Thursday, July 11, 2013
DOJ MAKES VIDEO ABOUT EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION AND DISCRIMINATION
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Justice Department Releases Educational Video About Discrimination in Employment Eligibility Verification
The Justice Department announced today the launch of a new educational video to assist employers in avoiding charges of discrimination in the employment eligibility verification form I-9 process and in the use of E-Verify. The video also helps educate employees about their legal rights. The Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC) within the department’s Civil Rights Division enforces the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which prohibits employers from discriminating against work-authorized individuals in hiring, firing, recruitment or referral for a fee, regardless of their citizenship status or national origin. The law also prohibits discrimination during the form I-9 and E-Verify processes.
OSC developed its latest video to address issues that frequently arise from calls to its hotline and charges filed. Employers sometimes incorrectly believe that they need to request more documents than are necessary for the employment eligibility verification form I-9. Additionally, employers using E-Verify may improperly request specific documents due to misunderstanding of E-Verify requirements. OSC’s new video highlights some practices that are not permissible and may lead to claims under the anti-discrimination provision.
“We believe this video will help both employers and employees across the country understand employment eligibility verification rules,” said Gregory Friel, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “Federal law prohibits discrimination in the employment eligibility verification process, and the Justice Department is committed to enforcing the law.”
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Justice Department Releases Educational Video About Discrimination in Employment Eligibility Verification
The Justice Department announced today the launch of a new educational video to assist employers in avoiding charges of discrimination in the employment eligibility verification form I-9 process and in the use of E-Verify. The video also helps educate employees about their legal rights. The Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC) within the department’s Civil Rights Division enforces the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which prohibits employers from discriminating against work-authorized individuals in hiring, firing, recruitment or referral for a fee, regardless of their citizenship status or national origin. The law also prohibits discrimination during the form I-9 and E-Verify processes.
OSC developed its latest video to address issues that frequently arise from calls to its hotline and charges filed. Employers sometimes incorrectly believe that they need to request more documents than are necessary for the employment eligibility verification form I-9. Additionally, employers using E-Verify may improperly request specific documents due to misunderstanding of E-Verify requirements. OSC’s new video highlights some practices that are not permissible and may lead to claims under the anti-discrimination provision.
“We believe this video will help both employers and employees across the country understand employment eligibility verification rules,” said Gregory Friel, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “Federal law prohibits discrimination in the employment eligibility verification process, and the Justice Department is committed to enforcing the law.”
2012 MINING DEATH AND INJURY RATES LOWEST SINCE MSHA BEGAN IN 1983
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
MSHA releases final data for 2012
Numbers indicate lowest mining death and injury rates
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced the release of final data for 2012 that indicate the lowest fatality and injury rates in the history of U.S. mining, along with the lowest rate of contractor fatalities since the agency began calculating those rates in 1983.
Thirty-six miners died on the job in 2012. The 2012 total includes the Dec. 28 death of a coal miner at Choctaw Mine in Walker County, Ala., that was recently deemed chargeable to the mining industry. Five contractors died in mining accidents in 2012, compared to 11 in 2011, nearly half the lowest number ever recorded.
"While more needs to be done to protect the nation's miners, we are moving mine safety in the right direction. The actions undertaken by MSHA and the mining community were the key to the continuing improvements we saw in 2012," said Joseph A. Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health. "All miners deserve the safest possible working conditions."
Compliance with the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 also continued to improve in 2012, with an 18 percent reduction in violations cited by MSHA since 2010. As a result, penalties for violations dropped. Although the number of mines in the United States decreased slightly (from 14,176 in 2011 to 14,093 in 2012), the number of miners increased from 381,209 to 387,878.
In 2012, the fatality rate was .0110 deaths per 200,000 hours worked. The rate of reported injuries was 2.56 per 200,000 hour worked. These reductions replace the prior year's record historical low rates.
The number of citations and orders MSHA issued fell from 156,802 in 2011 to 139,770 in 2012, an 11 percent decrease. Penalty assessments dropped from $160.8 million in 2011 to $120.5 million in 2012.
In coal mining, 20 miners died in on-the-job accidents in 2012, the second lowest number ever. The fatality rate was .0159 deaths per 200,000 hours worked, also the second lowest ever recorded. The rate of reported injuries was 3.16 per 200,000 hours worked, the lowest ever recorded. The number of citations and orders issued declined, from 93,330 in 2011 to 79,250 in 2012, a 15 percent reduction.
