Federal - Executive Branch
News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from the U.S. Executive Branch, covering all aspects of the Obama administration including cabinet departments, federal agencies, regulatory and independent agencies.
Featured Stories
Standardized Benchmark of Historical Compound Wind and Solar Energy Droughts Across the Continental United States
WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory issued the following abstract of a journal article:
As we move towards a decarbonized grid, reliance on weather-dependent energy increases as does exposure to prolonged natural resource shortages known as energy droughts. Compound energy droughts occur when two or more predominant renewable energy sources simultaneously are in drought conditions. In this study we present a methodology and dataset for examining compound wind and solar energy droughts as well as the first standardized benchmark
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory issued the following abstract of a journal article:
As we move towards a decarbonized grid, reliance on weather-dependent energy increases as does exposure to prolonged natural resource shortages known as energy droughts. Compound energy droughts occur when two or more predominant renewable energy sources simultaneously are in drought conditions. In this study we present a methodology and dataset for examining compound wind and solar energy droughts as well as the first standardized benchmarkof energy droughts across the Continental United States (CONUS) for a 2020 infrastructure. Using a recently developed dataset of simulated hourly plant level generation which includes thousands of wind and solar plants, we examine the frequency, duration, magnitude, and seasonality of energy droughts at a variety of temporal and spatial scales. Results are presented for 15 Balancing Authorities (BAs), regions of the U.S. power grid where wind and solar are must-take resources by the power grid and must be balanced. Compound wind and solar droughts are shown to have distinct spatial and temporal patterns across the CONUS. BA-level load is also included in the drought analysis to quantify events where high load is coincident with wind and solar droughts. We find that energy drought characteristics are regional and the longest droughts can last from 16 to 37 continuous hours, and up to 6 days. The longest hourly energy droughts occur in Texas while the longest daily droughts occur in California. Compound energy drought events that include load are more severe on average compared to events that involve only wind and solar. In addition, we find that compound high load events occur more often during compound wind and solar droughts that would be expected due to chance. The insights obtained from these findings and the summarized characteristics of energy drought provide valuable guidance on grid planning and storage sizing at the regional scale.
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Original text here: https://www.pnnl.gov/publications/standardized-benchmark-historical-compound-wind-and-solar-energy-droughts-across
Optical Properties of Individual Tar Balls in the Free Troposphere
WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory issued the following abstract of a journal article:
Tar balls are brown carbonaceous particles, highly viscous, spherical, amorphous, and light absorbing. They are believed to form in biomass burning smoke plumes during transport in the troposphere. Tar balls are believed to have a significant impact on the Earth's radiative balance, but due to poorly characterized optical properties, this impact is highly uncertain. Here, we investigate the chemical composition and optical properties of individual
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory issued the following abstract of a journal article:
Tar balls are brown carbonaceous particles, highly viscous, spherical, amorphous, and light absorbing. They are believed to form in biomass burning smoke plumes during transport in the troposphere. Tar balls are believed to have a significant impact on the Earth's radiative balance, but due to poorly characterized optical properties, this impact is highly uncertain. Here, we investigate the chemical composition and optical properties of individualtar balls transported in the free troposphere to the Climate Observatory "Ottavio Vittori" on Mt. Cimone, Italy (2165 meters above sea level) using multi-modal micro-spectroscopy. Our results show that tar balls contributed 50% of carbonaceous particles by number in the size range from 0.25 to 1.8 um. Of those tar balls, 16% were inhomogeneously mixed with other constituents. Using electron energy loss spectroscopy, we retrieved the complex refractive index from 200 to 1200 nm for both inhomogeneously and homogeneously mixed tar balls. We found no significant difference in the average refractive index of inhomogeneously and homogenously mixed tar balls (1.40 - 0.03i, and 1.36 - 0.03i at 550 nm, respectively). Furthermore, we estimated the top of the atmosphere radiative forcing using the Santa Barbara DISORT Atmospheric Radiative Transfer model (SBDART) and found that a layer of only tar balls with an optical depth of 0.1 above vegetation would exert a positive radiative forcing ranging from 2.8 Wm-2 (on a clear sky day) to 9.5 Wm-2 (when clouds are below the aerosol layer). Understanding the optical properties of tar balls can help reduce uncertainties associated with the contribution of biomass-burning aerosol in current climate models.
