News AA Wheeler Releases Memo on State Oversight of Federal Programs The 2018-2022 EPA Strategic Plan identifies cooperative federalism (Goal 2) as a fundamental priority for the agency with a stated objective (Objective 2.1) to enhance shared accountability between the EPA, state, local and tribal co-regulators in the implementation of federal environmental programs. To address… Read More »
Weekly Wrap
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ACWA Weekly Wrap Vol. IX, Issue 40 (Week of October 29, 2018)
News EPA Invites 39 Projects to Apply for WIFIA Loans EPA announced this week that it is inviting 39 projects in 16 states and D.C. to apply for Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loans. Together, the selected borrowers will receive WIFIA loans totaling approximately $5 billion to help finance over $10 billion in… Read More »
ACWA Weekly Wrap Vol. IX, Issue 39 (Week of October 22, 2018)
News America’s Water Infrastructure Act Signed Into Law This week President Trump signed “American’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018“, which authorizes Army Corps of Engineers water resources projects as well EPA-related provisions, into law. The new water resources development legislation authorizes federal funding for water infrastructure projects, expands the country’s water storage capabilities, provides needed resources… Read More »
ACWA Weekly Wrap Vol. IX, Issue 38 (Week of October 15, 2018)
News Vessel Permit Expiration EPA’s 2013 Vessel General Permit is set to expire December 18, 2018 and a new permit has not yet been finalized. EPA will be administratively continuing this permit until the new permit is issued. All owners/operators of vessels covered by the 2013 permit should continue to comply with the terms and… Read More »
ACWA Weekly Wrap Vol. IX, Issue 37 (Week of October 8, 2018)
News EPA Sends Phase I of Final NPDES Updates Rule to OMB for Review On October 9, 2018 EPA sent Phase I of the NPDES Updates Rule to the Office of Management and Budget. EPA initially proposed (May 18, 2016) to update the NPDES regulations in order to eliminate inconsistencies between regulations and application forms,… Read More »
ACWA Weekly Wrap Vol. IX, Issue 36 (Week of October 1, 2018)
News Senate Holds Hearing on HONEST Act The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management and Regulatory Oversight held a hearing this week on S. 1794 and the EPA proposed rule, titled “Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science”. These proposals would allow federal agencies to only rely on studies for which the… Read More »
ACWA Weekly Wrap Vol. IX, Issue 35 (Week of September 24, 2018)
News Sixth Circuit Rules in Two Hydrologic Connection Cases, Setting Up Circuit Split This week, the Sixth Circuit issued its decisions in Tennessee Clean Water Network v. Tennessee Valley Authority and Kentucky Waterways Alliance v. Kentucky Utilities. In both decisions, the court found 2-1 that indirect release of pollutants such as coal ash seepage into groundwater… Read More »
ACWA Weekly Wrap Vol. IX, Issue 34 (Week of September 17, 2018)
News AWRA Hosts Webinar on Groundwater Hydrologic Connection On Wednesday, September 19, the American Water Resources Association hosted a webinar on discharges to groundwater that lead to surface water through hydrologic connections. Speakers included Marcia Greenblatt, an engineer with Integral Consulting out of Colorado, and Kathy Robb, an attorney with Sive, Paget & Riesel out… Read More »
ACWA Weekly Wrap Vol. IX, Issue 33 (Week of September 10, 2018)
News ECOS Officers Announced This year is the 25th Anniversary for the Environmental Council of States (ECOS). New officers this year include: President Becky Keogh, Director of the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality; Vice President Jim Macy, Director of the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality; and Secretary-Treasurer Patrick McDonnell, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of… Read More »
ACWA Weekly Wrap Vol. IX, Issue 32 (Week of September 3, 2018)
News EPA Needs Comprehensive Vision for Citizen Science This week the EPA Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a report that “[a]lthough citizen science is carried out throughout the EPA, the agency has not developed controls necessary to manage citizen science agency-wide, including a clear vision and objectives for using results. Absent this, the EPA… Read More »
ACWA Weekly Wrap Vol. IX, Issue 31 (Week of August 27, 2018)
News OECA Refocuses Priorities On Compliance On August 21, 2018 Susan Bodine, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) issued a memo to the Regional Administrators formally informing them of OECA’s decision to move away from National Enforcement Initiatives to National Compliance Initiatives. “The EPA intends to evolve the National Enforcement… Read More »
ACWA Weekly Wrap Vol. IX, Issue 30 (Week of August 20, 2018)
News Federal District Judge rules against WOTUS Applicability Date Rule Last week, on August 16th, Judge David C. Norton of the US District Court for the District of South Carolina struck down the EPA’s WOTUS “applicability date rule” as arbitrary and capricious in South Carolina Coastal Conservation League et al., v. Andrew Wheeler, et al.… Read More »