The coal industry saw decreases in the number of mines (from 1,973 to 1,871) and in production (from 1,095 to 1,018 million tons) between 2011 and 2012. While the number of coal miners also decreased from a decades-long high of 143,437 in 2011 to 137,650 in 2012, it was the second highest for any year since 1994.
In metal and nonmetal mining, the record-low fatality rate was .0079 deaths per 200,000 hours worked. Sixteen miners died in on-the-job accidents, equaling the record low set in 2011. The reported injury rate of 2.19 per 200,000 hours worked also was a record low. Citations and orders issued dropped from 63,472 in 2011 to 60,520 in 2012, a 5 percent reduction. While the number of metal and nonmetal mines remained steady in 2012, at 12,193, the number of miners increased from 237,772 in 2011 to 250,228 in 2012..
SHELL OIL TO SPEND OVER $115 MILLION TO REDUCE AIR POLLUTION AT HOUSTON REFINERY, CHEMICAL PLANT
FROM: U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Shell Oil To Spend Over $115 Million to Reduce Harmful Air Pollution at Houston Area Refinery And Chemical Plant
WASHINGTON - The Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that Shell Oil and affiliated partnerships (Shell) have agreed to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act at a large refinery and chemical plant in Deer Park, Texas by spending at least $115 million to control harmful air pollution from industrial flares and other processes, and by paying a $2.6 million civil penalty. Shell has agreed to spend $1 million on a state-of-the-art system to monitor benzene levels at the fenceline of the refinery and chemical plant near a residential neighborhood and school and to make the data available to the public through a website.
Shell will spend $100 million on innovative technology to reduce harmful air pollution from industrial flares, which are devices used to burn waste gases. Shell is required to take the following actions to improve flaring operations: minimize flaring by recovering and recycling waste gases (which may then be reused by Shell as a fuel or product); comply with limitations on how much waste gas can be burned in a flare (flare caps); and install and operate instruments and monitoring systems to ensure that gases that are sent to flares are burned with 98% efficiency. Shell’s agreement to recover and recycle waste gases (flare gas recovery) at its chemical plant is a first of its kind.
Once fully implemented, the pollution controls required by the settlement will reduce harmful air emissions of sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including benzene, and other hazardous air pollutants by an estimated 4,550 tons or more per year. These controls will also reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by approximately 260,000 tons per year.
“The innovative emission controls required by today’s settlement will cut harmful air pollution in communities near Houston,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “This case is part of EPA’s nationwide enforcement effort to protect fenceline neighborhoods by significantly reducing toxic pollution from flares and making information about pollution quickly available to affected communities.”
“This settlement will result in substantial reductions in toxic air pollution through state of the art technology and increased efficiencies at the Deer Park plant,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Robert G. Dreher of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This agreement will bring Shell Oil’s refinery and chemical plant in Deer Park into compliance with the nation’s Clean Air Act and result in cleaner, healthier air for residents in the local communities for many years to come.”
The settlement was filed at the same time DOJ filed a complaint on behalf of EPA
alleging, among other things, that the company improperly operated its 12 steam-assisted flaring devices in such a way that excess VOCs, including benzene and other hazardous air pollutants, were emitted.
In addition to reducing pollution from flares, Shell will significantly modify its wastewater treatment plant; replace and repair tanks as necessary; inspect tanks biweekly with an infrared camera to better identify potential integrity problems that may lead to leaks; and implement enhanced monitoring and repair practices at the benzene production unit. When fully implemented, these specific projects are estimated to cost between $15 and $60 million.
Also, in a second project to benefit the community, Shell has agreed to spend $200,000 on retrofit technology to reduce diesel emissions from government-owned vehicles which operate in the vicinity of the Deer Park complex.
These actions will cut emissions of pollutants that can cause significant harm to public health. Exposure to high concentrations of sulfur dioxide can affect breathing and aggravate existing respiratory and cardiovascular disease. VOCs are a key component in the formation of smog or ground-level ozone, a pollutant that irritates the lungs, exacerbates diseases such as asthma, and can increase susceptibility to respiratory illnesses, such as pneumonia and bronchitis. Chronic exposure to benzene, which EPA classifies as a carcinogen, can cause numerous health impacts, including leukemia and adverse reproductive effects in women.
