News

Congress Passes FY 2022 Omnibus

Congress approved the FY 2022 Ominbus package that consists of all 12 fiscal year 2022 appropriations bills and supplemental funding to support Ukraine. The Omnibus totals $1.5 trillion in discretionary resources and reflects conference agreements for the fiscal year

2022 appropriations bills. It includes substantial increases to non-defense spending alongside responsible increases for defense-related programs.

In total, the 12 annual bills provide:

$730 billion in nondefense funding, a $46 billion – 6.7 percent – increase over fiscal year 2021; and
$782 billion in defense funding, a $42 billion – 5.6 percent – increase over fiscal year 2021.

The bill provides a total of $9.56 billion in for EPA – $323 million above the 2021 enacted level. Of this amount, the bill includes:

$3.566 billion for EPA’s core science and environmental program work, an increase of $224 million above the 2021 enacted level. Within these amounts, the bill includes:
- $587 million for Geographic Programs which help with restoration of nationally significant bodies of water like the Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay, and Long Island Sound. This is an increase of $45 million above the 2021 enacted level.
- $539 million for environmental compliance monitoring and enforcement activities and grants, a $13 million increase above the 2021 enacted level.

$4.352 billion for State and Tribal Assistance Grants, a $38 million increase above the 2021 enacted level. Within this amount, the bill includes:
- $2.77 billion for Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, equal to the 2021 enacted level.
- $43 million for Combined Sewer Overflow grants, a $3 million increase above the enacted level
- $100 million for Environmental Justice activities, an $83 million increase above the 2021 enacted level.

The current CR expires on March 11. The package will now go to the President’s desk for signature. A Division by Division analysis is available here. The full bill is available here. A fact sheet is available here.

EPA Releases BIL Implementation Memo

EPA issued its long-awaited memorandum to guide collaborative implementation with state, local, and Tribal partners of $43 billion in water infrastructure funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. EPA’s implementation memorandum provides information and guidelines on how EPA will administer the SRF capitalization grants appropriated to states under the law. The implementation memorandum is expected to be applicable to all five years of BIL appropriations. The memo outlines several key principles for this historic funding, including:

key flexibilities provided to states and borrowers to address a wide variety
of local water quality and public health challenges;
disadvantaged communities benefit equitably from this historic investment in water infrastructure. BIL mandates that 49 percent of funds provided through the CWSRF General Supplemental Funding must be provided as grants and forgivable loans to communities that meet the state’s affordability criteria or certain project types, consistent with the Clean Water Act;
expectations regarding PFAS and Emerging Contaminants funding and encourages projects that focus on resiliency;
SRF programs are encouraged to refine their programs to build the pipeline of projects.

USGS Publishes Report Evaluating Feasibility of Mapping Benthic Algae via Remote Sensing

Abstract: Although rivers are of immense practical, aesthetic, and recreational value, these aquatic habitats are particularly sensitive to environmental changes. Increasingly, changes in streamflow and water quality are resulting in blooms of bottom-attached (benthic) algae, also known as periphyton, which have become widespread in many water bodies of US national parks. Because these blooms degrade visitor experiences and threaten human and ecosystem health, improved methods of characterizing benthic algae are needed. This study evaluated the potential utility of remote sensing techniques for mapping variations in algal density in shallow, clear-flowing rivers. As part of an initial proof-of-concept investigation, field measurements of water depth and percent cover of benthic algae were collected from two reaches of the Buffalo National River along with aerial photographs and multispectral satellite images. Applying a band ratio algorithm to these data yielded reliable depth estimates, although a shallow bias and moderate level of precision were observed. Spectral distinctions among algal percent cover values ranging from 0 to 100% were subtle and became only slightly more pronounced when the data were aggregated to four ordinal levels. A bagged trees machine learning model trained using the original spectral bands and image-derived depth estimates as predictor variables was used to produce classified maps of algal density. The spatial and temporal patterns depicted in these maps were reasonable but overall classification accuracies were modest, up to 64.6%, due to a lack of spectral detail. To further advance remote sensing of benthic algae and other periphyton, future studies could adopt hyperspectral approaches and more quantitative, continuous metrics such as biomass.

You can access the full report here. For more information, contact Carl Legleiter.

Navigating the NPDES Permitting Process for Water Reuse Projects: Strategies to Enable Recycling and Protect Water Quality

With input from several water quality organizations, a water reuse white paper was published last week that helps NPDES permit writers and permittees navigate some of the challenges associated with water ruse projects where NPDES permits are involved. This document does not necessarily represent the positions of the contributing organizations, but it does provide examples of challenges and success stories. See excerpts from the introduction below.

