| Northeast-Midwest Institute Weekly Update |
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NEMW Coalition Leads Letters to House Appropriations Committee on NEMW Regional Priorities
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NEMW Coalition Members co-led several bipartisan programmatic appropriations letters supporting funding for programs important to the region in the FY2014 appropriations process. The Coalition led more letters this year than in the past few years, including funding support for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program, Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms (TAAF), Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), and Clean Water, Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs. NEMW Congressional Coalition Co-Chairs Reps. Mike Kelly and Jim McGovern co-led MEP and were joined by 65 Members calling for level funding. Co-Chair Rep. Jim McGovern, Coalition Member Rep. Mike Turner, and others co-led the support letter for TAAF, calling for level funding at $15.8 million; it was signed by 51 Members. Co-Chair Rep. Jim McGovern and Coalition Members Reps. Ed Markey, Chris Gibson, Peter Welch, and Lou Barletta, among others, co-led a request for LIHEAP, calling for $5.1 billion; it was signed by 127 Members. NEMW Great Lakes Task Force Co-Chairs Reps. John Dingell and Louise Slaughter and Coalition Members Reps. Dan Benishek, David Joyce, and Sander Levin co-led a support letter for GLRI, calling for $300 million; they were joined by 33 Members. Co-Chair Rep. Jim McGovern and Coalition Members Reps. Lou Barletta and Chris Gibson, among others, co-led CDBG, calling for $3.3 billion; the letter was signed by 144 Members. Co-Chair Rep. Jim McGovern also co-led the SRF letter with others, calling for critical funding; it was signed by 55 Members.
For more information, contact Kate Ostrander, Legislative Director of the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition.
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USDA Announces Over $200 Million in Superstorm Sandy Assistance to NEMW States
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a $209 million disaster assistance package to help farmers, land owners, and communities recover from Superstorm Sandy, which hit the Northeast-Midwest region in October 2012. Funding would go to: the Emergency Conservation Program, which supports debris removal, repair of damaged farmland, and restoration of conservation structures; the Emergency Forest Restoration Program, which assists eligible owners of nonindustrial private forest to restore damaged forestland; and the Emergency Watershed Protection Program, which will receive the most funding ($171 million) and provides support to reduce hazards like debris in streams jeopardizing water control structures. Ten of the 12 recipient states are in the NEMW region: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. Funding is provided through the supplemental appropriations passed by Congress and signed by the President in January 2013.
For more information, contact Mark Gorman, Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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Mayors Build Partnerships for the Mississippi River
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In March, Mayor Wharton of Memphis, TN represented NEMWI's MS River Cities & Towns Initiative (MRCTI) at the National Funders' Network Annual Meeting (photo below). Mayor Wharton gave the audience of over 200 people an update on the progress of MRCTI and the mayors' policy platform for the Mississippi River as part of an effort between MRCTI and the Funders' Network to build dialogue between River cities and the community foundations that reside within them.
In April, Mayor Thompson of Grafton, IL delivered remarks on behalf of MRCTI to the America's Wetland Foundation meeting in Chicago. The Foundation met on Mississippi River issues and to forge a path forward similar to what has been crafted for the Gulf of Mexico, where broad public consensus regarding a solution is developed through a series of meetings throughout a region. Mayor Thompson said that mayors recognize the need to forgo some local benefit in order to realize collective benefit for the River. Mayor Thompson also iterated the importance of cities learning to live 'with' the River instead of against it or in spite of it.
For more information, contact Colin Wellenkamp, Director of the MS River Cities & Towns Initiative at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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DOT Makes Latest Round of TIGER Grants Available
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The Department of Transportation (DOT) has made available $473.8 million in funds for National Infrastructure Investments (known as TIGER Discretionary Grants). These funds will be awarded on a competitive basis for projects that will have a significant impact on the nation, a metropolitan area, or a region. The Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA), as well as more information on project eligibility, application requirements, and other details can be found here. Final applications are due June 3, 2013. By law, all funds must be obligated by September 30, 2014. Applicants must demonstrate that the project can meet all local, State and federal requirements by June 30, 2014.
For more information, contact Colin Wellenkamp, Director of the MS River Cities & Towns Initiative at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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Webinar: CHP as a Boiler Replacement Opportunity: April 30
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EPA's Combined Heat and Power Partnership will host a webinar on Tuesday, April 30th, from 1:00 to 2:00pm (EDT) describing how CHP can effectively replace on-site boilers and grid-supplied electricity. To register for this webinar, visit the reservation site. Webinar speakers will focus on economic, operational, and environmental benefits:
- Susan Wickwire (Manager, US EPA CHP Partnership) will moderate the webinar and provide background on the opportunity and benefits of replacing a boiler system with a CHP system;
- Jay Weist, P.E. (Business Development Director, Worley Parsons) will present a project developer perspective on key considerations when evaluating CHP as a boiler replacement option; and
- Paul Moser (Superintendent of Steam Services, Penn State University) will talk about Penn State's experience replacing an aging boiler with a CHP system.
For more information, contact Colleen Cain, Senior Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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Webinar: Brownfields BUILD Act: May 8
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Smart Growth America will host a webinar on the Brownfields Utilization, Investment and Local Development (BUILD) Act, recently introduced by Senators Lautenberg (D-NJ), Inhofe (R-OK), Crapo (R-ID), and Udall (D-NM). The BUILD Act of 2013 would reauthorize EPA's Brownfields Program. It would also expand non-profit eligibility to receive brownfields grants and allow the EPA to award flexible multipurpose grants to take into account the varied nature of many projects. The webinar will take place on May 8 at 2:00pm EDT. Register here.
For more information, contact Colleen Cain, Senior Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. |
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