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WaterNews for January 27, 2006Benjamin Grumbles WaterNews 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 WaterNews:
EPA Helps Schools and Child Care Facilities Reduce Lead in Drinking WaterThe Office of Water has released a specialized toolkit to encourage school officials and child care facilities to reduce lead in their drinking water. The “3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water at Schools and Child care Facilities Toolkit” contains materials to implement a voluntary Training, Testing, and Telling strategy. “Our drinking water tools for schools teach lead prevention through action and awareness," said Benjamin H. Grumbles, Assistant Administrator for Water. "This new and improved guidance will help students, teachers, and parents have confidence in the quality of their school's tap water." Testing water in schools and child care centers is important because children spend a significant portion of their days there. The “3Ts Toolkit” explains how to test for lead in drinking water; report results to parents, students, staff, and other interested parties; and take action to correct problems. The toolkit also includes an update to a 1994 EPA technical guidance to help schools design and implement testing programs. EPA developed the toolkit in conjunction with nongovernment organizations and several federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Education, whose Safe and Drug-Free School Coordinators will help promote and distribute the package to schools. Printed copies of the toolkit will be available through the Water Resource Center at 800-832-7828 and through the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at: 800-426-4791. To view the toolkit visit: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/schools/guidance.html. EPA will also distribute toolkits at conferences attended by school officials and child care providers throughout 2006. Information about drinking water and children’s health is available at: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/kids/kidshealth. Federal Infrastructure Assistance Handbook for Hurricane Recovery to be DevelopedEPA organized and led a meeting on Federal Funding Assistance for Louisiana Water and Wastewater Utilities damaged by hurricanes Katrina/Rita. About 60 representatives from relevant agencies of the State of Louisiana and the federal government attended the meeting on January 18 in Baton Rouge. Participants reviewed the various government funding programs available to communities as they weigh needs and options for water and wastewater infrastructure redevelopment. Agencies agreed to work together to prepare a handbook on federal funding assistance for water and wastewater utilities, and to take other joint actions to assist utilities in their hurricane recovery efforts. Watch WaterNews for further developments about this initiative. EPA Publishes Guidelines for Awarding CWA Sect. 319 Grants to Indian TribesOn January 17, EPA published guidelines in the Federal Register for awarding Clean Water Act Section 319 grants to Indian Tribes in FY 2006 for the purpose of assisting them in implementing their approved nonpoint source management programs. EPA awards non-competitive base grants to Tribes to support a range of activities including conducting nonpoint source education programs, training, and developing watershed-based plans. A portion of the funding is also awarded on a competitive basis to support on-the-ground watershed projects and development and implementation of watershed-based plans designed to protect unimpaired waters and restore nonpoint source impaired waters. EPA intends to award a total of $7 million and proposed work plans from eligible Tribes are due March 1. For more information visit: http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/tribal.html. Administration Defends Wetlands Progress Before Supreme CourtOn January 13, the Office of the Solicitor General filed the government’s briefs in two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, Rapanos, et. al. v. U.S. and Carabell, et. al. v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency . The issue in both cases focuses on the agencies’ authority to require a Clean Water Act permit for activities in wetlands that are physically adjacent to another water of the United States. EPA sees this authority as critical to its role in ensuring effective protection for the Nation’s wetlands. Benjamin H. Grumbles, Assistant Administrator for Water, emphasized that “the Administration’s briefs provide a strong defense of wetlands, streams, and the tools under the Clean Water Act that are critical to protecting them.” Oral argument in these cases is scheduled for February 21. February Public Meeting on Designated Uses and Use Attainability AnalysisThe Water Environment Federation and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are co-sponsoring a 1-1/2 day Open Public Meeting on Designated Uses and Use Attainability Analysis. The meeting will help educate the public on current Water Quality Standards regulations, policy, and practices related to designated uses and use attainability analysis. It will also provide a forum public discussions, questions, and feedback. The meeting will be at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel in Chicago on February 8-9. For more information, contact Patricia Harrigan at 202-566-1666 or send an e-mail to harrigan.patricia@epa.gov. Subscribe to WaterNewsPlease 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 WaterNews listserve: Send an email message, leave the subject line blank, and address it to: In the body of the message write: Subscribe WaterNews firstname lastname (Please leave one blank space between each word, do not include any other message, and use your actual name- i.e. Subscribe WaterNews Robert Jones) A welcome message will appear in your email box once you are officially subscribed.
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