Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week:
Current Flooding-

• FEMA's "Mississippi Flooding" information, resource and update page: http://1.usa.gov/jNPVjK
• Army Corps to increase releases from Missouri River reservoirs in response to snowmelt and rain http://bit.ly/lRqJTh & http://reut.rs/k0HfIv
• NWS 28-day forecast: Mississippi River to remain at or near 17-foot flood stage until at least June 17 at New Orleans http://bit.ly/jN1ShM

Floodplains, Dams and Navigation -

• Guest Column: Time to invest in a sustainable Mississippi River system http://bit.ly/m0b4vt
• New York Times editorial re: flooding & revisions of Federal water resource planning Principles & Guidelines http://nyti.ms/j1LcI4

Water Quality-

• American Rivers & CNT Guide to Recognizing Green Infrastructure's Economic, Social & Environmental Benefits http://bit.ly/jLPeL9
• House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Leaders Introduce EPA-Limiting Legislation http://bit.ly/mwlLz5
• 35 Senators send letter to appropriators asking that Clean & Drinking Water State Revolving Funds be preserved http://1.usa.gov/kmfuIn
• Green Infrastructure for Clean Water Act introduced in Senate http://1.usa.gov/lQDCVv & House http://1.usa.gov/iYnQgQ

Agriculture -

• UN World Meteorological Organization: Extreme weather will upset global food output during next decade http://bloom.bg/mhXd8p
• Sen. Stabenow, D-MI, Agriculture Committee chair, holding committee's 1st farm bill field hearing today at MI State U http://bit.ly/j0yO3G
• House appropriations comm votes to cut $ for farm subsidy; conservation programs http://tinyurl.com/3hxfqxh & http://tinyurl.com/3ql8ryo
• South Dakota farmer in Op-Ed: “It’s time to declare federal farm subsidies a success and begin phasing them out” http://tinyurl.com/43trjcg
• National Farmers Union President: Farm Bill safety net critical to farm operations after disasters http://tinyurl.com/6gsxq6s
• Op-ed: Tile drainage does good, not harm http://tinyurl.com/3ezu742
• Op-ed: Alterations to natural hydrology are the primary factor in higher river pollution http://tinyurl.com/3c9hpko

In the States -

• Sierra Club sues coal company over Selenium contamination in Kentucky waters http://bit.ly/k5K2zZ

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Missouri Judge Imposes Maximum Fine in Zebra Mussel Case http://bit.ly/lVj5ld and http://bit.ly/lVj5ld
• Minnesota Governor Dayton Signs Bill to Help Fight Aquatic Invasive Species http://tinyurl.com/3m8bwao

Federal Budget -

• House Appropriations Committee Cuts USDA Farm Subsidies and Conservation Funding http://tinyurl.com/3r7xrwe
• House Republicans release FY 2012 Energy and Water spending bill http://tinyurl.com/454t4o8 (pdf file) Committee markup Thursday
• Energy & Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee passes FY 2012 DOE & Army Corps funding bill http://tinyurl.com/454t4o8 (pdf)
• Neither side showing willingness to give ground in White House -GOP budget discussions http://tinyurl.com/43yg5ju

Political Scene -

• Businessman Brad Schneider (D) will challenge potential IL US House redistricting target, Rep. Robert Dold (R-IL-10) http://bit.ly/lFvBFM
• Iowa-1st state to finish redistricting & pass new Congressional map-will see several competitive 2012 House races http://bit.ly/kqhnyo
• IL state House on Monday passed aggressive new congressional redistricting plan spearheaded by Democrats http://bit.ly/mKouC0
• At least six US House seats now considered in play thanks to Illinois redistricting http://tinyurl.com/3qc3rsb
• "Louisiana is an ultra-red state" even after US House district redistricting http://bit.ly/jZooGI

Gulf Coastal Area-

• Mississippi River flooding worsens Gulf of Mexico environment  http://bit.ly/k9ZyGJ
• NY Times: Largest-Ever Dead Zone "Disaster in the Making" for Gulf Coastal seafood industry http://nyti.ms/lo7UjR
• Louisiana pancake batfish on Top 10 list of new species discovered in 2010 http://bit.ly/j30HrX
• At House subcommittee hearing Scientists urge renewal of algal bloom, dead zone research; statements here: http://tinyurl.com/4yx2am7
• White House releases draft National Ocean's policy http://tinyurl.com/3fwjh3l

