This Is Climate: Water

Posted by Brad Johnson Wed, 15 Mar 2023 13:00:00 GMT

World Water Day, marked every March, was established by the United Nations to focus attention on the importance of fresh water around the globe. On Wednesday, March 15 at 9:00 a.m. ET, Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Melissa Ho, World Wildlife Fund senior vice president for freshwater and food, Alexia Leclercq, Start:Empowerment co-founder, and Julie Waechter, DigDeep co-CEO, join Washington Post Live to discuss possible solutions that address global water inequities and the role of water in sustainable development.

Speakers:
  • Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.)
  • Melissa Ho, Senior Vice President, Freshwater & Food, World Wildlife Fund
  • Alexia Leclercq, Co-Founder, Start:Empowerment
  • Julie Waechter, Co-CEO, DigDeep

In a segment presented by Ecolab, Calvin Emanuel, vice president and general manager of Sustainable Growth Solutions at Ecolab, and Glenn Prickett, president and CEO at World Environment Center, will discuss how industry can be a positive force in supporting a water-secure future while driving business outcomes. The conversation will cover the central tenets of corporate sustainability programs that conserve water, foster business resilience, and create positive impacts in support of communities around the world.

Speakers:
  • Calvin Emmanuel, Vice President & General Manager, Sustainable Growth Solutions, Ecolab
  • Glenn Prickett, President & CEO, World Environment Center
  • Moderated by Kathleen Koch, Journalist

Register

At the The Washington Post, 1301 K Street, NW

Trusting the Tap: Upgrading America's Drinking Water Infrastructure

Posted by Brad Johnson Tue, 29 Mar 2022 14:30:00 GMT

The Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change of the Committee on Energy and Commerce will hold a hybrid hearing that includes both in-person and remote attendance on Tuesday, March 29, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. This hearing will take place in the John D. Dingell Room, 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building, as well as remotely using Cisco Webex online video conferencing. The hearing is entitled, “Trusting the Tap: Upgrading America’s Drinking Water Infrastructure.”

Hearing memorandum

Witnesses
  • Erik D. Olson, Senior Strategic Director for Health & Food, Natural Resources Defense Council
  • Lori J. Mathieu, Public Health Branch Chief, Environmental Health & Drinking Water Branch, Connecticut Department of Public Health, President, Association of Drinking Water Administrators
  • Kareem Adeem, Director of Water and Sewer Utilities, The City of Newark, NJ
  • Richard Diaz, Midwest Regional Field Organizer, BlueGreen Alliance
  • Jim McGoff, Chief Operating Officer and Director of Environmental Programs, Indiana Finance Authority, On behalf of Council of Infrastructure Financing Authorities

H.R. 3684—INVEST in America Act, Amendment Consideration

Posted by Brad Johnson Tue, 29 Jun 2021 18:00:00 GMT

H.R. 3684: Text of Legislation

Markup of Water Quality and Transportation Investment Bills

Posted by Brad Johnson Wed, 09 Jun 2021 14:00:00 GMT

The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will hold a markup to consider H.R. 1915, the Water Quality Protection and Job Creation Act of 2021, and H.R. 3684, the INVEST in America Act.

The Green New Deal Network is supporting three of Rep. Chuy García’s amendments to H.R. 3684 – #026, to ensure public transit gets funding on par with roads and bridges, #027, to cut all forms of pollution from transportation, and #028, to fully electrify public transit buses and commuter trains.

“Giving the Department of Transportation a bunch of money for new highways is the climate equivalent of giving energy companies money to build new coal plants,” García tweeted.


Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (ANS) to H.R. 1915, the Water Quality Protection and Job Creation Act of 2021 Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (ANS) to H.R. 3684, the INVEST in America Act

The Vulnerability of U.S. Water Resources to Climate Change: From the Mississippi River floods to growing shortages in the West

Posted by Brad Johnson Mon, 09 May 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker: Peter Gleick

Title: An update on the vulnerability of U.S. water resources to climate change: From the Mississippi River floods to growing shortages in the West

The scientific evidence supporting growing impacts of human-induced climate change on U.S. water resources continues to strengthen. Dr. Peter Gleick, one of the nation’s leading experts on climate and water, will discuss recent reports on increased precipitation intensity in North America, the Mississippi River flood events, the new Department of Interior assessment of climate and western river basins, and efforts to prepare for climate and water risks facing cities, farmers, and natural systems. He will also explore some of the adverse implications of recent budget decisions for emergency preparedness and warning systems, weather forecasting, military preparedness, and national response to extreme events.

