On Tuesday, February 4, 2014, the NEMWI will host its annual regional reception in the Capitol Visitor's Center Atrium from 5:30-7:30 pm. The reception culminates a day of the NEMWI Board meeting with Congressional Member offices and State offices, in order to continue serving the region's need for unbiased, objective, and credible regional data and analysis. NEMWI Board Chair and Vice Chairs, Hon. Steve LaTourette and John Baldacci, will speak on the day's meetings and future NEMWI activities. For over 37 years, the NEMWI, working closely with regional stakeholders, has actively, creatively, and effectively generated regional information and analysis for the NEMW Congressional and Senate Coalitions and states to support their tireless efforts to improve federal, state, and local policy responses to the region's needs.  The NEMWI is especially skilled in the areas of resource conservation and restoration, water resource protection, energy efficiency, community redevelopment, advanced manufacturing, transportation improvement, public health protection, and workforce development. Please join us to celebrate the remarkable NEMW region and the bipartisan NEMW Coalitions and state offices that work to improve it!

For more information, contact Hope Ratner, Administrative Manager, at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. 

For more information, contact Danielle Chesky, Director, Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. 

Local, state, and national officials have confirmed that the White Lake Area of Concern (AOC), located in Muskegon County and touching the Lake Michigan shoreline, is scheduled to be removed from the AOC list by summer of 2014. Only one other AOC has been delisted nationally, Presque Isle, which was removed in 2012. The While Lake AOC suffered from pollutants leaching from former dump sites for municipalities, as well as a former tannery site. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through the binational Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, established AOCs as areas heavily impacted by past pollution and in need of specific improvements in order to bring the sites back to a full, functioning ecosystem. Through the Administration's Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which began in FY2010, over $1.3 billion has gone towards restoration projects in the Great Lakes, a significant portion of which has gone towards cleaning up AOCs. This investment has provided an accelerated path towards cleanup, with twice as many improvements in the past four years as in the previous two decades, according to the EPA. A final decision on the removal will occur between the U.S and Canadian governments.

For more information, contact Danielle Chesky, Director, Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.

The United States Geological Survey renewed funding for NEMWI to continue its work on the NEMWI/USGS cooperative project Toward Sustainable Water Information.  This project is investigating the ability of the region's water monitoring systems to support today's policy decisions affecting water quality in the region.  Two case studies will be completed this year, which will.  illustrate the types and amounts of data needed to answer specific policy questions about nutrient enrichment and shale gas development, The studies will also l identify how much of those water quality data are available through existing monitoring programs and identify any important data gaps.  The project will produce a State of the Region Report presenting a review of water monitoring data availability across the NEMW region, and outline affordable options for the region to maintain best access to relevant and timely water information to address emerging issues over time. 

For more information, contact Elin Betanzo, Senior Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.

A propane shortage is having large economic impacts on the Northeast-Midwest region as the polar vortex again sends temperatures and wind chills into negative double digits according to recent news reports . The Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration (EIA), in conjunction with the House Energy and Commerce Committee, just announced a bipartisan briefing on this pressing issue, in order to provide staff information on the extent of the issue and what the EIA is doing in response. Details are below. A Summary will be provided in a future weekly announcement.

What: A bipartisan briefing on propane market issues

Who: The Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration (EIA) and Office of Electric Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE)

When: January 28, 2014 at 2:30pm

Where: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building

For more information, contact Samuel Breene, Legislative Director, at the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition.