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.

Senate Fails to Invoke Cloture on Farm Bill
Unable to resolve an impasse over which amendments could be offered, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) filed a cloture motion on the Farm Bill Nov. 14 that fell short today by 5 votes.  Cloture is the only procedure by which the Senate can vote to place a time limit on consideration of a bill.  Reid indicated that he was forced to file for cloture because the Senate is running out of time for consideration of H.R. 2419 and was unable to strike a deal on how many and which amendments would be debated and voted upon.  The debate on the five-year, $286 billion bill came close to a halt on Nov. 6 when Sen. Reid invoked a parliamentary procedure to limit amendments to those related to the legislation.  All Democrats voted for cloture, as did 4 Republicans, but it wasn’t enough to get the 60 votes required by the cloture rule.  Failure to invoke cloture means that the Farm Bill will be delayed until after the Thanksgiving recess, and possibly until 2008.  The conservation title approved by the Senate agriculture committee on Oct. 26 would increase authorized funding for conservation programs by $4.8 billion.  WEF is closely tracking a provision in the Farm Bill that would establish a Regional Water Enhancement Program to assist partnerships between farmers and outside stakeholders, such as water and wastewater utilities, that seek to improve water quality impacts from farming operations. 

Hypoxia Task Force Completes Assessment
The Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force has completed its assessment of progress to reduce the size of the Gulf hypoxic zone and released its report, Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008 for Reducing, Mitigating, and Controlling Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico and Improving Water Quality in the Mississippi River Basin.  The Action Plan is a revised version of one released in 2001 and reflects the Task Force’s efforts to track progress, update the science, and adapt its actions to improve the effectiveness of efforts throughout the basin. The 2008 plan reiterates the Task Force’s long term goals and lays out specific steps that need to be accomplished. It also continues to emphasize the Task Force’s commitment to an adaptive management approach to reducing the size and impact of the Gulf hypoxic zone and improving water quality in the Basin.  The Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force was established in the fall of 1997 as part of the Bush Administration's plan to address hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico and includes both federal and state agencies.  Comments on the draft Action Plan will be accepted until Jan. 4.  The final draft is posted on the Task Force website at www.epa.gov/msbasin/.

EPA Enforcement Actions in 2007 Result in Record $10.6 Billion Spent on Cleanups
EPA announced on Nov.15 that its enforcement program achieved historic results to protect the nation's air, water, and land in fiscal year 2007.  Industries, government agencies and other regulated entities agreed to spend a record $10.6 billion in pollution controls and environmental projects, exceeding the previous record of $10.2 billion set in 2005.  According to an EPA press release, the agency’s civil and criminal enforcement actions in FY 2007 produced commitments to reduce pollutants by 890 million pounds. Nearly 70 percent of these reductions were achieved by addressing high-priority air and water pollution problems, with air-related commitments to reduce 427 million pounds of pollutants and water-related commitments to reduce 178 million pounds.  In addition, EPA reached out to a record number of regulated entities – 3 million - during FY 2007 through compliance assistance activities.  Much of this was accomplished through the agency’s 15 web-based assistance centers that provide information on environmental regulations and compliance issues.  More information on EPA's FY 2007 enforcement and compliance program, including details of significant enforcement and compliance activities and data, is available at www.epa.gov/compliance/data/results/annual/fy2007.html.

EPA Announces Total Coliform Meeting on December 5-6
EPA announced in the Nov. 13 Federal Register a meeting to discuss a federal rule on controlling microbial contaminants in drinking water on Dec. 5-6 in Washington, D.C.  The meeting will be the third of 10 planned meetings under the Federal Advisory Committee Act to consider revisions to EPA's Total Coliform Rule of 1989.  Total coliforms are a group of closely related bacteria that, while usually not harmful to humans, can indicate a water utility distribution system's vulnerability to more dangerous pathogens.  Individuals interested in attending should register with Kate Zimmer (202-965-6387 or kzimmer@resolv.org) by Dec. 3.  The FR notice is available at www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-MEETINGS/2007/November/Day-13/m22116.htm.

Quote of the Week:
“An optimist is a person who starts a new diet on Thanksgiving Day.” 
- Irv Kupcinet

To receive This Week in Washington via e-mail, contact Martha Ravenhill at mravenhill@wef.org.