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HIGHLIGHTS
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Brownfield Redevelopment -- Briefing
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Mid-Atlantic River Basin Flooding -- Briefing
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Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative – Letter
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Environmental Finance – Job Opening
* Senate Approves Water
Resources Development Act
Brownfield
Redevelopment – Briefing
The National Association of Local Government
Environmental Professionals (NALGEP) and the Northeast-Midwest Institute on
Tuesday, July 25, will host a briefing on brownfield and community
revitalization. The event is hosted by the Northeast-Midwest Senate
Coalition and Senators James Jeffords (I-VT), Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), and
Carl Levin (D-MI).
During this briefing, national leaders in local brownfields
redevelopment will highlight how federal resources have helped revive their
communities through job creation, neighborhood and commercial-center
enhancements, and increased local tax revenues. They also will discuss
obstacles that communities continue to face, and how Congress can enhance brownfields
redevelopment.
The July 25 briefing will run from 10:00 am until 11:30 am in room
138 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
Contact: Ari Strauss
with the Northeast-Midwest Senate Coalition (202/224-0606).
Mid-Atlantic River Basin Flooding
– Briefing
The Delaware River
Basin and Susquehanna River Basin Congressional Task Forces
on Thursday, July 27, will host a briefing on recent flooding events in the
Mid-Atlantic region. The event will address the weather event and the
extent of flood damages; the role of flood forecasting and flow monitoring;
and recommendations for flood mitigation, including the role of
non-structural flood controls. Speakers will be from the National
Weather Service, Delaware River Basin Commission, Susquehanna River Basin
Commission, Delaware River Keeper, National Association of State Flood
Plain Managers, and Northeast-Midwest Institute.
The July 27 briefing will run from noon until 1:00 pm in 2203
Rayburn House Office Building.
Contact: Peter Marx with the
Northeast-Midwest Institute (202/464-4008).
Western Hemisphere Travel
Initiative – Letter
Reps. Louise Slaughter (R-NY) and John McHugh (R-NY) are
seeking signatures on a letter that encourages House appropriators to
support a Senate provision extending the deadline and setting parameters
for alternative travel documents associated with the Western Hemisphere
Travel Initiative (WHTI). The lawmakers worry that the WHTI, as
currently planned by the Departments of Homeland Security and State, would
dry-up cross-border commerce and significantly damage border communities,
trade, and the travel industry. The letter’s signature deadline
is Wednesday, 26 July. Contacts: Alan Snyder with Rep.
Slaughter (202/225-3615) or Chris
Mathey with Rep. McHugh (202/225-4611).
Environmental Finance – Job
Opening
The Northeast-Midwest Institute
is seeking a research assistant to help develop financing vehicles for
ecosystem restoration in the Great Lakes. Tasks
will include researching case studies, preparing reports, and organizing
workshops. Click
here to read the job announcement.
Senate Approves Water Resources Development Act
The Senate last week approved the Water Resources
Development Act (WRDA), which includes several provisions that will benefit
the Great Lakes. Of particular note, the
legislation authorizes the Army Corps of Engineers to complete
construction of Barrier II, to improve Barrier I, and to operate and
maintain both electric barriers in order to prevent Asian carp and
other invasive species from reaching the Great Lakes. Other
Great Lakes-related provisions include authorizing the implementation
of the St. Clair River-Lake St. Clair Comprehensive Management
Plan, clarifying that all reconnaissance studies under the Great Lakes
Fishery & Ecosystem Restoration program shall be carried out at full
federal expense, expanding the Corps’ current authority to
ensure that dredge spoils are used in beneficial projects; and
reauthorizing until 2011 both the Great Lakes Sediment Management and
Modeling program and the Great Lakes Tributary Models. The House and
Senate soon will begin conference negotiations. Contact: Joy Mulinex with the Great Lakes Task
Forces (202/224-1211).
Calendar | Media Links | Reports/Periodicals
Northeast-Midwest
Institute
218 D St, SE
Washington DC 20003
Ph. 202 544 5200
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