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 Reports High Levels of Bacterial Contamination in Preliminary Floodwater Samples from New Orleans

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sampled floodwaters from six locations across New Orleans and analyzed them for chemicals and bacteria. Bacteria counts for E. coli in sampled areas greatly exceed EPA’s recommended levels for contact. Chemical sampling was performed for over one hundred priority pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs), total metals, pesticides, herbicides, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Results from these analyses were compared to various Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and EPA health levels. Lead concentrations in flood water exceeded drinking water action levels. EPA has not detected contaminant levels that would exceed the EPA and ATSDR health levels for the other chemicals tested. EPA plans extensive sampling efforts and cautions that these initial results do not represent the condition of all flood waters throughout the area. Due to the priority of the search and rescue mission, EPA testing has occurred in several highly populated residential neighborhoods and not yet in heavily industrialized areas. EPA is advising emergency response personnel and the public to avoid direct contact with standing water when possible. Information on EPA’s response to hurricane Katrina is available at http://www.epa.gov/katrina.

Information on WEF’s response, including how you can join the effort to provide water and wastewater supplies, equipment, and services to areas affected by Hurricane Katrina through the National Emergency Resource Registry, is available at www.wef.org. (SRT)

U.S. National Academies Launches Water Information Center on the Web

The U.S. National Academies this week announced the launch of its web-based Water Information Center, containing more than 100 peer-reviewed reports from the National Academies on water-related issues. The goal of the Center is to assist the work of water scientists, engineers, managers, policy-makers, and students throughout the world by providing reports that represent independent and objective consensus among experts from academia, industry, and other entities. The website features the following major topics: Water Supply and Sanitation, Water and Soil Remediation, Hydrologic Hazards, Water Quality in the Natural Environment, River Basin Systems Management, Environmental Assessment, Management, and Restoration, and Water Science and Research. All of the reports are free on-line and summaries can be downloaded as PDF documents. The web address is http://water.nationalacademies.org. (SRT)

National Water Quality Monitoring Council Seeking Award Nominations
The National Water Quality Monitoring Council is soliciting nominations for the 2006 Elizabeth Jester Fellows Award to be presented at the Fifth National Monitoring Conference scheduled for May 7-11 in San José, California. Established in tribute to and in memory of Elizabeth Fellows (1944-2000), the award recognizes an individual for their outstanding achievement, exemplary service, and distinguished leadership in the field of water quality monitoring. Visit http://www.tetratech-ffx.com/nwqmc06/award.cfm to learn more about Elizabeth, the award’s criteria, and past recipients. Award nominations and abstracts to speak at the conference are due September 16. (SRT)

 

Quote of the Week: “Brotherhood is the very price and condition of man's survival”  -Carlos Pena Romulo

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/.