Monday, April 15, 2013

Capitol Hill This Week - What to Watch For

Mississippi River Basin Congressional
Districts
Here are the activities currently scheduled this week in the U.S. House and Senate that could have a significant impact on the sustainability of the Mississippi River Basin's natural and built resources. Where available, links are provided to the relevant Committee and legislation pages on the Internet. Many of the proceedings are webcast live (follow the appropriate link).  All times are Eastern.

Tuesday, April 16
Wednesday, April 17
Thursday, April 18
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Friday, April 12, 2013

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~
Congressional Schedules on Major Water-Related Legislation Slip
Water Resources Development Act
The Senate's attention turned decidedly toward gun control this week, and the week's rumored floor activity on the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) failed to materialize. Senate floor action on the bill that passed out of the Environment and Public Works Committee in March has yet to be scheduled by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). Since Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) have not  reached agreement laying out gun debate conditions, that activity could take up considerable floor time, and push Senate WRDA action into May. On the House side, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has scheduled its first formal hearing on WRDA for next Tuesday (April 16) after holding a "roundtable" on Army Corps inland waterways' issues this week.

Farm Bill
Both the the Senate and House Agriculture Committees expressed desires earlier in the month to hold Farm Bill mark-up sessions in April. However, a more realistic target for work in both committees is May, especially in light of this past Monday’s presentation to Congress of newly revised Farm Bureau Federation Farm Bill proposal (PDF file copy available here), which the committees are now taking under consideration.  Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-MN) has indicated that the Committee may mark up a House bill as early as the week of May 6, possibly preceding any action in the Senate Committee.

 Obama Budget Reprises Past Themes - - Broad  Strokes and Fine Points
Normally an inside-the-beltway, drama-filled event, this year's late release by  President Obama of his federal budget proposal has registered only a slight blip thus far on the Washington, DC political radar screen, coming as it has two months late, and following passage of both Republican House and Democratic Senate budgets.   The Administration's budget includes familiar themes from past years' plans (made before without success), including curbing farm subsidies and increased spending for infrastructure projects  White House officials say the budget is an attempt at compromise; trying to strike a balance between the House and Senate versions. The plan repeats deficit reduction overtures made during December 2012 White House negotiations with House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH); negotiations that Boehner walked away from over his opposition to higher taxes on the wealthy.

If it is nothing else, the annual release of the budget proposal is a political statement.  And while no Administration's budget stands any realistic chance of being reflected en masse in any subsequent Congressional appropriation's bill, the annual rite does play one role: it reflects Presidential priorities at that moment in time. With that in mind, here is a link to an overview that includes details of the Obama team's water resource priorities (broken out by agency: EPA, USDA, Corps of Engineers, Interior and NOAA).  Links are also provided to each agency's detailed budget document.  To read a more broad perspective of the Obama budget proposal and how it may play out on the political playing field, see here.

