HUMAN RESOURCES
Congress strengthens whistleblower protection laws
Liza Rosa
Effective Dec. 27, 2012,, through the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2012, the U.S. Congress added a new Prohibited Personnel Practice to 5 U.S.C. §2302(b). This thirteenth addition to the list of PPPs makes it a prohibited personnel practice for any employee who has the authority to take, direct others to take, recommend, or approve any personnel action, to; implement or enforce any nondisclosure policy, form, or agreement, if such policy, form, or agreement does not contain the following statement: ‘’These provisions are consistent with and do not supersede, conflict The famous Los Angeles River and flood control channel has been the backdrop and frequently used filming location for movie productions and television shows for decades, from Terminator to the Dark Knight series. Above, the iconic racing scene from the 1978 film, Grease, was filmed in a segment of the river. The Los Angeles District’s Asset Management Division issues permits for filming at federally-owned properties managed by the district, which includes portions of the Los Angeles River corridor. (Video still courtesy of Paramount Pictures) with, or otherwise alter the employee obligations, rights, or liabilities created by existing statute or Executive order relating to classified information, communications to Congress, the reporting to an inspector general of a violation of any law, rule, or regulation, or mismanagement, a gross waste of funds, an abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety, or any other whistleblower protection. The definitions, requirements, obligations, rights, sanctions, and liabilities created by controlling Executive orders and statutory provisions are incorporated into this agreement and are controlling.” The purpose of this new law is to strengthen protections for whistleblowers because encouraging them to expose waste, fraud and abuse can save money for the government and American taxpayers. It is currently unclear whether the new law will apply to appeals pending before the Board and the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Dec. 27, 2012, no matter when the personnel action on which the claim is based occurred, or only to personnel actions and prohibited conduct that occurred on or after that date. Additional information about the new 13th prohibited personnel practice may be found on the Merit System Protection Board’s website at http://www. mspb.gov/ppp/pppm.htm.
District commander honored at LA River reception
Los Angeles District personnel, real estate often play a role in film productions
Brooks O. Hubbard IV
LOS ANGELES — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District is sometimes nicknamed the Hollywood District. This is because movie companies often need to shoot in uncongested and iconic areas of Los Angeles and regularly appeal to the Corps for permission to film on property we manage. The famous Los Angeles River and flood control channel has been the backdrop and frequently used filming location for movie productions and television shows for decades. Portions of the movies Grease, Repo Man, Terminator, and, most recently, the Batman Dark Night series, to name just a few, were filmed there. The district’s Asset Management Division permits and facilitates the use of the flood control channel and performs other types of real estate transactions for the district. For example, they manage operations and maintenance requirements for 16 dams, debris basins, and portions of the Los Angeles River. “The reason why the film companies come directly to us is because, in most cases, the land they are asking about is land the federal government owns,” said Willie Starks, Asset Management specialist. “They have to get permission to film on federal property. Besides the very popular Los Angeles River, another location we manage and frequently get requests to film at is the Sepulveda Dam and spillway.”
Upon issuing a film permit, another group of Corps professionals step in to ensure the environment is protected and facilities are not damaged during filming. Most of all, they ensure filming is conducted in a safe manner. “It’s important that we are on site to provide extra eyes for safety, but the movie companies have their own safety professionals on the scene too, and we work together,” said District Occupational and Safety Specialist Steve McCombs. In May, the U.S. Army National Guard released their newest commercial, which was filmed in the Corps’ Whittier Narrows flood control basin. “When we get to high risk maneuvers, like the Guard using a Blackhawk and fast roping with stunt people being pulled up and down with a crane, we want to make sure everything is done properly,” McCombs said. “For that commercial, we made sure the tip of the crane was lighted and had a flag in accordance with aviation safety.” “One of the best things about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is that they have the flexibility to provide us with a location where we can be exclusive and have an opportunity to be protected,” said Lisa Bryan, Army National Guard new media pro