NEMWI to Co-Host Briefing on the 2016 Asian Carp Action Plan Today
Today, Tuesday, April 26, the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC), in conjunction with NEMWI, will hold a Congressional briefing on the 2016 Asian Carp Action Plan, formerly known as the "Framework," from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM in the Capitol Visitor Center room SVC 208.
The briefing will focus on the ACRCC initiatives for 2016, including increased efforts for detection of Asian carp and targeted sampling, continued development of control technologies, and identification of opportunities for their field implementation. In addition, the ACRCC is continuing its focus on the development of control alternatives at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam area to further advance pathway closure opportunities.
For more information, contact
Matthew McKenna
, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
|
|
House to Vote on Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act and Manufacturing Legislation
The House of Representatives is set to move this week on both the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act (HR 223) and the American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act (HR 4923).
The Senate will look to finish up work on the first of its annual appropriations bills, the FY2017 Energy and Water Appropriations Act. Additionally, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works is expected to release a draft of the Water Resources and Development Act (WRDA), the law that authorizes U.S. Army Crops of Engineer projects.
Other regionally-relevant events this week are listed below.
Wednesday
- Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation executive session on pending nominations and several bills, including S. 2829, Maritime Administration Authorization and Enhancement Act for FY2017, 10:00 AM, 253 Senate Russell Office Building
- House Committee on Energy and Commerce Committee will begin to markup 22 bills including the Pipeline Safety Act of 2016, 10 AM, 2125 Rayburn House Office Building
Thursday
- Senate Energy & Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining oversight and legislative hearing to examine the impacts of invasive species on the productivity, value, and management of land and water resources, 2:30 PM
|
|
NEMWI Tracks Appropriations Process
Appropriations Subcommittees and Committees have begun the annual process of holding briefings, hearings, and votes on federal agency and program budgets. As of April 26, 2016, the Senate has passed three bills out of full Committee and the House has passed one.
See NEMWI's website
here
for weekly updates on the appropriations process and fact sheets on program funding and other provisions in a selection of regionally-relevant appropriations bills. Currently available are fact sheets on the Energy and Water Appropriations Bills in the Senate and House.
|
Director of NEMWI's Great Lakes Washington Program to Provide Legislative Update on Webinar This Thursday
NEMWI's Matthew McKenna will be featured in a webinar hosted by the Great Lakes Legislative Caucus this Thursday, April 28 at 3:00 PM (EDT). Webinar participants will receive an overview of key Great Lakes legislation and funding measures being considered in the U.S. Congress. They also will discuss noteworthy Great Lakes bills under discussion in the basin's eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces.
The one-hour webinar is free, but registration is required. Register
here.
For more information, contact Matthew McKenna, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program a
t the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
|
NEMWI President & CEO Participates in Senate Policy Discussion on Climate Change
Dr. Michael Goff served as a panelist at last Wednesday's Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee weekly policy roundtable discussion. The focus of the discussion was major challenges our oceans, coasts, and the Great Lakes currently face. Serving as the perspective from the Great Lakes region, Dr. Goff was one of seven panelist that also included: Dr. Kathy Sullivan, Administrator of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Dr. Bob Ballard, Director of the Center for Ocean Exploration, Graduate School of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island; Dr. Jeremy Jackson, Professor Emeritus, Scripps Institution of Oceanography; Philippe Cousteau, President/Co-Founder, EarthEcho International; Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Professor, Oregon State University; and Dr. Ru Morrison, Executive Director, Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems. Senators Amy Klobuchar (MN), Chair of the Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee, and Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), co-founder of the Senate Oceans Caucus, led the discussion that focused on climate change and the continued need for increased investments in coastal resiliency and ocean and Great Lakes exploration and research.
For more information, contact Michael Goff, President & CEO of
the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
|
Briefing Recap: Water Data to Answer Urgent Water Policy Questions: Shale Gas Development in the Susquehanna River Basin
Following the release of the Institute's
study on water quality monitoring in the Susquehanna River Basin, NEMWI hosted a Capitol Hill briefing on April 20 in the Capitol Visitor Center. Elin Betanzo, Senior Policy Analyst at NEMWI and lead author of the study, provided an overview of the study's findings and recommendations for improving water quality monitoring to detect water quality trends relative to shale gas development in the Susquehanna River Basin. Dr. Susan Brantley of Penn State University and Andrew Gavin of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission joined the briefing to share their perspectives on the study and water data availability in the Susquehanna River Basin.
NEMWI's study found that 10 years after high-volume hydraulic fracturing began widespread use for shale gas development in the Susquehanna River Basin, there is still no systematic large-scale, long-term groundwater monitoring effort in the Susquehanna River Basin that would determine if there are changes in water quality related to shale gas development. Federal, state, local, and academic water monitoring sites are not located in the right locations, water samples are not analyzed for the needed parameters, and sampling frequency is insufficient for detecting water quality trends related to shale gas development activities for both surface water and groundwater. The current lull in shale gas production makes now the perfect time to put the necessary water monitoring programs in place to collect critical water quality data prior to and during the next shale gas production boom in the Marcellus Shale.
For more information, contact Elin Betanzo, Sr. Policy Analyst a
t the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
|
|
