Friday, January 16, 2015

What We Learned This Week - "The Airing of Grievances"

Opposition to the Obama Administration's proposed clean water rule was a recurring theme at the Farm Bureau's annual meeting, where attendees suggested that excessive federal government regulation threaten the viability of the nation's farms and ranches. Soon thereafter, the EPA released a final scientific report that sets forth the scientific basis for the proposed rule.  A court ruling in an Oregon dairy farms' case may set a legal precedent for similar manure-water contamination incidents.  Congressional Republicans retreated to Hersey, Pennsylvania on Thursday and Friday, where, as one Senator put it, it was "time to air the differences."  Federal authorities allege that the company in charge knew about spill-containment dike problems at its Elk River, West Virginia facility years before a massive 2014 coal-cleaning chemical spill.  Chemicals from that spill traveled farther down-river than initially thought. Tennessee's environmental regulator sued the Tennessee Valley Authority over its unlined coal ash ponds, and an environmental group sued the Obama administration over its refusal to release Gulf of Mexico fracking documents. The Government Accountability Office found that so-called sue-and-settle lawsuits brought by environmental groups have only a "limited" impact on subsequent U.S. EPA regulations. The GAO also told the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that it should plan for a gap in reliable weather data because of a satellite monitoring network that is stretched thin. The USDA is "changing the way it funds conservation" through its new Regional Conservation Partnership Program. The Senate may vote on whether climate change is happening (no response on the record, yet, from the climate). Following a state court ruling, the Keystone XL pipeline could face new legal challenges from Nebraska ranchers who disagree with its Governor-approved route. The U.S. House likes that route, though, and passed a bill approving the pipeline's construction. Meanwhile, the Senate has agreed to debate the topic. And last, but not least, maybe the 113th Congress wasn’t as unproductive as people think.
Posted by at No comments:

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

USDA Announces Regional Conservation Partnership Program Project Selections

On January 14, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the awarding of $372.5 million for 115 conservation projects that will be implemented across the nation under USDA's Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), a program newly authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill (more formally known as the "Agricultural Act of 2014").  The USDA anticipates that the projects will leverage an additional $400 million in partner contributions.  The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) allocated RCPP funds across three different selection categories: 70 projects were chosen through a state competitive process administered by State Technical Committees; 21 projects were selected based on a national competitive process; and 24 projects will occur within designated Critical Conservation Areas.

Selected Final RCPP Projects (click to enlarge)
At least one project was selected in each of the 50 states, including the following awarded in the ten main stem Mississippi River states: Minnesota (3 - one within the Red River Basin), Wisconsin (4), Iowa (3), Illinois (4), Missouri (6), Kentucky (2), Tennessee (2), Arkansas (4), Mississippi (4), and Louisiana (4), with some projects occurring in multiple states.

According to USDA, 50 percent of the awarded projects are designed to address water quality concerns, 24 percent wildlife conservation, 18 percent water quantity, three percent soil quality, and five percent "other" concerns.   A listing of all of the awarded projects, their locations and the major project partners can be found here.
Mississippi River Basin
Critical Conservation Area

Twenty-four of the selected RCPP projects are focused within the "Critical Conservation Areas" (CCAs) named by NRCS last year, with five of those 24 designated as Mississippi River Basin CCA projects.  In May, 2014, the agency named a 13-state Mississippi River Basin area as one of eight priority conservation areas that will have access to the CCA pool of RCPP funding to be made available within the eight areas. In addition to the Mississippi River Basin, the other seven CCAs include the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, California Bay Delta, Great Lakes Region, Columbia River Basin, Colorado River Basin, Longleaf Pine Range, and Prairie Grasslands Region. Portions of those latter two areas fall within the Mississippi River Basin. Within the River Basin, one project was selected in the Longleaf Pine Range, and two in the Prairie Grasslands Region CCAs.

