~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~
Democratic Senate Leaders Announce 113th Congress Committee Assignments
On Wednesday (December 11) Democratic Senate leaders announced their selections for Committee assignments for the 113th Congress (subject to Democratic Caucus and full Senate approval in January). Notable from a Mississippi River Basin perspective, two incoming freshman senators from River Basin states received slots on the important Senate Agriculture Committee next year: Democratic Senators-elect Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Donnelly of Indiana. The makeup of the environmentally-significant Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will remain unchanged on the Democratic side in the 113th Congress, while on the Energy and Natural Resources panel, Senator-elect Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Senator-elect Mazie Hirono of Hawaii will fill two open Democratic slots. To see a listing of each Committee, along with all anticipated Democratic committee members and chairpersons, click here.
Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week
Water Quality -
- Tennessee Clean Water Network: TDEC proposes weak draft permit for Cookeville TN’s 14 million gpd sewage discharge http://bit.ly/SPSzqS
- New report focuses on Iowa water quality; but makes broader points about agriculture and environmental relationships http://nyti.ms/VzcZmU
- Dallas County, Iowa Supervisors to decide whether to join Raccoon River watershed improvement organization http://dmreg.co/ST7fHm
- EPA releases video to "illustrate the potential impacts of nutrient pollution on recreation" http://youtu.be/WaIrLFq3DGI
- EPA's Clean Water Act Section 319 Program "success spotlight" looks at Eagle Creek, Kansas http://1.usa.gov/U354Po
- Companies sue Ameren Corp. in federal court over groundwater contamination threatening St. Charles, MO drinking water http://bit.ly/UiWkUy
- Constructed wetlands could help ease phosphorous pollution problems in sprawling Grand Lake St. Marys (western Ohio) http://bit.ly/RpadoQ
- Environmental groups allow EPA to postpone power plant water effluent guideline issuance http://bit.ly/U8bDQu
- Farmers gather to address fixing a rapidly crumbling Mississippi River infrastructure that is critical to farm economy http://bit.ly/UiVkzV
- Supporters want to see Bayou Bienvenue in Louisiana's Lower Ninth Ward restored to the cypress-tupelo swamp it once was http://bit.ly/YBBEPc
- Water Efficiency and Conservation State Scorecard (Law and Policy Assessment) gives US an overall "C" efficiency grade http://bit.ly/WrcTjX
- Water Resources and Development Act draft would require Army Corps to re-think river levee tree removal mandate http://tnsne.ws/ST3qSx
- U.S. Bureau of Reclamation report includes plan to export Missouri River water to ease depleted Colorado River demand http://nyti.ms/U2ZOv8
- Study resurrects idea of constructing 670-mile pipeline to divert water from Mississippi River tributaries to arid west http://bit.ly/ST7CBM
- Citizens' group sues MN DNR over low White Bear Lake water levels, citing DNR approval of increased water withdrawal http://bit.ly/RpaRCJ
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| Most recent Drought Monitor Map December 11 (click to enlarge) |
- Rains bring some drought relief across northern Plains and lower Mississippi basin; remainder of Plains remain parched http://bit.ly/rak0SU
- Washington Post: drought brings federal crop insurance under scrutiny http://bit.ly/RaNEUL
- Stubborn US drought could end up being costlier than hurricane Sandy http://bit.ly/RhesTk
- NWS predicts that water levels on drought-plagued Mississippi River will keep dropping over next several weeks http://wapo.st/UDzYyn
- Army Corps decides against releasing extra Missouri River waters to help ensure Mississippi River commercial navigation http://bit.ly/SSX4m4
- Financial Times (UK): Low Mississippi River water levels threaten US farm goods http://on.ft.com/SPPCGK
- Dropping Mississippi River levels temporarily stabilize but should be too low for barge traffic within 7 to 10 days http://bit.ly/SPQH1u