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -
  • Tennessee Environmental Council and Rediscover East sue PSC Metals over alleged metals' water pollution http://ow.ly/jQxEd
  • Living on Earth report: media access to federal-Exxon Arkansas oil spill cleanup info gets routed through official Exxon channels http://ow.ly/jQykx
  • Two persons file federal lawsuit against Exxon Mobil for Arkansas oil spill from pipeline burst http://ow.ly/jT0Ch
  • Iowa's proposed strategy to reduce nutrient water pollution may impact many Northwest Iowa farmers http://ow.ly/jQCj1
  • EPA report: Oklahoma’s 2012 efforts to curb nonpoint source water pollution outpaced those in all other states http://ow.ly/jQDGr
  • City of Vicksburg, MS cited by the US EPA for raw sewage flowing into Mississippi River between 2007 and 2012 http://ow.ly/jYKV1
  • Midwestern universities seek grant for nutrient management center addressing farm runoff; Gulf of Mexico dead zone http://ow.ly/jXE9L
  • Environmental groups oppose new selenium water pollution rules for Kentucky ow.ly/jYlKJ
  • U.S. Water Alliance convenes first of four meetings of agriculture, water, and environmental leaders in Minneapolis http://ow.ly/jZRdZ
Water Resource Management (Floodplains, Dams, Navigation, Wetlands, Flooding, Supplies, etc.) -
  • Natural river diversion at Mardi Gras Pass south of New Orleans gains support from political, commercial interests http://ow.ly/jQtZ2
  • Waterways Council, Inc.’s Executive Committee endorses two waterways bills introduced by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) http://ow.ly/jYKDJ
  • Competition heats up among U.S. ports as they prepare for post-Panama Canal-expansion realities http://ow.ly/jQLDk
  • Army Corps of Engineers holding public meetings this week on its water management plans for the Missouri River basin http://ow.ly/jR8jA
  • Cairo, Illinois Mayor to Army Corps: halt reconstruction of Bird's Point Levee; it will promote floodplain development http://ow.ly/jSZAm
  • House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee confronts Army Corps inland waterways issues during roundtable http://ow.ly/jY4d8
  • After gun control, Senate set to take up Water Resources Development Act next, as environmental concerns remain http://ow.ly/jVkcB
  • Congressional Budget Office says Senate's Water Resources Development Act would cost $12.5 billion over next decade http://ow.ly/jVnXv
  • Georgia may take centuries-old resource-state line battle with Tennessee over the Tennessee River to Supreme Court http://ow.ly/jYA4E
  • House Members introduce bill to take fish and wildlife projects off Army Corps' authorized Missouri River activity list http://ow.ly/jYDde
  • Water levels in Wisconsin River reservoirs vary depending on if they are in north or south http://ow.ly/jZSvz
  • Shifting the government's climbing flood risk exposure to private insurers is not as easy as it sounds http://ow.ly/k02kH
Farm Bill-
  • American Farm Bureau Federation sends Congress its revamped five-year farm bill proposal  http://ow.ly/jT3gz
  • House and Senate Agriculture Committee leaders would like to move farm bill soon, but common sticking points remain http://ow.ly/jVlvz
  • Tough Farm Bill negotiating remains, especially if committees have to trim spending more than they did in 2012 http://ow.ly/jVlPp
Agriculture -
  • New York Times editorial board: ag-gag laws guarantee increased distrust of American farmers and food supply http://ow.ly/jVmcH
  • Dozen or so state legislatures have proposed or enacted bills making it illegal to covertly videotape livestock farms http://ow.ly/jQvTr
  • New paper contends Congress should increase US agricultural research budget threefold to reverse decades of neglect http://ow.ly/jT88Y
Climate and Weather -
Drought Monitor Map
(click to enlarge)
  • NOAA: beneficial, soaking rains finally fall; providing some badly-needed drought relief in Plains states http://ow.ly/jYqli
  • Earth Networks: Summer 2013 is going to be a hot one across large stretches of the U.S. http://ow.ly/jMfun
  • Weather, now fluctuating on a grand scale, is becoming increasingly hard to forecast long-term http://ow.ly/jQB8y
  • Midwest drought eases but persistent dry conditions in western Plains states could still limit Mississippi River flow http://ow.ly/jT8V8
  • Quad-City, IA-IL area "officially" over drought; remainder of Iowa still abnormally dry, or in some stage of drought http://ow.ly/k05qK
  • Drought conditions persist in Missouri River basin; Army Corps enacts drought water conservation measures http://ow.ly/jTa10
  • Professionals name floods, drought, water quality, climate as major environmental; economic concerns at conference http://ow.ly/jVxXJ
  • New NOAA Drought Task Force report examines the causes of 2012 Great Plains drought http://ow.ly/jYjqn
  • Upper reaches of the Minnesota River Watershed may see Spring flooding materialize this week http://ow.ly/jYDOS
In the States -
In the Cities -
  • Strict US city planning regulations driven by property owners protecting own interests, not quality of life considerations http://ow.ly/jT7wk
  • St. Cloud, MN mayor highlights city's long connection to Mississippi River at annual State of the City event http://ow.ly/jVpcC
