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Rural
Water "What follows is for those who want to change the world from
what it is to what they believe it should be.” May 23, 2013 NRWA Backs Senator Wicker’s Farm Bill Amendment to Provide EPA Funding for Technical Assistance (more). Iowa 1926(b) Situation Update – positive reports from EPA Releases Draft Guidance on Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act – favorably addresses NRWA’s number one priority; that water systems don’t have to replace meters when testing, repairing, and calibrating (more). Discord Continues Among
Board Members of Massive DC Sink Hole
Threatens White House Access (more). May 21, 2013 Rural Utilities Service Administrator Visits ND Rural Water, 5/16 (www.ndrw.org) The Fight for Oil and Gas
Development Damaged 161 Human Feces Taints Half of Public Swimming Pools Says CDC (USAToday). May 18, 2013 House Farm Bill in Committee and §1926(b) –
last week, Rep. King (IA) filed an amendment to change §1926(b), as the House Agriculture Committee began
debate on the Farm Bill. On Wednesday,
Rep. King withdrew his amendment from committee consideration. However, he expressed that he will continue
to advance this policy agenda to resolve local water territorial disputes and
possibly modify §1926(b) (video of committee
deliberations). NRWA is attempting to
engage the Congressman in a discussion of the authorities and limitations of
section §1926(b), and find a way to advance the intent of the Congressman’s
amendment to reconcile the local territorial disputes. Attorney Steve
Harris provides analysis of Rep. King’s amendment (more). Rural Lorain County Rural Water (OH) Votes to Remove Board Member in Secret Due to Intimidation of Elderly Board Members (more). Ousted Board Member opposed longevity payments for board members and $26,000 video sign (more). Senate Committee Approves Nomination of Gina Mccarthy to Head EPA (WashPost). Oldest Water on Earth Found Deep Underground, 2.6 Billion Years Old (more). RTCR Update – EPA recently posted the slides from the April 10, 2013 webinar on the new Revised Total Coliform Rule (more). Levels of
Health-threatening Nitrates Hit Records in NPR ON IST –
"for years, a loose network of environmental groups, public
health organizations and members of Congress, both Democratic and Republican,
has fought to require companies to try to redesign their chemical facilities,
to make them safer. Engineers often call the approach ‘inherently safer’
technology. But industry executives and their allies in Congress have blocked
the proposals. Christine Todd Whitman,
former EPA chief, says she was angry when she heard about the West fertilizer
plant explosion in April. 'It just made me so mad, you wanted to take
Congress and shake it, and say, Listen, what more does it take for you to
understand that we need some action here?'
‘Chemical plants are really pre-positioned weapons of mass
destruction,’ says Charles Sam Faddis, a former CIA
officer. Faddis
says he realized that if terrorists had attacked a May 14, 2013 Senate Agriculture Committee Passes 2013 Farm Bill,
Section 1926(b) a Non-issue During Committee Consideration (NYTimes). The committee passed bill includes an amendment
from Senator Brown (OH) that provides $150,000,000 in rural water backlog
funding.
WI RWA Radio Water PSAs – WI Rural
Water has produced a series of PSAs that are being
broadcast on the radio across the state (WI homepage,
scroll down, left). E. Coli Can Survive the Freezing Cold Winter Hidden in Manure – important implications for people living in or downstream of agricultural regions as E. coli in your water can be a very bad thing (Smithsonian).
Local Control – May 13, 2013 Senator Udall (NM) Standing Up for Rural
Water – last week, during a
U.S. Senate hearing featuring the Secretary of Agriculture, Senator Udall
made funding for rural water a national priority (YouTube,
4:30 seconds). New Mexico Copper Thieves Target Water
System – leaving Llano Quemado utility in the dark after stealing up to $10,000
worth of copper (more).
NYTimes
on CA’s SRF Problems – “EPA
Regional Administrator frustrated enough to issue a public rebuke to May 9, 2013 "A State
Primacy Agency Doing it Right," – says MO RWA Executive Director John Hoagland. This in reaction to a recent state agency
initiative to put all CCRs on-line on the state website. Any water system in Senate Passes
NRWA Supported Inhofe Rural Water Amendment to WIFIA Legislation (NRWA support). Section 1926(b)
Scrutinized for Farm Bill – The Senate Agriculture Committee announced
that it would begin working on a new farm bill, reviving efforts to pass the
once-every-five-years spending bill that sets the nation's food and farm
policy. The last farm bill was passed in 2008 (NYTimes). A
local controversy in Senator Barrasso’s (WY)
Senate Rural Water Speech (YouTube,
2:50 seconds) – “Rural communities
often do not have the expertise or the funding to make important upgrades to
their water systems. Dedicated
professionals, such as the folks at the NEW EPA SRF Funding Guidance to Serve as Model – a new EPA memo outlining the types of wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects in New York and New Jersey eligible for funding in the wake of Hurricane Sandy in order to increase water utilities' resiliency is intended to serve as a model for responding to future disasters (EPA Memo).