Critical Conservation Areas (click to enlarge)
The program is designed to facilitate partner-producer agreements that further conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of soil, water and wildlife on a regional scale. It is expected that partners will bring cash matches, technical expertise and local knowledge to the conservation picture.  The partners for the selected projects include agricultural and silvicultural producer associations, groups of producers, State or local governments, Native American tribes, farmer cooperatives, water or irrigation districts, municipal water or wastewater treatment entities, conservation nongovernmental organizations, and institutions of higher education.

According to the NRCS RCPP web site, the Program combines the purposes and functions of four former regional conservation programs – the Agricultural Water Enhancement Program, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Program, the Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative and the Great Lakes Basin Program.  Funding for the RCPP projects is allocated from four Farm Bill conservation programs: the Environmental Quality Incentives Program; Conservation Stewardship Program; Agricultural Conservation Easement Program; and Healthy Forests Reserve Program.

The Request for Proposals for the next round of RCPP funding will be issued in the spring, 2015, when it is expected that slightly more than $200 million will be made available for the subsequent suite of RCPP projects.
Posted by at No comments:

Monday, January 12, 2015

Capitol Hill This Week - What to Watch For

Entering its second week of work for the year, the Senate will likely consider a contentious bill to approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada, through several Plains states to the Gulf of Mexico. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) filed a cloture motion last Thursday to proceed with debating the legislation.  A cloture vote on whether to proceed will likely take place Monday afternoon.  The House passed a companion bill on Friday.

On the House side, the chamber is scheduled to consider the Fiscal Year 2015 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, which, in part, funds FEMA.  Homeland Security was only funded into early this year when the December, 2014 "cromnibus" spending package was passed, in large part so that the new Republican Congress would have another opportunity in early 2015 to block the Obama Administration's immigration executive actions.  Since the House is not in session on Thursday and Friday, consideration of the Homeland Security spending bill will likely happen before then.

Below are the other U.S. House and Senate activities currently scheduled for the week that relate, albeit marginally, to Mississippi River Basin water resources. Links are provided to the relevant committee web pages, and, where appropriate, to pieces of legislation. Many Congressional proceedings are webcast live, and these should be, as well (follow the appropriate link). All times are Eastern. This page will be updated as warranted.

Monday
  • House Rules Committee meeting to set rules for debating H.R. 185, the Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015, which, among its many provisions, would require agencies to adopt new rules "only on the basis of the best reasonably obtainable scientific, technical, economic, and other evidence," 5:00 PM, room H-313 The Capitol.
Tuesday
Posted by at No comments:

