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The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative Applauds Passage of the Infrastructure Bill
Leave a CommentBy wwdmag.com | The Build Back Better legislation currently provides funding for key priorities for Great Lakes cities With the successful passage of the Infrastructure bill, the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative is now urging Congress to take immediate action on the Build Back Better reconciliation package. “While the infrastructure bill will greatly help… Read full story
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to provide Wisconsin with $1 Billion in needed resilience, water equity and infrastructure assistance
Leave a CommentCHICAGO – Wisconsin will see $1 billion in water infrastructure, resiliency and water equity funding, as part of the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the largest long-term investment in U.S. infrastructure in nearly a century. Read article.
Nationwide tests find lead in more than half of U.S. children
Leave a CommentBY
HANNAH NORTHEY | 09/29/2021 01:29 PM EDT
This 2016 file photo shows signs around the West Calumet Housing Complex in East Chicago, Ind. The mayor ordered the evacuation of the 40-year-old public housing complex because of severe lead contamination.John J. Watkins/The Times via AP, File
GREENWIRE | A first-of-its-kind national study found more than half the children tested had detectable levels of lead in their blood, a scourge researchers say is tied to contaminated paint, water pipes and soil in poverty-stricken neighborhoods.
An investigation published in the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics earlier this week revealed the detectable lead levels in more than half of the 1 million children under 6 years old who received blood tests in recent years from Quest Diagnostics, one of the largest clinical laboratories operating in the U.S.
Detectable levels of lead were significantly increased in children with public insurance and those living in communities with pre-1950s housing and high poverty rates.
The study also found trends based on ZIP codes and race, with almost 58 percent of children in predominantly Black neighborhoods and 56 percent of children in predominantly Hispanic areas showing detectable lead levels, compared with 49 percent of children in white neighborhoods. But authors also found the associations between lead exposure and elevated levels in children living in ZIP codes with predominantly Black or Hispanic and Latino neighborhoods were “not consistent” and more research is needed.
“This study is one of the first I’m aware of that really looks [nationally at] detectable blood levels” and neighborhood factors such as poverty, said Marissa Hauptman, associate director of the Pediatric Environmental Health Center at the Boston Children’s Hospital, who co-authored the study.
Quest Diagnostics conducted the testing from Oct. 1, 2018, through Feb. 29, 2020, during which time the lab began reporting results with a detection threshold of 1 microgram of lead per deciliter of blood. According to the JAMA article, the month of February 2020 was chosen to eliminate the potential effects tied to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Researchers then used mapping techniques and analyses to show the association between where a child lives and the risk of lead exposure. The insight is critical given that lead is a toxin that can have adverse health effects particularly in pregnant people, nursing mothers and children under age 6 whose bodies are still developing and growing rapidly. Even at low levels, lead exposure is shown to affect IQ, ability to pay attention and academic achievement, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and exposure cannot be corrected.
The CDC currently identifies the “blood lead level of concern” as 5 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood, which the agency says is higher than most children’s levels. The CDC says that value is based on the nation's population of children under 5 who are in the highest 2.5 percent of kids when tested for lead in their blood.
Hauptman said the findings demonstrate that the U.S. is still living with the effects of legacy lead and children are being exposed despite “tremendous progress” made in past decades toward eliminating lead from products like fuel; paint; and service lines carrying water to homes, schools and businesses.
While the study did not analyze the sources of exposure, Hauptman said a large body of research and public policy work shows children are primarily exposed to lead through paint, contaminated soil and drinking water.
According to the article, houses built before the 1950s were specifically analyzed because although the production of lead-based paint was banned nationally in 1978, some cities had enacted legislation to bar the material as early as the 1950s. Overall, paint produced after the 1950s tended to have lower levels of lead, researchers said.
Going forward, Hauptman said researchers need to focus on how to prevent lead from making its way into housing stock, fuel and water to protect children. The study also called for more analysis to understand the relationship between exposure in children and race.
Coastal damage along Lake Michigan will cost Illinois communities over $600 million to fix thanks to climate change
Leave a CommentJuly 17, 2021 – WBBM 780 News Radio: A survey of 12 Illinois cities, villages, and other jurisdictions along Lake Michigan showed that coastal damage from climate change will cost at least $608 million over the next five years. Listen to the broadcast.
Waukegan mayor takes leading role on panel looking at quality, cost of Great Lakes water
Leave a CommentBy: Steve Sadin
Lake County News-Sun
December 4, 2020
Growing up in Waukegan, Mayor Sam Cunningham often took the plentiful supply of fresh water from Lake Michigan for granted. Read more
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative supports new Canadian stimulus program but asks that water restoration funding be included
Leave a CommentThe Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative supports the recently announced $10 billion Canadian government infrastructure stimulus program but asks that water restoration stimulus funding also be included. Read more
Spotlight on the News: Sheboygan, WI Mayor and Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, Chair Michael Vandersteen
Leave a CommentAugust 16, 2020
Interview with Chuck Stokes, WXYZ Detroit
To view the interview with Sheboygan Mayor Mike Vandersteen, Chair of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative advance your viewer to 13 minutes. They discuss the Sheboygan, the GLSLCI, The need for federal funding assist Cities to deal with erosion mitigation and infrastructure replacement.
House Lawmakers Seek $10 Billion for Coastal Restoration
Leave a CommentA bipartisan group of Congressional representatives, led by the co-chairs of the House Oceans Caucus, recently called on House leadership to approve $10 billion for coastal restoration programs. The letter was organized by Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) and Don Young (R-Alaska).
