p.m.                        Meeting with fishermen from African-American community
                                      Zion Traveler’s Cooperative Center
                                      120 Thomas Lane, Phoenix, La.
Thursday, July 8
8:45 - 9:45 a.m.              Meeting with fishermen, shrimpers and crabbers from African-American,
                                      Asian-American/Pacific Islander and Hispanic communities
                                      Biloxi City’s public dock
                                      586 Bayview Ave., Biloxi, Miss.
10 - 11 a.m.                    Meeting with state appointed and elected officials
                                      Biloxi WIN Job Center
                                      2306 Pass Road, Biloxi, Miss.
11 - 11:45 a.m.                Meeting with local community-based organizations
                                       Biloxi WIN Job Center
Noon - 12:45 p.m.             Oil Spill Resources and Claims Fair (with local nonprofits, businesses and community members affected by the oil spill)
                                       Mississippi Coast Coliseum, Conference Hall D
                                       2305 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, Miss.
2 - 3 p.m.                         Meeting with state appointed and elected officials
                                       Coastal Response Center
                                       7385 Hwy 188, Coden, Ala.
3 - 4 p.m.                         Meeting with fishermen from Asian-American/Pacific Islander and Hispanic communities
                                       Coastal Response Center
4 - 5 p.m.                         Meeting with local community based organizations
                                       Coastal Response Center
Friday, July 9
10:30 - 11:15 a.m.            Meeting with state appointed and elected officials
                                       Workforce Escarosa Inc.
                                       3670-A North L St., Pensacola, Fla.
11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.    Meeting with local community-based organizations
                                       Workforce Escarosa Inc.
12:30 - 1:30 p.m.              Meeting with representatives from the hospitality industry
                                       Pensacola Bay Area Chamber
                                       117W Garden St., Pensacola, Fla.
1:30 - 2:30 p.m.               Meeting with fishermen from Asian-American/Pacific Islander and Hispanic communities
                                       Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce
                                       117W Garden St., Pensacola, Fla.
In total, senior administration officials have visited the region 62 times since BP’s oil rig exploded on April 20 — including trips by President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, National Incident Cmdr. Adm. Thad Allen, Labor Secretary Solis, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Administrator Jane Lubchenco and Small Business Administration Administrator Karen Mills.
For information about the response effort, visit www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com.

Good morning everyone –
 
As part of our ongoing update efforts, please refer to the Gulf Coast Response update below with additional information on our efforts in response to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  
 
If you received this notice secondhand and would like to be added to our Gulf Update list, please respond directly to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . 
 
Reminder that our Gulf Update conference call will be held, Friday, August 13th at 2pm EST.    The call-in information is below.  This call is for information purposes only and is not for press or attribution. 
 
CALL-IN INFORMATION
Friday, August 13th, 2010
2:00PM EST
CALL-IN NUMBER: 202-395-6392
CALL-IN CODE: 278 3570
This call is for information purposes only and is not for press or attribution.
In this email:
 
1.  NOAA Reopens More than 5,000 Square Miles of Closed Gulf Fishing Area2.      The Ongoing Administration-Wide Response to the Deepwater BP Oil Spill
 
 
Gulf Coast Response – Update
 
 
 
NOAA REOPENS MORE THAN 5,000 SQUARE MILES OF CLOSED GULF FISHING AREA
 
NOAA Reopens More than 5,000 Square Miles of Closed Gulf Fishing Area
No oil has been observed for 30 days in area to be re-opened for fishing
August 10, 2010
Reopened fishing area (in hashmarks) as of 6:00 p.m. (EDT) August 10, 2010. Closure area may be updated daily as necessary.
High resolution (Credit: NOAA)
Today NOAA reopened 5,144 square miles of Gulf waters to commercial and recreational finfish fishing. The reopening was announced after consultation with FDA and under a re-opening protocol agreed to by NOAA, the FDA, and the Gulf states.
 
