2nd Annual Revitalizing Older Cities Capitol Hill Summit, March 3rd, 2010
Registration is open for the Revitalizing Older Cities Capitol Hill Summit.
During the summit stakeholders and experts will convene to discuss- directly with Members of Congress and their staff- the impact of federal policies on local-level challenges. This event builds on the principle that local successes should inform federal policy and federal programs should seek to duplicate these best practices. To that end, the Revitalizing Older Cities Summit provides a venue for an open discussion of Congress' role in addressing the needs of the nation's transitioning industrial communities. In addition, the event will convey to Members of Congress the imperative message that restoring prosperity to America's cities must be a top federal priority.
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State of the Union and Budget Dates Set
The Obama Administration has set dates for the State of the Union speech and release of its fiscal year 2011 budget. The State of the Union will be given on January 27 at 9pm. The Budget will be released on February 1.
For more information, contact Fritz Ohrenschall (202/464-4020), Research Associate at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. |
| Letter Regarding Ballast Water Discharge Rulemaking
Senators Carl Levin and Susan Collins are circulating the attached letter to the Coast Guard regarding its proposed ballast water rulemaking. The letter calls on the Coast Guard to (1) establish a stronger and more environmentally protective standard than the standard proposed by the International Maritime Organization, (2) shorten the timeline under which ballast technology would be installed, and (3) provide financial resources to ensure that the rule can be implemented in a timely fashion. The deadline for Senators to sign onto this letter is Jan. 22nd.
For more information contact Joy Mulinex (202/224-1211), Director, Great Lakes Taskforce. |
EPA Listening Sessions On Stormwater Management
The EPA has announced that it will hold five listening sessions to provide information to the public and to seek feedback about a potential new regulation that would address stormwater management and establish a comprehensive program to reduce stormwater from new development and redevelopment. These sessions will be held from 10 AM to 3 PM local time on the following dates: - January 19, at EPA Region 5 Office, 77 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL
- January 20, at EPA Region 9 Office, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA
- January 25, at EPA Region 8 Office, 1595 Wynkoop Street, Denver, CO
- January 26, at EPA Region 6 Office, 1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 1200 Dallas, TX
- January 28, at EPA HQ Office, Ariel Rios Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.
For questions or comments contact Mark Gorman (202/464-4015), Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. |
Potomac Watershed Assessment Briefing
A briefing will be held on
Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 at 2:30pm in Rayburn 2253 to
discuss a
project by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, The Nature Conservancy, and
the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin. The "Middle
Potomac River Watershed Assessment," is a collaborative, 2.5-year
project
that will quantify Potomac watershed environmentally sustainable flows
-- flows
that sustain healthy river ecosystems and the goods and services that
humans
derive from them. This project will identify key human and ecological
needs and
how these might be balanced and mitigated to prevent water use conflicts
and
ecological degradation.
For more information, contact Rachel Dawson (202/464-4016), Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. |
FTA Changes Transit Funding Guidelines
DOT Secretary Ray LaHood announced the Federal Transit Administration would be dropping the cost-effectiveness index for its New Starts and Small Starts programs. The previous criteria which rated projects based on cost and time saved to the exclusion of other aspects will now include "livability issues" such as economic development and environmental benefits. House Transportation and Infrastructure committee Chairman James L. Oberstar and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit Peter A. DeFazio gave a press release applauding the FTA's decision. The release emphasized "Today's announcement does not mean that costs will no longer be evaluated in the New Starts approval process. It means that there will be more balance among the benefits of transit projects as compared to the costs." The FTA will initiate a rulemaking process seeking public comment on the funding guidelines for New Starts and Small Starts Programs.
For more information, contact Fritz Ohrenschall (202/464-4020), Research Associate at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. | |