Friday, January 9, 2015

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News

~Most of the Water News - None of the Spin~

Noteworthy @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week  

Water Quality -
  • Iowa's largest water provider - Des Moines Water Works votes to sue three northwestern Iowa counties over high nitrate levels in the Raccoon River http://ow.ly/H2W5z
  • Environmental groups seek to force federal regulation of clean water in Ky., W.Va. http://ow.ly/GZNjP (also see article, below)
  • Environmental groups file three lawsuits seeking greater USEPA regulation of West Virginia and Kentucky coal mining http://ow.ly/GZD3W
  • New multi-institution study shows blue-green algae can drive lake nitrogen, phosphorus cycling http://ow.ly/GZPr4  (full research paper here: http://ow.ly/GZPr5)
  • New Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) promises to go after proposed Clean Water Act jurisdiction rule this year http://ow.ly/H02tR
  • Following a 2014 brain-eating amoeba scare, pure chlorine treatment approach to end next week in St. John Parish, Louisiana http://ow.ly/H036n
Water Resource Management (Floodplains, Dams, Navigation, Wetlands, Flooding, Supplies, etc.) -
  • St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial: EPA should kill New Madrid Floodway project once and for all http://ow.ly/GVdsf
  • Proposed coal ash landfill in Missouri River floodplain moves closer to construction despite environmentalists' objections (eastern Missouri) http://ow.ly/GRvnI
  • First phase of a three-year, $15 million Arkansas River 2.8-mile levee reconstruction begins http://ow.ly/GS9Xb
  • Louisiana Sen. David Vitter (R) looks to restart debate over U.S. EPA's authority to veto Army Corps of Engineers dredge-and-fill permits http://ow.ly/H38CI
Agriculture -
  • USDA’s Economic Research Service paper: “Options for Improving Conservation Programs: Insights from Auction Theory and Economic Experiments” http://ow.ly/GRup0
  • South Dakota farm tops 300 bushels per irrigated acre in statewide corn contest http://ow.ly/GNLSo
  • Nebraska and Arkansas both are in the top five states in acres of irrigated farmland (2013 survey); Nebraska is #1 http://ow.ly/GZtXb
  • Many U.S. farmers will tighten their belts further in 2015 as they contend with continued low grain and soybean prices http://ow.ly/GRtxd
  • Magnitude of the projected 2015 farm economy downslide is the largest in the last quarter century http://ow.ly/GRu28
  • USDA begins its celebration of the International Year of Soils to highlight the importance of healthy soils http://ow.ly/GSD0B
  • EPA: insecticide used on corn, other U.S. crops poses worker health risks, also can contaminate drinking water http://ow.ly/GZKFs
  • Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., plans to travel to Cuba to assess the markets for Missouri agriculture http://ow.ly/H3ayt
  • Growing number of small businesses provide local farmers and their customers with marketing, transportation, logistics services http://ow.ly/H3aZj
Climate and Weather -
  • US drought update: long-term precipitation deficits persist across many areas of southern Plains; upper Midwest, central, northern Plains: status quo http://ow.ly/wmTdv
  • Japanese data release makes it official: 2014 takes the title of hottest year on record http://ow.ly/GS2Bs
  • Op-ed: Scientists are "playing dumb on climate change" by setting rigorous statistical bars http://ow.ly/GRwiB
  • NOAA National Climate Summary Information data sets for December and for all of 2014 http://ow.ly/GVf3O
Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/MN DNR e-DNA study indicates that Asian carp presence may still be minimal in Upper Mississippi River http://ow.ly/GS8AR
  • Wild buffalo playing a crucial role in restoring Illinois grasslands http://ow.ly/GNSKV 
  • Sighting of extremely rare ivory gull along Mississippi River draws flocks of bird watchers to Quincy, Illinois http://ow.ly/GS6OE
In the Cities -
  • Fort Smith, Arkansas agrees to upgrade sewer system to reduce discharges of raw sewage
    into local waterways http://ow.ly/GRrwk
  • Future Iowa City Riverfront Crossings district park to take shape this year, with new wetland, recreational opportunities http://ow.ly/GSdcr
  • How Harbor Town in Memphis changed from what might have been a Mississippi River highway to a green, mixed-use Riverside community of over 3,000 people http://ow.ly/H0sNL
In the States-
  • Ohio Farmers Union president op-ed: "Yes: Ohio farmers’ harvests depend on healthy waters" http://ow.ly/H0njz
  • Pennsylvania Gov.-elect Tom Wolf faces daunting challenges, including a $2 Billion budget hole http://ow.ly/GNVSu
