Syndicate content

Blog Entries from April 2010

NOAA: Deepwater Incident, Gulf of Mexico Effort

Submitted on April 30, 2010 - 9:00pm
Categories:
Trajectory map--PDF.

The Deepwater Horizon incident declared a Spill of National Significance (SONS). A SONS is defined as "a spill that, due to its severity, size, location, actual or potential impact on the public health and welfare or the environment, or the necessary response effort, is so complex that it requires extraordinary coordination of federal, state, local and responsible party resources to contain and clean up the discharge," and allows greater federal involvement. Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is assisting the Unified Command in evaluating a new technique to apply dispersants to oil at the source—5000’ below the surface. If successful, this would keep plumes and sheens from forming. (More) (NOAA-Deepwater) (Trajectory map 1—PDF) (IncidentNews: Deepwater Horizon)

  • Share

Secretary Locke Holds Exports Town Hall with Philadelphia Businesses

Submitted on April 30, 2010 - 5:01pm
Categories:
National Export Initiative logo. Click for more NEI information.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke visited PENN Fishing Reels to discuss President Obama’s National Export Initiative and how it can help companies sell more of their goods and services overseas and create new jobs at home. Following a tour of the company’s manufacturing facility, Locke held a town hall meeting to highlight government resources available to businesses interested in selling their goods and services abroad. Locke was joined by U.S. Sen. Robert Casey, U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell and Mayor Michael Nutter. (More) (NEI) (Remarks)

  • Share

Door-to-Door Visits Begin for 2010 Census, Census Takers to Follow Up with About 48 Million Households Nationwide

Submitted on April 30, 2010 - 11:14am
Categories:
2010 Census logo. Click to go to Web site.

About 635,000 2010 Census takers across the nation begin going door to door tomorrow to follow up with households that either didn’t mail back their form or didn’t receive one. An estimated 48 million addresses will be visited through July 10. “America’s had a very successful first half of the 2010 Census, where more than 72 percent of the nation’s households mailed back their census forms,” U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert M. Groves said. “But achieving a complete and accurate census requires us to now go door to door to count all the remaining households we’ve not heard back from.” (More) (Take 10 participation map)

  • Share

Secretary Locke Statement on Advance Estimate of Real GDP in the First Quarter of 2010

Submitted on April 30, 2010 - 8:51am
Categories:
Department of Commerce seal.

The U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis today released the first estimate of gross domestic product (GDP) for the first quarter of 2010. Real GDP grew 3.2 percent at an annual rate in the first quarter, consistent with private-sector expectations. “With a third-straight quarter of growth, it’s clear America’s economy is turning around,” U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said. “But Americans remain rightly focused on their personal financial situations and jobs. Wall Street reform is an essential part of securing the future for our families and businesses. (More) (Release)

  • Share

Secretary Locke Announces NIST to Lead National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education

Submitted on April 29, 2010 - 6:29pm
Categories:
Locke at podium.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced today at the Business Software Alliance Cybersecurity Forum that the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will coordinate and facilitate the implementation of the Obama administration’s National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE). This initiative expands the government’s cyber security education efforts into a national focus that will establish an operational, sustainable and continually-improving cyber security education program for the public and private sectors focused on sound cyber practices. (More) (Remarks)

  • Share

Commerce Department Grant Advances President Obama's Commitment to Creating Jobs, Strengthening Economy in Central Florida

Submitted on April 29, 2010 - 1:06pm
Categories:
EDA seal.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced a $2 million Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant to the Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority of Titusville, Florida, to assist in the expansion of the Bristow Academy, a major helicopter pilot training facility, and create new Central Florida aerospace sector jobs. The project is expected to save 155 jobs, create 97 jobs and generate $2 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates. (More)

  • Share

Secretary Locke Delivers Keynote Remarks at the U.S.-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum

Submitted on April 28, 2010 - 1:03pm
Categories:
Photo of Secretary Gary Locke.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke addressed the U.S.-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum today focusing on economic collaboration between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, mutually beneficial business opportunities, and the Obama Administration’s National Export Initiative. At the forum, Locke announced plans for the Commerce Department to lead two trade missions to Saudi Arabia this year. Locke also met with his counterpart Saudi Minister of Commerce and Industry Abdullah Alireza to discuss bilateral trade issues and areas for enhanced cooperation between the two countries. (Release) (Remarks)

  • Share

Commerce's NIST Issues Landmark Fire Study on Saving Lives and Property

Submitted on April 28, 2010 - 10:24am
Categories:
Photo of NIST researchers outside of burning building.

A landmark study issued today by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shows that the size of firefighting crews has a substantial effect on the fire service's ability to protect lives and property in residential fires. Performed by a broad coalition in the scientific, firefighting and public-safety communities, the study found that four-person firefighting crews were able to complete 22 essential firefighting and rescue tasks in a typical residential structure 30 percent faster than two-person crews and 25 percent faster than three-person crews. (Release) (Report)

  • Share

Secretary Locke Highlights the Importance of Entrepreneurship at Opening of Presidential Summit

Submitted on April 26, 2010 - 8:22pm
Categories:
Secretary Locke on Panel at Opening of Presidential Summit. Click here for larger image.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke opened the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center addressing hundreds of entrepreneurs, business leaders, educators, and stakeholders from over 50 countries on five continents. Together with President Obama, the Commerce and State Departments hosted the summit, highlighting the work and talents of entrepreneurs from Muslim-majority countries and Muslim communities around the world. Following his remarks, Locke moderated the opening panel discussion on successful entrepreneurship. (Remarks) (Fact sheet)

  • Share

America Matches Mail Participation Rate from 2000 Census

Submitted on April 23, 2010 - 1:20pm
Categories:
2010 Census logo. Click to go to Web site.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today congratulated the nation for its strong participation in the 2010 Census to date, as the Census Bureau released the latest mail participation data showing that 72 percent of U.S. households have mailed back their 2010 Census forms so far—the same rate the nation achieved at the end of the mail-back period during the 2000 Census. “It’s fantastic that we were able to match the 2000 participation rate despite all the predictions that it couldn’t be done,” Locke said. (More)

  • Share