  • St. Paul, MN City Council adopts its Great River Passage Master Plan focused on the Mississippi riverfront http://ow.ly/jYKo1
Forestry -
  • Opportunity exists to set good precedents and protocols for using social teamwork in US National Forests' management http://ow.ly/jT20f
Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -
  • Study: No DNA Evidence of Asian Carp in the St. Croix River; Scientists Urge Continued Action http://ow.ly/jMFp7
  • Midwestern Governors Association observes Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month by launching  LinkedIn group http://ow.ly/jR6hX
Gulf Coastal Region-
  • Federal appeals court to review ruling that Gulf Coast landowners can sue companies over greenhouse gas emissions http://ow.ly/jQJMz
  • Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy looks at the RESTORE Act and what it means for the Gulf Coast and its communities http://bit.ly/14SzoVz (PDF file)
  • As third anniversary of BP oil spill nears, Mississippi River delta wetlands' restoration advocated http://ow.ly/jVN9i
Resource Extraction -
  • Southern Illinois counties see first of fracking oil  and gas land rush, start to rake in fees http://ow.ly/jQxcd
  • Advances in fracking, crippling drought and depleted Ogallala Aquifer intensify longstanding water-drilling debates http://ow.ly/jQByQ
  • Oklahoma's oil and gas producers get little opposition over use of hydraulic fracking from the public http://ow.ly/jQBTP
  • South Dakota state scientists search for Black Hills sands suitable for oil-and-gas fracking http://ow.ly/jQDpA
  • Minnesota Public Radio: Minnesota companies eager to mine frac sand http://ow.ly/jVMIZ
Federal Budget-
  • Washington Post interactive visual exploring President's proposed spending plan for fiscal year 2014: income and revenue http://ow.ly/k0cgR
Events -  Information on all past and future events listed here can be viewed in the on-line calendar on this Blog page and here as a stand-alone calendar
  • Kayaker Janet Moreland to embark on 3-1/2 month long historic trip down Missouri River from Montana to St. Louis http://ow.ly/jMkMU
  • 18th Int'l Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species; April 21-25; Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada http://ow.ly/jR7eG
  • Adaptive Management for Conservation  Success, June 10-21, Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, Front Royal, VA http://ow.ly/jVhXh
  • The Wetlands Initiative lists its April events targeting wetland resources' restoration in the Midwest http://ow.ly/jVjwK
  • Migratory Bird Festival; North Utica, IL; Saturday, May 4 http://ow.ly/jYkli
e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -
  • Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's "Waterfront Bulletin" for April 2013 http://ow.ly/jMjiC
  • Tennessee Clean Water Network's April 4, e-newsletter http://ow.ly/jMO4o
  • Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy's April 9 WaterWays e-newsletter link here: http://ow.ly/jcEII
  • Weekly Newsletter from the Office of Water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: "Water Headlines" http://bit.ly/YJofTA
  • U.S. Water Alliance "News and Waves" April newsletter http://ow.ly/jZRsE
  • Here is the 1 Mississippi Campaign's April newsletter link: http://ow.ly/jXC8G
  • Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's Watershed Network News for April 11 http://ow.ly/jYJs7
Other news-
  • Natchez Democrat op-ed: "Let's engage with entire Mississippi River" http://ow.ly/jT9mj
  • Brewers start to sign on to Natural Resources Defense Council's "Brewers for Clean Water" campaign http://ow.ly/jTpS9
  • EPA designates Center of Excellence for Watershed Management at Mississippi State University - a resource for universities across state http://1.usa.gov/YJnNVw
  • U.S. Appeals Court clears path for property owner 'rails to trails' takings lawsuits against the government http://ow.ly/jZSQT (PDF file of ruling)
  • State preparing to promote recreation, development along Kansas River; news: http://ow.ly/jZZeo Kansas web site: http://ow.ly/jZZaT
Political Scene -
  • Democrat Jim Mowrer all but certain to run for US House seat held by GOP Rep. Steve King (R-IA-4) http://ow.ly/jQv4O
  • U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA-13) officially kicks off her 2014 campaign for Pennsylvania Governor http://ow.ly/jTb6a
  • Democrat Robin Kelly easily wins race to replace former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL-2) http://ow.ly/jVkW2
  • Minnesota’s 6th District US House race-Michele Bachmann (R) vs Jim Graves (D)-is one of top 2014 races to watch http://ow.ly/jXDpx
  • Louisville Courier Journal animated editorial cartoon on Sen. Mitch McConnell (KY) and Democratic rivals' relationship http://ow.ly/k07AZ (embedded below)
Last Word -
“The timeline between the submission of a president’s budget and someone saying the phrase ‘dead on arrival’ is the shortest measure of time in Washington.”  - Tony Fratto, a spokesperson for George W. Bush’s Treasury Department and later the Bush White House, told to Yahoo News.
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Schedules for Congressional Activity on Major Water-Associated Legislation Slip

