EPA Releases Interactive Diagrams on Septic Systems and Water Sources.
These diagrams consist of the relationship between septic systems and drinking water, septic systems and surface water, and ways to improve your septic system to better protect nearby water sources. These diagrams are geared towards our SepticSmart Week campaign in providing homeowner outreach and education on the proper use and maintenance of residential septic systems. The diagrams can be located here.
EPA Prepares Proposed Rulemaking delaying Effective Date of 2015 Clean Water Rule
EPA has prepared a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking pushing back the implementation date of the 2015 Clean Water Rule. The proposed rule text is not yet available, but EPA has indicated that they have sent the notice to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for interagency review. When the notice becomes publicly available ACWA will send out a link and any accompanying information.
The purpose of delaying the implementation date is likely to hedge against the regulatory uncertainty that would result if the Supreme Court rules in NAM vs Department of Defense that District Courts, and not Appeals Courts, are the appropriate venue for WOTUS Jurisdictional questions to be argued. The reason such a decision would result in potential regulatory uncertainty is as follows:
- If SCOTUS rules that District Courts are the appropriate venue for WOTUS questions, the current nationwide injunction staying the implementation of the 2015 rule would likely be lifted as it was issued by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.
- If the nationwide stay on the 2015 rule overturned, and the current proposed rule repealing the 2015 rule (“step 1”) is not finalized, then the 2015 rule would go into effect in a number of states where there were not district court rulings staying implementation of the 2015 rule, while not going into effect in those states where district courts did stay the 2015 rule.
If the implementation date is pushed back, then this scenario where some states are operating under the 2015 rule and some are operating under the current status quo (i.e. pre-2015 rule) would be avoided.
Please contact Julian Gonzalez. with any additional questions.
Nutrient Reduction Progress Tracker Deadline Extended
ACWA released the Nutrients Reduction Progress Tracker 1.0 – 2017 (the “Tracker”) to states on Friday, September 15. Thanks to all states that have worked to pull together data for this effort. EPA is to provide data for questions 9-13, 18-19, and 21 and ACWA has already sent out the EPA data for questions 12-13 and 21 for state review. Once ACWA receives the rest of the EPA data (questions 9-11 and 18-19), we will send it to states for review.
Due to the delay in receiving EPA’s data, ACWA has extended the due date for the Tracker to November 22, 2017. Please fill in the Tracker on SurveyMonkey by this date. For more information on this project, please visit the ACWA website.
Nutrients Permitting Workshop Group Rate Deadline
The 2017 ACWA Nutrients Permitting Workshop group rate at the Riverside Hotel ends TODAY!. If you have not yet reserved your room, do so now! Contact the Riverside Hotel at 1-888-606-0563 or 1-208-343-1871 and ask for the Nutrient Permitting Meeting rate, $93 per night for a single and $106 per night for a double.
Registration is ongoing for the December 5-7, 2017 Workshop. To register, go here. There is no registration fee. To view the most recent draft agenda, go here. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at mpmcguire@acwa-us.org.
Update on H.R. 3043 (Hydropower Policy Modernization Act of 2017)
On October 5th ACWA, ECOS, and ASWM sent a joint letter to Speaker Ryan and Minority Leader Pelosi expressing opposition to the Hydropower Policy Modernization Act of 2017. The brief letter explains how the bill would result in an unnecessary abrogation of state authority in the name of improved permitting efficiency that likely would not result from this bill. On November 8th, the Act passed in the House of Representatives along mostly party lines. The final House bill included several amendments, notably one that would allow federal agencies to review expansion of nonfederal hydropower projects.
Senate action on the bill is unlikely, but ACWA will continue monitoring its progress moving forward. For more information, contact Frances Bothfeld.
2017 National NPDES Program Managers Meeting Survey
Please fill out this survey even if you were not able to participate this year. Access to the meeting presentations will be provide at the end of the survey. Last week states and EPA participated in the 2017 National NPDES Program Managers Meeting in Silver Spring, Maryland. The NPDES Program Managers Meetings are intended to help support states and EPA further identify challenges & barriers to NPDES program implementation, highlight opportunities for permitting authority program improvement & enhancement, showcase innovations, assist with analysis of training, guidance, tools, and other support material needs, improve administrative efficiencies, clarify roles and responsibilities, promote program streamlining, build stronger linkages to WQS & TMDLs, modernize permit terms and data management, revise program performance measures, identify program areas where targeted technical assistance would be most beneficial, and attempt to solve some of the most intractable NPDES Program issues. This survey will help us plan future meetings. There are a total of 21 questions. Thank you again for supporting ACWA’s work! https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2017_NPDES_Meeting
Introduction to ECHO – Webinar November 14, 2017
Register here: https://echo.epa.gov/help/training#upcoming to save your spot.
EPA is hosting an ECHO (Enforcement and Compliance History Online) basics training webinar November 14, 2017 at 1:30pm EDT. The webinar will be a 45-minute introduction to the ECHO website and will show users how to do a basic search using the facility Map Filter and Search Forms. At the end of the demo there will be time for a question and answer session. EPA has also created ECHO videos tutorials to provide additional assistance in understanding how to use ECHO. The video tutorials are best viewed at full screen size. Additional tutorials will be added as they become available.
- Facility Search
- Detailed Facility Report – Overview
- Detailed Facility Report – Facility-Level Data and Error Reporting
- Water Effluent Charts
- Comparative Maps and Dashboard
ECHO: https://echo.epa.gov
ECHO Training: https://echo.epa.gov/help/training
ECHO Tool Guide: https://echo.epa.gov/resources/general-info/tool-guide#features
Coming Soon
ACWA Watersheds Committee Call
Thursday, November 16, 2:30 pm ET – 4:00 pm ET
For more information, contact Julian Gonzalez.
