| Northeast-Midwest Institute Weekly Update |
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National Research Council Critical of Obama Administration's Principles and Guidelines Update
| On December 2 the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) released its highly-anticipated report on the draft Principles and Standards proposed last year by the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). In the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (WRDA) Congress directed the Secretary of the Army to revise the Principles and Guidelines (P&G) that had guided water resources project planning for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Tennessee Valley Authority since the early 1980s. The Obama Administration is seeking to update and to expand the scope of the P&G (i.e., to cover all federal agencies that undertake water resource projects, not just the four agencies currently subject to the P&G). As part of that effort, the CEQ released its "Proposed National Objectives, Principles and Standards for Water and Related Resources Implementation Studies" in December, 2009 (see CEQ's web page here).
The NAS report from the National Research Council (NRC) is a review of that 2009 document (a review directed by Congress in WRDA 2007). A link to the entire NRC report, along with supporting materials, can be found here. The NRC is critical of CEQ's effort in its report, finding, in part, that "the 2009 proposed revisions lack clarity and consistency in several respects. Given that the 2009 document represents only a partial revision to the P&G document, and given several areas of ambiguity and incompleteness in the 2009 proposed revisions, detailed advice on specific planning procedures at this point would be premature. As CEQ proceeds with further revisions to the P&G document, clarification and specification in these areas detailed (herein) will be necessary for the document to be of value to CEQ and the federal agencies that will use the document in decision making."
For more information contact Mark Gorman, Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. |
USDA Announces Three Key Mississippi River Basin Funding Initiatives for Fiscal Year 2011
| During this past week, the USDA made three announcements that focus on Mississippi River Basin clean water initiatives under the agency's purview. These included a Fiscal Year 2011 Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (or MRBI) Request for Proposals, a Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) program funding announcement, and an announcement of continued funding for existing water quality improvement projects in the Mississippi River Basin under the MRBI.
A press release was issued on Monday, announcing that USDA will fund 70 existing conservation projects in 41 eligible watersheds in 12 states during the 2011 Fiscal Year as a continuing part of its MRBI. (the 12 states are Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin).
Also on Monday, USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) published a Federal Register notice (PDF file here) announcing a request for proposals (RFP) for 2011 Fiscal Year MRBI Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI; $15 million) and Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program (WREP; $25 million) funding. NRCS will provide assistance for projects in 43 designated watershed focus areas (8-digit HUCs) in 13 states (Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, South Dakota, and Wisconsin). Proposals are due by January 28, 2011.
On Tuesday, NRCS published the 2011 Fiscal Year CIG funding announcement on its web site, calling for special CIG emphases in the Chesapeake Bay and Mississippi River watersheds. The actual notice (PDF file) is here. Under CIG, Environmental Quality Incentives Program funds (an anticipated $25 million in Fiscal Year 2011) are used to award competitive grants to non-Federal governmental or non-governmental organizations, Tribes, or individuals. For the Mississippi River Basin, according to the NRCS announcement, "only pre-proposals that demonstrate the use of innovative technologies and/or approaches to address at least one bulleted topic specific to and within the Mississippi River Basin and address the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI) objectives to manage and optimize nutrient management, reduce downstream nutrient loads, maintain agricultural productivity, and enhance wildlife and other ecosystem services will be considered." Applications for the pre-proposal phase must be received at the NRCS National Headquarters by 4 p.m. EST, on December 28; selected pre-proposal applications will be announced by January 17. Full proposal packages will be due by March 4.
For more information contact Mark Gorman, Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. |
| Input on National Flood Insurance Program Reform Alternatives Sought | The Federal Emergency Management Agency ("FEMA") is involved in an effort to identify options for reforming the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), and has, for over a decade, sought input and conducted internal assessments on NFIP and its management by FEMA. This effort has culminated in a three-phase thorough evaluation, the first two of which were completed in 2009 and the first part of 2010. Those first two phases involved (1) capturing stakeholder concerns and recommendations from a November 2009 NFIP Listening Session, and (2) creating an NFIP Reform Working Group to conduct additional analyses of stakeholder feedback and develop NFIP evaluation criteria (see this FEMA NFIP reform page for more background information). The third and final phase has now begun (creating a portfolio of public policy options and evaluating them using the criteria developed in Phase II).
