News
ACWA Joins 88 Organizations in Advocating for USGS Streamgage Network
ACWA joined a coalition of over 80 organizations in urging Congressional Appropriators to fully maintain its streamgaging networks. The coalition requested $30 M for FY2023 to begin to address the critical shortfall for the streamgage network and to reinstate gages discontinued as a result of flat funding since 2016. The coalition also requested $35 million for related programs within the USGS Water Mission Area – Next Generation Water Observation System (NGWOS) and modernization of the networks and data delivery.
Department of Energy Seeks Pre-Commercial Technologies and Host Sites to Decarbonize Wastewater Treatment, Water Use Reduction Methods, and Industry
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Industrial Technology Validation (ITV) pilot is accepting applications on a rolling basis until June 30, 2022. The ITV pilot will objectively assess the performance of emerging decarbonization technologies in industrial environments with a team of DOE National Lab experts. These efforts support and accelerate the deployment of high-impact technologies that will advance decarbonization of the industrial sector. The ITV pilot is open to technology developers and/or industrial host sites interested in evaluating innovative pre- or early-commercial technologies to decarbonize industry, wastewater treatment, agriculture, clean rooms, or mining.
The ITV Phase 2 Request for Proposals seeks technologies that can cost-effectively advance decarbonization of American industry and meet the following criteria:
- Advances industrial decarbonization by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Technologies that reduce water use, wastewater effluent, and waste creation will also be considered.
- Qualifies as a pre- or early-commercial technology or a commercial technology in a new use case.
- Has broad deployment applicability, but not yet widely used or accepted.
Selected technology developers will have the opportunity to gain industry exposure by deploying their technologies in a real-world industrial environment. Performance will be verified by a full-scale measurement and verification (M&V) process led by DOE National Lab experts. A publicly available M&V report will be produced for each validation that can help developers tap into new and existing markets.
Selected host sites can gain a competitive edge by becoming an early adopter of emerging technology and optimizing plant performance and production targets. The expert-led field testing will reduce the risks associated with incorporating new technologies. Host sites will work towards their own decarbonization goals while also creating new opportunities for industry to join in the broader integration of GHG-, energy-, water-, and waste-reducing technologies in the industrial space.
Information Webinar: Join us for an upcoming webinar on April 20, 2022, at 1:00PM ET to learn more about Phase 2 of the ITV Pilot and have your questions answered. More information about the pilot can also be found on the ITV website, including the ITV Phase 2 RFP, which includes information on the application process and instructions for submitting your proposal.
Anthraquinone Registration Review: Draft Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessments and Final Work Plan Available
On April 7th, EPA published the draft human health and ecological risk assessments for the registration review of anthraquinone for public comment. Comments are due June 6th. You can find the assessments, workplan, and related documents at Docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2017-0326. Anthraquinone is a bird repellant, registered for use as a corn and rice seed treatment and for use on turf on commercial and industrial grounds, golf courses and other terrestrial non-food use sites.
The draft ecological risk assessment found potential adverse effects to birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, fish, aquatic invertebrates, and aquatic plants based on the data available, as well as the compound’s potential to bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms. Potential risks to terrestrial invertebrates and plants as well as other taxa could not be fully assessed because there are multiple environmental fate and ecological effects data gaps. To address the identified data gaps, EPA plans to issue a Data Call-in (DCI) in April 2022 and consider the results of the data submitted in future anthraquinone risk assessments. For human health, EPA did not identify any dietary risks of concern from food and water exposure. Based on the calculations completed in the draft human health risk assessment, the Agency has identified potential cancer risk concerns from residential exposures to treated turf and occupational exposures for some pesticide handlers for each use. And because there are risk concerns from residential exposures alone, the aggregate exposures (i.e., combined dietary and residential exposures) therefore also result in risk concerns.
Draft NNCR Released for State Review
On March 16, 2022 EPA HQ sent memorandum to EPA Regions and authorized state programs letting them know the draft quarterly NNCR was now available in Echo Lab for review and comment. As noted in the memo, the 2015 NPDES eReporting Rule updated the NPDES noncompliance reporting requirements and eliminated the need for authorized states to create and send summaries to EPA. Rather EPA would use ICIS to produce online noncompliance reports. This “beta” version will be used to get feedback from states and regions. EPA is also offering basic and advanced trainings where states can learn more about the report an ask questions of experts. A description of the trainings can be found in the Meeting & Webinars section and a schedule of upcoming trainings can be found here (Login for Echo Lab required).