Since July 3, NOAA data have shown no oil in the area, and United States Coast Guard observers flying over the area in the last 30 days have also not observed any oil. Trajectory models show the area is at a low risk for future exposure to oil and, most importantly, fish caught in the area and tested by NOAA experts have shown no signs of contamination.
“Consumer safety is NOAA’s primary concern, which is why we developed rigorous safety standards in conjunction with the FDA and the Gulf states to ensure that seafood is safe in the reopened area,” said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “We are confident that Gulf fish from this area is safe to eat and pleased that recreational and commercial fisherman can fish these waters again.”
At its closest point, the area to be reopened is about 115 miles northeast of the Deepwater/BP wellhead.
From June 27 through July 20, NOAA sampled 153 finfish, including grouper, snapper, tuna and mahi mahi, from the area. Sensory and chemical testing of these finfish followed the methodology and procedures in the re-opening protocol, with sensory analysis finding no detectable oil or dispersant odors or flavors, and results of chemical analysis well below the levels of concern.
”We know how important it is to the culture and economy of this region to get back out on the water and be able to once again harvest the seafood that the Gulf is famous for,” said Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg, commissioner of food and drugs. “But our top priority in the wake of this disaster must be the safety of the fish that makes it to market. We are confident that the proper processes have been followed, and that consumers can feel good once again serving their families seafood from these waters.”
NOAA will continue to take samples for testing from the newly re-opened area, and the agency has also implemented dockside sampling to test fish caught throughout the Gulf by commercial fishermen.
Fishing closures remain the first line of defense to prevent contaminated seafood from entering the marketplace. NOAA continues to work closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Gulf states to ensure seafood safety. NOAA and FDA are working together on broad-scale seafood sampling that includes sampling seafood from inside and outside the closure area, as well as dockside and market-based sampling.

The closed area now covers 52,395 miles, or 22 percent of the federal waters in the Gulf, down from 37 percent at its height. On July 22, NOAA reopened 26,388 square miles of Gulf waters off of the Florida Peninsula.
NOAA has a number of methods for the public to obtain information or be notified when there is a change to the closed area:
Sign up to receive Southeast Fishery Bulletins by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Call 1-800-627-NOAA (1-800-627-6622) to hear a recording of the current coordinates in English, Vietnamese, and Spanish
Listen to NOAA Weather Radio for messages about the closure
Receive text messages on your cell phone about changes to the closed area by texting fishing@gulf to 84469 (visit http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/558107 for more information)
Follow us on Twitter: @usnoaagov to get a tweet when the closed area changes
NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Visit us on Facebook.
 
 
THE ONGOING ADMINISTRATION-WIDE RESPONSE TO THE DEEPWATER BP OIL SPILL
 
The Ongoing Administration-Wide Response to the Deepwater BP Oil SpillPrepared by the Joint Information CenterUPDATED August 10, 2010 7 PM
* For a full timeline of the Administration-wide response, visit the White House Blog.PAST 24 HOURS
·        Admiral Allen Provides an Update on the BP Oil Spill Response
o   National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen provided a briefing to inform the American public and answer questions on the administration-wide response to the BP oil spill. A full transcript is available here.
 
Admiral Allen reported on the decision to temporarily suspend drilling of the relief well—a necessary step to ensure the well is permanently sealed—as a precautionary measure due to the threat of severe weather. He also described the ongoing effort to clean up impacted shorelines: “We continue our aggressive search for oil—whether it’s onshore or in the marshes—to make sure we’re being responsive to oil that does appear,” he said. “As we stated before, there’s little to no oil offshore at this point, so most of our effort has been at tar balls in the marsh area of Louisiana.”
 
·        NOAA Re-Opens More than 5,000 Square Miles of Gulf Waters to Commercial and Recreational Fishing; Approximately 78 Percent of Gulf Waters Are Open
o   NOAA reopened 5,144 square miles of Gulf waters to commercial and recreational finfish fishing. The reopening was announced after consultation with FDA and under a re-opening protocol agreed to by NOAA, the FDA, and the Gulf states. The closed area now measures 52,395 miles—or 22 percent of the federal waters in the Gulf—down from 37 percent at its height.
 
o   Since July 3, NOAA data have shown no oil in the area, and Coast Guard observers flying over the area in the last 30 days have also not observed any oil. Trajectory models show the area is at a low risk for future exposure to oil and, most importantly, fish caught in the area and tested by NOAA experts have shown no signs of contamination. NOAA will continue to collect samples for testing from the newly re-opened area, and the agency has also implemented dockside sampling to test fish caught throughout the Gulf by commercial fishermen. For more information, click here.
 
