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July 30, 2020
In a webinar on July 23, EPA staff from the Office of Research and Development (ORD) provided a progress update on developing analytical methods for PFAS.
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July 30, 2020
NACWA hosted the third and final session of its three-part webinar series, Partnerships to Reduce the Impacts from COVID-19 on the Water Sector on Tuesday, July 28.
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July 22, 2020
Formal deliberations on the next COVID-19 relief bill began in earnest this week. As talks kicked off on Monday, NACWA sent another letter to Senate leadership urging inclusion of direct clean water utility and ratepayer assistance in the next package.
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July 22, 2020
The water sector continued joint efforts this week to address concerns over funding provisions for the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program in the House’s proposed FY 2021 appropriations package for EPA.
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July 22, 2020
NACWA will host the final installment of its three-part webinar series next Tuesday, July 28, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. EST. Next week’s session will be moderated by Yvonne Forrest, Director, Houston Water in Houston, TX and will feature the following speakers:
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July 22, 2020
The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) last week finalized a set of sweeping changes to the rules governing how environmental reviews of proposed Federal actions are conducted under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). According to CEQ, “the modernized regulations will promote more efficient, effective, and timely environmental reviews by all Federal agencies.”
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July 22, 2020
Last week, EPA finalized updates to its regulations governing the Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 401 state water quality certification process. The Agency proposed the changes in August of last year pursuant to Executive Order 13868, “Promoting Energy Infrastructure and Economic Growth.”
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July 22, 2020
EPA re-launched its POTW Screener Questionnaire in June as part of the Agency’s National Study of Nutrient Removal and Secondary Technologies. After delays due to the coronavirus, and after making revisions recommended by EPA stakeholders, the Agency has begun its second round of fielding the survey.
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July 16, 2020
NACWA congratulates Terry Leeds, Director of KC Water, as NACWA’s newly-elected President for 2020-2021.
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July 16, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an issue to resurface that some public clean water utilities periodically face: the potential diversion of utility ratepayer funds to fill gaps in other areas of a city (or other governmental body’s) budget.
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July 16, 2020
As the start of the federal Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) rapidly approaches on October 1st, the U.S. House has begun working to advance its annual Appropriations (funding) bills through their committee process. Last week, the House Appropriations Committee passed its Interior and Environment bill to fund the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and core clean water programs.
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July 16, 2020
While the bill passed this week by the committee only contains provisions related to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) policies and projects, the House is expected to couple it with the committee’s clean water focused and bipartisan Water Quality Protection and Job Creation Act of 2019, H.R. 1497, during WRDA conference negotiations with the Senate this summer and fall.
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July 16, 2020
In comments filed on July 6, NACWA continues its support of EPA maintaining the existing Comprehensive Procurement Guideline Designations (CPG) and Recovered Materials Advisory Notice (RMAN) recommendations for landscaping products, which includes compost made from recovered organic materials like biosolids.
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July 16, 2020
The International Water Services Flushability Group (IWSFG) held its annual meeting virtually on July 1 to discuss potential updates to its Flushability Specifications.
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July 16, 2020
EPA announced July 14 that 2020 funding for the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program is now available.
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July 10, 2020
NACWA released a new document highlighting a variety of considerations for public clean water utilities across the country that are already doing wastewater-based epidemiological (WBE) surveillance for COVID-19 or contemplating doing so in the future.
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July 10, 2020
Leading private sector partners of the public clean water sector engaged in the first of a three-part NACWA webinar series titled Partnerships to Reduce the Impacts from COVID-19 on the Water Sector.
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July 10, 2020
Before adjourning for a two-week July 4th state work recess period, the U.S. House last week advanced a comprehensive and massive infrastructure investment package, the Moving Forward Act (H.R. 2), which includes robust funding for the clean water sector.
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July 10, 2020
Last week, Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), along with a strong bipartisan group of Senators, introduced legislation, S. 4129, the Lifting Our Communities through Advance Liquidity for Infrastructure (LOCAL Infrastructure) Act, that would restore state and local governments’ ability to advance refund tax exempt municipal bonds.
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July 10, 2020
In a series of comment letters, NACWA asked EPA to consider aquatic impacts of pesticides and to improve label language for pesticide products.