Water Resources Development Act
The Senate's attention turned decidedly toward gun control this week, and the rumored floor activity on the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) failed to materialize.  Senate floor action on the bill that passed out of the Environment and Public Works Committee in March has yet to be scheduled by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV).  Since Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) have yet to reach agreement laying out gun debate conditions, that floor action could take up considerable floor time, and push Senate WRDA action into May.  On the House side, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has scheduled its first formal hearing on WRDA for next Tuesday (April 16) after having held a "roundtable" on Army Corps inland waterways' issues this week.

Farm Bill
Both the the Senate and House Agriculture Committees have expressed a strong desire to hold Farm Bill mark-up sessions this month.  However, a more realistic target for work in both committees is May, especially in light of this past Monday’s presentation to Congress of newly revised Farm Bureau Federation Farm Bill proposal (PDF file copy available here), which the committees are now taking under consideration.  Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-MN) has indicated that the Committee may mark up a House bill as early as the week of May 6, possibly preceding any action in the Senate Committee.
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Thursday, April 11, 2013

Water Resource Priorities as Reflected in the Obama 2014 Budget Proposal

If it is nothing else, the annual release of the President's budget proposal is a political statement. And while no Administration's budget stands any realistic chance of being reflected en masse in any subsequent Congressional appropriation's bill, the annual rite does play one role in that it reflects the priorities of the Administration at the time of the budget's release. With that in mind, here an overview of what the Obama team's water resource priorities are (or not) for the immediate future, based on its 2014 budget proposal. The review is broken out by agency, and links are provided to each agency's detailed budget overview document.

