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Great Lakes Week Resolution Introduced in the House
A bipartisan resolution was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives last Thursday designating the week of Memorial Day as "Great Lakes Week" to highlight the importance of the Great Lakes and promote conservation efforts that protect and preserve these natural resources.
H.Res. 868, which was introduced by Rep. Mike Bishop (MI), has nineteen cosponsors from both sides of the aisle, and has also secured support from numerous Great Lakes stakeholder groups including the Great Lakes Commission, Ducks Unlimited, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, Great Lakes Fishery Commission, and the Michigan Steelhead and Salmon Fishermen's Association.
Cosponsors of the resolution include: Representatives Bill Huizenga (MI), John Moolenaar (MI), Paul Mitchell (MI), Fred Upton (MI), Tim Walberg (MI), Debbie Dingell (MI), Brenda Lawrence (MI), Marcy Kaptur (OH), David Joyce (OH), Sean Duffy (WI), Mike Gallagher (WI), Gwen Moore (WI), Mark Pocan (WI), Rick Nolan (MN), Brian Higgins (NY), Mike Quigley (IL), Jan Schakowsky (IL), Pete Visclosky (IN), and Chris Collins (NY).
If you have any questions, please contact Matthew McKenna, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program, at
mmckenna@nemw.org
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House Lawmakers Send President Letter Supporting Modernization of Soo Locks
Great Lakes Congressional lawmakers sent a bipartisan letter to President Donald Trump urging his continued commitment to rebuild and improve the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The letter,
which was
led by Representatives Marcy Kaptur (OH), Paul Mitchell (MI), Jack Bergman (MI), and John Moolenaar (MI), and included the signatures of 53 Members of the House,
was sent in response to the positive remarks made by the President supporting the modernization of the Soo Locks. The full text of the letter can be viewed
here.
The Soo Locks serves as an integral part of the Great Lakes navigation system by connecting Lake Superior to the lower lakes.
More than 10,000 one-way trips and about 80 million tons of cargo annually pass through the Soo Locks, including nearly all of the iron ore that is mined for the American steel industry. According to a study released by the Department of Homeland Security, a six-month closure at the Soo Locks would lead to the loss of $1.1 trillion in gross domestic product and 11 million American jobs, directly impacting agriculture, appliances, automobiles, construction, and infrastructure industries.
If you have any questions, please contact Matthew McKenna, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program, at
mmckenna@nemw.org
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NEMWI to Host a Briefing on
Asian Carp and the Great Lakes
The Northeast-Midwest Institute will hold a briefing on
Monday, May 21, from 1 to 2 pm, on the current efforts to prevent the spread of Asian carp into the Great Lakes. The briefing will focus on strategic initiatives being developed and deployed by the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC) to prevent the introduction and establishment of Asian carp. The ACRCC is a partnership among 27 U.S. and Canadian federal, state, provincial, and local agencies and organizations focused on collaborating with one another in order to best share resources, research, and information to thwart the movement of Asian carp toward the Great Lakes.
When: Monday, May 21, from 1 - 2 pm
Where: 2168 Rayburn (Gold Room)
Participants at the briefing will include:
· U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (ACRCC Co-Chair)
· U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (ACRCC Co-Chair)
· U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
· U.S. Geological Survey
· Illinois Department of Natural Resources
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NEMWI to Host Briefing on Cost of Nitrate Removal from the Mississippi River
Nitrate pollution and the cost of removing excess nitrates from drinking water are increasing at water utilities in the Mississippi River Basin, according to a soon-to-be-released study by the Northeast-Midwest Institute. After a year of research in which ten years of data are analyzed, the study shows that levels of nitrate in source water exceeding EPA standards are occurring with increasing frequency, especially in the second half of the ten year period. The resulting increases in water treatment costs highlight the need to control for nitrate pollution, which the study found to be primarily a result of fertilizers used in agriculture.
NEMWI will host a congressional briefing on full results of the study and its policy implications on Wednesday, May 23rd, from 1:00-2:30 PM. More information including a list of panelists will be published in the near future.
When: Wednesday, May 23, from 1:00-2:30 pm
Where: SVC 200
If you have any questions on the briefing, please contact Eric Heath, Senior Policy Counsel, at eheath@nemw.org.
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THIS WEEK ON CAPITOL HILL
Both the House and the Senate return to Washington from a week long recess. The House Appropriations Committee has begun marking up its annual spending bills, with the Energy and Water Subcommittee scheduled to take up its bill tonight. Additionally, the following are key Congressional Committee hearings and markups that are scheduled for the week:
Monday, May 7th
Tuesday, May 8th
Wednesday, May 9th
Thursday, May 10th
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NEMWI: Strengthening the Region that Sustains the Nation
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