News
EPA Releases Initial List of Programs Covered Under the Justice40 Initiative
EPA released an initial list of programs covered under the Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, clean water, and other investments to disadvantaged communities. A full list of EPA programs covered by the Justice40 Initiative can be found here. EPA continues to implement six Justice40 pilot programs – the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, Clean Water State Revolving Fund, Reducing Lead in Drinking Water, Superfund, Brownfields, and Diesel Emissions Reductions Act Program. In addition to these six pilot programs, EPA has identified 66 additional programs that will be covered under the Justice40 Initiative. The agency has committed to not just meet but exceed the 40 percent goal of benefits flowing from investments to disadvantaged communities associated with these programs. To identify existing programs and new programs funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that would be covered under the Justice40 Initiative, EPA used the Interim Implementation Guidance from the White House Office of Management and Budget. In collaboration with the White House, EPA is in the process of developing benefit methodologies to track and report the benefits going toward disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution and expects to release these methodologies to the public later this year.
The initial list of announced Federal covered programs can be found here.
More information on Justice40 at EPA can be found here.
EPA CSO Tool Updates Published on Website
This week EPA finalized beta versions of three CSO Tools that are intended to help communities with combined sewer overflows and permitting authorities with the planning and management of different aspects of CSO programs. Links to the tools can be found below:
- Long-Term Control Plan (LTCP) Review Checklist – Checklist designed to help CSO permittees and NPDES authorities determine if LTCPs meet the requirements of the CWA and CSO Control Policy, and conform with EPA guidance on developing LTCPs.
- Post-Construction Compliance Monitoring (PCCM) Checklist – Checklist designed to help CSO permittees and NPDES authorities develop and evaluate PCCM programs to meet the requirements of the CWA and CSO Control Policy, and conform with EPA guidance on PCCM.
- Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Model for Small Communities – Planning tool for small CSO communities that want a reasonably simple approach for estimating a CSO occurrence, as well as treated or untreated CSO volume over a 24-hour period, and have limited resources to invest in more advanced CSO monitoring and modeling.
Each tool consists of an interactive spreadsheet, fact sheet or user guide, and two recorded trainings (with the third coming soon). These tools, which are currently in beta test versions, do not present new or changed requirements but rather attempt to help break down information in a more digestible and interactive fashion. EPA is requesting feedback via web form on how to further improve the utility of these tools in the future. Please submit your suggestions by December 31, 2022. If you have any questions, contact Mohammed Billah at Billah.mohammed@epa.gov or Kathryn Kazior at Kazior.kathryn@epa.gov.
REMINDER: Draft FY 2023-2024 NPMG Available for Comment
EPA released the draft FY 2023-2024 National Program Managers Guidance for comment. NPGs are issued by the EPA’s five major national program offices—Air and Radiation; Water; Land and Emergency Management; Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention; Enforcement and Compliance Assurance—along with the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations (OCIR) and the Office of International and Tribal Affairs (OITA). These NPGs communicate operational planning priorities, strategies, and key activities for advancing EPA’s Strategic Plan and guide grant work planning with states, tribes, and territories. For the first time, the NPMG includes the draft National Program Guidance for the Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) and External Civil Rights Compliance Office (ECRCO) to integrate the agency’s FY22-26 strategic plan with programmatic priorities focusing on advancing EJ and civil rights, as well as addressing climate change. Comments on the draft NPMG are due on July 14, 2022.
EPA Compliance Advisory – Compliance Tips for Small Wastewater Treatment Lagoons
The State/EPA NPDES SNC National Compliance Initiative (NCI) workgroup has completed development of a Compliance Advisory titled, “Compliance Tips for Small Wastewater Treatment Lagoons with Clean Water Act Discharge Permits” and they are now looking for your help in distributing it. This Advisory was created to assist small publicly and privately owned lagoon wastewater treatment plant permittees and operators in complying with their NPDES permit. The Advisory provides extensive information on the causes of, and potential solutions to, lagoon WWTP noncompliance and could help to reduce SNC among this universe of permittees. A copy of the Lagoon Compliance Advisory can be found here.
For more information about the NPDES SNC National Compliance Initiative, please click here and see our general SNC NCI Compliance Advisory. If you have any questions about this NCI or the Compliance Advisory, please reach out to Dan Palmer (palmer.daniel@epa.gov). For questions about the communication or distribution of the Compliance Advisory, please contact David Piantanida (piantanida.david@epa.gov, 720-661-7482) or Chad Harsh (harsh.chad@epa.gov, 215-814-2633).
