» Clean Water Current Archive

Febrary 12, 2010

NACWA Board of Directors Provides Valuable Input on Chesapeake Bay Legislation

NACWA’s Board of Directors held a conference call today to discuss the Chesapeake Clean Water and Ecosystem Restoration Act of 2009 (S. 1816) and the Association’s position regarding the bill.  If enacted, S. 1816 would significantly change the current Chesapeake Bay Program and dramatically expand both federal and state authorities to clean up the bay and restore it to ecological health.  The legislation could have significant implications for other watershed restoration efforts and serve as a model for future watershed-based legislation.  Much of the legislative proposal would codify elements of EPA’s Draft Strategy for Protecting and Restoring the Chesapeake Bay  released Nov. 9, 2009.  The Board discussed the legislation’s impacts on the wastewater treatment community and identified several items that, if modified, would provide further assurance that the legislation will indeed accomplish its objectives for controlling nonpoint sources of pollution.  Among those items are revisions to the total maximum daily load (TMDL) requirements and a level of assurance that significant federal funding will indeed be available for implementation.  The Board agreed to draft a letter reflecting NACWA’s support for the legislation’s overall approach and pointing out specific improvements we would like to see as the legislation progresses.

The legislation imposes certain requirements on the District of Columbia and the six states within the Chesapeake Bay watershed — Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia — that must be met in order for them to continue receiving federal clean water funding.  The goal is to reduce adverse impacts to the bay caused by nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediments — the main pollutants in the bay — by enforcing a watershed-wide TMDL that EPA must approve by Dec. 31, 2010.  The six bay states and D.C. would have to develop and implement watershed improvement plans (WIPS) in order to ultimately meet final TMDL reduction loads by 2025.  The WIPs must contain enforceable measures to control all sources of pollution in the bay including agricultural runoff, stormwater, air deposition, and septic systems.  The bill would authorize grants for states to implement their WIPs and establish monitoring programs.  States that fail to meet their TMDL reduction goals through their WIPs risk losing their clean water funding.

In addition, the legislation requires specific stormwater management measures for all new development, institutes a phosphate ban with some exceptions, and authorizes a review that could lead to additional consumer product restrictions if those products are determined to lead to nutrient impairments in the bay.  The legislation also requires the EPA to establish a nutrient trading program for nitrogen and phosphorus.  Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) is the main sponsor of the legislation and expects to report out the bill in March in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.  NACWA will be asking the Board of Directors to review a draft NACWA letter outlining its position vis-à-vis the legislation and will continue to work with Senator Cardin and his staff to further improve the legislation.  For more information, please contact Patricia Sinicropi, NACWA Legislative Director, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Save the Date for NACWA’s National Environmental Policy Forum

With the federal government’s increasing focus on the gamut of national water policy issues — watershed approaches, nutrient control, climate change, enforcement, and federal funding to name but a few —  NACWA urges you to save the date for its upcoming National Environmental Policy Forum,  April 18-21 in Washington, DC.  The Policy Forum brings together top decision makers in the Nation’s Capital for a timely discussion of how national initiatives are poised to impact communities across the country.

Key Speakers Confirmed
Exemplifying NACWA’s continued commitment to bringing the highest level policymakers to discuss pressing clean water issues with its members are three confirmed speakers and leaders from diverse perspectives.  Robert Perciasepe, the recently confirmed Deputy Administrator of EPA, who has long advocated the need for a meaningful watershed approach, will speak to NACWA for the first time in his new official capacity.   U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chairman of the Environment & Public Works Committee’s Water & Wildlife Subcommittee, is confirmed and will be discussing his leadership in crafting legislation for the Chesapeake Bay, calling for increased federal clean water funding including via a jobs package, and in ensuring water management concerns are addressed in climate legislation.  Additionally U.S. Congressman Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) will be discussing his view from the minority perspective on his support for clean water funding including his support for clean water trust fund legislation.

Hill Visits Key
Policy Forum attendees are encouraged to participate in Capitol Hill visits on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 20, to meet with your congressional delegations and raise issues of significance to your utility and urge their support for NACWA’s legislative priorities.  If you would like any help setting up these visits or if you have any questions regarding the Policy Forum please contact John Krohn, NACWA’s Manager of Legislative Affairs, at 202-833-4655 or via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The Policy Forum agenda and registration information will be available on NACWA’s Conferences and Meetings webpage early next week.

Presentations from NACWA Winter Conference Available Online

Presentations from NACWA’s winter conference, Transcending Tradition. . . . The Expanding Roles & Relationships of the Clean Water Utility, which took place February 1-5, are now available on NACWA’s website  and can be downloaded at the click of a button.  Presentations are available on the array of cutting-edge issues discussed at the conference including putting effective utility management to the test; turning waste into resources in a profitable manner; the growing trend of regionalization of wastewater services; and innovative methods to engage your community and build support for the important work of your clean water agency, among others. For a brief summary of conference highlights, please see last week’s Clean Water Current.

NACWA wishes all of its members a happy Presidents Day Weekend. Our offices will be closed on Monday and will reopen Tuesday.