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.
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Team Dover Clinics to Offer Extended Holiday Hours
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Delaware, Dec. 18 -- The U.S. Air Force (436th Airlift Wing) issued the following news:
By Col. Patricia Fowler
Public Affairs
Timely access to medical care is vital to the readiness of our forces and the welfare of their families. The 436th Medical Group is committed to ensuring our patients receive the acute care they need, when they need it throughout the holiday season.
Adjusting our hours is part of our commitment to provide timely access to care for all of our patients. We value our patients and are actively engaged in continuing to increase access to care and enhance
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DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Delaware, Dec. 18 -- The U.S. Air Force (436th Airlift Wing) issued the following news:
By Col. Patricia Fowler
Public Affairs
Timely access to medical care is vital to the readiness of our forces and the welfare of their families. The 436th Medical Group is committed to ensuring our patients receive the acute care they need, when they need it throughout the holiday season.
Adjusting our hours is part of our commitment to provide timely access to care for all of our patients. We value our patients and are actively engaged in continuing to increase access to care and enhanceour mission to provide medically ready warfighters.
The 436 MDG will be open Monday, Dec. 24, and Monday, Dec. 31. While some services may not be available, patients will, at least, have access to acute care during this time.
The 436 MDG will be open during normal business hours, except for the specific holiday hours and services are listed below:
Monday, Dec. 24:
Flight Medicine, Pediatric Clinic, Family Health Clinic, Pharmacy
7:45-11:00 a.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 25:
CLOSED
Monday, Dec. 31:
Flight Medicine, Pediatric Clinic, Family Health Clinic, Pharmacy
7:45-11:00 a.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 1:
CLOSED
Appointments on Air Mobility Command Family Days will be unavailable for booking through our central appointment line. Patients are encouraged to stop by the Family Health front desk or the Flight Medicine front desk to book an appointment time.
Santa, Elves Jump for Operation Toy Drop 2018
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany, Dec. 18 -- The U.S. Air Force issued the following news:
By Senior Airman Devin M. Rumbaugh
Public Affairs
Santa Claus and his elves delivered toys to children via military freefall and static-line jumps as part of the 7th annual Operation Toy Drop event on Alzey Drop Zone, Germany Dec. 11-13, 2018.
Each day of the operation, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, and seven partner nations took off in an 86th Airlift Wing C-130J Super Hercules aircraft to conduct low-level passes over the drop zone.
Throughout the operation, paratroopers conducted approximately 140 personnel
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RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany, Dec. 18 -- The U.S. Air Force issued the following news:
By Senior Airman Devin M. Rumbaugh
Public Affairs
Santa Claus and his elves delivered toys to children via military freefall and static-line jumps as part of the 7th annual Operation Toy Drop event on Alzey Drop Zone, Germany Dec. 11-13, 2018.
Each day of the operation, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, and seven partner nations took off in an 86th Airlift Wing C-130J Super Hercules aircraft to conduct low-level passes over the drop zone.
Throughout the operation, paratroopers conducted approximately 140 personneldrops each day.
On the final day of the event, the 37th Airlift Squadron dropped several crates of toys while Santa Claus performed a high altitude military freefall jump, and Mrs. Claus and 12 elves performed static-line jumps onto Alzey Drop Zone.
After the jump, Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, and the elves gave toys to local children from around the Kaiserslautern military community.
"It's a great way to build our community," said Maj. Benjamin Wingler, 1st Combat Communications Squadron director of operations and jumpmaster. "It shows that we're not just here to use the land as the U.S. Army or Air Force, but we're here to give back to the community."
The U.S. Army 5th Quartermaster Theater Aerial Delivery Company, based at Rhine Ordnance Barracks, Germany, hosted the event.
The three-day operation ended with coalition partner jumpmasters presenting their nation's jump wings to other country's paratroopers who jumped with them during the week.
"It's just a great week for building partnership capacity," Wingler said. "It's a great training environment that gives back to the community."
President Donald J. Trump Approves Virginia Disaster Declaration
WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- The White House issued the following news release:
Today, President Donald J. Trump declared that a major disaster exists in the Commonwealth of Virginia and ordered Federal assistance to supplement Commonwealth, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by Tropical Storm Michael from October 9 to October 16, 2018.
Federal funding is available to State, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the Tropical Storm Michael
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WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- The White House issued the following news release:
Today, President Donald J. Trump declared that a major disaster exists in the Commonwealth of Virginia and ordered Federal assistance to supplement Commonwealth, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by Tropical Storm Michael from October 9 to October 16, 2018.
