Weekly Update from Northeast-Midwest Institute

Northeast-Midwest Institute Weekly Update

August 22, 2011

In This Issue

Public Comments on DOE Shale Gas Report Now Available

DOT TIGER Webinars and Transit Funding

Managing Municipal Stormwater Conference

EPA Environment, Small Business, and Job Creation Stakeholder Meetings in Wisconsin and Michigan

NEMWI Seeks Intern for Fall 2011 Project

Public Comments on DOE Shale Gas Report Now Available

In May, President Obama requested that the U.S. Department of Energy look into concerns associated with shale gas development. After a 90-day review and a series of hearings, the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board released its draft report and recommendations on August 11. The report was open for public comment until August 15, 2011, and a summary of the 25,000 submissions is now available. The final report is expected on November 18. Read about this and more in the brief August installment of monthly updates on mid-Atlantic watershed issues from the Northeast-Midwest Institute. This edition also includes information on:

FY12 budget and appropriations progress
Delaware River Basin lawsuits

DOT TIGER Webinars and Transit Funding

The Department of Transportation is holding a series of webinars related to the TIGER grant program. The webinars listed below will be held from 1:00-2:30 PM EST. There are no registration fees for these sessions, but space is limited. Advance registration is required and available through the following links:

August 22th: Project Readiness/NEPA
August 24th: Public Private Partnerships & TIFIA
August 30th: MARAD Port Outreach

For more about the webinar series and for archived presentations, visit the DOT TIGER web page. These webinars coincide with the final release of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds. The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) says the phasing out of ARRA funds has increased stress on state and local budgets. In a new report, "Impacts of the Recession on Public Transportation Agencies," the Association states that nearly 80% of public transportation systems in the country have had to reduce service or increase fares because local funding has been cut or does not keep up with inflation. View the press release about the report here.

For more information, contact Colleen Cain, Senior Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.

Managing Municipal Stormwater Conference

Stormwater runoff is a problem facing many localities, especially those in the Northeast-Midwest region. In response, Penn State Cooperative Extension and its partners are providing a training on stormwater management. The conference, "Managing Municipal Stormwater: Protecting Water Quality, Streams and Communities," will take place on Wednesday, September 14, 2011 at the Days Inn, State College, PA. The program is designed to help municipalities and municipal engineers implement new, cost-effective stormwater practices. Municipalities with separate storm sewer systems (MS4) will learn more about the new applications and permitting that will be required to meet Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for the Chesapeake Bay. View the agenda and register for the program at this link.

For more information, contact Colleen Cain, Senior Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.

EPA Environment, Small Business, and Job Creation Stakeholder Meetings in Wisconsin and Michigan

U.S. EPA Assistant Administrator Mathy Stanislaus will be in Wisconsin and Michigan this week as part of a series of stakeholder meetings that he will be attending throughout the United States. As Assistant Administrator for the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, Mr. Stanislaus oversees the EPA's Brownfields Office, Superfund Office, Underground Storage Tank Office and others. Although the topics of discussion at each stakeholder meeting are expected to differ, these meetings are generally meant to discuss the environment, small business and job creation. The meetings are as follows: