W E E K L Y  U P D A T E  December 7, 2020 In this Week's Issue: ouse Passes Great Lakes Mapping Bill Congress to Consider Water Infrastructure Bill Follow the Northeast-Midwest Institute on Facebook Quicklinks  Northeast-Midwest Institute House Passes Great Lakes Mapping Bill The House of Representatives last week passed S. 1342, a bill that would update the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps in the Great Lakes.  The bill was passed by voice vote.  The bi-partisan legislation sponsored by Senators Gary C. Peters (D-MI) and Todd Young (R-IN), and in the House by Representatives Dan Kildee (MI-05), Bill Huizenga (MI-02), Debbie Dingell (MI-12), and David Joyce (OH-14), would require the Great Lakes Region Environmental Sensitivity Index maps to be updated for the first time in over two decades, joining maps for the East coast, West coast, and Gulf coast that have been updated more recently. It would additionally require periodic Great Lakes mapping updates. New ESI maps will provide more accurate assessments of coastal resources that are at risk of damage from an emergency or a natural disaster. The maps are vital to disaster planning and recovery, research, and restoration efforts. The bill had previously passed in the Senate by unanimous consent on November 16. Congress to Consider Water Infrastructure Bill  The U.S. House of Representatives is set to take up S. 1811, the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2020, which is the main authorizing legislation for most U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects and activities. Typically, Congress passes WRDA bills every two years, with the last WRDA being signed into law at the end of 2018. WRDA will be considered on the House suspension calendar, which is typically reserved for more noncontroversial measures, requires two-thirds approval by the House. The WRDA bill authorizes all 46 pending Corps Chief's Reports that have been completed since the passage of WRDA 2018, authorizes 27 new feasibility studies for water resources development projects, and includes language requiring the Corps to complete six comprehensive river basin studies, including ones in the Great Lakes and the Upper Mississippi River. More specifically, the bill includes (but is not limited to) several critical provisions that impact the Great Lakes, including: Authorizes the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS) - Brandon Road project, which would modify Brandon Road to incorporate technologies to prevent the movement of invasive Asian carp towards Lake Michigan. Provides a federal/non-federal cost share adjustment for the construction phase of the Brandon Road project from 65 percent/35 percent to 80/20 percent.  Requires a comprehensive assessment of the Great Lakes System and makes recommendations to respond to changing hydrologic and climatic conditions in the region. Additionally, this section authorizes the Corps to focus on resiliency issues for the Lake Ontario and the Chicago shorelines. Expands the scope of invasive species research activities by the Corps in the Great Lakes operated by the Corps. Expands the federal program to slow the spread of Asian Carp beyond the Upper Mississippi and Ohio River Basins and tributaries to all six sub-basins of the Mississippi River. Renames the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation to the Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. Establishes a new pilot program to carry out projects to manage and prevent the spread of Asian carp in the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers using innovative technologies, methods, and measures, and in coordination with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). This section also establishes a new program for the USFWS to provide financial assistance to States to implement measures to eradicate Asian carp. Unlocks the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) by providing the authority to appropriate $2 billion in additional funds annually for harbor maintenance needs from the existing balance in the Trust Fund. The bill is scheduled to be considered by the House on Tuesday and it is expected the Senate could take up the bill shortly after. Follow the Northeast-Midwest Institute on Facebook   LIKE us on Facebook! 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