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             WEEKLY UPDATE March  24, 2014  

In This Issue
NEMWI Report and Webinar on the NEMW Region and the President's FY2015 Budget
Intense Capitol Hill Attention to Water Policy This Week
NEMWI Presents Great Ships Initiative Findings at Ballast Water Experts Meeting in Baltic Region
NEMWI Updates State Legislators on Great Lakes Federal Programs
NOAA Spring Outlook Predicts Continued Cold and Flooding for NEMW Region
Funding Opportunity: U.S. DOT Announces Availability of $600 Million for TIGER Grant Program

COMING SOON 

March 28, 2014:   

NEMWI Webinar:

 "The Northeast-Midwest Region and the President's FY2015 Budget"

10:30 AM 

Open to all interested parties. Register for the webinar  here.   

_____________________

 


APRIL 11, 2014:
USGS National Water Quality Assessment (NAQWA) Capitol Hill Briefing
10:00 AM
US Capitol Visitor Center
Congressional Meeting
Room South

 
for Members, Congressional Staff, and the public on Water Quality Trends in the Nation's Streams.




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NEMWI Report and Webinar on the NEMW Region and the President's FY2015 Budget 


NEMWI today released its analysis of the Administration's FY2015 Budget proposal: Note to the Coalitions: "The President's FY2015 Budget and the Northeast-Midwest Region." The analysis investigates FY2015 Budget figures for programs that address critical NEMW regional policy priorities such as energy efficiency and assistance, transportation and water infrastructure, community development and manufacturing growth, and natural resource protection and restoration. NEMWI finds that NEMW regional priorities will require concerted attention in the Congressional Appropriations process. The Budget proposes important new opportunities for regional economic and workforce development, neighborhood improvement, clean and efficient energy, and climate resilience. However, the Budget includes harmful cuts in home energy assistance, and would slash loans to states for water infrastructure modernization, critical to regional environmental and economic recovery. NEWMI also maintains a detailed chart to track appropriations progress for these and many other regionally relevant federal programs here.  

 

NEMWI will host a webinar on March 28, 2014 at 10:30AM EDT to describe the report's findings. The event will begin with opening remarks by the Hon. Steve LaTourette, NEMWI Board Chair and former NEMW Congressional Coalition Co-Chair. All interested parties are invited to attend, and can register here.

   

For more information, contact Hope Ratner, Administrative Manager at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.

 

Intense Capitol Hill Attention to

Water Policy This Week

 

This week, U.S. House and Senate subcommittees will review water program details of the President's FY2015 budget proposal for select agencies, and subcommittee hearings on water quality trading initiatives. Tuesday's hearings include:  

Hearings on Wednesday:

For more information, contact  Mark Gorman, Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. 

 

NEMWI Presents Great Ships Initiative Findings at Ballast Water Experts Meeting in Baltic Region

 

Last week, NEMWI President, Allegra Cangelosi, presented findings from Great Ships Initiative (GSI) research in the Great Lakes at an international meeting of experts advising International Maritime Organization panels in Palanga, Lithuania. The meeting of the International Convention for the Exploration of the Sea's Ballast Water Working Group was well-attended by representatives of Baltic and Northern European countries, key trading partners with the Great Lakes port system, as well as Mediterranean and South American countries. The experts presented and reviewed methods for sampling ships and testing ballast water treatment (BWT) systems for effectiveness and environmental soundness, and monitoring harbors for new invaders. Cangelosi presented findings from GSI research on shipboard sampling methods and University of Wisconsin-Superior scientist and GSI toxicologist Matthew TenEyck presented recommendations (remotely) on applying whole effluent toxicity testing (WET testing) to ballast discharge.

 

For more information contact, Allegra Cangelosi, President at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.

 

NEMWI Updates State Legislators on Great Lakes Federal Programs

  

Last week, as part of the Great Lakes Legislative Caucus monthly webinar, Danielle Chesky, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program at NEMWI, provided state legislators and staff with an update on federal policy. Highlights included: 
  •  FY2014 appropriations and FY2015 requests, such as for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the State Revolving Fund accounts;
  • Current status of the negotiation over the Water Resources Development Act and expected timeline;
  • Recently-passed wilderness bill to protect nearly half of the Sleeping Bear Dunes; and
  • Upcoming opportunities to weigh in on legislation, such as the FY2015 appropriations and Surface Transportation reauthorization.

The Great Lakes Legislative Caucus is a non-partisan group of state and provincial lawmakers from the eight Great Lakes states and two Canadian provinces. As part of its work to support and provide information to regional leaders and stakeholders, the Great Lakes Washington Program serves to connect the federal happenings of the Hill to the region.

 

For more information, contact Danielle Chesky, Director, Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. 

 

NOAA Spring Outlook Predicts Continued Cold and Flooding for NEMW Region

 

On Thursday, March 20, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its Spring Outlook for drought, flood, temperature, and precipitation. The Outlook, released by NOAA's National Weather Service, provides expected conditions for the continental United States. Within the Northeast-Midwest Region, the Outlook predicts flood risk throughout the region, as well as a moderate flood risk (higher risk) in the Great Lakes region, due to the current snowpack and frozen ground coupled with expected seasonal temperatures and rainfall. Additionally, the Great Lakes are expected to see continued cooler spring temperatures, following a bone-chilling winter where wind chills dipped to 40�F. Encouragingly, the Outlook does not expect spring drought conditions in the NEMW region.

 

The region has experienced severe weather impacts over the past two years, including drought, flood, storms, and severe temperature fluctuations, putting pressure on individual, local, state, and federal budgets to address the impacts of these events.

  
For more information, contact Danielle Chesky, Director, Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.       

 

Funding Opportunity: U.S. DOT Announces Availability of $600 Million for TIGER Grant Program

        

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) recently announced that the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program has up to $600 million available for capital projects related to highways, bridges, public transportation, rail, ports, and intermodal projects. Eligible applicants are State, local, and tribal governments, transit agencies, port authorities, metropolitan planning organizations, other political subdivisions of State or local governments, and multi-State or multi-jurisdictional groups applying through a lead applicant. Applications are due April 28, 2014. Additional details are available at www.dot.gov/tiger.

 

For more information, contact Colleen Cain, Sr. Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. 

 

 


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