Today’s settlement is part of EPA’s national effort to reduce emissions of toxic air pollutants, with a particular focus on industrial flares. These requirements focus on reducing the amount of waste gas sent to flares and on improving flare operations, both of which work to reduce toxic emissions. Improper operation of an industrial flare can send hundreds of tons of hazardous air pollutants into the air. The more waste gas a company sends to a flare, the more pollution occurs. The less efficient a flare is in burning waste gas, the more pollution occurs. EPA wants companies to flare less, and when they do flare, to fully burn the harmful chemicals found in the waste gas.
Shell, which is headquartered in Houston, processes approximately 330,000 barrels per day of crude oil at its Deer Park facility, making it the 11th largest refinery in the United States. In addition, the Deer Park chemical plant produces approximately 8,000 tons per day of products that include ethylene, benzene, toluene, xylene, phenol, and acetone. Both the chemical plant and the refinery operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The consent decree, lodged in the Southern District Court of Texas, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and court approval.
Shell Oil To Spend Over $115 Million to Reduce Harmful Air Pollution at Houston Area Refinery And Chemical Plant
WASHINGTON - The Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that Shell Oil and affiliated partnerships (Shell) have agreed to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act at a large refinery and chemical plant in Deer Park, Texas by spending at least $115 million to control harmful air pollution from industrial flares and other processes, and by paying a $2.6 million civil penalty. Shell has agreed to spend $1 million on a state-of-the-art system to monitor benzene levels at the fenceline of the refinery and chemical plant near a residential neighborhood and school and to make the data available to the public through a website.
Shell will spend $100 million on innovative technology to reduce harmful air pollution from industrial flares, which are devices used to burn waste gases. Shell is required to take the following actions to improve flaring operations: minimize flaring by recovering and recycling waste gases (which may then be reused by Shell as a fuel or product); comply with limitations on how much waste gas can be burned in a flare (flare caps); and install and operate instruments and monitoring systems to ensure that gases that are sent to flares are burned with 98% efficiency. Shell’s agreement to recover and recycle waste gases (flare gas recovery) at its chemical plant is a first of its kind.
Once fully implemented, the pollution controls required by the settlement will reduce harmful air emissions of sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including benzene, and other hazardous air pollutants by an estimated 4,550 tons or more per year. These controls will also reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by approximately 260,000 tons per year.
“The innovative emission controls required by today’s settlement will cut harmful air pollution in communities near Houston,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “This case is part of EPA’s nationwide enforcement effort to protect fenceline neighborhoods by significantly reducing toxic pollution from flares and making information about pollution quickly available to affected communities.”
“This settlement will result in substantial reductions in toxic air pollution through state of the art technology and increased efficiencies at the Deer Park plant,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Robert G. Dreher of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This agreement will bring Shell Oil’s refinery and chemical plant in Deer Park into compliance with the nation’s Clean Air Act and result in cleaner, healthier air for residents in the local communities for many years to come.”
The settlement was filed at the same time DOJ filed a complaint on behalf of EPA
alleging, among other things, that the company improperly operated its 12 steam-assisted flaring devices in such a way that excess VOCs, including benzene and other hazardous air pollutants, were emitted.
In addition to reducing pollution from flares, Shell will significantly modify its wastewater treatment plant; replace and repair tanks as necessary; inspect tanks biweekly with an infrared camera to better identify potential integrity problems that may lead to leaks; and implement enhanced monitoring and repair practices at the benzene production unit. When fully implemented, these specific projects are estimated to cost between $15 and $60 million.
Also, in a second project to benefit the community, Shell has agreed to spend $200,000 on retrofit technology to reduce diesel emissions from government-owned vehicles which operate in the vicinity of the Deer Park complex.
These actions will cut emissions of pollutants that can cause significant harm to public health. Exposure to high concentrations of sulfur dioxide can affect breathing and aggravate existing respiratory and cardiovascular disease. VOCs are a key component in the formation of smog or ground-level ozone, a pollutant that irritates the lungs, exacerbates diseases such as asthma, and can increase susceptibility to respiratory illnesses, such as pneumonia and bronchitis. Chronic exposure to benzene, which EPA classifies as a carcinogen, can cause numerous health impacts, including leukemia and adverse reproductive effects in women.
Today’s settlement is part of EPA’s national effort to reduce emissions of toxic air pollutants, with a particular focus on industrial flares. These requirements focus on reducing the amount of waste gas sent to flares and on improving flare operations, both of which work to reduce toxic emissions. Improper operation of an industrial flare can send hundreds of tons of hazardous air pollutants into the air. The more waste gas a company sends to a flare, the more pollution occurs. The less efficient a flare is in burning waste gas, the more pollution occurs. EPA wants companies to flare less, and when they do flare, to fully burn the harmful chemicals found in the waste gas.
