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NEMWI Hosts Briefing on Cost of Nitrate Removal from the Mississippi River
The Northeast-Midwest Institute hosted a briefing on Capitol Hill to release its new study on the economic costs of removing nitrates from drinking water in the Upper Mississippi River Basin on May 23rd, 2018.
NEMWI's new study, Source Water Quality and the Cost of Nitrate Treatment in the Mississippi River Basin, 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 study focused on three water treatment plants in the Upper Mississippi River Basin - in Des Moines, Iowa; Decatur, Illinois; and Vermilion County, Illinois - and tracked nitrate levels and the contributors to these increasing levels as well as the associated costs in treating this source water to be drinkable.
Hosted in collaboration with Senator Amy Klobuchar (MN), the briefing featured a panel of four science and policy specialists who presented on the importance of conservation initiatives and water quality monitoring to preserve the health of the Mississippi River Basin. For more information, please see the following resources:
The full report prepared by the Institute is available here.
A full audio recording of the briefing is available here.
The slides used during the briefing are available here.
More information on the speakers is available here.
A news release regarding the study is available here.
A brief summary of the report's findings and policy implications is available here.
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NEMWI Holds Briefing on Release of the 2018 ACRCC Asian Carp Action Plan
The Northeast-Midwest Institute hosted a briefing on Monday, May 21st, on the current efforts to prevent the spread of Asian carp into the Great Lakes. The briefing focused on release of the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee's (ACRCC) 2018
Asian Carp Action Plan and the strategies currently being developed and deployed to prevent the introduction and establishment of Asian carp in the Great Lakes. 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.
ACRCC Co-Chairs Bill Bolen (U.S. EPA) and Mike Weimer (U.S. FWS) presented an overview of the ACRCC's 2018 Action Plan and of Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) funding to implement the plan. Charles Wooley, Deputy Regional Director for the Midwest Region for the U.S. FWS, and Kevin Irons, Program Manager at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, gave an update on the monitoring and response plans that have been implemented in the region in response to invasive carp. Dr. Leon Carl, Regional Director for the USGS Midwest Region, gave a brief overview of some of the technologies that USGS is currently developing to combat the spread of Asian carp. Col. Aaron Reisinger, Commander of the U.S. ACE- Chicago District, gave an update on the electric Fish Barrier in Romeoville, Illinois, and LT Commander Ben Gullo, United State Coast Guard, gave a brief update on navigational issues in the Chicago Area Waterway System.
A full audio recording of the briefing is available here.
The slides used during the briefing are available here.
For more info about the ACRCC, please visit their website here.
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Farm Bill Update
Despite failing to pass in the House last Friday, Republican leadership in the House plans to bring their version of the Farm Bill to a second vote on June 22nd. The second vote would follow a vote on an immigration bill supported by conservative Republicans. To pass the bill, Republican leadership is hoping to gain the support of the conservative Freedom Caucus by holding the immigration vote first.
Meanwhile in the Senate, Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts has told reporters that he anticipates a June 6th markup of the Senate version of the Farm Bill. It is still unclear what the Senate text will contain, but it is widely anticipated to be a more moderate, bipartisan piece of legislation than its House counterpart.
The current Farm Bill expires on September 30th of this year.
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The Century Foundation to Hold Manufacturing Summit in Chicago
- Title: Inclusion and Industry 4.0, Forging a High-Wage Future for Chicagoland
- Date & Time: Wednesday, June 6, 2018 | 9:00am - 3:30pm
- Location: University of Illinois - Chicago
Student Center East, 3rd Floor
750 South Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60607
The Century Foundation will be hosting the "Inclusion and Industry 4.0 - Forging a High-Wage Future for Chicagoland" in Chicago on Wednesday, June 6, 2018, 9:00-3:30pm at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Hear remarks from Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs, other major regional leaders, and new research presented by The Century Foundation and the Great Cities Institute at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) that examines the untapped potential of skills training programs and strong manufacturing jobs to expand economic opportunities for diverse communities.
Industry 4.0 envisions a fourth industrial revolution that harnesses the power of technology and aims to place diverse communities at the heart of this transformation. To register for this event, please visit the following link: http://bit.ly/inclusionandindustry.
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This Week in Washington
Both the Senate and House are in recess this week.
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NEMWI: Strengthening the Region that Sustains the Nation
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