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Original text here: https://www.pnnl.gov/publications/optical-properties-individual-tar-balls-free-troposphere
White House Fact Sheet: Biden-Harris Administration Highlights Investments in Rural America, Invites Public Nominations for Rural Innovators Initiative
WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSfact) -- The White House issued the following fact sheet on May 14, 2024:
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The Biden-Harris Administration Highlights Investments in Rural America, Invites Public Nominations for Rural Innovators Initiative
Today, the Biden-Harris Administration will host a Rural Communities in Action event at the White House to highlight how the Administration is investing in rural communities. White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden, White House Office of Public Engagement Director Stephen Benjamin, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg
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WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSfact) -- The White House issued the following fact sheet on May 14, 2024:
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The Biden-Harris Administration Highlights Investments in Rural America, Invites Public Nominations for Rural Innovators Initiative
Today, the Biden-Harris Administration will host a Rural Communities in Action event at the White House to highlight how the Administration is investing in rural communities. White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden, White House Office of Public Engagement Director Stephen Benjamin, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigiegwill provide remarks that highlight how the President's Investing in America agenda is ensuring rural Americans do not have to leave their hometowns to find opportunity. The Rural Communities in Action event can be viewed here (https://youtube.com/live/UpBJdyGrtlg).
As part of this event, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing a new Rural Innovators Initiative to highlight stories of extraordinary rural leaders who are taking action and ensuring their communities thrive for generations to come. The Biden-Harris Administration invites nominations from the public for Rural Innovators who are making a positive impact in their rural communities. The nomination form will close on Friday, June 14 at midnight EDT, and selected individuals will be recognized later this year.
The Biden-Harris Administration is also announcing over $671 million in new investments to strengthen rural infrastructure across the country. These investments will improve access to reliable electricity and clean drinking water for more than one million people and create good-paying jobs in rural communities.
Today's Rural Communities in Action event builds on the Investing in Rural America Regional Event Series. Throughout this year, Senior Administration Officials are traveling to rural communities across the country to highlight how the Biden-Harris Administration is investing in rural America to create opportunity for farmers, families, and communities. These investments include:
Investing in Rural American Infrastructure
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is investing billions of dollars to revitalize and rebuild rural communities across the country - a generational investment in rural America. This funding also represents the single largest investment in Tribal infrastructure ever.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $65 billion to ensure every American has access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet through a historic investment in infrastructure deployment. That includes a $2 billion program at the Department of Commerce to invest in high-speed internet on Tribal lands. USDA has invested $3.9 billion in 333 projects that will expand access to high-speed broadband and bring new economic opportunities and a better quality of life for more than 622,000 people (247,000 households) through its ReConnect Program.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law also provides a historic $8.25 billion investment to reduce wildfire risks for communities, better detect wildfires, and institute workforce reforms and landmark pay increases for federal wildland firefighters. Through the Community Wildfire Defense Grant program, USDA has awarded $439 million to 257 project proposals across 36 states and 16 tribes, which will assist with planning for and mitigating wildfire risks. USDA is also investing $150 million to help underserved and small acreage forest landowners connect to emerging voluntary climate markets, which can provide economic opportunities for landowners and incentivize improved forest health and management.
Additionally, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests billions of dollars to make sure rural families can get where they need to go, including through a $4.1 billion investment in Rural Area Formula Grants at the Department of Transportation. This program will support 1,300 rural transit systems by enabling them to purchase transit vehicles and infrastructure, plan transit more effectively, and fund operations. The Department of Transportation is also providing $2 billion over 5 years in dedicated funding to projects in rural areas that improve and expand the surface transportation infrastructure to increase connectivity, improve the safety and reliability of the movement of people and freight, and generate regional economic growth and improve quality of life.
Delivering Clean, Reliable Water to Rural America
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's transformative over $50 billion investment in our water and wastewater infrastructure is fundamentally changing the quality of life for millions of people in rural America by replacing lead pipes, providing critical access to sanitation, ensuring access to affordable clean drinking water, and tackling drought. That includes a $3.5 billion investment through the Indian Health Service which has already launched over 700 projects to build out a safe supply of drinking water, reliable sewage systems, and waste disposal facilities across Indian Country.
EPA and USDA, in collaboration with states and Tribal Nations, are working together on the Closing America's Wastewater Access Gap initiative. This partnership leverages technical assistance resources to help historically underserved communities identify and pursue federal funding opportunities to address their rural wastewater needs. The first phase supported 11 communities and has since expanded to include an additional 150 communities nationwide.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is also cleaning up pollution in rural areas by investing $4.7 billion to plug, remediate, and restore dangerous orphaned oil and gas wells across the country; nearly $11.3 billion to create good-paying jobs, including union jobs, and catalyze economic opportunity by reclaiming abandoned mine lands; and $3.5 billion that has been allocated to 95 previously unfunded Superfund site projects, including the longstanding backlog of projects, to clean up contaminated sites and advance environmental justice.
