OAKLAND, California, Dec. 16 (TNSRes) -- As You Sow Foundation issued the following news release: Following engagement with As You Sow, a sixth major petrochemical manufacturer, Eastman Chemical, agreed to start reporting on spills of pre-production plastic pellets, or nurdles, manufactured in its production plants, following the filing of a shareholder proposal. As You Sow has been in dialogue with the company for several months and it has agreed to to initiate public pellet spill reporting i  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. RL30378) entitled "African American Members of the U.S. Congress: 1870-2020" by specialist on the Congress Ida A. Brudnick and senior research librarian Jennifer E. Manning: Summary In total, 163 African Americans have served in Congress. This total includes * 153 African Americans (147 Representatives and 6 Delegates) elected only to the House of Representatives; * 9 African Americans elected or appo  more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, Dec. 17 -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-St. Paul District issued the following news release: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is seeking public input from now until Feb. 16, 2021, on its recently completed draft disposition study for the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam. After evaluation and comparison of alternatives, the tentatively selected plan is the complete disposal of the property combined with a monetary incentive for expediting the dis  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- Rep. Angela Craig, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release: The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bipartisan disaster mitigation bill introduced by U.S. Representatives Angie Craig (D-MN) and Rodney Davis (R-IL) to help communities across the country prepare for and rebuild from extreme weather events. The Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation (STORM) Act - the Senate counterpart to Craig and Davis' Resilience Revolving Loan Fund Act introduced  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Illinois, issued the following news release: The U.S. House of Representatives passed bipartisan disaster mitigation legislation - S. 3418, the Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation (STORM) Act - to help state and local governments prepare for or rebuild from severe weather or catastrophic events. S. 3418 is the Senate counterpart to legislation introduced by U.S. Representative Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) and Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) in the   more

TROY, Michigan, Dec. 17 -- The Kresge Foundation issued the following news: The Kresge Foundation recently announced $30 million in grant awards to support frontline racial justice activism with $2.3 of this investment directed toward environmental organizations rallying for climate justice. The new suite of racial justice grants represents a sharpened focus on Kresge's longstanding racial equity investments in its focus cities of Detroit, Fresno, Memphis and New Orleans, as well as national o  more

STARKVILLE, Mississippi, Dec. 18 -- Mississippi State University issued the following news: Mississippi's timber industry was not excused from market volatility due to COVID-19 this year, but its final value should land just short of where it was at the end of 2019. Forestry dropped from the second to the third largest agricultural commodity in the state -- behind poultry and soybeans -- with an estimated value of $1.12 billion in 2020 compared to $1.15 billion a year ago. The estimated value   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior's National Park Service issued the following news release: Mississippi National River and Recreation Area Superintendent, John Anfinson, recently announced his retirement effective January 2. Superintendent Anfinson's federal service career spanned over 40 years, beginning at the Saint Paul District of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and 20 years with the National Park Service. At the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), Anfinson served as Ch  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- The National Transportation Safety Board issued the following news release: The National Transportation Safety Board completed its investigation of the May 16, 2019, accident involving the double-hulled tanker American Liberty and several moored vessels, barges and wharfs along the left descending bank of the Lower Mississippi River from miles 139.5 to 138.7 near Reserve, Louisiana. One serious and three minor injuries were reported in connection with the accident that c  more

DENVER, Colorado, Dec. 16 -- The National Wildlife Federation issued the following news release on Dec. 15: A new podcast series, released today, highlights the experiences of hunters and anglers across the country, as they confront the effects of climate change on some of their favorite hunting and fishing grounds. The new series, entitled Vanishing Seasons: Climate Chronicles from the Field, is hosted by Aaron Kindle, director of sporting advocacy for the National Wildlife Federation. "The p  more

DES MOINES, Iowa, Dec. 15 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service Iowa office issued the following news release: USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) contracted with Iowa farmers and landowners to treat natural resources on more than 316,000 acres, obligating $59.8 million in financial assistance during fiscal year 2020 that ended Sept. 30. NRCS also wrote 12,624 conservation plans that cover 889,071 acres, during fiscal year 2020. The con  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service issued the following joint news release: The USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) continued its conservation work across the country despite a tough 2020 marked with a pandemic and several natural disasters. The agency helped farmers, ranchers and forest landowners implement conservation practices on their working lands, which help conserve natural resource such as soil, water and   more

GAINESVILLE, Florida, Dec. 17 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service Florida office issued the following news release: USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service in Florida continued its conservation work across the state despite a year marked with a pandemic and natural disasters. The agency helped farmers, ranchers and forest landowners implement conservation practices to help conserve natural resources and boost their bottom lines. Additionally, NRC  more

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, Dec. 17 -- The Union of Concerned Scientists issued the following news release on Dec. 16: Unhealthy farming practices and more extreme weather spurred by climate change will lead to an increased rate of soil erosion across the United States in the coming decades, according to a study released today by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). If soil continues to erode at current rates, U.S. farmers could lose a half-inch of topsoil by 2035--more than eight times the a  more

DUBUQUE, Iowa, Dec. 16 -- The University of Dubuque issued the following news release on Dec. 15: The University of Dubuque purchased 121 acres of unglaciated land in northeast Iowa to be used as an education and research center that will enhance the experiences of generations of students. Wolter Woods and Prairies is located near Sherrill, Iowa, about 25 minutes from main campus. Mostly woodlands, the property consists of three-quarters of a mile of land with limestone bluffs that overlook th  more

VICKSBURG, Mississippi, Dec. 16 -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued the following news release: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) published its Final Supplement II (Final SEIS II) to the 1976 Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), Mississippi River and Tributaries (MR&T) Project, Mississippi River Mainline Levees (MRL), in the Federal Register today, Nov. 13. Through evaluation of information and data obtained from levee inspections, seepage analyses, research, studies and   more