“States, municipalities, and other practitioners across the country have demonstrated increasing interest in implementing water reuse projects to more effectively and sustainably use water resources. These actors have implemented thousands of projects, ranging from large, catchment-scale efforts to small, building-scale projects to collect, treat, and distribute water for potable and non-potable uses. The National Water Reuse Action Plan (WRAP) has identified over 50 actions to advance water reuse progress and address local and national barriers to implementing water reuse projects. One of these actions, 2.6, aims to inform National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit writers of possible approaches for permitting discharges from water reuse activities and provide real world examples.”

“It is important to note that NPDES permitting is not a “one size fits all” endeavor. While NPDES permits implement a common underpinning of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and associated federal regulatory provisions, many of these provisions enable permitting authorities to address individual discharge and receiving water situations. NPDES permits issued by authorized states may incorporate additional requirements based on state authorities. Over the last 50 years, states have established different implementation rules and procedures to meet NPDES regulations and CWA requirements, resulting in diverse state approaches to NPDES permitting.”

For a copy of the entire document, please click this link:
Action 2.6 Navigating the NPDES Permitting Process for Water Reuse Projects (epa.gov)

Association Updates

2022 ACWA Mid-Year Meeting

If you haven’t yet registered for ACWA’s Mid-Year Meeting but would like to attend, please do so as soon as you can! The meeting will be held March 16 and 17, 12:30-5:15 PM EST.

To register, log in to your Member365 portal and click the Event tab in your navigation menu. If you are EPA staff or have a colleague who would like to attend, please direct them to contact Kara McCauley, who will register them for the event.

You can view the agenda here. The event page can be found here.

Meetings and Webinars

Reminder: Proposed 2022 Financial Capability Assessment (FCA) Guidance Webinar

Date: Monday, March 14
Time: 1:00 – 2:00 PM EST
Registration here

The Proposed 2022 FCA Guidance describes the financial information and formulas the Agency intends to use to assess the financial resources a community has available to implement control measures and timeframes associated with implementation.

Registration is now available here . EPA is accepting public comment on the Proposed 2022 FCA Guidance until April 25, 2022 via the Federal eRulemaking portal, Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-2020-0426-0070.

Water Finance Clearinghouse General User Training Webinar

Date: March 15
Time: 1:00 – 2:00 PM EST
Registration here

The Water Finance Clearinghouse is a web‐based portal where users can locate information and resources, such as funding opportunities, reports, and webinars, that assist in making informed decisions about drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure needs. In this training webinar, attendees will learn how the Clearinghouse works, watch a live demo of the Clearinghouse, and discover tips and best practices for using the Clearinghouse. This training is intended for new users; refresher training for contributors will be scheduled later this spring.

NPDES Basic Permit Writers’ Course

Virtual Guided Learning
Date: March 10 – April 21, 2022
Registration Information

This week EPA announce the opening of registration for the NPDES Basic Permit Writers’ Virtual Guided Learning Course. The objective of this course is to provide the basic training that supports development of wastewater discharge permits. The course is designed for new permit writers with 1-2 years’ experience. There will be two separate classes offered – one in the AM and one in the PM and these classes will last 6 weeks. Participants should anticipate a time commitment of approximately 8-10 hours per week, which includes homework materials.

There is no cost for the course. Registration is limited and available at:
NPDES Permit Writers’ Course – Virtual Guided Learning March 2022 (AM)
NPDES Permit Writers’ Course – Virtual Guided Learning March 2022 (PM)

Please note demand is significant and I have heard both classes have already filled up with a wait list being developed. EPA does plan to announce another class starting in April. For any questions related to this announcement, please contact Sean Ramach at ramach.sean@epa.gov or (202) 564-2865.

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.

Introductory Webinar on Climate Impacts	Wednesday, March 2, 2022 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Alaska Time
CREAT training Session 1	Tuesday, April 5, 2022 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Alaska Time
CREAT training Session 2	Thursday, April 7, 2022 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Alaska Time
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.

National Environmental Justice Community Engagement Call

Date: March 15, 2022
Time: 2 – 4 PM EST
Register here

EPA invites Environmental Justice (EJ) advocates to participate in the next National Environmental Justice Community Engagement Call. These calls are free and open to the public.