Association Updates
2022 ACWA Annual Meeting
Registration is now open for the 2022 ACWA Annual Meeting, August 3-5, 2022, at The Guest House at Graceland, Memphis, TN. We are looking forward to gathering face to face for the first time in two years! Join us as we celebrate reconnecting with colleagues and kick off the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act. As part of the celebration, the ACWA Board of Directors has decided that there will be no registration fee for the meeting. ACWA is also offering a limited number of travel scholarships to help states/ interstates with travel costs to the meeting. If you are interested in applying for a scholarship, please contact Kara McCauley.
Meetings and Webinars
EPA NNCR Training Descriptions and Schedule
Quarterly NNCR Basic Training
This webinar focuses on the new quarterly National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Noncompliance Report (NNCR), currently available on ECHO Lab (echolab.epa.gov) for EPA and state testing. The training covers what the quarterly NNCR is and why it was developed, background on the NNCR workgroup, violation types and violation details included in the report, information about accessing the quarterly report, and includes a demonstration of the beta-version available in ECHO Lab.
Quarterly NNCR Advanced Training: DMR Reporting Violations
This webinar focuses on the new quarterly National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Noncompliance Report (NNCR), currently available on ECHO Lab (echolab.epa.gov) for EPA and state testing. This training is an advanced training focused on DMR reporting violations. The training covers when DMR reporting violations are generated in ICIS-NPDES, criteria for detecting Category I or II noncompliance, resolution of DMR reporting violations, and a demonstration of how to identify DMR reporting violations and details related to the violations on the quarterly NNCRs.
Quarterly NNCR Advanced Training: Effluent Exceedance Violations
This webinar focuses on the new quarterly National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Noncompliance Report (NNCR), currently available on ECHO Lab (echolab.epa.gov) for EPA and state testing. This training is an advanced training focused on effluent exceedance violations. The training covers when effluent exceedance violations are generated in ICIS-NPDES, criteria for detecting Category I or II noncompliance, resolution of effluent exceedance violations, and a demonstration of how to identify effluent exceedance violations and details related to the violations on the quarterly NNCRs.
Quarterly NNCR Advanced Training: Schedule Violations
This webinar focuses on the new quarterly National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Noncompliance Report (NNCR), currently available on ECHO Lab (echolab.epa.gov) for EPA and state testing. This training is an advanced training focused on schedule violations of permit and enforcement action requirements. The training covers when schedule violations are generated in ICIS-NPDES, criteria for detecting Category I or II noncompliance, resolution of schedule violations, and a demonstration of how to identify schedule violations and details related to the violations on the quarterly NNCRs.
A schedule for these trainings can be found here.
Sea Grant Strategic Listening Sessions
NOAA Sea Grant’s mission is to enhance the practical use and conservation of coastal, marine, and Great Lakes resources to create a sustainable economy and environment. In order to inform its 2024-27 strategic plan, Sea Grant is hosting a series of listening sessions about the current strategic plan. There will be three listening sessions to discuss the strategic plan as a whole, and eight listening sessions on the specific focus area goals – one listening session per goal. You can find the schedule for the listening session series below, along with registration links.
You are invited to join any of the webinars, but if you are unable to attend, the National Sea Grant Office is providing other opportunities to gather input. On our website you can find a virtual comment card to share your ideas.
Broadly Focused webinars
The webinars are open to anyone who is interested in attending. Please use the links below to register and then join the webinar. The following listening sessions are for the strategic plan as a whole. Content presented will be the same for the March 30, April 13, and May 4 sessions.
Wednesday, April 13, 1:00 pm Eastern, 11 am Pacific, 3 am Guam | Register here
Wednesday, May 4, 3:30 pm Eastern, 12:30 pm Pacific, 5:30 am Guam | Register here
Sea Grant Strategic Goal Listening Sessions Information:
The webinars are open to anyone who is interested in attending. Please use the links below to register and then join the webinar. The following listening sessions are organized by Focus Area Goals within the current strategic plan.
