54
Integrated Planning
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
was immediately clear that the financial capability of a community
to make its needed clean water investments had taken on even greater
importance. The prioritization and sequencing of projects under the
Framework will be heavily influenced by a commu-
nity’s ability to pay for them, making the methodol-
ogy for assessing financial capability an important
consideration for any integrated plan. Recognizing
this important link, NACWA, the U.S. Conference
of Mayors and other groups have continued to press
EPA to overhaul, or at least refine, its dated 1997
Financial Capability Guidance.
On January 18, 2013, EPA issued a memorandum indicating that it
was willing to discuss a number of areas where the Agency believes
information, in addition to what is offered in the 1997 guidance,
could better reflect the true ability of a community to afford
certain water quality investments. The Conference of Mayors, to-
gether with WEF and other groups, is working on technical informa-
tion that could be used to supplement the 1997 guidance consistent
with the new memo. While NACWA is supportive of this effort, the
Association continues to believe that a wholesale
revision of the methodology in the 1997 guidance
is needed. A NACWA Targeted Action Fund project
is currently underway to outline a new approach to
financial capability assessments that would better
account for changing economic conditions through
the forecasting of revenues, rather than making a
snapshot assessment as with the current approach.
NACWA also remains active on Capitol Hill working on both inte-
grated planning and financial capability issues
(see related article this
issue)
.
Affordability in 113th Congress
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
NACWA is also working to secure support for its own wet weather
proposal,
The Wet Weather Community Sustainability Act
, designed to
enable communities to use alternative management and technology
techniques to more cost-effectively address peak wet weather flows.
The Association is circulating the proposal to Members of Congress
to identify potential co-sponsors and has briefed EPA on how the pro-
posed changes to the Clean Water Act would work.
NACWA’s
National Environmental Policy Forum
, held April 21-24 in
Washington D.C., will explore all of these issues in greater length,
including how NACWA’s members will benefit from these proposals
and how they can most effectively advocate for them with their elect-
ed officials
(see related article this issue).
Tony Parrot, Executive Director and MaryLynn Lodor, Environmental Programs
Manager, accept the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati’s Public
Service Award from NACWA Awards Committee Chair, Philip Friess, Technical
Services Department Head, Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County.
N
ACWA recognized eighteen Member Agencies with
National Environmental Achievement Awards
(NEAA)
at a ceremony on February 4, 2013 – during the
Association’s Winter Conference in Miami, Florida.
The NEAA Awards recognize Agencies in three categories
Operations & Environmental Performance, Public Service, and
Public Information & Education.
NACWA congratulates all of these
National Environmental
Achievement Award
winners on their clear commitment to clean
water and a safe, sustainable environment.
National Environmental
Achievement Awards
will be presented to individual honorees in
April at the Association’s
National Environmental Policy Forum
. For
more information on NACWA’s awards programs please visit
www.nacwa.org/awards
.
NACWA Honors Agencies as National Environmental
Achievement Award Winners
1,2,3 5,6