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NEMWI to Hold a Primer on Water Policies That Govern its Availability, Quality, and Reliability
The Northeast-Midwest Institute will host a Congressional Briefing on Thursday, April 11th, to discuss primary laws governing water quality (Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act) and appropriation mechanisms like the State Revolving Fund and Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) that finance much of the water infrastructure in the country.
Water infrastructure in the United States is in need of significant repair and rehabilitation. Federal funding has largely remained constant (in nominal value), while the demand for additional funding has increased. As much of the region - and vast parts of the country - deal with numerous water quality and access issues - from lead and PFAS contamination to algal blooms and high water bills - this briefing will provide Capitol Hill staff with much-needed background on key laws governing water quality and access in the country, and the tools available to impact policy changes. The Panelists include:
- Jason Isakovic, National Association of Clean Water Agencies
- Lynn Thorp, Clean Water Action
- Ted Stiger, Rural Community Assistance Partnership
- A representative from the US Environmental Protection Agency
- Dr. Sri Vedachalam, Northeast-Midwest Institute
What: A Primer on Water Policies: Key Laws and Financing Mechanisms
When: Thursday, April 11, 2019, 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Where: 210 Cannon House Office Building
For more information, please contact
Eric Heath
, Senior Policy Counsel for the Mississippi River Basin Program or Dr. Sri Vedachalam, Director of the Safe Drinking Water Research and Policy Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute
.
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Bipartisan Legislation on PFAS Introduced in the House and Senate
A bipartisan piece of legislation to address contamination from chemicals containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) was introduced in the House and the Senate last week. The PFAS Detection Act provides the U.S. Geological Survey with $45 million to develop new advanced technologies to detect PFAS and to conduct nationwide sampling for PFAS in waterbodies like rivers, lakes, wells, and aquifers, as well as soil. Although there are thousands of chemicals containing PFAS, current detection techniques are limited in their ability to detect and analyze only a few dozen. This new legislation aims to bolster the efforts by USGS to assess the health and environmental impacts of PFAS exposure, which can help address its remediation.
The legislation is led or co-sponsored by a majority of Michigan's Congressional delegation, including both the Senators. They include U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Gary Peters (D-MI), and Representatives Jack Bergman (MI-01), Debbie Dingell (MI-12), Dan Kildee (MI-05), Brenda Lawrence (MI-14), Andy Levin (MI-09), Elissa Slotkin (MI-08), Haley Stevens (MI-11), and Rashida Tlaib (MI-13). Additional co-sponsors from the Northeast-Midwest region include U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Representatives Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Antonio Delgado (NY-19), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Chris Pappas (NH-01), Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18), and Peter Welch (VT-AL).
For more information, please contact
Dr. Sri Vedachalam, Director of the Safe Drinking Water Research and Policy Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute
.
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Bipartisan Congressional Letter Calls for Full Funding of GLRI
A bipartisan group of Members of Congress sent the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, a letter last week calling on it to include at least $300 million in funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), which works to protect, restore, and maintain the Great Lakes ecosystem. The President's FY20 budget proposed a 90 percent reduction to the GLRI, but in a speech in Michigan, the President said he supports funding the GLRI at $300 million dollars. Previous budget requests have called for similar reductions, but Congress has fully restored the GLRI to $300 million in annual funding since President Trump took office in 2017.
The letter, which was led by Representatives Debbie Dingell (MI-12), Dan Kildee (MI-5), Mike Kelly (PA-16), and Mike Gallagher (WI-9), had 59 signatures from Members of Congress from both in and outside the Great Lakes watershed. A copy of the letter can be viewed
here.
For more information,
please contact
Matthew McKenna, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute
.
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Northeast-Midwest Institute Holds Congressional Great Lakes Orientation Program
The Northeast-Midwest Institute (NEMWI) hosted a Congressional Great Lakes Orientation Program that included attendees from Congressional offices, administrative agencies, and non-governmental organizations on Friday, March 29th. The purpose of the program was to provide a broad overview of key Great Lakes issues which were presented in five different sessions. Topics covered during the program include governance structures in the Great Lakes, The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), invasive species in the Great Lakes, harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the Great Lakes, and resiliency and water infrastructure in the Great Lakes.
Participants at the briefing included:
Session 1: Governance in the Great Lakes Region:
·
Dave Ullrich, Commissioner, Great Lakes Fishery Commission; & Advisor, the Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Cities and Towns Initiative
·
Victoria Pebbles, Program Director, Great Lakes Commission
Session 2: The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI)
·
Chris Korleski, Director, Great Lakes National Program Office, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
·
Chad Lord, Policy Director, Healing Our Waters Coalition
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Matt Doss, Policy Director, Great Lakes Commission
Session 3: Invasive Species in the Great Lakes
·
Dr. Marc Gaden, Communications Director & Legislative Liaison, Great Lakes Fishery Commission
·
Aaron Woldt, Deputy Assistant Regional Director of Fisheries, US Fish and Wildlife Service
·
Sheyda Esnaashari, Water Policy Strategist, Alliance for the Great Lakes
Session 4: Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in the Great Lakes
·
Gail Hesse, Great Lakes Water Program Director, National Wildlife Federation
·
Edwin Martinez, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Coordinator, Natural Resources Conservation Service, US Department of Agriculture
Session 5: Resiliency and water infrastructure in the Great Lakes
·
Victoria Pebbles, Program Director, Great Lakes Commission
NEMWI will be posting an audio recording, presentation materials, and a more detailed summary of the briefing at www.nemw.org in the near future.
