From: 1000 Friends of Iowa [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Subject: Two Opportunities for ACTION: DMAMPO 2013 Federal Certification Review & Carpool to Keystone XL Pipeline Hearing
1. Sierra Club Organizing Carpool to Attend Keystone XL Pipeline Hearing April 18, 2013
2. Public Input Meeting April 29, 2013 to Accept Comments on DMAMPO for FHWA and FTA Certification Review
Sierra Club Organizing Carpool to Attend Keystone XL Pipeline Hearing April 18, 2013
The U.S. State Department has firmed up its plans to hold two hearings on its Environmental Impact Statement for the Keystone XL pipeline. Both hearings will be held in Grand Island, Nebraska at the at the Heartland Events Center, 700 East Stolley Park Road on April 18, 2013 from 12:00-3:00 p.m. and 4:00-8:00 p.m. with registration to speak at 11 a.m.
The Omaha World-Herald had this to say about Keystone: "The controversial project proposes piping 830,000 barrels of diluted bitumen per day from Canada's tar sands region to refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast. The 1,700-mile pipeline has been delayed and rerouted because of concerns a leak would contaminate groundwater in Nebraska's environmentally fragile Sand Hills."
The Sierra Club is organizing a group of Iowans who want to attend the hearing and will pay for transportation. They are also working on overnight lodging if those interested want to spend the night. They are opening it up to Iowans who are not Sierra Club members because they want to include as many who want to attend as possible. If there is enough interest, they will pick up participants in Iowa City, Des Moines and Council Bluffs.
The Sierra Club has set up a survey they are asking anyone interested in traveling to the hearings with the group to complete. Visit http://action.sierraclub.org/site/Survey?ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&SURVEY_ID=117241 to complete the survey. Once they've reviewed the survey results, they will provide final details to all who plan to travel with the group.
1000 Friends of Iowa encourages you to take advantage of the Sierra Club's offer to organize carpools and turn out Iowans in droves for these hearings.
Public Input Meeting April 29, 2013 to Accept Comments on DMAMPO for FHWA and FTA Certification Review
Your Comments DO Make a Difference!
Metropolitan planning organizations are certified by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) every four years. The FHWA & FTA will conduct a certification review of the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (DMAMPO) from April 29 through May 1, 2013. The review evaluates the effectiveness of the DMAMPO's transportation planning process, and ensures federal guidelines are being followed. Each MPO is required to solicit and utilize citizen input in local transportation decisions. If citizen input isn't resulting in changes that reflect the unique transportation needs of the community, the public participation process must be adjusted to make certain it does.
The DMAMPO will host a Public Input Meeting to accept comments from residents about the DMAMPO's transportation planning process as part of its 2013 certification review. The meeting will begin at 6:00 pm on April 29, 2013 at the DMAMPO Office, 420 Watson Powell, Jr. Way, Suite 200, in Des Moines, to gather comments from citizens regarding the DMAMPO transportation planning process.
This is an excellent opportunity to share your thoughts about the effectiveness of the DMAMPO public input meetings and transportation planning process.
The experience of 1000 Friends of Iowa is that the FHWA & FTA not only pay attention to the comments of citizens - they use the comments and feedback - YOUR concerns become part of the final transportation planning certification review report and help shape recommendations. You CAN make a difference by attending this meeting and making your concerns known!
Thanks to 1000 Friends for this email alert.
Jane Clark
1000 Friends of Iowa | 3850 Merle Hay Road | Suite 605 | Des Moines | IA | 50310