GLIN==> Northeast-Midwest Weekly Update -- 9 November 2009

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Weekly Update

9 November 2009

 

*	November Mid-Atlantic Watersheds Update Released
*	Cities Support HUD Brownfields Economic Development Initiative
*	Mississippi River DC Policy Summit Review
*	Congress Passes Second Transportation Law Extension
*	2009 New Clean Renewable Energy Bonds Allocations Released

 

 

November Mid-Atlantic Watersheds Update Released

 

The November edition of the Mid-Atlantic
<http://www.nemw.org/images/11-09%20MidAtlantic%20Watersheds%20Update.pdf>
Watersheds Update is now available on the Northeast-Midwest Institute
website.  Legislative updates include details on climate legislation
movements, an upcoming "Great Waters" hearing, and a recent Clean Water Act
enforcement hearing.  The November edition also features appropriations
updates, and news clippings relevant to the region.

 

Contact Rachel
<mailto:rdawson at nemw.org?subject=November%20Mid-Atlantic%20Watersheds%20Upda
te>  Dawson (202/464-4016) at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.

 

 

Cities Support HUD Brownfields Economic

Development Initiative and HUD 108 Appropriations

 

The Transportation-HUD appropriations bill is headed for conference
committee with the HUD Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI)
and HUD 108 programs hanging in the balance.  The mayors of Philadelphia
<http://www.glennstarnes.com/Evans%20Paull/Philly%20Spector%20HUD%20Letter.P
DF> , Tacoma
<http://www.glennstarnes.com/Evans%20Paull/Tacoma%20HUD%20108-BEDI%20Support
%20Letter-Sen.%20Murray.pdf> , Cleveland
<http://www.glennstarnes.com/Evans%20Paull/Cleveland%20-%20BEDI_HUD%20108%20
Letter%20Senator%20Voinovich%20from%20Mayor%20Jackson.pdf> , Cincinnati
<http://www.glennstarnes.com/Evans%20Paull/Cinc%20HUD%20108-%20BEDI%20approp
%20letter%20-%20Voinovich%2020091029.pdf> , and Baltimore
<http://www.glennstarnes.com/Evans%20Paull/Mayor%20Dixon%20-%20Huds%20BEDI%2
0%20and%20HUD%20108%20Appropriations.pdf>  - as well as the Economic
Development Director of Pittsburgh
<http://www.glennstarnes.com/Evans%20Paull/Pitttsburgh%2010.26.09%20letter%2
0to%20Specter.pdf> , and a group of 16 local governments and
non-governmental organizations in Wisconsin
<http://www.glennstarnes.com/Evans%20Paull/Wisconsin%20ltr%20kohl%20conferen
ce.PDF>  - have each written letters to their Senators asking for continued
funding for BEDI-HUD 108.

 

The Northeast-Midwest Institute, the National Brownfields Coalition, Smart
Growth America <http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/> , the National
Association Housing and <http://www.nahro.org/>  Redevelopment Organizations
(NAHRO), and LOCUS (Responsible Real Estate Developers and Investors Group)
are leading an effort to support the House version of the HUD Appropriations
Bill with respect to BEDI-HUD 108.  BEDI and HUD 108 were eliminated in the
Obama budget and in the Senate Appropriations Bill, but the House
appropriated $25 million for BEDI and $6 million for HUD 108, which would
leverage $275 million in loans.

 

Contact Evans
<mailto:epaull at nemw.org?subject=Support%20of%20HUD%20EDI%20and%20108%20Appro
priations>  Paull (202/329-4282) at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.

 

 

Mississippi River DC Policy Summit Review

 

On November 4-5, the Northeast-Midwest Institute convened a "Mississippi
River DC Policy Summit."   The summit - funded by a grant from the McKnight
<http://www.mcknight.org/>  Foundation - brought together leaders from
non-governmental organizations (NGO), federal agencies, and congressional
representatives to discuss Mississippi River Basin water quality issues.