In addition, the Biden-Harris Administration is leading a whole-of-government effort to make Western communities more resilient to climate change and the ongoing megadrought by harnessing the full resources of the President's historic Investing in America agenda. The Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law together include $15.4 billion to enhance the West's resilience to drought through water-saving projects and other conservation efforts.
Lowering Energy Costs and Strengthening the Grid
Supported by President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program is the largest investment in rural America's electric system since President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Rural Electrification Act in 1936. It invests $9.7 billion to help member-owned rural electric cooperatives provide their communities with clean, reliable, and affordable energy. The Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program will fund new clean energy and energy storage projects to make it more affordable for rural Americans to use clean, reliable energy to heat and cool their homes, run their businesses, and power their cars, schools, and hospitals. In March 2024, USDA announced the first 5 projects totaling $139 million. The Rural Energy for America (REAP) program - which received a $2 billion boost through the Inflation Reduction Act - is also helping farms and small businesses invest in renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements that will lower their energy costs, generate new income, and strengthen the resilience of their operations. USDA has provided over $500 million in grants to thousands of projects through this Inflation Reduction Act funding so far.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests billions of dollars to improve resilience, reliability, safety, and availability of energy in rural America. Earlier this year, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced $366 million for 17 projects across 20 states and 30 Tribal Nations and communities to accelerate clean energy deployment in rural and remote areas across the country through the Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) Program. DOE announced up to $475 million in March 2024 for 5 projects in Arizona, Kentucky, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia to accelerate clean energy deployment on current and former mine land. The selected projects cover a range of clean energy technologies, from solar, microgrids, and pumped storage hydropower to geothermal and battery energy storage systems.
Last year, DOE announced nearly $3.5 billion through the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program to strengthen grid reliability and resilience across 44 states, including several major rural grid resilience projects. This funding is spurring private investment, bringing public-private investment to $8 billion to deliver affordable, clean electricity to all Americans and ensure that communities across the nation have a reliable grid that is prepared for extreme weather worsened by the climate crisis.
In March 2024, the first round of funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Tribal Electrification Program provided $72 million in financial and technical assistance to 21 Tribes to connect homes to transmission and distribution that is powered by clean energy, provide electricity to unelectrified Tribal homes through zero-emissions energy systems, transition electrified Tribal homes to zero-emissions energy systems, and support associated home repairs and retrofitting. The program will also support clean energy workforce development opportunities in Indian Country.
The Environmental Protection Agency's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) is a $27 billion investment through the Inflation Reduction Act to combat the climate crisis by mobilizing financing and private capital for clean energy and climate solutions across sectors in communities across the country, including rural communities. One of the awardees for the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator, one of the three GGF programs, is Appalachian Community Capital, which is launching the Green Bank for Rural America to deliver clean capital and capacity building assistance to hundreds of community lenders working in coal, energy, underserved rural, and Tribal communities across the country.
And, by expanding the availability of homegrown biofuels, the Biden-Harris Administration is strengthening our energy independence while bringing good-paying jobs and other economic benefits to rural communities. For example, up to $500 million from the Inflation Reduction Act is being made available through the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program to increase the availability of domestic biofuels and give Americans additional, cleaner fuel options at the pump. Through this program, USDA has provided $135 million in grants so far.
Improving Access to Health Care and Lowering Health Care Costs for Rural Communities
The Biden-Harris Administration is lowering health care costs for rural Americans and supporting access to high quality care in rural America. Rural seniors are seeing lower drug costs thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act. About 281,000 rural Part D Medicare enrollees would have benefitted from the $35 insulin cap if it had been in effect in 2020, and about 481,000 rural enrollees would have benefitted from $0 recommended adult vaccines if it had been in effect in 2021. About 289,000 rural enrollees are projected to save $1,000 or more when the $2,000 out-of-pocket cap goes into effect in 2025. Nearly 3 million rural Americans signed up for 2024 coverage at the Affordable Care Act's HealthCare.gov Marketplace. Eighty percent of consumers could find health plans for $10 or less a month, with many qualifying for plans with $0 premiums. In addition, four states have expanded Medicaid since President Biden took office, providing coverage to over one million Americans while reducing the risk of rural hospital closure by half.