·        Director Bromwich Hosts Fact-Finding Forum in Mobile
o   The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement Director Michael R. Bromwich hosted the second in a series of public forums in Mobile, Ala.—designed to collect information and views from academia; the environmental community; federal, state and local officials; and the oil and gas industry on technical issues related to deepwater drilling safety reforms, well containment, and oil spill response.
 
Director Bromwich will consider this feedback in evaluating whether to recommend any modifications to the scope or duration of the deepwater drilling suspensions announced by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on July 12. The first meeting was held last week in New Orleans.
 
·        62 Rehabilitated Birds Released Back to Wild
o   As part of continued efforts to protect wildlife and wildlife habitats in the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries released 62 rehabilitated birds—including roseate spoonbills, skimmers, gulls, and terns—back to the wild at the Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge. This was the fourth bird release within the State of Louisiana. To date, more than 800 birds have been released throughout the Gulf Coast since the BP oil spill began.
 
·        FWS Personnel Continue Wildlife Rescue and Recovery Missions Across the Region
o   From the Houma, La., Incident Command Post, 271 field personnel, 86 vessels, four helicopters and one float plane participated in reconnaissance and wildlife rescue and recovery missions. From the Mobile, Ala., Incident Command Post, wildlife recovery teams responded to 34 calls on the Wildlife Hotline. To report oiled wildlife, call (866) 557-1401.
 
·        Approved SBA Economic Injury Assistance Loans Surpass $20.3 Million
o   SBA has approved 232 economic injury assistance loans to date, totaling more than $20.3 million for small businesses in the Gulf Coast impacted by the BP oil spill. Additionally, the agency has granted deferments on 789 existing SBA disaster loans in the region, totaling more than $4.3 million per month in payments. For information on assistance loans for affected businesses, visit the SBA’s Web site at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance, call (800) 659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the hearing impaired), or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
 
·        Administration Continues to Oversee BP’s Claims Process
o   The administration will continue to hold the responsible parties accountable for repairing the damage, and repaying Americans who’ve suffered a financial loss as a result of the BP oil spill. To date, 146,267 claims have been opened, from which more than $329 million have been disbursed. No claims have been denied to date. There are 1,250 claims adjusters on the ground. To file a claim, visit www.bp.com/claims or call BP’s helpline at 1-800-440-0858. Those who have already pursued the BP claims process and are not satisfied with BP’s resolution can call the Coast Guard at (800) 280-7118. Additional information about the BP claims process and all available avenues of assistance can be found at www.disasterassistance.gov.
 
By the Numbers to Date:·        The administration has authorized the deployment of 17,500 National Guard troops from Gulf Coast states to respond to this crisis; currently, 1,448 are active.
 
·        Approximately 31,200 personnel are currently responding to protect the shoreline and wildlife and cleanup vital coastlines.
 
·        More than 5,000 vessels are currently responding on site, including skimmers, tugs, barges, and recovery vessels to assist in containment and cleanup efforts—in addition to dozens of aircraft, remotely operated vehicles, and multiple mobile offshore drilling units.
 
·        Approximately 2.48 million feet of containment boom* and 8.74 million feet of sorbent boom have been deployed to contain the spill—and approximately 1.16 million feet of containment boom and 3.31 million feet of sorbent boom are available.
 
·        More than 34.7 million gallons of an oil-water mix have been recovered.
 
·        Approximately 1.84 million gallons of total dispersant have been applied—1.07 million on the surface and 771,000 sub-sea. Approximately 577,000 gallons are available.
 
·        411 controlled burns have been conducted, efficiently removing a total of more than 11.14 million gallons of oil from the open water in an effort to protect shoreline and wildlife. Because calculations on the volume of oil burned can take more than 48 hours, the reported total volume may not reflect the most recent controlled burns.
 
·        17 staging areas are in place to protect sensitive shorelines.
 
·        Approximately 666 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline is currently oiled—approximately 387 miles in Louisiana, 116 miles in Mississippi, 76 miles in Alabama, and 87 miles in Florida. These numbers reflect a daily snapshot of shoreline currently experiencing impacts from oil so that planning and field operations can more quickly respond to new impacts; they do not include cumulative impacts to date, or shoreline that has already been cleared.
 