Agenda:

Leadership Updates
TRI National Analysis Report: Highlighting updates to TRI data.
Air Toxics Screening Assessment (AirToxScreen): Introducing EPA’s latest tool to assess risks to the public from air toxics
Listening Session and Dialogue: Q&A about ongoing EJ initiatives

Mixtures Modeling Methods: Applications for Assessing Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)

Date: March 16, 2022
Time: 1-4 PM EST
Registration: EPA PCBs Mixture Webinar (Links to EventBrite) | The registration deadline is March 14, 2022

Agenda: Click here and see downloads tab

EPA is currently updating its Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) assessment of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). This assessment addresses selected noncancer human health effects that might result from exposure to these chemicals. PCBs are a class of synthetic compounds characterized by a biphenyl structure with chlorine substitutions at up to 10 positions. There are 209 well-defined PCBs known as “congeners” based on the various combinations of the numbers and positions of the chlorine substitutions on the biphenyl molecule. PCB congeners vary both structurally and in their toxicity in humans and animals. PCBs were synthesized as mixtures of congeners, and the composition of commercially produced PCB mixtures can vary substantially from mixtures humans are currently exposed to in the environment. Most health effect studies of PCBs in animals have been conducted using commercial mixtures, and there are no data to represent many environmental mixtures of concern for human health risk assessment. Therefore, methods for translating experimental data from tested to untested mixtures would be useful, including methods for addressing PCB mixtures with varying proportions of congeners that act via different biological pathways. For these reasons, EPA is evaluating approaches for assessing chemical mixtures for use in the assessment.

To that end, EPA is developing the Mixtures Similarity Tool (MiST). MiST is a Microsoft Excel® based tool, which automates the process of evaluating the degree to which chemical mixtures are similar in their ability to cause health effects and whether they are “sufficiently similar” for risk assessment applications. MiST identifies PCB mixtures with well-characterized dose-response information (i.e., reference mixtures) that are “sufficiently similar” to a specific candidate mixture that may not have dose-response information. Dose-response data for a sufficiently similar reference mixture could be used to assess toxicity for the candidate mixture.

EPA Tools & Resources Webinar: Advances in Environmental Monitoring – Water Sensors

Date: March 16, 2022
Time: 3 – 4 PM EST
Register here

Sensors are playing an increasingly important role in the monitoring of water quality. EPA’s Office of Research and Development has several efforts aimed at the development and use of sensors—an easily accessible summary of many of these efforts can be found on ORD’s Water Sensors Toolbox webpage. While many of these efforts are research focused, some of these projects are directly relevant to states and territories. One such effort is the Cyanobacteria Assessment Network (CyAN) application, which provides satellite data to monitor and quantify cyanobacterial biomass for over 2,000 of the largest lakes and reservoirs across the United States. A second significant effort is the development of case studies to evaluate the potential for using sensors to monitor source water quality with regard to nutrients, algae, and disinfectant byproducts and provide data to water utilities for help with decision making. Preliminary results from ongoing studies in North Carolina and Ohio will be described.

Public Meetings on Environmental Justice Considerations Related to Drinking Water Regulation for PFAS

Date: April 5, 2022
Register here

EPA invites the public to participate in two identical virtual public meetings related to environmental justice and the development of the proposed Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) on April 5, 2022 (5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, eastern time). Registration is required.

The sessions will be an opportunity for EPA to share information and for communities to offer input on environmental justice considerations related to the development of the proposed PFAS NPDWR. We encourage the public to share thoughts on addressing PFAS drinking water contamination issues in their communities.

When registering, you will also have an opportunity to sign up to provide brief verbal comments during a meeting. Translations and disability access support can be requested during meeting registration as well.

Additionally, EPA is accepting written public comments submitted to the public docket. You can submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No, EPA-HQ-OW-2022-0114 at here. More information is available here.

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.

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.

EPA’s Environmental Financial Advisory Board Public Meeting

Date: March 29 – 30
Time: 12 – 4 PM EST
Register here

A public meeting of EFAB with webcast will be held March 29 and 30, 2022. The purpose of the meeting will be for the EFAB to provide workgroup updates and work products for previously accepted charges, consider possible future advisory topics, and receive updates on EPA activities relating to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, administration priorities, and environmental finance.

Job Opportunities

Environmental Analyst – AIS Outreach Specialist | NEIWPCC

Location: Warrensburg, NY
Closing Date: March 29, 2022

This specialist will conduct targeted outreach to anglers, angler groups, relevant stakeholders, and communities along the Champlain Canal to increase awareness of round goby and reduce the risk of overland transportation of this invasive species. They will build connections with communities along the Champlain canal corridor to increase awareness of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) study to construct an AIS barrier that will allow for continued recreational use of the canal system and respond to questions and concerns from these communities around the benefits and impacts of the project to their community. They will also assist the NYSDEC Lake Champlain Coordinator and LCBP AIS Management Coordinator with additional AIS-related outreach, organizing, spread prevention, monitoring, and management work in the basin, as needed.