On December 4, 2012, the Senate and House Great Lakes Task Forces convened, in coordination with the NEMWI's Great Lakes Washington Program, a briefing focused on Great Lakes Water Levels.  The Co-Chairs of the Great Lakes Task Force, Senators Levin and Kirk, and Representatives Miller, Duffy, Dingell, and Slaughter were honorary cosponsors of the briefing. Topics covered included:  the recent low water levels in Lakes Michigan and Huron; a March 2012 report released by the International Joint Commission and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and public comment received on the report; and options for addressing the recommendations within the report. Speakers included: Dr. Charles Lawson, Secretary to the U.S. Section of the International Joint Commission; Col. Bob Peterson, Deputy Engineer at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Debbie Lee, Chief of the Water Management Division of the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and Scott Thieme, Deputy District Engineer for Project Management of the Detroit District at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Representative Dan Benishek (MI-1) attended the briefing and remarked how the low water levels have impacted the economy of the Great Lakes, including recreational and commercial aspects. Briefing presentations can be found here.  

For more information, contact Danielle Chesky, Director, Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $1.2 million in grants to 50 non-profit and tribal organizations seeking to address environmental justice issues.  Nineteen of the grants were awarded to organizations in the Northeast-Midwest region, four of which are based in Massachusetts. The grants will allow  organizations to provide education, conduct research, and develop solutions to local health and environmental issues in low-income areas. This round of grants are geared toward support of "activities that address a range of community concerns including restoring and protecting waterways, reducing exposure to air pollutants from diesel exhaust and seeking healthier alternatives to household pesticides."  The press release can be found here and the full list of recipients here. 

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

The NALGEP Brownfield Communities Network will host a webinar on Tuesday, December 11 from 2:00-3:15 pm EST on new EPA strategies for the revitalization of petroleum brownfields and examples of projects that have successfully leveraged multiple funding sources to revitalize petroleum brownfields in systematic, sustainable ways. Guests include: Ann Carroll, EPA Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization; Robin Parker, EPA Office of Underground Storage Tanks; and Mr. Beverly T. "B.T." Fitzpatrick III, City Planner/GIS Analyst for the City of Roanoke, Virginia. Register here or contact Kristina Byrne (202-714-3342) with questions.

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

In the coming weeks, the New Partners for Smart Growth Conference will roll out "Envision Your Sustainable Community," an online town hall forum sponsored by MindMixer. This platform will allow for an interactive conversation about envisioning sustainable communities, overcoming challenges to implement smart growth, and sharing success stories and best practices to create more sustainable communities. The roll out of the forum will precede the 12th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference, to be held February 7-9, 2013 in Kansas City, MO. For more information about the conference, and to register, visit the New Partners for Smart Growth website.

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