|
|
Briefing Scheduled on
Lead, PFCs and Other Threats
to Safe Drinking Water
Tuesday, December 5, 1:30 PM
122 Cannon House Office Building
The Northeast-Midwest Institute will be holding a briefing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, December 5, featuring experts on safe drinking water policy and management.
Safe drinking water is under threat across the U.S. from legacy contaminants, found both within the water system itself and in the surrounding environment. Older infrastructure and denser communities make the Northeast and the Midwest (the "region") especially vulnerable. For example, the Flint water crisis exposed a community to the toxic effects of lead in water, and resulted in other cities around the region discovering the extent of the problem in their own communities. The recent discovery of perflurochemicals (PFCs) leaching out of industrial sites and military bases highlights the need for constant protection against threats to public health.
The panelists in this briefing will elaborate on the various threats to safe drinking water in the region, the extent of the issue, response from the government and affected communities, and changes needed in our policy to prevent future occurrences. Panelists will also discuss the issue of affordability as it relates to mitigation of these contaminants.
Please join the Northeast-Midwest Institute, in coordination with Members of Congress including Paul Tonko (NY-20) and Dan Kildee (MI-05), for a Congressional briefing on the threats posed by lead and PFCs to our region's drinking water, public health, and the economy.
The list of speakers includes:
- Claire Barnett, Founder and Executive Director, Healthy Schools Network
- Tom Neltner, Chemicals Policy Director, Environmental Defense Fund
- Alan Roberson, Executive Director, Association of State Drinking Water Administrators
Moderating the panel will be Dr. Sridhar Vedachalam, Director of the Safe Drinking Water Research and Policy Program at NEMWI. Presentations will be followed by a Q&A session with the panel.
For more information, please contact Sri Vedachalam, Director of the Safe Drinking Water Research and Policy Program, or
Matthew McKenna
, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
|
Briefing Planned on
Great Lakes Maritime Issues
Thursday, December 14, 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM
209-08 Senate Visitor Center
The Northeast-Midwest Institute and the Conference of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers will host a Congressional briefing highlighting the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Maritime Day on Thursday, December 14. Attendees will focus on critical maritime issues impacting the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region that include the Soo Locks, autonomous vessels, and cruising/customs issues.
More details about the briefing are to follow.
For more information, please contact
Matthew McKenna
, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
|
EPA Seeks To Delay Clean Water Rule
The EPA
announced that it is seeking to delay implementation of the Clean Water Rule, also known as the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Rule. The rule, issued by the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers in 2015, clarifies which bodies of water qualify as "waters of the United States" for the purpose of determining whether or not the Clean Water Act applies.
Under the new proposal, the rule would not go into effect for two additional years (measured from the time that the newly proposed delay is finalized).
This is a
separate action from the EPA's ongoing attempt to repeal the Clean Water Rule entirely. The agency recently collected comments on the proposed repeal, though they have not yet published a response. The proposed repeal did not contain a replacement rule, stating that this would come later.
Complicating the picture is the fact that the Clean Water Rule is not currently in effect. There is a nationwide stay issued by the federal Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, and a 13-state stay issued by a federal district court in North Dakota.
The EPA press release announcing the proposed delay of the rule stated that interested parties would have 21 days to submit any comments.
For more information, please contact Joe Vukovich, Senior Policy Analyst Mississippi River Basin Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institut
e.
|
This Week on Capitol Hill
The House and Senate are both in recess all of this week for the Thanksgiving holiday. The Senate will reconvene on November 27 and the House will reconvene on November 28.
|
|
NEMWI: Strengthening the Region that Sustains the Nation
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
