May Mid-Atlantic Watersheds Update Released 

• EPA Clean Water Act guidance
• FY11, FY12 budget and appropriations
• Stormwater bill introduction
• Fracking hearings and agency actions

Nuclear Material Shipment on Great Lakes Delayed 

A plan to ship 16 radioactive steam generators across three Great Lakes by a Canadian power company has been delayed.  Bruce Power, Inc. delayed the shipments, withdrawing their application to the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to review their plan and address its critics.  The planned shipment has already received licenses from Canada's Nuclear Safety Commission but because the route will cross into American territory,  U.S. government permits are also required.  The plan calls for a 387-foot ship leaving Owen Sound in Lake Huron and traveling through the St. Lawrence Seaway for recycling in Sweden.  Great Lakes water quality is a priority of NEMWI.  For more coverage see the article at Chem.Info. 

Northeast and Great Lakes Area Green Infrastructure Webinar 

On May 26 at 2pm the National Association of Counties (NACO) is holding a webinar entitled, "Green Infrastructure in Your Backyard: Northeast & Great Lakes Area."  Green Infrastructure has been utilized by counties to address regional issues, such as flooding, drought, stormwater runoff, and habitat fragmentation. Join the webinar to learn how urban metropolitan regions are planning green infrastructure to manage storm-water and environmental services.  The webinar is directed to counties in the following states, although all are welcome and encouraged to participate: IL, IN, MI, WI, MN, ME, NH, MA, NY, NJ, PA, WV, VA, and OH.  To register, visit the GoToWebinar site. 

"Where Ohio Needs To Go" Forum

On Wednesday, June 1, community leaders and elected officials from across Ohio will take part in a discussion about how federal transportation policies and investments can better advance economic and social equity. The forum, called "Where Ohio Needs to Go: A Statewide Conversation on Transportation Equity & Federal Policy" will take place from 6-8pm at the Statehouse Atrium in Columbus, OH.  The event is hosted by: All Aboard Ohio, Amalgamated Transit Union, The Amos Project, The Kirwan Institute for Race and Ethnicity, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Ohio Higher Education Rail Network Institute, Ohio Olmstead Taskforce, Ohio Statewide Independent Living Council, PolicyLink, Policy Matters Ohio, ProgressOhio, and Transport Workers Union. You can RSVP here.

Amtrak Pursuing Private Investment  

As part of its plan to develop a high-speed rail system on the Northeast Corridor, Amtrak is pursuing private investment to supplement its other sources of funding.  "Amtrak will aggressively pursue private investment, in combination with funding from the federal government and from other public sources, to achieve our goal of initiating true high-speed rail from Washington to Boston," said Al Engel, Amtrak's Vice President for High-Speed Rail.  In April, Amtrak released a request for proposals for a business and financial plan that could help spur progress on the Northeast Corridor.  Find coverage in RailwayAge magazine.  In related news, House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) is continuing his push to bring more private-sector involvement to the nation's budding high-speed rail network with a hearing Thursday, May 26, focused on the Northeast Corridor.  The hearing is at 10 a.m. in 2167 Rayburn.