Federal Independent Agencies
News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from federal independent agencies.
Featured Stories
SBA Offers Disaster Loans for Tennessee Private NonProfits Affected by Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides and Mudslides
ATLANTA, Georgia, April 23 -- The Small Business Administration's Office of Disaster Assistance issued the following news release:
The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that certain Private NonProfit organizations (PNP)s in Tennessee that do not provide critical services of a governmental nature may be eligible to apply for low-interest rate disaster loans. These loans are available following a Presidential disaster declaration for Public Assistance resulting from damages caused by severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides from Feb. 19 through March 30, 2019.
PNPs located
... Show Full Article
ATLANTA, Georgia, April 23 -- The Small Business Administration's Office of Disaster Assistance issued the following news release:
The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that certain Private NonProfit organizations (PNP)s in Tennessee that do not provide critical services of a governmental nature may be eligible to apply for low-interest rate disaster loans. These loans are available following a Presidential disaster declaration for Public Assistance resulting from damages caused by severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides from Feb. 19 through March 30, 2019.
PNPs locatedin Bedford, Bledsoe, Blount, Campbell, Carter, Cheatham, Claiborne, Clay, Cocke, Coffee, Decatur, Dekalb, Dickson, Dyer, Fentress, Gibson, Giles, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Hawkins, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Lake, Lauderdale, Lewis, Lincoln, Marion, Marshall, Mcnairy, Moore, Morgan, Obion, Overton, Perry, Rhea, Roane, Robertson, Scott, Sequatchie, Sevier, Smith, Tipton, Unicoi, Union, Van Buren, Warren and Wayne counties in Tennessee are eligible to apply.
Examples of eligible non-critical PNP organizations include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools, colleges and houses of worship.
PNP organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets. The interest rate is 2.75 percent with terms up to 30 years. Applicants may be eligible for a loan amount increase up to 20 percent of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements may include a safe room or storm shelter, sump pump, French drain or retaining wall to help protect property and occupants from future damage caused by a similar disaster.
The SBA also offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to PNP organizations to help meet working capital needs, such as ongoing operating expenses. Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the organization suffered any physical property damage.
PNP organizations are urged to contact their County's Emergency Manager for information about their organization. The information will be submitted to FEMA to determine eligibility for a Public Assistance grant or whether the PNP should be referred to SBA for disaster loan assistance.
Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA's secure website at DisasterLoan.sba.gov.
Additional information on the SBA disaster loan program and application process can be obtained by calling SBA's Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or by sending an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov (link sends e-mail). Loan applications can be downloaded from http://www.sba.gov. Completed applications should be returned to a recovery center or mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.
The filing deadline to submit applications for physical property damage is June 17, 2019. The deadline to submit economic injury applications is Jan. 17, 2020.
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit http://www.sba.gov.
Internet Address: http://www.sba.gov
Postal Service Honors 1950s Tennis Champ 'Little Mo'
DALLAS, Texas, April 23 -- The U.S. Postal Service issued the following news release:
The U.S. Postal Service today honored legendary tennis champion Maureen Connolly Brinker (1934-1969) at Southern Methodist University by issuing a Forever stamp graced with the nickname she was known for when she was the best in her sport: "Little Mo."
In the early 1950s, the 5-foot-4-inch dynamo dominated the tennis world, using powerful groundstrokes to become the first woman to win all four major tennis tournaments in a calendar year. From 1951 to 1954, Connolly amassed nine major singles titles and three
... Show Full Article
DALLAS, Texas, April 23 -- The U.S. Postal Service issued the following news release:
The U.S. Postal Service today honored legendary tennis champion Maureen Connolly Brinker (1934-1969) at Southern Methodist University by issuing a Forever stamp graced with the nickname she was known for when she was the best in her sport: "Little Mo."
In the early 1950s, the 5-foot-4-inch dynamo dominated the tennis world, using powerful groundstrokes to become the first woman to win all four major tennis tournaments in a calendar year. From 1951 to 1954, Connolly amassed nine major singles titles and threemajor doubles titles. For three years in a row, she was the top-ranked player in the world, and the Associated Press named her its "Woman Athlete of the Year" three straight years (1951--1953).
