SEC CHARGES CHINA-BASED COMPANY WITH STOCK MANIPULATION

FROM:  SEC
April 11, 2012
The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged that AutoChina International Limited and eleven investors, including a senior executive and director at the China-based firm, conducted a market manipulation scheme to create the false appearance of a liquid and active market for AutoChina’s stock.

According to the SEC’s complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, AutoChina senior executive and director Hui Kai Yan, a former AutoChina manager, and others fraudulently traded AutoChina’s stock to boost its daily trading volume. Starting in October 2010, the defendants and others deposited more than $60 million into U.S.-based brokerage accounts and engaged in hundreds of fraudulent trades over the next three months through these accounts and accounts with a Hong Kong-based broker-dealer. The fraudulent trades included matched orders, where one account sold shares to another account at the same time and for the same price, and wash trades, which resulted in no change of beneficial ownership of the shares. According to the complaint, AutoChina and the other defendants engaged in the scheme after lenders offered AutoChina unfavorable terms for a stock-backed loan due to low trading volume in its stock.

“AutoChina and the other defendants engaged in a brazen manipulation of AutoChina’s stock to obtain favorable loan terms,” said Robert Khuzami, Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement. “The SEC will hold accountable publicly-traded companies, including foreign companies, that violate the U.S. securities laws and disrupt the U.S. capital markets.”

David P. Bergers, Director of the SEC’s Boston Regional Office, added, “The investing public has a right to honest and fair markets. Manipulation of stocks has no place in the financial strategies of any public company.”

The SEC complaint alleges that in the three months before the defendants opened the U.S.-based brokerage accounts, the average daily trading volume of AutoChina’s stock was approximately 18,000 shares. From November 1, 2010 through January 31, 2011, the average daily trading volume increased to more than 139,000 shares. On some days, the defendants and related accounts’ trading accounted for as much as 70% of the trading of AutoChina’s stock.

According to the SEC’s complaint, several of the defendants are related to AutoChina’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, who at the time of the scheme owned more than 57% of the company. Three of the defendants are siblings of AutoChina’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and another is married to one his siblings.
The SEC’s complaint charges AutoChina; Hui Kai Yan; Rui Ge Dong; Victory First Limited; Rainbow Yield Limited; Yong Qi Li; Ai Xi Ji; Ye Wang; Zhong Wen Zhang; Li Xin Ma; Yong Li Li; and Shu Ling Li with violating Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, Sections 9(a) and 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5. The complaint further alleges that Rui Ge Dong; Victory First Limited; Rainbow Yield Limited; Yong Qi Li; Ai Xi Ji; Ye Wang; Zhong Wen Zhang; Li Xin Ma; Yong Li Li; and Shu Ling Li aided and abetted AutoChina’s violations of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, Sections 9(a) and 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5.
The complaint seeks a final judgment permanently enjoining the defendants from committing future violations of these provisions, ordering them to disgorge their ill-gotten gains plus prejudgment interest, imposing financial penalties and barring Hui Kai Yan them from acting as an officer or director of a public company.

HERO RECEIVES AIR FORCE CROSS

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Air Force Capt. Barry F. Crawford Jr. smiles during a press briefing at the Pentagon, April 11, 2012. Crawford has been named to receive the Air Force Cross for his heroism during his deployment to Afghanistan as a special tactics officer. On May 4, 2010, Crawford was instrumental in saving the lives of three Afghan soldiers and evacuated two Afghans killed in action. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett

Special Tactics Officer Receives Air Force Cross
By Air Force Capt. Kristen D. Duncan
Air Force Special Operations Command

WASHINGTON, April 12, 2012 - A special tactics officer received the Air Force Cross today for his role in a 2010 battle in Afghanistan.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz presented the award to Capt. Barry F. Crawford Jr. in the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes. The Air Force Cross is the service's highest medal, and second only to the Medal of Honor.
Crawford received the award for heroic actions controlling the air space and calling in airstrikes during the battle, allowing his special operations team to get out of the kill zone and ultimately saving the lives of his American comrades.

While assigned to the 23rd Expeditionary Special Tactics Squadron, Crawford was the joint terminal attack controller for a U.S. Army Special Forces and Afghan commando team.

