Allegra Cangelosi, Director of Environmental Projects for the Northeast-Midwest Institute will serve as a member of a new National Academise of Sciences/National Research Council (NAS/NRC) committee on standards for aquatic invasive species in ballast water. The EPA and U.S. Coast Guard requested the NRC to conduct a study that will significantly inform their efforts to derive environmentally protective numeric ballast water discharge limits in the next Vessel General Permit. The study will take into account estuarine and freshwater systems, including the Great Lakes and other
inland navigable waters, as well as the waters of the three-mile territorial sea, considering what implications their differing environmental and ecological conditions might have for the development of allowable concentrations of living organisms in discharged ballast water. The study will produce a report within 18 months.
 
For more information contact Allegra Cangelosi (202-464-4007) at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.

The Society for Wetland Scientists, Restore America's Estuaries, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Environmental Law Institute are co-hosting a Panel Discussion entitled "Resilient Wetlands = Prosperous Economies; How Restoring and Conserving Wetlands Supports Economic Productivity," on Wednesday, May 19; from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m., in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, Room HVC-215.  RSVP by May 14 to yoder@eli.org or (202) 939-3829.  For more information, included in a Flyer on the panel, see here.

• Chesapeake Bay Executive Order
• Congressional Marcellus Shale Actions
• USDA Chesapeake Grants
• WRDA 2010

The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service will brief congressional staff on their Great Lakes restoration and protection efforts. This briefing will focus on the many tangible actions, past and present, that the Service's Environmental Contaminants Program has implemented to address contaminant issues as part of a larger effort to achieve the vision of restored, protected and sustainable Great Lakes. The Great Lakes are threatened and degraded by toxic substances from contaminated sediments; industrial and municipal point sources; oil and chemical spills; nonpoint sources including atmospheric deposition; agricultural and urban runoff; contaminated groundwater; and cycling of chemicals within the Lakes.  The briefing will be held on May 19th at 10:00 a.m. in S-212 of the Capitol Visitor's Center.

For more information contact Joy Mulinex at the Great Lakes Task Forces.

The Northeast-Midwest Institute, in coordination with the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition is sponsoring a film screening on infrastructure with Rep. Brian Higgins (NY-27).  The film, Beyond the Motor City, part of PBS's Blueprint America series focuses on the transportation infrastructure of Detroit and its ability to transform the way people are transported.  The film touches on infrastructure disinvestment and auto-centric cities juxtaposing them with cities using a variety of modes and modern infrastructure.  The event will feature statements by the Congressman as well as a discussion with the film's director, Aaron Woolf.

The screening will take place at 5:30 on the evening of Tuesday June 1 at the Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society in Buffalo, NY.

For more information contact Fritz Ohrenschall (202-464-4020), at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.