ARCHIVE SITE - Last updated Jan. 19, 2017. Please visit www.NACWA.org for the latest NACWA information.
ARCHIVE SITE - Last updated Jan. 19, 2017. Please visit www.NACWA.org for the latest NACWA information.
January 16, 2009
House Includes $6 Billion for Wastewater Infrastructure in Stimulus ProposalThe House Appropriations Committee yesterday released the draft American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 , legislation designed to create jobs and help the economy by providing funding for infrastructure projects and other things. The bill contains $6 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF); $2 billion for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF); and $3.8 billion for rural water and wastewater systems as part of the larger $63.5 billion in infrastructure spending. Half of the CWSRF funding will be made available to states in the form of grants or grant-equivalents, a portion of which is targeted for green infrastructure projects in line with NACWA’s recommendations. NACWA issued Legislative Alert 09-01 providing more details, including language from the draft bill, and a press release applauding the funding as a move in the right direction. “While NACWA has identified more than $17 billion in ready-to-go infrastructure projects, the $6 billion is an important step in re-establishing the critical federal, state, and local partnership needed to ensure we can continue to provide vital clean water services,” NACWA Executive Director Ken Kirk said in the release.
Cam Davis Rumored to Be Next Head of EPA Water Office; Other Officials Also NamedAccording to a memo circulating at EPA citing credible information from a former agency official, President-Elect Obama is close to naming his choices to lead the program offices at the agency. Cameron Davis, president of the Alliance for the Great Lakes, will likely be named assistant administrator (AA) for the EPA Office of Water. He has worked as a staff attorney for the Office of Regional Counsel at EPA’s Region V office in Chicago and served the United Nations Environment Programme in Nairobi, Kenya. NACWA has worked with him recently and met with him over the phone to discuss a number of issues related to the Obama transition.
NACWA Provides Expert Review of EPA Greenhouse Gas InventoryNACWA submitted comments this week on EPA’s Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2007, Expert Review Draft (Draft Inventory) outlining how to more accurately estimate emissions of methane and nitrous oxide from publicly owned treatment works (POTWs). NACWA’s work on the Inventory is part of the Association’s Critical Issues Action Initiative. The wastewater treatment category of the Inventory consistently ranks as one of the top sources for nitrous oxide and methane emissions in the nation, although the emissions are much smaller in magnitude than for the highest ranked categories. It is important to note, however, that the wastewater category is broad, including municipal wastewater treatment, septic systems, and industrial wastewater treatment. NACWA’s review focused on the portion of the wastewater treatment emissions from municipal facilities, which are a fraction of the total wastewater treatment emissions.
Supreme Court Denies Review in Pinto Creek AppealThe U.S. Supreme Court announced Jan. 12 that it would not review a controversial appeals court decision on National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for new discharges to impaired waters. NACWA and the California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA) asked the high court in a July 2008 brief to review the ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in California in Carlota Copper v. Friends of Pinto Creek. The associations argued that the October 2007 decision should be overturned because it will place severe restrictions on when NPDES permits can be issued for new discharges to impaired waters, even when such discharges would be “offset” by actions intended to result in a net environmental gain or improved water quality for the waterbody. The ruling could have negative implications for wastewater treatment agencies in states within the Ninth Circuit’s jurisdiction, including a de facto prohibition on the construction of new treatment plants, unless very stringent standards are met. The brief pointed out that the Ninth Circuit decision conflicts with Cities of Annandale and Maple Lakes, a 2007 case from the Supreme Court of Minnesota upholding the use of an offset analysis when issuing permits for new dischargers. NACWA filed a brief in the 2007 Minnesota litigation supporting the use of such an analysis.
NACWA PR Committee Eyes Opportunities for National Environmental Education WeekNACWA’s Communication and Public Relations Committee held a conference call this week to hear a presentation on the 2009 National Environmental Education Week, sponsored by the National Environmental Education Foundation. This week-long educational event with the theme “Be Water Wise” will be held April 12-18. Program coordinators provide educators with resources, including lesson plans and age-appropriate classroom activities that focus on water quality and conservation. Program suggestions include water quality testing, lab activities, providing study guides to accompany showings of Liquid Assets and planning trips to local wastewater treatment facilities. Communities interested in participating in the program and becoming partners are encouraged to visit the Foundation’s website at www.eeweek.org.
Applications Are Now Available for NACWA’s 2008 Peak Performance AwardsApplications for the 2008 Peak Performance Awards are now available and NACWA member agencies are encouraged to submit their nominations as soon as possible. As announced in this week’s Member Update 09-01, the Peak Performance Awards program acknowledges member agency facilities for excellence in wastewater treatment as measured by their compliance with their National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit requirements. The deadline for submissions is April 10, 2009. More information on the Peak Performance Award program, including its standards and how to apply, can be found on the NACWA website at www.nacwa.org/peakperformance. |
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Winter Conference
Next Generation Compliance …Where Affordability & Innovation Intersect
February 4 – 7, 2017
Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel
Tampa, FL