Tuesday, April 5, 5:00 pm Eastern, 2 pm Pacific, 7 am Guam | Resilient Communities and Economies Goal 2 – Water resources are sustained and protected to meet existing and emerging needs of the communities, economies and ecosystems that depend on them Register here (NOTE: We will discuss RCE Goal 2 before RCE Goal 1)
Thursday, April 7, 5:00 pm Eastern, 2 pm Pacific, 7 am Guam | Sustainable Fisheries & Aquaculture Goal 1 – Fisheries, aquaculture and other coastal and freshwater natural resources supply food, jobs and economic and cultural benefits. Register here
Tuesday, April 12, 5:00 pm Eastern, 2 pm Pacific, 7 am Guam | Resilient Communities and Economies Goal 1 – Coastal communities use their knowledge of changing conditions and risks to prepare for and adapt to extreme weather and environmental events, economic disruptions and other threats to community well-being. Register here (NOTE: We will discuss RCE Goal 2 before RCE Goal 1)
Thursday, April 14, 5:00 pm Eastern, 2 pm Pacific, 7 am Guam | Environmental Literacy and Workforce Development Goal 2 – A diverse and skilled workforce is engaged and enabled to address critical local, regional and national needs Register here
Tuesday, April 19, 5:00 pm Eastern, 2 pm Pacific, 7 am Guam | Sustainable Fisheries & Aquaculture Goal 2 – Natural resources are sustained to support fishing communities and industries, including commercial, recreational, subsistence fisheries and aquaculture Register here
Thursday, April 21, 5:00 pm Eastern, 2 pm Pacific, 7 am Guam | Healthy Coastal Ecosystem Goal 2 – Land, water, and living resources are managed by applying sound science, tools and services to sustain ecosystems. Register here
This information is also on the Sea Grant website.
EPA Climate Resilience Training Workshop for Drinking Water and Wastewater Utilities
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Creating Resilient Water Utilities (CRWU) initiative is providing a series of five, free webinars for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater (water sector) utility owners and operators, as well as other water sector stakeholders in Alaska. This webinar training series titled “Building Resilience and Adapting to Climate Change Impacts for Drinking Water and Wastewater Utilities” begins with an Introductory webinar concentrating on the impacts of climate change in Alaska, the identification of adaptation options, and a utility climate change risk assessment case study. The following four webinars focus on conducting a climate change risk assessment using EPA’s Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness Tool (CREAT), developing resilience and adaptation projects, and identifying financing programs to pay for infrastructure projects.
CREAT is a web-based risk assessment application for water sector utilities to assess and address current and potential future climate change impacts. This free training will help utilities incorporate climate change considerations into their decision-making, identify adaptation projects to build long-term resilience, and learn about federal and local resources for financing utility resilience projects. To learn more about CREAT success stories visit our Case Study and Information Exchange Map and to view other trainings visit the CRWU Training Center.
| CREAT training Session 3 | Tuesday, April 12, 2022
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Alaska Time |
| CREAT training Session 4 | Tuesday, April 26, 2022
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Alaska Time |
You can register for the free Introductory webinar here.
You can register for the free CREAT training sessions here.
EPA Webinar: ECHO Reporting
Date: April 12, 2022
Time: 1:30pm – 2:30 PM EST
Register here
Join U.S. EPA for its next Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) webinar on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, 1:30-2:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time. This webinar focuses on the reports available in ECHO. ECHO reports display compliance, enforcement, and environmental data on a webpage for a facility or permittee, many of which are specific to an environmental program or type of emission (e.g., air, wastewater). We will highlight the data and features available through various reports in ECHO and learn how to access each report through ECHO searches. We will cover the following ECHO reports:
- Detailed Facility Report
- Air Pollutant Report (air emissions)
- Biosolids Facility Report (biosolids management)
- Effluent Limit Exceedances Report (wastewater discharges)
- Civil Enforcement Case Report
- Criminal Enforcement Case Report
If you can’t make it, don’t worry, ECHO tutorials and recorded webinars are available at any time.
