| Northeast-Midwest Institute Weekly Update |
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New Date for NEMWI Federal Interagency Floodplain Management Task Force Webinar
| The Northeast-Midwest Institute will host the last webinar in a series of four Natural Floodplain Function Alliance-sponsored presentations on floodplain issues. The "Federal Interagency Floodplain Management Task Force Webinar," originally scheduled on August 23, was postponed due to that day's east coast earthquake. The new date for the webinar is Wednesday, September 21, 2011 from 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT (2:00 PM - 3:00 PM CDT). This webinar will present an overview of the Task Force: its history, goals and objectives, and current activities. Presenters will include Pete Rabbon, Special Assistant on the National Flood Risk Management Program with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, John McShane, with the USEPA's Office of Water, and Dave Stearrett, Chief, Floodplain Management Branch at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Click here to be directed to a webinar registration page. After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.
For more information, contact Mark Gorman, Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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Surface Transportation Authorization Bill Expires At End of Month
| SAFETEA-LU, the law authorizing the federal government's transportation program is set to expire again after its seventh extension runs out out on the last day of this month if no Congressional action is taken. Program expiration has major implications for the NEMW region's transportation-related employment, aging infrastructure, and large network of public transit systems. As of yet no new bill is being debated in either house, making another extension more likely than re-authorization. Highway Trust Fund revenue is unable to support the transportation program at current levels. The two authorizing committees are debating the level of funding that the federal transportation program should receive. Both AASHTO and APTA support extension and a quick reauthorization. For a look at some proposals, see Joung Lee's "Life After SAFETEA-LU" presentation.
For more information, contact Fritz Ohrenschall, Research Associate at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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NEMWI to Host Great Lakes Beach Health and Safety Policy Briefing
| This Friday, the Northeast-Midwest Institute, along with honorary co-sponsors the House and Senate Great Lakes Task Forces, will host a briefing for Congressional staffers on Great Lakes beach health and safety policy. The number of beach closures in the Great Lakes region is on the rise, and the public is asking whether it's safe to swim. Keeping beaches in the Great Lakes open and healthy is critical for residents, tourists, and the regional economy. The coastline of the Great Lakes in the U.S. is nearly 5,500 miles long and beaches along this coastline face unique contamination sources. Briefing speakers will include Cam Davis, Special Advisor to the Administrator of EPA, and Jon Devine from the Natural Resources Defense Council.
For more information, contact Leah Konrady, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program.
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NEMWI to Host Film-Screening and Panel Discussion on Revitalizing Small Older Industrial Cities: October 13
| NEMWI, with support from the Rockefeller Foundation, the State of Vermont's Department of Tourism and Marketing, and the German Marshall Fund, is hosting a Capitol Hill-based screening of "The Blood in This Town," a new documentary that chronicles Rutland, VT's drive to revitalize. The film uses Rutland's Gift-of-Life Marathon blood drive to explore how an ailing rust-belt town can rebuild from the grassroots up. The free event will also include a reception featuring VT products and a panel discussion on post-industrial revitalization of small cities and towns. Save the date for a unique event on October 13, 2011 from 6-9pm in the Capitol Visitor Center, Washington, D.C. More details will be provided in the coming weeks.
For more information, contact Colleen Cain, Senior Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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EPA Releases Guide to Sustainable Transportation Performance Measures
| Many transportation agencies are being called upon by stakeholders to plan, build, and operate transportation systems that - in addition to achieving the important goals of mobility and safety - support a variety of environmental, economic, and social objectives. EPA has released a guidebook that describes opportunities for transportation agencies to incorporate these considerations into decision-making through the use of performance measures. Local and regional transportation agencies are increasingly using sustainable transportation performance measurement to target their investments more effectively. This document provides examples of best practices being applied across the country, including, from the NEMW region, the Delaware Valley, Columbus, Chicago, and Southwestern PA. Read the press release here.
For more information, contact Colleen Cain, Senior Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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