"The history-making tennis career of Maureen Connolly Brinker, combined with the gracious spirit she exhibited after her career abruptly ended, is emblematic of the type of character and courage that we strive to spotlight on our stamps," said Janice Walker, vice president, U.S. Postal Service Corporate Communications, and the dedicating official of the stamp. "Being selected for this honor means that you have made an extraordinary and enduring contribution to American society, history, culture or the environment."
Joining Walker to dedicate the stamp were Cindy Brinker Simmons, Brinker's daughter and president of the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation; John Isner, the highest ranked American tennis player in the world (#10); Katherine Chabot Willette, the world's sixth-ranked singles player in 1961; Dr. R. Gerald Turner, president, Southern Methodist University; and radio/television host Scott Murray, who emceed the event.
The stamp features an oil-on-linen painting of the tennis star by Gregory Manchess. Based on a black-and-white photograph taken in 1952, the portrait is a colorful interpretation of Connolly hitting a low volley. Her nickname, "Little Mo," runs across the top of the stamp, and "usa" and "forever" appear in the bottom right corner. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp. News of the stamp is being shared using the hashtags #LittleMoStamp and #TennisStamps.
Background on Maureen Connolly Brinker
Maureen Connolly began competing in the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA) as a teenager and notched her first major singles tournament victory in 1951, winning the United States Championships (now called the U.S. Open) in Forest Hills, NY. The San Diego Union sportswriter Nelson Fisher once observed her hitting explosive forehands and backhands. He dubbed her "Little Mo," after the battleship USS Missouri, which was sometimes referred to as "Big Mo."
In 1952, she captured the Wimbledon crown for the first time. In 1953, she became the first woman to capture the single-season Grand Slam of tennis, winning the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Championships. Along the way, she dropped only a single set. Since then, no American singles player has won all four majors in a calendar year. Only two men and three women in total have achieved that feat.
Connolly's brilliant career ended abruptly in July 1954 when she severely injured her leg in a horseback riding accident. If she had not gotten hurt, the dominant Connolly likely would have gone on to win many more major tournaments.
In 1955, Connolly married Norman Brinker, who was part of the U.S. equestrian team at the 1952 Summer Olympics. He competed in the Modern Pentathlon Championships in 1954. They lived in Dallas and had two daughters. After her playing career, Connolly Brinker coached tennis and wrote articles about the game she once dominated. In 1968, she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Until the end of her short life, Connolly Brinker was committed to introducing young people to tennis. In 1968, she co-founded the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation (MCB). Over the past 50 years, MCB has pioneered junior tennis development throughout the United States and worldwide.
On June 21, 1969, Connolly Brinker died of cancer at 34, but not before helping blaze a trail for today's female athletes.
Customers may purchase the "Little Mo" Forever stamp at The Postal Store at usps.com/shop, by calling 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724), by mail through USA Philatelic, or at Post Office locations nationwide. Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.
Information on ordering first-day-of-issue postmarks and covers is at usps.com/shop under "Collectors." A video of the ceremony will be available on Facebook.com/usps.
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
NASA's InSight Detects First Likely 'Quake' on Mars
PASADENA, California, April 23 -- NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
* * *
- NASA's Mars InSight lander has measured and recorded for the first time ever a likely "marsquake."
* * *
The faint seismic signal, detected by the lander's Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS) instrument, was recorded on April 6, the lander's 128th Martian day, or sol. This is the first recorded trembling that appears to have come from inside the planet, as opposed to being caused by forces above the surface, such as wind. Scientists still are examining the data to determine the
... Show Full Article
PASADENA, California, April 23 -- NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
* * *
- NASA's Mars InSight lander has measured and recorded for the first time ever a likely "marsquake."
* * *
The faint seismic signal, detected by the lander's Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS) instrument, was recorded on April 6, the lander's 128th Martian day, or sol. This is the first recorded trembling that appears to have come from inside the planet, as opposed to being caused by forces above the surface, such as wind. Scientists still are examining the data to determine theexact cause of the signal.
