The National Academies' National Research Council (NRC) will convene a meeting, including a public session, on Levees and the National Flood Insurance Program: Improving Policies and Practices, on November 7 and 8, in Washington DC. Since August, the ad hoc NRC committee has been examining current FEMA treatment of levees within the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The committee has been tasked to provide advice in a report on how those levee-related policies and activities might be improved. The report is expected to be issued in early 2013. The study is addressing the following topics regarding how levees are considered in the NFIP:
- risk analysis
- flood insurance
- risk reduction
- risk communication
Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week
Agriculture -
- Peoria Journal Star editorial: USDA needs adequate funds for conservation http://bit.ly/tmbmMT
- EPA blasted in House Agriculture Subcommittee hearing on Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load http://1.usa.gov/sbXyt7
- NASDA Research Foundation resource guide on Federal & State environmental regulations impacting agriculture http://bit.ly/rANYGM
- USDA announces bioenergy program grant recipients under Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels http://1.usa.gov/sRSCyu
- Groups/speakers call for end of federal aid to CAFO producers at National Conference to End Factory Farming http://bit.ly/orHvLp
- Mississippi Farm Bureau pushes for end to state's eminent domain law in November 8 ballot referendum http://bit.ly/sMgpi3
- Researchers report promising results from new farm conservation practice that removes nitrate from groundwater http://bit.ly/t131eb
- National Farmers Union supports Local Farms, Food & Jobs Act, introduced by Rep. Pingree (D- ME) & Sen. Brown (D-OH) http://bit.ly/vPihmy
- Economists & conservationists worry fragile lands will be farmed with USDA help without conservation compliance http://bit.ly/tgnfOj
- Bipartisan group sends letter of concern to supercommittee re: House & Senate Agri Committees' “secret” Farm Bill http://bit.ly/thybVP (PDF)
- More coverage (Rep. Ron Kind; WI-3): "27 Members Advise Super Committee to Avoid Secret Farm Bill" http://bit.ly/vX488g
- Rep. Peterson (MN-7) rejects charge that House & Senate Agri Comms are secretly crafting Farm Bill; hopeful of result http://bit.ly/tVgqGN
- In Iowa speech, Agriculture Secretary Vilsack underscores what is at stake with Farm Bill & deficit reduction http://bit.ly/vi5MmN
- Sen. Conrad (D-ND) convenes meeting of his farm Advisory Comm to detail strategy on securing ND Farm Bill priorities http://1.usa.gov/sxZ9ZE
- National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition letter to House & Senate Ag Comm leaders sets top line Farm Bill priorities http://bit.ly/uKtFL1
- House & Senate Ag Committees miss self-imposed Nov. 1 deadline to present plan to reduce agriculture spending by $23B http://bit.ly/tqybcg
- Farmers fight cuts as billions in indemnity payments head to farmers with crops hurt by bad weather http://politi.co/vhdsVc
- Environmental groups threaten to sue operators of KY coal mine for violations of Clean Water Act http://bit.ly/tFCLLf (PDF)
- Twin Cities Daily Planet: "Mississippi River facts scarier than Halloween" http://bit.ly/uQgOm2
- IL water supply lawsuits over herbicide atrazine in court this week http://bit.ly/sEEU86
- Consol Energy agrees to pay >$205 M in fines & costs re: alga' bloom that killed 1000s of Dunkard Creek PA/WV fish http://bit.ly/s9vuWv
- WV chlorine manufacturing plant seeks to avoid 90% cut in mercury loading to Ohio River http://bit.ly/vIkZQ0 & http://cjky.it/sRQWUz
- Sens Inhofe & Sessions; Reps Mica & Gibbs urge EPA to withdraw recently proposed Clean Water Act jurisdiction guidance http://t.co/mfrHI8Jd
- FL DEP moves forward with draft rules on numeric nutrient standards for state's waterways http://bit.ly/tbt2Uf (national implications)
- EPA grants "preliminary" okay of Florida draft state-authored water pollution regulations; PDF of letter: http://1.usa.gov/rsRBNI (national implications)
