News

EPA Publishes Draft Method 1633 for 40 PFAS

On September 2, EPA in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense published a draft of the first EPA-validated laboratory analytical method to test for 40 PFAS analytes in eight different environmental media. The single-laboratory validated Draft Method 1633 – Analysis of PFAS in Aqueous, Solid, Biosolids, and Tissue Samples by LC-MS/MS can be used to test media including wastewater, surface water, groundwater, soil, biosolids, sediment, landfill leachate, and fish tissue. EPA is posting the draft method prior to the single-lab validation study being finalized per stakeholder requests. Multi-lab validation is expected in 2022.

EPA recommends but is not yet requiring (until proposed and promulgated through rulemaking) that the method be used in individual NPDES permits. You can review Draft Method 1633 here and learn more about PFAS analytical methods here. The applicable PFAS analytes are listed in Table 1, page 41.

Idaho Completes NPDES Authorization Transition

On August 31, 2016, Idaho formally sought approval from EPA to implement the state’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program under CWA §402(b). Application documents and the revised program description can be found here. Over the next two years, Idaho and EPA negotiated program elements, regulatory revisions needed, and the schedule/process for transition. On June 5, 2018, EPA approved Idaho’s application. In the approval letter, EPA commends “State leadership and the department staff for their outstanding work overt the past several years to develop and put forth the NPDES program which regulates pollutants to surface waters and protect water quality.”

As part of the transition, Idaho is transferred authority in four phases:

Phase 1: Individual Municipal and Pretreatment Program – July 1, 2018
Phase 2: Individual Industrial Permits – July 1, 2019
Phase 3: General Permits for Aquaculture, Pesticides, CAFOs – July 2020
Phase 4: Federal Facilities, Biosolids, Individual and General Permit Stormwater – July 2021

In April 2019, Idaho issued its first NPDES permit and in July 2021 Idaho became the 47^th state to complete the authorization process and is now fully responsible for permitting, inspections, compliance, enforcement, and data management associated with state issued NPDES discharge permits in Idaho. There are 2,941 effective or administratively continued permits/coverages provided by Idaho. EPA retains NPDES authority for discharges within Indian lands. For more information on Idaho’s NPDEs program, please click here.

District Court Vacates NWPR

In an order filed this week, the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona in Pasqua Yaqui Tribe v EPA remanded and vacated the Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR). The district court found “fundamental, substantive flaws that cannot be cured without revising or replacing the NWPR’s definition” and accordingly remanded and vacated the rule. The Biden Administration had asked the court to keep the NWPR in place while they crafted a new rule. This is the first court to vacate the NWPR. As a result, the pre-2015 regulations apply while the Biden Administration works to develop a new rulemaking. There is some uncertainty among legal commentators as to whether the holding will result in a nationwide injunction of the NWPR or will have a more limited application.

EPA Seeks Nominations for Biosolids Risk Assessment Science Advisory Board

The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office requests public nominations of scientific experts to form a panel to review the EPA White Paper: A Standardized Approach to Biosolids Chemical Risk Assessment and a Biosolids Screening Tool with an accompanying User Guide. The White Paper, which includes a prioritization method, deterministic screening model, and a probabilistic risk assessment modeling framework will be used to modernize, standardize, and streamline the risk assessment process to efficiently and thoroughly assess risk to chemical pollutants found in biosolids. Nominees should be nationally and internationally recognized scientists with demonstrated expertise in the following disciplines: Biosolids management, risk assessment, exposure assessment, probabilistic modeling, and deterministic modeling.

Nominations should be submitted by September 22, 2021. See nomination instructions and learn more at the Federal Register Notice.

Hearing on the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act

On September 1, the House Committee on Homeland Security heard testimony from stakeholders on the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act. Panelists included representatives from FireEye Inc., the Bank Policy Institute, the Information Technology Industry Counsel, the USTelecom Association, and the American Gas Association. Committee leadership highlighted the importance of this legislation, identifying cybersecurity as the “preeminent threat to our country today.” Both panelists and committee members agreed on the following components critical to an effective cyber incident reporting program:

Tailor the scope of reported incidents to those that cause harm
Require that incidents be reported no less than 72 hours following a confirmed attack so that the entity can conduct a thorough investigation
Ensure harmonization with existing laws and regulations
Establish mutual information sharing between public and private entities

The complete hearing can be viewed here.

Association Updates

ACWA Finalizes Recommendations for Updating the 2013 Long-Term Vision for the CWA 303(d) Program

Over the past year, ACWA’s Watersheds Committee has been holding calls discussing the end of the original timeframe of the Long-Term Vision for the CWA 303(d) Program. As we approach the end of the initial 10 year period, ACWA membership, along with EPA, has been discussing ways to improve on what has been a very successful framework for this program.

Advancements in technology to aid communication efforts, a recognition of the importance in modeling, and the need to emphasize implementation of 303(d) work products provide opportunities to refine and update the current Vision. This document identifies lessons learned over the initial eight years of the Vision and suggests how to incorporate those lessons to update and refresh the original document in order to create a framework through 2032.

Here you can find:

The final ACWA Recommendations for Updating the 2013 Long-Term Vision for the CWA 303(d) Program
A document containing the comments we received from States and EPA, and how we incorporated them into the final version.
A signed letter of support from ACWA’s President, on behalf of our Board of Directors.