"InSight's first readings carry on the science that began with NASA's Apollo missions," said InSight Principal Investigator Bruce Banerdt of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. "We've been collecting background noise up until now, but this first event officially kicks off a new field: Martian seismology!"
The new seismic event was too small to provide solid data on the Martian interior, which is one of InSight's main objectives. The Martian surface is extremely quiet, allowing SEIS, InSight's specially designed seismometer, to pick up faint rumbles. In contrast, Earth's surface is quivering constantly from seismic noise created by oceans and weather. An event of this size in Southern California would be lost among dozens of tiny crackles that occur every day.
"The Martian Sol 128 event is exciting because its size and longer duration fit the profile of moonquakes detected on the lunar surface during the Apollo missions," said Lori Glaze, Planetary Science Division director at NASA Headquarters.
NASA's Apollo astronauts installed five seismometers that measured thousands of quakes while operating on the Moon between 1969 and 1977, revealing seismic activity on the Moon. Different materials can change the speed of seismic waves or reflect them, allowing scientists to use these waves to learn about the interior of the Moon and model its formation. NASA currently is planning to return astronauts to the Moon by 2024, laying the foundation that will eventually enable human exploration of Mars.
InSight's seismometer, which the lander placed on the planet's surface on Dec. 19, 2018, will enable scientists to gather similar data about Mars. By studying the deep interior of Mars, they hope to learn how other rocky worlds, including Earth and the Moon, formed.
Three other seismic signals occurred on March 14 (Sol 105), April 10 (Sol 132) and April 11 (Sol 133). Detected by SEIS' more sensitive Very Broad Band sensors, these signals were even smaller than the Sol 128 event and more ambiguous in origin. The team will continue to study these events to try to determine their cause.
Regardless of its cause, the Sol 128 signal is an exciting milestone for the team.
"We've been waiting months for a signal like this," said Philippe Lognonne, SEIS team lead at the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP) in France. "It's so exciting to finally have proof that Mars is still seismically active. We're looking forward to sharing detailed results once we've had a chance to analyze them."
Most people are familiar with quakes on Earth, which occur on faults created by the motion of tectonic plates. Mars and the Moon do not have tectonic plates, but they still experience quakes - in their cases, caused by a continual process of cooling and contraction that creates stress. This stress builds over time, until it is strong enough to break the crust, causing a quake.
Detecting these tiny quakes required a huge feat of engineering. On Earth, high-quality seismometers often are sealed in underground vaults to isolate them from changes in temperature and weather. InSight's instrument has several ingenious insulating barriers, including a cover built by JPL called the Wind and Thermal Shield, to protect it from the planet's extreme temperature changes and high winds.
SEIS has surpassed the team's expectations in terms of its sensitivity. The instrument was provided for InSight by the French space agency, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), while these first seismic events were identified by InSight's Marsquake Service team, led by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.
"We are delighted about this first achievement and are eager to make many similar measurements with SEIS in the years to come," said Charles Yana, SEIS mission operations manager at CNES.
JPL manages InSight for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. InSight is part of NASA's Discovery Program, managed by the agency's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Lockheed Martin Space in Denver built the InSight spacecraft, including its cruise stage and lander, and supports spacecraft operations for the mission.
A number of European partners, including CNES and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), support the InSight mission. CNES provided the SEIS instrument to NASA, with the principal investigator at IPGP. Significant contributions for SEIS came from IPGP; the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany; the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) in Switzerland; Imperial College London and Oxford University in the United Kingdom; and JPL. DLR provided the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package (HP3) instrument, with significant contributions from the Space Research Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Astronika in Poland. Spain's Centro de Astrobiologia supplied the temperature and wind sensors.
Listen to audio of this likely marsquake at:
https://youtu.be/DLBP-5KoSCc
For more information about InSight, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/insight
For more information about the agency's Moon to Mars activities, visit
https://www.nasa.gov/topics/moon-to-mars
NASA Social Media Efforts Win Two Webby Awards
WASHINGTON, April 23 -- NASA issued the following news release:
NASA's social media presence, which has grown from a few accounts more than a decade ago to dozens of channels with millions of followers, was honored Tuesday with a pair of Webbys and People's Voice awards as part of the 2019 Webby Awards.
