Waters Assumable by States and Tribes under §404
ACWA, along with our partners at ECOS and ASWM, sent a letter to Administrator Pruitt expressing our appreciation for the support of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provided in responding to our joint request that the agency actively engage in a discussion clarifying those waters that are subject to assumption by interested states, and those waters that should be retained by the Corps. The letter requests that EPA adopt the majority recommendations included in the final report and undertake an effort to clarify Section 404(g), either through guidance or rulemaking. Our continuing commitment to this issue reflects our belief that many states already play a major role in implementation of dredge and fill regulations, and that combined state-federal programs provide effective, efficient, resilient, protective, and stable regulation in accordance with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.
EPA Announces Availability of New Water Finance Clearinghouse!
EPA’s Water Infrastructure and Resiliency Finance Center (WIRFC) announced the availability of a new water finance clearing house. WIRFC is an information and assistance center identifying water infrastructure financing approaches that help communities reach their public health and environmental goals.The Clearinghouse allows you to search a database with more than $10 billion in water funding sources and over 600 resources to support local water infrastructure projects. Communities across the nation have aging or inadequate water infrastructure and over $600 billion is needed for water infrastructure improvements over the next 20 years. The Clearinghouse helps financing get where it’s needed most by offering up-to-date finance information with the click of a button. To learn more about the Clearinghouse, you can register for a webinar on how to use the Clearinghouse on these dates:
• August 3
• August 14
• August 18
• August 24
• August 31
All webinars will be held 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Eastern. You can register for a webinar at: https://register.gotowebinar.com/rt/4533646364837520386
More information on the Clearinghouse, visit:
https://www.epa.gov/waterfinancecenter/water-finance-clearinghouse
EPA Webinar: National Stormwater Calculator
Stormwater discharges continue to cause impairment of our Nation’s waterbodies. In order to reduce impairment, EPA has developed the National Stormwater Calculator (SWC) to help support local, state and national stormwater management objectives and regulatory efforts to reduce runoff through infiltration and retention using green infrastructure (infrastructure based on natural processes) practices as low impact development (LID) controls. The primary focus of the SWC is to inform site developers on how well they can meet a desired stormwater retention target with and without the use of green infrastructure. It can also be used by landscapers and homeowners. The SWC is a Windows-based desktop program that requires an internet connection. A mobile web application version that will be compatible with all operating systems will be released this fall. EPA has scheduled a webinar for August 23, 2017, from 3:00 to 4:00 PM eastern.
To join the webinar, please register: http://epawebconferencing.acms.com/swcevent/event/registration.html
CROMERR Shared Services Webinar
EPA’s Office of Environmental Information will be conducting an open call on its Shared Cross-Media Electronic Reporting Rule (CROMERR) Services (SCS). Over the past couple of years, EPA has been assisting co-regulators in implementing electronic reporting programs by developing and managing CROMERR compliant services centrally and offering these services to co-regulators as needed to reduce time and money from developing and maintaining these services independently. This open call will be held on August 16 at 2 p.m. Eastern time. EPA will present the latest enhancements and alternatives available to co-regulators and discuss the processes, roles and resource requirements for integrating and managing SCS. Existing SCS implementers and those planning to implement new electronic reporting programs in their agencies may be interested in attending.
To join the webinar, please register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3778533665787169794
EPA Publishes Updated Aquatic Life Criteria for Aluminum
The EPA published updated aquatic life criteria for aluminum in freshwater. The draft is now available for public comment, which closes on September 26th, 2017. The EPA updated this criteria, first published in 1988, to consider new scientific literature. The updated criteria now takes into account the effect of pH, dissolved organic carbon, and water hardness on the toxicity of aluminum and allows users to develop site specific criteria based on water chemistry. For more information, please go here. The federal register notice can be found here.
Oceans and Coasts Work Group
ACWA is restarting the Oceans and Coasts work group. ACWA will organize and facilitate webinars and discussions for work group members and EPA participants regarding pertinent and pressing oceans and coastal issues like ocean acidification and trash free waters. The subject matter of future webinars and discussions will be highly influenced by the interests of the work group members. Please contact Frances Bothfeld if you are interested in joining this work group.
October 2017 NPDES Program Managers Meeting
The 2017 National NPDES Program Managers Meeting will take place October 31 – November 1, 2017 in Silver Spring, Maryland at the Tommy Douglas Conference Center. Reserve your lodging today by calling 240-645-4000 (Ask for the Association of Clean Water Room block). For more details on this meeting please go to ACWA’s webpage.
November 2017 Variances Workshop
ACWA will be holding a Variances workshop with the EPA November 16 – 17, 2017 in Washington, DC at the Morrison-Clark Inn. To reserve lodging at Morrison and Clark Historic Inn call (202) 898-1200 or toll-free at (800) 332-7898 and ask for ACWA Variance Workshop. Please contact Frances Bothfeld if you are interested in attending. For more information, please visit the webpage, which will be periodically updated.
December 2017 Nutrients Permitting Workshop
ACWA’s Nutrients Permitting Workshop will take place December 5 – 7, 2017 in Boise, Idaho at the Riverside Hotel. For room reservations, contact the Riverside Hotel at 1-888-606-0563 or 1-208-343-1871 and ask for the Nutrient Permitting Meeting group rate. To view the extremely bare bones agenda, go here. ACWA is currently forming a Planning Committee for the Workshop, if you are interested in joining, please contact Mark Patrick McGuire.