Meetings and Webinars

ACWA NPC/MSA Call September 14th

Reminder to register for the September 14th ACWA call regarding innovative nutrient removal technologies. Please contact Jasper Hobbs for more information.

Evaluating Benefits of Stormwater Capture and Use: Why and How?

September 7^th, 12:00 PM-2:00 PM EST (9:00 AM-11:00 AM PST) | Please register for this online event here.

This webcast is the fourth in a series of meetings exploring opportunities and challenges associated with stormwater capture and use (SCU) across the U.S. Co-hosted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Pacific Institute, the webcast will bring together experts in SCU project planning, funding, and benefits evaluation. We will explore why evaluations of project benefits are critical to building support for SCU projects and obtaining project funding, and how practitioners actually evaluate these benefits. This effort is part of the national Water Reuse Action Plan’s Action 3.3, through which the EPA and other organizations are building the nation’s capacity to benefit from stormwater capture and use (https://www.epa.gov/waterreuse/water-reuse-action-plan).

Why Attend? Many SCU projects are intended to yield multiple benefits (e.g., augment water supplies, protect water quality, reduce flood risk, and provide community amenities). Many of these benefits can be difficult to describe, quantify, and monetize. This webinar provides the opportunity to hear from local experts, state funding agencies, and researchers who have developed and studied methods for evaluating SCU benefits. We will explore the different types of estimates needed for different purposes and hear about recent research to develop and test new methods for evaluating a wide range of project benefits. The webcast will help identify priorities for work needed to improve practitioners’ ability to persuasively represent SCU project benefits. This discussion will inform future national discussions about SCU opportunities, challenges, and actions needed to build our nation’s capacity to pursue SCU.

There is no registration fee. Once registered, participants will receive an automated confirmation email from Zoom9@erg.com, which will contain instructions on how to log onto the webcast. Please check your Other or Spam folders if you don’t see this email, and contact David Smith for more information (smith.davidw@epa.gov).

Upcoming EPA Significant Noncompliance (SNC) National Compliance Initiative Trainings

EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance’s “Reducing NPDES SNC” National Compliance Initiative is offering the following trainings in September. To register and to request accommodations, please contact Rachel McAnallen at mcanallen.rachel@epa.gov.

Advanced NPDES Early Warning Dashboard Webinar: Using the NPDES Early Warning SNC Dashboard to Get Ahead of SNC.
- Wednesday, September 15, 2021 (1-3 pm EST)
- View the training description here.
- View the EW Dashboard basics here.
Electronic Data Transfer to ICIS-NPDES Basics and SNC Troubleshooting for Regions and States (2-Day Training)
- Thursday, September 23, 2021 (1-3:00 pm EST) and Tuesday, September 28, 2021 (1-3 pm EST)
- View the training description here.
- To view previous EDT Basics and SNC Troubleshooting training, view the recordings here:
  - Day 1 (Basic Understanding)
  - Day 2 (Error Troubleshooting)

In the kNOW Webinar | Net-Zero Roadmap: How WRRFs Contribute to the Overall Decarbonization Strategy

September 15, 11-12 EST | Register here

n this “In the kNOW” webinar, we will explore the role of water resource recovery facilities (WRRF) in combating the climate emergency. The wastewater sector offers immense opportunities to contribute to climate goals. Two utilities – Metro Vancouver and VCS Denmark – will share their experience identifying and implementing measures to reduce emissions and achieve energy neutrality goals. We will also discuss the latest research on the quantification of nitrous oxide and methane emissions, considering global best science and the ambitions of the UK water sector as part of their 2030 net zero route map. A PDH certificate will be available to those who participate in the live webinar.

National Academies’ Climate Conversations: Extreme Weather

Wednesday, September 15, 2021 | 3:00-4:00 PM ET | Register Here

Join us for a conversation about how to prepare for and face increasingly extreme events in a changing climate. As a result of climate change, extreme events such as floods, wildfires, storms, and heat waves are already becoming more dangerous and destructive. Marshall Shepherd (University of Georgia) will moderate a conversation with Craig Fugate (former FEMA Administrator) and Marissa Aho (Washington State Department of Natural Resources) about the connections between climate change and extreme events, and about how communities and governments at different scales can plan for and become more resilient to the risks from extreme events today and into the future.

The conversation will be webcast on the Climate Conversations webpage. Closed captioning will be provided. The conversation will include questions from the audience, and will be recorded and available to view on the page after the event.

Climate Conversations: Pathways to Action is a monthly webinar series from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that aims to convene high-level, cross-cutting, nonpartisan conversations about issues relevant to national policy action on climate change.

Job Opportunities

CWSRF Technical Specialist | Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

Location: Eugene or Salem, OR

Closing Date: September 23, 2021

The candidate will serve as the technical resource statewide in Eastern, Northwest, and Western Regions, and will provide assistance to communities and districts on the following for the protection and improvement of water quality: 1) funding opportunities for point source and nonpoint source projects, including stormwater treatment and management projects; 2) federal and state application requirements for CWSRF loans, and the federal requirements for environmental planning and review needed to obtain CWSRF loans; and 3) support for the CWSRF application process and/or CWSRF loan readiness, improving operation and maintenance practices of existing wastewater and stormwater treatment infrastructure, increasing sustainability and green components (e.g., energy efficiency and asset management) for this infrastructure, and planning for upgrading such infrastructure.