Crawford called in multiple fixed- and rotary-wing air assets, allowing for the safe return of all U.S. forces, the evacuation of two Afghan commandos killed in action, and the rescue of three other wounded Afghan commandos.

"Captain Crawford repeatedly and conspicuously disregarded his own safety to assist his United States and Afghan teammates," Schwartz said at today's ceremony. "It is not hard to be utterly impressed by his bravery and inspired by his selflessness."

"Crawford braved effective enemy fire and consciously placed himself at grave risk on four occasions while controlling over 33 aircraft and more than 40 airstrikes on a well-trained and well-prepared enemy force," his award citation reads. "His selfless actions and expert airpower employment neutralized a numerically superior enemy force and enabled friendly elements to exfiltrate the area without massive casualties."

The team of about 100 personnel flew into the steep mountains of Laghman province early May 4, 2010. As soon as they were on the ground, they heard enemy chatter on the radios. Within 30 minutes, they found a substantial weapons cache inside the village. The enemy force apparently was dug in to defensive positions, waiting for the sun to rise before beginning their assault on the coalition force.

"As soon as the sun came up, we started taking extremely heavy enemy fire," Crawford said in an interview. "Our placement in the middle of the village, and the enemy's superior fighting positions, required us to 'run the gauntlet' of enemy fire no matter where we were in the valley."

Enemy fighters were expertly using sniper and medium machine-gun fire to target the force as insurgents were closing in on their location from all sides. Five commandos were wounded in the assault.

"Recognizing that the wounded Afghan soldiers would die without evacuation to definitive care, Captain Crawford took decisive action and ran out into the open in an effort to guide the [medical evacuation] helicopter to the landing zone," according to the citation. "Once the pilot had eyes on his position, Crawford remained exposed, despite having one of his radio antennas shot off mere inches from his face.

"Acting without hesitation," the citation continues, "Crawford then bounded across open terrain, engaging enemy positions with his assault rifle and called in AH-64 strafe attacks to defeat the ambush."

When the weather cleared, the team moved along the steep terrain. To allow his team to freely move in the open and prevent further casualties, Crawford coordinated the delivery of danger-close AH-64 Apache Hellfire missiles, and 500- and 2,000-pound joint direct attack munition bombs from F-15E Strike Eagles.

"Everyone there was on task and wanted to crush the enemy," Crawford said. "My teammates went above and beyond, and everyone's efforts really re-energized the entire assault force's morale."

As the U.S. and Afghan commandos left the burned-out village, Crawford's team once again came under attack. Stuck in an open, narrow valley with 300- to 500-foot sheer mountain cliffs around them, the team was forced to hold their position in poor weather conditions.

With the enemy merely 150 meters away, Crawford repeatedly called for danger-close 30 mm strafing, and rocket attacks from AH-64 Apaches overhead. To mark the enemy locations, Crawford ran into the open to engage the enemy while continuing to direct Apache airstrikes.

"The Apaches were our lifeline," Crawford said. "They were consistently engaging. It was a battle of survival for us, and they unleashed hell on the enemy."

The original mission was to collect intelligence from a remote village sympathetic to the Taliban. However, the village had been burned prior to their arrival. Their mission quickly turned into a battle for survival, which was remarkably successful. The special operations team suffered two Afghan commando casualties, but more than 80 insurgents were killed during the engagement, including three high-ranking enemy commanders.

FORMER PRESIDENT OF ALGERIA, AHMED BEN BELLA DIES

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Passing of Former President Ben Bella
Press Statement Mark C. Toner
Deputy Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC
April 14, 2012
The United States would like to convey to the people of Algeria its sincerest condolences over the passing of former president Ahmed Ben Bella.

President Ben Bella is recognized for his contributions to Algeria's freedom, including negotiating the independence treaty with France. He became the first president of an independent Algeria, recognized in 1962 by American President John F. Kennedy, continuing a long history of friendly ties between our nations. Ahmed Ben Bella will remain a symbol of independence for the Algerian people and the United States looks forward to continuing its strong relationship with the people of Algeria.