Other news-

• New American Rivers climate-water report: "Weathering Change: Policy Reforms that Save Money & Make Communities Safer" http://bit.ly/la9gAm

Last word - "All of the oxygen in Washington is being breathed up by this problem." - U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE-1), referring to the national debt and budget deficit, to attendees of the National Dairy Producers Conference in Omaha, Nebraska

House Appropriations Committee Cuts USDA Farm Subsidies and Conservation Funding

In a surprise move, the full House Appropriations Committee voted during a lengthy Tuesday (May 31) mark-up session to cut farm subsidies to help reduce the Federal budget deficit and to help pay for other budget items in the bill. The marathon session featured 12 approved amendments, including an unanticipated vote to cut off crop subsidies to growers with more than $250,000 a year in adjusted gross income.  Here is the Committee's press release concerning the approved bill, along with its full text  (pdf file) and an accompanying committee report (also a pdf file).

The bill also made significant cuts to mandatory spending for conservation programs, including a cut of $171 million to the Conservation Stewardship Program, $350 million to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, and reductions in eligible acreage for sign up to the Wetlands Reserve Program and Grasslands Reserve Program by 64,200 acres and 96,000 acres, respectively.

Another amendment adopted by the Committee would restore $147 million to the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) food assistance program, which had otherwise been cut by $832 million, or 12 percent in the Appropriations subcommittee-approved bill.

The Committee's press release describes each of the twelve adopted amendments. 

The $17.25 billion USDA and FDA funding bill will now go to the full House for a vote.

Green Infrastructure for Clean Water Act Introduced in Senate and House

On May 27, Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tom Udall (D-NM) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced the Green Infrastructure for Clean Water Act of 2011.  The bill’s sponsors say that the measure would address the nation's water quality challenges by encouraging the research, development and promotion of new technologies and designs that use natural processes to combat polluted stormwater runoff.  The bill calls for EPA to use a competitive grant program to establish Centers of Excellence for green infrastructure, each charged with conducting research on green infrastructure that is relevant to the geographic region in which the Center is located, and provide communities with training and technical assistance on how to implement green infrastructure best management practices.  The legislation would also provide incentive funding to help communities develop green infrastructure technologies, and would establish a green infrastructure program within the EPA's Office of Water to coordinate and promote the use of new stormwater technologies.

Companion legislation has been introduced in the House by Representatives Donna Edwards (D-MD-4) and Russ Carnahan (D-MO-3) (the House measure has 15 co-sponsors).   

Comparable Senate and House versions of the same legislation were introduced during the last session of Congress, but neither advanced out of their respective committees.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Leaders Introduce EPA-Limiting Legislation

On May 26, House Transportation and Infrastructure Chair John Mica (R-FL-7) and Committee ranking member Nick Rahall (D-WV-3) introduced H.R. 2018 (the “Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act of 2011”) to "amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to preserve the authority of each State to make determinations relating to the State's water quality standards."  The bill, which has 23 co-sponsors, would restrict EPA's ability to issue revised or new water quality standards without a state's permission.  The bill can be viewed or downloaded as a PDF file here. Here is a link to Chairman Mica's press release accompanying the introduction of the legislation.   According to that release, the bill would:

• Restrict EPA’s ability to issue a revised or new water quality standard for a pollutant whenever a state has adopted – and EPA has already approved – a standard, unless the state concurs;
• Prohibit EPA from superseding a water quality certification (that a discharge will comply with applicable water quality requirements) granted by a state under Clean Water Act ("CWA") section 401;
• Prohibit EPA from withdrawing approval of a state water quality permitting program under CWA section 402 (regarding the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (or "NPDES")), or from limiting federal financial assistance for the state program, on the basis that EPA disagrees with the state regarding a (i) water quality standard that a state has adopted and EPA has approved, or (ii) the implementation of any federal guidance that directs a re-interpretation of the state’s approved water quality standards; and
• Prohibit EPA from objecting to a state’s issuance of an NPDES permit on the basis of (i) EPA’s differing interpretation of an approved state water quality standard, or (ii) the implementation of any federal guidance that directs a re-interpretation of the state’s approved water quality standards.

