WASHINGTON–Rising gas prices, combined with the economic downturn are making people more vulnerable to changes in oil prices, according to new analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The report also shows that many states are taking significant steps to reduce oil dependence through smart clean-transportation policies.

Especially with today’s economic challenges, Americans face a growing threat from our nation’s dangerous addiction to oil," said Deron Lovaas, NRDC’s transportation policy director.

"This report shows how important it is for states to promote clean energy policies that will reduce our dependence on oil, while also reducing global warming pollution.
The report, "Fighting Oil Addiction: Ranking States’ Oil Vulnerability and Solutions for Change," provides a detailed look at how oil prices impact consumers and ways in which smart policies can help break states’ addiction to oil.
According to the report, the top 10 states most vulnerable to oil price increases are: #1 Mississippi; #2 Montana; #3 South Carolina; #4 Oklahoma; #5 Louisiana; #6 Kentucky, #7 Texas; #8 New Mexico; #9 Georgia; and #10 Arkansas. The top 10 states that are doing the most to promote clean energy technologies and reduce their dependence on oil are: #1California; #2 Massachusetts; #3 Washington; #4 New Mexico; #5 Connecticut; #6 New York; #7 New Jersey; #8 Pennsylvania; #9 Oregon; and #10 Florida.

The report focuses on two important factors that relate to the nation’s addiction to oil. First, it calculates oil vulnerability– how heavily each state’s drivers are affected by increases in oil prices. Second, it ranks states on their adoption of solutions to reduce their oil dependence– measures they are taking to lessen their vulnerability and to bolster America’s security.

The report also shows that by promoting clean vehicle and fuel technologies as well as transportation alternatives states can reduce oil dependence. These measures can, in turn, create clean energy jobs, reduce vulnerability to fuel price hikes, and lessen air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Lovaas added, "The Federal government can step in to help states break their addiction to oil by implementing comprehensive clean energy and climate policies and by reforming our national transportation system through an overhauled, performance-driven transportation policy.

The full report, with state-by-state rankings, can be accessed at: http://www.nrdc.org/energy/states/

WASHINGTON–Exxon-Mobil Corporation, the world’s largest publicly traded oil and gas company, pleaded guilty in U.S. Court in Denver to violating the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) in five states during the past five years, the Justice Department announced today.

The company has agreed to pay fines and community service payments totaling $600,000 and will implement an environmental compliance plan over the next three years aimed at preventing bird deaths on the company’s facilities in the affected states.

According to papers filed in court, the company has already spent over $2.5 million to begin implementation of the plan.

The charges stem from the deaths of approximately 85 protected birds, including waterfowl, hawks and owls, at Exxon-Mobil drilling and production facilities in Colorado, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas between 2004 and 2009. According to the charges and other information presented in court, most of the birds died after exposure to hydrocarbons in uncovered natural gas well reserve pits and waste water storage facilities at Exxon-Mobil sites in Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. The company has entered into a plea agreement with the government, calling for guilty pleas to the five charges and a sentence of $400,000 in fines and $200,000 in community service payments.
The fines will be deposited into the federally-administered North American Wetlands Conservation Fund.

The community service payments will be made to a non-profit waterfowl rehabilitation foundation in Colorado and the congressionally-chartered National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, designated for waterfowl preservation work in each of the affected states.

During a three-year probationary period, Exxon-Mobil must also implement an "environmental compliance plan" designed to keep birds from coming into contact with oily waters at its facilities in the five affected states.

"The environmental compliance plan that Exxon-Mobil has agreed to in this multi-district plea agreement is an important step in protecting migratory birds in these five states," said John C. Cruden, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. "We are all responsible for protecting our wildlife, even the largest of corporations," said Colorado U.S. Attorney David M. Gaouette. "An important part of this case is the implementation of an environmental compliance plan that will help prevent future migratory bird deaths."The Migratory Bird Treaty Act, enacted in 1918, implements this country’s commitments under avian protection treaties with Great Britain (for Canada), Mexico, Japan and Russia.

The Act creates a misdemeanor criminal sanction for the unpermitted taking of listed species by any means and in any manner regardless of fault.

The maximum penalty for a corporate taking under the MBTA is $15,000, or twice the gross gain or loss resulting from the offense, and five years probation.

The birds killed in the five cases include ducks, grebes, ibis, passerines, shorebirds, owls, martin and a hawk. None of these species is listed as endangered or threatened under federal law.

Migratory birds often land on open wastewater ponds at oil and gas facilities and become coated with, or ingest, fatal amounts of hydrocarbons discharged into the water during drilling or production operations.

