The Northeast-Midwest Institute and the American Manufacturing Communities Collaborative will be holding a briefing titled Bottom-Up: Advancing the Manufacturing Community Model at 2:00 p.m. (EDT) on Wednesday, April 13th.
The topic of the briefing will be a relatively new bottom-up method of delivering federal program interventions for regional manufacturing communities. This discussion will cover the recent “Manufacturing Community” designations in federal programs like IMCP,DMCSP,LEAP and the Tech Hubs program in the pending USICA-America Competes Act legislation. The briefing will examine national trends in this space and include a description of experiences from several regional leaders to inform federal policy making.
AMCC is a coalition of many of these federally designated manufacturing communities and other stakeholders with regional economic development initiatives underway dedicated to achieving sustainable development through economic growth, improved environmental performance, and inclusive well-paid job creation.
Click here to RSVP. A link will be sent following registration.
Great Lakes and Water Policy Bills Progressing in Congress
There has been significant action on Great Lakes and water policy bills in the past few weeks. The Coast Guard Authorization Act, sponsored by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR-4), has passed the House, and Sen. Amy Kloubuchar’s (D-MN) Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 has passed the Senate. The Modernizing Access to Public Land (MAPLand) Act, sponsored by Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT-1), has cleared both houses and awaits President Biden’s signature.
A few new bills also have been introduced in Congress. The Federal PFAS Research Evaluation Act has been introduced by Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX-7) to aid a PFAS research agenda, and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA-17) has introduced the Future of Water Act of 2022, which would amend the Commodity Exchange Act to prevent the trade of water futures. This bill has a companion in the Senate sponsored by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
The Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife last Tuesday convened for a hearing on the implementation of the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act (DWWIA), a provision of the larger Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) which passed in fall 2021.
Senators on the Subcommittee asked stakeholders–which included leaders from two regional water systems associations, the Mayor of Newark, New Jersey, and a former chief counsel for the EPW–to evaluate the EPA’s implementation of the DWWIA. Each speaker emphasized the new and additional resources that the DWWIA, and the BIL, have presented for local communities across the nation to upgrade outdated wastewater and drinking water systems. The act provides supplemental funding through FY 2026 for state revolving fund (SRF) programs, allowing states to develop forgivable/low-interest loan and grant programs that fit the specific needs of local communities.
Mayor Ras J. Baraka of Newark, New Jersey provided committee members with an outline of how his city was able to develop innovative policy and funding mechanisms and replace all public and private lead pipes in the city in just three years. Mayor Baraka’s plan emphasized employing local contractors and laborers, creating economic and environmental benefits for the community. It was noted that given the increased funding for lead service line replacement created under the BIL, it is useful for municipal and state governments to review this case study as they develop their own programs.
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This Week in Washington
No relevant Senate or House hearings this week as Congress is in recess.
