The Northeast-Midwest Institute hosted a briefing on Capitol Hill to release its new study on the economic costs of removing nitrates from drinking water in the Upper Mississippi River Basin on May 23rd, 2018. Hosted in collaboration with Senator Amy Klobuchar (MN), the briefing featured a panel of four science and policy specialists who presented on the importance of conservation initiatives and water quality monitoring to preserve the health of the Mississippi River Basin.
The full report prepared by the Institute is available here.
A full audio recording of the briefing is available here.
The slides used during the briefing are available here.
More information on the speakers is available here.
A news release regarding the study is available here.
A brief summary of the report’s findings and policy implications is available here.
Dr. Sridhar (Sri) Vedachalam, Director of the Safe Drinking Water Research and Policy Program, Northeast-Midwest Institute
Dr. Sridhar Vedachalam is Director of the Safe Drinking Water Research and Policy Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research, education, and policy organization that focuses on issues affecting 18 states in the Northeast and Midwest regions of the U.S. His work has addressed nationally relevant issues such as affordability, aging infrastructure, extreme weather impacts, financing, and non-point source pollution, and is cited by national, state, and local policymakers.
Dr. Vedachalam is the Editor for Urban Water at the Global Water Forum, an online resource presenting evidence-based, accessible, and freely available articles concerning freshwater governance. He has conducted research at the water institutes at Cornell and Johns Hopkins universities, and prior to his current role, served as an Environmental Legislative Fellow in the House of Representatives with Rep. Matt Cartwright (PA). He holds a PhD from The Ohio State University.
John Albert, Chief Research Officer, Water Research Foundation
John Albert joined the Water Research Foundation staff in January 2005 as a project officer in research management and in 2008 assumed the duties of a senior account manager. He was named subscriber services manager in 2010 and Chief Research Officer in 2016.
Prior to that, John worked as a research associate focusing on on-site wastewater systems and bacterial source tracking. He holds an MPA with a concentration in nonprofit management from the University of Colorado–Denver, as well as an M.S. degree from the Colorado School of Mines and a B.A. in biology from Saint Anselm College, Manchester, NH.
Jimmy Bramblett, Deputy Chief – Programs, Natural Resources Conservation Service – United States Department of Agriculture
Jimmy Bramblett is the Deputy Chief for Programs with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). In this role, he is responsible for developing policies and procedures to invest the agency’s 4-billion dollars of technical and financial resources in a customer service oriented and scientifically defensible manner.
He has also served as the Deputy Chief for Science and Technology (S&T), the Wisconsin State Conservationist, and his tenure included a 10-year period as a faculty research scientist at The University of Georgia.
Eric Heath, Senior Policy Counsel, Northeast-Midwest Institute
Eric Heath joined the NEMWI staff as Senior Policy Counsel for the Institute’s Mississippi River Basin Program in 2018. He provides research and analysis on various policy matters related to the Mississippi River Basin Program, serves as a point of contact for Capitol Hill offices, and supports the Institute’s policy education initiatives, especially related to the Mississippi River Basin.
Before joining NEMWI, Eric worked as a Legislative Fellow for Congressman Matt Cartwright and an International Law Fellow at the American Society of International Law. He holds an LL.M. in International Economic Law from the University of Edinburgh (2016), a J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law (2015), and a B.A. in Law, Justice, & Society from Lipscomb University (2012).
This briefing was hosted by the Mississippi River Basin Program (MRBP) at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. Launched in 1995, the MRBP envisions a Mississippi River Basin where livelihoods and the economy can thrive alongside conserved wetlands, restored floodplains, resilient ecosystems, and clean streams. Recognizing the role of informed policy debate in achieving this vision, the MRBP strives to provide detailed research and analysis to policy makers at all levels of government, and facilitates discussion and exchange among lawmakers and the region’s stakeholders.
The Northeast-Midwest Institute is a Washington, D.C.-based, nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy organization committed to economic vitality, environmental quality, and regional equity for the 18 states of the Northeast and Midwest.