» Clean Water Current Archive

April 23, 2010

Key Federal, Local Leaders Headline NACWA’s Policy Forum

NACWA’s 2010 National Environmental Policy Forum exemplified the important role that the Association and its members play in impacting the federal legislative and regulatory processes.  This was underscored in the remarks of Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Water and Wildlife Subcommittee of the Environment & Public Works Committee – and the champion of legislation to address nutrient pollution in the Chesapeake Bay.  The Senator acknowledged that “NACWA has been extremely effective in Congress,” pointing to the boosted federal funding levels for clean water infrastructure and noting that “water infrastructure breaks the mold in Washington, D.C. in terms of bipartisanship.”  The Senator noted that he is seeking to pass the Bay bill with strong enforceable standards on nonpoint sources and “needs NACWA’s help”.  The Senator also implored NACWA to work to ensure that nonpoint sources are also addressed via the Farm Bill as reauthorization discussions start up again.  Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) also built on this theme of bipartisanship, stating that he was proud to be a co-sponsor of H.R. 3202, the clean water trust fund bill introduced by Rep. Blumenauer (D-Ore.).

Robert Perciasepe, Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), offered a visionary speech, noting that the time was now to think innovatively and to move toward a new approach to addressing water quality issues that focused on green infrastructure and watershed approaches with a focus on hydrographic principles.  Significantly, he said that it was time to address sanitary sewer overflow issues, noting “we've got to move ahead on doing something” and later told the trade press that a policy would be released in late spring or early summer.  George Hawkins, General Manager of the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority, brought unbridled energy to the meeting, which took place during the week of Earth Day celebrations, telling wastewater treatment plant leaders that nothing was more important to the well-being and future of this country than their investment, dedication and hard work in meeting the goals of the Clean Water Act.

A number of NACWA committees met during the Policy Forum, receiving important updates on key initiatives and debating next steps on a number of critical issues.  Summaries of the committee meetings will be forwarded to members soon via Member Update.

State and regional organizations representing the clean water community also met during the Forum and had an informative dialogue focused on affordability, as well as nutrient control concerns.  More than a dozen of these organizations also lent their names in support of the Policy Forum and NACWA plans to build further on these important relationships.

NACWA’s National Environmental Achievement Award (NEAA) recipients were also honored at the Policy Forum.  Additional information on the awardees will be made available in the April-May edition of the Clean Water Advocate newsletter.  Presentations from the Policy Forum are now available on NACWA’s website.  Thank you once again to our members for making this Policy Forum such a success.

FY 2011 Preliminary Budget Approved – Dues to Remain Unchanged

NACWA’s Board of Directors met at the conclusion of the Policy Forum and took action on the Association’s FY 2011 General Fund and Targeted Action Fund (TAF) budgets.  NACWA’s fiscal year (FY) 2011 begins on October 1, 2010 and continues until September 30, 2011.   Ever mindful of the current economic climate, approval of the preliminary FY 2011 budgets followed a thorough review of revenues and expenditures, as well as an assessment of NACWA’s ability to maintain and enhance its delivery of essential services to its members. The preliminary FY 2011 General Fund budget anticipates no change in membership dues for the second year in a row.  NACWA members will have the opportunity to provide comments on the preliminary budgets via an upcoming Member Update.  In other Board action three TAF projects received approval.  The new TAF projects provide funding for a summit on new approaches to address nutrient issues, a consent decree implementation database, and the development of a public affairs plan and associated outreach materials for the anticipated Money Matters affordability campaign.  The Board also reviewed plans for the July Board of Directors elections.  A number of Board Members are up for re-election and there are vacant board seats in Region 1, 2, and 4.  NACWA members should anticipate a detailed Member Update on the Board election process early next week.  NACWA’s Board of Directors will next meet in July, following the Association’s 40th Annual Meeting, as part of the 2011 Summer Conference in San Francisco.

NACWA Board Endorses Key Resolution on Affordability
A resolution calling for a New Approach to Affordability and Assessing Community Financial Capability  was endorsed by the Board and widely circulated at the Forum and during Capitol Hill visits.  The resolution states clearly that “under current guidance and approaches, EPA and States with delegated Clean Water Act (CWA) authority continue to impose costly regulatory requirements on, and pursue enforcement actions against, the Nation’s public clean water agencies without fully considering the economic conditions impacting these agencies and the effectiveness of the resulting expenditures in meeting environmental goals”.  The resolution also notes that there is a new willingness among EPA, members of Congress, NACWA and other key stakeholders “to work together to explore, develop, and implement new frameworks and approaches to determining affordability limits and assessing community financial capability under the CWA.”  Member Agencies voiced their plans to adopt similar resolutions at the state and local level.  NACWA will keep members fully apprised of efforts to advance the priorities described in the resolution including via its Money Matters public affairs campaign.

NACWA, Wet Weather Partnership Workshop Shows EPA’s Focus Remains on Urban Overflow Issues

NACWA and the Wet Weather Partnership held their annual National Urban Wet Weather Solutions Workshop in Chicago this week, featuring a variety of speakers discussing perspectives and developments on combined sewer overflow (CSO), sanitary sewer overflow (SSO), and stormwater issues.  Among the highlights of the Workshop, keynote speaker Jim Hanlon, Director of EPA’s Office of Wastewater Management, confirmed that the Agency is preparing to address SSO issues through a comprehensive national policy.  Hanlon indicated that the Agency will be actively engaging the stakeholder community, including NACWA and its public clean water agencies, in determining how such an SSO approach should be structured.  His comments follow similar statements on a possible SSO rule from EPA Deputy Administrator Robert Perciasepe earlier in the week at the NACWA National Environmental Policy Forum (see previous article).  Hanlon also stated there is nothing in EPA’s 1997 Financial Capability Guidance which prevents EPA from allowing municipal wet weather consent decrees to have compliance schedules of longer than 20 years.

Other topics discussed at the Workshop included how to incorporate green infrastructure solutions into sewer overflow and stormwater programs, an update of recent developments in federal consent decrees, a survey of evolving issues regarding SSOs, and a discussions of national stormwater developments.  Additionally, a number of case studies were presented by cities and utilities currently addressing wet weather challenges through innovative solutions, including Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Sanitation District No. 1 of Northern Kentucky, Louisville, and New York City.  Copies of the presentations from the Workshop will be available on the Conferences and Professional Development page of the NACWA website next week.