Federal funding is available to State, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the Tropical Storm Michaelin the counties of Amelia, Appomattox, Brunswick, Campbell, Charlotte, Chesterfield, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Essex, Floyd, Fluvanna, Franklin, Halifax, King and Queen, Lunenburg, Montgomery, New Kent, Northumberland, Nottoway, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Rappahannock, Richmond, Roanoke and the independent cities of Danville and Galax.
Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for all areas within the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Brock Long, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Donald L. Keldsen as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.
Damage assessments are continuing in other areas, and additional areas may be designated for assistance after the assessments are fully completed.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT: FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV
MacDill Shopper Wins $5,000 During Holiday Sweepstakes
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Florida, Dec. 18 -- The U.S. Air Force (6th Air Mobility Wing) issued the following news:
By Marisa Wolfe
Public Affairs
Just about everyone could benefit from a little extra cash this time of year. The Army & Air Force Exchange Service made sure that's what retired Sgt. 1st Class Jose Serrano Juarbe got-$5,000 of it.
Exchange and commissary leaders awarded Serrano Juarbe, a Lutz, Fla., resident, with his prize on Dec. 10 at the MacDill Exchange.
"I couldn't believe it when they called," Serrano Juarbe said. "I've had some bad luck lately with my car breaking down,
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MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Florida, Dec. 18 -- The U.S. Air Force (6th Air Mobility Wing) issued the following news:
By Marisa Wolfe
Public Affairs
Just about everyone could benefit from a little extra cash this time of year. The Army & Air Force Exchange Service made sure that's what retired Sgt. 1st Class Jose Serrano Juarbe got-$5,000 of it.
Exchange and commissary leaders awarded Serrano Juarbe, a Lutz, Fla., resident, with his prize on Dec. 10 at the MacDill Exchange.
"I couldn't believe it when they called," Serrano Juarbe said. "I've had some bad luck lately with my car breaking down,so this is a godsend."
By using his MILITARY STAR card at both the Exchange and the commissary during the sweepstakes period, the MacDill soldier was automatically entered into the MILITARY STARR Home for the Holidays Sweepstakes. Five winners-one from each branch of the military-were randomly selected and received $5,000, and Serrano Juarbe was selected from all the Army entries.
"We love finding ways to thank and appreciate our service members," said Exchange General Manager James Clark. "Being able to give Sgt. Serrano Juarbe this surprise right before the holidays is a wonderful way to celebrate the season."
Serrano Juarbe passes by MacDill Air Force Base on his way to work and stops by the commissary most mornings to grab snacks, always using his MILITARY STAR card. The commissary began accepting MILITARY STAR in late 2017.
"I think being able to use MILITARY STAR at the commissary is the greatest thing they've done because now you can use the same card when you go to the Exchange and the commissary," he said.
Serrano Juarbe plans to use his winnings toward replacing his car.
The MILITARY STAR card is an exclusive line of credit for service members and their families to use at exchanges and commissaries - no matter where they serve. The Army & Air Force Exchange Service collaborated with the Navy Exchange, Marine Corps Exchange, Coast Guard Exchange and the Defense Commissary Agency to sponsor the sweepstakes and extend participation to MILITARY STAR cardholders shopping at their facilities.
Hundreds Cheer New WOTUS Proposal in Tennessee
NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Dec. 18 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
* * *
- Wheeler and Perdue Outline Proposal That Would Bring Certainty to Farmers, Business Owners, and the American Public
Four hundred Tennessee farmers, ranchers, small business owners and other stakeholders came to the Wilson County Exposition Center in Lebanon Tennessee on Wednesday morning to hear Acting Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler highlight the new Trump Administration proposal redefining the "waters of the United States" (WOTUS) -- and they were
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NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Dec. 18 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
* * *
- Wheeler and Perdue Outline Proposal That Would Bring Certainty to Farmers, Business Owners, and the American Public
Four hundred Tennessee farmers, ranchers, small business owners and other stakeholders came to the Wilson County Exposition Center in Lebanon Tennessee on Wednesday morning to hear Acting Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler highlight the new Trump Administration proposal redefining the "waters of the United States" (WOTUS) -- and they werehappy with what they heard.
Acting Administrator Wheeler told the crowd that the main driver behind the new proposal was to create certainty for the American people.