- Shippers brace for January closure of 200-mile Mississippi River stretch that could bring most commerce to standstill http://usat.ly/U30sbP
- Army Corps explosion of barge-impeding rock pinnacles in middle Mississippi River could begin as early as next week http://wapo.st/RoRzgS
- Sandbars no one can remember seeing above water now visible on the Mississippi River south of St. Louis http://bloom.bg/TVlLOP
- With time running out, House and Senate farm bill leaders are still far apart on a deal after a Wednesday meeting http://bit.ly/UDyzaY
- National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition lists key items that should be in a “minimally acceptable (farm bill) deal” http://bit.ly/UDyV1p
- Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA): farm bill "talks going on between the House and Senate on some sort of a compromise" http://bit.ly/RoQSUF
- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack: reason for no Farm Bill is that rural America is "becoming less and less relevant" http://nyti.ms/ST2YUf
- Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL): "Farm Bill will be included in whatever package is negotiated relative to the fiscal cliff" http://bit.ly/ST5Pgb
- Libertarian and environmental groups unite against five-year farm bill as fiscal cliff package attachment http://bit.ly/ST1rxJ
- Environmental Working Group: "Congress could easily make (farm bill) changes that would save $100 billion or more" http://bit.ly/U6XtPC
- Op-ed: Farm Bill's conservation programs could benefit us all http://bit.ly/VvHJFq
- Op-ed: Farm bill shortcomings must be corrected by providing for conservation compliance http://bit.ly/SLN3ps
- Senators-elect Heitkamp (ND) http://bit.ly/UDzc4c and Donnely (IN) http://bit.ly/UDzdp4 newly appointed to Senate Agriculture Committee
- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack: "it’s essential to understand that voluntary conservation does make a difference" http://dmreg.co/ST6f6e
- From Iowa State Extension: "Farmland Value Reaches Historic $8,296 Statewide Average" http://goo.gl/qqdGi
- Bunge CEO: Major agricultural exporters need to urgently upgrade road, rail and waterways transport networks http://reut.rs/UDAigk
- Minnesota developing strategy to achieve and track measurable point and nonpoint nutrient loss reduction progress http://bit.ly/RpeJDU
- EWG's "Murky waters" report criticizes Iowa's proposed pollution plan; American Farm Bureau disagrees with conclusions http://bit.ly/TUokl4
- Environmental Working Group's "Murky Waters" examines Iowa's water quality and rates it mostly "poor" or "very poor" http://bit.ly/SSWNj5
- Environmental Working Group report: Streams haven't improved in Iowa; Voluntary state plan to cut runoff falls short http://dmreg.co/ST6JsY
- Research: Increasing death rate of oldest trees increasing fast across forests worldwide regardless of latitude http://nyti.ms/XJzImg
- Illinois Christmas tree farm is run free of chemical insecticides, herbicides or fertilizers http://bit.ly/Vx0RCs
- American Chestnut Foundation believes it's developed potential blight-resistant tree to repopulate forests in 19 states http://bit.ly/ST896I
- Wisconsin agroforester sees planting fruit and nut trees and other perennials as a key to sustainable food systems http://bit.ly/Rp9vIb
- Two state wildlife management areas in southeast Nebraska along Missouri River reopen to public access http://bit.ly/SPRmQg
- MN Department of Natural Resources proposes adding 114 native plants and 67 animals to state endangered species list http://bit.ly/RnlE0g
- Restored Minnesota prairie offsets carbon produced by flights to Greece for summer program's 30 students; 4 faculty bit.ly/Rp8Ia1
- University of Wisconsin scientists study how mixing lake water could eliminate an invasive fish (smelt) http://bit.ly/ZkJz2x
- Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council to hold its first public meeting; Mobile, Alabama; December 11 http://bit.ly/ST3MZx
- Louisiana coastal restoration consultant criticized for failing to disclose an industry board membership http://bit.ly/ST7qT8