Such killings can be prevented by scrubbing the water of contaminants before discharge, removing the ponds, placing an obstruction such as netting or plastic "bird balls" over the water to prevent contact, or installing commercially-manufactured electronic hazing devices which detect incoming flights of migratory birds and deploy noise and lights to scare them away from the area.

Exxon-Mobil’s environmental compliance plan will employ these techniques, tailored to each facility, to prevent future mortality.

The cases were investigated by Special Agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and are being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Robert S. Anderson of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Carey of the District of Colorado.

WASHINGTON– The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration has issued the following news release:

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) today announced that sales of tobacco to underage youth (those younger than age 18) have continued to decline, and have in fact reached historic lows under the Synar Amendment program – a federal and state partnership program aimed at ending illegal tobacco sales to minors.

The Synar Amendment (introduced by the late Representative Mike Synar of Oklahoma) requires states to have laws and enforcement programs for prohibiting the sale and distribution of tobacco to persons under age 18.
All 50 states and the District of Columbia have for the third year in a row achieved a major Synar program goal – a less than 20 percent non-compliance rate among tobacco product retailers. This stands in sharp contrast with the situation 12 years ago at the Synar program’s inception when the highest reported non-compliance rate was 75 percent."This report along with other published studies indicates that real progress is being made in preventing illegal tobacco sales to minors," said SAMHSA Acting Administrator Eric Broderick, DDS, MPH.

"Continued state vigilance will build on our track record of success in protecting children from the public health menace of tobacco."

SAMHSA’s FFY 2008 Annual Synar Reports: State Compliance shows that the average national tobacco retailer violation rate dropped to 9.9 percent for federal fiscal year 2008, down from 40.1 percent in 1997.

The national average is at its lowest point in Synar’s 12-year history.

The SAMHSA report also highlights many of the innovative ways that States have successfully implemented the Synar Amendment program.

The approaches involve comprehensive strategies combining vigorous enforcement, supportive public policies and development of social climates discouraging youth tobacco use.

Under the regulations implementing the Synar Amendment, States and other jurisdictions must report annually to SAMHSA on their retailer violation rates, which represent the percentage of inspected retail outlets that sold tobacco products to a customer under the age of 18.

The amendment requires that retailer violation rates not exceed 20 percent.

States and jurisdictions measure their progress through random, unannounced inspections of tobacco retailers, and SAMHSA provides technical assistance to help states comply.

Reducing the illegal sales rate of tobacco to minors through enforcement of laws prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to minors is one of the specific tobacco objectives (objective 27-14) in Healthy People 2010, the nation’s disease prevention and health promotion goals ands objectives for the decade.

FFY 2008 Annual Synar Reports: State Compliance, which includes compliance rates for each of the States and the District of Columbia, is available at http://prevention.samhsa.gov/tobacco/synarreportfy2008.pdf.

For related publications and information, visit http://www.samhsa.gov/

FRANKFORT, Ky., — Gov. Steve Beshear, D-Ky., has issued the following news release:

Gov. Steve Beshear today requested that Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack utilize all available resources under his authority in an effort to save dairy farms and the jobs that these farms create.

Record low milk prices and high input costs are leading to devastating losses in dairy farming communities across the country.

"Dairy farmers across this nation – regardless of the size of their farm – are suffering," said Gov. Beshear. "The dairy industry is a vital component of our nation’s agricultural economy and provides a critical resource for American families."
Because this is an issue for dairy farmers nationwide, not just Kentucky, Gov. Beshear garnered the support of six other governors to co-sign the letter to Sec. Vilsack, including the governors of Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Guam, Oklahoma and Vermont.

The governors collectively asked for support of a federal bill that would adjust the overall payment rate for the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program.

This legislation, sponsored by Vermont Congressman Peter Welch, would adjust the MILC payment rate from 45 percent to 79 percent of the difference between the price of milk and the target price.

"This payment rate would more appropriately reflect the expenses that our dairy farmers face," stated the governors in their letter.

The governors applauded measures that Sec. Vilsack and the Obama Administration have previously taken to help the dairy industry through the Dairy Export Incentive Program and the Dairy Product Price Support Program.

Though these changes may provide relief in the coming months, the governors stressed the need for relief to offset losses already incurred in the last six months.

"As governors of dairy-producing states, we hear on a regular basis of the struggles of dairy farmers and call on you to provide additional relief to help offset the losses incurred since March 2009," stated the governors.

In a separate act today, Gov. Beshear and Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer announced the addition of three ex officio positions to the Kentucky Milk Commission: the Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation President, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services Milk Safety Branch Director and the University of Kentucky Regulatory Services Director.

