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.

NACWA has been reviewing the Association’s plans for continuity of operations and for future meetings and events in light of developments surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19).

NACWA, along with the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and the Water Environment Federation (WEF), met with senior EPA Office of Water (OW) and Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) leadership on February 27 to hear an update on work EPA has underway to potentially revise the Agency’s household affordability and utility financial capability methodologies.

After a year-long effort, EPA released the first iteration of the National Water Reuse Action Plan (WRAP) on February 27.

EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler testified before the House Subcommittee on the Environment and Climate Change last Thursday, Feb. 27th concerning EPA’s Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) Budget.

NACWA and the California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA) met with EPA on February 25 to discuss the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program’s classification of fuel produced through co-digestion of biosolids and food waste.