LEGISLATIVE UPDATES
- Appropriations and Budget
- Updated numbers for Great Lakes program funding for FY2012-15 request
- The House Appropriations Committee has begun considering and drafting bills
- CJS Subcommittee Draft, which includes NOAA, passed out of the Subcommittee and ready for amendment/approval by full Committee
- The GLWP will publish updated numbers on Great Lakes and Northeast-Midwestregional programs as they become available from the Committees
- Water Resources Conference Committee – Conference Report expected in Senate in May
- Work continues but Rep. Rahall (D-WV), Ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, reported a bill would be seen in May
- The Conference Committee includes Great Lakes Task Force Co-Chair, Rep. Candice Miller (MI-10), as well as delegation member, Rep. Rick Nolan (MN-08)
- NEMWI released a summary comparison of the Senate and House bills
- Vessel Discharge and Ballast Legislation
- House passed R. 4005, U.S. Coast Guard Reauthorization Act
- Authorizes spending for USCG at ~ $8.7 billion for FY2015-16
- Permanently exempts commercial fishing vessels and vessels less than 79 feet without ballast tanks from EPA permitting of discharges as part of normal vessel operation but does NOT apply to regulation of ballast water discharges
- Instructs the Coast Guard to develop a National Maritime Strategy to improve the competitiveness of the U.S. fleet, reduce regulatory burdens, increase the use of short seas shipping, and enhance U.S. shipbuilding capacity
- Authorizes a National Academy of Sciences assessment of all factors that impact U.S. flagged vessel competitiveness, including vessel inspections
- Senate introduced 2094, Vessel Incidental Discharge Act
- Establishes uniform national ballast water standards but allows adoption of a more stringent state standard, nationwide, if shown to be achievable and detectable using commercially-available technology
- Requires feasibility review of ballast discharge standard by 2022 and every 10 years following
- Permanently exempts discharge permit requirements for fishing, recreational, research, and armed services vessels and commercial vessels less than 79 feet
- House passed R. 4005, U.S. Coast Guard Reauthorization Act
EVENTS
Senate Holds Hearing on Winter Propane Shortage
On Thursday, May 1, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing, entitled “Short on Gas: A look into the propane shortages this winter”. The hearing focused on the propane shortage in the Midwestern states during the 2013-4 winter and included witnesses from the Department of Energy, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and regional representatives of pipelines, and propane services and customers. Great Lakes Task Force Member, Sen. Al Franken (MN), was joined in questioning witnesses on the past problem and future solutions by Great Lakes Delegation members Sens. Tammy Baldwin (WI) and Rob Portman (OH). Potential solutions offered for consideration included: increased storage capacity with mention of the Finger Lakes storage facility; a streamlined emergency response from FERC; dedicated pipelines; and better information and connections to market status.
REPORTS/LETTERS
Delegation letters, including House Great Lakes Task Force, on Asian carp study
The House Great Lakes Task Force Co-Chairs, joined by NEMW Coalition Co-Chair Rep. Mike Kelly (PA-03) and Great Lakes Task Force Member Rep. Mike Quigley (IL-05), sent a letter to Assistant Secretary Jo-Ellen Darcy, asking questions about the Corps’ plans for the Great Lakes-Mississippi River Interbasin Study Report. Questions referenced: the Corps plans for the remaining FY2014 funding for GLMRIS; steps and partners needed to implement the non-structural options identified in Alternative 2; whether the Corps will undertake an independent peer review of the GLMRIS report; and needs to fully study the Brandon Road option, among others. Reps. Brian Higgins (NY-26) and Sander Levin (MI-09) also signed the letter.
This letter follows on a similar letter sent by Senators from the Great Lakes region, led by Great Lakes Task Force Co-Chair Sen. Carl Levin (MI) and Delegation member Sen. Rob Portman (OH), as well as a letter from members of the Illinois and Indiana delegations expressing concerns about the economic impact of hydrological separation and the long timeline and costs for implementing any such option.
House Great Lakes Task Force Supports Designation of Great Lakes under New Farm Bill
The House Great Lakes Task Force Co-Chairs sent a letter to Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, supporting designation of the Great Lakes as a Critical Conservation Area under the 2014 Farm Bill’s new Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). Designation would include access to additional funding to support farmers in their conservation efforts to reduce nutrient and sediment runoff into the region’s waterways. The agriculture industry in the Great Lakes region, the letter notes, generates $15 billion a year in products and accounts for 7% of total U.S. food production.
Under the 2014 Farm Bill signed into law in February, the Secretary of Agriculture may designate up to eight regions as Critical Conservation Areas. The Secretary’s announcement is expected in May.
ADMINISTRATION
GLRI Action Plan Set to Expire September 30, 2014
The FY2010-14 Action for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is set to expire at the end of the fiscal year in September. The administration has been drafting a new Action Plan for FY2015-19, which is expected to be published in early summer. There will be an opportunity for further public comment. Stay tuned for more news!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Great Lakes Fishery Commission Annual Meeting | June 3-4 | Chicago, IL
Great Lakes Executive Committee Meeting | June 4 | Chicago, IL
Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Cities Initiative Annual Meeting | June 17-19 | Thunder Bay, ON
THE GREAT LAKES “IMPACT” – peculiar
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