"Social media has become NASA's primary way of connecting with the public," said Bettina Inclan, NASA's associate administrator for Communications. "It lets us reach out directly to people and share the excitement of exploration across all of NASA's programs. More importantly, it fosters conversation
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 23 -- NASA issued the following news release:
NASA's social media presence, which has grown from a few accounts more than a decade ago to dozens of channels with millions of followers, was honored Tuesday with a pair of Webbys and People's Voice awards as part of the 2019 Webby Awards.
"Social media has become NASA's primary way of connecting with the public," said Bettina Inclan, NASA's associate administrator for Communications. "It lets us reach out directly to people and share the excitement of exploration across all of NASA's programs. More importantly, it fosters conversationand builds shared goals, which will be essential as the agency drives forward to return astronauts to the Moon by 2024."
There may be no better example of that connection than NASA's Mars InSight mission, which won a social media People's Voice Award for Education & Discovery. After landing on Mars in November 2018, the mission generated more than one million social media posts from members of the public. The hashtag #MarsLanding even trended higher than #cybermonday on the Monday after Thanksgiving, known as Cyber Monday.
Two other agency digital properties received the People's Voice award in their categories: NASA.gov, the agency's primary website, won its 11th People's Voice award in Government & Civil Innovation; and the Solar System Exploration site won its third People's Voice award in the Science category.
NASA's Climate Change website was also nominated in the Green category, and the video "The Call of Science" was nominated in the 360-degree Video category.
The agency's reach on social media extends beyond its own programs. When the Event Horizon Telescope released the first image of a black hole on April 10, NASA's follow up post on Instagram received 3.4 million likes and 33,500 comments. Social media also lets NASA join conversations about pop culture, leading to online interactions, such as those with singer Ariana Grande and Marvel Studios.
The agency's use of social media really took off in 2008, when Veronica McGregor, news manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, began tweeting in the voice of the Mars Phoenix Lander. Since then, the agency has added channels across a variety of platforms. On Twitter, NASA has 66 million followers, with 60 million on Facebook and 51 million on Instagram.
This year's Webbys are the second and third for NASA's overall social media presence, having won both the Webby and People's Voice award in 2017.
NASA's social media presence and the NASA.gov website are managed by NASA's Office of Communications. The Mars InSight Lander social media account, Climate Change, and Solar System Exploration websites are managed by JPL, which also produced "The Call of Science" video.
Established in 1996, The Webby Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. This year there were more than 13,000 entries, and more than 3 million votes were cast for the People's Voice awards.
To view all of NASA's social media accounts, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/socialmedia
For more information about the Webby Awards, visit: http://www.webbyawards.com
FHFA House Price Index Up 0.3 Percent in February; Up 4.9 Percent From Last Year
WASHINGTON, April 23 -- Federal Housing Finance Agency issued the following news release:
U.S. house prices rose in February, up 0.3 percent from the previous month, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) seasonally adjusted monthly House Price Index (HPI). The previously reported 0.6 percent increase for January 2019 remained unchanged.
The FHFA monthly HPI is calculated using home sales price information from mortgages sold to, or guaranteed by, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. From February 2018 to February 2019, house prices were up 4.9 percent.
For the nine census divisions,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 23 -- Federal Housing Finance Agency issued the following news release:
U.S. house prices rose in February, up 0.3 percent from the previous month, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) seasonally adjusted monthly House Price Index (HPI). The previously reported 0.6 percent increase for January 2019 remained unchanged.
The FHFA monthly HPI is calculated using home sales price information from mortgages sold to, or guaranteed by, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. From February 2018 to February 2019, house prices were up 4.9 percent.
For the nine census divisions,seasonally adjusted monthly house price changes from January 2019 to February 2019 ranged from -1.2 percent in the Middle Atlantic division to +1.4 percent in the East South Central division. The 12-month changes were all positive, ranging from +3.5 percent in the West South Central division to +6.5 percent in the Mountain division.
