GLWP Hill Happenings October 2014

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

  • UPDATES
    • A Continuing Resolution is expected to move the appropriations debate into the 114thCongress
    • Letters circulated among Congressional offices on FY2016 requests to OMB, including GLRI and Harbor Maintenance (see details below)
  • Introduced Legislation
    • In response to the drinking water crisis in Toledo, Ohio in August
      • Safe and Secure Drinking Water Act ( 2785;H.R. 5439): sponsored by Sens. Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Rep. Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), along with Great Lakes Task Force Co-Chairs Reps. Candice Miller (MI-10), John Dingell (MI-12), and Louise Slaughter (NY-25)
        • Requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop recommendations for detection and treatment of algal bloom toxins for water treatment plants and utilities
      • Great Lakes and Fresh Water Algal Bloom Information Act ( 2798;H.R. 5456): sponsored by Sen. Brown and Rep. Bob Latta (OH-05)
        • Requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to create an electronic database of research and information on the causes of and responses to algal blooms in the Great Lakes and other freshwater bodies
      • Protecting our Great Lakes Act (R. 5516): sponsored by Reps. Bob Latta (OH-05) and Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)
        • Prohibits open water placement into the Great Lakes of all dredged materials
      • Digital Coastal Act (S. 2890): sponsored by Sen. Tammy Baldwin (WI)
        • Authorizes the next phase of the Digital Coast Project within NOAA by supporting further development of the current project, including increasing access to uniform, up-to-date data
      • Vessel Incidental Discharge Act introduced in the House (R. 5609)
        • Led by Rep. Duncan Hunter (CA-50) and co-sponsored by 10 other members, including Rep. Bill Enyart (IL-12)
        • The bill mirrors the Senate version, 2094
      • Appropriations and Budget
        • Congress passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government through December 11; Appropriations debates will commence when Congress returns post-election on November 12.
        • Past news on appropriations:
          • House passed Energy and Water Appropriations bill with floor amendments offered by Great Lakes members; NEMWI has provided an overview of the accounts and amendments
          • House Interior and Environment Committee marked up its bill, which included $300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative; report language accompanying the bill included a policy provision that would prevent enforcement of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ballast provision of the Vessel General Permit if the vessel had received a compliance extension from the U.S. Coast Guard for its ballast regulations. This provision aims to address the concerns regarding EPA’s use of “selective enforcement” of its ballast standards until approval of technology for treatment of ballast water. No similar provision was included in the Senate’s Draft Bill or Report, which also included $300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
          • Since then, most appropriations work has ground to a halt; no additional bills are expected on the floor of either chamber
        • Congress passed a stopgap for the Highway Transportation Trust Fund first webinarthrough May 2015, avoiding a reduction in funding for current projects to states
        • Numbers for Great Lakes program funding for FY2012-15 request

EVENTS/HEARINGS/BRIEFINGS

NEMWI Webinar Recap: Conservation, HABs, and New Approaches
On October 9, 2014, the NEMWI held a webinar entitled “Conservation, HABs, and New Approaches” targeting information needs of NEMW Congressional Coalition Great Lakes Task Force staff and Great Lakes regional leaders and stakeholders. This Webinar was the second in an NEMWI series inspired by the Toledo “Do Not Drink” Advisory in August. The  focused on managing the public health impacts of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), while this one focused on prevention, particularly the need for, and approaches to, agricultural conservation.

Webinar speakers, including Dr. Deanna Osmond (North Carolina State University), stressed the importance of working at the watershed scale when looking at conservation impacts, rather than simply reductions in nutrient flows at the field or local scales. Dr. Patrick Lawrence (University of Toledo), along with the other speakers, raised the lack of monitoring information needed to assess the on-the-ground results and effectiveness of conservation programs and practices. Elin Betanzo, P.E. (NEMWI) described the NEMWI’s two-year collaborative study with the U.S. Geological Survey, now nearing completion, on the state of water monitoring information in the Western Lake Erie Basin, and its capacity to inform policy solutions. The study showed the region currently lacks sufficient data to assess effects of proposed conservation approaches. It also suggested that more intensive monitoring of the specific pollutant of concern, dissolved reactive phosphorus, within small and large watersheds would be the most efficient means to generating the needed information. David White (former Chief of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service) and Alex Echols (Independent Consultant, Principal, Terra Altus) provided background on new conservation infrastructure and practices that are relatively easy to implement and could have dramatic effects on the flow of nutrients into watersheds, as well as innovative approaches to pay for these efforts. They highlighted the cost-savings measures of nutrient trading, whereby nutrient reduction on farms allows wastewater facilities to economically and effectively meet nutrient discharge permits. Over 30 million acres in the Midwest region have potential to include more effective conservation practices to reduce nutrient inputs and the resultant algal blooms.

A recording of the webinar is available here.

LETTERS

House Delegation Requests $300 M in FY2016 Budget Request
Led by Great Lakes Task Force Co-Chairs and Members Reps. Candice Miller (MI-10), John Dingell (MI-12), Sean Duffy (WI-07), Louise Slaughter (NY-25), Sander Levin (MI-), and David Joyce (OH-14), sent a letter to Office of Management and Budget Director Shaun Donovan, supporting $300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative within the President’s FY2016 budget request. The letter, signed by 44 total members, highlighted the unique national treasure that is the Great Lakes and the lakes’ role as an economic driver for the region. This letter comes as Congress will return for the “lame duck” session post elections and will need to address the FY2015 appropriations in order to keep the government open and running through 2015. Though neither the House nor the Senate have passed the Interior and Environment Appropriations bill, which would fund the GLRI program, both Chambers indicated their continued support for funding the GLRI at $300 M through FY2015.

UPCOMING EVENTS

How Well Do Today’s Ballast Water Filters Perform in Natural Fresh Water? | Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2014 | 10 am | WEBINAR
Registration information forthcoming.

THE GREAT LAKES “FUNNY”
Great Lakes Pirates