| Northeast-Midwest Institute Weekly Update |
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NEMW at Power Up Conference ties Brownfields to Green Jobs and Sustainability
Evans Paull presented "Greening Brownfields - Green Jobs, Renewable Energy, and Energy-Efficient Locations" at the Gulf Coast Power Up Conference in Walton Beach, Florida. The presentation highlighted opportunities to place green jobs on brownfield sites, a match that heightens the community benefits of capturing green job growth.
For more information, contact Evans Paull, 202-329-4282
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Mississippi River Federal Program Briefing
The Northeast-Midwest
Institute, in coordination with the Upper Mississippi River Basin Congressional
Task Force and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, is sponsoring a Washington, DC briefing
on existing and proposed Federal programs designed to conserve and restore
water and natural resources in the Mississippi River Basin. Presenters
from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island, District, USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service and US EPA Office of Water will discuss such
issues as the Environmental Management Program, Mississippi River Healthy
Watersheds Initiative, and EPA's proposed new $17 million funding targeted at
Mississippi River Basin nonpoint source mitigation, with time set aside for
questions and discussion.
The briefing will take place
on April 15 from noon to 1:00 PM. The location will be announced in
future Weekly Updates. A light lunch will be provided.
If
you plan to attend or have any questions please RSVP/contact Mark Gorman (202-464-4015). |
Upper Mississippi Basin Protection Act Passes House
The Upper Mississippi River Basin Protection Act (HR 3671), introduced by Rep. Ron Kind (WI-3), was passed in the House on March 19. The bill calls for the development of a coordinated, public-private approach to study and reduce nutrient and sediment runoff in the Upper Mississippi River Basin and would establish a water-quality monitoring system and a computer modeling program to analyze data. The measure proposes to designate the Department of Interior, through the office of the U.S. Geological Survey, to coordinate data collection among state and federal agencies and non-governmental organizations, and establish a monitoring network to identify contamination "hot spots."
Rep. Kind is founder and, along with Rep. Tim Walz (MN-1), Co-Chair of the Upper Mississippi River Basin Congressional Task Force. The House bill has ten co-sponsors, (Reps. Berry (AZ-1), Boswell (IA-3), Braley (IA-1), Ellison (MN-5), Foster (IL-14), Hare (IL-17), Jackson (IL-2), Loebsack (IA-2), McCollum (MN-4), and Walz). Reps. Boswell and McCollum are members of the Task Force. A companion bill to the House measure (S 2779) was introduced in the Senate in November last year by Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar. The Senate bill has one co-sponsor, Senator Russell Feingold (WI), and has been referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Here is a link to Rep. Kind's media release regarding the bill's passage. The roll call vote in favor of the bill's passage was 289 - 121. Here is a breakdown of the recorded vote.For more information, contact Mark Gorman, Policy Analyst Northeast-Midwest Institute. |
Senate Great Lakes Task Force Appropriations Letter
The co-chairs of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force are circulating three appropriations letters in support of Great Lakes programs. The letters will be sent to the Agriculture Subcommittee; Commerce, Justice Science Appropriations Subcommittee; Energy and Water Subcommittee; the Interior and Environment Subcommittee; and the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee. The deadline for Members who would like to sign onto one or more of these letters is Thursday, March 25, 2010.
For more information contact Joy Mulinex, Director, Great Lakes Taskforce.
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Green Infrastructure Briefing Highlights Benefits Green in Urban Areas
On March 17, the Northeast-Midwest Institute, in coordination with the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition, sponsored and organized a staff briefing to highlight the benefits of incorporating more green space and permeable surfaces into urban areas. Specifically, the event looked into two bills, HR 2222 The Green Communities Act, sponsored by Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) and HR 4202 The Green Infrastructure for Clean Water Act, sponsored by Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD).
Representative Schwartz and Edwards both spoke to the audience about the importance of greening and how their legislation will benefit both the economic and environmental-especially water- quality of urban areas. Other presenters at the briefing included Blaine Bonham of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (presentation slides), Ken Kirk of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, and Katherine Baer of American Rivers (presentation slides).
For more information contact Greg Lewis, at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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