Monthly index values and appreciation rate estimates for recent periods are provided in the tables and graphs on the following pages. Downloadable data and HPI release dates for the remainder of 2019 are available on the HPI page.
For detailed information on the FHFA HPI, see HPI Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). The next HPI report will be released May 28, 2019 and will include monthly data through March 2019 and quarterly data for the first quarter of 2019.
Attachments: House Price Index - February 2019 (https://www.fhfa.gov/AboutUs/Reports/ReportDocuments/MonthlyHPI4232019.pdf)
EPA Announces the Winners of the 7th Annual Campus RainWorks Challenge
DALLAS, Texas, April 23 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
* * *
- University of Louisiana at Lafayette among nationwide honorees
* * *
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the winners of its seventh annual Campus RainWorks Challenge, a national competition that engages college students in the design of on-campus green infrastructure solutions to address stormwater pollution. Winners included a team from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette for their project on cultivating community resilience through flood control and green
... Show Full Article
DALLAS, Texas, April 23 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
* * *
- University of Louisiana at Lafayette among nationwide honorees
* * *
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the winners of its seventh annual Campus RainWorks Challenge, a national competition that engages college students in the design of on-campus green infrastructure solutions to address stormwater pollution. Winners included a team from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette for their project on cultivating community resilience through flood control and greeninfrastructure.
"EPA's Campus RainWorks Challenge encourages students to transform classroom knowledge into innovative ideas to solve real-world environmental problems," said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. "I congratulate this year's winners, and it is encouraging to see how contestants worked closely with their local communities to develop ways to protect water resources from harmful stormwater pollution."
Stormwater runoff is a significant source of water pollution in America. Managing runoff remains a complex environmental challenge for local communities across the country. EPA's Campus RainWorks Challenge asks students and faculty members at colleges and universities across the country to apply green infrastructure design principles, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and increase the use of green infrastructure on the nation's college campuses.
Through this year's Challenge, EPA invited student teams to compete in two design categories: the Master Plan category, which examines how green infrastructure can be broadly integrated across campus, and the Demonstration Project category, which focuses on how green infrastructure can address stormwater pollution at a specific site on campus. With the help of a faculty advisor, teams of students focused their expertise, creativity, and energy on the challenges of stormwater management and showcased the environmental, economic, and social benefits of green infrastructure.
The Challenge winners are:
University of Oregon (1st Place Demonstration Project Category) - The team's project, titled "Good Drainage Good Vibes," redesigned a local high school campus to incorporate a variety of green infrastructure practices. Extensive stakeholder engagement within the community led to a practicable design capable of not only managing stormwater runoff onsite, but also providing hands-on education for students and connecting the local community their watershed. Watch the team's video about their project: https://youtu.be/3QkKMIUBRhs
"The challenge was meaningful for our College of Design students because it created a chance to collaborate on tackling an urgent environmental design problem while working with local high school students on connecting the community with their watershed," said University of Oregon College of Design Dean Christoph Lindner.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette (1st Place Master Plan Category) - Titled "The Ripple Effect," this project's ambition reached beyond the borders of its own campus. Located in low-lying Southern Louisiana, the community of Lafayette often experiences extreme weather events that cause flooding and threaten infrastructure. With the support of the university's Department of Sustainability, the team redesigned their campus to incorporate realistic, replicable green infrastructure practices that engage with the broader community to cultivate regional resiliency. Watch the team's video about their project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6qMrIi7sLc
"The Ripple Effect is designed to improve infrastructure at UL Lafayette, and to provide a framework for using campus as a 'living lab' for researching and developing green infrastructure strategies that will benefit the entire community and region," said Gretchen LaCombe Vanicor, director the Office of Sustainability at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
University of Arizona (2nd Place Demonstration Project Category) - With their project titled "(Re)Searching for a Spot," this team proposed to transform a parking lot to manage stormwater runoff onsite, reduce local flooding during Arizona's monsoon season, and create a multi-functional space that yields educational and ecological benefits. The design's proximity to relevant research departments on-campus inspired the students to incorporate monitoring installations into the design to provide quantitative information on the environmental benefits of green infrastructure practices. Watch the team's video about their project: https://youtu.be/UUxH6zG51kY
"We are so thankful to the EPA for providing this opportunity to have real-world project ideas submitted and evaluated by experts," said Nancy Pollock-Ellwand, Dean of the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture at the University of Arizona. "Students not only have the opportunity to evaluate their local surroundings, but also to think critically about the immense damage that can be caused by urban flooding."