- National Hurricane Center to adopt new storm surge map, warning system over the next three years http://bit.ly/U338Gw
- Those who live and work in the Gulf of Mexico region wary of uncertain restoration path ahead after oil spill http://bit.ly/UiSniI
- Interior Department no longer plans to finalize oil-and-gas development hydraulic fracturing rules this year http://bit.ly/UAbENI
- Mining industry takes notice of Starved Rock State Park, IL rock formations containing very high quality frac sand http://huff.to/UiRCGp
- Boehner and Obama no closer to fiscal cliff deal after exchange of latest offers http://bit.ly/SiMuXs
- Budget negotiations between White House; GOP House Speaker progress steadily under strict public comment moratorium http://on.wsj.com/ST5B8L
- Sides seem to be edging toward deal in deficit-reduction negotiations; will likely wait till last minute to resolve http://bit.ly/U6YozK
- 2013 is planned to be the "Year of Cycling" along the Mississippi River Trail from Lake Itasca to New Orleans http://bit.ly/U8ec52
- Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge begin youth program in Thomson, IL (first Saturday of each month) http://bit.ly/U37365
- Mississippi River Research Consortium; April 24-26, 2013; La Crosse, WI; First call for papers-upper right hand corner: http://bit.ly/erwZ7V
- 13th Annual St. Louis Earth Day Symposium (March 2013) deadline for presentation submissions: December 15 http://bit.ly/SSZvoW
- Conference on Students as Catalysts for Large Landscape Conservation; March 1, 2013; Waterville, Maine http://bit.ly/ST19XC
- Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council to hold its first public meeting; Mobile, Alabama; December 11 http://bit.ly/ST3MZx
- Save the date: Mississippi River Collaborative Conference March 19-21, Louisville, KY; More details will follow http://bit.ly/aw24aR
- MN Pollution Control Agency informational meeting on draft Construction Stormwater Permit; 12/17 in St. Paul http://bit.ly/U3jeQw
- Three Spring 2013 Missouri River events in Yankton, SD area to focus on invasive species; clean-up; watershed education http://bit.ly/Uxoeev
- Midwest-Great Lakes Society for Ecological Restoration Chapter Meeting; Wooster, Ohio, April 12-14, 2013 http://bit.ly/RpdmVN
- Registration open for Wisconsin Wetlands Association's Annual Conference; February 12-14, 2013; Sheboygan, Wisconsin http://bit.ly/U8aWXA
- EPA Weekly Newsletter from the Office of Water: "Water Headlines" http://bit.ly/U35uoM
- December’s "1 Mississippi" newsletter from the Mississippi River Network http://bit.ly/UDw8oZ
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| "Petrochemical Landscape" along Lower Mississippi River (click to enlarge - article link at left) |
- Petrochemical America book focus is 150-mile Mississippi River stretch and its large petrochemical plant concentration http://bit.ly/UiTMFX
- Congressional Research Service report finds fault in bills that would enact new coal ash waste disposal standards http://bit.ly/SSYDQU
- Obama Administration may soften proposed crackdown on coal ash disposal http://onforb.es/U3m87C
- Indiana manufacturing groups say that EPA existing and proposed regulations are costly and 'dampen growth' http://bit.ly/U33Y61
- America’s Health Rankings–2012 ranks Lower Mississippi and Ohio River valley states on low end of health spectrum http://bit.ly/RnnJcG
- US National Intelligence Council publishes Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds-covers water resource availability http://bit.ly/U6WnDw
- NOAA administrator to step down http://huff.to/Xcvcb5
- EPA releases "National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change" with "long-term goals" and "actions" http://1.usa.gov/Hw4u4p
- In last outstanding U.S. House race Rep. Boustany Jr. (R-LA-3) defeated fellow Republican Rep. Landry in a runoff http://bit.ly/SSYexS
- Senate Committee Assignments For 113th Congress Approved By Democratic Steering Committee http://1.usa.gov/UC8klh
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