- In new guidance EPA says it will be flexible on municipal sewer overflows; relief for strapped cities http://1.usa.gov/uMbz5o (PDF file)
- EPA announces a new planning process to help local governments deal with costs of wastewater & stormwater controls http://1.usa.gov/v3pkgi
- Army Corps of Engineers: needs about $1 B to repair damage from 2011 flooding in Missouri & Mississippi basins http://bit.ly/uKkTFl
- Army Corps making slow progress on national flood levee inventory http://bit.ly/rAqrE8
- Senate's 2nd "minibus" spending bill debate starts this week; includes civil works budget for Army Corps of Engineers http://bit.ly/vlt8sS
- NRC meeting on Levees and the National Flood Insurance Program: Improving Policies and Practices Nov 7, Washington DC http://bit.ly/sbgFqq
- MN's clean water Legacy Fund goals are unclear bit.ly/rVyfan
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency finds numerous pollution problems throughout Sauk River watershed http://bit.ly/viryTR
- 178 environmental experts rank recommended MN nonprofit organizations that work on conservation/environment: http://bit.ly/vgr73r
- MN DNR: finding invasive Asian Carp like finding "needle in a haystack" http://bit.ly/rtLzs0
- Workers along Illinois River seek to turn Asian Carp into organic fertilizer; fillets; other commercial products http://bit.ly/vPafwA
- Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction has far to go before any agreement can be reached http://bit.ly/rKEZUR
- Nearing November 23 deadline, supercommittee holds public hearing on 2 old debt reduction plans http://bit.ly/w4Sl12
- With barely 3 weeks remaining until supercommittee’s deadline, there is little outward sign of progress http://wapo.st/vSplYT
- Senate passes USDA-Transportation-Commerce 2012 spending minibus bill; USDA cut slightly from 2011 http://bit.ly/uolpma; bill: http://bit.ly/w4233B
- OMB Watch identifies numerous riders in Senate's just-passed minibus spending bill http://bit.ly/sPs96W
- Obama vows to veto spending bills with too many riders or spending cuts in letter from OMB http://1.usa.gov/s01NJQ (p. 2 of PDF)
- House & Senate appropriators to convene 1st conference committee in 2 yrs in search of compromise spending agreement http://bit.ly/s27mK5
- Senate's 2nd "minibus" spending bill debate starts this week; includes civil works budget for Army Corps of Engineers http://bit.ly/vlt8sS
- House will conference with Senate on FY 2012 USDA spending bill that both chambers have approved; in different forms http://bit.ly/uLTJzR
- Congressional Research Service detailed analysis of “Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2012 Appropriations” (PDF) http://bit.ly/sMWkxB
- Marcellus shale issues explored at West Virginia University law school symposium http://bit.ly/slaXL2 & http://bit.ly/rG2EIE
- Study by Center for Rural PA and Penn State U looks at water quality before & after Marcellus Shale drilling http://bit.ly/uz10LE
- EPA announces Final Study Plan re: Congressionally directed study to evaluate fracking impacts on drinking water http://1.usa.gov/sBDYXq
- Rerouting proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline to avoid Nebraska Sand Hills would add 50 miles to total 1,700-mile route http://bit.ly/rv2uRR
- Lawsuit seeks halt to gas drilling in Ozark National Forest http://bit.ly/vpbns0
- NRC meeting on Levees and the National Flood Insurance Program: Improving Policies and Practices Nov 7, Washington DC http://bit.ly/sbgFqq
- Restore America's Estuaries National Conference - Call for Proposals http://t.co/9LtyHODU
- The National Great Rivers Research and Education Center's monthly e-newsletter is out http://bit.ly/tFpUh9
- Earthjustice: EPA data reveals more dangerous coal ash ponds http://bit.ly/vCXzsN
- Surge in mining & several proposals to streamline WI mining code could pose threats to WI water resources http://bit.ly/tzYkTa (mostly N WI)
- Digital applications win U.S. EPA's Apps for the Environment competition http://bit.ly/ncymBT
- Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) on President Obama: will campaign with him, while emphasizing their differences http://bit.ly/vqtllC
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