Feel free to forward this announcement on to anyone who might be interested.
Underground Storage Tanks Finder Database Demonstration: Preparing and Responding to Extreme Events
Date: April 13
Time: 2-3 PM EST
Register Here
Climate change and extreme weather events are increasingly important in how we prevent, prepare and respond to management of underground storage tanks. Former Senior Director for Resilience Policy in the National Security Council, Alice Hill, framed this issue as, “We are colliding with a future of extremes. We base all our choices about risk management on what’s occurred in the past, and that is no longer a safe guide.” The fuel supply network and its infrastructure are critical elements in the supply chain to prepare for and address in the recovery of disasters. As an example, in Hurricane Harvey, the ability of emergency managers to understand post-storm supply chain issues was constrained by limited pre-storm assessment of vulnerable and critical supply chain nodes.
EPA developed and recently released UST Finder, the first comprehensive national database on underground storage tanks in the US, providing the first national accounting of this infrastructure and its geospatial data. This public, open-source data provides information to emergency responders at the national, state and local levels with time critical data to identify facilities at risk in advance, during and after emergency situations. This presentation will address emergency response scenarios and the use of UST Finder in assisting these efforts.
Speakers:
- Alex Hall serves as a geographer in the Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response. In this position he is responsible for the data analytics and the development of geographic information system tools in addressing source contaminants and impacts on water quality. His work has included the development of national database and web mapping application of underground storage tanks and private domestic wells, and tools to prevent contamination of source waters to protect public water supplies.
- Dr. Fran Kremer serves as a Senior Scientist in the Office of Research and Development’s Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response. Fran works with Agency Program Offices, Regions and States and public/private partnerships to further research and its implementation in managing contaminant sources and water quality. This has included foundational work in understanding the characterization and treatment of contaminant sources to leading interagency efforts in conducting field studies to advance innovative technologies. She has led field projects ranging from treatment of contaminated shoreline in the Exxon Valdez oil spill to assessing impacts of flooding and debris management in the Hurricane Katrina response.
The National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine’s Accessibility and Equity Series: Considerations for Accessibility and Inclusion in STEMM
Date: April 13, 2022
Time: 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM EST
Register Here
The final conversation in the series will synthesize our previous conversations to highlight considerations for accessibility and inclusion in STEMM across the entirety of a disabled scientists’ career pipeline, including the importance and role of mentoring. The event will bring together a group of scholars and leaders in the disability community in a live webcast conversation about these topics. Our speakers will discuss key questions, including:
- What improvements in accessibility and inclusion need to be made from undergraduate education through tenure or a scientist’s long-term research career?
- What are the institutional, cultural, and economic policy changes needed to improve accessibility and inclusion for disabled scientists in STEMM?
- What is the role of mentoring in improving access and inclusion in STEMM?
Please view the pre-recorded keynote presentations (here) from associate professor Ashley Shew, Virginia Tech, and Dr. JR Harding, Florida State University, to set the stage for the discussion. The event will be webcasted with opportunities for viewers to submit questions via a live chat.
SACC Meeting on Draft TSCA Systematic Review Protocol
Date: April 19-21
Register Here by April 4
Registration is now open for EPA’s April 19-21, 2022, virtual meeting of the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC). During this meeting, the SACC will peer review the Draft Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Systematic Review Protocol. The SACC’s virtual meeting is open to the public and registration is required.
The draft protocol, released in December 2021 for public comment, incorporates changes to address the National Academies of Science recommendations as well as comments received from the SACC and the public. The SACC review will provide a transparent process to ensure that the protocol follows sound science and incorporates independent scientific advice and recommendations.
If you would like to provide oral comments during this peer review virtual meeting, you must register by 12:00 p.m. EST on April 4, 2022. You may register as a listen-only attendee at any time until the end of the meeting on April 21, 2022.
The SACC serves as a primary scientific peer review mechanism of the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention and is structured to provide scientific advice, information and recommendations to the EPA Administrator on the scientific basis for risk assessments, methodologies, and pollution prevention measures and approaches for chemicals regulated under TSCA.
Meeting of the National Drinking Water Advisory Council
Date: April 19
Time: 10:30-5:30 PM EST
The meeting agenda and information on how to register for and attend the meeting online will be provided on EPA’s website prior to the meeting.
EPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water is announcing a virtual meeting of the National Drinking Water Advisory Council (NDWAC or Council) as authorized under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The purpose of the meeting is for EPA to update the Council on Safe Drinking Water Act programs and to consult with NDWAC as required by SDWA on a proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for PFAS including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS).
EPA Webinar Series: Training for Water and Wastewater Utility Operators
A well operated wastewater or drinking water facility lasts longer and lowers the overall cost to a community. Tribes and small communities face challenges in operating these utilities often because of small budgets and challenges with retaining qualified staff. EPA is sponsoring three online webinars to provide insight into effective strategies for asset management, utility rate setting, staff retention and to provide information on maintaining wastewater lagoons and onsite septic systems.
What You’ll Learn: This webinar series will use presentations, case studies, and breakout group discussions to discuss how best to operate, maintain, and manage small utilities. The three 2-hour sessions include:
Asset Management – Planning for the Future
Don’t wait until something breaks. Learn about asset management tools to support long-range planning and techniques for setting rates to fund your utility.
Date: April 20, 2022
Time: 3:00pm – 5:00pm eastern
Registration: Meeting Registration
Finding and Retaining Good Leaders and Staff
Effective leadership and staff retention are key issues for small utilities. Learn about successful practices from other organizations.
Date: April 27, 2022
Time: 3:00pm – 5:00pm eastern
Registration: Meeting Registration
Wastewater Lagoons and Onsite Septic Systems
Many communities rely on small lagoons for wastewater management or onsite septic systems serving individual properties. Learn about the operation and maintenance and how they can be optimized to protect water quality.
Date: May 4, 2022
Time: 3:00pm – 5:00pm eastern
Registration: Meeting Registration
EPA Tools & Resource Webinar: Use of Electronic Health Records to Address Pressing Environmental Health Questions
Date: April 20, 2022
Register here
From environmental justice to the coronavirus pandemic, the current environmental health needs facing individuals, communities, and the nation as a whole, are complex and often unprecedented. Addressing these needs requires novel research tools – one of the most promising tools in this arsenal is electronic health records (EHRs). Using EHRs for environmental epidemiology allows researchers to rapidly construct cohorts relevant to studying a variety of environmental health questions. This webinar discusses the use of EHRs in environmental epidemiology. We’ll cover the ethical, legal, and infrastructure challenges in adapting EHR resources for environmental epidemiology, successes in the use of EHRs to study health risks among various understudied patients with unique health risks, as well as the National COVID Cohort Collaborative as an emerging national EHR resource which is being used to study health risks related to the coronavirus pandemic.
National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) Two-day Public Meeting
Date: April 20-21, 2022
Time: 1-5 PM EST
Register here
Individual registration is REQUIRED. This free meeting is open to the public. Members of the public are encouraged to provide comments relevant to the specific issues being considered by the NEJAC.
Please make sure you have the latest version of zoom
Agenda: The meeting discussion will focus on the business of environmental justice as it relates to the Justice 40 Initiative, the new infrastructure bill, and EPA’s endeavors on investments and related topics.
Public Comment Period: The NEJAC is interested in receiving public comments specific to EPA investments and the public’s recommendation as to where investments are made. Registration to speak during the public comment period will close at 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, April 13, 2022. Every effort will be made to hear from as many registered public commenters during the time specified on the agenda on April 20, 2022. Submitting written comments for the record are strongly encouraged. Written comments can be submitted up until May 4, 2022.
Written comments can be submitted in three different ways:
- Using the webform
- Entering comments in the Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-2022-0051 here
- Sending comments via email to nejac@epa.gov with additional materials.
For more information about public comment, see here. For more information on the NEJAC, click here.
Questions: Please contact Fred Jenkins at jenkins.fred@epa.gov or by phone (202) 566-0344.
Using Geospatial Indicators of Watershed Condition to Support Freshwater Conservation Actions – Watershed Academy Webinar
Date: April 21, 2022
Time: 1-3 PM EST
Register here
Registration is now open for EPA’s Watershed Academy webinar on Using Geospatial Indicators of Watershed Condition to Support Freshwater Conservation Actions, which will take place on April 21, 2022. This webcast presents the latest news about the hundreds of local catchment and watershed-based metrics that help depict watershed conditions in the nation’s streams and lakes available from the StreamCat and LakeCat datasets, respectively.
