|
Rep. Duffy to Co-Chair Great Lakes Task Force
|
The Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition last week welcomed Congressman Sean Duffy (R-WI) as the fourth co-chairman of the House Great Lakes Task Force. Congressman Duffy will serve as co-chair with Congressman John Dingell (D-MI), Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY), and Congresswoman Candice Miller (R-MI). The Great Lakes Task Force is a bipartisan, bicameral group that works collaboratively to enhance and sustain the economic and environmental well-being of the Great Lakes. About his appointment Rep. Duffy said, "The Great Lakes are some of our most precious resources and I am honored to be selected as co-chair of the House Great Lakes Task Force. As a life-long resident of Northern Wisconsin, I understand all the great things the Lakes have to offer, and I look forward to working with both parties to protect them for generations to come."
For more information, contact Leah Konrady, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
|
|
EPA Develops New Planning Approach to Improve Water Quality in U.S. Cities
|
In a move which should improve Northeast-Midwest cities' ability to implement Clean Water Act standards, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a commitment to using an integrated planning process to help local governments achieve clean water by controlling and managing releases of wastewater and stormwater runoff more efficiently and cost effectively. The integrated planning process will help municipalities prioritize infrastructure investments to address the most serious water quality issues and provide flexibility to use innovative, cost-effective stormwater and wastewater management solutions. Philadelphia has already begun implementing its Green City, Clean Waters plan, which aims to incorporate innovative green infrastructure practices into its Combined Sewer Overflow Long Term Control Plan. View the full release here.
For more information, contact Colleen Cain, Senior Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
|
|
EPA Releases Fracking Study Plan
|
Last week, the US Environmental Protection Agency released its plan for undertaking a study of hydraulic fracturing in unconventional oil and gas development. The plan outlines EPA's intention to study the full life cycle of water used or potentially impacted in the process. Initial findings will be released in 2012, with the full report expected in 2014. Find this and other stories on the Northeast-Midwest Institute's Mid-Atlantic Watersheds Blog.
|
|
NEMWI Seeking New Talent for Important Regional Initiatives
|
The NEMWI will soon post position descriptions for four exciting and substantive project leadership roles at the Institute. Most of the positions require multi-disciplinary senior skill sets in science and policy arenas. Watch the NEMWI website's jobs page. Qualified individuals who are highly motivated to improve the Northeast-Midwest region's environment and economy through creative and collaborative projects are encouraged to apply. The positions will: - Oversee a major multi-year collaborative project with the USGS to assess and improve the NEMW region's "Water Information Supply." This project will assure that the region's monitoring capacity for water quality and quantity can supply information necessary to answer critical questions raised by likely natural resource development scenarios for the region;
- Help Mississippi River Cities and Towns to organize to form a new voice in Washington on behalf of Mississippi River natural resource management issues;
- Lead an effort to research a range of regional economic development and environmental protection scenarios revolving around the network of Great Lakes river mouths, and associated waterborne transportation facilities and infrastructure;
- Lead the Great Ships Initiative's invasive species risk-release survey design and implementation process. The work will focus on methods for measuring and analyzing propagule pressure associated with ballast water discharge and invasive species establishment in Great Lakes harbors. This work will help inform the region on "how clean is clean?" when it comes to live organisms in ballast water discharge.
|