  • West Virginians discuss establishing agriculture in the state's coalfields as a way of diversifying the economy http://ow.ly/GS4P9
  • Rural Minnesota state lawmakers intend to press housing, jobs, water issues as state legislative session begins http://ow.ly/GS7qD
  • Minnesota DNR aquatic education program wins nationwide award http://ow.ly/GT1PF
Gulf Coastal Region-
  • Louisiana's United Houma Nation lands are disappearing beneath the Gulf of Mexico as the tribe struggles for federal recognition http://ow.ly/GVgjD
  • NOAA scientists' article: From the extreme to the mean: Acceleration and tipping points of coastal inundation from sea level rise http://ow.ly/GS1Ez
Resource Development -
  • Tumbling oil prices are bringing unwelcome tidings to bio-ethanol: one of the U.S. Farm Belt’s hottest industries http://ow.ly/GNOsM
  • Keystone XL Pipeline is not the only major oil pipeline being planned that would cut through the Midwest  http://ow.ly/GRreW
  • White House press secretary: President will not sign a bill approving the Keystone XL pipeline if it passes http://ow.ly/GV9dN
  • Obama administration issues formal veto threats for bill that would approve the Keystone XL pipeline http://ow.ly/GZwHJ
  • Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee clears Keystone XL pipeline project approval legislation on a 13-9 vote http://ow.ly/H0LSX
  • Keystone XL pipeline future is tenuous, as Senators scramble to keep the project alive http://ow.ly/GZvku
Federal Budget -
  • President Obama plans to release the Administration's fiscal year 2016 budget plan on February 2 http://ow.ly/GZIeV
  • The next Federal debt ceiling fight; Senate Majority Leader McConnell vows end to brinksmanship, but troubles loom http://ow.ly/GRt72
Events - Information on all past and future events listed here each week can be viewed in the on-line calendar, located above and to the right (and here as a stand-alone calendar)
  • Save the Date: How Will Climate Change Affect Our Global Food Supply?, January 28, 12:45 - 2 PM, Resources for the Future, Washington, DC http://ow.ly/H2K6S
  • 16th annual Protecting the St. Croix Summit: "Changing Climate, Changing Times," April 29, Water Street Inn, Stillwater, MN http://ow.ly/GRsoP
  • 2015 National Mitigation and Ecosystem Banking Conference, Orlando, Florida, May 4-8 http://ow.ly/GZEN7
  • Water Environment Federation, the Water Environment Research Foundation, and the California Water Environment Association hosting Nutrient Symposium 2015, July 26–28, San Jose, CA http://ow.ly/H0PBL
e-Newsletters, Publications, Journals, Multimedia  -
Other news-
  • Lake Fork Watershed Working Group elects to expand focus to entire Arkansas River headwaters upstream of Granite, Colorado http://ow.ly/GSedT
  • Nominations sought for Western Pennsylvania Environmental Awards http://ow.ly/H0DpU
  • U.S. transportation and shipping network faces big test as harsh, cold wind chills buffet the Plains to East Coast http://ow.ly/H2P9j
Politics and People-
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service appoints 35-year career employee Jim Kurth as new deputy director for operations http://ow.ly/GZCaV
  • EPA selects Ron Carleton, former Colorado state agriculture official, as agricultural counselor to the Administrator http://ow.ly/GZypL
  • Tennessee Valley Authority names Washington, D.C., attorney Sherry Quirk as executive vice president, general counsel http://ow.ly/H0MGE
  • Senate Republicans plan a full-on assault against a wide range of Obama administration environmental rules http://ow.ly/GZxof
  • A few within the GOP House majority accept the science of climate change, including Louisiana's Rep.-elect Garret Graves http://ow.ly/GRZH5
  • Incoming Senate Majority Leader McConnell (KY): Jobs, Keystone pipeline and rolling back "strict" environmental and healthcare regulations top GOP agenda http://ow.ly/GNNgC
  • New Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. on the need to compromise: it's not me it's you http://ow.ly/H01Nr
  • Analysis: new Congress may be the most boldly anti-science body since the time of the Scopes Monkey trial http://ow.ly/GNSoK
  • The 114th Congress, despite being the most diverse to date, is still overwhelmingly white, male and Christian http://ow.ly/GRs45
  • Nipping rumors in the bud, Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., says he does not plan to run for Senate in 2016 http://ow.ly/GZus6
  • PBS: In U.S. history, president’s party has been in minority in both houses during only 24 of the 114 sessions of Congress, but it's the "new normal" http://ow.ly/H00fS
Your Moment of Zen - 
Bald Eagle feeding along the Mississippi River                                                                         Photo credit: William Joers/The Guardian