Association Updates
2022 ACWA Annual Meeting Registration Open
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. You can view the current agenda here.
2022 ACWA Annual Meeting Travel Scholarships Available
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
Recording and Slides: Women in Water – The Leadership Journey Forward
You can access and share the June 21st webinar recording and slides with your colleagues here.
NNCR Training Descriptions
NNCR Basic Training: Quarterly Report– Basic Training Presentation (PPTX) (1.6 MB)
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.
NNCR Advanced Training: DMR Reporting Violations – DMR Reporting Violations Presentation (PPTX) (1.8 MB)
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.
NNCR Advanced Training: Effluent Exceedance Violations – Effluent Exceedance Violations Presentation (PPTX) (2.2 MB)
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.
NNCR Advanced Training: Schedule Violations – Schedule Violations Presentation (PPTX) (1.9 MB)
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.
NNCR Advanced Training: Other 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 single event/other violations. The training covers when single event/other violations are generated in ICIS-NPDES, criteria for detecting Category I or II noncompliance, resolution of the violations, and a demonstration of how to identify these violations and details related to the violations on the quarterly NNCRs. Note: the initial version of the NNCR only includes base program and biosolids violations. Other NPDES program violations will be integrated into the NNCR before the eRule phase 2 deadline.
NNCR Basic Training: Annual Report
This webinar focuses on the new annual summary 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 annual NNCR is and why it was developed, permit groups and metrics included in the report, information about accessing the annual report, and includes a demonstration of the beta-version available in ECHO Lab.
NNCR Webinar Training Dates
| Training Topic | Date | Time | Registration |
| Open Q&A Session | Wednesday, July 13, 2022 | 1:00 – 2:00 pm Eastern | Teams |
| Quarterly Basic | Thursday, July 14, 2022 | 4:00 – 5:00 pm Eastern | Signup |
| DMR Reporting Violations | Tuesday, July 19, 2022 | 3:00 – 4:00 pm Eastern | Signup |
| Open Q&A Session | Tuesday, August 2, 2022 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm Eastern | Teams |
| Quarterly Basic | Thursday, August 18, 2022 | 2:00 – 3:00 pm Eastern | Signup |
| Effluent Exceedance Violations | Tuesday, August 23, 2022 | 4:00 – 5:30 pm Eastern | Signup |
| Annual | Wednesday, August 24, 2022 | 3:00 – 4:00 pm Eastern | Signup |
| Quarterly Basic | Tuesday, September 13, 2022 | 4:00 – 5:00 pm Eastern | Signup |
| Open Q&A Session | Tuesday, September 20, 2022 | 3:00 -4:00 pm Eastern | Teams |
| Schedule Violations | Wednesday, September 21, 2022 | 3:00 – 4:00 pm Eastern | Signup |
| Annual | Tuesday, October 4, 2022 | 2:00 – 3:00 pm Eastern | Signup |
| Other (SEV) Violations | Thursday, October 13, 2022 | 2:00 – 3:00 pm Eastern | Signup |
| Open Q&A Session | Friday, October 14, 2022 | 2:00 – 3:00 pm Eastern | Teams |
| Quarterly Basic | Thursday, October 20, 2022 | 3:00 – 4:00 pm Eastern | Signup |
| Quarterly Basic | Tuesday, November 8, 2022 | 3:00 – 4:00 pm Eastern | Signup |
| DMR Reporting Violations | Wednesday, November 9, 2022 (updated) | 1:00 – 2:00 pm Eastern (updated) | Signup |
| Open Q&A | Wednesday, November 16, 2022 | 2:00 – 3:00 pm Eastern | Teams |
| Annual | Thursday, December 1, 2022 | 4:00 – 5:00 pm Eastern | Signup |
| Open Q&A | Tuesday, December, 6, 2022 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm Eastern | Teams |
| Quarterly Basic | Thursday, December 8, 2022 | 4:00 – 5:00 pm Eastern | Signup |
| Effluent Exceedance Violations | Wednesday, December 14, 2022 | 3:00 – 4:30 pm Eastern | Signup |
| Open Q&A | Wednesday, December 11, 2022 | 2:00 – 3:00 pm Eastern | Teams |
| Quarterly Basic | Wednesday, January 18, 2023 | 3:00 – 4:00 pm Eastern | Signup |
| Schedule Violations | Thursday, January 19, 2023 | 2:00 – 3:00 pm Eastern | Signup |
| Other (SEV) Violations | Tuesday, January 24, 2023 | 2:00 – 3:00 pm Eastern | Signup |
Job Opportunities
Senior Water Quality Scientist | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Location: Various
Closing Date: July 6, 2022
Responsible for developing, managing, and interpreting scientific research on water quality of aquatic ecosystems in support of Agency prevention and regulatory programs, including standards development, climate adaptation, as well as emerging threats to human and ecosystem health. This work will have specific focus on the chemical, biological, physical, and watershed processes affecting the bioaccumulation of mercury and other contaminants in fish and the mitigation of this process through the development of TMDLs.