The release also notes that the bill would limit EPA’s ability to veto dredge and fill permits issued by the Army Corps of Engineers and "gives states more flexibility to administer these permitting programs."

House Hearings and Markups for the Week

Here are the US House Committee hearings and meetings scheduled for this week that are particularly relevant to Mississippi River Basin issues (along with links to the respective committee hearing web sites).  The algal blooms bill that will be introduced at tomorrow’s Science, Space and Technology's subcommittee hearing reportedly will be similar to the “Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2010” that was introduced in the last session, passed in the House, but not considered by the Senate.

The Senate is in recess this week and will be back in session next week.

• House Appropriations Committee markup of FY 2012 Agriculture Appropriations Bill; Tuesday, May 31; 5 PM; room 2359 Rayburn House Office Building
• House Science, Space and Technology's Committee's Subcommittee on Energy and Environment hearing on harmful algal blooms and introduction of a bill that would direct federal funding to research coastal dead zones; Wednesday, June 1; 2:00 PM, room 2318 Rayburn House Office Building
• House Appropriations Energy and Water Development Subcommittee markup of Energy Department, Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation FY 2012 Appropriations Bill; Thursday, June 2; 10 AM; room 2362-B Rayburn House Office Building

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week - Early Edition

Calendars and Holidays
Over the next two weeks, the US Senate and House will be having a go at "tag-team" legislating.  All of next week the Senate will be on Memorial Day recess (returning the week of June 6), while following an off-day on Memorial Day, the House remains in session through Friday (the House will be off for a district work week starting June 6). This "early edition," pre-holiday e-newsletter is coming out a day sooner than usual, as your FNB ("Friendly Neighborhood Blogger") is taking off this afternoon for a long Memorial Day weekend outside the Beltway and back in cooler Pennsylvania. Here's wishing you all a safe and rest-filled Memorial Day weekend! 

House Appropriations Committee to Consider Fiscal Year 2012 Agriculture Spending Bill Next Tuesday
The full House Committee on Appropriations will hold a mark-up meeting on the Fiscal Year 2012 Agriculture Appropriations Bill on Tuesday, May 31, at 4:00 PM (Eastern) in Room 2359, Rayburn House Office Building. The meeting will be webcast.  Audio and video of the hearing will be available here, and an audio-only feed will be available here.  During a Tuesday meeting of the Appropriations Agriculture subcommittee, the Agriculture Appropriations Bill was marked up and passed on a voice vote to the full Committee for mark-up.  The bill is primarily designed to set levels of discretionary spending for the USDA, the Food and Drug Administration and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (here is a brief summary of the bill on the Institute's Mississippi River Basin blog, and a bill overview that has been posted on the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition blog site).  A list of House Appropriations Committee members and additional Committee member information can be found here.

Report on Farm Bill Negotiation Opportunities
The Northeast-Midwest Institute and The Horinko Group have completed the first phase of what could potentially evolve into a multiphase effort to develop a sustainable, mutual working relationship among agricultural and conservation stakeholders who have not traditionally collaborated on Farm Bill-related issues. The preliminary scoping phase of the project and its outcomes are described in a May 23 report, which is summarized in more detail (with a link to the full report) here.

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week:

Current Flooding-

• Mississippi River flood not only big but also long: will last well into June http://wapo.st/j7bbhM
• London Guardian: Americans take a gamble with the Mississippi floods http://bit.ly/l3eCyT
• Army Corps: Mississippi River flood-damaged levees must be repaired quickly http://bit.ly/lEXv8y
• Fed inspectors check flood damage at >1400 homes & businesses near Mississippi River so far; more surrounded by H2O http://1.usa.gov/imW7MD

Floodplains, Dams and Navigation -

• Massive surge gate installed across Lake Borgne marshes by Army Corps of Engineers http://bit.ly/kPPoW8
• Corps: destroyed Birds Point levee could be replaced by mechanical gates if Congress authorizes project http://bit.ly/jJs1bT
• Great 2009 compendium of papers re: Upper/Middle Mississippi flood/management issues http://bit.ly/luhJ6z (PDF 93 p)
• RT @unifymissriver: Re-engineering Mississippi River's flood defenses considered within climate change context http://bit.ly/jIDpR2

