Greg Palast’s BBC crew of journalist-detectives chase down British Petroleum bag men, CIA operatives, nuclear power con men — and “The Vultures,” billionaire financial speculators who, through bribery, flim-flam and political muscle, take entire nations hostage for mega-profits.

The action begins when the Deepwater Horizon explodes in the Gulf of Mexico and a confidential cable arrives on Miss Badpenny’s desk from a terrified insider. He has the real, hushed-up facts of the disaster — which can only be found hidden in the files of a Central Asian dictatorship.

Palast sets off for Baku to investigate the sexiest Muslim woman on Earth and the whereabouts of millions of dollars in a brown valise. Then he jumps the globe to an Alaska Eskimo village after receiving an extraordinary note from the Chief of Intelligence of the Free Republic of the Arctic.

Along the way, Palast gets drunk, gets sober, gets laid, gets arrested. It’s pulp non-fiction. Columbo with marital issues and a dying father.

Palast presented his investigation of the BP oil spill on C-SPAN where he talks about the corruption he says permeates the oil industry, the financial sector and government at the Silver Spring Civic Building in Maryland. Palast reports for BBC’s “Newsnight,” The Guardian (London), Rolling Stone, and Harper’s. His books include “The Best Democracy Money Can Buy” and “Armed Madhouse.”

For more info, including excerpts from the book, visit his: Website.

While the board members of the University of Alabama system were meeting at UAB’s Alumni Hall on Thursday, Feb. 2, a coalition of environmental, civic and student organizations gathered across the street to demonstrate opposition to a proposed coal mine along the Shepherd’s Bend portion of the Black Warrior River.

Thirteen whooping cranes follow an ultra-light through West Jefferson County three years ago as they passed over Alabama Power’s Miller Steam Plant on the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River

The ultralight-led migration of nine whooping cranes, on hold in Franklin County, Alabama, pending clearance by the Federal Aviation Administration, has been given the green light, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Operation Migration, a member of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership, is now mobilizing resources to continue guiding the young cranes to their wintering sites at St. Marks National and Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuges in Florida.

“As soon as the weather clears, we will be back flying,” said David Sakrison, Operation Migration Board Member. “We appreciate the work FAA has done to help us get back in the air.”

“The FAA has granted an exemption to Operation Migration that will allow pilots to continue to aid the whooping crane migration,” according to a statement issued by the agency. “Normally, the FAA limits light sport aircraft and pilots to personal flights without compensation. Because the operation is in “mid-migration,” the FAA is granting a one-time exemption so the migration can be completed. The FAA will work with Operation Migration to develop a more comprehensive, long-term solution.”

A close view of the growing coal ash mountain in Perry County, Alabama (click on image for more photos)

by Glynn Wilson

Attorney David Ludder has filed an administrative complaint against the Alabama Department of Environmental Management that could result in a federal takeover of the state’s enforcement of national environmental laws by the Environmental Protection Agency and result in a loss of federal funding for the state.

The formal complaint was filed with EPA’s Office of Civil Rights on behalf of the people of Perry County in Alabama’s Black Belt. According to Ludder, they have been the subject of an environmental injustice due to their racial and economic disadvantage by the permitting and placement of a landfill near them that is now full of toxic coal ash from the Tennessee Valley Authority’s major environmental disaster in the Cinch River in 2008.

Ludder’s complaint alleges that the landfill and its contents pollute the environment in a poor, minority area without the means to fight it politically. In addition to potential health problems from the air and water pollution, the landfill exposes local residents to a constant bad odor, lowers property values and causes dangerous traffic problems in the area.

“If EPA determines that ADEM did violate EPA’s regulations without ‘justification,’ EPA must initiate proceedings to deny, annul, suspend or terminate EPA funding to ADEM,” Ludder said in an e-mail interview. “This could cripple ADEM, and no doubt would require ADEM to surrender EPA-authorized programs.”

EPA and ADEM officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Ludder’s complain says ADEM may not use criteria or methods of administering its programs which have the effect of subjecting individuals to discrimination because of their race or color as a recipient of EPA financial assistance. He says members of the African-American race are disproportionately impacted by ADEM’s permitting of the Arrowhead Landfill in the following ways:

1. The frequent emission of offensive odors from the landfill that cause lessened human food and water intake, interference with sleep, upset appetite, irritation of the upper respiratory tract (nose and throat) and eyes, headaches, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting among many of the complainants.

