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In Memoriam:
Representative Louise M. Slaughter
1929-2018
Representative Louise M. Slaughter, who served as a United States Representative from New York from 1987 to 2018, died suddenly on Friday, March 16, 2018. Congresswoman Slaughter served as a long-time Co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Great Lakes Task Force and as a member of the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition. She was a continuous proponent of public policies that advanced the Great Lakes and the Northeast-Midwest region. During her more than thirty years of service to Rochester, New York and its surrounding communities, Congresswoman Slaughter was a key leader in pushing forward important environmental policies, including the creation of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), a program that has dedicated more than $2.5 billion to protect and restore the health of the Great Lakes. Congresswoman Slaughter was one of the longest serving women in the history of the U.S. House of Representatives and was also the first and only woman ever to serve as Chair of the powerful Rules Committee, a Committee that has been in existence since 1789. As the only microbiologist serving in Congress, Congresswoman Slaughter put an emphasis on using scientific research to craft sound public policy. The Northeast-Midwest Institute sends its deepest sympathies to Congresswoman Slaughter's family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time.
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New Senior Policy Analyst Joins NEMWI
Eric Heath joins the NEMWI staff as Senior Policy Analyst for the Institute's Mississippi River Basin Program, effective March 19. He will provide research and analysis on various policy matters related to the Mississippi River Basin Program, serve as a point of contact for Capitol Hill offices, and support the Institute's policy education initiatives, especially related to the Mississippi River Basin. Eric will also look into developing new programs for the Institute that build off of the existing policy areas.
Eric holds an LL.M. in International Economic Law from the University of Edinburgh (2016), a J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law (2015), and a B.A. in Law, Justice, & Society from Lipscomb University (2012). During his time at the University of Georgia, Eric served as a Notes Editor for the
Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law. He is also a member of the Georgia Bar.
Before joining NEMWI, Eric worked as a Legislative Fellow for Congressman Matt Cartwright and an International Law Fellow at the American Society of International Law. He also worked during law school as a legal intern at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Office of International Affairs, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - Unit of the 1970 Convention, and the Centre for International Law at Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Additionally, he served as a research assistant to the then director of the Dean Rusk Center for International Law and Policy, Ambassador C. Donald Johnson.
Eric's commitment to environmental policy and his experience on Capitol Hill provide a solid foundation for his focus on Mississippi River Basin policy. One of his main areas of interest is the intersection between trade and environmental protection, particularly leveraging economic tools to support the enforcement of environmental protection. He has written in numerous publications - including
International Legal Materials and the
Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law - on various aspects of this overlap. The capstone of his LL.M. degree was a dissertation that examined how U.S. and E.U. regional trade agreements gradually have evolved to include enforcement measures for environmental protection obligations.
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Proposed Changes to Michigan Lead and Copper Rule: Public Comment Period Ends
As a response to the Flint water crisis, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has proposed revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule provisions of the Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act.
Among others, the household "action level" for lead in water will be set at 10 ppb beginning in 2024, lower than the current federal standard of 15 ppb. The draft rule also sets guidelines for lead service line (LSL) replacement, with the goal of eliminating LSLs. Public comment period ends March 21. More details, including the draft regulations, can be viewed
here.
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This Week on Capitol Hill
With Congress facing a deadline to pass a FY18 budget by March 23, they will continue to work on a final omnibus spending package.
Details about a final package are expected to be released tonight. Congress needs to act by Friday night in order to prevent another government shutdown.
Additionally, the following Committee hearings and markups are scheduled for this week:
Tuesday, March 20
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NEMWI: Strengthening the Region that Sustains the Nation
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