The Biden-Harris Administration has launched the new Rural Emergency Hospital designation to provide a new option to some struggling hospitals, and it is investing in training the next generation of health care providers to serve rural communities. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has also extended several grant opportunities to support rural communities, including $28 million to provide direct health services and expand infrastructure and $16 million to provide technical assistance to rural hospitals facing financial distress. Recognizing the critical role nurses play in providing primary care, mental health and maternal health care services, particularly in rural areas, HHS announced more than $100 million in awards to address the increasing demand for registered nurses, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives and nurse faculty. Through the Rural Residency Planning and Development Program, HHS has invested over $28 million in awards across 25 states to create new rural residency programs to train more physicians in rural communities, which increases the likelihood of practicing in a rural community.
HHS' Rural Communities Opioid Response Program is a multi-year initiative that has invested $298 million in 386 awards to reduce the morbidity and mortality of substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder, in rural communities at the highest risk for SUD. Through the Rural Emergency Medical Services Training Program, HHS has invested $20.5 million since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration to support the recruitment and training of EMS personnel in rural areas with a focus on addressing SUD and co-occurring disorders (COD) substance use and mental disorders.
Supporting Veterans in Rural Communities
The Biden-Harris Administration is delivering more benefits to more veterans than ever before. With enactment of the PACT Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has been able to expand the types of conditions that are considered service connected making it easier for toxic exposed veterans to get the disability benefits they deserve. PACT Act also expanded who is eligible to enroll in VA health care and required new toxic exposure screenings for all veterans enrolled. These expansions are helping to meet the needs of the over 4.4 million veterans who live in rural areas. VA also expanded its Connected Care program, enabling more telehealth delivery for rural veterans than ever before.
Creating New and Better Agricultural Markets to Increase Competition
As part of the Biden-Harris Administration's Action Plan for a Fairer, More Competitive, and More Resilient Meat and Poultry Supply Chain, USDA invested $583 million in expanding meat and poultry processing capacity, $275 million to strengthen the food supply chain and create opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs in rural communities through the Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program, and $48.1 million to support Indigenous Animals processing grants. These investments are giving farmers more market options and fairer prices by spurring competition. These investments are also providing consumers with more choices and affordable prices at the grocery store.
Through the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program, USDA has made $900 million available to boost innovative domestic fertilizer production, help lower costs for farmers, and create jobs in rural communities. USDA has awarded more than $168 million to support 40 projects.
USDA has also finalized rules to protect farmers and ranchers from discrimination, retaliation, and deception; make poultry markets more transparent; and ensure that meat, poultry, and eggs labeled "Product of USA" match consumers' expectations. USDA has also been working to support farmers in navigating the seed patent process and give farmers a greater voice.
Investing in Climate-Smart Agriculture
Through the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities initiative, USDA is investing more than $3.1 billion for 141 projects that seek to build and expand market opportunities for American commodities produced using climate-smart practices. The Inflation Reduction Act provided a record $19.5 billion for USDA conservation programs to support hundreds of thousands of farmers and ranchers apply practices such as cover cropping, conservation tillage, wetland restoration, prescribed grazing, nutrient management, tree planting, and more to millions of acres of land. This has direct climate mitigation benefits and advances a host of other environmental co-benefits, in addition to offering farmers, ranchers and foresters new revenue streams. The climate-smart agriculture investments that USDA has made and continues to make are estimated to support over 180,000 farms and over 225 million acres in the next 5 years.
Strengthening Local and Regional Food Systems
The Biden-Harris Administration is investing in local and regional food systems, which adds value for both agricultural producers and consumers, and spurs economic activity locally -- helping communities that have been left behind by the current agricultural models and supporting good-paying jobs throughout the supply chain. USDA created twelve Regional Food Business Centers across the country that are providing coordination, technical assistance and capacity building to help farmers, ranchers and food businesses reach local customers and navigate federal state and local resources. USDA is also investing $300 million through the Organic Transition Initiative to support farmers in transitioning to organic and build and strengthen organic markets so more farmers can participate.
To support Tribal Nations' food and agriculture supply chain resiliency, USDA invested $48.1 million in meat and poultry processing infrastructure for indigenous animals such as bison, reindeer or salmon. In October 2023, USDA also launched a new, interagency pilot to purchase bison meat from Tribal and local bison operations for Tribal communities through the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR).
