US Interior Department creates science group for disaster preparedness

Environment News Service: A newly created scientific group within the Department of the Interior will develop future disaster scenarios and provide rapid scientific assessments during environmental crises or disasters affecting America's natural resources, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced today.

The new Strategic Sciences Group is intended to ensure that preparedness, response and recovery efforts by the department and its bureaus will utilize the best available science and lessons learned from past events, including the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and Hurricane Katrina.

"Using the important lessons we've learned in preparing for and responding to past disasters, this group of expert, interdisciplinary scientists will play a major role in advising department-wide preparedness activities and grounding them in the best available science," said Secretary Salazar. "Their efforts will help us to act quickly, decisively and effectively when hurricanes, droughts, oil spills, wildfires or other crises strike," Salazar said.

As co-leaders of the Strategic Sciences Group, the secretary has appointed Dr. Gary Machlis, science advisor to the director of the National Park Service, and professor of conservation at the University of Idaho, and Dr. David Applegate, associate director for natural hazards with the U.S. Geological Survey.

Dr. Machlis led the experimental Department of the Interior Strategic Sciences Working Group during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and Dr. Applegate is responsible for coordinating USGS hazards planning and response activities.

The Secretarial Order signed by Secretary Salazar, effective immediately, authorizes the Strategic Sciences Group to prepare science-based assessments and interdisciplinary scenarios of environmental crises affecting departmental resources. The group is also authorized to rapidly assemble teams of scientists to conduct such work during environmental crises....

Small towns like Magnolia, Texas, were overwhelmed by the evacuees from 2005's Hurricane Rita passing through. The majority of gas stations were closed and out of gas, only a few restaurants were open, and the facilities that were open posted "Out of service" signs on the door to avoid heavy traffic, leaving many to take care of business on the side of the road. Shot by Orgullomoore, who has released the image into the public domain