CONNECTING THE AMERICAS 2022 INITIATIVE

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Connecting the Americas 2022
Fact Sheet Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC
April 13, 2012
At the Sixth Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia, the United States joined Colombia and other leaders of the Western Hemisphere in committing to achieve universal access to electricity over the next decade through enhanced electrical interconnection. This initiative, developed by Colombia and called “Connecting the Americas 2022” will increase access to reliable, clean, and affordable electricity for the region’s 31 million citizens without it. Connecting the Americas 2022 supports the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA), launched by President Obama at the 2009 Summit of the Americas, which promotes regional collaboration on low-carbon development, energy security, and climate change.

Electrical Interconnection in the Americas
The Western Hemisphere produces one quarter of the world’s oil, almost one-third of its natural gas, and nearly 30 percent of global electricity, and is also endowed with abundant renewable energy resources. The region requires a 26 percent increase in new power generation capacity to meet annual projected GDP growth of as much as 6 percent over the next decade. Electrical interconnection benefits all countries by allowing those with excess power to export electricity to countries that have a power deficit. Interconnected power systems allow for greater integration of renewable energy resources, as well as power exchanges among countries with varying climate and seasonal needs. Interconnection expands the size of power markets, creating economies of scale, which can attract private investment, lower capital costs, and reduce electricity costs for consumers -- that makes businesses more competitive and helps create jobs. When coupled with national strategies to develop off-grid, mini-grid, or clean cook stoves, electrical interconnection will bring modern energy services to hundreds of millions who have limited or no access, including in this hemisphere.

Connecting the Americas 2022: The Decade for Electrical Interconnection
This hemisphere has made significant progress to integrate power sectors and promote cross-border trade in electricity with support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), World Bank, Organization of American States (OAS), donors, and private companies. Connecting the Americas 2022 will serve as a framework for the Americas to reinforce regional and bi-national efforts to bring electricity to all parts of the hemisphere. Connecting the Americas 2022 is a platform for development and prosperity: it means education for children, cold chains for vaccines, reliable power for clinics and hospitals, and lower costs for business. Connecting the Americas 2022 will create a business climate that accelerates development of renewable energy and attracts private investment, big and small. Connecting the Americas 2022 will open markets that bring the best in power technology to markets that need low-cost and efficient solutions. Working through ECPA and other mechanisms, Connecting the Americas 2022 will tap the expertise, technology, and capital of individual countries, regulators, utilities, the private sector, and multilateral organizations and institutions.

U.S. Government Support for Connecting the Americas 2022
Ongoing and new technical assistance and capacity building programs through ECPA and other mechanisms include:
U.S. Department of State (State) grants to the Institute of the Americas to support policy dialogues among Central American energy ministers and regulators to overcome regulatory barriers to increasing intra-regional electricity trade. State will increase technical assistance to support the development of commercially sustainable regional power trade between Central America, Mexico, and Colombia.

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) support for a completed feasibility study examining the potential for electrical interconnection between Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, which concluded that the interconnection is technically and economically possible.

State grant to the Organization of American States to determine the potential for electrical interconnection between Saint Kitts and Nevis and Puerto Rico. This grant also supports a policy dialogue with Caribbean Energy Ministers, the Caribbean Community, donor governments, and regional institutions to discuss the potential for electrical connection via sub-sea cables and renewable energy development.

State support for Smart Grid technology demonstration projects in Latin America.

Deepening the work of the U.S.-Mexico Cross Border Electricity Task Force to promote renewable energy markets between our two countries.

Enhancing cross-border trade in electricity through the U.S.-Canada Energy Consultative Mechanism.

Facilitating Smart Grid technology cooperation between DOE and Colombia through the U.S.-Colombia High Level Partnership Dialogue’s Energy Working Group.

New State-supported technical assistance to governments and utilities in Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis to develop their geothermal sectors and establish the commercial, regulatory, and legal frameworks needed to support inter-island sub-sea power connections.

New U.S. Trade and Development Agency Smart Grid Series that will host Mexican and Colombian regulatory and power utility company representatives in 2012 to familiarize them with the U.S. Smart Grid regulatory environment, technologies, and equipment, based on a successful Chilean program in 2011.

Creating commercial opportunities and expanding market access for U.S. investors and suppliers of power and communications systems and clean energy technology through trade missions and economic statecraft.

MODERN HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Press Statement Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State New Haven, Connecticut
April 13, 2012
Later this year, we will mark the 150th anniversary of the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, and as we remember the sad history of slavery in the United States and honor those who fought to end it, we must also recommit ourselves to delivering on the promise of freedom. Because around the world today, 27 million people are living in modern slavery, or what we call trafficking in persons.