Improving Nutrition and Food Access for Rural Communities
President Biden set a bold goal of ending hunger and reducing diet-related diseases in the U.S. by 2030--all while reducing disparities. Through the Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative, USDA has awarded nearly $30 million in grants to small and rural communities to improve the nutritional quality of school meals and help modernize their operations. Each small and/or rural school district will receive up to $150,000 to support them in improving the nutritional quality of their meals and modernizing their operations through innovative staff training programs, kitchen updates and renovations, redesigning food preparation and service spaces, or other school-district led efforts to support school meals and school nutrition professionals.
This year, USDA's summer nutrition programs can reach more kids than ever before. In addition to traditional in-person summer meal sites, summer meal operators in rural communities will have the option to provide children who live in rural areas with meals via grab-and-go or delivery through the Non-Congregate Summer Meal Service. And, through the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program for Children (Summer EBT), children in low-income families in participating states, territories, and Tribes will receive $120 per eligible child for the summer in the form of pre-loaded cards that families can use to purchase groceries.
USDA has also expanded online purchasing with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to be available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This expansion represents a major milestone in the history of SNAP and continues to provide greater convenience and access to healthy food options for tens of millions of Americans, including in remote and rural areas.
Cutting Housing Costs, Boosting Supply, and Expanding Access to Affordable Housing in Rural America
The Biden-Harris Housing Supply Action Plan includes legislative and administrative actions that will help close America's housing supply shortfall. When aligned with other policies to reduce housing costs and ensure affordability, such as rental assistance and down payment assistance, closing the gap will mean more affordable rents and more attainable homeownership for Americans in every community, including rural communities.
In April 2024, USDA announced $48 million available to alleviate the shortage of safe and affordable farm labor housing through new construction, aiding local farms and businesses in remaining competitive while enhancing the lives of working families. Within the $25 billion guaranteed lending level for qualified low to moderate rural residents available in 2024, USDA is able to fully promote its Construction to Permanent option within this program that allows approved lenders and homebuilders participating in the Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan program to close both construction and permanent financing at the same time and receive a loan note guarantee before construction begins.
In 2023, HUD invested $225 million in competitive grant funding for the preservation and revitalization of manufactured housing and eligible manufactured housing communities. The Preservation and Reinvestment Initiative for Community Enhancement (PRICE) supports communities in their efforts to maintain, protect, and stabilize manufactured housing and manufactured housing communities. More than 22 million Americans currently live-in manufactured housing, which account for approximately fifteen percent of occupied housing stock in rural areas.
Strengthening Rural Workforce Development
In April 2024, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced the availability of $44.2 million for the fifth round of Workforce Opportunities for Rural Communities (WORC) grants. The WORC Initiative, which is a partnership between DOL, the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Delta Regional Authority, and the Northern Border Regional Commission, provides grant funds to enable rural communities to develop local and regional workforce development solutions aligned with existing economic development strategies and community partnerships to promote new, sustainable job opportunities and long-term economic vitality. New for this round, the funding opportunity specifically encourages applicants who are part of the Rural Partners Network.
Supporting Access to Higher Education and Career Pathways
In December 2023, the Department of Education announced $44.5 million in grants to 22 institutions of higher education to improve rates of postsecondary education enrollment, persistence, and completion among students in rural communities. The Rural Postsecondary & Economic Development Grant Program promotes high-quality career pathways aligned to high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand industry sectors and occupations in the region. This builds on the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to students in rural America to have access to career pathways and higher education opportunities that lead to good-paying jobs right in their own communities.
Lowering Child Care Costs and Supporting Child Care Providers in Rural America
President Biden secured the largest one-time investment this country has ever made in child care through his American Rescue Plan. Those funds helped 225,000 child care providers stay open so that the parents of more than 10 million children could go to work with peace of mind. A third of providers reported they would have closed permanently without these relief funds. More than 8-in-10 licensed child care centers nationwide received ARP assistance and it benefited 30,000 rural child care programs - in most states, 97% of rural counties or more received aid.
President Biden is also working to build the supply of child care in underserved areas, such as rural areas. Recently, the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) issued a final rule to improve the Child Care & Development Block Grant program, which helps the families of more than 1.3 million children afford child care. Through its rule and for the first time, HHS will require that all states provide resources to build the supply of care in underserved geographic areas.
Partnering with Rural Communities to Create Jobs and Support Rural-led Economic Development
Launched in April 2022, the Rural Partners Network (RPN) is an all-of-government program that partners with rural people to access resources and funding to create local jobs, build infrastructure, and support long-term economic stability on their own terms. RPN staff on the ground are now supporting 36 community networks in 10 states and Puerto Rico. Since its inception, the federal government has invested nearly $3 billion in RPN communities to support critical infrastructure, economic development, housing, and other priorities.
