Clean Water Current

NACWA submitted comments May 16 to EPA on the Agency’s proposed rule on air emissions from heavy duty engines and trucks, supporting EPA’s overall efforts to regulate emissions from these vehicles but also asking that EPA support and promote fueling them with biogas from wastewater treatment facilities.

During an otherwise quiet week in Congress for issues impacting the clean water sector, two key committees heard testimony from EPA Administrator Michael Regan regarding President Biden's Fiscal Year 2023 budget request for the Agency.

EPA released for public comment a draft Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Program Waiver related to the Build America, Buy America (BABA) Act requirements on May 9.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced a series of actions aimed at addressing environmental justice.

The North Carolina Supreme Court this week listened to oral argument in a challenge to the legality of water and sewer impact fees brought by real estate developers against a North Carolina county.

The Office of Community Services (OCS) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is hosting a special session for water utilities on Thursday, May 19th from 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm EDT regarding the federal Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP).

Recent disruptions including the pandemic, volatile climate events, and unexpected equipment failures have had downstream consequences for water and wastewater utilities in their efforts to procure treatment chemicals and other critical supplies.

NACWA led an effort with ten other water sector associations during Water Week 2022 on a joint letter asking Congress to explicitly exempt public wastewater, drinking water, stormwater and water reuse utilities from PFAS liability under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).

As Congressional appropriators ramp up the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) appropriations process, NACWA is working closely with Members of Congress and key appropriations committee staff to secure strong clean water funding and provisions in the Interior and Environment bill, which funds the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) programs.

EPA published its Draft Recommended Aquatic Life Ambient Water Quality Criteria (AWQC) for Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane Sulfonic Acid (PFOS) in the Federal Register on May 3.

Following a two-year in-person hiatus due to the pandemic, hundreds of clean water professionals converged in Washington, DC last week for Water Week 2022.

NACWA’s Board of Directors met April 28, at the conclusion of the National Water Policy Fly-In during Water Week 2022.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on May 4 cleared the Water Resources Development Act, authorizing $24.6 billion in Army Corps of Engineers water projects and sending the legislation to the Senate floor.

President Biden celebrated Earth Day on April 22 by issuing an Executive Order to preserve US forests and announced efforts to summarize all federal programs and available resources on nature-based solutions and green infrastructure.

EPA’s Environmental Financial Advisory Board (EFAB), which is housed under the Agency’s Water Infrastructure and Resiliency Finance Center, is hosting a public webinar on May 10, 2022 from 12:00 pm – 1:30 p.m. EDT and a second one on June 22, 2022 from 12:00 pm – 1:30 p.m. EDT.

After much anticipation and NACWA engagement with the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and EPA, the Biden Administration released guidance on April 18th for how federal agencies – including EPA – should implement new Build America, Buy America (BABA) requirements set to take effect on May 15th.

The Maine state legislature passed a bill – L.D. 1911, An Act to Prevent the Further Contamination of the Soils and Waters of the State with So-Called Forever Chemicals – last week that completely prohibits the land application of biosolids and the sale of compost or other agricultural products and materials containing sludge and septage in the state of Maine due to PFAS concerns. The bill now goes to Governor Mills and she is expected to sign it.

As part of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), 172 PFAS chemicals were added to the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI), requiring certain facilities to report annual management activities involving these chemicals and releases under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act.

NACWA’s Environmental Justice (EJ) Committee held its first virtual meeting on April 7 and discussed a number of current hot topics in the environmental justice space.

Both the U.S. House and Senate are on recess this week and next. This is a prime opportunity to reconnect with your Representatives and Senators and their staff as they will likely be conducting local meetings or hearing directly from constituents at public townhall meetings.