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New NEMWI Report on Lead in Drinking Water to be Released This Week
The Northeast-Midwest Institute will release a report on Thursday of this week documenting the severity of the lead contamination problem in drinking water and analyzing policy changes in the Northeast-Midwest region.
The report will be published on the Institute website and circulated via a news release.
For more information, please contact
Dr. Sri Vedachalam
, Director of the Safe Drinking Water Research and Policy Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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On the Eve of Midterm Elections, Congress Braces for Major Change
Regardless of who wins the House or the Senate Tuesday night, both chambers of Congress will look markedly different once the 116th Congress arrives in Washington in January. An unusually
high number
of legislators have stepped down or decided to not seek reelection after this term for various reasons ranging from scandals to aspirations for higher political office.
This spike in departing legislators paired with the general Congressional overhaul in the midterm elections following the election of a new president will dramatically alter the political landscape on Capitol Hill.
Adding to this turnover, current Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan is not seeking reelection. On the other side of the aisle, Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is facing leadership challenges from within her own party, though she seems likely to remain in charge of the Democrats.
It remains to be seen exactly how this incoming sea of new faces will translate into legislative power. Based on polling data and historical electoral trends, it seems most likely that the Democrats will retake the House while the Republicans will maintain their hold on the Senate, perhaps gaining a seat or two from vulnerable Democrats running for reelection in states President Trump carried in 2016.
Regardless of outcome, the Northeast-Midwest Institute will continue to monitor the elections and the outcomes in the coming days and weeks.
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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Ohio EPA Issues New Regulations on Lead Service Lines
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency issued new regulations addressing public notification related to lead service lines. Public water systems in Ohio are now required to notify residents or business owners 45 days before undertaking repairs to lead service lines impacting them. Residents will also be provided water filters for upto three months after the repairs are completed. The regulations do not affect the current practice of partial lead service line replacement, but notes that lead may be released into the drinking water during such partial replacement work.
State action on lead in drinking water in the NEMW region is likely to intensify after the midterm elections when new Governors and state legislators take office.
For more information, please contact
Dr. Sri Vedachalam
, Director of the Safe Drinking Water Research and Policy Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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Large Buildup of Heat in Oceans Suggests Faster Rate for Global Warming
An alarming new study, published last Wednesday in the journal
Nature, suggests that the Earth could warm faster than predicted due to the planet's oceans absorbing more heat in recent decades than scientists realized. The study indicates that oceans have retained 60% more heat each year than was previously estimated, indicating that there is a large amount of additional energy trapped in Earth's atmosphere from the sun. This could signal that global warming is more advanced than scientists thought.
The findings of this study could have important policy implications throughout the world. The rapid increase of ocean temperatures could leave nations with less time to cut global carbon dioxide emissions to limit warming to 1.5°C by the end of this century. The U.N Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report released in early October indicated that global greenhouse emissions needed to be reduced by half by the year 2030 to stay below the 1.5°C target.
With the threats of sea level rise, ecosystem destruction, and extreme weather patterns due to increased ocean temperatures, global leaders have a daunting and time sensitive task to enact policies that will curb greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the harmful effects of climate change.
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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Minnesota Regulators Approve Route for Enbridge Energy's Line 3, Appeal May Follow
On Friday, October 26th, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission issued an order approving the route for the replacement of Enbridge Energy's Line 3, a crude oil pipeline running through the northern part of the state.
The line's initial construction took place in the 1960s, and Enbridge is seeking to replace it to address corrosion and cracking. Opponents of the pipeline are concerned, however, that the new line risks oil spills in the headwaters of the Mississippi River and could exacerbate the effects of climate change in the region.
While the Commission granted the route permit preliminary approval, opponents of the replacement route may still petition the Commission to change its decision. If the Commission denies the petitions, opponents can appeal the decision to the Minnesota Court of Appeals.
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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This Week in Washington
The House and Senate are currently in recess until after the November midterms.
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NEMWI: Strengthening the Region that Sustains the Nation
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