What’s the difference between the Gulf of Mexico CAC and the RCAC?

by Michelle Erenberg
(originally posted on the Gulf Restoration Network blog)

Last week, I wrote a blog about the importance of engaging communities in the decision making process as we move forward with restoration plans and projects. Recognizing this, the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force is creating a Gulf of Mexico Citizens Advisory Committee (GMCAC). This GMCAC will provide independent citizen advice to the EPA Administrator on a broad range of environmental issues affecting the five Gulf of Mexico Coastal States. It is important to point out the difference between this entity and the Gulf of Mexico Regional Citizens Advisory Council (GMRCAC) for which we  have been advocating. Explaining each of these advisory bodies below, I hope to shed some light on how they differ and why each in its own right is vital to protecting and restoring the Gulf of Mexico and our coastal communities.

The Gulf of Mexico Citizen Advisory Committee is created by The Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and will be a 25-member Committee. Its authority is limited to offering advice to officers and agencies in the executive branch of the Federal Government, in this case, specifically advising the EPA as they lead the Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Restoration Task Force and oversee the implementation plan that the task force is currently developing. Funding for such a committee may come directly from Congress or provided with monies indirectly through general agency appropriations.Additionally, FACA committees operate “in the sunshine” which means that their meetings, deliberations and reports are open and available to the public. (more…)

Joining Hands Across the Sand

On Saturday, June 25, thousands of people across the globe will gather on beaches and coastlines to stand in solidarity and support a clean energy future. They will all be taking part in the second Hands Across the Sand, an idea conceived last year by a Florida restaurant owner and surfer in response to the Florida state legislature’s decision to lift the long-standing ban on near-shore oil drilling.

Last February, thousands of Floridians gathered on beaches across the state, united to oppose oil drilling off their coast. After the BP spill began, a global Hands event was organized to raise awareness of the dangers of offshore drilling, with over 1,000 events in 40 countries. This weekend, participants will join together peacefully in coastal areas – those most vulnerable to the damages of offshore drilling – to demand clean energy solutions. Hands Across the Sand aims to protect vulnerable coasts and ecosystems, prevent future oil spill disasters and say yes to a clean energy future. (more…)

June Update Call: Gulf Coast Fishing Communities

Our next After the Spill call will be Thursday, June 30 at 2 pm CST/3 pm EST – and all are welcome to join the conversation! The call will focus on oil spill impacts on Gulf fishing and seafood, and the on-going challenges for fisherfolk, Gulf restaurateurs and their communities. We’ll hear directly from oystermen, food experts, and faith leaders. This call is presented in partnership with Gulf Restoration Network.

Featured speakers:

• Chef Susan Spicer, Bayona Restaurant, New Orleans
• Telley Madina, Coastal Communities Program Officer, Oxfam
• Reverend Cory Sparks, Chair,  Commission on Stewardship of the Environment, Louisiana Interchurch Conference

Email today to receive the dial-in number, and spread the word! After the Spill and Gulf Restoration Network look forward to learning with you.

Big Win for the Louisiana Environmental Action Network

Congratulations to our friends at the Louisiana Environmental Action Network (LEAN) on their recent court victory, a big win for environmental and human health on the Gulf Coast! A Louisiana state appellate court ruled last week that regulators must consider the environmental and health impacts that could possibly result “from dumping fluids used in drilling for oil and natural gas into the seas just off the coast.”

This practice of dumping untreated waste water from offshore drilling operations – called produced waters – was previously permitted without prior study of its consequences. The court ruled that waste water permits issued in 2009 did not require sufficient testing or monitoring of the potential dangers of these waste waters. Though one lawyer involved in the case argues that such a review “should have been done 30, 40 years ago,” it’s a case of better late than never for the human and ecological health of communities located near these waste sites.

The case has been pending since LEAN filed suit against the state environmental department in 2009, with evidence of potential health consequences accumulating in water supplies and food chains. This practice of dumping waste into local water supplies has gone on for too long without adequate study and regulation, but hopefully this court ruling is a major step in regulating this potentially dangerous practice.

Gulf Stories: Oil, Chemicals, Illness

Even as BP is winding down clean-up efforts, and the government is moving to expand oil drilling, fishermen and oil workers across the Gulf are just beginning to show the extent of strange symptoms – symptoms of  illnesses that many assert are oil-induced.

In disturbing new videos, former commercial bait fisherman Joey Yerkes and others  discuss their experiences with the oil spill and sicknesses they believe they are experiencing as a result. Hear stories from Joey and others involved in Gulf fishing and the BP Vessels of Opportunity (VOO) clean-up program here (part 1) and here (part 2).

Public health is a priority in the Gulf Future Action Plan, which calls for accessible health care provided at the local level by experts who understand chemical exposure issues; education for health care providers on oil-spill related health impacts; and accurate tracking of impacts by government and communities. After watching these videos it’s hard not to join their call for action.