·        Approximately 52,395 square miles of Gulf of Mexico federal waters remain closed to fishing in order to balance economic and public health concerns. Approximately 78 percent remains open. Details can be found at http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/.
 
·        To date, the administration has leveraged assets and skills from numerous foreign countries and international organizations as part of this historic, all-hands-on-deck response, including Argentina, Belgium, Canada, China, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization, the European Union’s Monitoring and Information Centre, and the European Maritime Safety Agency.
*The decrease in boom numbers is due to the continued recovery of displaced boom. Once recovered, this boom must be decontaminated, repaired, inspected, and certified before being staged or redeployed. New boom is being deployed in some areas.
 
Resources:For information about the response effort, visit www.RestoreTheGulf.gov.
For specific information about the federal-wide response, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/deepwater-bp-oil-spill.
To contact the Deepwater Horizon Joint Information Center, call (713) 323-1670.
To volunteer, or to report oiled shoreline, call (866) 448-5816. Volunteer opportunities can also be found here.
To submit your vessel as a vessel of opportunity skimming system, or to submit alternative response technology, services, or products, call 281-366-5511.
To report oiled wildlife, call (866) 557-1401.
For information about validated environmental air and water sampling results, visit www.epa.gov/bpspill.
For National Park Service updates about potential park closures, resources at risk, and NPS actions to protect vital park space and wildlife, visit http://www.nps.gov/aboutus/oil-spill-response.htm.
For Fish and Wildlife Service updates about response along the Gulf Coast and the status of national wildlife refuges, visit http://www.fws.gov/home/dhoilspill/.
For daily updates on fishing closures, visit http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov.
For information on assistance loans for affected businesses, visit the SBA’s Web site at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance, call (800) 659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the hearing impaired), or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
To file a claim with BP, visit www.bp.com/claims or call BP’s helpline at (800) 440-0858. A BP fact sheet with additional information is available here. Those who have already pursued the BP claims process and are not satisfied with BP’s resolution, can call the Coast Guard at (800) 280-7118. More information about what types of damages are eligible for compensation under the Oil Pollution Act as well as guidance on procedures to seek that compensation can be found here.
In addition, www.disasterassistance.gov has been enhanced to provide a one-stop shop for information on how to file a claim with BP and access additional assistance—available in English and Spanish.
·        Any members of the press who encounter response personnel restricting their access or violating the media access policy set forth by Admiral Allen should contact the Joint Information Center. Click here for more information, including a list of regular embed opportunities.
 
 
 

 
Thank you,
 
--Amy Salzman, White House Council on Environmental Quality, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
--Greg Nelson, White House Office of Public Engagement, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 

Greetings Family,

Hope this message finds you doing well.

As promised, in preparation for tomorrow's call, below and attached please find the ideas we've discussed over the past weeks.

> If you would look at these and be prepared to discuss our priorities on tomorrow's call, that would be great. Based on what I've been hearing most in these weeks, I attempted to name our priority demands in the Top 10 Document, I circulated, (and thanks to those who provided additional input...now we have our Top 12 Demands--attached and below) But those were just demands, whereas these are inclusive of actions we hope to take ourselves.

> Also, you'll note that I included the draft BP demands. We agreed that we would research the old Fair Share agreements and use this as a model in negotiating for access for minority contractors.(I will do this)  Secondly, we agreed that we wanted to include more specificity in terms of percentages for the demands. Since we will have the document in front of us tomorrow evening, I hope we can gt some specific recommendations re making modifications to the language of our demands.

> Thanks in advance for your attention and feedback via email or on the call tomorrow. All of your voices are so critical to our forward movement!

