GLWP Hill Happenings September 2014

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

  • 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 Fundthrough 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

Pre-Release Briefing for Congressional Staff on the GLRI FY2015-19 Action Plan
On Wednesday, September 17, 2014, the Northeast-Midwest Institute coordinated a pre-release briefing for Congressional staff on the FY2015-19 Action Plan for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). The GLRI, an Obama administration initiative since FY2010, has provided over $1.6 billion to the Great Lakes region for restoration focused on cleaning up contaminated Areas of Concern, nutrients, invasive species, and habitat restoration. Cameron Davis, Senior Advisor to the Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, provided background on GLRI past accomplishments, the current Action Plan (FY2010-14), and the upcoming FY2015-19 Action Plan. He emphasized the role of the GLRI of not only funding projects but also providing an unprecedented level of coordination to efforts in the Great Lakes region through the Interagency Task Force, which was created in a 2004 Executive Order under President George W. Bush. He highlighted that the upcoming Action Plan focuses on feedback received from public comment periods, the Great Lakes Advisory Board, the Government Accountability Office, as well as the EPA’s own Science Advisory Board, providing a broad range of feedback and input. The new Action Plan focuses on accountability and measures of progress that can be readily measured and attributed to GLRI actions. The focus areas will continue to concentrate on Areas of Concern, nutrients, invasive species and habitat. The largest change comes in the fifth focus area, where the Action Plan incorporates climate adaptation and adaptive management. Both additions to the Action Plan are meant to ensure funds are spent wisely and future conditions do not undermine current restoration successes. As part of the release of the Action Plan, the Interagency Task Force will also release a draft Adaptive Management Framework to structure how lessons learned from previously-funded grants will be incorporated into future funding decisions.

The Great Lakes Task Force Senate Co-Chairs, Sens. Carl Levin (MI), Mark Kirk (IL), Senate Vice Chairs Sens. Debbie Stabenow (MI) and Rob Portman (OH), and House Co-Chairs Reps. Candice Miller (MI-10), John Dingell (MI-12), Sean Duffy (WI-07), and Louise Slaughter (NY-25), served as honorary co-sponsors for the briefing.

LETTERS

Senators Send Letter on Next Steps to Address Asian Carp
Led by Great Lakes Delegation Member Sen. Joe Donnelly (IN) and Task Force Co-Chair Sen. Mark Kirk (IL), fifteen Senators sent a letter to Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC) Chair, John Goss (Council on Environmental Quality), requesting recommendations on short- and medium-term actions to prevent Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes system. The letter recognized the ongoing work of the Chicago Area Waterway System Advisory Committee, an informal committee of states, industry, environmental groups, and local agencies convened to discuss and hammer out future short, medium, and long-term solutions to the Asian carp and invasive species issue. The letter calls for recommendations from the Advisory Committee as soon as possible, particularly regarding “short- and medium-term technologically feasible actions that maintain commercial navigation and recreational boating, preserve the integrity of existing flood control systems, protect water quality, and enjoy broad support.” The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had released its Great Lakes-Mississippi River Interbasin Study Report in January 2014, which detailed different potential options for addressing invasive species movement between the basins though did not include any specific recommendations. As part of the Advisory Committee, federal agencies, including those on the ACRCC, are present to provide background on agencies’ roles, limitations, and current actions.

CAWS Advisory Committee Letter to Great Lakes Delegation Recommends Next Steps
As part of its self-designated role to look at next steps to prevent movement of invasive species between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River basins, the Chicago Area Waterway System Advisory Committee sent a letter to House and Senate members of the Great Lakes delegation, detailing requests to move along next steps for protective measures. The Advisory Committee, comprised of over 30 interest groups in the Chicago and larger Illinois region, has tasked itself with developing a long-term solution to invasive species movements by December 2015. In the meantime, the letter recommends next steps for further design and development of short-term solutions, and asks Congress to direct the Army Corps to move forward.

Toledo’s “Do Not Drink” Water Advisory Draws Congressional Interest in Two Letters
Members of the Ohio Delegation, led by Great Lakes Task Force Vice-Chair Sen. Rob Portman (OH), sent a letter to NOAA, asking NOAA to prioritize the integrated assessment to examine the causes, consequences and approaches to address hypoxia and harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes. The assessment is required no later than January 2016 by the recently-reauthorized Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Act, co-sponsored by Sen. Portman. The letter was co-signed by nearly the entire Ohio delegation.

House leaders on the Energy and Commerce Committee, including Chairman Fred Upton (MI-06) and Reps. Bob Latta (OH-05) and John Shimkus (IL-15), sent a letter to the U.S. EPA, noting EPA’s plans to release a health advisory for the algal toxin microcystin. The letter encourages the release of the health advisory after an independent peer review, while also asking questions about the testing, detection, and treatment of microcystin and its toxicity.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Conservation, HABs, and New Approaches | Thursday, Oct. 9, 2014 | 10 am | WEBINAR
To join, please register for Conservation, HABs and New Approaches on Oct 9, 2014 10:00 AM EDT at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4631377533691028738
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

THE GREAT LAKES “FUNNY”

Fall arrives in the Great Lakes