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Water Headlines for March 30, 2007Benjamin H. Grumbles Water Headlines is a weekly on-line publication that announces publications, policies, and activities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency"s Office of Water. In This Week"s Water Headlines:
US and China Increase Efforts to Protect China’s Water ResourcesThe U.S. and China signed an agreement March 27 to expand the cooperative program that provides U.S. technical assistance to help improve and protect water quality and access to safe and sustainable water resources in China. Increasing water conservation and efficiency in China will also help reduce energy consumption and air pollution locally and globally. "This U.S.-China watershed agreement strengthens our partnership and advances the Bush Administration's agenda for sustainable economic development and environmental protection," said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Benjamin H. Grumbles. China faces mounting water resource challenges. Under this agreement, EPA will collaborate with China to explore better management solutions through technical assistance to improve the health and accessibility of China's water resources. The agreement provides a framework for cooperation between the countries in the following areas:
The new memorandum of understanding (MOU) came on the heels of this year’s 15th World Water Day and China’s 20th World Water Week celebrations. EPA and China’s Ministry of Water Resources (MWR) signed the MOU. This agreement complements the 2003 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between EPA and China’s State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) on Scientific and Technical Cooperation in the Field of Environment. An annex to that MOU sets forth a framework for scientific and technical cooperation on water pollution between the two countries. More information: http://www.epa.gov/water/new.html. EPA Releases Clean Water State Revolving Fund 2006 Annual ReportThe Environmental Protection Agency invested more than $900 million in 2006 to help states and municipalities update their wastewater infrastructure. Combined with state contributions, total financial assistance for wastewater projects topped $5 billion for the first time according to the just-released Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) 2006 Annual Report. Since the CWSRF program began 20 years ago, more than 18,000 loans totaling more than $57 billion have been provided to help rebuild and refurbish the nation's wastewater infrastructure. "The State Clean Water Funds are revolving and evolving to reach new levels of success and sustainability. EPA’s national report underscores the importance of innovation and partnership to increase environmental results in watersheds and communities across America" said Benjamin H. Grumbles, EPA assistant administrator for water. The report points to greater emphasis placed on community outreach programs last year. The programs stimulate participation and encourage new approaches to providing information about the CWSRF. Although participation is voluntary, all 50 states and Puerto Rico are now tracking the link between project assistance and environmental benefits. The low-interest loans help communities restore and protect aquatic life, recreational uses and drinking water sources. More Information: http://www.epa.gov/owm/cwfinance/cwsrf/annreport2006.htm. EPA and ECC Kick-off Anti-Litter Campaign Focusing on The Anacostia RiverDuring the month of April, people in Washington, DC using buses and the Metrorail will be greeted by posters raising awareness of how important it is to keep the Anacostia River litter-free. The Earth Conservation Corps (ECC) and EPA’s Office of Water are sponsoring this month-long anti-litter campaign. The poster, illustrating the idea that "An Anacostia River that’s Clean Doesn’t have to be a Dream," is the winning entry in a 2006 contest sponsored by EPA and the ECC, a Washington DC based youth development and environmental service organization. New EPA Web Module Offers Watershed Outreach TrainingEPA’s Watershed Academy recently posted a free, updated online training module on "Getting In Step: A Guide to Conducting Watershed Outreach Campaigns." This module offers a tested step-by-step system to help local governments, watershed organizations and others maximize the effectiveness of public outreach campaigns to help solve nonpoint source pollution problems and protect local waterways. The module is based on EPA’s free, downloadable outreach guide "Getting in Step: Guide for Conducting Watershed Outreach Campaigns" (published in Dec. 2003 and posted at: www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/outreach/documents). To view the new Getting in Step online training module, visit http://www.epa.gov/watertrain/gettinginstep/. Approximately 50 other free online Watershed Academy training modules are available at: http://www.epa.gov/watertrain/. NPDES Overview Course for Permittees - Two Sessions OfferedRegistration is currently open for the NPDES Permit Program Overview Course for Permittees - Including New and Emerging Issues. Co-sponsored by WEF and the EPA, the course will be offered in two locations: Atlanta, Georgia on April 26-27, 2007; and Albuquerque, New Mexico on July 11-12, 2007. The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting program is authorized under the Clean Water Act (CWA) to control the discharge of pollutants from industrial and municipal point sources to waters of the United States. Currently, EPA provides training on the basic requirements and methods for issuing NPDES Permits to permit writers. This course will provide similar training for the permit holder and focus on a process to foster increased involvement in permit development and implementation. The objective of the course is to increase understanding by both the permit holder and permit writer as a means to help reduce permit issuance time and lead to increased permit compliance. To register for a session or for additional information, visit the WEF website at: http://www.wef.org/ConferencesTraining/TrainingProfessionalDevelopment/Workshops/NPDESPermitProgramOverview.htm Subscribe to Water HeadlinesPlease forward this message to your friends and colleagues who share an interest in water-related issues and would like to hear from EPA"s Office of Water. To subscribe to the Water Headlines listserve: Send an email message, leave the subject line blank, and address it to: In the body of the message write: Subscribe Water Headlines first name last name (Please leave one blank space between each word, do not include any other message, and use your actual name- i.e. Subscribe Water Headlines Robert Jones)
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