That’s why this Administration has made the effort to combat modern slavery a top priority. Here at home, agencies across government are working together to prosecute traffickers, and to bring needed assistance to survivors. Around the world, we are working with governments to improve their response to this crime, and we are supporting anti-trafficking programs in 37 countries with foreign assistance. Our annualTrafficking in Persons Report is the most comprehensive assessment of what governments are doing to stop this crime, and I’m glad you’ve had the chance to hear from Lou de Baca about everything the State Department is doing to move this struggle forward.

Now, when I was a law student in these same classrooms and hallways, I had the opportunity to learn from brilliant scholars and legal minds, and to study cutting-edge ideas about civil rights and children’s issues. So it doesn’t surprise me that that Yale Law School is again leading the way as we develop new innovations and practices to help us fight this horrible crime.

I hope this conference has been an opportunity for all of you to share ideas and build partnerships that will strengthen our efforts to combat modern slavery. Thank you all for your tireless work to stop this crime.

U.S. OFFICIAL MAKES REMARKS ON EAST ASIA BEFORE TRIP

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks Before Departing for Japan, South Korea, India, and Singapore
Remarks Kurt M. Campbell
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Dulles Airport
Washington, DC
April 14, 2012
ASSISTANT SECRETARY CAMPBELL: First of all, let me apologize for having you have to come out on a lovely Saturday like today. I’m leaving this morning for Japan, South Korea, India, and Singapore for regular consultations on a whole range of issues. In Japan, we will be talking about force posture issues. We will be discussing developments on Okinawa. We will be discussing regional dynamics and upcoming high-level diplomacy. In South Korea, we will review developments on the Peninsula and a variety of other efforts that the United States and South Korea are principally engaged in.

Part of the U.S. approach to the Asia-Pacific region is a deeper dialogue with India and encouraging India’s “Look East” strategy and so we will be talking about specific initiatives that we will be taking with Delhi to support that effort as part of our Asia-Pacific consultations with them. In Singapore, we will be talking about the upcoming ASEAN Regional Forum and various multilateral issues with respect to ASEAN and U.S.-Singapore bilateral relations.

Obviously a key issue of discussion during this trip will be recent developments with regard to North Korea. I think you will have seen through the President’s statement from the White House, the Susan Rice statement yesterday at the United Nations, the G8 statement and others a swift and sure response from the international community on the recent North Korea provocations. There is a very strong determination among international partners in the Asia-Pacific region to send a very clear message to discourage further provocations from North Korea. I’m very much looking forward to consulting closely with our partners and allies in the region about the way forward. I’m happy to take just a couple of questions before I go.

QUESTION: Is the Leap Day agreement completely annulled or is that something that you hope to work on?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY CAMPBELL: I think Ben Rhodes explained clearly yesterday that it’s impossible to imagine under the current circumstances that we would move forward on that.

QUESTION: Japan seeks a resolution at the UN. Do you think the U.S. can work on that with Japan?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY CAMPBELL: First of all, Susan Rice is in charge of our diplomacy at the United Nations. We are in very close consultations both bilaterally and up in the UN in a multilateral dialogue with Japan on the way forward. I think Ambassador Rice really was very clear yesterday about where we stand in the diplomacy. I think the partnership with Japan on this issue has been very close. Yes, one last question.

QUESTION: Will you discuss additional steps, such as tougher sanctions, with your counterpart?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY CAMPBELL: I think Ambassador Rice was clear at this juncture we’re not going to discuss specifics but we will be discussing with our partners in Asia on possible steps and areas of coordination that we will take going forward. Ok. Thank you all.

U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UN EXPLAINS VOTE ON RESOLUTION REGARDING SYRIAN GOVERNMENT

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Explanation of Vote by Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, At the Adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2042
Susan E. Rice
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York, NY April 14, 2012
AS DELIVERED
After more than a year of brutal violence inflicted by the Government of Syria on its own people, after close to 10,000 deaths, after driving almost 45,000 Syrians out of their country and many more out of their homes, and after the grotesque destruction by Syria’s own armed forces of Syrian towns and neighborhoods, the Syrian government has claimed it is finally ready to step back from its murderous policies. Today, with this resolution, the Security Council has indicated it will judge the Syrian regime by its actions, not its words. The Council has authorized an advance group of monitors to verify the Syrian government’s compliance. In doing so, the Council has taken a step towards fulfilling its own responsibilities. And it’s about time.