Posted by at No comments:

What We Learned This Week - "Groundhog Day will mean something again in this town"

The Des Moines Water Works intends to sue three Iowa counties because of high nitrates in its source water. Environmental groups filed three lawsuits seeking greater USEPA regulation under the Clean Water Act of West Virginia and Kentucky coal mining operations. Asian carp are present in the Upper Mississippi River near Winona, but are still rare.  Also rare, an ivory gull spotted along the Mississippi River in Illinois attracted bird watchers in droves. New Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell promises to go after the Obama Administration's proposed Clean Water Act jurisdiction rule this year.  McConnell says he's willing to compromise on legislative issues, but it's really up to the President.  The President, apparently will not compromise on a bill approving the Keystone XL pipeline, and plans to veto the measure, should it pass. Congressional backers are scrambling, meanwhile, to keep the pipeline project alive.  The new U.S. Congress, despite being the most diverse to date, is still overwhelmingly white, male and Christian.  President Obama plans to release his Administration's fiscal year 2016 budget plan on February 2.  The Missouri Department of Natural Resources granted a construction permit for a 167-acre, proposed coal ash landfill in the Missouri River floodplain, despite environmentalists' objections.  The projected magnitude of this year's farm economic downslide is the largest in the last quarter century. It's official: 2014 was the hottest year on record.  And last but not least, the earth is slowing down, a fact that won't be easy on the planet's computers come July 1.
Posted by at No comments:

Thursday, January 8, 2015

UPDATED: Capitol Hill This Week - What to Watch For

Capitol of the United States, Washington by Joseph Andrews. 
Steel engraving, hand-colored, 1834 ca.
.
The 114th Congress is set to convene today (Tuesday), when the formal presentation of certificates of election and the swearing-in of elected Members will occur. The Senate swearing-in will begin at 1 p.m. and the House will follow shortly thereafter. As for the remainder of the year, here are links to the 2014 U.S. House and Senate schedules.

As yet, little in the way of formal committee activity has been scheduled for the remainder of the week. Below is the only House or Senate committee action currently scheduled that relate to Mississippi River Basin water resources. Links are provided to the relevant committee web pages and legislation. The listed hearing and meeting are scheduled to be webcast live (follow the appropriate link). Should additional committee activities be scheduled, this page will be updated as warranted. 

Wednesday
Thursday
  • Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee business meeting to consider Keystone XL pipeline legislation (the bill to be considered by the committee is identical to the bill reported favorably by the committee on June 18, 2014); 10:00 AM, room 366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
Friday
  • House Energy and Commerce Committee Full Committee Organizational Meeting, including establishing the Committee plan for agency oversight during 2015; 9:00 AM, room 2123 Rayburn House Office Building  POSTPONED until Tuesday, January 13, 1:00 PM
Posted by at No comments:

Friday, January 2, 2015

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News

~Most of the Water News - None of the Spin~

2014 is dead.  Long live 2015!
Welcome to 2015 and the first Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News edition of the year.  This issue is a two-week compendium of the best water news bits that trickled across our virtual desk since just before Christmas.

The 114th Congress is set to convene at noon on January 6, when the presentation of certificates of election and the swearing-in of elected Members will occur.   Here are the links to the 2014 U.S. House and Senate schedules.  Here is our latest listing River Basin-related Congressional activity for the week ahead (currently consisting of just one scheduled meeting).