"One goal of our new proposed definition is to help landowners understand whether a project on their property will require a federal permit or not without having to hire outside professionals," said EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler. "Our proposal would replace the Obama EPA's 2015 definition with one that respects the limits of the Clean Water Act and provides Tennessee and its landowners the certainty they need to manage their natural resources and grow their local economies."
Acting Administrator Wheeler was joined by representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers, and Department of Agriculture. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, who has long fought for the repeal of the 2015 Obama Administration WOTUS rule, spoke and hailed the redefinition proposal that clarifies federal authority under the Clean Water Act as a positive achievement for American agriculture.
"When I meet with the men and women of American agriculture, one of their chief concerns is always the overreach of federal regulations. The 2015 WOTUS rule is regularly singled out as particularly egregious, as landowners have told me it impedes the use of their own land and stifles productivity," said United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. "Farmers and ranchers are exceptional stewards of the environment, and states have their own standards as well. This welcome action from the EPA and Army Corps will help bring clarity to Clean Water Act regulations and help farmers know where federal jurisdiction begins and ends. President Trump is making good on his promise to reduce burdensome regulations to free our producers to do what they do best - feed, fuel, and clothe this nation and the world."
Unlike the Obama administration's 2015 definition of "waters of the United States," the Trump proposal contains a straightforward definition that would result in significant cost savings, protect the nation's navigable waters, help sustain economic growth, and reduce barriers to business development.
Among those speaking at today's event was American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall who said, "Farmers and ranchers work every day to protect our nation's waterways and drinking water. For more than five years we have advocated for a new water rule that protects clean water and provides clear rules for people and communities to follow. This new rule will empower farmers and ranchers to comply with the law, protect our water resources and productively work their land without having to hire an army of lawyers and consultants."
The proposal, which is co-signed by the Army, is the second step in a two-step process to review and revise the definition of "waters of the United States" consistent with President Trump's February 2017 Executive Order entitled "Restoring the Rule of Law, Federalism, and Economic Growth by Reviewing the 'Waters of the United States' Rule." The Executive Order states that it is in the national interest to ensure that the nation's navigable waters are kept free from pollution, while at the same time promoting economic growth, minimizing regulatory uncertainty, and showing due regard for the roles of Congress and the states under the Constitution.
EPA Awards Arizona $30.8 Million for Drinking Water and Wastewater Projects
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Dec. 18 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded more than $30.8 million to Arizona for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure improvements.
"These funds will be used for numerous local projects that will boost the economy while improving water systems," said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Mike Stoker. "EPA is committed to investing in local infrastructure to benefit the communities we serve."
EPA awarded more than $30.8 million to Arizona's clean water and
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SAN FRANCISCO, California, Dec. 18 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded more than $30.8 million to Arizona for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure improvements.
"These funds will be used for numerous local projects that will boost the economy while improving water systems," said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Mike Stoker. "EPA is committed to investing in local infrastructure to benefit the communities we serve."
EPA awarded more than $30.8 million to Arizona's clean water anddrinking water State Revolving Fund programs. These federal funds are supplemented with state funding sources, which together provide low-interest loans for wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects. As money is repaid to the revolving loan fund, Arizona funds new infrastructure projects.
"These infrastructure improvements will directly benefit thousands of Arizonans by improving access to healthy drinking water and modernizing wastewater treatment," said Arizona's Water Infrastructure Finance Authority (WIFA) Executive Director Trish Incognito. "Through a collaborative relationship with EPA to fund these projects, public health and the environment are better protected for all of Arizona."
The state's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF), which is administered by WIFA, received almost $20 million to improve public water systems, including the following:
* The City of Safford has identified 58 miles of pipeline in its water distribution system that are outdated and failing. The city will relocate existing mains, build upgrades, and rehabilitate other wells.
* The Tierra Buena Water Company will install a centralized arsenic treatment system to address local arsenic issues in the City of Glendale.
The state's Clean Water SRF, also administered by WIFA, received almost $11 million to support a variety of water infrastructure improvement projects, including the following:
* The Town of Marana will design and construct a new lift station and force main to convey sewage from the Adonis Neighborhood to the existing Town of Marana municipal system. Currently the sewage flows into two over-capacity lagoons, running the risk of overflowing in wet weather, potentially causing an environmental and health hazard. Once the project is completed, the sewage from the neighborhood will be treated at the recently completed Marana Water Reclamation Facility, allowing Marana to reuse the water in various ways.
