Disaster

BP has officially capped the main leak, although reports say that the oil is still seeping two miles away from the leak. The seep is occurring at another well site and, fortunately, are not a risk to the cap. In what was hopeful news, the relief well will reach the busted well by the end of this week which means that they can start pumping cement and mud into the well shutting it off permanently.

Unfortunately, a new tropical storm depression is brewing in the gulf halting all relief well drilling operations. The depression which formed in the Bahamas is headed straight for the well and will pass over it within a few days.

Finally, the New York Times (NYT) brings us a glimmer of hope for the future. As the NYT reports, "four of the world’s biggest oil companies said on Wednesday that they were committing $1 billion to create a rapid-response system to deal with deepwater oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico, seeking to restore public confidence in the industry after the BP disaster painfully exposed how unprepared the industry was for a major accident." These four companies including BP will create a non-profit entity that will monitor the creation of containment equipment like pipelines and underwater systems. This equipment is deployable within 24 hours.

For more information about the capped well and seepage:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jul/20/bp-oil-spill-seepage-well

For more information about the tropical storm depression formation:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/23/us/23spill.html

For more information about the oil company pact:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/22/business/energy-environment/22response.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

We have already highlighted concerns about a more intense flu season this fall and how Texas is preparing, but like many issues, flu has additional implications for faith communities. For starters, houses of worship are gathering places for large groups of people, and the breadth of their outreach includes many people belonging to populations like the elderly and poor who are more vulnerable to flu. Therefore, they can and should take note of the measures available to them and their communities. Some congregations are already grappling with practical and even theological issues related to flu.

One resource comes from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which released a set of recommendations for houses of worship and other community organizations to consider (PDF). Some religious leaders have encouraged their followers to refrain from sharing the same cup when taking communion, for example, and to include announcements during services that encourage their members to take basic precautions to avoid spreading flu, such as washing their hands regularly and staying home if they begin to feel ill.  Faith communities can also direct their members to this website or others like it so they can find the nearest medical provider offering flu shots. It is important to note that no authorities have indicated that it may be necessary to cancel services because of flu fears.

This week, the federal government released a report detailing the possibility of a long and dangerous flu season this year. The warning comes two months after the WHO declared a global pandemic of the novel H1N1 strain of flu, previously known as swine flu. While pandemic levels of infection are possible but not probable, the State of Texas is preparing for the possibility of higher rates of flu contraction by taking an approach to preparation and response that is similar to the way it addresses extreme weather events.

While a vaccine specific to the H1N1 flu will not be available to states until mid-October, Texas already has 2.5 million courses of flu vaccines on hand and another 800,000 hopefully on the way from the national stockpile. Those vaccines can be used to protect from both types of flu. While anyone can get the regular vaccine and officials have assured the public that there are enough supplies for everyone that wants the shot, the H1N1 flu vaccine will be administered first to priority populations like school-age children, people with chronic health conditions, and pregnant women. The Texas Education Agency and the Department of State Health Services will work with school districts and other entities to determine when closures and other preventative measures are necessary, and officials continue to encourage people to stay home if they begin to feel ill.

DSHS is also operating Texasflu.org, which contains information for health care providers, employers, families, and others. To find out where you can get a flu shot, click here.

Because of the active role played by faith communities during disaster situations, Texas Impact has been following disaster-related legislation throughout the 81st Legislative Session. And with the major weather events that have tested Texas over the last few years, disaster issues were clearly a priority as legislators debated a host of new policies that they hope will leave Texas better prepared to deal with future storms, floods, fires, and whatever else comes our way. Two of the first three bills to make it to Governor Perry's desk this session were related to disasters, and the Legislature can be proud of its passage of a significant amount of quality legislation. See below for a full wrap-up of disaster-related bills during this session.

Passed Bills: The 81st Legislative Session produced a number of big ticket items related to disaster preparation, response, and recovery.  HB 4586, the supplemental appropriations bill, contained up to $100 million to finally fund the state's Disaster Contingency Fund.  Also scattered through that bill and others were appropriations totaling hundreds of millions of dollars meant to help state agencies and universities recover from damages and expenditures related to recent disasters.  The Legislature also reached a compromise on the rates and policies of TWIA, the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, so the entity could continue operating.  That measure was rolled into the other bill that became an omnibus disaster and emergency mangement bill, HB 4409. Representative Craig Eiland of Galveston deserves special recognition for his work on both the supplemental appropriations and TWIA measures.

Legislators were successful in addressing some smaller issues that will be important before, during, and after disasters strike.  SB 75 by Senator Jane Nelson instructs the Department of State Health Services to initiate a public education campaign, which could be an integral step in mitigating the negative impact severe weather has on Texans.  The bill passed when it was tacked onto HB 1831, which became an omnibus disaster and emergency management bill in the messy final days of the session.  Among its many provisions, that bill included the creation of a communications coordination group that will direct the  interaction of official entities on the state and local level.  HB 2558 by Representative Sylvester Turner will also help Texans be prepared, as it will require nursing homes and other community support agencies to help clients get registered with 2-1-1 disaster assistance.

Once a disaster strikes, local governments will be aided by the provisions in HB 1998 by Representative Brian McCall, which allows the Governor to help local governments provide emergency shelter just as he can already do with temporary housing after a disaster. The operations and obligations of electric and water utilities after disasters are addressed by SB 681 and SB 361 by Senators Ogden and Patrick.

Finally, Legislators got creative and found ways to attach some endangered bills to other vehicles in the final days of the session.  A bill that allows homeowners to use alternate documentation—such as utility bills and sworn affidavits—to prove they own the homes for which they are seeking aid for repairs now also includes the provisions of SB 2292,which creates a natural disaster housing reconstruction advisory committee comprised of public officials and private experts.  The bill also mandates a pilot program to be implemented in order to assess the feasibility of the advisory committee's recommendations.

Missed Opportunities: Not every good bill that was filed will become law, of course.  Bills to regulate disaster remediation contractors, institute sales tax holidays for disaster preparation materials, and require insurers to cover damage caused by storm surges all failed to pass.

One of the most exciting bills of the session failed to pass on its own and was subsequently stripped from another bill onto which it had been amended as a last ditch effort to gain passage.  HB 2827, sponsored by Representative Turner and Senator Rodney Ellis, would have instructed the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs to create an emergency housing and disaster recovery division that would have devised rapid response measures and developed long-term plans for restoring people to permanent housing.  The division would also have worked to provide financial counseling, increased supply of rental housing, and opportunities for collaboration with nonprofit organizations and the public.

Overall, the Texas Legislature has clearly decided that disaster preparation and recovery are serious issues.  There will need to be continued improvements in the areas of long-term mitigation and preparation in future sessions, but legislators made significant strides in 2009.