In February 2021, President Biden established the Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization (Energy Communities IWG) to identify and deliver resources to the coal, oil and gas, and power plant communities that have powered our country for generations. Since then, member agencies have helped drive nearly $18 billion in federal investment to these communities. The Energy Communities IWG has launched Rapid Response Teams across the country to establish a network of assistance that is focused and sustainable in a community or region.
In addition, the Department of Transportation's Thriving Communities Program is providing planning, technical assistance, and capacity building support to underserved and under-resourced communities, including rural communities.
With funding from the American Rescue Plan, the Department of Commerce has launched several place-based programs to connect people to good paying jobs and help once left-behind communities leverage regional assets, including rural communities. The Build Back Better Regional Challenge awarded 21 regional coalitions a total of $1 billion to transform their regional economies through growing a local industry sector. These awardees span 236 rural counties such as community-led coalitions based in the coalfields of Southern West Virginia. The Good Jobs Challengeawarded $500 million to 32 regional workforce training systems across the country. At least 19 of these 32 awardees serve rural areas, including a project to address the housing crisis on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. The Department of Commerce also awarded $100 million from the Indigenous Communities Program, all of which primarily serve rural communities, and $500 million from the Economic Adjustment Assistance Program, two-thirds of which primarily serve rural communities, to support economic development needs such as enabling infrastructure and workforce development.
Additionally, authorized by President Biden's CHIPS and Science Act, the Department of Commerce's Regional Innovation and Technology Hubs program has designated 31 communities across the country as "Tech Hubs" that will bring together private industry, state and local government, higher education, labor unions, nonprofit institutions, and other critical stakeholders to develop and grow innovative industries that stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and strengthen national security. Nearly three-quarters of Tech Hubs designees encompass small and rural areas.
Also authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act, the Department of Commerce's $200 million Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program ("Recompete") aims to address persistent economic distress in communities across the country through a series of highly targeted, transformational investments. Seven of the 22 program finalists focus exclusively on rural communities, and their proposed investments include workforce skill training, addressing childcare deserts in rural America, supporting small businesses, and building local capacity.
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Original text here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/05/14/fact-sheet-the-biden-harris-administration-highlights-investments-in-rural-america-invites-public-nominations-for-rural-innovators-initiative/
Wash. U.S. Attorney: Thirteen People Indicted in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Involving Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Cocaine
SEATTLE, Washington, May 15 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington issued the following news release on May 14, 2024:
Thirteen people indicted in a significant drug trafficking investigation are being sought by law enforcement with 10 of them in custody tonight, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. The defendants are named in three different indictments for a drug trafficking scheme. Two additional defendants were arrested today on criminal complaints.
"These defendants were brazenly bringing large loads of drugs to western Washington and didn't hesitate
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SEATTLE, Washington, May 15 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington issued the following news release on May 14, 2024:
Thirteen people indicted in a significant drug trafficking investigation are being sought by law enforcement with 10 of them in custody tonight, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. The defendants are named in three different indictments for a drug trafficking scheme. Two additional defendants were arrested today on criminal complaints.
"These defendants were brazenly bringing large loads of drugs to western Washington and didn't hesitateto arm themselves with high-powered firearms," said U.S. Attorney Gorman. "Even after law enforcement seized the drugs in various traffic stops in Oregon and Washington, they were not deterred."
The lead indictment names ten members of the conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and alprazolam. Lead defendant Hector Duran Aldaco, 23, of Federal Way, Washington is also charged with using a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Others named in the indictment include:
Damian Pina-Raymundo, 19, of Enumclaw, Washington
Daniel Moreno, 24, of Federal Way, Washington
Rogelio Pena, 21, of Tacoma
David Padilla, 22, of Kent, Washington
Neldin Licona Rivera, 33, of Seattle
Sebastian Esquivel Rojas, 20, of Federal Way, Washington
A second indictment charges Salina Rose Atsemet, 26, of Renton, Washington for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute it for a seizure on February 27, 2024, where one kilo of cocaine and two firearms were taken by law enforcement.
In a third indictment, Brian Axel Pedraza Cisneros, 20, and Jose Rodolfo Aguilar Cortes, 21, both of Federal Way, Washington, are indicted for a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances for a seizure of 14 kilos of cocaine and one firearm on March 24, 2024, in Lewis County.