On Thursday, the Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States, Kofi Annan, reported that a "fragile calm appears to be prevailing" in Syria. We all hope it will continue to prevail. But we are under no illusions. Two days of diminished violence after a year of murderous rampage hardly proves that the regime is serious about honoring its commitments. Just today, Syrian forces resumed their brutal shelling of Homs, and shot innocent mourners at a funeral in Aleppo. This resumed violence casts serious doubts yet again on the regime’s commitment to a cessation of violence. Despite this aggression, the Syrian opposition has largely refrained from responding and has honorably sought to extend the fragile calm. The regime’s tanks, heavy weapons, and troops maintain their choke hold on population centers, ready to resume attacks at any time. Towns and large areas remain cut off, and the Asad regime maintains snipers and roadblocks throughout Syria. Reports continue to come in that protesters have been killed and arrested, and thousands of activists remain detained. The Syrian government must meet all of its commitments, not the bare minimum. And it must do so now.

The suffering of the Syrian people has gone on far too long. For many months they protested peacefully, only to be met with violent retribution from their own government. When some protesters finally dared to respond in self-defense, the retribution got immeasurably worse. The Arab League proposed a way forward to end the violence and meet the aspirations of the Syrian people. The regime of Bashar Asad responded with broken promises, only to be followed by intensified violence. In the final days before April 12th, we saw an outrageous escalation of violence by the Asad regime, including the stepped up use of heavy artillery on civilian areas and Syrian forces firing across borders into Turkey and Lebanon.

This horrific cycle has lasted way too long. The Syrian people must be allowed to exercise their rights and freedoms peacefully, without fear of attack, detention, torture, or death. We commend the opposition for the restraint it has shown in observing the ceasefire, after the brutality it has endured. And we demand that the Syrian government at last honor its commitments. Those commitments are plain to everyone. Both this Council and the League of Arab States have fully endorsed Mr. Annan's Six Point Plan. As Secretary Clinton noted, the plan is not a menu of options. It’s a comprehensive set of obligations that requires visible and verifiable actions by the Government of Syria.

The resolution just adopted reaffirms the Council’s support for all elements of the Envoy’s plan, including an immediate end to violence, securing humanitarian access, and a Syrian-led political transition that meets the democratic aspirations of the Syrian people. The resolution stresses that the Syrian government must immediately fulfil its remaining obligations to bring about a full cessation of violence. It emphasizes the necessity of the Syrian government immediately withdrawing all its troops and heavy weapons from population centers and returning its soldiers and their equipment to their barracks. It authorizes the Secretary-General to send an initial team of up to 30 observers to verify that the Syrian government is doing what it is obliged to do, including ensuring that the full monitoring mission can do its job, unimpeded, with full freedom of movement, full access to people and institutions, and unobstructed communications. The resolution also expresses the Council’s intention to establish a larger observer mission once the Secretary General presents a blueprint and if it is clear that the cease-fire is holding and the government is cooperating.

We see this advance team’s deployment as an important test of the Syrian government’s intentions. If the government obstructs their work, it will raise serious concerns about moving forward with the establishment of the full mission. We await the Secretary General's proposal for a full observation mission and express our willingness to work quickly with Council members to authorize such a mission, if indeed the Syrian government fulfils its commitments.

The United States expresses its appreciation again to Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan for his dedicated work to try to stop the violence, respect the rights of the Syrian people, and begin a transition towards a stable and legitimate governance. The opportunity is there; the burden is now on the Syrian government to seize it.

U.S. CONDEMNS MILITARY EFFORTS TO SEIZE POWER IN GUINEA-BISSAU

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Military Violence in Guinea-Bissau
Press Statement Mark C. Toner
Deputy Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC
April 14, 2012
We strongly condemn the attempt by certain elements of the military to forcibly seize power and undermine the legitimate civilian leadership of Guinea-Bissau. We regret that they have chosen to disrupt the democratic process, which already was challenged by the opposition’s call to boycott the second round of elections.