Noteworthy @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -
  • Sen. John Hoeven (R., N.D.) "working on a two-step process to eliminate" US EPA's proposed Clean Water Act jurisdiction rule http://ow.ly/GkRss
  • NPR: Aftereffects of W.V. chemical spill into Elk River still felt months later http://ow.ly/Gawj1
  • Federal authorities are continuing criminal investigation into falsified water results at West Virginia coal industry laboratory http://ow.ly/Gaxd1
  • Looking back: Tennessee coal ash disaster; 5 years, $1 billion later http://ow.ly/GbbX9
  • XTO Energy agrees to restore 8 sites damaged by unauthorized discharges of fill material into streams and wetlands in Pennsylvania and West Virginia http://ow.ly/GkIHd (Consent Decree here: http://ow.ly/GmrsV)
  • Coal mining companies agreed to use selenium water pollution control technologies at nine West Virginia operations http://ow.ly/GkJuX
  • Scientists are working on novel ways to curb the nutrient runoff problem http://ow.ly/GkL64
  • North Dakota sides with three oil companies in landowner lawsuit over saltwater spills at disposal well http://ow.ly/Gmfdp
  • St. Louis region in Missouri and Illinois makes sustainable strides with dozens of permeable paver projects http://ow.ly/GHiuD
  • Monongahela River has been taken off a list of Pennsylvania rivers impaired by pollution http://ow.ly/GHnDT (also see: http://ow.ly/GHuk9)
  • Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial: Clean water woes: Congress should stop blocking a sensible EPA rule http://ow.ly/GHxZX
  • Hundreds of southeastern Wisconsin residential wells could be contaminated by pollutants related to buried coal ash http://ow.ly/GHBkO
Water Resource Management (Floodplains, Dams, Navigation, Wetlands, Flooding, Supplies, etc.) -
  • National Grain and Feed Association commends higher user fee on barge diesel fuel to fund improvements to river locks http://ow.ly/GaURP
  • Study: U.S. soybean exports at risk without major investments in Mississippi River inland waterway http://ow.ly/GkNK8
  • FEMA Announces Launch of the Interim Office of the Flood Insurance Advocate http://ow.ly/GHkXw
Agriculture -
  • Livestock farmers to EPA: Don't tell activists where we are http://ow.ly/GHqi3 
  • USDA NRCS extends the public comment period on the Conservation Stewardship Program interim rule through January 20 http://ow.ly/Gohtk (for background, see this Conservation Stewardship Program web page: http://ow.ly/Goog7)
  • USDA Farm Service Agency releases final Conservation Reserve Program supplemental programmatic environmental impact statement http://ow.ly/GHDkz (see related article here: http://ow.ly/GHExg)
  • Farmers on upward part of learning curve for new Illinois EPA CAFO, or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations rules http://ow.ly/GavPh
  • Iowa farmers and companies are suing Syngenta AG over GMO seeds http://ow.ly/GHdZC
  • Pesticides commonly used on Midwest farm fields linked to bee colony decline may not be as effective as once thought against corn, soybean pests http://ow.ly/GHfqp
  • Over the last decade, Midwestern farmland has been appreciating at an average rate of more than 10 percent per year http://ow.ly/GHhRU
  • A record 3.9 billion gallons of ethanol produced in Iowa in 2014; 2015 output uncertain http://ow.ly/GHsw2
  • More than 300 food hubs around the U.S. provide small farms an outlet to sell locally raised food http://ow.ly/GHvOz
Climate and Weather -
Drought update map: Click to enlarge
  • EPA draft report out for comment: "Regional Monitoring Networks to Detect Climate Change Effects in Stream Ecosystems" http://ow.ly/GaOtb
  • US drought update for December 30: No changes across northern Plains and upper Midwest; some small-scale changes for the worse across  southern Plains http://ow.ly/wmTdv
  • NOAA Climate Prediction Center monthly drought outlook for January; look for additional improvement or removal of drought in the extreme southern Great Plains, the lower Mississippi Valley, and central Gulf Coast http://ow.ly/q3yAx
Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -
  • Illinois is considering lifting its more-than-40-year-old ban on hunting bobcats http://ow.ly/GkKwB
  • Monarch butterflies may warrant U.S. Endangered Species Act protection because of farm-related habitat loss http://ow.ly/GHpuQ (also see this FWS announcement: http://ow.ly/GHtn1)
  • Devastating Asian longhorn beetle knocks on Kentucky's door, threatening 100 species of hardwood trees http://ow.ly/GHz15