The indictments call for forfeiture of items linked to the criminal conduct including firearms that were seized in the case.
In the investigation prior to the arrests today, law enforcement seized: 59 kilograms of fentanyl pills, 81 kilograms of methamphetamine, 21 kilos of cocaine and eleven firearms.
Two additional defendants who were involved in the drug trafficking activity were arrested on criminal complaints today:
Brian Garcia Lopez, 23, of Kent, Washington and Otis Lee Dew, 25, of Puyallup, Washington
Today alone law enforcement seized an additional 12+ kilograms of methamphetamine, more than 14,000 fentanyl pills, a half-kilogram of cocaine and 42 firearms.
"Drugs and guns are a dangerous combination and this group had large amounts of both, posing a grave threat to Western Washington, "said David. F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. "The Drug Enforcement Administration is thankful to our Federal, state, and local partners who worked with us tirelessly on this case to safeguard the lives of our community endangered by this group."
"Today's enforcement action demonstrates the strength of partnerships around the region in keeping our communities safe." said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Seattle field office. "It's satisfying to know the illegal drugs and weapons seized are now off the streets. The FBI and our partners will continue investigating these cases and holding those responsible accountable."
The charges contained in the indictments and criminal complaints are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), Seattle Police Department, Oregon State Police, Portland Police Department, California Highway Patrol, the Los Angeles Strike Force, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Centralia Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Casey Conzatti and Elyne Vaught.
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/pr/thirteen-people-indicted-drug-trafficking-conspiracy-involving-fentanyl
SRS Strengthens Safety Culture at Annual Expo
AIKEN, South Carolina, May 15 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site issued the following news release:
The Savannah River Site (SRS) recently hosted its annual Safety Expo on April 23 and 24, featuring over 70 informational booths designed to educate and engage SRS employees on a range of topics that underpin the Site's legacy of safety culture and performance.
This year's event, held at a new location, the New Ellenton Parks and Recreation Center in New Ellenton, South Carolina, welcomed more than 4,000 attendees from all SRS contractors for two days of safety engagement. The
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AIKEN, South Carolina, May 15 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site issued the following news release:
The Savannah River Site (SRS) recently hosted its annual Safety Expo on April 23 and 24, featuring over 70 informational booths designed to educate and engage SRS employees on a range of topics that underpin the Site's legacy of safety culture and performance.
This year's event, held at a new location, the New Ellenton Parks and Recreation Center in New Ellenton, South Carolina, welcomed more than 4,000 attendees from all SRS contractors for two days of safety engagement. Theevent, sponsored by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), the SRS management and operations contractor, shared information with employees ranging from safety, security and environmental stewardship to personal health, wellness and other community services designed to improve quality of life.
"Every year, the SRS Safety Expo brings employees from across the Site together to celebrate and reinforce our workforce's strong safety culture," said Rick Sprague, SRNS Senior Vice President,
Environment, Safety, Health and Quality. "Involvement in these events is what empowers our team with the knowledge necessary to continuously improve safety at work, at home and in the community."
Twenty-six Local Safety Improvement Teams (LSITs) hosted interactive booths at the Expo, along with participants from Savannah River Mission Completion, U.S. Forest Service, Savannah River National Laboratory and Centerra, as well as several community organizations.
There were also multiple new initiatives this year intended to promote safety engagement, including the LSIT passport which allowed attendees to collect stamps from various LSIT booths and submit a completed passport for a chance to win a prize. A QR code registration system was also implemented to improve the collection of attendance information.
"This year's Safety Expo really showcased our workforce's passion for safety," stated H Area Operations Support Specialist and H Area Wise Owls LSIT Chair, Ashley Allen. "I enjoyed the addition of the LSIT passport; it was a fun way to encourage employees to engage with our LSITs while we promoted safety. Pairing that experience with delicious food and the outdoor atmosphere made it difficult to leave an incredible event!
According to Safety Expo Planning Lead and Health and Safety Manager, Lea Simons, "The Safety Expo empowers employees by providing opportunities for them to expand their safety knowledge. Empowered employees are happier and healthier; we saw so many smiling faces this year!"
"Safety has and always will be a core value at SRS," said SRNS President and CEO Dennis Carr. "Thank you to everyone who comes together each year to make this event possible and encourage our employees to become more engaged with the safety organizations across the Site."
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, a Fluor and HII partnership company, is responsible for the management and operations of the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site, located near Aiken, South Carolina.
