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NEMWI
to Hold Briefing on Asian Carp Control in the Upper Mississippi
and Ohio River Basins
What:
Congressional Briefing on Asian Carp Control and Management in the Upper Mississippi River and Ohio River Basins
When:
Wednesday, July 25 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Where:
2167 Rayburn House Office Building
The Northeast-Midwest Institute's Mississippi River Basin Program and the Mississippi Interstate Cooperative Resource Association (MICRA) will hold a Congressional briefing to discuss the ongoing efforts to control the spread of Asian carp in the Mississippi River and Ohio River Basins on Wednesday, July 25 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in 2167 Rayburn.
The briefing will provide Congressional staff, regional and environmental organizations, and interested members of the public the opportunity to hear directly from stakeholders from the Upper Mississippi and Ohio Rivers about the current efforts to monitor, control, remove, and deter the spread of Asian carp, as well as a discussion of the impact that invasive Asian carp have on the recreational fishing and related industries. Presentations will be followed by a "Q-and- A" session with the panel.
The list of speakers includes:
- Mr. Greg Conover, MICRA, US Fish and Wildlife Service
- Mr. Nick Frohnauer, MN Department of Resources
- Mr. Ron Brooks, KY Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Mr. Aaron Woldt, US Fish and Wildlife Service
- Mr. Bill Taylor, Fishing League Worldwide
For more information, please contact Eric Heath, Senior Policy Counsel for the Mississippi River Basin Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute
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Government Agencies Release Reports on Lead in Schools and EPA's Handling of Flint Crisis
The Government Accountability Office (GAO), in a new report, found that only 43 percent of K-12 public school districts tested for lead in school drinking water in 2016 or 2017. Of the ones that tested, more than a third reported elevated levels of lead (levels above their own
selected remedial action). Following discovery of the elevated lead levels, all school districts reported taking action to reduce or eliminate exposure to lead.
Reviewing the results of this study by region, the Northeast Census Region contained the highest percentage of school districts reporting elevated levels of
lead (greater than 50%), while the Northeast and
Midwest Census Regions reported the highest percentage of school districts testing for lead - more than 80% and approximately 40%, respectively. The report is available
here
.
The EPA's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) also recently issued a report: its final report on the EPA's handling of the Flint water crisis. It concluded that the lead-up and response to the crisis involved implementation and oversight lapses at the federal, state, and local levels. The EPA's failure to establish clear roles and responsibilities, effective communication, and oversight tools, among other things, delayed the federal response and prolonged the crisis. The report outlines nine recommendations, including one to revise the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) to improve the effectiveness of monitoring and corrosion control treatment protocols. Eight of the recommendations are resolved pending completion of corrective actions by the EPA, while the ninth one meant to monitor state compliance with LCR requirements is unresolved. The report and related materials are available here.
For more information, please contact Sri Vedachalam, Director of the Safe Drinking Water Research and Policy Program
at the Northeast-Midwest Institut
e.
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Study Released on the Economic Benefits of Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System
A new economic impact study
on the benefits of the maritime industry to the Great Lakes St. Lawrence economy was released last week. The study, "Economic
Impacts of Maritime Shipping in the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Region," was conducted by the economic consulting firm Martin Associates and sponsored by the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, the American Great Lakes Ports
Association, the Chamber of Marine Commerce, the Lake Carriers' Association, and the Shipping Federation of Canada. It found that in 2017 alone, over 143 million metric tons of cargo - valued at $15.2 billion - were moved through the Great Lakes Seaway system. This system supported 237,868 jobs, created $35 billion in economic activity, generated $14.2 billion in personal income, and contributed $6.2 billion in federal, state-provincial, and local taxes. A copy of the study and an executive summary can be found at the American Great Lakes Ports Association website
here
.
For more information, please contact Matthew McKenna, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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Michigan Releases Draft Risk Analysis of Mackinac Straights Pipeline
The State of Michigan released a draft
analysis of the impacts of a potential oil spill from Enbridge Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac last Monday, July 16th. The draft report, which was authored by an independent team of 41 scientists and engineers, found that a
worst-case scenario spill at Line 5 could lead to the release of 58,000 barrels of oil into the Great Lakes and cause over $2 billion in
economic and environmental damages. It is estimated that more than half the cost would be for cleanup as well as losses to Michigan's tourism industry. The draft report, which was requested by the State at the recommendation of the Michigan Petroleum Pipeline Task Force, will remain open for public comment for 30 days. To view the report or submit comments, please visit the Michigan Petroleum Pipelines information website
here
.
For more information, please contact Matthew McKenna, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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Trump Administration Proposes Changes to the Endangered Species Act
The Trump Administration released a proposal on Thursday that would weaken the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 which currently protects over 1,600 animal and plant species in the United States. The proposal suggests considering the species and habitat protections on a case-by-case basis and removing language that currently guides officials to ignore economic impacts when deciding the status and method of protection. According to the proposal, this would be done in order "to more closely align with the statutory language." However, the ability to make decisions on possible economic impacts of the ESA listings would give businesses more leniency when developing roads, pipelines, and other projects near protected habitats.
The proposal also aims to scale back protections for species that are listed as "threatened" which is used to encompass any species that may become endangered in the foreseeable future. Another proposed rule would put pressure on what is truly meant by the term "foreseeable future" and give a large amount of leeway when inferring the meaning of the term.
The Endangered Species Act was originally signed into law by Republican President Richard Nixon, giving an outline to conserve and protect endangered and threatened species as well as their habitats. Through the years that it has been in place, the ESA has prevented extinction of about 98 percent of the species linked to this act. Specifically, it has helped countless species rebound like the symbol of our nation: the bald eagle.
For more information, please contact Eric Heath, Senior Policy Counsel for the Mississippi River Basin Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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NEMWI's Newsletter Survey
In order to help the Institute improve the quality of its weekly newsletters, please consider taking this survey
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This Week in Washington
The following are hearings and markups of interest to the region.
Tuesday
The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry will hold a nomination hearing for James E. Hubbard to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment and Dan Michael Berkovitz to be a Commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. This will occur at 10:00 a.m. in 328A Russell Senate Office Building.
The House Committee on Natural Resources will hold a legislative hearing on the Indian Affairs Bills at 2:00 p.m. in 1324 Longworth House Office Building
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Wednesday
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NEMWI: Strengthening the Region that Sustains the Nation
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