NEMWI Weekly Update
June 14, 2021
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NEMWI Holds Great Lakes Primer and Orientation Session on Climate Change and Resiliency

The Northeast-Midwest Institute held the third session of the Great Lakes Primer and Orientation Program last week on climate change and resiliency issues in the Great Lakes. Participants included Howard Lerner with the Environmental Law & Policy Center, Eric Brown with the Great Lakes Commission, and Matt Doss with the Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Cities Initiative.

Issues that were discussed included how climate change is impacting the Great Lakes; rising water levels and their impacts on the region; and local and state efforts to build resiliency in the Great Lakes. A recording of the webinar can be viewed here.

Additionally, you may access a previously held webinar on the Great Lakes Resiliency study that includes presentations by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Coastal States Organization, and the Great Lakes Commission, here. 
 
Please stay tuned for an announcement about future sessions of the Great Lakes Primer and Orientation Program. 
AMCC AND NEMWI To Host Webinar
on Manufacturing Executive Orders and Legislation

Please join the American Manufacturing Communities Collaborative (AMCC), the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), and the Brookings Institution for a Briefing on Recent White House Executive Orders and Legislation Aimed at Advancing American Manufacturing. In addition to invited Congressional and White House representatives, the briefing will feature Mark Muro of the Brookings Institution, Stephen Ezell from ITIF, and Dr. Ronald Williams, the Director of Strategic Entrepreneurship, Coppin State University.

To register for this AMCC webinar, use this link here.
Biden Administration To Revisit Trump-Era Water Rule

The Biden Administration announced last week that it would formally repeal the Navigable Waters Protection Rule, a rule issued under the Trump Administration that would revise the definition for “waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act. Opponents of the Trump rule have argued that it would remove important federal pollution oversight from tributaries of major waterways throughout the country. While no formal timetable has been laid out by EPA, it is expected that the agency will focus on crafting a more expansive definition of waterways subject to federal water protections under the Clean Water Act.
House Committee Marks Up Key Infrastructure Bills

The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure last week marked up two infrastructure bills that would authorize key surface transportation and water infrastructure programs. The INVEST in America Act and the Water Quality Protection and Job Creation Act of 2021 are now able to advance to the full House for a vote likely sometime this summer. However, it is also anticipated that a drinking water infrastructure component, which is under the jurisdiction of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, could also be added to these two bills before they are considered by the full House.

The INVEST in America Act is a five-year, $547 billion surface transportation reauthorization bill that directs federal investments in roads, bridges, transit, and rail.

The Water Quality Protection and Job Creation Act invests $50 billion to address wastewater infrastructure needs throughout the country, including $40 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. 
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This Week in Washington
In the Senate:

Tuesday, Jun 15, 2021 10:00 AM – WEBEX| Host: Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

Tuesday, Jun 15, 2021 3:00 PM – SR-253| Host: Commerce, Science, and Transportation - Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion
In the House:

Tuesday, June 15th, 2021 10:00 AM Host: Committee on Natural Resources | Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources

Tuesday, June 15th, 2021 11:00 AM | Committee on Agriculture | Subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit

Tuesday, June 15th, 2021 1:00 PM | Host: Committee on Natural Resources | Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands
Notheast-Midwest Institute | nemw.org