 Environmental Protection Agency (link to the EPA "Budget in Brief" here)
The proposal provides $8.2 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a decrease of $296 million, or 3.5 percent, below the 2012 enacted funding level.
  • The largest cuts come from reductions to the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs) by a combined $472 million (the budget provides a combined $1.9 billion for the annual Federal contribution to both SRFs). The funding reduction, the Administration notes, would allow a program focus on communities most in need of assistance, and, they contend, would still allow the SRFs to finance approximately $6 billion in wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects annually. 
  • Funding for water programs would fall under the budget, coming in at $3.1 billion in fiscal year 2014 compared to $3.6 billion in fiscal year 2012.
  • The budget proposes to increase coordinating efforts between the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and EPA programs, such as EPA’s Nonpoint Source Grants and Water Pollution Control Grants and USDA’s Farm Bill conservation programs. Under this initiative EPA would enhance its efforts to address nutrient pollution through working collaboratively with U.S. Department of Agriculture in high priority, focused watersheds, such as the Mississippi River Basin, and provide funding to states to undertake nutrient pollution reductions (including $15 million in Clean Water Act Section 106 grants).
U.S. Department of Agriculture (link to the USDA "Budget Summary" here)
The Administration looks to reduce U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) expenditures by $37.8 billion over ten years by eliminating some subsidies paid directly to producers, reducing government crop insurance subsidies, and "streamlining" agricultural land conservation programs.  The budget would increase funding for USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service by around $50 million over the level enacted in the fiscal year 2013 continuing resolution.
  • As proposed in his previous four budget plans, the President's fiscal year 2014 budget proposes to eliminate direct payments to producers, saving an estimated $3 billion annually. Farm Bill “direct payment” provisions supply producers fixed annual income assistance for having historically planted crops that were supported by government programs, regardless of whether the farmer is currently
    producing those or any other crops. 
  • USDA proposes to strategically target funding to address high priority conservation goals for improving water quality and water availability, land conservation, wildlife habitat, and wetland protection. Funding would provide for conservation programs that focus on priority landscapes "most in need of protection, emphasize partnering with local constituents to efficiently implement programs and initiatives, and help create jobs and strengthen the rural economy."
  • The Administration contends that high commodity prices have lowered producer demand for enrollment of farm land into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), as more farmers look to increase planted acres, and it proposes to cap the maximum allowable acreage enrollment in the CRP at 25 million acres, saving an estimated $2.2 billion over 10 years.  The purpose of the CRP is to assist farm owners and operators in conserving and improving soil, water, air and wildlife resources by converting highly erodible and other environmentally sensitive acreage normally devoted to the production of agricultural commodities to a long-term resource-conserving cover. Also eligible for the CRP are some of the country's water quality- or wildlife habitat-impaired areas that do not meet erosion criteria, such as the Chesapeake Bay, Great Lakes and Long Island Sound watersheds. 
  • The Administration proposes to permanently authorize annual mandatory funding, without further appropriation or fiscal year limitation for the Departments of Agriculture and the Interior Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) programs beginning in fiscal year 2014.   The LWCF is a Federal program established in 1964 to provide funds and matching grants for federal land management agencies, state agencies and local communities to acquire land and water, and easements on land and water, primarily for recreation and the protection of natural resources. Initially authorized for 25 years, the LWCF was extended for another 25 years. However, its current authority ends in January 2015. Discretionary funding for the LWCF is appropriated by Congress annually. 
  • Under this budget proposal, USDA would enroll nearly 12 million acres in the Conservation Stewardship Program, the largest rural conservation program, but would permanently reduce the program enrollment by almost 800,000 acres.
  • The Administration foresees USDA working cooperatively with other federal agencies such as the EPA, along with conservation districts, tribal organizations and others, to establish a monitoring network for pollution washing into waterways from agricultural lands.
Army Corps of Engineers-Civil Works (link to the Army Corps' Civil Works Budget Summary here)
The budget would provide $4.7 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers civil works program, a 5.5 percent decrease from the 2012 enacted level.
  • The budget continues to provide funding for the operation and maintenance of so-called "high performing projects," such as navigation on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers and the Illinois Waterway. 
  • The President proposes reforms to the way that the Federal Government finances capital investments in support of navigation on the inland waterways including a new user fee; including establishing an annual per vessel fee to increase the amount paid by commercial navigation users sufficiently to meet their share of the costs of activities financed from this fund, and establishing an Infrastructure Bank that would help finance port deepening, levees and other major water resources development activities. 
  • The budget proposal includes funding to restore significant aquatic ecosystems "based on sound science and adaptive management."  Funds are provided for work on such "priority aquatic ecosystems" as the California Bay-Delta, Chesapeake Bay, Everglades, Great Lakes, and Gulf Coast. Funds are also provided for other aquatic ecosystem efforts, such as restoring Puget Sound and improving environmental outcomes in the Upper Mississippi River and the Missouri River.
Interior Department (link to the DOI "2014 Budget in Brief" here)
The $11.7 billion request for the Department of Interior is over 4 percent higher than the fiscal year 2012 enacted level and marks a substantial increase over the level the agency was provided following sequester cuts, which amounted to a funding reduction of about 9 percent. 
  • The budget proposes $963 million for research and development across bureaus, including $71 million for climate change science (a $13 million increase over 2012). It also includes $18 million to fund research with EPA and the Energy Department into hydraulic fracturing to better understand and minimize potential impacts.
  • As noted above, the Interior budget requires mandatory, full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund; requesting $600 million for the program in fiscal year 2014, a level over $200 million higher than current funding levels
  • The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) budget request is $1.2 billion, which is $98.8 million above the 2012 enacted level (USGS details are provided in the DOI "2014 Budget in Brief" here and in this specific USGS budget summary).
  • USGS funding would include $180.8 million for the agency's "ecosystems" activities (funding USGS research and monitoring); $22.5 million above the 2012 enacted level. That amount includes a program increase of $3 million for research on new methods to eradicate, control, and manage Asian carp in the Upper Mississippi River Basin and prevent their entry into the Great Lakes. 
  • The USGS 2014 budget also includes $222.9 million for "Water Resources," $13.3 million above the 2012 enacted level. This budget category includes funding for programs that "collect, manage, and disseminate hydrologic data, model and analyze hydrologic systems, and conduct research and development leading to new understandings of and methods for gathering data."
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA details are included in this Department of Commerce "Budget in Brief")
The $5.4 billion National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) request represents an 8 percent increase over fiscal year 2012 funding levels. 
  • The budget proposal suggests $472.4 million for NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research to improve the agency's ability to provide forecasts for communities preparing for climate change impacts.
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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Obama Budget Reprises Past Themes While Setting Administration's 2014 Agenda

Normally an inside-the-beltway, drama-filled event, this year's late release by  President Obama of his federal budget proposal has registered only a slight blip thus far on the Washington, DC political Richter scale, coming as it has two months later than usual, and following passage last month of both Republican House and Democratic Senate budgets.  White House officials say the President is trying to strike a balance between the House and Senate plans.  It would spend $3.77 trillion over the coming 2014 fiscal year, and proposes to start closing annual deficits by raising taxes on those earning higher incomes and by closing business "tax loopholes."  The Administration's budget includes familiar themes from past years' plans (made before without success), including curbing farm subsidies and increased spending for infrastructure projects.  The President's plan repeats the $1.8 trillion deficit reduction package that he offered the GOP during budget negotiations with House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) in December 2012; negotiations that Boehner walked away from over his opposition to higher taxes on the wealthy.

