Councilman selected for Washington committee

By VICKIE JAMBON

Staff Reporter

ST. CHARLES PARISH – A St. Charles Parish councilman was recently appointed to a two-year term on the Outer Continental Shelf Policy Committee by the Secretary of the Interior in Washington D.C.

Ganesier “Ram” Ramchandran was selected to represent the interests of local governments on the Washington committee, which gives policy advice to the Secretary and other officers of the Department of the Interior, under the OCS Lands Act.

The OCS Policy Committee will provide information to the Secretary of the Interior through the Director of the Minerals Management Service related to discretionary functions of the bureau, under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and related statutes.

The committee will review and comment on all aspects of leasing, exploration, development and protection of OCS resources. It will provide a forum to convey views representative of coastal states, local government, offshore mineral industries, environmental community and other users of the offshore and the interested public.

Annual activities of the committee will require approximately $75,000 and 1-1/2 work years of federal employee support. Duties of the committee are solely advisory. They will meet at the request of the director, but not less than once a year.

Membership requirements mandate the secretary appoint non-federal members to the committee. They may not serve more than three consecutive terms and the secretary may revoke their appointment if they fail to attend two consecutive meetings.

Ramchandran will serve without compensation. However, he will receive reimbursement of travel and per diem expenses for scheduled meetings in accordance with current travel regulations for federal government employees.

Jackson County Supervisor Manly G. Barton was selected to serve as Ramchandran’s alternate.