For more information,
please contact
Matthew McKenna, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute
.
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I
MF Releases Report Analyzing the Economic Impact of NAFTA 2.0
The International Monetary Fund released a
report evaluating the economic impact of the recently renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). If ratified by the legislatures of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, the reformulated agreement that President Trump is calling the USMCA (United States - Mexico - Canada Agreement) would ultimately have little overall economic impact. The marginal benefits go to Canada and Mexico with the U.S. as the sole loser of the renegotiation, according to the study. While certain custom provisions (e.g. increasing the
de minimis thresholds in Canada and Mexico) would help overall trade on the continent, other provisions in the deal (e.g. local content requirements for automotive imports) would hamper it.
Separately, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is conducting its own analysis of the economic impact of the deal. That report, which is mandated by Congress, is due to be released by mid-April. Early expectations are that the ITC will come to relatively similar conclusions.
Both reports make it even less likely that the renegotiated agreement will ultimately be ratified. Ratification is already facing various challenges in both the House and the Senate from both Republicans and Democrats on issues spanning from longer intellectual property right protections for biologics (a type of pharmaceutical) to steel and aluminum tariffs. In Canada, upcoming national elections could possibly result in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau losing a legislative majority. In Mexico, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador did not sign or take part in the renegotiation of the agreement. While he is currently supportive of the agreement, that could change if the U.S. seeks to modify labor standards or enforcement provisions to appease the Democratic majority in the House.
For more information, please contact
Eric Heath
, Senior Policy Counsel for the Mississippi River Basin Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute
.
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POSTPONED: NEMWI and the Congressional Caucus on Corrosion Prevention to Hold Briefing on Lead in Drinking Water
The Northeast-Midwest Institute, in collaboration with the Congressional Caucus on Corrosion Prevention, will hold a Congressional briefing in the coming weeks. The briefing, while initially planned for April 3rd, has now been postponed. The Institute will circulate an updated event invitation with the new date once it is finalized.
RSVP: Sri Vedachalam at NEMWI or Adam Christopher at NACE International
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116th Congress: Committee Leadership Profiles
As the 116th Congress gets into full swing, the Northeast-Midwest Institute will profile the Chair and Ranking Member of the Congressional committees most relevant to the region. This newsletter will include the Appropriations subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies.
Rep.
Raúl M. Grijalva, Chairman of the Natural Resources Committee
Raul Grijalva is the U.S. Representative for Arizona's 3rd Congressional district. He has been serving in this
position since 2003 and previously worked as a community organizer in Tucson, served on the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board from 1974 to 1986, and was elected to the Pima County Board of Supervisors where he served from 1988-2002. Rep. Grijalva now serves on both the Natural Resources Committee and the Committee on Education and the Workforce. According to Rep. Grijalva's website, he has "[c]hampioned the protection of the Grand Canyon from the threat of expanded uranium mining; defended wilderness areas and endangered species from pollution and encroachment; advanced ecological restoration on federal lands; expanded young adult access to public lands; and advanced the National Park Service Centennial Initiative." Today Rep. Grijalva continues to fight against pollution in the Grand Canyon by advocating for a
ban
on uranium mining in the Grand Canyon.
Rep. Robert Bishop, Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Committee
Robert Bishop is the U.S. Representative for Utah's 1st Congressional district. He has been serving in this position since 2003 and previously served as a missionary, a Representative in Utah's State Legislature, and as a teacher. Rep. Bishop is now serving as a member of both the Natural Resources Committee and House Armed Services Committee. On Rep. Bishops campaign website he
stated
, "(I) believe(s) we can protect our environment while allowing for wise stewardship and multiple uses. Stewardship means respecting and enhancing the land and its natural resources. The prudent development of our natural resources and energy not only adds to our energy independence but also greatly impacts job growth and economic recovery." Rep. Bishop has spoken out against the Green New Deal and thinks states should take the lead on environmental policy.
For more information,
please contact
Eric Heath
, Senior Policy Counsel for the Mississippi River Basin Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute
.
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2020 Candidate Profiles: Cory Booker, Potential Democratic Nominee for President of the United States
Cory Booker currently serves as the junior Senator from New Jersey. He previously served on Newark's Municipal Council from 1998-2002 and became the 36
th Mayor of Newark, New Jersey in 2006. He remained in that position until 2013 when he then decided to run for an open Senate seat in New Jersey. Upon winning a special Senatorial election in 2013, he became the first African American Senator from New Jersey and in 2014 was re-elected to a full six-year term. During the 116
th Congress, Senator Booker will be serving on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and the Committee on the Judiciary.
Senator Booker has
stated
that environmental justice will be one of his top priorities during his presidential campaign, and he has signed on to Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D-NY-14) Green New Deal. Booker's website states that he, "has worked to ban oil drilling off of New Jersey's coastline, clean up Superfund sites, improve air quality, support animal welfare safeguards, and strengthen national chemical safety laws to better protect families from toxic substances." Senator Booker has also championed a different piece of
legislation
, although it did not pass, called The Environmental Justice Act of 2017 which would have increased legal protections for people of color and low-income individuals.
For more information, please contact Eric Heath, Senior Policy Counsel for the Mississippi River Basin Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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This Week in Washington
In the Senate:
In the House:
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NEMWI: Strengthening the Region that Sustains the Nation
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