Hill Heat events

The BP Oil Spill: Accounting for the Spilled Oil and Ensuring the Safety of Seafood from the Gulf

Brad Johnson — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 11:30:00 -0400

Witnesses

Bill Lehr, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Office of Response and Restoration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Paul Anastas, Ph.D., Assistant Administrator, Office of Research and Development, Environmental Protection Agency
Donald Kraemer, Acting Deputy Director, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration
Ian MacDonald, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Oceanography, Florida State University
Mike Voisin, Chief Executive Officer, Motivatit Seafoods, LLC
Acy Cooper, Jr., Vice President, Louisiana Shrimp Association
Dean Blanchard, President, Dean Blanchard Seafoods, Inc.
Lisa Suatoni, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Oceans Program, Natural Resources Defense Council

Greenland Ice Sheet: Global Warming’s Impacts on Arctic Region

Brad Johnson — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 09:30:00 -0400

Last week an ice sheet covering 100 square miles broke off Greenland. This dramatic sea ice event follows the warmest six months on record and is the largest piece of Arctic ice to break free since 1962.

On Tuesday, the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will hold a briefing with scientists and experts who study the Arctic region to discuss this event and its relationship to climate change.

Witnesses

Dr. Richard B. Alley, Professor of Geosciences, and Earth and Environmental Systems, The Pennsylvania State University
Dr. Robert Bindschadler, Senior Research Scientist at University of Maryland Baltimore County, who has 30 years of service with NASA
Dr. Andreas Muenchow, Professor of Physical Ocean Science and Engineering, University of Delaware

Investment In Small Hydropower: Prospects Of Expanding Low-Impact And Affordable Hydropower Generation In The West

Brad Johnson — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:00:00 -0400

Witnesses

Panel 1

Michael L. Connor, Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Department of the Interior
Michael G. Ensch, SES, Chief, Operations and Regulatory Community of Practice, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Jeff Wright, Director of the Office of Energy Projects, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Sonya Baskerville, Manager, National Relations Office, Bonneville Power Administration, U.S. Department of Energy

Panel 2

Jon Lambeck, Manager of Power Resources, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
Gary Esslinger, Treasurer-Manager, Elephant Butte Irrigation District
Thomas P. Graves, Executive Director, Mid-West Electric Consumers Association
Gia D. Schneider, Chairman and CEO, Natel Energy, Inc
John Prescott, President and CEO, PNGC Power
Andrew Fahlund, Senior Vice President, Conservation, American Rivers and the Hydropower Reform Coalition

Flood Preparedness and Mitigation: Map Modernization, Levee Inspection, and Levee Repairs

Brad Johnson — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:00:00 -0400

The purpose of this hearing is to evaluate preparedness and mitigation efforts among flood-prone communities and responsible federal agencies, by evaluating the accuracy of the FEMA flood map modernization process, its impact on states and localities, mechanisms for dispute resolution, and the impact of levee inspections and certifications on determinations of flood risk.

Since the epic failure of the federal levees in New Orleans in August 2005, additional levee failures occurred during the Midwest floods in 2008 and the historic spring floods earlier this year in Rhode Island and Tennessee.

On March 18, 2010, 16 Senators signed a letter to FEMA and the Corps of Engineers citing challenges in the ongoing flood map modernization process. Among the areas listed were: a lack of communication and outreach with local stakeholders; a lack of coordination between FEMA and USACE in answering questions about both flood mapping, flood insurance and flood control infrastructure repairs; a lack of recognition of locally funded flood control projects when determining flood zones; the affordability of flood insurance; inadequate time and resources to complete repairs to flood control structures before flood maps are finalized; and potential impacts new flood maps might have on economic development.

This hearing will provide an opportunity for the subcommittee to evaluate mapping methodologies and map dispute resolution mechanisms, hear suggestions for improved outreach to local residents and stakeholders, and determine options for local governments to finance levee inspections and repairs.