Shell, which is headquartered in Houston, processes approximately 330,000 barrels per day of crude oil at its Deer Park facility, making it the 11th largest refinery in the United States. In addition, the Deer Park chemical plant produces approximately 8,000 tons per day of products that include ethylene, benzene, toluene, xylene, phenol, and acetone. Both the chemical plant and the refinery operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The consent decree, lodged in the Southern District Court of Texas, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and court approval.
WEAPONS DISPOSAL, AFGHANISTAN 2002
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
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| 020220-N-3236B-047 |
Kandahar, Afghanistan (Feb. 20, 2002) -- U.S. Navy and Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians destroy Chinese 82mm Type 65 Recoilless Rifles, and 82mm High Explosive Anti
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| 020220-N-3236B-017 |
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL COMMENTS ON COMMITMENT TO MILITARY FAMILIES EDUCATION
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Hagel Calls DOD Education Support a Strategic Priority
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 9, 2013 - The Defense Department's commitment to military families and to quality education for military children is a strategic imperative that leaders will maintain, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in remarks today.
During closing remarks at the Military Child Education Coalition's 15th National Training Seminar, Hagel announced that the department has selected the first round of schools that will receive DOD educational partnership grants for the upcoming school year. A total of nearly $20 million will go to 15 public school districts that serve 23 military installations across the country, he said.
"These grants to school systems from California to Texas to Maryland will bolster science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs, as well as foreign language studies," Hagel told an audience of teachers, school liaisons, program directors and other education professionals. "This year's grant selection process is continuing, and we look forward to making more awards in the weeks to come."
The secretary noted that since 2009, the department has awarded 186 of the grants, totaling more than $220 million and reaching more than 750,000 students. DOD has also awarded grants to improve public schools on military installations, Hagel said; 13 schools received grants over the past year, and 17 more are working through the grant process.
The all-volunteer force has helped build a military that is more capable, more resilient and more respected than ever before, Hagel said. To attract and retain that force, he added, "DOD has had to demonstrate that it will always do the right thing for the families, [and] that Americans don't need to choose between serving their country in uniform and being a mom or a dad. As a result, the military became a more family-centered institution."
The secretary noted the military community includes 1.8 million children, who face unique challenges based on their parents' duties. They face the stress of a parent's deployment, often repeatedly, he said, "or the anguish of coping with a parent who never returns from the battlefield. Or one who does return, but is changed in body and mind."
The secretary said that family support "is and will remain" a key part of the all-volunteer force. The fiscal year 2014 defense budget request, he noted, includes $8.9 billion in support programs, including the DOD Education Activity.
Hagel listed several other educational efforts in which department leaders participate, noting, "We ultimately share the same goal as all parents and educators – to teach our children as best we can, and make the world they inherit a better, safer place."
He said part of teaching children involves living out the values they should learn, including honesty.
"So I'm going to be honest with you today about the challenges DOD is facing, particularly when it comes to our new fiscal realities," he said.
The secretary noted that on top of $87 billion in spending cuts over the next decade imposed by the Budget Control Act of 2011, the department faces a further funding reduction of $37 billion by the end of September, and another $52 billion in fiscal 2014. Overall, sequester will cost DOD half a trillion dollars over a decade if it's not stopped, he said.
"Sequester is irresponsible, and terribly damaging, but it is the law of the land as it stands now," he said. "We teach our children to face their problems head-on, and now we must do the same. We cannot run away from sequester. We must deal with it. Anything less would be irresponsible."
Hagel spoke regretfully about furloughs, which began this week as most DOD civilian employees have taken or will take the first of 11 unpaid days off, one per week until late September.
"This was a very, very difficult decision; one that was not made lightly," he said. "The last thing I wanted to do was furlough anyone."
Hagel said he approved the furloughs, though reluctantly, because military readiness was already suffering: "Planes aren't flying, ships aren't sailing and soldiers aren't training. You don't always see or hear about some of these changes, but they are happening. Because I could not cut any more into our readiness, in the end I had no choice but to make a tough decision on furloughs."
He warned that while DOD schools have been sheltered as much as possible, and will remain open and accredited, he can't guarantee family programs won't feel some future cuts.