Water Quality-

• Pressure builds from EPA and environmental groups to improve Chicago River water quality http://nyti.ms/mFmStE
• Government scientists test Mississippi River water at MO levee http://bit.ly/kTr7qt
• Coast Guard, EPA search for pollution in Atchafalaya Basin http://bit.ly/iXR6OZ
• 3M Co. plans to begin PFC-contaminated sediment dredging in small Mississippi River cove http://bit.ly/mepToP

Agriculture -

• 17 farm & food orgs send letter to US House & Senate leaders requesting next farm bill completion in 2012 http://bit.ly/kw7wq7 (pdf)
• Chesapeake Bay Foundation plans to file motion in US District Court to intervene in EPA-Farm Bureau lawsuit http://on.wsj.com/igfRcw

In the States -

• EPA offers to test private wells in Rogersville, MO for TCE http://bit.ly/jD8dOB

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Spread of Asian Carp could threaten MN rivers in Upper Mississippi River Basin http://bit.ly/lNQp8S
• MN state House committee eliminates $16 Million in dam improvement funding that some say would stop carp http://bit.ly/maxL1c
• Flooding of Atchafalaya River Basin has wildlife on the run http://lat.ms/lzA09S
• Voracious invasive bug worries US growers http://apne.ws/l4hgik while APHIS Invasive Pest & Pathogen funding faces cuts http://bit.ly/kvmQmi
• New MN invasive species law means major changes for state's 1.5 million anglers http://bit.ly/iCvSQq

Federal Budget -

• Appropriations Committee Releases FY 2012 Agriculture Appropriations Bill http://1.usa.gov/iDMlV1; marked-up Tues PM http://1.usa.gov/jgmpYu
• In largely symbolic votes, Senate rejects GOP House budget plan http://bit.ly/iQ6iHS & Obama's $3.7 trillion budget http://bit.ly/kUdrUk

Events -

• USEPA Recreational Water Quality Criteria Revision Stakeholder Mtg - New Orleans; June 13-15; http://bit.ly/juyXPe & http://bit.ly/lBsEFl
• Briefing: Managing Nutrients to Protect Water Quality: Innovative Approaches; Washington DC; June 9 http://bit.ly/iqqb9N

E-Newsletters-

• America's Waterway blog: “Who should make such decisions for the future of the Mississippi River?” http://bit.ly/iR35BX
• The May Northeast-Midwest Institute Update on Mississippi River Basin issues is now available http://bit.ly/jvF0ZX
• May 25 issue of "Delta Dispatches" is now on line; with latest news on Gulf Coast restoration issues http://bit.ly/iUKCkY

Political Scene -

• Tim Pawlenty launches campaign for Republican Presidential nomination in Iowa with corn ethanol challenge http://bit.ly/j8s8OR

Other news-

• Ohio State U professor touts new national riverine park at confluence of Ohio & Mississippi rivers http://bit.ly/jXR6mB

Last word

Vicksburg, Mississippi house surrounded by floodwaters

May Northeast-Midwest Institute on Mississippi River Basin Update

Here is the link to the May Update (PDF file) from the Northeast-Midwest Institute on Mississippi River Basin issues.  The May Update contains these items:

RIVER BASIN NEWS AND NOTES

• Farm Bill Discussions Offer New Opportunities for Environmental and Agricultural Sustainability
• Three Mississippi River Basin Waterways Listed on American Rivers "Most Endangered Rivers" List - Mississippi River Receives "Special Mention"
• Mississippi River Basin Flooding Prompts Renewed Calls for Policy Reconsideration
• Pressure Builds from Environmental Groups and the EPA to Improve Chicago River Water Quality
• Upper Mississippi and Ohio River Basin State Nutrient Reduction Strategies Workshop
• Stakeholder Meeting on EPA’s Development of New or Revised Recreational Water Quality Criteria
• Obama Administration Seeks to Clarify Clean Water Act Interpretation
• Publications of Note
• Upcoming Conferences, Events and Workshops 

LEGISLATION

• Flood Insurance Reform Act Passed Out of House Committee

BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS

• Fiscal Year 2012 Appropriations
• Long-Term Budget Deal and Debt Ceiling Issues