News
New EPA Tool Provides Customized Updates on Local Enforcement and Compliance Activities
EPA released a new web tool, called “ECHO Notify,” that provides updates on environmental enforcement and compliance activities in their communities. Through ECHO Notify, users can signup to receive weekly emails when new information is available within the selected geographic area, such as when a violation or enforcement action has taken place at a nearby facility. ECHO Notify provides information on all EPA enforcement and compliance activities as well as activities of state and local governments under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Visitors to the ECHO Notify homepage who wish to receive email updates will follow these steps:
- Create an account
- Select a geographic area and/or facility ID(s)
- Choose the type of compliance and enforcement information of interest
- Enter an email address and
- Click “subscribe”
CWA Hazardous Substance Plan
On March 10, 2022, EPA’s Administrator signed a proposed rule that would set requirements for certain types of large facilities near navigable waters to develop response plans for chemical spills. In particular, facilities would need to plan for the “largest foreseeable discharge in adverse weather conditions, including those due to climate change.” The proposed rule is requiring facilities to consider “increased risks of worst-case discharges from climate change as well as impacts to communities with environmental justice concerns.” EPA’s press release also indicates that “[t]he response plan requirements are an important tool for communities and first responders to ensure preparedness in the event of a worst-case discharge of hazardous substances. The proposed rule discusses the various components that comprise response plans, including hazard evaluation, personnel roles and responsibilities, response actions, and drills and exercises.” A copy of the press release can be found here. More details and a prepublication copy of the proposed rule can be found here. Once published in the federal register, the 60-day comment period will start.
Phase I CRADA Report: Development of an Overarching Bioavailability Modeling Approach to Support US EPA’s Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria for Metals
EPA has published the “Phase I CRADA Report: Development of an Overarching Bioavailability Modeling Approach to Support US EPA’s Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria for Metals” and associated documents (more information here). This report concludes Phase I of the Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) that EPA entered with eight metals associations to develop a simplified, overarching modeling framework to predict the bioavailability of metals to support the development of updated metals Aquatic Life Ambient Water Quality Criteria (AWQC) under the Clean Water Act. This report provides a review of models that are available to predict the toxicity of metals to aquatic life considering factors that modify toxicity as a function of water chemistry (e.g., pH, hardness, dissolved organic carbon). The document focuses on the performance of Biotic Ligand Models (BLM) and Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) bioavailability modeling approaches for aluminum, copper, lead, and nickel. Given the similarities in performance between the BLM and MLR approaches for several metals, EPA intends to use MLR models as the metal bioavailability-modeling approach in AWQC development because of the robustness, relative simplicity, transparency, decreased number of input data needed to use the model, and ease of use of the MLR approach compared to the BLM approach. The report underwent independent, external peer review and was revised considering peer review comments.
National Water Reuse Action Plan: Year Two Update
This February marked the second anniversary of the National Water Reuse Action Plan’s implementation. EPA’s water reuse program has released “Year 2 Update on Collaborative Progress,” providing a snapshot of key activities and accomplishments to date. You can review a 1-page synopsis of activities and outputs from the last two years here, explore recent and upcoming activities here, or review specific actions in greater detail within the WRAP Online Platform.
New Chemicals Collaborative Research Program Action Plan Now Available for Public Comment
EPA is announcing the release of its draft collaborative research plan for a recently-announced effort to modernize the process and bring innovative science to new chemical reviews under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). EPA will accept public comments on the draft plan, “Modernizing the Process and Bringing Innovative Science to Evaluate New Chemicals Under TSCA,” in docket EPA-HQ-OPPT-2022-0218 at www.regulations.gov.
Additionally, EPA is holding a virtual public meeting on April 20 and 21, 2022, from 1:00 PM to approximately 5:00 PM (EDT) to provide an overview of the TSCA New Chemicals Collaborative Research Program and give stakeholders an opportunity to provide input. A draft agenda for the public meeting and charge questions are also available at the docket identified above. Following the comment period and meeting, EPA will update the draft research plan. A revised version of the document will be released for additional public comment and peer review by the Board of Scientific Counselors (BOSC) later this year.