Lead and Copper Rule Rewrite Update: EPA is
considering LCR revisions covering sampling, monitoring, flushing, public
education, replacement of lead service lines, OCCT programs, the definition
of control of the distribution system by the utility, etc (more). EPA initially proposed to craft revisions
to the rule by this fall. However on
March 18, EPA indicated the agency was temporarily stepping back from fall
deadline. The issue of partial line
replacement is causing difficultly for the agency. Last week, EPA indicated they plan to
conduct additional stakeholder outreach as it considers revisions to the
rule. The partial lead service line
replacement issue is being consider not only as a risk to children’s health,
but also as an environmental justice issue because it could place a
disproportionate impact on disadvantaged households that cannot afford to
replace the portion of the lead service line they own or who are dependent on
a landlord to replace the private portion of the line. It is proving difficult to find a solution
that is legal, practical and sufficiently protective of customers, including
those that are financially stressed, according to EPA (reported by
AWWA). This could lead the revisions
to the rule to be delayed until at least 2014. However, the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act of
2011 must meet its statutory compliance date of Jan. 4, 2014 and EPA expects
to have guidance on the definition of “lead-free” by the end of 2013. That guidance should address when a fixture
(like a meter) must be replaced during repair, testing, calibration, etc.
Blomberg
on Wisc.’s Phosphorous Water Rule – “The background level of phosphorus in
summer rainfall has been measured and documented at up to 0.15 ppm or greater (cited study).
Ponder that! Does rainwater
in fact contain more phosphorus than the new proposed limits? So, if the new standard under the Phosphorus Rule calls for .075 ppm, then potentially, summer rainfall at 0.15 ppm will exceed the new standard of .075 ppm”
(Source: WRWA Exective Driector
Ken Blomberg) Spread of Hydrofracking Could Strain Water Resources in West, Study Finds (NYTimes) Don’t
Frack in
Source Water Protection Down on the Farm – USDA TV
show on the feasibility of using
cheaper alternatives to commercial fertilizers and how much farmers can use
in an environmentally friendly way (YouTube). Researcher
at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore are perfecting methods of
applying fertilizer in ways, they have found, that reduce nutrient runoff and
boost crop productivity. In some cases, the concentration of phosphorus in
runoff from the fields was reduced by 90 percent (newspaper).
May 6, 2013 Jihadis, Hackers Join Forces to Launch Cyberattacks
on
May 5, 2013 FBI Investigating
Is the Federal Government Doing Enough for Security in Small Communities (GWUniv).
USDA’s National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI) Funding Available – to help farmers implement conservation practices in selected watersheds - $35 million this year. Applications must be received by July 12 (more).
EPA Announces “Sandy” Funding – nearly $570 million
will be made available as water and wastewater grants for
Two Hydraulic Fracturing Input Opportunities – EPA recently announced the following opportunities for stakeholder input into their various hydraulic fracturing research activities: the Hydraulic Fracturing Research Advisory Panel meeting on May 7 (more) and a May 16 teleconference on EPA documents for consideration by the Panel (more).
Senator Boxer Announces Investigation Into Texas Fertilizer Explosion and Possible New EPA Regulations – Senator Boxer said her committee needs to examine if current regulations "are being enforced and whether there is a need to strengthen them." The Senator will scrutinize the EPA's Risk Management Plan (RMP) program and its oversight of the chemical plants. Some interest groups have urged EPA to regulate the type of disinfection water system use under the EPA's RMP program (more). EPA oversees safety at certain plants and facilities through its RMP program, which requires some 13,000 facilities that produce, handle, process, distribute or store certain chemicals to craft plans on reducing risks from accidental chemical releases.
State Association Innovation - from KY RWA, "EPA
and the
May 2, 2013
The Power of An
Association; MS Governor signs legislation – clarifying that Public Service
Commission does not have authority
over rural water associations (more).