> Most warmly,
> Jacqui

> Jacqui Patterson
> Director, Climate Justice Initiative
> NAACP
> 4805 Mt. Hope Drive
> Baltimore, MD 21215
> 443-465-9809

> BP Oil Spill Disaster--NAACP Action Plan Ideas

> Overarching Objectives:

> 1)     Facilitate access to policy/decision making spaces
>
> 2)     Facilitate access to information, resources, and opportunities
>
> 3)     Conduct research and documentation
>
> 4)      Facilitate community action/Conduct advocacy on behalf of affected communities
>
>
>
> Activities:
>
> I.        Facilitate access to policy/decision making spaces
>
> a.       Participation in Disaster Planning
>
> b.      Provide Names and Numbers of High Level Officials in Relevant Agencies to Units
>
> c.       High Level Briefings-Contingency Planning and Interagency Meetings
>
> II.      Facilitate access to information,  resources,  and opportunities
>
> a.       Establish Command Centers
>
> b.      Rights & Resources Fact Sheets
>
> c.       Legal Advice
>
> d.      Claims Assistance
>
> e.      Health Response Coordination
>
> f.        Minority/People of color business/work opportunities in mitigation and clean-up
>
> III.    Conduct research and documentation
>
> a.       Documentation Project- Video and Written Testimonies, Focus Groups, Surveys
>
> b.      Health Impact Assessment
>
> c.       Economic Impact Assessment
>
> d.      Socio-cultural Impact Assessment
>
> IV.    Facilitate Community Action/Conduct advocacy on behalf of affected communities
>
> a.       Host Community Hearings
>
> b.      Policy/Legislative Agenda
>
> c.       Legal Action/ Law Suit
>
> d.      Media Coverage/Communications
>
> e.      Establish Lines of Communication with BP with a platform of the below demands:
>
> 1)      Prioritize the hiring of locals
>
> 2)      Ensure that the minority community is awarded a fair share of the positions and contracts (reference old fair share agreements)
>
> 3)      Institute most stringent standards to ensure worker safety and health
>
> 4)      Improve information flow and transparency
>
> 1.       24 hour information hotline
>
> 2.       Weekly briefing calls
>
> 5)      Provide a block of funding (amount?) to community groups to be administered by a gulf based foundation.
>
> 6)      Remove restrictions prohibiting lawsuits and enforcing
>
> 7)      BP leadership (Tony Hayward) in a community meeting including community members, leaders, governors, etc.
>
>
>
> V.      Establish NAACP Infrastructure for Joint Action
>
> a.       Regional NAACP Coordination Calls
>
> b.       Establish NAACP Multi-Sector Taskforce/Commission on the Gulf Oil Spill Disaster
>
>
>
> Intended Outcomes:
>
> *  Fair compensation provided by BP for the losses of property, livelihood, investments, etc., of those impacted by the Oil Drilling Disaster.
>
> *  Improved worker safety evidenced by established policies such as proper training, protective gear, and decreased complaints.
>
> *  Increased number of people accessing the BP claims process
>
> *  Resolution/success of people applying for BP claims
>
> *  Improved reconciliation of chasm between business/income losses and amount paid out by BP
>
> *  Language and culturally appropriate services offered to all in need
>
> *  X% of persons in need of medical and mental health care have access to quality care
>
> *  Baseline health status data has been taken for a pre-defined sample of residents. (as a basis for subsequent investigation of health impact)
>
> *  Threshold of air quality risk for persons with special health needs/sensitivity established.
>
> *  Initiative established to ensure that all needs are met for persons with special health needs impacted by this oil spill during and as long as ill effects last.
>
> *  Hazmat orientation offered to all residents with X miles of the coast line/marshlands in anticipation of potential exposure during severe weather events.
>
> *  Resolution on cases of hiring discrimination
>
> *  Businesses operated by people of color awarded their fair share of contracts for clean-up and otherwise
>
> *  Persons displaced by the oil drilling disaster re-established in a living standard at the same or improved standard as their previous dwelling.
>
> *  Well documented records of what occurred during the period of this disaster and beyond
>
> *  Removal of language from BP contracts prohibiting workers from speaking out and/or filing suit.
>
> *  Block grant from BP through a philanthropic organization for community based organizations serving communities in the Gulf Coast. (Match dollar for dollar)
>
>
> Top 12 Demands From Communities Responding to the Gulf Coast Oil Disaster
> Based on Findings from the NAACP Listening Tour
>
> 1)    Financial Support for Community Based Organizations
> Under significant resource constraints, CBOs are providing critical support to fractured communities, including culturally and linguistically appropriate services for the diverse range of affected communities who are often marginalized in disaster response, including African American, Vietnamese, Indigenous, and other communities.
>
> 2)    Accessible and Effective Claims Process
