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.

July 20, 2007

House Committee Holds Hearings on Legislation to Clarify Intent of Clean Water Act
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held hearings this week on legislation introduced in May by Reps. James Oberstar (D-MN) and John Dingell (D-MI) on the current state of the Clean Water Act in light of two recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions.  The Clean Water Restoration Act (HR 2421) is intended to reaffirm and clarify Congress' intent to protect all waters of the U.S.  At issue is the definition of "navigable waters" which are entitled to federal protection.  The legislation currently has 165 cosponsors.

Carol Browner, who was EPA administrator during the Clinton presidency, testified in support of the legislation at a hearing on July 19.  Written testimony submitted by former EPA administrators William Reilly, William Ruckelshaus, and Russell Train, as well as former EPA assistant administrators for water, G. Tracy Mehan and Robert Perciasepe, also expressed support for the legislation.  Representatives of the National Water Resources Association and the Coalition for Practical Regulation testified against H.R. 2421.  Copies of all testimony given at the hearings on July 17 and 19 are available at http://transportation.house.gov/hearings/.

EPA Extends Deadlines for Feedlot Operations to Obtain Permits, Develop Nutrient Plans
EPA announced on July 18 that it is extending certain compliance deadlines from July 31, 2007 to Feb. 27, 2009 for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).  One extension applies to water pollution permit application deadlines for certain facilities that EPA defined as CAFOs for the first time in 2003.  The other extension relates to when CAFOs that have a Clean Water Act permit are required to develop and implement their nutrient management plans (NMPs). 

In response to a February 2005 federal court decision vacating some portions of a 2003 CAFO rule, EPA proposed a revised rule in 2006 that has yet to be finalized.  The extensions announced this week are from deadlines originally promulgated in the 2003 rule.  According to EPA, the agency needs the extra time to finalize the 2006 rule and wants to provide time for states and the agricultural community to adjust to the new requirements before the compliance dates come into effect.  The extension will be published in the Federal Register soon.  Additional information is available at www.epa.gov/npdes/caforulechanges.

EPA Launches Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products Website
EPA recently launched a website about the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the environment at www.epa.gov/ppcp.  The site incorporates commonly asked questions about pharmaceuticals in the environment, completed and on-going scientific work, and research bibliographies from a website originally managed by EPA's Office of Research and Development.  The White House policy on proper drug disposal, on-going federal research and initiatives, and related scientific literature are also included.  EPA defines PPCPs as "any product used by individuals for personal health or cosmetic reasons or used by agribusiness to enhance growth or health of livestock." 

EPA and CDC Join with Four Communities to Pilot New Federal Environmental Health Partnership
On July 18, EPA administrator Stephen Johnson and CDC/ATSDR director Julie Gerberding signed a formal memorandum of understanding outlining their intentions to develop collaborative strategies that assist communities coping with health problems that may be related to environmental hazards.  Under the agreement, four communities will partner with experts from EPA, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and CDC's sister agency, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registries (ATSDR) to pilot a new initiative aimed at strengthening the capacity of communities to identify and effectively address environmental protection and public health services.  The four communities are Cerro Gordo, Iowa; the Cherokee Nation, Okla.; Savannah, Ga; and Boston, Mass. The communities were selected based on strong local leadership in addressing community issues, experience in working with a wide range of private and public sector partners, and a track record of successfully addressing local health or environmental issues.  "Through this collaboration, we're putting communities in the driver's seat, so they can deliver their residents real environmental results," said Johnson.  Additional information on the EPA-CDC collaboration is available at www.epa.gov/care/collaboration.htm. 

Total Coliform Rule Federal Advisory Committee Conducts First Meeting
A federal advisory committee to steer EPA on how best to revise a rule to better control microbial pathogens in drinking water distribution systems held its first meeting July 17-18.  As it meets over the next few years, the Total Coliform Rule/Distribution System Advisory Committee also will consider other distribution system issues.  The 16-member committee comprises representatives from EPA, drinking water utilities, states, public utility commissioners, epidemiologists, environmental groups, cities, and health associations.  The committee is expected to provide recommendations on what data should be collected, research conducted, or risk management strategies used to better understand distribution system contaminant occurrence and associated public health risks, according to written material provided by EPA.  The committee is expected to meet 10 times a year over a 2 year period.

Quote of the Week:
“One cool judgment is worth a thousand hasty counsels. The thing to do is to supply light and not heat.” 
- Woodrow Wilson

To receive This Week in Washington via e-mail, contact Sharon Thomas at sthomas@wef.org.