May 1, 2013 From WISC RWA E-News – “True Blue Rural Water –
to the very end! Rural Water representatives attended Board member John
Berg’s funeral last week in Steroids in the Water –
“In Bleach Spill – in
Bristol Twp (PA) wastewater treatment plant is being investigated by
police. Efforts are underway to remove
the contaminated soil in the immediate area (more). Operator Convicted in
CA Tanker Spills
4,000 Gallons of Fuel – overturned on Highway 38 near Angelus Oaks and
fuel seeped into a nearby creek that feeds into the Sewer System
Underground Photo Exhibit (more). April 28, 2013 Senate Bill
April 24, 2013 SRFs & WIFIA – April 23, 2013 Cyber Attacks Are Like Nuclear Bombs (WSJ). Iowa 1926(b) Controversy – a group of RCAP Backs Technical
Assistance for USDA Community Facilities Legislation (more). Illegal Sump Pump Connections Cause SSO - in April 22, 2013 Girls’ School in RCAP Analysis of Census Data on Households Lacking Water/Sanitation (report). Source Water Protection – in April 19, 2013 Mass Rural Water = The Power of An Association – again
this year, their entire Congressional delegation signs support letters for
EPA technical assistance, circuit riders, and source water (letters). Massive Mid-West Flooding – in several communities along the More Privatization Is Answer to for Water Infrastructure – this
week United Water
testified before the House EPA appropriations committee in favor or more
subsidies for private water companies (testimony). New York Times calls private water industry’s main
legislative agenda “a stealth subsidy for private enterprise” (NYTimes). Chi-town: 98-year-old Water Main Break Causes Sinkhole, Swallows Cars (video). House Passes Four Cybersecurity Bills - all
four bills have been referred to the Senate. HR 624: the
Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, which has already received a
veto threat from the President, would expand sharing of cyber-threat
information among private sector entities and the government. HR 756: the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act would coordinate research
and related activities conducted across federal agencies and strengthen the
efforts of NSF and NIST in the areas of cybersecurity
technical standards as well as cyber awareness, education, and workforce
development. HR 967: the
Advancing America’s Networking and Information Technology Research and
Development Act updates federal research and development initiatives
networking, computing, software, cybersecurity, and
related information technologies. HR 1163: the
Federal Information Security Amendments Act provides oversight authority to
OMB with respect to federal agency information and security policies and
practices. April 17, 2013 Secretary of State Kerry Urges Chinese to Fund USDA/EPA Commitment to Improve Drinking
Water & Sanitation in Indian Country (USDA). Rural Source Water Protection –
concrete-walled pit at a EPA Releases Draft FY 2014 National Water Program –
describing how EPA, states, territories, and tribal governments will work
together to protect and improve the quality. EPA is accepting comments on the
plan until May 9th (more). EPA Releases 319 KS Division of Water Employees Getting Physically and Verbally
Threatened – when visiting water well sites to check
and ensure the water use law is being followed (more). EPA Method for CCL – the agency will host a public meeting and
webinar on May 15, to discuss analytical testing procedures for unregulated
contaminants considered for inclusion on the Contaminant Candidate List
(more). April 12, 2013 White House’s EPA Budget Includes Key NRWA Water Infrastructure
Principles: Goal 2: Protecting “The EPA will direct limited
resources to best protect: 1) public health, especially in disadvantaged
communities; 2) support the core work of state and tribal partners; and 3)
focus on the largest pollution problems… In FY 2014, the agency is requesting
$1.912 billion, a reduction of $472 million, for the Clean Water and NRWA Water Infrastructure
Legislative Key Principles (more). Budget Proposes Limitation on Tax
Exempt Muni-bonds – the
Administration’s budget also proposes capping the value of the tax exemption
for interest paid by municipal bonds
by limiting the value of tax benefits for the top 2 percent of earners
to 28 percent from the current 35 percent.
If approved, the cap would essentially drive down the appeal of municipal
bonds often sold to wealthy investors who can exempt the interest from their
federal income taxes. It risks pushing up the borrowing costs for state and
local governments that use the bonds to finance water
projects (Reuters). N.H. Jury Awards $236 Million to State In MTBE Lawsuit – “by
its verdict, the jury validated what we knew—Exxon was aware of the risks of
manufacturing MTBE gasoline, but went ahead and added MTBE to New Hampshire's
gasoline,” the New Hampshire Attorney General said (HuffPo). Environmental Civil Disobedience – a
79-year-old grandmother from FEMA Updates NIMS (May 2nd Conference Call) Perchlorate Update – on March 29, the EPA's Science Advisory
Board (SAB) conditionally approved the latest draft of its perchlorate panel's advice on the science underlying the
agency's efforts to establish a public health goal for perchlorate
in drinking water, allowing for report's release to EPA's water office - and
the development of a maximum contaminant level goal (MCLG). Concerns have been raised in the process
regarding the MCLG being based on an observed effect rather than an observed
adverse effect, which could result in an overly conservative MCL. The SAB is not suggesting that EPA delay proposal
of its MCLG until staff can use a fully expanded PBPK/PD model that could
take as long as a decade. The existing
model only predicts amounts of iodine uptake inhibition, a precursor effect,
but not the adverse health effects of changes in thyroid hormone levels or neurodevelopmental effects (more). Arsenic Risk
Assessment – members of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) committee tasked
with advising EPA on how to perform its assessment of arsenic's risks met
April 4, regarding the agency's effort to test ways to harmonize how it
assesses cancer and non-cancer risks in the pending assessment, a method that
could help regulators better quantify the costs and benefits of regulatory
decisions and advance the NAS proposed reform (more). Sam Cohen, a medical doctor at the Rural Water Consolidation on April 9, 2013 NRWA Urges White House to Partner with Water Supplies for Cybersecurity Protection – On Feb.