The proposal differs from the President's budget presented last February (2012) in that it puts forward a new, government-wide inflation adjustment plan; one that would affect Social Security, veterans' pensions and the indexing of tax brackets.  The adjustment is being offered to Republicans in the hope of winning concessions on the increased tax revenues.  A scant few Republicans have welcomed Obama's proposal to reduce the size of future cost-of-living increases.

Senior administration officials previewed the details of the proposal on Tuesday, releasing a related "Fact Sheet" earlier in the morning.  The officials said that the plan represents a "fiscally responsible plan for middle-class jobs and growth" that it "turns off" the $1.2 trillion in automatic sequestration spending cuts that took effect earlier this year.

Even before the proposal's release, Republicans raised objections to its call for tax increases and lack of spending cuts, while some Democrats opposed the plan's proposed cuts to entitlements programs, such as Social Security and Medicare.   An early test of whether Republican leaders might be willing to consider Obama's budget offer will come Wednesday night, when Obama has scheduled a White House dinner with a dozen Republican Senators, and when, surely, the budget will be discussed.

Among water resource and environmental issues highlighted in the Administration's budget "Fact Sheet" are proposals to:
  • Expedite "infrastructure projects by modernizing the Federal permitting process to cut through red tape while creating incentives and better outcomes for communities and the environment."
  • Establish the goal of "cutting timelines in half for major infrastructure projects in areas such as highways, bridges, railways, ports, waterways, pipelines, and renewable energy."
  • Realize savings from mandatory programs, such as reductions to farm subsidies.
In addition to entitlement and other mandatory spending cuts, the plan would trim $200 billion in federal discretionary spending.

The administration blames the two-month budget delay in submitting the proposal on lengthy "fiscal cliff" negotiations that took place at the end of last year, and on the subsequent early-2013 political fights over the automatic ("sequestration") spending cuts that kicked-in during March.
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Friday, April 5, 2013

Capitol Hill Next Week - What to Watch For

Here are the activities scheduled next week in the U.S. House and Senate that could have an impact on the Mississippi River Basin's natural and built resources. Where available, links are provided to the relevant Committee and legislation pages on the Internet. Many of the proceedings are webcast live (follow the appropriate link).

April 10
  • Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing on Panama Canal expansion (at 2:30 PM, in room 253 Russell Senate Office Building). Discussions will inevitably circle round to the issue of U.S. port readiness to accommodate post-expansion sized ocean-going vessels (included in the list of ports are those in the lower Mississippi River system).
  • On Wednesday evening President Obama is scheduled to dine with a dozen Senate Republicans, just hours after releasing his Administration's 2014 fiscal year budget proposal (look for the budget proposal HERE on Wednesday morning).  All indications are that the proposal will be decidedly in the middle, with enough to equally upset and mollify those on both Obama's right and left.  While Wednesday's post-budget-release rhetoric will likely fall within typical party lines, Obama's hope in reaching out to Republicans is that enough of them might move toward reviving the long-stalled federal deficit deal, and cut a budget deal with the Democratic Senate majority.
  • The full Senate may take up consideration of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) bill passed out of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee last month (S. 601) as early as April 10.  Assuming that "unanimous consent" cannot be obtained to bring the bill to the floor, it's likely that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) will offer a motion to proceed, that will be debatable and then subject to a vote.  If brought up for consideration under unanimous consent or if the motion to proceed passes, then the full Senate will consider the bill, including debate, amendment and voting.
April 11
April 12
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Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~
Next up . . .
It was a light, Congressional-recessed week in Washington, DC from a Mississippi River Basin perspective.  But things were percolating behind the scenes, and the remainder of April should see some policy activity that impacts the River Basin and related sustainability issues.  Here is a look ahead to some of those possibly-relevant events.

