Skytruth

Filing Period

Jan 1, 2010 to Dec 31, 2010

Signed

May 13, 2011

Return Version

2010v3.2

Gross Receipts

$337,483

Mission

Major Activities

Activity 2

Marine Conservation, General/Other: Oceans Program. 1) Spill Response: Our work related to offshore drilling was dominated in 2010 by the tragic blowout on the BP / Deepwater Horizon drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico that killed 11 and resulted in the world's worst accidental oil spill. Within a day of the April 20, 2010 explosion, SkyTruth began our high-tech surveillance of the spill. Examining satellite images, remote sensing data and aerial photographs, we quickly became a leading source of independent, unbiased information on the size and scope of the disaster. As the disabled well continued to pump oil into the Gulf throughout the spring and into mid-summer, John Amos, SkyTruth's president, was quoted in hundreds of news reports and his work interpreting the raw imagery helped policy makers, the press and the general public make sense of events as they unfolded. SkyTruth received constant media attention, with appearances on national TV news broadcasts, radio shows, major newspapers, and dozens of websites and blogs. Several media outlets specifically cited SkyTruth as a key source of credible information. An AP Impact story concerning the abandoned wells in the Gulf of Mexico was carried by over a hundred national news sources (radio, TV, newspaper, web sites, and blogs). 2) Congressional testimony: As a result of SkyTruth's credibility and solid reputation for providing unbiased information, the staff of the Presidential Commission investigating the spill has interviewed Amos. In followup, he provided comment at a Commission meeting to urge that they include routine satellite monitoring in their final recommendations to the President. 3) General Expertise: SkyTruth provided nonprofit conservation organizations with expertise pertaining to the use of remote sensing technologies for detecting, mapping and monitoring pollution, vessel traffic, and other features of interest for marine stewardship and conservation.

Activity 3

Land Conservation, General/Other: Energy, Hardrock Mining and Forests Program. 1) Coal: Dust blowing from coal-storage stockpiles awaiting shipment to Asian markets causes health problems for Seward, Alaska residents. We produced a suite of images detailing the location of the stockpiles relative to key public places and residential areas. 2) Mountaintop Removal and Mining: SkyTruth's work mapping the surface extent of coal mining throughout Appalachia was integrated into a study of water quality by Duke University researchers. Our data were instrumental in their success at correlating the percentage of mining in a watershed with downstream indicators of water degradation, particularly the concentrations of toxic metals, including selenium. We're currently collaborating with Duke on a scientific paper for peer review. 3) Oil and Gas Drilling: We continued to engage with citizens groups working to address impacts associated with drilling for natural gas and oil in the Rocky Mountain West, and new groups emerging in response to the recent boom in drilling for gas in the East (Marcellus Shale). We conducted several projects illustrating the impacts of drilling for natural gas, including hydrofracturing, a controversial drilling process that has been implicated in groundwater contamination. We produced images illustrating the threat posed to an oil-storage facility in Alaska by the eruption of Mount Redoubt Volcano. SkyTruth provided technical expertise, informal training and advice to other organizations regarding the use of remote sensing and digital mapping technologies, and their application to energy-related issues.

Filer

EIN

54-2059475