Proposals for a Water Resources Development Act of 2008

Posted by Brad Johnson Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:00:00 GMT

The increasing number of issues associated with aging water resource infrastructure that is operated and maintained, or owned, by the United States Bureau of Reclamation

Posted by Brad Johnson Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:00:00 GMT

S. 1870, the Clean Water Restoration Act of 2007

Posted by Brad Johnson Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Witnesses
  • Carol M. Browner, Principal, The Albright Group, LLC, Former Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • Alexander B. Grannis, Commissioner, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
  • Joan Card, Water Quality Division Director, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
  • David P. Brand P.E., P.S., Sanitary Engineer, Madison County, State of Ohio
  • Randall P. Smith, Smith 6-S Livestock

Pending legislation for Southwest water projects

Posted by Brad Johnson Mon, 07 Apr 2008 21:36:00 GMT

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills: S.2259/H.R. 813, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Prado Basin Natural Treatment System Project, to authorize the Secretary to participate in the Lower Chino Dairy Area desalination demonstration and reclamation project, and for other purposes; H.R. 31, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District Wildomar Service Area Recycled Water Distribution Facilities and Alberhill Wastewater Treatment and Reclamation Facility Projects; H.R. 716, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Santa Rosa Urban Water Reuse Plan; H.R. 786, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Los Angeles County Water Supply Augmentation Demonstration Project, and for other purposes; H.R. 1140, to authorize the Secretary, in cooperation with the City of San Juan Capistrano, California, to participate in the design, planning, and construction of an advanced water treatment plant facility and recycled water system, and for other purposes; H.R. 1503, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Avra/Black Wash Reclamation and Riparian Restoration Project; H.R. 1725, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Rancho California Water District Southern Riverside County Recycled/Non-Potable Distribution Facilities and Demineralization/Desalination Recycled Water Treatment and Reclamation Facility Project; H.R. 1737, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the design, planning, and construction of permanent facilities for the GREAT project to reclaim, reuse, and treat impaired waters in the area of Oxnard, California; and H.R. 2614, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in certain water projects in California.

Witness
  • Mr. Kris Polly , Deputy Commissioner for External & Intergovernmental Affairs, Bureau of Reclamation, DOI

Water Availability: A Matter of Quantity, Quality, and Use

Posted by Brad Johnson Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power, the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), and the Water Environment Federation (WEF) invite you to a briefing to examine the factors that limit the water available for critical uses throughout the country. The briefing is held in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program.

Competition for water is becoming more intense across the United States. Population growth competes in many areas with demands for water for irrigation and power production. Aquatic ecosystems compete for water used by cities, farms, and power plants to support their minimum flow requirements. In addition, the depletion of water in many aquifers decreases the supply of good quality surface water, and climate change is likely to exacerbate the availability of water as well.

Water quality impaired by human activities constrains water use. Perhaps less understood is that water use can degrade water quality by releasing naturally occurring contaminants, like salts, uranium and radium, into streams and aquifers, thereby constraining water availability.

This briefing will explain and provide examples of the connections between water use and water quality and how they can ultimately affect water availability for critical uses. It will begin by highlighting salinity in the Southwest, where a new USGS study has found reduced concentrations of salts in streams resulting from control activities in irrigated agricultural areas. It also will provide brief examples of how agricultural practices have affected naturally occurring radium in New Jersey, pumping has affected naturally occurring uranium in San Joaquin public-supply wells, and water re-use has introduced man-made organic compounds in coastal aquifers in southern California.

To conclude, the briefing also will connect the science to national policies relating to issues of water availability.

Speakers include:

  • David Anning, NAWQA scientist, Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S. Geological Survey
  • David Kanzer, Senior Water Resource Engineer,Colorado River Water Conservation District
  • Robert Hirsch, Associate Director for Water, U.S. Geological Survey
  • Claudia Copeland, Specialist in Resource and Environmental Policy, Congressional Research Service

This briefing is free and open to the public. No RSVP is required. Please forward this notice to others who may be interested. For more information, contact Leanne Lamusga, llamusga@eesi.org, 202-662-1884.

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