On April 10, President Obama is scheduled to present his Administration's overdue fiscal year 2014 budget
proposal to Congress. And while Presidential proposals are typically termed "dead on arrival" by the opposing party in Congress, next week's budget will supposedly embody concepts included in a compromise offer that Obama made to House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) in late 2012, including formally proposing cuts to Social Security and Medicare, in an effort to demonstrate a willingness to compromise with Republicans on a budgetary "grand solution."  One could argue that something certainly is needed to break the fiscal deal logjam, since the budget resolutions already passed by the U.S. Senate and House present little common ground upon which to start meaningful negotiations.

Staff of Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) indicate that in late April the Committee will formally consider its 2013 version of the Farm Bill (see the article, below, under "Farm Bill").  Since the Senate is scheduled to recess for the week of April 29, the Committee's "mark up" session would likely occur before the end of the preceding week.

The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) bill passed out of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee last month may see Senate floor action during that same last working week in April, according to sources close to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV).  WRDA may see floor time after the Senate considers Reid's gun background check bill (S. 649); legislation guaranteed to take up considerable time in its own right.  UPDATE: There is a possibility that the WRDA bill may be considered by the full Senate as early as Wednesday, April 10.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee may wait to formally take up WRDA until after the Senate passes its version.  T&I Committee's Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee has scheduled a hearing for April 16 on "The Foundations for a New Water Resources Development Act" (2167 Rayburn House Office Building; 10:00 am).

Other items of note scheduled to occur next week include:
  • An April 10 Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing on Panama Canal expansion (at 2:30 PM, in room 253 Russell Senate Office Building).  Discussions will inevitably circle round to the issue of U.S. port readiness to accommodate post-expansion sized ocean-going vessels (included in the list of ports are those in the lower Mississippi River system).
  • On April 11, having cleared WRDA from its docket, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is scheduled to hold a confirmation hearing for Gina McCarthy to be the next U.S. EPA Administrator (10:00 am; 4006 Dirksen Senate Office Building).
Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week  

