2
S
ince hosting a multi-organization December 13 meeting
in Washington where the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) unveiled the elements of its integrated plan-
ning framework, NACWA has actively engaged the Agency
to ensure the clean water community’s perspectives are reflected in
the final framework. The Association participated in five EPA work-
shops on the framework between January 30 and February 17, with
Member Agency representatives at each workshop providing diverse
perspectives on how an integrated planning framework could ben-
efit their respective agencies – and the clean water community as
a whole. Based on the discussions at each of the workshops, and
input from the membership gathered during the NACWA Winter
Conference, the Association filed written comments on EPA’s frame-
work on February 29.
NACWA’s written comments on the framework commended EPA
for listening to the clean water community and municipalities
nationwide who have raised concerns that the Agency was simply
demanding too much, with every requirement being a top priority.
At the same time, the Association expressed significant concern
with the extent to which the framework will provide meaningful
relief for the majority of its member agencies.
For those communities facing imminent federal enforcement,
or perhaps are already in negotiations with the government, the
framework will likely provide a pathway for the community to
present a more locally-driven plan for meeting its obligations. But
for many communities, the framework’s promised flexibility may
not be enough for them to embark on a costly and time-consum-
ing planning effort without the certainty of it being approved.
NACWA also noted that the framework remains focused on the
sequencing of investments to meet current Agency policies, and
does not contemplate a true cost-benefit approach to determining
where community resources are best spent to achieve water qual-
NACWA Prominent at Integrated Planning Workshops,
Files Comments on EPA Framework
I
n March, Senator Bingaman (D-N.M.), Chair of the Senate
Energy & Natural Resources Committee, introduced S. 2146
The Clean Energy Standard Act of 2012
, legislation to promote en-
ergy generation from a diverse set of low-carbon energy sources
by establishing a Clean Energy Standard (CES). A CES is a flexible,
market-oriented standard that would set targets for clean electricity
generation and ensure that clean energy would be produced where
it makes the most economic sense and without favoring one source
over another.
A growing number of NACWA’s member utilities are generating energy
from the biogas and biosolids produced during the wastewater treat-
ment process. Instead of purchasing their energy entirely from outside
sources, these facilities are able to generate some or all of their own
clean energy. NACWA has been working to have the biogas and biosol-
ids produced from the municipal wastewater treatment process cred-
ited under a CES. This approach would allow wastewater treatment
plants that generate clean energy from these sources to be eligible to
receive potentially valuable clean energy credits.
Senate Legislation Makes Biogas
Eligible for Clean Energy Credits
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S
ince December 2010, a NACWA-led group of stakeholders
from the water, wastewater, state regulatory, conservation
and sustainable agriculture community has joined together
to advocate for stronger links between national agricultural
policy and water quality. The Healthy Waters Coalition and its effort,
the Healthy Waters Initiative, resulted in consensus on a set of
policy
recommendations
for Congress to include in the upcoming Farm Bill.
These recommendations would begin to direct investments and
Healthy Waters Coalition
Releases Policy Recommendations
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