>
> "Accessible and effective" is defined by a system that is easy to navigate and provides full restitution to affected communities in a timely manner that is immediate and consistent.
>
>
>
> 3)    Physical and Mental Health Care for All
>
> Given the lack of heath care facilities and mental health services in many of the communities, coupled with the significant physical and mental health strain on these communities, it is critical that all in these communities have access to quality physical and mental health care.
>
>
>
> 4)    Equal Access to Contracting Opportunities for Minority Businesses
>
> Community members and business owners reported anecdotally that they were locked out of access to contracts for clean-up and other opportunities related to addressing this disaster. Given the devastating impact this disaster has on communities of color, on top of a situation where they still had not recovered from Hurricane Katrina, access to opportunities for economic recovery are essential.
>
>
>
> 5)    Improved Air Quality Monitoring
>
> Reconciliation of the findings of air quality monitoring with experiences of community members and clean-up workers, such as extensive reporting of negative health effects as well as medical evacuations and hospitalizations, must be enacted and shared with the community so that the disconnect is explained. Air quality monitoring must include examining pockets where the exposures are more intense.
>
>
>
> 6)    Community and Worker Safety Provisions
>
> *         Community Hazmat Orientation should be provided to communities that are facing increased exposure to oil which is only one hurricane away, as we are moving into the height of hurricane season.
>
> *         For workers, full hazmat training and appropriate and effective protective covering must be provided to all oil spill clean-up workers.
>
>
>
> 7)    Impact Assessments-Analysis of Physical and Mental Health, Financial, and Socio-Cultural Short and Long Term Impacts
>
> Impact Assessments should, to the greatest extent possible, be led by institutions rooted in most affected communities. Therefore Historically Black Colleges and Universities must be engaged and resourced to conduct these studies. Furthermore, community participatory models of conducting the impact studies must be prioritized, to ensure that the perspectives of most affected communities are emphasized and that methodology respects the cultural, linguistic, and other unique aspects of the most affected communities.
>
>
>
> 8)    Safe, Quality Housing Provisions for Displaced Persons
>
> Given that communities affected by the BP Oil Drilling Disaster are many of the same communities that had been impacted by Hurricane Katrina, the housing and displacement issues in these most affected areas are already significant. Therefore, there must be a solid and effective plan in place to ensure that there are alternative housing situations for persons displaced by the BP Oil Drilling Disaster and that the principle of right to return is upheld, supported, and well resourced.
>
>
>
> 9)    Federal Recognition of the Houma Tribe
>
> The Houma Tribe has not yet been federally recognized. They have been awaiting a response for over 20 years from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior.  According to the Houma Nation representatives, the oil industry lobby wants access to lands that would be protected under the federal designation and thus are blocking their request. In order for Houma to be a sovereign nation that with access to the rights under this designation, enabling them to provide for their community members, this federal recognition is critical.
>
>
>
> 10)   Direct TARP and SBA Funding to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI's)
>
> These institutions would then have the capacity to make recovery loans to Black and other Minority owned businesses that are completely locked out of the SBA/USDA bank originated emergency loan programs.
>
>
>
> 11)   Improved Information Dissemination
>
> Information regarding the healthy, safety and additional precautionary actions must be received by all. Currently some communities are not getting the level of information of large metropolitan areas affected by the spill.
>
>
>
> 12) Clean Energy, Green Jobs, and Increased Regulation of Oil Drilling
>
> *         Recognizing that we do need sources of energy to power our movements and functioning, many community members are dependent on the oil industry in the gulf coast, and deregulation has resulting in the maiming and killing of workers and placed many more workers and communities in significant danger, we acknowledge that complex relationships call for integrated solutions.
>
> *         First the existing oil drilling facilities must be regulated to remove risk to workers and communities. There must be an analysis of the costs and benefits of continued oil drilling.
>
> *         Alternative clean energy sources that provide alternate safe jobs for communities while advancing a clean energy economy and significantly lessen negative impact on environment and community.

http://www.bpclaim.org