This Week in Washington is a weekly publication of the Water Environment Federation’s Government Affairs department. It provides updates on the latest legislative and regulatory developments that affect the water and wastewater communities.

Provided by the Water Environment Federation, Alexandria, VA

EPA Announces It Will Not Finalize Draft Blending Policy

In separate letters to House Transportation Committee Chairman Don Young (R-AK) and Water Resources Subcommittee Chairman John Duncan (R-TN), EPA announced that it has no intention to move forward with draft guidance on blending that it issued in November 2003. It is unclear at this time how the blending issue will move forward.  EPA issued the statement as Congress was considering an amendment sponsored by Congressman Stupak (D-MI), Congressman Pallone (D-NJ), Congressman Shaw (R-FL), and Congressman Miller (R-FL) to the FY06 Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill that would have prevented EPA from working on the draft guidance. It was hoped that by EPA’s action, sponsors of the amendment would withdraw it, but they did not. After debate on the measure, the amendment was accepted by a voice vote and is now part of the House Interior and Environment FY06 Appropriations Bill. (PS)  

House Passes FY06 Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill

Last night, the House passed the FY06 Interior and Appropriations Bill that includes steep cuts to several environmental programs, including the Clean Water SRF.  Despite attempts by House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member, Congressman Dave Obey (D-WI), to restore funding to the Clean Water SRF, the measure included $850 million for the program; a cut of approximately $250 million over the previous year’s funding level.  The legislation now moves to the Senate where Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT), Chair of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, has vowed to restore funding to the Clean Water SRF at least to last year’s enacted level of $1.1 billion, though he has not indicated the source of the additional funding.  (PS) 

National Water Program Guidance Now Available on the Web

The National Water Program Guidance for FY 2006 is now available on the Office of Water website at www.epa.gov/water/waterplan.   The Guidance describes strategies for accomplishing the key environmental and public health goals in the EPA Strategic Plan.   The Executive Summary of the Guidance describes top priorities for FY 2006.   Included in the Guidance are measures of program activities that support each of ten key environmental goals (i.e. subobjectives that support the overall goals of clean and safe water).   EPA Regional offices will be working with States and Tribes to develop "commitments" under these measures over the next several months using general "targets" in the Guidance.   These final commitments are to be included in State/EPA grant agreements, performance partnership agreements, and other documents.  The Guidance also includes information about the management system for assessing progress toward the environmental goals and the new Agency initiative to link program grants to support of these environmental goals.   Printed copies of the Guidance are available from EPA Regional Offices and from Elana Goldstein in the Office of Water (202-564-1800). (SJH)

This Week in Washington is provided by the Water Environment Federation, Alexandria, VA. To receive This Week in Washington by e-mail, contact Lisa Jones, (703) 684-2400 ext. 7741, ljones@wef.org . For more information on this week's stories, please contact the WEF staff whose initials appear at the end of the item in which you are interested. TW - Tim Williams (703) 684-2437, twilliams@wef.org ; SRT - Sharon Thomas, (703) 684-2423, sthomas@wef.org ; SJH - Sam Hadeed (703) 684-2418, shadeed@wef.org ; PS-Patricia Sinicropi (703) 684-2416, psinicropi@wef.org . This Week in Washington is available on-line at http://www.wef.org/PolicyAction/USGovernmentAffairs/TWIW/.