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.

April 14, 2006

Provided by the Water Environment Federation, Alexandria, VA

EPA Report Shows Decrease in Toxic Chemicals Released
The amount of toxic chemicals released into the environment decreased four percent from 2003 to 2004 according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) released on April 12.  Significant decreases were seen in dioxin and dioxin compounds, which decreased by 58 percent, mercury and mercury compounds, which were cut by 16 percent, and        polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which went down 92 percent.  More than 23,000 facilities reported for calendar year 2004 and 90% of those used electronic reporting, which streamlined the process significantly.  Facility-specific data was released last November.  The 2004 TRI reporting includes toxics managed in landfills and underground injection wells in addition to those released into water and air and other disposals of persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) chemicals.  PBT chemicals include dioxin and dioxin-like compounds, PCBs, mercury and mercury compounds, lead and lead compounds, and several pesticides.  According to the report, the amount of toxic chemicals released into the environment has declined 45 percent since 1998.  To view TRI data and background information, visit: http://www.epa.gov/tri/tridata/tri04/index.htm.

In related news, EPA announced on April 10 it is hosting workshops for industry to learn how to comply with federal TRI reporting requirements.  The voluntary workshops will take place in the following cities: Meadville, Pittsburgh, State College, and Philadelphia, PA.; Richmond and Roanoke, VA.; Towson, MD.; and Charleston, WV.  To register for the TRI Training Workshops, visit: http://www.epa.gov/tri and click on: SPRING 2006 TRI TRAINING WORKSHOPS FOR RY2005.  (SJH)

New Study Will Benchmark Home Water Usage
EPA and nine water districts, six in the West and three in the South, announced on April 13 a 33-month study to collect detailed information about how much water is consumed in "standard" new homes vs. "high-efficiency" new homes.  The $530,000 study will look at water usage by collecting data from billing records, surveys, and meter measurement of usage signifying faucet, clothes washer, toilet, and other household uses.  EPA will invest $350,000, with the other agencies contributing $20,000 each.  The study will help establish voluntary targets for builders who want to provide buyers with alternate water-efficiency options, develop criteria for water-efficient homes, and create special certification marks to help consumers identify water-efficient new homes.  The study will investigate relationships between household indoor-water use and variables that include the number of residents, home size, and types of fixtures and appliances present.  Outdoor water use will be quantified from total annual use, rates of application, local plant water requirements, lot size, landscape design, and type of irrigation system controller.  It is expected that data gleaned from the study will apply to homes across the country, especially for indoor water use.  Outdoor usage will depend on local climate conditions.  (SJH)

Easier Access to Health and Environmental Effects of Industrial Chemicals
EPA announced on April 13 that it has established a new database that will provide the public with available information on the potential hazards associated with the most widely used industrial chemicals.  The High Production Volume Information System (HPVIS) will provide comprehensive and easy access to basic health and environmental effects on the 2200 High Production Volume (HPV) chemicals that are sponsored under the HPV Challenge Program.  This program challenges U.S. companies to voluntarily make publicly available basic health and safety data for chemicals manufactured or imported in volumes of one million pounds or more per year.  HPVIS offers several options for accessing the data including, standard reports, customized requests, and the ability to review data for either individual chemicals or categories of chemicals.  For more Information on the HPVIS, visit   http://www.epa.gov/hpvis.  Additional information on the HPV Challenge Program is at http://www.epa.gov/hpv.  (SJH)

Notice of Data Availability for Test Procedures for the Analysis of E. coli
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced in the April 11 Federal Register the availability of new data supporting approval of an additional E. coli method for wastewater and sewage sludge.  EPA proposed to approve a number of new analytical methods for measuring E. coli and other microbiological pollutants in wastewater and sewage sludge on August 16, 2005.  EPA is requesting comment only on the data and method described in the notice. Comments are due May 11.  To view the Federal Register notice, visit: http://www.myspy.us/cgi-bin/nph-paidmember.cgi/111011A/http/www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-WATER/2006/April/Day-11/w5325.htm (SJH).

Quote of the Week:  “When we got into office, the thing that surprised me the most was that things were as bad as we'd been saying they were.”  - John F. Kennedy, (1917 - 1963)

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/.