Water Quality -
  • Wisconsin River pollution was a key theme at a University of Wisconsin Wisconsin River symposium http://ow.ly/jCzBs
Water Resource Management (Floodplains, Dams, Navigation, Wetlands, Flooding, Supplies, etc.) -
  • Obama administration releases USGS report updating an ambitious effort to develop a national water census http://on.doi.gov/14Gx2sT
  • Lawmakers plan to introduce bill making it "easier" for Army Corps keep Mississippi River shipping channel open http://ow.ly/jxTkm
  • St. Louis Public Radio piece: 2 lawmakers say it's time to start thinking of Mississippi and other rivers as systems http://ow.ly/jCyuy
  • National Wildlife Federation report: "Changing Course: Why Protecting Floodplains is Good for People and Wildlife" http://ow.ly/jCAt4
  • Sioux City, IA declines to join lawsuit against the federal government for its role in 2011 floods http://ow.ly/jHPgo
  • Georgia officials step up their bid for access to Tennessee River water http://tnne.ws/10vwyz5
  • US Supreme Court to hear arguments for Texas-Oklahoma case that will determine the future of interstate water rights http://bit.ly/10B27Y5
  • NY Times: Fracking’s promised job gains, other than in the petrochemical industry, have been slow to materialize http://nyti.ms/10vvQ4K
  • Rising waters force Plaquemines Parish, LA residents to choose between high insurance and adaptation costs or moving http://bit.ly/XT9WYZ and http://bit.ly/126Ms9k
  • Obama administration planning that would allow wastewater from fracking to be shipped on barges fuels debate http://reut.rs/XfCcHY
  • Lobbyists for Louisiana Terrebonne’s Morganza-to-the-Gulf project push for project support in next WRDA bill http://ow.ly/jM3Rj
Farm Bill-
  • Senate Agriculture Committee plans to mark up new Farm Bill before end of the month http://bit.ly/10uh9S9
Agriculture -
  • Residents of two Iowa towns banding together to stop two new hog confinement operations http://ow.ly/jCAOU
  • USDA NRCS: With predictions of continuing drought for many states, ranchers prepare for extreme weather http://bit.ly/XaF8Wf
  • Farm Journal editorial: "EPA Again Puts Ag on Defense" with release of CAFO information http://bit.ly/10ivXDf
  • Report: US agriculture in serious need of better research, data and tools; public support to adapt to climate change http://ow.ly/jHVUw
  • North Dakota cropland values increased by about 42 percent during 2012 http://ow.ly/jM0mY
Climate and Weather -
  • NOAA/NWS/NCEP/Climate Prediction Center drought update: drought conditions improve across some areas of middle-US http://ow.ly/jM0Hy
April 2 Drought Monitor Map
(click to enlarge)
  • National Weather Service: Iowa's drought conditions will improve this year, but how much is still open to debate http://ow.ly/jCDA2
  • New polling shows a continuing partisan divide in views of global warming ow.ly/jHVqI
  • New USGS  map of long-term evapotranspiration should help ensure long-term, sustainable use of water in regions http://ow.ly/jLZon
  • Federal researchers say global warming will make cases of extreme rainfall even more intense and worsen flood risks http://ow.ly/jM0U1
In the States -
  • Minnesota Stormwater Manual gets major upgrade with wiki version launch; news: http://bit.ly/10mGOfm  wiki site: http://bit.ly/10mGEEF
In the Cities -
  • Aging sewer system and sewer overflows in Springfield, TN virtually halt new building in the city
    http://ow.ly/jCBSJ
Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -
  • MN DNR searching for Asian carp in Mississippi River near the Twin Cities http://ow.ly/jy0xP
  • $16 million Coon Rapids dam construction designed to better block Asian carp from moving up Mississippi River http://ow.ly/jCzg3
  • USDA updates its list of the top 15 most invasive creatures in the U.S. that cost $$ billions in ruined crops http://usat.ly/10vSQAG
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service releases new video on the science of eDNA (environmental DNA) and Asian carp http://bit.ly/XC3mdx
  • Editorial: We ought to be able to do better than using Coon Rapids Dam upgrades to stop Asian carp http://t.co/2mU7d2hj7c
Gulf Coastal Region-
  • Army Corps adds 600+ new acres in Louisiana to Delta National Wildlife Refuge through dredging http://ow.ly/jCxZg
  • Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority approves $767.3 million 2014 restoration and protection plan http://ow.ly/jCxPQ
  • National Wildlife Federation report: Gulf still impacted by 2010 BP oil spill; news: http://bit.ly/12bCPX8 report: http://bit.ly/10tkrEf
  • LSU spent nearly $1 million on legal fight over firing of coastal researcher critical of Army Corps levee management http://ow.ly/jHU5O
  • St. Bernard Parish (LA) Council deliberates issues surrounding various coastal flooding and pollution disasters http://ow.ly/jHUD8
Resource Extraction -
  • Unlocking Illinois shale reserve could bring both economic windfall and environmental disaster potential http://ow.ly/jCz3F
  • "A Boom With No Boundaries" film explores how Theodore Roosevelt National Park (ND) is being affected by oil and gas drilling http://bit.ly/12bBG1H
  • North Dakota’s recent oil rush has brought jobs and prosperity to the state; writer asks at what price http://thebea.st/YPL33F
Federal Budget -
  • White House says President Barack Obama's 2014 budget blueprint to be released April 10 ow.ly/jy2TU
Events -  Information on all past and future events listed here can be viewed in the on-line calendar on this Blog page and here as a stand-alone calendar
  • Wachiska Audubon to host talk on 2011 Missouri River flood; April 11; Lincoln, NE http://ow.ly/jCBtB
  • Army Corps to begin Spring water management public meetings in Missouri River basin next week (MT, ND, SD, NE, MO) http://ow.ly/jMkim
e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -
  • National Water Quality Monitoring Council online National Water Monitoring News http://ow.ly/jCycK (PDF file)
  • Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy's April 2 WaterWays e-newsletter link here http://ow.ly/jcEII
  • Weekly Newsletter from EPA's Office of Water: Water Headlines for April 2 http://bit.ly/XGRjf6
Other news-
  • Ohio River Trail Council planning for water trail from Pennsylvania into Ohio and West Virginia http://bit.ly/XZKml9
  • Many ecologists now question the oft-held concept that nature is unchanging and humanity is a destroying intruder http://ow.ly/jM05R
Political Scene -
  • Republican Rep. Bill Cassidy will challenge Democratic Sen. Mary L. Landrieu in 2014 Louisiana US Senate race http://bit.ly/12e48jy
  • Rep. Bill Cassidy could have company soon in GOP race to challenge Louisiana Democratic Sen. Mary L. Landrieu http://bit.ly/Zc9WcM
Last Word -
"What we want and what we need has been confused." R.E.M. in their song, "The Finest Worksong."  On this date in 1980, the musical group R.E.M. played their first show when they appeared at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Athens, Georgia.

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