Legislation championed by NACWA was introduced in the US House of Representatives on March 6 that would create a federal “Advanced Research Projects Agency – Water” (ARPA-H2O) within EPA to spur clean water research and innovation.

State bills to address the labeling of wipes continue to gain momentum, with a bill in Washington state passing both legislative bodies and a bill introduced in Minnesota.

As Congressional appropriators begin their Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) appropriations process, NACWA continues to work closely with Members of Congress to secure key clean water funding and provisions in the Interior and Environment bill, which funds the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and core clean water programs.

The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) proposed the first updates in over four decades to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) on January 10, 2020. The rulemaking proposes various updates to the manner in which federal agencies conduct reviews on major or significant actions that could affect the quality of public health or the environment.

On Wednesday, March 4th, NACWA and a group of member clean water agencies from across New England met in Boston with EPA Region 1 Administrator, Dennis Deziel. The meeting provided an opportunity for utilities to elevate clean water priorities to Administrator Deziel, who was appointed in August 2019, and key Regional Office staff.