* The City of Prescott will centralize its wastewater treatment system. Once complete, the system will be able to direct sewage to the recently expanded Airport Wastewater Treatment Plant. The project will also include improvements to several trunk mains and construction of a lift station. Centralization of wastewater treatment will reduce the City's operating and maintenance costs and eliminate odor complaints from the previous Sundog plant.
EPA has awarded more than $693 million to Arizona's clean water and drinking water revolving fund programs since their inception in 1988 and 1996, respectively. These funds support Arizona's efforts to address an estimated $16 billion worth of water infrastructure needs.
For more information on EPA's State Revolving Fund programs, please visit:
http://www.epa.gov/drinkingwatersrf
http://www.epa.gov/cwsrf
For more information on water programs in EPA's Pacific Southwest Region, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/region9/water
Argonne Develops Computer Model to Explore Fuel Octane Number
ARGONNE, Illinois, Dec. 18 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory issued the following news release:
Researchers at Argonne have developed a virtual cooperative fuel research engine that will help probe how a fuel's chemical kinetics translates into its octane rating.
The fuel and engine community has been using Cooperative Fuel Research (CFR) engines for nearly a century to quantify a fuel's "knocking" propensity, or the likelihood that it will autoignite in the engine under typical operating conditions. But there is a lot behind this standardized test method for internal
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ARGONNE, Illinois, Dec. 18 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory issued the following news release:
Researchers at Argonne have developed a virtual cooperative fuel research engine that will help probe how a fuel's chemical kinetics translates into its octane rating.
The fuel and engine community has been using Cooperative Fuel Research (CFR) engines for nearly a century to quantify a fuel's "knocking" propensity, or the likelihood that it will autoignite in the engine under typical operating conditions. But there is a lot behind this standardized test method for internalcombustion engines that scientists don't yet understand.
That could soon change now that researchers at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have developed a virtual model of the actual "hardware" CFR engine.
This new, three-dimensional engine simulation tool can help researchers probe how a fuel's chemical kinetics translate into its octane rating.
Principal Computational Scientist Sibendu Som of Argonne's Energy Systems division, along with postdoctoral appointee Pinaki Pal, have been collaborating with combustion research engineers Christopher Kolodziej and Toby Rockstroh, on the project for two years. This past April, they presented their work at the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) World Congress in Detroit, shortly after their findings were published by the SAE as a technical paper titled "Development of a virtual CFR engine model for knocking combustion analysis."
Their project is part of a broader DOE initiative called the Co-Optimization of Fuels and Engines, or Co-Optima, which is co-funded by the Bioenergy Technologies Office and the Vehicle Technologies Office of the DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
Co-Optima aims to simultaneously transform both transportation fuels and vehicles, helping researchers identify and develop engines designed to run more efficiently on affordable, scalable and sustainable fuels.
Pinaki Pal's modeling work and the experimental campaign led by Christopher Kolodziej, highlight the value of both hardware and virtual experimentation -- and how each is augmented by the other.
Engine "knocking" signals abnormal combustion, caused by violent chemical reactions and pressure dynamics that can damage critical engine components such as the cylinder head and pistons.
A fuel's knock resistance is reflected in its octane rating, characterized at local gasoline stations by a pump octane number of 87, 89 or 91-93. If the number is high, the fuel is less likely to autoignite or knock during combustion, but these values are becoming less predictive for modern downsized boosted spark-ignition engines.
"There is a lot that needs to be better understood about how the physical and chemical properties of fuel affect the actual operating conditions and combustion characteristics of the CFR engine during octane testing," Kolodziej said. "You can have fuels with the same octane rating but different knock characteristics. Advanced simulations give us the capability to model parameters simply not possible to measure in the real engine without affecting what's being measured."
With the new model, researchers can begin computerized experiments using any fuel they like.
"We can come up with new fuel formulations and readily assess their performance using simulations," Pal said.
Now is the time to take action, he added. A better understanding of fuel octane rating, Pal said, "is crucial to improving the efficiency of modern boosted engines and designing novel fuels to reduce petroleum consumption and emissions." Improved fuel efficiency benefits national security, domestic competitiveness and eases the burden on the household wallet.
The researchers used Argonne's Laboratory Computing Resource Center and the HPC center at the DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy supports early-stage research and development of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies that make energy more affordable and strengthen the reliability, resilience, and security of the U.S. electric grid.
Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation's first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. (http://science.energy.gov/)
The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit the Office of Science website. (http://science.energy.gov/)