2. The frequent emission of fugitive dust from the landfill that causes particulate deposition on personal and real property of many of the complainants, including homes, porches, vehicles, laundry and plantings.

3. The frequent tracking of dirt and other solids from the landfill onto County Road 1 where through traffic causes the dirt and other solids to become airborne particulates resulting in particulate deposition on personal and real property of many of the complainants, including homes, porches, vehicles, laundry and plantings.

4. Increased noise from operation of heavy machinery (e.g., bulldozers, trucks, railcars) 24-hours per day, 7-days per week causing interference with sleep and other activities within the homes of many of the complainants.

5. Increased populations of flies that are bothersome in and around the homes of many of the complainants.

6. Increased populations of birds that cause droppings around the homes of many of the complainants.

7. Decreased property values.

See exhibits in support of this complaint here.

Based on this evidence, the complainants request that the EPA Office of Civil Rights accept this complaint and conduct an investigation to determine whether ADEM violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Part 7 in the issuance of Solid Waste Disposal Facility Permit No. 53-03 to Perry County Associates, LLC for construction and operation of the Arrowhead Landfill on September 27, 2011.

If a violation is found and ADEM is unable to demonstrate a substantial, legitimate justification for its action and to voluntarily implement a less discriminatory alternative that is practicable, the complaint further requests that EPA initiate proceedings to deny, annul, suspend or terminate EPA funding to ADEM. The agency receives millions of dollars in financial assistance each year from the federal agency to enforce national environmental laws such as the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced $20.5 million in grants on Tuesday to support 24 projects in 13 states to conserve and restore coastal wetlands and their fish and wildlife habitat.

The grants, awarded under the 2012 National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program, will be matched by nearly $21 million in partner contributions from state and local governments, private landowners and conservation groups.

“Coastal wetlands serve as some of nature’s most productive fish and wildlife habitat while providing storm protection, improved water quality, and abundant recreational opportunities for local communities,” Salazar said. “I am pleased that with these grants we are able to help our state partners implement some of their high-priority projects that support both conservation and recreation along their coasts.”

The grants will be used to acquire, restore or enhance coastal wetlands and adjacent uplands to provide long-term conservation benefits to fish, wildlife and their habitat. States receiving funds include Alaska, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

The National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and funded under provisions of the 1990 Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act. Funding is provided by Sport Fish Restoration Act revenue – money generated from an excise tax on fishing equipment, motorboat and small engine fuels.

The grants support President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative for conservation, recreation and reconnecting people to the outdoors. A recent 50-State Report lists more than 100 of the country’s most promising projects – a result of 50 meetings with governors and stakeholders held by Salazar and other senior Interior officials to solicit ideas on how to best implement AGO in their states – including two projects that will be supported by today’s grants.

These two projects are:

Bird Island Cove Estuarine Habitat Restoration Project – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department was awarded a $1 million grant to protect and restore coastal and estuarine barrier island habitats in West Galveston Bay along the north shoreline of Galveston Island, Texas. The project will restore approximately 70 acres of estuarine marsh complex, which will provide additional protection to the existing intertidal marsh that has been degraded by the effects of relative sea level rise.

Thousand Acre Marsh Wetland Protection Project – The Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife and Delaware’s Open Space Program will acquire the 194-acre Yardley-Dale property, part of the Thousand Acre Marsh along the Delaware River in New Castle County. The Thousand Acre Marsh is a haven for breeding and wintering waterfowl, waterbirds, muskrat, and fish. The marsh also provides critical wintering habitat for bald eagles. Delaware Fish and Wildlife plans to install a platform for bird watching with interpretive signage, blinds for duck hunters, and a trail system to provide public access.

Including the 2012 grants, the Service has awarded nearly $300 million to coastal states and territories since the program began in 1992. When the 2012 projects are complete, about 293,000 acres of habitat will have been protected, restored or enhanced as a direct result of these grants.

Coastal areas comprise less than 10 percent of the nation’s land area yet support a significant number of wildlife species, including 75 percent of migratory birds, nearly 80 percent of fish and shellfish and about half of all threatened and endangered species.

A complete list of projects funded by the 2012 grant program can be found online here.