Trump on Iran Nuclear Deal, Religion, and Health Care

Missoulian: Tillerson: Trump will scorn but not bolt from Iran nuke deal

President Donald J. Trump's New Strategy on Iran

Missoulian: Trump touts support for conservative religious groups

Remarks by President Trump at the 2017 Values Voter Summit

“But I pledged that, in a Trump administration, our nation’s religious heritage would be cherished, protected, and defended like you have never seen before.  That's what’s happening.  That's what’s happening.  You see it every day.  You're reading it….Among many historic steps, the executive order followed through on one of my most important campaign promises to so many of you: to prevent the horrendous Johnson Amendment from interfering with your First Amendment rights.  (Applause.)”

26 U.S. Code § 501 - Exemption from tax on corporations, certain trusts, etc. (Johnson Amendment)

“(3) Corporations, and any community chest, fund, or foundation, organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, testing for public safety, literary, or educational purposes, or to foster national or international amateur sports competition (but only if no part of its activities involve the provision of athletic facilities or equipment), or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals, no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual, no substantial part of the activities of which is carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation (except as otherwise provided in subsection (h)), and which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.”

Missoulian: The Latest: Industry warns against Trump health care plan
Remarks by President Trump at Signing of Executive Order Promoting Healthcare Choice and Competition

Presidential Executive Order Promoting Healthcare Choice and Competition Across the United States

S.1569 - A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to eliminate the non-application of certain State waiver provisions to Members of Congress and congressional staff.

Zinke's Energy Speech, Bristol Bay Mining, Funding the Census

Missoulian: Zinke earns Four Pinocchios for domestic energy production claims
Zinke Speech at the Heritage Foundation (speech starts at 13:37, talks on energy 18:14)

Missoulian: Democrats call EPA's Bristol Bay move 'inconsistent with basic logic'

2017 Proposal to Withdraw Proposed Clean Water Act Restrictions on Mining Pebble Deposit
“EPA's 2014 Clean Water Act Proposed Determination would have placed restrictions on the discharge of dredged or fill material from the potential mining of the Pebble deposit in Alaska’s Bristol Bay watershed. EPA agreed to initiate a proposed withdrawal process pursuant to policy direction from EPA’s Administrator, and as part of a May 2017 settlement agreement with the Pebble Limited Partnership, whose subsidiaries own the mineral claims to the Pebble deposit.”

An Assessment of Potential Mining Impacts on Salmon Ecosystems of Bristol Bay, Alaska

“Even in the absence of accidents or failures, the development of a mine at the Pebble deposit would result in the destruction or modification of streams, wetlands, and ponds. Local habitat loss would be  significant, because losses of stream habitat leading to losses of local, unique populations would erode the population diversity key to the stability of the overall Bristol Bay salmon fishery (Schindler et al. 2010).”

Missoulian: Commerce Secretary: Billions more needed for 2020 Census

Hearing on the 2020 Census

Ohio Fish Kill and Farm Pollution

Heat map showing dead zones in Lake Erie, from the Old Women Creek Technical Bulletin #3

Missoulian: Ohio hands out fines over fish kills caused by farm manure

Lake Erie’s Dead Zone
“In the late summer, a hypoxic zone, an area with depleted oxygen, develops at the bottom of the central basin of Lake Erie. Massive algal blooms cause opaque green water to cover the surface of western Lake Erie every summer. These algal blooms are fed by agricultural and urban run-off.”

Canadian Coal Mine Polluting River, California on Fire

Missoulian: Canadian coal firm fined $1.4 million for water pollution affecting Montana

Exporter of steelmaking coal fined for Fisheries Act violations at Line Creek in British Columbia’s 

Elk River Valley
“Today, in the Provincial Court of British Columbia, Teck Coal Limited pleaded guilty to three counts of contravening the Fisheries Act. The court ordered the company to pay a penalty of $1,425,000, which will be directed to the federal Environmental Damages Fund, and used for purposes related to the conservation and protection of fish or fish habitat or the restoration of fish habitat in the East Kootenay region of B.C. Additionally, Teck Resources will post information regarding this conviction on its website. As a result of this conviction, the company’s name will be added to the Environmental Offenders Registry.”

Selenium
“Selenium is a naturally occurring mineral element that is distributed widely in nature in most rocks and soils.”