We urge all parties to put down their weapons, release government leaders immediately, and restore the legitimate civilian leadership.

We are deeply concerned about the safety of all those in Bissau, and call for maximum restraint on all sides. We will continue to work with our partners in the region and beyond as we monitor developments on the ground.

NEW PRESIDENT IN MALI SWORN-IN

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Interim President of Mali Sworn-in
Press Statement Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC
April 12, 2012

The United States welcomes the April 12 inauguration of Diouncounda Traore as interim President of Mali to head a transition government tasked with organizing elections. We commend the leadership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in working to restore civilian rule to Mali and its ongoing efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the crisis in the north. We support these positive steps forward in the political transition process, and we urge all parties to facilitate the swift and complete restoration of civilian rule through free and fair elections.

We are deeply concerned about reports of human rights violations in the north. We strongly condemn all looting and violence, including violence against humanitarian and diplomatic missions and sexual and gender-based violence. The United States and the international community remind all parties of their obligations under international law, which holds combatants and their commanders to account for acts of conflict-related sexual violence and acts of aggression. We urge all armed groups to cease-fire, respect human rights, engage in dialogue with Mali’s civilian government, and allow assistance to reach populations in need unhindered.

EPA PROPOSES ELECTRONIC REPORTING OF SOME INFORMATION UNDER TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT

FROM:  ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
EPA Proposes Rule to Require Electronic Reporting for Chemical Information
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a proposed rule to require electronic reporting for certain information submitted to the agency under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).The action is an important milestone in the agency’s effort to increase transparency and public access to chemical information in order to help Americans protect their health and environment. Electronic reporting will increase the speed with which EPA can make information publicly available, increase accuracy, and provide the public with quick and easier access to chemical information.
“Administrator Lisa P. Jackson is committed to strengthening EPA's chemicals management program and increasing the public’s access to chemical information,” said Jim Jones, acting assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “The agency is also committed to reducing reporting burdens and paper-based reporting in favor of electronic reporting. These measures will streamline the reporting process and reduce the administrative costs.”

Today’s proposed rule would require electronic reporting rather than paper-based reporting for various TSCA actions including submission of information relating to chemical testing, health and safety studies, and other information. When final, EPA will only accept data, reports, and other information submitted through EPA’s Central Data Exchange, a centralized portal that enables streamlined, electronic submission of data via the Internet. The agency will be soliciting comments on this proposed rule for 60 days.

Over the coming months, the agency will offer a number of opportunities for potential users to become familiar with the new requirements. These opportunities will include an initial webinar to introduce the web-based electronic reporting tool, follow-up webinars and testing of specific applications, and opportunities for submitters and others to provide feedback to the agency on their experiences using the tool before its release. 

Navy News Service -Sailors install an overhead segment of a personnel transport module on a landing craft air cushion.

Navy News Service - Eye on the Fleet Current Collection

DOES IT RAIN FISH AND FROGS? MAYBE

FROM:  U.S. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS                        PHOTO:   U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Can it rain frogs, fish, and other objects?
There have been reports of raining frogs and fish dating back to ancient civilization. Of course, it doesn’t “rain” frogs or fish in the sense that it rains water - no one has ever seen frogs or fish vaporize into the air before a rainfall. However, strong winds, such as those in a tornado or hurricane, are powerful enough to lift animals, people, trees, and houses.  It is possible that they could suck up a school of fish or frogs and “rain” them elsewhere.

Many scientists believe tornadic waterspouts may be responsible for frog and fish rainfalls.  According to Complete Weather Resource (1997), “a tornadic waterspout is merely a tornado that forms over land and travels over the water.”  An especially strong kind of waterspout, they are not as strong as land based tornadoes, which can reach up to 310 miles per hour.  But tornadic waterspouts can reach 100 miles per hour, which can still be quite destructive.

A popular misconception is that waterspouts “rise out of the sea.” In reality, they begin in the air and descend toward the water’s surface. The first visible sign of a tornadic waterspout is usually a dark spot on the water’s surface, which is caused by a spinning column of low-pressure air stirring up the water from overhead.  As the spinning column of air, or vortex, gains momentum, the surrounding water is pulled into a spiral pattern of light and dark bands. Eventually a ring of spraying water, called the cascade,forms around the base.  The characteristic funnel extending from the sky toward the water’s surface becomes visible in the fourth stage of the waterspout’s development. At this point, it is considered a mature storm.

