» Clean Water Current Archive

March 4, 2011

NACWA Public Agency Members Take Message of Need for New Regulatory Approach to Key EPA Officials, Capitol Hill

NACWA's Money Matters Summit & Fly-In was held in Washington, DC this week with nearly 50 public clean water agency leaders coming together to bring a focused message to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Congress.  The Summit featured key presentations and dialogue with EPA enforcement and water office officials, as well as remarks from three Members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

NACWA members expressed growing concern about their inability to determine which among the expanding array of Clean Water Act (CWA) requirements they should comply with first, and the lack of ability to realistically balance cost with water quality benefits in discussions with EPA – most notably the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA).

The Summit served as a launching point for the continuing work of the Money Matters campaign, including an announcement of NACWA's initiative to develop a legislative proposal providing a more flexible planning approach to CWA compliance.  This legislation will be released in May at NACWA's 2011 National Environmental Policy Forum (see related article on this issue) and then targeted for bipartisan introduction in both the House and Senate.

The Summit's first day began with a roundtable discussion featuring public agency member case studies and perspectives on the investments they have made, or are being required to make, and how these are often divorced from meaningful environmental benefits or the financial realities municipalities are facing.  Caswell Holloway, IV, Commissioner of New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection and Adel Hagekhalil, Assistant Director, City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation kicked off the discussion with presentations on their agencies’ needs and the limited flexibility they have to prioritize investment in projects that local leaders believe will result in the largest improvements in water quality.  Joining NACWA for these discussions were key legislative staff from the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, as well as from the Office of Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio).

Loren Denton, Acting Chief of the Municipal Enforcement Branch of the Water Enforcement Division in OECA, provided the Agency’s enforcement perspective.  Denton noted that the CWA provides limited enforcement flexibility and repeated the Agency’s commitment to innovative techniques, like green infrastructure, but indicated that pollutant removal had to be verifiable and reliable.  Denton acknowledged the frustration of public agencies and the importance of this type of dialogue.

Money Matters Themes Well-Received on Capitol Hill
Following these discussions, NACWA members took to Capitol Hill for a luncheon where remarks were provided by Representatives Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.) and Steven LaTourette (R-Ohio).  Reps. Carnahan and LaTourette urged NACWA members to continue their strong advocacy for increased infrastructure funding and regulatory flexibility, while also working to educate new members of Capitol Hill on the challenges faced by our industry.

Following the luncheon NACWA members carried the Money Matters message to their individual congressional delegations where they were met with generally bipartisan support in the House and Senate.  Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) joined the Summit at a March 1 reception where he applauded NACWA’s Money Matters effort, recognizing its consistency with Presidential directives to identify regulatory priorities – and its importance if the Nation is dedicated to maximizing environmental improvement.

EPA Water Official Notes Importance of Innovation, Green Infrastructure, Cautions against Regulatory Rollbacks
On March 2 attendees heard remarks from Jim Hanlon, the Director of the Office of Wastewater Management, who said EPA agrees with NACWA on the need to advance technological developments – as well as the broader implementation of green infrastructure projects – two key priorities of the Money Matters campaign.  Hanlon indicated that EPA is currently reviewing green reserve projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)  to identify and share emerging best practices for adoption on a wider scale.  Hanlon cautioned NACWA members that the message of regulatory flexibility could be interpreted as wanting to avoid or rollback current requirements of the CWA.  Following Hanlon’s remarks NACWA members shared their experiences from the previous day’s Capitol Hill meetings and learned of ways they can carry the Money Matters message back to their ratepayers and communities.

NACWA will be moving ahead with its campaign aggressively over the coming months.  We encourage all members to learn more about the campaign by visiting the Money Matters website where you can find documents such as the Money Matters White Paper and a just-released tri-fold both of which explain the campaign in greater detail.  Members are encouraged to get more involved in the campaign and can contact Adam Krantz, NACWA’s Managing Director of Government & Public Affairs, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , to do so.

SRF Budget Cuts Focus of House and Senate Hearings; NACWA Provides Key Information Defending Investments

This week the House Transportation & Infrastructure (T&I) Committee and the Senate Environment & Public Works (EPW) Committee met to review the Obama Administration’s proposed funding levels for EPA for fiscal year 2012.  A key part of these discussions were the significant reductions proposed to the Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water Revolving Loan Funds which are targeted for of a combined reduction of $947 million.  NACWA has worked aggressively to solidify support for the SRFs over the past several weeks in advance of these hearings.  Most recently NACWA organized and led a coalition of 16 entities representing municipal water organizations, state regulatory officials, conservation and environmental groups, as well as organizations representing the construction and engineering trades, that sent correspondence to the Senate urging support for water infrastructure and water quality programs.  The letter was the focus of some discussion during the EPW hearing and was entered into the official record.

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson testified before the Senate EPW Committee where she was chided for the Agency’s budget proposal.  Senator James Inhofe, ranking member of the Committee, was joined by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Bernard Sanders (I-VT), in criticizing the Administration’s proposed SRF cuts.  Underscoring the importance of the SRFs to their constituents back home, Senator Inhofe reacted sharply stating “These proposed cuts appear fiscally responsible, but these are cuts that Congress will reinstate.”  Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) defended the Administration’s cuts to the SRFs which Administrator Jackson described as “hard choices” that caused “heartburn” in the Agency.  In defending the cuts, Jackson identified recent investments the Administration provided to the SRFs in the ARRA of which she said “significant amounts” of funds have yet to be spent.

Nancy Stoner, Acting Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water, testified before the House T&I Committee where she was met with a degree of frustration and hostility by new and returning members of the Committee over funding levels and the Agency’s regulatory activities.  A key topic emerging from this discussion was EPA’s recommended increase in funding for CWA enforcement, while simultaneously decreasing investments that help communities achieve CWA compliance.  Ranking Member Timothy Bishop (D-N.Y.) also decried recent cuts approved by the House of Representatives in H.R. 1 which would greatly decrease funding provided to the SRFs through fiscal year 2011.  NACWA will continue its strong advocacy for SRF funding as Congress finalizes its negotiations for the remainder of fiscal year 2011 and then continues its deliberations on the budget for fiscal year 2012.

Register Today for the 2011 National Environmental Policy Forum

Building on the success of this week’s Money Matters Summit & Fly-In, NACWA’s 2011 National Environmental Policy Forum will provide an unparalleled opportunity for public clean water agencies and NACWA’s affiliates to dig deep into the latest legislative, regulatory, and legal developments at the federal level.  Compelling speakers and consecutive, rather than concurrent, meetings of key NACWA committees will ensure that each attendee comes away with the maximum amount of information on issues sure to impact their utility back home.  Online registration and up-to-date information on the National Environmental Policy Forum is available on NACWA’s website.  Reserve your hotel room today by contacting the Westin Washington DC City Center at 202.429.1700 to guarantee the special conference rate of $249 single/double.  Be sure to mention that you are a participant in NACWA’s 2011 National Environmental Policy Forum.  We look forward to seeing you in May!