New Job Posted
We posted information on a new job opportunity in Washington, D.C. with Rural Community Assistance Partnership, Inc. See our jobs page for more information.
2017 Mid-Year Meeting Next Month
The ACWA 2017 Mid-Year Meeting is fast approaching! At this critical time of transition, here in DC, the 2017 Mid-Year Meeting will be a great opportunity for you to hear from our partners in the Office of Water, key representatives from Capitol Hill and to help the ACWA Board of Directors develop a set of priorities for advancing state water quality programs nationwide over the next year to 18 months.
This year’s meeting will be a bit different in terms of format. There will be fewer presentations focused on just sharing information out to the attendees and more opportunities for discussion and input from the attendees present. The entire meeting is closed and attendance is only open to ACWA members and staff, Office of Water Partners and other invited guests. We will also devote a significant amount of time to reviewing and soliciting feedback on the draft strategic plan that is currently under development. This is your opportunity to have your voice heard! Remember to register today!
Remember to make your lodging arrangements. The cut-off date for the room block is Feb. 27. Reserve your room here or by phone by calling 202-408-4870 and requesting the ACWA block of rooms.
Scott Pruitt confirmed as EPA Administrator
Early afternoon on Friday, February 17th, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt was confirmed by a Senate vote of 52-46 to become the new EPA Administrator. ACWA will continue to monitor any next steps taken by Pruitt as he begins his tenure as EPA Administrator.
MSA Committee Call Recap
On Wednesday, February 15, ACWA held its monthly Monitoring, Standards, and Assessment Committee call. The call was formatted as a roundtable discussion on managing budgets and state economics with regard to criteria development and implementation. The conversation was robust, with state members discussing practices in their states and expressing various concerns. ACWA plans to continue to facilitate dialogue on this issue.
Legal Affairs Committee Call Recap
On Thursday, February 16, ACWA’s Legal Affairs Committee held its first quarterly call of 2017. On the call, Attorney Peter Nichols of Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti LLP offered an overview of the history of the water transfers rule. He also explained the recent decision on the rule in Catskill Mountains Chapter of Trout Unlimited Inc. v. EPA. Attorney Bryan J. Moore of Beveridge & Diamond, P.C. discussed Gulf Network Restoration v. Jackson, a case regarding the states in the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force. For more information, please contact Mark Patrick McGuire.
CGP Effective Date
EPA has confirmed that their Construction General Permit (CGP) has not been delayed. The CGP became effective February 16, 2017. A copy of the permit and related documents can be found here.
Water Quality Trading Workgroup Webinar Recap
On Thursday, February 16, ACWA’s Water Quality Trading Workgroup held a webinar on Missouri’s new water quality trading program. Angela Falls of Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources provided an in depth overview of the development of Missouri’s program and their hopes for the future. She also took time to answer questions and explained that Missouri is willing to speak with other states seeking to start water quality trading programs. To learn more about Missouri’s program, go here. For more information about the call and ACWA’s Water Quality Trading Workgroup, please contact Mark Patrick McGuire.
POTW MACT Comment Deadline Extended
The comment period for the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW MACT) is officially being extended to March 29, 2017. A notice will be published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, February 22 that explains this extension. For more information on the POTW MACT, please go here.
Federal District Court Judge orders EPA to act on State failure to develop TMDL
In a ruling on Tuesday, February 14th by the US District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, a federal district court judge held that West Virginia’s failure to develop a TMDL for state waters with high conductivity requires EPA to either approve or disapprove WVDEP’s apparent intention to not develop conductivity TMDLs. The opinion made clear that the Clean Water Act requires regulators to implement TMDLs for any waterbody designated as impaired, rejecting the argument that despite being an impairment category, conductivity was not a pollutant and thus states should not develop conductivity TMDLs. The opinion also emphasized that West Virginia has not delivered on promises to develop and then provide to state legislature a scientific methodology to support cleanup plans.