"We will have to make more tough choices in the future," he said. "Perfect solutions do not exist." Although efforts to replace the sequester continue, he said, there is no guarantee they will be successful.
"In my budget meetings with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and DOD senior leadership, I always emphasize that we're going into this challenge together and that we will come out together," the secretary said. " ... I won't choose up between services. We are all one service. We are going through difficult times, which you all recognize and realize, but we will get through those difficult times together."
Adults can learn a lot from military children's resilience, adaptability and courage, he said.
"And so today, I leave you with one request -- that you continue to do what you're doing," he said. " ... Our military children look to all of us. They look to us for guidance and reassurance every day. And supporting them is the most important thing we'll ever do."
Hagel Calls DOD Education Support a Strategic Priority
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 9, 2013 - The Defense Department's commitment to military families and to quality education for military children is a strategic imperative that leaders will maintain, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in remarks today.
During closing remarks at the Military Child Education Coalition's 15th National Training Seminar, Hagel announced that the department has selected the first round of schools that will receive DOD educational partnership grants for the upcoming school year. A total of nearly $20 million will go to 15 public school districts that serve 23 military installations across the country, he said.
"These grants to school systems from California to Texas to Maryland will bolster science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs, as well as foreign language studies," Hagel told an audience of teachers, school liaisons, program directors and other education professionals. "This year's grant selection process is continuing, and we look forward to making more awards in the weeks to come."
The secretary noted that since 2009, the department has awarded 186 of the grants, totaling more than $220 million and reaching more than 750,000 students. DOD has also awarded grants to improve public schools on military installations, Hagel said; 13 schools received grants over the past year, and 17 more are working through the grant process.
The all-volunteer force has helped build a military that is more capable, more resilient and more respected than ever before, Hagel said. To attract and retain that force, he added, "DOD has had to demonstrate that it will always do the right thing for the families, [and] that Americans don't need to choose between serving their country in uniform and being a mom or a dad. As a result, the military became a more family-centered institution."
The secretary noted the military community includes 1.8 million children, who face unique challenges based on their parents' duties. They face the stress of a parent's deployment, often repeatedly, he said, "or the anguish of coping with a parent who never returns from the battlefield. Or one who does return, but is changed in body and mind."
The secretary said that family support "is and will remain" a key part of the all-volunteer force. The fiscal year 2014 defense budget request, he noted, includes $8.9 billion in support programs, including the DOD Education Activity.
Hagel listed several other educational efforts in which department leaders participate, noting, "We ultimately share the same goal as all parents and educators – to teach our children as best we can, and make the world they inherit a better, safer place."
He said part of teaching children involves living out the values they should learn, including honesty.
"So I'm going to be honest with you today about the challenges DOD is facing, particularly when it comes to our new fiscal realities," he said.
The secretary noted that on top of $87 billion in spending cuts over the next decade imposed by the Budget Control Act of 2011, the department faces a further funding reduction of $37 billion by the end of September, and another $52 billion in fiscal 2014. Overall, sequester will cost DOD half a trillion dollars over a decade if it's not stopped, he said.
"Sequester is irresponsible, and terribly damaging, but it is the law of the land as it stands now," he said. "We teach our children to face their problems head-on, and now we must do the same. We cannot run away from sequester. We must deal with it. Anything less would be irresponsible."
Hagel spoke regretfully about furloughs, which began this week as most DOD civilian employees have taken or will take the first of 11 unpaid days off, one per week until late September.
"This was a very, very difficult decision; one that was not made lightly," he said. "The last thing I wanted to do was furlough anyone."
Hagel said he approved the furloughs, though reluctantly, because military readiness was already suffering: "Planes aren't flying, ships aren't sailing and soldiers aren't training. You don't always see or hear about some of these changes, but they are happening. Because I could not cut any more into our readiness, in the end I had no choice but to make a tough decision on furloughs."
He warned that while DOD schools have been sheltered as much as possible, and will remain open and accredited, he can't guarantee family programs won't feel some future cuts.
"We will have to make more tough choices in the future," he said. "Perfect solutions do not exist." Although efforts to replace the sequester continue, he said, there is no guarantee they will be successful.
"In my budget meetings with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and DOD senior leadership, I always emphasize that we're going into this challenge together and that we will come out together," the secretary said. " ... I won't choose up between services. We are all one service. We are going through difficult times, which you all recognize and realize, but we will get through those difficult times together."
Adults can learn a lot from military children's resilience, adaptability and courage, he said.