On December 2, FEMA hosted a meeting in Washington, D.C. to describe, update and explain the public policy options being presented for consideration and to hear comments from interested stakeholders (a second similar meeting will be held on December 9, in Denver, CO). At the December 2 meeting FEMA (photos here) presented four policy "themes" and two to four alternatives for moving forward with reform within each of the four theme areas. The four policy theme areas (and links to PDF files for further descriptions) are:
* Privatization of the National Flood Insurance Program
* Community-Based Flood Insurance Options
* Federal Assistance Options
* National Flood Insurance Program Optimization
After the alternatives have been refined and vetted (taking into account public feedback from the two December meetings and comments provided online (see below)), the NFIP Reform Working Group will evaluate the proposed policy alternatives and score them using the evaluation and weighting criteria developed during Phase II. The policy alternative with the highest score, or a combination of high-scoring elements from several of the alternatives, will become the recommended NFIP Reform policy that will be developed into a full NFIP Reform package (including any proposed legislative, regulations and policy. The package will then be submitted to senior management in FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security leadership for consideration.
FEMA continues to solicit input from stakeholders on their NFIP reform effort and related policy alternatives. Comments can be submitted through Friday, December 31, to the NFIP Reform Working Group here.
For more information contact Mark Gorman, Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. |
November Update on Mississippi River Basin Issues Released
| The November Update (PDF file) from the Northeast-Midwest Institute on Mississippi River Basin issues is now available on line. If that link doesn't work, you can cut and paste the following into your Internet browser's address field: http://www.nemw.org/images/2010-11%20Upper%20Mississippi%20River%20Basin%20Newsletter.pdf.
This month's Update contains these items: - LEGISLATION
- 111th and 112th Congresses
- Water Resources Development Act
- BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS
- Continuing Resolution and Prospects for an Appropriation Bill
- RIVER BASIN NEWS AND NOTES
- NRC Report: Improving Water Quality in the Mississippi River Basin and Northern Gulf of Mexico
- The Consequences of Dams Conference
- Most River Flows across U.S. Altered by Land and Water Management, Leading to Ecological Degradation
- National Great Rivers Research and Education Center Confluence Field Station Dedicated
- Delta Dispatches
- Upcoming Conferences, Events and Workshops
For more information contact Mark Gorman, Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. |
Registration Open for Brownfields 2011 Conference
| Registration is open for the 2011 National Brownfields Conference which takes place April 3-5, 2011 in Philadelphia (click here to register). The conference is the largest, most comprehensive event focused on cleaning up and redeveloping abandoned, underutilized, and potentially contaminated properties in the nation. There is no better deal in the redevelopment marketplace than Brownfields 2011 because registration is FREE! The conference is cosponsored by the U.S. EPA and ICMA, and attracts more than six thousand registrants and hundreds of exhibitors.
Brownfields 2011 will offer:
- More than 100 lively panel sessions, interactive roundtable discussions and engaging town hall meetings
- Real-world projects showcased in mobile workshops and tours
- Exciting plenary speakers and networking events
- More than 200 solutions-oriented product and service providers in the Exhibit Hall
- Film screenings, volunteer activities and other special events
- The Economic Redevelopment Forum
- The Environmental Justice Caucus
- Regional EPA Open Houses
Whether you're a newcomer to the world of economic and environmental redevelopment, or a seasoned professional looking to make new connections and increase your business, Brownfields 2011 offers something for everyone.
For more information visit the conference website at www.brownfields2011.org.
For more information contact Greg Lewis, Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. |
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