Newsroom

April 20 marked the first anniversary of the BP deepwater well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico, and as the Gulf Coast continues its struggle to recover ecologically and economically, we would do well to consider what a similar accident could do to the North Coast of California.

Between 1982 and 2008, there was no reason to worry that an oil well blowout could contaminate the wild, often inaccessible coast that defines so much of the character and ecology of Northern California. During that time, there was a mostly bipartisan agreement that offshore oil wells should be banned there.

U.S. Representatives Mike Thompson, John Garamendi, Jackie Speier and Jerry McNerney are joining farmers and fishermen to advocate for the protection of Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta agriculture and the rebuilding of the West Coast's salmon runs.

The summit runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today in Antioch.

According to a press release from Thompson's office, Delta-dependent communities, jobs and families are at stake in the tug-of-war over California's water. The summit will focus on supporting policies that protect the Delta and its fish.

Northern California residents met with Congressional representatives Wednesday in Antioch to discuss political and practical solutions to preserving and restoring the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta.

The "Farms & Salmon Summit: Bringing the Sacramento Delta Together," was the third regional meeting aimed at generating solutions to restore and protect salmon populations and to fight diversion of the area's water resources, which are rerouted to other farming regions.

Facing trillion-dollar deficits, Napa's voice in the nation's capital looked toward his constituents to help right-side the federal budget.

On Monday night, Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, hosted a community meeting at Napa City Hall to discuss the country's debt crisis, asking local residents to chime in on where they believe cuts should be made.

In all, more than 150 people turned out for the meeting, where Thompson outlined the financial woes that have come to dominate political discussions in Washington.

In the coming months, Congress will give another go at passing a law restricting how electronic devices are recycled. Previous attempts at establishing a nationwide stance for preventing the transfer of the growing heap of TVs, cell phones, and computers from the United States to developing nations haven't passed the committee stage.

Critics of sending discarded electronics overseas say the practice releases toxic substances, such as lead and mercury, into the environment and harms the people ripping apart the devices for reusable materials, under often unsafe conditions. Rep.

On Wednesday Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-1) applauded U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and the Department of Transportation (DOT) for introducing tough new airline passenger protections, including a rigorous ban on lengthy tarmac delays.

In the event of a delay, airlines would be required to provide passengers with adequate food and water, and working restrooms.

These same protections are included in the Air Passenger Bill of Rights Act (H.R. 729), a bill Rep. Thompson introduced in February.