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Original text here: https://www.srs.gov/general/news/releases/2024/nr24_SRS_strengthens_safety_culture_at_annual_Expo.pdf
Oak Ridge Completes First Phase of New Disposal Facility Project
OAK RIDGE, Tennessee, May 15 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management issued the following news release:
The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) and contractor UCOR have completed the first phase of construction for the Environmental Management Disposal Facility (EMDF).
EMDF will provide the waste disposal capacity OREM needs to complete cleanup at the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).
Field work for early site preparations began in August following a groundbreaking ceremony with congressional
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OAK RIDGE, Tennessee, May 15 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management issued the following news release:
The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) and contractor UCOR have completed the first phase of construction for the Environmental Management Disposal Facility (EMDF).
EMDF will provide the waste disposal capacity OREM needs to complete cleanup at the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).
Field work for early site preparations began in August following a groundbreaking ceremony with congressionalleaders and officials from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC).
Tasks in this subproject included tree felling, clearing 27 acres of land, rerouting of two roads and site preparation. That work, with a project cost of $27 million, was completed safely, under budget and ahead of schedule.
The kickoff for this work followed a decade of planning, regulatory decision-making and preparation, culminating in a record of decision signed by DOE, EPA and TDEC in September 2022.
"Early site prep completion is a big milestone for us," EMDF Director Sean Dunagan said. "It paves the way for the next phase of work and keeps this critical project on schedule. All parties involved worked together to get to this point and I'm excited that the EMDF project is moving into the next phase."
The completion of early site preparation is a major milestone for EMDF and sets this critical project on a solid path to timely completion.
The current onsite disposal facility, the Environmental Management Waste Management Facility, is nearing capacity after supporting cleanup of the East Tennessee Technology Park and ongoing demolition projects at Y-12 and ORNL.
While the first phase of field work for EMDF is complete, work continues.
The second phase, a groundwater field demonstration, is underway. It includes continued development of the site, earthwork and installation of groundwater monitoring wells. This phase will continue over the next two years, leading to the final phase of EMDF construction.
The facility is slated for completion in 2030.
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Original text here: https://www.energy.gov/em/articles/oak-ridge-completes-first-phase-new-disposal-facility-project
Leadership Vacaville Program Members Tour Travis AFB
TRAVIS AFB, California, May 15 -- The U.S. Air Force's Travis Air Force Base (60th Air Mobility Wing) issued the following news:
By Tech. Sgt. Savannah Waters, 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
Members of the Leadership Vacaville Program visited the base for a mission brief and tour to gain a better understanding of the Travis AFB mission May 9, 2024.
According to their website, Leadership Vacaville is a personal and professional development program designed to cultivate informed, engaged, and skilled community and business leaders.
With an opportunity to visit a C-5M Super Galaxy static
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TRAVIS AFB, California, May 15 -- The U.S. Air Force's Travis Air Force Base (60th Air Mobility Wing) issued the following news:
By Tech. Sgt. Savannah Waters, 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
Members of the Leadership Vacaville Program visited the base for a mission brief and tour to gain a better understanding of the Travis AFB mission May 9, 2024.
According to their website, Leadership Vacaville is a personal and professional development program designed to cultivate informed, engaged, and skilled community and business leaders.
With an opportunity to visit a C-5M Super Galaxy staticdisplay, the 60th Aerial Port Squadron and tour the Travis Aviation Museum, 13 leaders got an inside look at the strategic importance of Travis AFB.
"I always say that Travis is the eighth city in Solano County," said Debbie Egidio, Vacaville Chamber of Commerce Leadership Program president and CEO. "The economic importance is as impactful as any other city in the county, and the strategic importance is not just about air mission; it's about our men and women, it's about the families in our communities. They're people who we work with, they're people that shop and eat and get services in our communities and are a part of our economic development."
During their tour, members of this program also visited Phoenix Spark, the Travis AFB Spark Cell. With the intent to inspire and empower Airmen, Phoenix Spark focuses on additive manufacturing, digital environments, augmented reality/virtual reality, and ventures with commercial partners.
"[Phoenix Spark] is a hub that encourages innovative ideas and works with the community and schools and has competitions," said Fawn Hutton, a member of the Vacaville Chamber of Commerce Leadership Program. "Not only are they leveraging that innovative spirit here, but it's spreading across the globe. It was inspiring to see that."
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Original text here: https://www.travis.af.mil/News/Display/Article/3775131/leadership-vacaville-program-members-tour-travis-afb/