Florida International University (2nd Place Master Plan Category) - The "EcoFlow" entry integrated multiple green infrastructure practices into a master plan design that emphasizes resilience. Located in South Florida, the university's Modesto Maidique campus is susceptible to extreme weather events that are further exacerbated by dense development and low ground elevation. Using the existing design features of the campus, the team created an interconnected system that mitigates both stormwater pollution and flooding and enhances the recreational, educational, and aesthetic value of the campus. Watch the team's video about their project: https://youtu.be/Ivf2g-IWsZA
"This project exemplifies the creativity and innovativeness we are cultivating here at FIU. Our students are dedicated problem solvers addressing real-world engineering challenges and work collaboratively alongside faculty and industry partners," said John Volakis, dean of the FIU College of Engineering & Computing. "In this case, our civil engineering students introduced a design that incorporates green infrastructure elements. As a college, we couldn't be more proud of their achievements."
First place teams will receive a $2,000 student prize to be split among team members and a $3,000 faculty prize to support green infrastructure research and education. Second place teams will receive a $1,000 student prize and a $2,000 faculty prize.
EPA is also pleased to recognize Utah State University for honorable mention in the Demonstration Project category and the University of Arizona for honorable mention in the Master Plan category.
Since 2012 more than 600 teams have participated in the challenge.
Green infrastructure tools and techniques for stormwater management include green roofs, permeable materials, alternative designs for streets and buildings, trees, habitat conservation, rain gardens, and rain harvesting systems. Utilizing these tools decreases pollution to local waterways by treating rain where it falls and keeping polluted stormwater from entering sewer systems. Communities are increasingly using innovative green infrastructure to supplement "gray" infrastructure such as pipes, filters and ponds. Green infrastructure reduces water pollution while increasing economic activity and neighborhood revitalization, job creation, energy savings, and open space.
More information: http://www.epa.gov/campusrainworks
Connect with EPA Region 6:
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eparegion6
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/EPAregion6
Activities in EPA Region 6: http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/region6.htm
CFPB Announces Policy Change Regarding Bureau Civil Investigative Demands
WASHINGTON, April 23 -- The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued the following news release:
Today the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau) announced changes to policies regarding Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs) to ensure they provide more information about the potentially wrongful conduct under investigation.
Consistent with the updated policy, CIDs will provide more information about the potentially applicable provisions of law that may have been violated. CIDs will also typically specify the business activities subject to the Bureau's authority. In investigations where
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 23 -- The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued the following news release:
Today the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau) announced changes to policies regarding Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs) to ensure they provide more information about the potentially wrongful conduct under investigation.
Consistent with the updated policy, CIDs will provide more information about the potentially applicable provisions of law that may have been violated. CIDs will also typically specify the business activities subject to the Bureau's authority. In investigations wheredetermining the extent of the Bureau's authority over the relevant activity is one of the significant purposes of the investigation, staff may specifically include that issue in the CID in the interests of further transparency.
The new policy takes into account recent court decisions about notifications of purpose, and is consistent with a 2017 report by the Bureau's Office of Inspector General that emphasized the importance of updating Office of Enforcement policies to reflect such developments. The new policy is also consistent with comments the Bureau received in response to the Requests for Information it issued in 2018, seeking feedback about various aspects of its operations, including its use of CIDs in enforcement investigations.
The Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 authorizes the Bureau to issue investigational subpoenas known as CIDs when looking into potential violations of law. The Act provides that each CID "shall state the nature of the conduct constituting the alleged violation which is under investigation and the provision of law applicable to such violation." CIDs issued by the Bureau set out this information in a section known as the "notification of purpose."