Witnesses

Panel 1

The Honorable Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of the Army, Civil Works, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Sandra Knight, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Federal Insurance & Mitigation Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Panel 2

The Honorable Bob Mehlhoff, District 26, Montana House of Representatives
Dr. David Maidment, Director of the Center for Research in Water Resources & the Hussein M. Alharthy Centennial Chair in Civil Engineering The University of Texas at Austin
Sam Riley Medlock, JD, CFM, Policy Counsel, Association of State Floodplain Managers, Member, National Committee on Levee Safety
Robert Rash, P.E., P.L.S., Chief Executive Officer & Chief Engineer, St. Francis Levee District of Arkansas
Dr. Joseph Suhayda, Interim Director, Louisiana State University Hurricane Center

Assessing Natural Resource Damages Resulting from the BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster

Brad Johnson — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:30:00 -0400

Witnesses

Panel 1

Cynthia Dohner, Regional Director, Southeast Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Tony Penn, Deputy Chief, Assessment and Restoration Division, Office of Response and Restoration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Dr. Eva J. Pell, Under Secretary for Science, Smithsonian Institution

Panel 2

Dr. Robert B. Spies, President, Applied Marine Sciences; Former Chief Scientist, Exxon Valdez Trustee Council
Stanley Senner, Conservation Science Director, Ocean Conservancy
Dr. Erik Rifkin, Interim Executive Director, National Aquarium Conservation Center
John F. Young, Jr., Chairman, Jefferson Parish Council

Exxon Valdez to Deepwater Horizon: Protecting Victims of Major Oil Spills

Brad Johnson — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:30:00 -0400

Witnesses

Panel I

Mark Begich, United States Senator, State of Alaska

Panel II

Brian O’Neill, Partner, Faegre & Benson LLP
Joe Banta, Project Manager, Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council
Thomas G. McInerney, Lt. Gen. USAF (Ret)

Climate Change Finance: Providing Assistance for Vulnerable Countries

Brad Johnson — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:00:00 -0400

Witnesses

Panel I

Lael Brainard, Under Secretary for International Affairs, U.S. Department of the Treasury
Jonathan Pershing, Ph.D., Deputy Special Envoy for Climate Change, U.S. Department of State
Rear Admiral David W. Titley, Oceanographer and Navigator of the Navy, U.S. Department of the Navy
Maura O’Neill, Ph.D., Senior Counselor to the Administrator and Chief Innovation Officer, U.S. Agency for International Development

Panel II

Nancy E. Soderberg, President, Connect U.S. Fund (Former Alternate Representative to the United Nations)
Elliot Diringer, Vice President, International Strategies, Pew Center on Global Climate Change
Reed E. Hundt, CEO, Coalition for Green Capital (Former Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission)
Redmond Clark, Ph.D., Chairman and CEO, CBL Industrial Services

Budget Implications of Closing Yucca Mountain

Brad Johnson — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:15:00 -0400

Witnesses

Panel I

Kristina M. Johnson, Ph.D., Under Secretary, Department of Energy
Scott Blake Harris, General Counsel, Department of Energy
Michael F. Hertz, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice, Civil Division

Panel II

David A. Wright, Vice Chairman, Public Service Commission of South Carolina

The BP Oil Spill and Gulf Coast Tourism: Assessing the Impact

Brad Johnson — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:00:00 -0400

The hearing will explore both the damages suffered by the tourism industry in the Gulf region and the process by which the independent Gulf Coast Claims Facility will evaluate tourism-related claims.

Witnesses

Kenneth Feinberg, Administrator, Gulf Coast Claims Facility
Roger Dow, President and Chief Executive Officer, U.S. Travel Association
Rip Daniels, Chief Executive Officer/Manager, WJZD-FM; Vice President, Mississippi Gulf Coast Tourism Commission
Herb Malone, President and Chief Executive Officer, Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau
Keith Overton, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Tradewinds Resort; Chairman, Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association
Ralph O. Brennan, President, Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group, LLC

Recovery Act: Progress Report for Transportation Infrastructure Investments

Brad Johnson — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:00:00 -0400

The hearing addressed implementation efforts in transportation programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction, including highways, bridges, public transportation, rail, and aviation.