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.

October 13, 2006

Provided by the Water Environment Federation, Alexandria, VA

EPA Administrator Signs Underground Drinking Water Rule
On October 11, Stephen Johnson, Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), signed a rule intended to reduce disease incidence associated with microorganisms in drinking water.  The rule establishes a risk-based approach to target ground water systems that are vulnerable to fecal contamination and requires them to take corrective action to reduce potential illness from exposure.  The rule will apply to all systems that use ground water as a source of drinking water.  The risk-targeting strategy incorporated in the rule provides for regular sanitary surveys of public water systems to look for significant deficiencies in key operational areas, triggered source-water monitoring when a system that does not sufficiently disinfect drinking water identifies a positive sample during its regular monitoring to comply with existing rules, implementation of corrective actions by ground water systems with a significant deficiency or evidence of source water fecal contamination, compliance monitoring for systems that are sufficiently treating drinking water to ensure effective removal of pathogens.  The final rule will be published in the Federal Register soon.  A pre-publication copy is available at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/disinfection/gwr/.  (SRT)

EPA Announces Schedule for Registration Review of Pesticides
EPA announced in the October 11 Federal Register the availability of a schedule for the registration review of pesticides mandated in section 3(g) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). EPA is making the schedule available pursuant to the Registration Review procedural regulations, to inform the public and help interested stakeholders prepare for the initiation of the registration reviews scheduled for the first four years of the program. To develop the schedule, EPA used procedures set forth in the August 9 final rule. The schedule shows how the Agency plans to sequence pesticide reviews to meet the goal of reviewing each pesticide's registration every 15 years. Although there is not a comment period for this schedule, the Agency may consider issues raised by the public or the registrant when reviewing the posted schedule, to schedule a pesticide registration review, or to modify the schedule of a pesticide registration review as appropriate. This schedule will take effect on October 10, the effective date of the registration review regulation. To view the Federal Register notice, visit: http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/2006/October/Day-11/p16483.htm. (SJH)

EPA Requests Proposals for Activities to Advance Methane Recovery and Use as a Clean Energy Source
EPA announced on October 11 that it is requesting proposals to fund projects and activities that support the Methane to Markets Partnership. The partnership is an international initiative to reduce global methane emissions by promoting methane capture-and-use projects in four major sectors including agriculture (animal waste management), coal mining, landfills, and oil and gas systems.  EPA expects to award up to 20 cooperative agreements through this announcement, ranging from $25,000 to $300,000 per award, for a total of $2.5 million. EPA is requesting proposals for projects that support the partnership broadly, but that may include the following types of activities: directly identify, characterize, or implement methane capture-and-use projects – including technology transfer, feasibility and pre-feasibility studies, training and capacity building, or database development for potential sites.  EPA seeks proposals from international governments, as well as public or private non-profit organizations. Proposals are due by Dec. 4.  Additional information is available at http://www.epa.gov/methanetomarkets/activities.htm  or at http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?oppId=11145&mode=VIEW. (SJH)
 
USDA and EPA Plan to Announce National Water Quality Credit Trading Agreement
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will announce a partnership agreement to encourage Water Quality Credit Trading nationwide on Friday. The agreement coordinates agency efforts and improves measures to better ensure that water quality credits produced by agricultural landowners are credible and verifiable, and may be used to offset regulatory requirements of industrial and municipal facilities.  The announcement will be made at a farm in Harwood, Maryland on Friday morning by USDA Undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment, Mark Rey, and EPA Assistant Administrator Ben Grumbles.  Additional information on trading is available at http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/watershed/trading.htm.  (SRT)

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/.