For Immediate Release

February 27, 2004

Contact: Lori Burkhammer
1(703) 684-2400

REGISTRATION OPENS FOR WASHINGTON BRIEFING 2004

Featured EPA Speakers include Ben Grumbles, Jim Hanlon,
 Geoffrey Grubbs, and Diane Regas

(Alexandria, VA) - Registration is now open for The Water Environment Federation's (WEF) Washington Briefing 2004, being held April 26-27, 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m., at the Renaissance Hotel, 999 9th Street, NW, Washington, DC.

The program will open with a welcome from WEF President, Lawrence P. Jaworski, followed by the morning keynote speaker, Ben Grumbles, Acting Assistant Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Grumbles will update attendees on EPA's key initiatives and any shift in priorities under the new administrator.

Panel discussions comprise the remainder of the first day and will focus on topics such as the EPA's proposed blending policy, which has been the focus of much debate. Speakers will discuss wet weather treatment options for publicly owned treatment works (POTWs), provide perspectives from both sides of the blending policy debate, and give first-hand accounts of how blending is being practiced today. Other featured topics include: CSO/SSO report to Congress, monitoring, water quality trading, watershed permitting, infrastructure funding, and perspectives on enforcement.

Lunch on the first day will feature a to-be-determined Congressional speaker on water infrastructure funding and other clean water initiatives. On the second day, the WEF Government Affairs Committee meeting will include additional information on legislative priorities. The complete agenda will be available soon at www.wef.org.

Registrants are encouraged to sign up early. For additional information about the program, please contact Sharon Thomas, WEF Manager of Regulatory Affairs at sthomas@wef.org or 703-684-2423; for assistance with registration, contact Lisa Scott at lscott@wef.org or 703-684-2400 ext. 7741.

Founded in 1928, the Water Environment Federation (WEF) is a not-for-profit technical and educational organization with members from varied disciplines who work toward the WEF vision of preservation and enhancement of the global water environment. The WEF network includes water quality professionals from 79 Member Associations in over 30 countries.