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WASHINGTON, DC – On July 30 a majority of the House of Representatives voted in support of H.R. 3534, the Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources Act (CLEAR Act).
The CLEAR Act increases drilling safety, helps restore the Gulf Coast, cracks down on ethical lapses in the public and private sectors, and requires businesses to be responsible for their actions.
The bill passed by a vote of 209-193.
“In the wake of the BP oil spill – the largest oil spill in the history of our country – Congress must take action to protect America’s coastal families and economies,” said Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena), who voted for the bill.
“This legislation is needed to protect American taxpayers from spills caused by oil companies’ mistakes, restore the Gulf Coast and update federal guidelines to prevent future oil spills – especially ones of this magnitude,” Thompson said.
The CLEAR Act includes provisions to strengthen oversight and safety measures for off-shore drilling as well as hold BP fully responsible for the clean up and recovery of the Gulf spill.
In addition, the bill makes sure that the oil companies pay their fair share to drill on our public lands and waters, and ensures that royalties collected from oil and gas companies are spent specifically to restore and protect critical habitat to mitigate the impacts of drilling.
This legislation is meant to reduce the national deficit and save taxpayers $5 billion over the next five years.
Also on July 30 Thompson voted for the Offshore Oil and Gas Worker Whistleblower Protection Act (H.R. 5851). This legislation will protect workers who report violations by the oil and gas industry to state or federal government authorities from being discharged or discriminated against.
These bills have been sent to the Senate for consideration.
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SACRAMENTO – California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura is joining the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in recognizing August as “Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month.”
Beginning this year, APHIS will engage the public each August to increase understanding about the risks that invasive plant pests, diseases and harmful weeds pose to America’s agricultural and natural resources.
“Invasive species are one of the biggest problems we face,” said Secretary Kawamura. “We must work together to limit our exposure and minimize impacts. I applaud the USDA for making this commitment. It may be the boost we need to bring this issue to a whole new level of awareness.”
Invasive species cause – or are likely to cause – harm to the economy, the environment and human health.
Foreign travel and ship cargo are two of the risk factors for allowing dangerous plants, animals and microorganisms to enter the country.
Many of these pests and diseases have seriously harmed industry and urban and rural landscapes and have caused billions of dollars in lost revenue and control costs.
Some scientists estimate that the economic impacts from invasive species exceed $1 billion annually in the United States, in addition to the damage they cause to hundreds of millions of acres of native ecosystems and associated native plants and animals.
“Preventing foreign pests and diseases from entering the United States is my agency’s number one priority,” said APHIS Administrator Cindy Smith. “These destructive pests can jeopardize the livelihood of our farmers, ranchers and foresters, and they can forever alter our natural landscape. We’re dedicating the month of August to raising public awareness about these threats, and we’re asking every American who can to help us fight invasive pests.”
Throughout the month, there will be presentations across the country on invasive pests, the damage they cause, and what Americans can do to prevent their entry into the country and stop their spread once they are here.
The activities will include an invasive species forum in California designed to bring a wide variety of stakeholders together to discuss invasive plant pest issues and potential actions for jointly addressing those risks.
Individual citizens play a vital role protecting U.S. agriculture and the environment from invasive pests.
For more information, please see the following Web links: www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/plant_health/content/printable_version/attack_of_the_invasive_species.pdf or www.HungryPests.com.
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CDFA Protects!
Contact:
Steve Lyle
Director of Public Affairs
California Department of Food & Agriculture
(916) 654-0462
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LAKEPORT – Employers were flooded with eager job seekers at the Lake One-Stop’s job fair on July 28.
With lines out the front door, there was a lot of competition for the positions.
More than 130 job seekers attended the job fair and had the opportunity to talk with recruiters from Adecco, Safeway and Westamerica Bank.
Adecco was looking to fill approximately 60 positions, but the large crowd this event drew was much more than they expected.
One Adecco consultant said they had more than enough qualified people to fill all their positions.
“I think it was a well-organized event,” said Rosa Estrada, staffing consultant. “We didn’t expect that amount of people – it was very good.”
Estrada added, “Lake One-Stop staff was very helpful and friendly, so with that type of service and organization, I’m sure we’ll get some good candidates for these positions and call the job fair a big success.”
Sean Bragg, a Westamerica Bank cooperate recruiter, said people were not hired on the spot, but he saw many qualified people.
“From the amount of quality candidates, we anticipate filling the positions very soon,” he said. “We were extremely happy with the turnout and the caliber of candidates.”
For those who are still looking for employment, Bragg has some encouragement.
“Hang in there,” he said. “It’s a very tough and competitive market these days. Be a little flexible and also tailor your resume for the position that you are applying to.”
Hope Jennings, a recruiter from Safeway, said she did fill a few positions. Her message to those still looking for employment is, “Be professionally dressed, clean shaven and have an updated resume.”
Even though unemployment in Lake County is at 16.8 percent as of this past June, according to the Employment Development Department, Lake One-Stop staff was still surprised at the large turnout for the job fair. They were very happy to host the event and hoped it also gave job seekers hope and showed that there are jobs to be had.
“We feel fortunate enough to have made the connection with employers that were hiring,” said Lake One-Stop Inc. Executive Director Seth DeSimone. “This was such a great success, we’re already planning the next job fair and hope we can find even more employers to participate.”
“It was nice to be able to talk one on one with a company representative – it gave me another contact source,” said Cheryl Swing, a job seeker who attended the job fair.
“Overall it was organized and the Lake One-Stop staff was really helpful,” said Jody Pfister, another job fair attendee.
For information about future job fairs, job seekers may sign up for e-alerts by emailing Lake One-Stop at
For general information, visit www.lakeonestop.org.
Lake One-Stop Inc. is a nonprofit organization that is proud to be a part of America’s One-Stop Career Center System, connecting businesses, employers, job seekers and youth to employment, training and community resources.
Hand-in-hand with its partners, the One-Stop offers businesses and job seekers access to automated job postings, career counseling and assessment, information on job trends, help in finding assistance to cover training costs, performance data on training providers and much more.
Lake One-Stop Inc. is funded by the North Central Counties Consortium (NCCC) and the Local Workforce Investment Board working together with Yuba, Colusa, Glenn and Sutter counties under the Workforce Investment Act.
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KELSEYVILLE – Kelseyville Wine Co.’s tasting room is now open for tasting on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wines offered include Kelseyville Wine Co., McDermaid Family Vineyards, Shed Horn Cellars and Chacewater.
Each winery presents their own unique blends and styles, creating a favorite for everyone. Many are award-winning wines from high elevations crafted for ultimate enjoyment.
Also available are the Kelseyville Olive Mill extra virgin olive oils, vinegars and soaps.
Come by, schedule an appointment at 707-279-2995 or email
Kelseyville Wine Co. is located at 5625 Gaddy Lane, Kelseyville, across from the post office.