These additions are vital in providing the Milk Commission additional expertise to guide changes that will improve the future for our dairy farmers.

Additionally, Gov. Beshear appointed the eight voting members of the Milk Commission, with Commissioner Farmer serving as chair of the Commission and a representative of the Kentucky Dairy Development Council acting as an ex officio.

More information about USDA’s dairy programs is available at http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/dairy. More information about Kentucky’s dairy industry is available at http://www.kyagr.com/ or http://kydairy.org/default.aspx.

WASHINGTON– Here’s a look at how area members of Congress voted over the previous week (Aug. 3-7).

House Vote 1:
HOUSE PASSES CASH-FOR-CLUNKERS:

The House approved $2 billion for the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Program (H.R. 3435), sponsored by Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., to fund the Cash for Clunkers program.

Proponents said that "consumers have spoken with their wallets, and they are saying they like this program" and that the extra funding was needed to aid sluggish car sales in the economic downturn.
Opponents called the bill "an extension of a program that has the government picking winners and losers" and said it was one more step in enshrining the U.S. as a ‘bailout Nation’.

The vote, on July 31, was 316 yeas to 109 nays. YEAS: Rep. Dan Boren D-OK (2nd)
NAYS: Rep. Tom Cole R-OK (4th), Rep. Mary Fallin R-OK (5th), Rep. Frank D. Lucas R-OK (3rd), Rep. John Sullivan R-OK (1st)

House Vote 2:
FINANCIAL FIRMS BONUSES

The House approved an amendment sponsored by Rep.
Barney Frank, D-Mass., to the Corporate and Financial Institution Compensation
Fairness Act (H.R. 3269), to protect recipients of pay bonuses from having to
return their money.

Proponents said the amendment gives "some protection against arbitrary return of bonuses" and that Congress shouldn’t allow for retroactive changes to contracts. Opponents said the amendment would allow the Securities and Exchange Commission "to dictate pay to publicly held companies."

The vote, on July 31, was 242 yeas to 178 nays.
NAYS: Rep. Dan Boren D-OK (2nd), Rep. Tom Cole R-OK (4th), Rep. Mary Fallin R-OK (5th), Rep. Frank D. Lucas R-OK (3rd), Rep. John Sullivan R-OK (1st)

House Vote 3:
COMPENSATION AT CORPORATE FINANCIAL FIRMS: The House approved the Corporate and Financial Institution Compensation Fairness Act (H.R. 3269), sponsored by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., to provide for an advisory vote by shareholders on executive compensation and to regulate compensation levels.

Proponents said the bill sought to prevent the practice of awarding bonuses based on business risks.

Opponents said "this bill continues the Democrat majority’s tendency to go to
the default solution for every problem: create a government bureaucracy to make decisions better left to private citizens and private corporations."

The vote, on July 31, was 237 yeas to 185 nays. NAYS: Rep. Dan Boren D-OK (2nd), Rep. Tom Cole R-OK (4th), Rep. Mary Fallin R-OK (5th), Rep. Frank D. Lucas R-OK (3rd), Rep. John Sullivan R-OK (1st)

SENATE VOTES:

Senate Vote 1:
GRANTS FOR RURAL POWER PROJECTS: The Senate rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., to the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration Appropriations Act (H.R. 2997) that would have eliminated funding for the Agriculture Department’s High Energy Cost Grant Program.

Proponents said the amendment would eliminate a duplicative, unnecessary program whose goals are achieved more effectively by a loan program at the Rural Utilities Service.

Opponents said the High Energy Cost Grant Program was effective because it allowed for the replacement of older or failing transmission and distribution lines, developed renewable generation and allowed for rural areas to have energy at a more affordable cost.

The vote, on Aug. 3, was 41 yeas to 55 nays. YEAS: Sen. Tom Coburn R-OK, Sen. James M. Inhofe R-OK

Senate Vote 2:
SENATE PASSES CASH-FOR-CLUNKERS: The Senate passed the CAR Save Program

Supplemental Appropriations Act (H.R. 3435) sponsored by Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., that set $2 billion supplemental appropriations for the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save program for fiscal 2009. Proponents called the CAR Save program, known commonly as Cash for Clunkers, "wildly popular" and noted that the $1 billion allowed for under the program originally was nearly exhausted.

Opponents noted that while the goals of the program, to boost the economy, were worthy, the $2 billion could have been returned to taxpayers to do the same thing.

The vote, on Aug. 6, was 60 yeas to 37 nays.  NAYS: Sen. Tom Coburn R-OK, Sen. James M. Inhofe R-OK