Register for the meeting here.
EPA Issues Test Orders to Support Risk Evaluations of Eight Chemicals under TSCA
EPA has issued a second round of test orders under TSCA section 4 to obtain additional data on eight of the next 20 chemicals undergoing risk evaluation. After reviewing reasonably available data on these chemicals, EPA has determined additional data are needed and is using its TSCA test order authority to require companies to develop and submit information on avian and aquatic environmental hazard and consumer exposure.
The eight chemicals subject to these section 4 test orders are:
- Chlorinated Solvents:
- 1,1,2-Trichloroethane
- 1,2-Dichloroethane
- 1,2-Dichloropropane
- Trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene
- o-Dichlorobenzene
- p-Dichlorobenzene
- Flame Retardants:
- 4,4’-(1-Methylethylidene)bis[2,6-dibromophenol] (TBBPA)
- Phosphoric acid, triphenyl ester (TPP)
These are eight of the 20 chemicals designated as high priority for risk evaluation under TSCA in December 2019. In September 2020, EPA issued final scope documents for these chemicals and the next step in the process is publishing draft risk evaluations for public comment. The orders and any data submitted in response to these orders will be made publicly available on EPA’s website and in applicable dockets on www.regulations.gov.
This is the third time EPA has used its authority to issue test orders under section 4 of amended TSCA. In January 2021, EPA issued test orders for the same eight chemicals, requiring testing on aquatic environmental hazard and inhalation and dermal exposures for workers. EPA has posted a document describing the process of developing, drafting, and issuing section 4 test orders. Companies subject to test orders may provide EPA with existing data, if available, or may conduct new tests. Companies are encouraged to form consortia to consolidate costs and burden and avoid unnecessary duplication of testing.
EIP Report – CWA at 50
The Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) is a 20-year-old nonprofit organization dedicated to enforcing environmental laws and strengthening policy to protect public health and the environment.
This week the EIP released a report titled “The Clean Water Act at 50: Promises Half Kept at the Half Century Mark” which indicates that 55 percent of assessed lake acres and 25 percent of assessed bays and estuaries are unsafe for one or more public uses, such as swimming, fishing, or use as a source for drinking water. EIP’s report includes detailed maps and charts with the most recent available water pollution impairment data from all U.S. states. While the report provides several state specific findings, “…it is important to keep in mind that in some cases, states reporting higher levels of impairment may actually be doing a better job of monitoring waterways or are using more stringent criteria to assess water quality.” The report goes on to point out that due to limited funding and budget cuts, many state environmental agencies do not have the resources to test all their waters within mandated time periods – usually between six and ten years, depending on state rules.
The EIP report also offers several options for improving on the current status quo:
- EPA needs to provide more frequent updates of technology-based limits for industry water pollution control systems.
- Congress should close loopholes for agricultural runoff and other “non-point” sources of pollution, which are by far the largest sources of impairments in waterways.
- Congress/EPA should require more consistent, universal guidelines for waterway impairment designations.
- Congress should make it easier to enforce key requirements in TMDLs.
- Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill funds should be targeted to water pollution control efforts, especially in lower-income communities and communities of color.
- Funding should be boosted for the EPA and state environmental agency staff required to measure water quality, and to develop and implement the cleanup plans.
- EPA should set interim national goals and create enforceable plans to achieve pollution reductions.
A copy of the report can be found here:
The Clean Water Act at 50: Promises Half Kept at the Half Century Mark
Association Updates
Nutrients Permitting Workshop
Date: April 12-14, 2022
Location: Kansas City, MO
Register here
Registration is now open for ACWA’s upcoming Nutrients Permitting Workshop in Kansas City, MO!
This workshop will be a discussion-heavy event, focusing on drafting policy recommendations based on a variety of topics covered throughout the previous six workshops in this series. Below, you will find information on how to register, where to book a room at the hotel, and travel support.