"And so today, I leave you with one request -- that you continue to do what you're doing," he said. " ... Our military children look to all of us. They look to us for guidance and reassurance every day. And supporting them is the most important thing we'll ever do."
DOD REVIEWING POW/MIA OPERATIONS COMMAND
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Defense Department to Review POW/MIA Command Operations
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 9, 2013 - The Defense Department has a sacred obligation to recover missing service members, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters today at a news conference.
An internal review conducted by the office charged with that mission -- the Joint Prisoners of War, Missing in Action Accounting Command -- has raised concerns within DOD, Little said.
The results of the internal review are now with the office of the undersecretary of defense for policy, which has oversight over the recovery mission. Recent news reports have described organizational problems within the command.
"Sometimes media reports raise attention in ... a department of 3 million people," Little said. "It certainly sometimes helps to have press stories shed light on issues that are out there."
The office of the undersecretary of defense for policy will begin a review of JPAC operations and the issues described in the internal review soon, he said.
"It's the prudent thing to do, if concerns haven't been raised to the appropriate levels, to take a second look and to ensure that we're performing this very important mission to the best of our ability," Little said.
"We're going to review the concerns raised in the report to see how JPAC is or isn't functioning well," he said. "And if steps need to be taken to remedy what's happening inside JPAC, then we'll take action."
Defense Department to Review POW/MIA Command Operations
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 9, 2013 - The Defense Department has a sacred obligation to recover missing service members, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters today at a news conference.
An internal review conducted by the office charged with that mission -- the Joint Prisoners of War, Missing in Action Accounting Command -- has raised concerns within DOD, Little said.
The results of the internal review are now with the office of the undersecretary of defense for policy, which has oversight over the recovery mission. Recent news reports have described organizational problems within the command.
"Sometimes media reports raise attention in ... a department of 3 million people," Little said. "It certainly sometimes helps to have press stories shed light on issues that are out there."
The office of the undersecretary of defense for policy will begin a review of JPAC operations and the issues described in the internal review soon, he said.
"It's the prudent thing to do, if concerns haven't been raised to the appropriate levels, to take a second look and to ensure that we're performing this very important mission to the best of our ability," Little said.
"We're going to review the concerns raised in the report to see how JPAC is or isn't functioning well," he said. "And if steps need to be taken to remedy what's happening inside JPAC, then we'll take action."
ASTRONAUTS CHECK OUT ORION CREW MODULE
Stepping into the Orion Crew Module
NASA astronauts Cady Coleman and Ricky Arnold step into the Orion crew module hatch during a series of spacesuit check tests conducted on June 13, 2013 at the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The Orion crew module will serve as both transport and a home to astronauts during future long-duration missions to an asteroid, Mars and other destinations throughout our solar system. Image-Credit- NASA-Bill Stafford
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
HURRICANE SANDY FEDERAL ASSISTANCE AT $5.3 BILLION
FROM: FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
New Jersey Recovery From Superstorm Sandy: By The Numbers
Release date:
July 9, 2013
Release Number:
4086-181
TRENTON, N.J. -- Disaster assistance to New Jersey survivors of Superstorm Sandy by the numbers as of July 8:
Total Federal Assistance: $5.3 billion
$3.5 billion in total National Flood Insurance Program payments made on claims to date
$403.3 million in FEMA grants approved for individuals and households
$351 million for housing assistance
$56.6 million for other needs
$802 in SBA disaster loans approved for homeowners, renters and businesses
$650.5 million approved in FEMA Public Assistance grants to state agencies,
local communities and certain private nonprofit organizations that serve the public
261,817 people registered with FEMA for assistance
126,797 housing inspections completed
New Jersey Recovery From Superstorm Sandy: By The Numbers
Release date:
July 9, 2013
Release Number:
4086-181
TRENTON, N.J. -- Disaster assistance to New Jersey survivors of Superstorm Sandy by the numbers as of July 8:
Total Federal Assistance: $5.3 billion
$3.5 billion in total National Flood Insurance Program payments made on claims to date
$403.3 million in FEMA grants approved for individuals and households
$351 million for housing assistance
$56.6 million for other needs
$802 in SBA disaster loans approved for homeowners, renters and businesses
$650.5 million approved in FEMA Public Assistance grants to state agencies,
local communities and certain private nonprofit organizations that serve the public
261,817 people registered with FEMA for assistance
126,797 housing inspections completed
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