Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

House Committee Passes Bill That Would Limit EPA's Water Quality Regulatory Capabilities
The Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act (HR 2018) was passed by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on June 22 on a vote of 39-19 that crossed party line (links to the bill and the Committee's bill mark-up meeting activity and roll call vote are on this Committee web page). The bill, which next will likely proceed to the House floor for consideration, would restrict EPA's ability to issue revised or new water quality standards without a state's permission, according to Committee Chair Mica's press release accompanying the introduction of the legislation.

In a June 21, US Environmental Protection Agency four-page legal analysis of the bill, the EPA warned that the bill would “overturn” clean water law (this is a PDF file).

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week:

Agriculture -

• USDA Sec Vilsack meets with flooded farmers, relating his budgetary powerlessness in the face of deficit reduction cuts http://bit.ly/jyJqjZ
• American Farm Bureau launches web site celebrating contributions and heritage of US century farms http://bit.ly/jq08m5
• Agriculture ministers from Group of 20 nations meet to address growing problem: Demand for food outpacing supply http://bit.ly/kpn97i
• New bipartisan House bill mirrors Senate-passed ethanol subsidy reform measure http://1.usa.gov/iU0cRk
• Concerns over record flooding & crop insurance take center stage at Senate Ag Committee Farm Bill hearing http://bit.ly/ijZgHD

Floodplains, Dams and Navigation -

• Coalition urges Floor Protection Insurance Program reform before Senate Committee http://bit.ly/kAnokI (link) http://1.usa.gov/iAj9Jf (PDF)
• 1994 report: “Floodplain Management Into the 21st Century” holds many answer to Mississippi's 2011 flood issues http://bloom.bg/jZJygq
• SW IL Flood Prevention District Council proposes $161 million upgrades to Mississippi River levee system http://buswk.co/lcXJt6
• Rural bankers in 10 Midwest & Plains states worry Missouri River flooding will hurt region's economy http://bit.ly/iv7eMI
• Missouri River flooding: Water flows over tops of MO levees as flooding alert issued for NE nuclear plant http://bit.ly/ih4SUC
• Op-ed: Nature, not the Corps of Engineers, driving Missouri River flooding http://bit.ly/k09aYd
• 'Perfect Storm' Along Missouri River Puts Army Corps Policies in Cross Hairs; Congressional hearings likely http://nyti.ms/liu9tb
• Vicksburg drying out as Mississippi River level drops; Army Corps: flood protections worked http://bit.ly/lKH1y3
• Birds Point levee breach effectively doomed African-American community of Pinhook MO http://bit.ly/iNDpbh
• 1000s of acres of Illinois River bottom farmland flood as levee fails http://bit.ly/iAtFm7
• USGS national maps show sharp contrasts between current water "haves" (flooding) & "have-nots" (drought) http://bit.ly/j54aL2

Water Quality-

• Omaha, NE forced to discharge raw sewage into swollen Missouri River (NPR audio) http://n.pr/mTHiJ2
• NY Times editorial: House attack on clean water rules http://nyti.ms/knNbwP
• U of Dubuque receives grant to research "Nutrient Cycling in Two Rehabilitated Mississippi River Backwater Lakes" http://bit.ly/kuuDw6
• EPA extends comment deadline on draft stormwater rule for construction site discharges till July 11 http://1.usa.gov/kNakf5 (PDF file)
• US House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to vote tomorrow on EPA-limiting clean water legislation http://bit.ly/lEAUkQ
• House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee passes bill that would limit EPA's water quality regulatory abilities http://bit.ly/kHqGdX
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency calls for major reductions of nutrients in Elk River watershed http://bit.ly/jqiefm
• Blue-green algal toxins (microcystins) accumulate in fish & can pass on to fish-consumers http://bit.ly/mnDyfg

In the States -

• New "OpenGovernment: Minnesota" site allows Minnesotans to track state legislature, bills, votes, issues, fundraising http://bit.ly/mgH3rV
• MN Pollution Control Agency civil penalties totaled $420,946 & issued 43 orders in 2011 1st quarter http://bit.ly/kXqHCF
• Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District: Algal bloom may have caused Ohio River fish kill http://bit.ly/mkA6YO not chemicals http://bit.ly/maLL2n
• IA Environmental Protection Commission eases permitting requirements for large-scale animal operations http://bit.ly/l1yOk6 & http://bit.ly/ko7rrh
• IL Science Advisory Committee expanding battle vs Asian carp & other threats to IL rivers-looking for members http://1.usa.gov/kVGoap

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Sen Lieberman (D-CT) introduces National Fish Habitat Conservation Act to encourage habitat protection/restoration http://bit.ly/m3xrad
• Invasive Emerald Ash Borer moving about 40x faster through Midwest than several years ago http://bit.ly/mvWoPK
• Help protect Missouri from devastating aquatic invaders via @ktvo http://bit.ly/kEcCOB

Federal Budget -

• LaCrosse Tribune Editorial: Cuts in federal spending absolutely necessary, agriculture spending is ripe for the picking http://bit.ly/lbgxUQ
• >400 groups' letter to Biden budget negotiators urges funding for farm natural resource conservation programs http://bit.ly/iQmgcR (PDF)
• Congressional Budget Office analysis: worsening scenario for growth of the federal debt http://bit.ly/kUvrlJ
• House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) pulls out of VP Biden-led debt talks http://bit.ly/lQsP5j
• Debt limit discussions come down to President Obama and House Speaker Boehner as Rep. Cantor abdicates http://bit.ly/kUBNMp

Gulf Coastal Area-

• Gulf Coastal fish farms promoted by NOAA face opposition http://bit.ly/iS3n1J
• Ocean's low-oxygen zones growing; are sensitive to small changes in climate http://bit.ly/mKbz4e

Events -

• St. Croix River Association's 100th anniversary paddling event; join July 6 & 9-22 as non-registered Day Tripper http://bit.ly/iwPQ8L
• Horinko Group's Water Division to host its Second Annual Water Resources Summit on October 25; info & registration: http://bit.ly/kPiTwx
• Workshop: Fundamentals of Stream Restoration: Applied Geomorphology & Ecology; July 25 - 29, Fergus Falls MN http://bit.ly/j1mxhh (PDF)
• Workshop: The Science of Healthy Waters: The Ditching Dilemma; $300; August 15 - 17, Fergus Falls MN http://bit.ly/kiJVdM (PDF)

Other news-

• St. Francis Xavier University study: planting trees offers only marginal benefits in climate change fight http://bit.ly/k8BnUh
• House Subcommittee passes bill preventing EPA from regulating coal ash as hazardous http://1.usa.gov/mo7oiv moves on to full committee

Political Scene -

• LA Times Editorial: "Obama lukewarm on conservation" http://lat.ms/ioCkd6
• Political influence of Iowa and the ethanol industry appear to wane as subsidies get the axe http://bit.ly/m4a1Hp
• Former WI governor Tommy Thompson (R) gets closer to running for WI US Senate seat http://bit.ly/jSABAd
• Rep. Fleischmann (R-TN-3rd) joins House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee to work on waterways issues http://1.usa.gov/mKCS6H
• Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder (R) is set to challenge Gov. Jay Nixon (D) in 2012 Governor's race http://bit.ly/j3PC88 & http://bit.ly/mE8dIX

Last Word -
"A political calculation among the munchkins in the White House." - Former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, describing a decision by the Obama Administration to acquiesce to GOP budget resolution demands restricting funding for the Bureau of Land Management's order to protect national roadless areas (quoted in the Las Vegas Journal-Review)