Like a tornado, a mature waterspout consists of a low-pressure central vortex surrounded by a rotating funnel of updrafts.  The vortex at the center of these storms is strong enough to “suck up” surrounding air, water, and small objects like a vacuum. These accumulated objects are deposited back to earth as “rain” when the waterspout loses its energy.  Most of the water seen in the funnel of a waterspout is actually condensate —moisture in the air resulting from the condensation of water vapor.

Professor Ernest Agee from Purdue University says, “I’ve seen small ponds literally emptied of their water by a passing tornado. So, it wouldn’t be unreasonable for frogs (or other living things) to ‘rain’ from the skies” (Chandler, 2004).  Most scientists agree that salt, stones, fish, or frogs can be pulled into a waterspout’s swirling updrafts and deposited once the waterspout hits land and loses its energy.

Although waterspouts are the most commonly offered explanation for animal rainfalls, some scientists, such as Doc Horsley from Southern Illinois University, theorize that any unusually powerful updraft could lift small organisms or organic material into the sky during a storm (Chandler, 2004). An updraft is a wind current caused by warm air from high pressure areas near the earth rising into cooler, low-pressure areas in the atmosphere. Because the cooling causes water in the air to condense, updrafts play an important role in cloud formation and storm development.  During thunderstorms, updrafts can reach speeds of more than 60 miles per hour— comparable to the winds of moderate-intensity waterspouts.

When it rained frogs in Kansas City in 1873, Scientific Americaconcluded that it must have been caused by a tornado or other land-based storm, since there were no swamps or other bodies of water in the vicinity (Cerveny, 2006).  Similarly, when it hailed frogs in Dubuque, Iowa on June 16, 1882, scientists speculated that small frogs were picked up by a powerful updraft and frozen into hail in the cold air above earth’s surface. Although no one has actually witnessed an updraft lifting frogs off the ground, the theory is scientifically plausible since updrafts regularly pick up lightweight debris and carry it considerable distances.

What is unusual in reports of animal rainfalls is the uniformity of the deposition.   When it rains frogs or fishes, witnesses reportonly fish or only frogs falling. According to William Hayden Smith of Washington University, this makes sense since objects of similar size and weight would naturally be deposited together. As winds lose their energy, the heavier objects fall first and smaller objects drop later.

                                                                     PHOTO:  NOAA 

Despite the numerous reports of raining animals, scientists still approach the area with skepticism. Many historical reports are provided by second or third-hand accounts, making their reliability questionable. Also, because of the popularity and mystery surrounding stories about raining animals, some people falsely report an animal rainfall after seeing large numbers of worms, frogs, or birds on the ground after a storm. However, these animals did not fall from the sky. Instead, storms fill in worm burrows, knock birds from trees and roofs, wash fish onto the shores of rivers and ponds, and drive frogs and other small animals from their habitats. People who live in suburban or urban environments tend to underestimate the number of organisms living around their homes. Therefore, they may suspect that animals came from the sky rather than their natural habitat.

Despite the cautious skepticism of the scientific community, a number of eyewitness reports strongly suggest rainfalls of frogs, fish, and other materials on occasion. For instance:

On October 23, 1947, A.D. Bajkov, a biologist with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife, was eating breakfast at a restaurant in Marksville, Louisiana when the waitress told him and his wife that fish were falling from the sky. “There were spots on Main Street, in the vicinity of the bank (a half block from the restaurant) averaging one fish per square yard. Automobiles and trucks were running over them. Fish also fell on the roofs of houses…I personally collected from Main Street and several yards on Monroe Street, a large jar of perfect specimens and preserved them in Formalin, in order to distribute them among various museums.”

On June 7, 2005, thousands of frogs rained on Odzaci, a small town in northwestern Serbia. Climatologist Slavisa Ignjatovic described the phenomenon as “not very unusual” because the strong winds that accompanied the storm could have easily picked up the frogs.

At the end of February, 2010, residents of Lajamanu, a small Australian town, saw hundreds of spangled perch fall from the sky. Christine Balmer was walking home when the rain/fish started to fall. “These fish fell in their hundreds and hundreds all over the place. The locals were running around everywhere to pick them up,” she reported.