12, President Obama issued an Executive Order directing federal departments
and agencies to use their existing authorities to provide better cybersecurity for the nation (more). The President’s order charters the National
Institute of Standards and Technology with crafting a national “Cybersecurity Framework.”
NRWA commented to NIST on April 8, 2013 (comments),
urging the agency to initiate a partnership with the water sector to secure
the country’s 51,651 drinking water and 16,255 sanitation supplies from cyber
attacks. Cybersecurity Bill Gets
Markup – the House Intelligence Committee goes behind closed doors Wed. to
mark up a bill (HR
624) to improve how the government and businesses share information about
cyber-threats. House action may
encourage the Senate Intelligence Committee to draft its a bill or Senate
could move broader package to protect the nation against cyber attacks. DHS Secretary Napolitano’s Agenda for Cybersecurity
Protection (Politico). SRFs and the
Congressional Mandate to Use 20-30 Percent for Grants for FY2013 (citations). Wisc. What Rights Do Wireless Companies Have to Access Your Water Towers? – some
states are experiencing controversy with wireless companies intimating
federal law mandates they have access to water towers for citing wireless
equipment. However, top attorneys
explain that wireless companies are provided limited access to water towers
(limited ability to preempt local zoning authorities), “the Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2102, section 6409 of
the Act provides that a state or local government ‘may not deny, and shall
approve’ any eligible facilities request for a modification of an existing
wireless tower or base station that ‘does not substantially change the
physical dimensions of such tower or base station” (more). April 7, 2013 President to Release
Budget This Week (more)
– late budget release results in House Appropriations Committee extension of
appropriations request deadlines to April 17, for USDA and April 19, for EPA
(more). WIFIA Water Infrastructure Legislation Draws Alternative Proposal
from State Agencies – state
environmental agencies are suggesting that if Congress establishes new a
federal program for water funding - they should manage it. The States' Alternative Proposal to
WIFIA was crafted by ECOS, CIFA, ACWA, and ASDWA. “Should Congress choose to enact a
WIFIA-like program, it could be managed more cost-effectively and more
efficiently by states, as well as be fully coordinated with other state
priorities, as an enhancement to existing [state revolving fund] programs,”
the report said. Senator Merkley (OR) has sponsored
the “Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2013,” a bill that
would allow EPA operate the new water funding program with a minimum loan
amount of $20 million focused on large-scale projects. See comments to NRWA Regulatory Committee on
this legislation (more). Chlorine Gas for Water Treatment Used in Chemical Weapon Attack in April 4, 2013 The Power of a State
Association; One of the Most
Powerful Aprils Fool’s Joke
About Drinking Water Lands Florida Country DJ in Trouble – two radio morning-show hosts are currently serving
indefinite suspensions and possibly worse over a successful April Fools' Day
prank. They told their listeners that
"dihydrogen monoxide" was coming out of
the taps throughout the Cross Connection Nightmare – wastewater in the drinking water in EPA Releases Blueprint for Integrating Technology
Innovation into the National Water Program - to advance EPA's goal of clean and safe water and sustainable
water utilities (more). EPA Webcast on Their April 1, 2013 Focus on Climate Change – Movie: Greedy Lying Bastards, starring
Senator Inhofe & Daryl Hannah (trailer) – and recent
Economist article,
“over the past 15 years air
temperatures at the Earth’s surface have been flat while greenhouse-gas
emissions have continued to soar. The world added roughly 100 billion tones
of carbon to the atmosphere between 2000 and 2010. That is about a quarter of
all the CO₂ put there by humanity since 1750. And yet the five-year mean global
temperature has been flat for a decade.” Pharmaceuticals in the Water (more). Exxon Pipeline Leaks
Thousands of Barrels of Crude Oil in March 31, 2013 EPA Survey Finds More Than Half of the Nation’s
Rivers in Poor Condition – the
results of a comprehensive study of the health
of the country’s waters (more).
PBS on the Safety of American’s Drinking Water – from Chrom6 (PBS
video).
FRWA’s Executive
Director Evolving Thoughts on the New TCR Rule – and the rule’s new construct of
self-assessments. FRWA’s
Executive Director said they initially wanted self-assessments to be
as simple as possible to complete.
However, now they are looking at a more detailed assessment to
motivate the water system to thoroughly consider and investigate the cause of
their “bac-t” positive samples (more). EPA’s
Science Board to Review Agency’s Hydraulic Fracturing (more). March 28, 2013 Helca Water (OH) to Save $6,450 from CCR Mailing
Relief
– stop mailing those CCRs and
appreciate the Power of An Association (more). |
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