For more information, click here.
Environmental Specialist II | North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
Location: Wake County, NC
Closing Date: July 13, 2022
This position will manage and coordinate surface water reclassifications. This will include reviewing water quality data, site visits, stakeholder meetings, public hearings, and managing the reclassifications through the rulemaking proceedings. This position will also support the Scientific Advisory Council to develop recommendations for nutrient criteria and site-specific standards in accordance with North Carolina’s Nutrient Criteria Development Plan (NCDP), and guide the nutrient criteria and/or site-specific standards through the rulemaking proceedings.
For more information, click here.
Environmental Program Supervisor II | North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
Location: Wake County, NC
Closing Date: July 8, 2022
This individual is responsible for providing leadership and technical guidance to the Branch staff, including:
- Overseeing the surface water quality standards and groundwater standards programs.
- Coordinating the Clean Water Act Triennial Review process for surface water standards and triennial review of groundwater standards.
- Overseeing the surface water quality classifications program for streams, wetlands, and waterbodies across the state.
- Providing oversight on rules review and rule readoptions for the Division
For more information, click here.
Water Quality Scientist | Montana Department of Environmental Quality
Location: Helena, MT
Closing Date: July 13, 2022
We are looking for a Water Quality Scientist to join our team in the TMDL Section of the Water Quality Planning Bureau. This position is focused on the development of total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) and supporting TMDL implementation and other water quality and watershed improvement activities, including wetland protection activities. Writing and implementing TMDLs supports DEQ’s mission to assure that water quality is maintained & improved so that state waters can support all their beneficial uses. Primary responsibilities of this position include: Developing TMDLs to address pollutant loading sources; Organizing, analyzing, and summarizing water quality data and pollutant source information; Working with other internal DEQ program personnel and external stakeholders to compile water quality information and provide guidance and feedback on water quality and wetland improvement activities; Writing TMDL documents that meet all DEQ and EPA requirements; and Documenting water quality improvement and wetland protection actions and evaluating relative success of these actions. Some field work and travel around the state of Montana is required.
For more information, click here.
Environmental Engineer – Permit Writer | NEIWPCC
Location: Albany, NY
Closing Date: July 18, 2022
The successful candidate will hold a degree in engineering, engineering technology, environmental sciences with a recognized concentration in engineering, or a related field. Preferred experiences and competencies include: an Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certificate, or interest in pursuing this certification; excellent verbal and written communication skills; computer proficiency in database development and maintenance, including geographic information systems and water quality modeling; ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team, all while staying organized and maintaining accurate records.
For more information, click here.
Environmental Analyst – Aquatic Organism Passage Restoration Specialist | NEIWPCC
Location: Grand Isle, VT
Closing Date: July 20, 2022
The successful candidate will hold a degree in environmental science, natural science, earth science, fisheries, geomorphology, engineering, biology, chemistry, or a related field. Candidates who have taken a less traditional path may be considered if an aptitude for success and a strong willingness to learn is clearly apparent.
For more information, click here.
Eastern Region Watershed Planner | Washington Department of Ecology
Location: Spokane, WA
Closing Date: July 13, 2022
You will be responsible for updating the region’s water quality business plan. Your planning and communications skills will help guide the Eastern Region’s short and long term business activities. You will work in close connection with the region’s permitting and water quality unit supervisors, identifying key actions for short term (2-year), mid-range (5-10 years) and long-range (10-20 years) timeframes. These responsibilities include identifying, implementing, and monitoring the region’s performance metrics and making recommendations to the regional management team.
For more information, click here.