Join this webinar to learn more about accessing and using StreamCat and LakeCat datasets available across the conterminous United States. Speakers will discuss how this data can be used to estimate and predict watershed integrity and healthy watershed functions. Additionally, attendees will learn how these metrics can be applied at the local level to identify waterbodies and local biota that are underperforming or overperforming relative to their watershed conditions. Applications such as this could be used, in concert with local information, to target resources and improve watershed restoration and protection decisions.
Speakers:
Ryan Hill, Geospatial Aquatic Ecologist, Office of Research and Development, EPA
Luisa Riato, ORISE Postdoctoral Fellow, Office of Research and Development, EPA
Marc Weber, Geographer, Office of Research and Development, EPA
For more information on the Watershed Academy, click here.
National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine’s Climate Conversations Series: Sea Level Rise
Date: April 21, 2022
Time: 3:00-4:00 PM EST
Register Here
Join us for a conversation about how to respond to the rising seas already threatening people, infrastructure and property on US coastlines.
People, infrastructure, and property along U.S. coastlines are already threatened by rising seas, which are projected to rise by an additional foot on average in the next 30 years. Robert Kopp (Rutgers University) will moderate a conversation with Tancred Miller (North Carolina Division of Coastal Management) and Christina Toms (San Francisco Bay Water Quality Control Board) about how coastal managers and communities are experiencing and responding to sea level rise now, and how they are planning for the future.
The conversation will be webcast on the Climate Conversations: Sea Level Rise webpage on Thursday, April 21, 2022 from 3-4pm ET. 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.
The U.S. EPA Biosolids Webinar Series Presents: Fecal Coliform and Salmonella Methods for Biosolids
Date: April 21, 2022
Time: 2-3 PM EST
Register Here
This webinar will feature Laura Boczek, EPA ORD, and will be recorded and available on the EPA YouTube page for future viewing.
Fish Programs – Health Approaches with Tribes and Indigenous Peoples
Date: April 27, 2022
Time: 11:30 AM – 1 PM PST; 2:30 – 4 PM EST
Register Here
Fish are important to many tribes and indigenous peoples, particularly those that have significant cultural and spiritual connections to fish and rely on them for subsistence. EPA’s Office of Water supports tribes, tribal communities, and indigenous communities, by providing tools and resources to develop effective, consistent fish advisory programs, partnering with tribal fish advisory programs to create a collaborative network to share knowledge and best practices, and gathering and sharing the best science on contaminants in fish.
This webinar will discuss these EPA programs so tribes and indigenous peoples can protect the health of their communities and share information to allow individuals to make informed choices about the types and amounts of fish to consume. The webinar will also feature the work of an indigenous organization in Hawaii that is working to protect fish, fish habitat and the health of members in their community.
Presenters:
- Jerome Kekiwi Jr., President, Na Moku Aupuni o Ko’olau Hui, East Maui, Hawaii
- Karin Osuga, Coordinator, Maui Nui Makai Network, Maui, Hawaii
- Shari Barash, Branch Chief, National Branch, Standards & Health Protection Division, Office of Science Technology, Office of Water, U.S. EPA
- Sharon Frey, Environmental Protection Specialist, National Branch, Standards & Health Protection Division, Office of Science Technology, Office of Water, U.S. EPA
- Lisa Larimer, Lead Environmental Protection Specialist, National Branch, Standards & Health Protection Division, Office of Science Technology, Office of Water, U.S. EPA
- Danny Gogal, Tribal and Indigenous Peoples Program Manager, Office of Environmental Justice, U.S. EPA (Facilitator)
Background: This webinar is part of the U.S. EPA Environmental Justice Webinar Series for Tribes and Indigenous Peoples – to build the capacity of tribal governments, indigenous peoples and other environmental justice practitioners, and discuss priority environmental justice issues of interest to tribes and indigenous peoples. Please note that the webinar is planned to be recorded and is expected to be available on the following EPA website a few weeks after the webinar, here.
