To Discuss Cybersecurity in the Manufacturing Sector
A virtual briefing on Thursday, March 30, from 2:00 to 3:15 p.m. (ET) presented by NEMWI and its partner AMCC will discuss cybersecurity in the manufacturing sector.
The briefing will include a presentation on the White House's National Cybersecurity Strategy, as well as remarks by regional leaders presenting manufacturing security efforts underway in different regions of the country.
U.S. Army Corps Delays Construction of Line 5 Tunnel
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District announced this week that it is extending its permitting decision by a year-and-a-half regarding two federal permits necessary for Enbridge to move forward with its Line 5 tunnel project in the Mackinac Straights in Michigan.
Enbridge, a Canadian energy company, currently runs Line 5, a pipeline that runs through the Mackinac Straights and could pose a tremendous environmental threat to the Great Lakes if the lines were to fail. The Corps said it was extending its decision timeline after receiving more than 17,000 public comments regarding the proposed tunnel project.
The State of Michigan and Enbridge have been continually at odds over Line 5. The previous governor, Rick Snyder, negotiated a deal requiring Enbridge to build a tunnel beneath the lake bed to house the pipeline. However, opponents of Line 5 continue to advocate for the pipeline to be shut down immediately, citing its age and the threat an oil spill would pose to the straits. Enbridge maintains that it can operate the pipeline safely until it is eventually relocated into a tunnel bored deep beneath the lakebed.
In 2020, Governor Gretchen Whitmer terminated the 1953 easement allowing Enbridge to operate dual pipelines in the Straits of Mackinac to transport petroleum and other products. However, even with the Governor’s actions, Enbridge continues to operate the pipeline.
U.S. Senate Holds Hearing on Implementing IIJA's
Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Provisions
The U.S. Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works on Wednesday, March 15th, conducted a hearing on implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), focusing on drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. The hearing presented the importance of oversight in helping to deliver clean drinking water to households and schools around the country.
Opening the hearing, Committee Chair Senator Thomas Carper (D-DE) stated that the focus of the hearing is to examine the implementation of the drinking water and wastewater portions of the bipartisan infrastructure law, the IIJA. Ranking Member Senator Shelley Capito (R-WV) stated that all Americans deserve to have reliable, affordable water and sanitation.
Among the witnesses providing testimony was Radhika Fox, Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, who provided an update on EPA's implementation of the historic water infrastructure investments through the bipartisan law. She stated that providing states with flexibility on meeting their local water needs, increasing investment in disadvantaged communities, and addressing major contaminants within water are some of the many ways that the EPA has implemented the IIJA.
Other witnesses presented perspectives on the IIJA’s implementation in terms of keeping the costs low for communities when implementing new ways to have clean drinking water more accessible. Randy Hayman, Commissioner and CEO of the Philadelphia Water Department, noted that the nation is long overdue for a landmark investment in water infrastructure. Thomas Sigmund, President and Executive Director of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, noted that the cost to provide clean and safe water has only gone up, and that it is imperative to reduce costs on sustainable drinking water and improving wastewater infrastructure.
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