EPA this week rescinded its October 2020 rule establishing certain internal agency procedures and requirements concerning the issuance, revision and withdrawal of guidance documents, including those related to public engagement and petitions for review. According to EPA, the rule deprived the Agency of necessary flexibility to issue timely and reliable guidance to the public.

Building on the positive infrastructure discussions between the White House and Congressional leaders last week, Congress is continuing its work on infrastructure this week with hearings in both the House and Senate. Senate Republicans are also finalizing their new counteroffer to President Biden’s plan, which they are expected to release in the coming days.

In comments on an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM), NACWA supported EPA’s step towards developing effluent limitation guidelines (ELGs) and pretreatment standards for discharges of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from PFAS formulators and manufacturers. EPA published the ANPRM, which applies to the Organic Chemicals, Plastics, and Synthetic Fibers (OCPSF) point source category, on March 17.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a subset agency within the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), published an update on the toxicological profile for 10 specific PFAS chemicals on May 5.

NACWA’s Nominating Committee (Directors) is soliciting candidates for election to the NACWA Board of Directors.

The U.S. Treasury released initial guidance for the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (CSLFRF) on May 10. The CSLFRF is the $350 Billion pot of funding provided in the COVID-19 American Rescue Plan Act signed into law in March 2021 that includes water and sewer infrastructure as an eligible use.

Infrastructure discussions ramped up this week between the White House and Congress as President Biden and Democrat and Republican Congressional leaders met to discuss a potential bipartisan path forward on a comprehensive infrastructure package.

Following the announcement by U.S. EPA Administrator Michael Regan during Water Week about the formation of a new EPA Council on PFAS, NACWA is preparing a letter to the Council’s co-chairs – EPA’s Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator Radhika Fox and EPA Region 1’s Acting Administrator Deb Szaro – highlighting the Association’s priorities and recommendations for federal next steps on addressing PFAS.

NACWA’s Water Quality Committee met virtually last week and discussed a variety of issues including wastewater based-epidemiology, PFAS, and activity in the environmental justice landscape.