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.

May 19, 2006

Provided by the Water Environment Federation, Alexandria, VA

House FY07 Agriculture Spending Bill Due for Floor Action
The fiscal year 2007 spending bill for agriculture, nutrition, and food aid programs and the Food and Drug Administration is expected on the House floor this week.  The House Appropriations Committee on May 9 approved the bill, which would provide $18.5 billion in discretionary spending, by voice vote. The Agriculture Department’s Natural Resources Conservation Service would receive $920 million for fiscal 2007, 8 percent below current spending.  NRCS conservation operations would be cut $40 million from the fiscal 2006 level for a total of $791 million. Operations funding includes $654 million for conservation technical assistance, $89 million for the soil surveys program, and $27 million for a grazing lands conservation initiative. For resource conservation and development, the bill would provide $51 million, level with current-year spending. The watershed and flood prevention program would be reduced by $34 million below current spending to $40 million. The watershed rehabilitation program would receive $31 million, the fiscal year 2006 level. The watershed surveys and planning program would receive level funding of $6 million. (PS)
 
House Passes EPA Spending Bill
Last night, the House passed the FY07 Interior and EPA spending package after 12 hours of debate and many votes on contentious conservation issues.  The total spending package is $25.9 billion and included funding for the Department of Interior, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Forest Service.  The House largely followed the House Appropriations Committee’s recommendations, with some minor revisions, including adding $2 million to the EPA State and Tribal Assistance Grants program at the request of Congressman Charles Taylor, Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees this bill.  On a 231-187 vote, the House adopted an amendment by Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ) to block EPA from completing proposed regulatory changes to relax chemical reporting requirements of the Toxics Release Inventory for large industrial facilities. The House also adopted language by Rep. James L. Oberstar (D-MN) to overturn EPA guidelines that would leave it to states to regulate isolated wetlands that lie solely within one state’s borders. The vote was 222-198. Oberstar said the guidelines go far beyond the terms of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, which he said narrowly instructed that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers may not determine the presence of wetlands base solely on the presence of migratory birds.

The EPA policy would require the federal government to prove that intrastate waters are subject to federal regulation. Oberstar said the policy does not reflect the intent of Congress, noting that he was a congressional staffer when the Clean Water Act was written, and was involved in drafting the provision under debate. Ruled out of order was an amendment by Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin, the ranking Democrat on the full Appropriations Committee, to reduce the recent tax cut for those making over $1 million by 2 percent and use the hundreds of millions of dollars recouped to increase funding for the clean water State Revolving Fund, for security measures for water supplies, for maintenance needs at national parks and other public lands, for priority land acquisitions, and for other conservation programs. Obey offered a similar amendment in the committee markup; it was defeated there as well. (PS)
 
EPA and ECOS Propose Implementation Actions for Performance-Based Environmental Programs
EPA announced in the May 15 Federal Register that it is seeking public comment about proposed actions resulting from a collaborative effort between EPA and representatives from the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS). ECOS and EPA have developed a series of recommended actions, including to identify, develop, and implement incentives for top environmental performers that are part of state and federal performance-based environmental programs; to facilitate the integration of performance based programs into EPA and State Agencies; and to enhance marketing and outreach of performance based programs.  Comments must be received on or before June 14.  To view the Federal Register notice, visit: http://www.myspy.us/cgi-bin/nph-paidmember.cgi/111011A/http/www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-GENERAL/2006/May/Day-15/g7333.htm.  (SJH)

State Drinking Water Fund Report Tops $9 Billion for Infrastructure Improvements
EPA released the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) 2005 annual report on May 18. The first of its kind, the report stated that almost $9.5 billion in drinking water improvements has been invested by the states since 1996.  Congress established the program in 1996 to help finance infrastructure improvements.  The report focuses on nearly 4,400 projects that have ranged from treatment, transmission and distribution, and rehabilitation of wells to developing new sources of water, upgrading storage facilities, and consolidating water systems.  Since the program's inception, almost 73 percent of all DWSRF loans have been made to water systems serving fewer than 10,000 people.  Additional information on the DWSRF annual report is at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwsrf. (SJH)
 
City of Albany, OR Wastewater Treatment Plant Receives NBP EMS Certification
The National Biosolids Partnership (NBP), an alliance of WEF, NACWA, and U.S. EPA, recognized the City of Albany, OR, Wastewater Treatment Plant as the twelfth wastewater agency in the nation to be certified and admitted to the Partnership’s environmental management system (EMS) for biosolids program. The City of Albany Wastewater Treatment Plant is one of 90 wastewater agencies currently participating in the NBP EMS program.  The City of Albany Wastewater Treatment Plant’s achievement recognizes that the agency has been independently verified as having an effective biosolids EMS. The City’s biosolids EMS was independently verified on May 15 to conform to the NBP’s EMS guidance.  Another 12-14 NBP wastewater agencies are expected to undergo audits of their biosolids EMS programs in 2006.  To view the Albany, OR, EMS information, visit the NBP web page: www.biosolids.org. (SJH)
 
US EPA Region 5 and Several States Partner to Provide Workshops in May 2006, on Toxic Chemical Release Inventory (TRI) Reporting
US EPA Region 5 has teamed up with Minnesota, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio to provide training on TRI Reporting requirements under Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA).  An introductory workshop, for those with little to no experience, is available, as well as an advanced workshop for those who have experience with the reporting requirements.  Facilities that employ at least 10 full time equivalent employees, meet a chemical threshold activity, and are either Federal Facilities or are in any of the SIC Codes specified in the law are subject to Section 313 requirements.  Advance registration is required for these workshops and is at www.epa.gov/tri.  Contact Frank Gabrielow at 312-886-0404 for more information. (SJH)

Quote of the Week: “Ideas are the beginning of all achievement.” -- Bruce Lee

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/GovernmentAffairs/TWIW/.