Registration
You may register for the workshop here. Registration closes 4/5.
In order to register you will need to read and accept the terms of ACWA’s Communicable Disease Waiver. You will then be prompted to select which breakout sessions you would like to be a part of. Please keep in mind that attendees are expected to participate in a speaking role during the breakout discussions. We may have multiple breakouts per topic based on the number of attendees. The draft agenda can be found here. A virtual option will be available but may not include all sessions at the event.
Hotel
The workshop will be held at the Hotel Phillips, in downtown Kansas City, MO. ACWA has procured the local gov’t per diem rate of $123/night for Monday, April 11 – Thursday, April 14.
You may reserve your hotel room here. This limited room block will be open through 3/28. We recommend you secure your room as soon as possible to ensure your stay at this hotel.
Monitoring Standards and Assessment Committee’s April Call: Secondary Contact Recreation Criteria Methodology and Implementation
MSA’s April call is on Wednesday, April 20th from 3-4:30pm EST to discuss a secondary contact recreation criteria methodology and implementation. Please contact Jake Adler for details and registration information.
Webinar: Clean Watersheds Needs Survey & EJ on Mar 31, 2022, 2:00 PM EDT
The Clean Watersheds Needs Survey (CWNS) is conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to assess the capital costs (or “needs”) to meet the water quality goals of the Clean Water Act and address water quality-related environmental and public health concerns. Needs are organized into categories based on project eligibilities in the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and are reported by state-appointed officials through a data entry portal. The CWNS has not gathered data since 2012, and the last report was published in 2016. Recent legislative changes in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will allow EPA to report to Congress the needs for all capital projects eligible for assistance through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, including decentralized and nonpoint source needs. This presentation will provide an overview of the survey and cover the tools available to small and disadvantaged communities for documenting their capital needs in the CWNS. If you are interested in registering for the webinar, contact Julia Anastasio.
Meetings and Webinars
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Job Opportunities
Industrial Unit Compliance Specialist | Washington Department of Ecology
Location: Lacey, WA
Closing Date: March 29, 2022
In this role, you will work closely with industrial facilities located in Ecology’s Southwest Region. We work with scientists and engineers, developers, local government officials and staff, and the public to ensure that these facilities comply with their NPDES and state discharge permits and are maintained to protect and improve water quality throughout the Southwest Region. Joining our team means you will be a key partner in our collective efforts to protect our precious waterways.
For more information, click here.
Drinking Water Protection Specialist | Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Location: Eugene, OR
Closing Date: April 4, 2022
You will participate as a team member in implementing the Drinking Water Protection Program, and you will provide technical assistance to the public to help reduce the risks from potential sources of contamination within drinking water source areas.
For more information, click here.
Basin Specialist (Natural Resource Specialist 3) | The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Location: Bend, Pendleton, or The Dalles, Oregon
Closing Date: April 4, 2022
You will assist in the implementation of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), Load and Waste Load Allocations, and implementation strategies to bring waters in compliance with water quality standards as determined in TMDLs. You may evaluate nonpoint sources of water pollution, devise control strategies, and provide technical and financial assistance to federal, state, and local government, watershed groups, and nonpoint sources. You will monitor for effectiveness of plans and for trends in water quality towards achieving water quality standards. In addition, you will be responsible for or assist with oversight of the Nonpoint Source Pollution Control grant program in Eastern Oregon, and you will interface with other regional and headquarters staff that manage this grant program. You will also oversee aspects of compliance and enforcement in the TMDL program as complaint response.
For more information, click here.
Puget Sound Nutrient Reduction Financial Specialist (Environmental Specialist 3) | Washington Department of Ecology
Location: Lacey, WA
Closing Date: April 13, 2022
In a team environment, this position provides assistance to grant and loan recipients located in the Puget Sound region with planning, construction, and implementation of wastewater treatment facility projects.
For more information, click here.