 

Regional, state, and national representatives from the Mississippi River
Collaborative <http://msrivercollab.org/> , and other NGO representatives
based in Washington, visited with staff from EPA, USDA, congress, and
members of the Mississippi River delegation to discuss issues critical to
restoring water quality in the Mississippi River.  The policy summit team
consisted of:



*	Albert Ettinger, Environmental Law and Policy Center;
*	Heather White, Environmental Working Group;
*	Jon Devine, Natural Resources Defense Council;
*	Judy Petersen, Kentucky Waterways Alliance;
*	Kris Sigford, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy;
*	Mark Gorman, Northeast-Midwest Institute;
*	Martha Noble, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition;
*	Matt Rota, Water Resources Program; Gulf Restoration Network;
*	Michelle Perez, Environmental Working Group;
*	Stacy James, Prairie Rivers Network; and
*	Susan Heathcote, Iowa Environmental Council.

 

Team members met with staff from the EPA Standards program and the National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program to discuss
water quality, NPDES, and permitting issues.  Members met with Larry
Elworth, Chief Agriculture Counselor to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, to
discuss the important nexus between nutrient runoff from River Basin
agricultural areas, and degraded water quality in the River and Gulf of
Mexico.  Meetings were also held with members of the Clean Water Network,
and staff from USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm
Service Agency, to discuss details about USDA's new Mississippi
<http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&co
ntentid=2009/09/0463.xml>  River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI),
as well as conservation compliance issues regarding highly erodible land.

 

Finally, team members met with congressional staff representing Mississippi
River Collaborative states, and with Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI-3) to discuss
strategies for implementing future River Basin policy and legislative
initiatives.  Representative Kind is co-chair of the Upper Mississippi River
Basin Congressional Task Force, and recently reintroduced the Upper
Mississippi River Basin <http://www.nemw.org/images/hr3671.pdf>  Protection
Act (H.R. 3671), which calls for the development of a coordinated
public-private approach to study and reduce nutrient and sediment runoff in
the Upper Mississippi River Basin.

 

Contact Mark
<mailto:Mmailto:mgordon at nemw.org?subject=Mississippi%20River%20DC%20Policy%2
0Summit>  Gorman (202/464-4015) at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.

 

 

Congress Passes Second Transportation Law Extension

 

Congress wrote, and President Obama signed an extension to the Safe
Accountable Flexible Efficient Transportation Equity Act:  A Legacy for
Users (SAFETEA-LU <http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/safetealu/> ) to fund the
country's transportation infrastructure until December 18, 2009.  The House
and Senate were unable to agree on whether to pass a new six-year successor
to SAFETEA-LU, or the president's proposed 18-month extension.  Therefore, a
short-term extension was necessary to keep infrastructure funds flowing to
states.  The current extension does not return contract authority to the
states removed by the first extension.  With a busy congressional agenda, it
is unclear when the authorization bill will be taken up by Congress, or how
long the further extensions will last.

 

Contact Fritz
<mailto:fohrenschall at nemw.org?subject=Transportation%20Law%20Extension>
Ohrenschall (202/464-4020) at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.

 

 

2009 New Clean Renewable Energy Bonds Allocations Released

 

Northeast-Midwest Institute staff completed an analysis
<http://www.nemw.org/images/users/fohrenschall/NCREB%202009.pdf>  of the
$431 million 2009 New Clean Renewable Energy Bond (NCREB) program
allocations.  The Northeast and Midwest states received 19.52 percent of the
funds, while comprising 37.58 percent of the population.  Funds were
distributed to public power providers, cooperative electric companies, and
governments.  Five states in the region received no funding.  The Council
<http://www.cdfa.net/cdfa/cdfaweb.nsf/fbaad5956b2928b086256efa005c5f78/89d11
331512739a78625765d004817c1/$FILE/ncrebs_2009_allocations_v1.1.pdf>  of
Development Finance Agencies has a complete funding allocation table on its
website.

 

Contact Diane
<mailto:ddevaul at nemw.org?subject=Clean%20Renewable%20Energy%20Bonds>  DeVaul
(202-464-4009), or Fritz
<mailto:fohrenschall at nemw.org?subject=Clean%20Renewable%20Energy%20Bonds>
Ohrenschall (202/464-4020) at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.

 

 
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