ToxfAQs for Selenium
“Selenium is a trace mineral needed in small amounts for good health, but exposure to much higher levels can result in neurological effects and brittle hair and deformed nails. Occupational inhalation exposure to selenium vapors may cause dizziness, fatigue, irritation of mucous membranes, and respiratory effects. This substance has been found in at least 508 of the 1,636 National Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).”

Missoulian: The Latest: Official: Person dies fleeing California fire

California Statewide Fire Summary
“17 large wildfires that started in the past 24 hours continue to burn across California and have burned over 115,000 acres.”

Invasive Mussels, Flint Water

Missoulian: Pilot program to protect Flathead Basin from mussels facing challenges

HB 622: Generally revise laws related to invasive species

Missoulian: Another official to face manslaughter charge in Flint water

Eden V. Wells, Chief Medical Executive, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

Trump Comments, Attorney General and Religious Liberty

Missoulian: Donald Trump is treating a potential war like a reality show cliffhanger

Remarks by President Trump
“Q A decision on Iran, sir?
THE PRESIDENT: You'll be hearing about Iran very shortly. Thank you.”

CNN
“Trump: "You guys know what this represents? Maybe it's the calm before the storm."

Reporter: "What's the storm?"

Trump: "It could be ... the calm, the calm before the storm."

Reporter: "Iran? ISIS? What storm, Mr. President?"

Trump: "We have the world's great military people in this room, I will tell you that. And uh, we're gonna have a great evening, thank you all for coming."

Reporter: "What storm, Mr. President?"

Trump: "You'll find out."

Missoulian: AG's religious objection order undercuts LGBT protections

Attorney General Sessions Issues Guidance On Federal Law Protections For Religious Liberty

Memorandum for all executive departments and agencies

BLM Opens Sage Grouse Area to Mining despite studies

Missoulian: Feds remove protections for 10M acres of sage grouse habitat

BLM cancels 10 million acre Sagebrush Focal Area Withdrawal Proposal
“Based on a recent analysis and review of data available that showed that future mining is not a significant threat to sage grouse habitat, the Bureau of Land Management has canceled its Sagebrush Focal Area withdrawal application and the Department’s proposed withdrawal of 10 million acres of federal lands from location and entry under the mining law in Greater Sage-grouse habitat in six Western States.  The BLM also terminated the associated environmental analysis process.

The recommendation to withdraw nearly 10 million acres from location and entry under the mining law was one of many land use restrictions proposed for a new management area designated as the Sagebrush Focal Area (SFA). However, that recommendation was unreasonable in light of the data available. In particular, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2005 “Not Warranted” decision, the 2010 “Warranted But Precluded” Decision and the 2015 “Not Warranted” decision all showed that mining—including locatable mining—was not a significant threat to sage-grouse.”

FACT SHEET: Proposed Withdrawal from Mineral Entry in Sagebrush Focal Areas

“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) identified habitat disturbance and fragmentation caused by certain hardrock mining operations as a threat to sage-grouse habitat. As a result, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) land use plans recommend that the Secretary of the Interior exercise her authority under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) to safeguard the most important landscapes identified by the FWS within Priority Habitat Management Areas – identified as Sagebrush Focal Areas – by withdrawing them from the operation of the hardrock mining law.”

Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation

“The greater sage-grouse, an iconic species of the sagebrush steppe ecosystem, currently occupies an estimated 56% of its historic range. Greater sage-grouse populations have been declining for more than 40 years. In 2010, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined that, due to loss of habitat and lack of adequate regulatory mechanisms, listing the greater sage-grouse under the Endangered Species Act was warranted but precluded by other priorities.”

“MINING

Threat: Surface mining and adjacent facilities within greater sage-grouse habitat results in the direct loss of habitat, habitat fragmentation, and indirect impacts from disturbance (noise, dust, etc.).

Report Guidance: Avoid new mining activities and any associated facilities within occupied habitats, including seasonal habitats; avoid leasing in greater sage-grouse habitat until other suitable habitats can be restored; reclamation plans should focus on restoring habitats to healthy sagebrush ecosystems, including evidence of greater sage-grouse use; and abandoned mine land reclamation should focus on restoring areas to healthy sagebrush ecosystems where possible.

Land Management Plan Amendment Direction: Do not authorize new mineral material development or disposal or apply certain restrictions. Permit free-use permits and the expansion of existing active pits. New underground coal leases will include a lease stipulation prohibiting the location of surface facilities in priority habitat management areas. The Forest Service will recommend to the Secretary of the Interior that sagebrush focal areas not already withdrawn as designated Wilderness from mineral entry be withdrawn.”