For questions about this webinar, or the EPA EJ Webinar Series for Tribes and Indigenous Peoples, please contact Danny Gogal, Office of Environmental Justice, gogal.danny@epa.gov.
2022 Montana Stormwater Conference
Date: May 2-4
Location: Missoula, MT
Register here
The Stormwater Conference seeks to enable resilience in our local communities and across the watersheds we call home. We will bring professionals together to facilitate discussions and create networking opportunities to help build strong communities; rehabilitate blighted areas; learn ways to provide better services to those in our communities we serve; while continuing to find innovative ways to better protect water quality.
Attendees will learn about storm water program planning and management, watershed management and restoration, water quality monitoring, design/build best practices, new technologies, and hear stories of success. Special emphasis will be given to sustainability topics such as asset management, land-use planning, green infrastructure, low impact development, funding mechanisms, regulatory updates, and community engagement.
Public (Virtual) Meetings of the Science Advisory Board PFAS Review Panel
May 3 and May 6, 12-5pm EST | Please refer to the SAB website for details on how to access the meetings.
The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces two public meetings of the SAB PFAS Review Panel to discuss their draft report reviewing EPA’s Proposed Approaches to the Derivation of a Draft Maximum Contaminant Level Goal for Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) in Drinking Water; EPA’s Proposed Approaches to the Derivation of a Draft Maximum Contaminant Level Goal for Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (PFOS) in Drinking Water; EPA’s Analysis of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction as a Result of Reduced PFOA and PFOS Exposure in Drinking Water; and EPA’s Draft Framework for Estimating Noncancer Health Risks Associated with Mixtures of PFAS. Prior to the meetings, the agenda and other meeting materials for each meeting will be placed on the SAB website.
Creating the Water Workforce of the Future: Retaining a Strong and Resilient Utility Workforce
Date: May 4, 2022
Time: 1-2:30 PM EST
Register Here
As we all know, the water utility sector faces real challenges – not only to recruit a strong and resilient workforce but also to retain and cultivate these individuals once they are on board. Past webinars in this series have focused on ways in which utilities are using innovative strategies to attract workers. This webinar will focus on what happens next. You’ll hear from two leading utilities that are ensuring their employees have the right training, career progression opportunities, and other incentives to help them succeed and advance in their careers at the utility, not just in their current job. Please join us on May 4th to hear and learn from two outstanding water utility managers.
Moderator
- Jim Horne, U.S. EPA
Speakers
- Janet Barrow, Director of Human Resources and Administration, WaterOne, Johnson County, Kansas
- Gerard Yates, Deputy General Manager, Central Utah Water Conservancy District
National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine Series on Communities, Climate Change, and Health Equity: State-Level Implementation
Dates: May 24-26, 2022
Register Here
In October 2021, the Environmental Health Matters Initiative (EHMI) organized the workshop Communities, Climate Change, and Health Equity—A New Vision, which provided an overview of how changing climate conditions exacerbate existing health inequities experienced by communities across the United States. The workshop identified a broad set of potential actions and actors that could lead efforts to address the intersection of climate change, health inequity and environmental injustice.
Given that much of the authority for addressing these issues rests at the individual state level, EHMI is organizing an additional workshop – the next in a series – from 12:00 – 3:00 PM ET on May 24 and 26, 2022. This workshop will delve deeper into specific state-level actions and actors that could help improve climate-related health outcomes in disproportionately impacted communities, particularly through the deeper integration of health equity into climate programs and consideration of climate justice in public health programs.
Job Opportunities
Environmental Analyst V – Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation | Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation
Location: Various, VT
Closing Date: April 14, 2022
The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation is seeking an applicant for a full-time advanced level position in the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) Program. Responsibilities of the position include inspections of farms and responding to and investigating complaints related to discharges of agricultural wastes to surface waters and managing associated enforcement actions. Additionally, the duties of this position involve program development tasks and coordination with other regulatory entities, partner organizations, and the farming community. Attention to detail, independent management of workload, and clear written and verbal communication skills are necessary. Farming experience or experience working with the farming community is preferred. This position also performs other duties as assigned.
For more information, click here.