  • Federal judge reverses Obama administration decision to remove Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin gray wolves from endangered species list http://ow.ly/GkOwc (see related story, below)
  • Wolf experts dispute belief that gray wolves in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan are endangered http://ow.ly/GmoIt
  • Minnesota DNR uses potash to solve zebra mussel infestation in Christmas Lake in Shorewood http://ow.ly/GmbJ6
Pittsburgh's " spinal cord of a new on-street
biking network"
In the Cities -
  • Multimodal Uptown Station in Normal, Illinois is centerpiece of LEED-ND certified downtown revitalization plan http://ow.ly/GaFvj
  • Memphis, Tennessee and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania make PeopleForBikes list of top 10 best new bike lanes in the country for 2014 http://ow.ly/Gmde5
  • Waverly, Iowa foregoes levees; installs innovative inflatable dam to address flooding concerns http://ow.ly/GHltk
  • Kokomo, Indiana stadium project construction in Wildcat River flood prone area in violation of FEMA grant terms http://ow.ly/GHmqJ
In the States-
  • Illinois seeks comments on proposal to reduce amount of nutrients reaching state waters by 45 percent http://ow.ly/GkN5U
  • States dependent on oil and gas revenue are bracing for layoffs resulting from falling oil prices, including Oklahoma, Louisiana and North Dakota http://ow.ly/GHwzG
  • Policies of Midwestern Republican governors could wind up in the national 2016 campaign picture http://ow.ly/GHzVZ
Gulf Coastal Region-
  • Trial starting January 20, will determine how much in fines BP and its partners will pay for 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil disaster http://ow.ly/GoIS5
Resource Development -
  • Nebraska Supreme Court will not rule until 2015 on constitutionality of 2012 state law to fast-track new Keystone XL pipeline route http://ow.ly/GaHgh
  • President Obama: building the Keystone XL oil pipeline would "not even have a nominal benefit" to consumers http://ow.ly/Gmghf
  • State study: Alternatives to northern Minnesota crude oil pipeline also carry risks http://ow.ly/GmgTo
Federal Budget -
  • Federal budget almost certain to be central battleground between President Obama and new Republican Congress in 2015 http://ow.ly/GH7Mj
Events - Information on all past and future events listed here each week can be viewed in the on-line calendar, located above and to the right (and here as a stand-alone calendar)
  • Natural Floodplain Functions Alliance Webinar-Lessons Learned from Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Successful Floodplain Management Program; January 6; 3-5 PM EST http://ow.ly/GHjjf
  • Montana Watershed Coordination Council "Watershed Wednesday" Capitol Rotunda, Helena, January 28 http://ow.ly/GH9V5
  • 21st International Symposium on Society and Resource Management; June 13-18, 2015; Charleston, South Carolina http://ow.ly/Gmhzq
  • Full recording of December 9 Great Waters Webinar: "Time to End the Slime – Addressing Nutrient Pollution" http://ow.ly/GkPUj
e-Newsletters, Publications, Journals, Multimedia  -
Other news-
  • EPA announces final rule governing disposal of coal combustion residuals (coal ash) from
    coal-fired power plants; EPA press release: http://ow.ly/GbQbb (related stories below)
  • EPA announces federal guidelines for coal ash disposal, to safeguard against contaminating nearby waters http://ow.ly/GkO7h (see above)
  • U.S. EPA's new coal combustion waste disposal rule will not force all wet coal ash impoundments to close http://ow.ly/GkPtR
  • Eight Missouri and Madison river public recreation improvement projects proposed by NorthWestern Energy, Missouri-Madison River Fund http://ow.ly/GaQDn
  • EPA announces availability of $2,730,000 of funding for Environmental Education Local Grants ($91,000 maximum) http://ow.ly/Gohgb
  • Job: Floodplain Restoration GLOBE summer intern for The Nature Conservancy, Lewistown, Illinois (January 23 deadline) http://ow.ly/GHawd
  • The Atlantic: The Politics of Drinking Water: Vital, renewable, and tied to civilization since the beginning of time, water http://ow.ly/GHowC
  • Rasmussen Reports poll: Voters' view of USEPA hits historical low point http://ow.ly/GHBQ4
Politics and People-
  • House Speaker Boehner formally invites President Obama to deliver the State of the Union address on January 20 http://ow.ly/Gbxbr
  • Rumors swirl that Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D) might run for North Dakota governor in 2016 http://ow.ly/GH85t
Your Moment of Zen -
Photograph: iVistaphotography / Barcroft
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)