“As our efforts continue to confront the economic and health consequences of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Congress cannot neglect the needs of our coastal communities and the blue economy, the members wrote in their letter. “We need to provide a vital lifeline to create new and ongoing economic opportunities.” The letter requested more funding for ocean research, more aid for fishing businesses, and the creation of a National Coastal Resilience Fund and a Resiliency and Habitat Grant Program. Great Lakes members signing the letter included Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY). View letter.
Stimulus Activities Report – Ottawa
Leave a CommentCanadian Parliament and Government of Canada update:
COVID-19 dramatically changed Parliament’s plans in the Spring of 2020, with most of the debate taking place within a special COVID-19 Committee. Please plan to speak with your local MP and regional Ministers regarding your community's water projects. Materials have been developed for your use and are available on the Cities Initiative’s website.
Spring Session of Parliament
With “Spring Session” now over, the House of Commons will convene four times over the summer with rare July and August sittings. The first summer sitting, on July 8, will include a Federal Government “Economic Snapshot” by Finance Minister Bill Morneau. This Economic Snapshot is expected to be less substantial than the historic fall “Economic Updates” and dramatically smaller than the spring Budget. However, Finance Minister Bill Morneau will be putting forward the first fiscal plan since the Liberal Government was re-elected last October. We expect that this budget will address many of the issues we face as a result of the COVID-19 economic crisis.
“Shovel-Ready” Stimulus
Many Federal Departments are exploring ways to stimulate the economy to assist all regions and sectors recover from COVID-19. Departmental officials at Environment and Climate Change Canada and Infrastructure Canada along with other departments are developing “lists” of shovel- ready projects and partners who can get to work if new money was made available. Building upon the July 8 Economic Snapshot and the Cities Initiative “Stimulus Ask”, July 2020 offers an opportunity for Municipal leaders to speak with Federal leaders about the creation of a short-term (two construction season) program funded by the Government of Canada to address water infrastructure needs in your community. Read more.
Party Update Conservative Party of Canada (CPC)
During the spring session of Parliament, the opposition Conservatives under Andrew Sheer, successfully advocated to have Parliament sit in person and for the return of Question Period. They have been calling for the Liberal Government to ensure that emergency funding is targeted to those in need while limiting overpayments or fraud. They have also asked for various Federal Auditors to review the different COVID-19 emergency programs as soon as possible.
In June, the Conservatives put forward a “Back to Work Bonus” for businesses to attract individual workers who are currently on CERB to transition back into the workforce.
NOTE – the Conservative Party of Canada is in the process of choosing their next leader with approximately 240,000 members of the party receiving their ballots by mail in early July and votes counted in mid-August. To learn more please visit the CPC’s website.
Bloc Quebecois (BLOC)
In line with the Liberal and NDP, the BLOC has called for CERB to be expanded to ensure everyone affected by COVID-19 can stay home and stay safe. Recently, they have focused on the effects on agriculture, tourism and other sectors that are undergoing dramatic changes to their operations. To learn more, visit BLOC’s website.
New Democratic Party of Canada (NDP)
The Federal NDP, under Jagmeet Singh, has advocated for an expansion of the CERB to ensure more Canadians are eligible for the $2,000 per month federal subsidy. As COVID-19 lockdowns have extended to almost 100 days in some communities. In March 2020, The Federal Liberal Government announced some changes to the program or other funding to address specific demographic groups not supported by CERB.
NOTE – The Federal NDP has been very vocal with issues around systemic racism within Federal and Municipal Policing and other institutions. This led to an altercation that had the NDP leader, Jagmeed Singh, removed from Parliament for part of a day. To learn more, visit NDP’s website.
Green Party of Canada (GPC)
Similar to the Conservative Party, GPC is also undergoing a Leadership Race at this time. Their Leader in the House, Former Party Leader Elizabeth May, has been critical of the speed the Federal Liberal has expanded CERB to ensure all affected Canadians are safe. To learn more, visit GPC’s website.
Summary
Although there have been some individual heated exchanges in Parliament over the past 100 days and all four Opposition Parties have advocated for the Federal Liberals to put more support or oversight into the COVID-19 emergency funding programs, they have collectively been supportive of the overall direction and actions of the Federal Government.
FEMA Rolls Out New Resilience Program
Leave a CommentThe Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is rolling out an important new program entitled Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC), which replaces the existing Pre-Disaster Mitigation program. It will support states, local communities, tribes and territories, as they undertake hazard mitigation projects to reduce the risks they face from disasters and natural hazards. Its guiding principles are supporting communities through capability- and capacity-building; encouraging and enabling innovation; promoting partnerships; enabling large projects; maintaining flexibility; and providing consistency. FEMA anticipates releasing a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the program this fall.
FEMA is holding a series of public engagement webinars in July to discuss key elements of the BRIC program. The sessions are geared toward leaders in states, local communities, tribes and territories, as well as private sector entities, private non-profit organizations, and other interested parties. The webinars are being held each Wednesday in July from 2:00-3:00 pm Eastern. They will be recorded and made available online. Information on the BRIC program and the summer engagement webinars is available on the website.
The BRIC program is a potentially important new source of support for state and local efforts to prepare for, respond to, and minimize impacts from disasters and natural hazards. Cities Initiative staff are following the new program closely and will look for opportunities to inform and engage its member cities and assist them in accessing the program to address critical issues such as coastal erosion, flooding, and impacts for severe weather events.