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Water Headlines for November 9, 2006Benjamin 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:
2007 National Wetlands Awards Nomination Forms Available!The National Wetlands Awards Program celebrates individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary dedication, innovation or excellence in wetlands conservation. Their work covers programs or projects on the regional, state and local levels, and their efforts to educate the public and surrounding communities about the value of wetlands, the programs that are available to protect and restore wetlands, and the value of cooperation among grassroots organizations, educational organizations, private landowners, and government agencies lead to the successful protection of wetland resources. National Wetlands Awardees show how individuals can and do make a difference. The National Wetlands Awards Program recognizes extraordinary individual achievement in six categories: Education and Outreach; Science Research; Conservation and Restoration; Landowner Stewardship; State, Tribal, and Local Program Development; and Wetland Community Leader. The winners in each category will be honored in a ceremony on Capital Hill in May 2007. The awards are co-sponsored by the Environmental Law Institute, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA Forest Service, NOAA Fisheries, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Federal Highway Administration. For more information about the National Wetlands Awards or to submit a nomination, please visit http://www.nationalwetlandsawards.org $7 Million Available for Tribal NonPoint Source ProjectsEPA plans to award $7 million in grants to eligible tribes for nonpoint source pollution programs. The grants, awarded under Section 319(h) of the Clean Water Act, will help tribes implement their approved nonpoint source (NPS) management programs to control polluted runoff. A portion of the funding will be distributed competitively to develop and implement watershed-based plans and other projects that result in a significant step towards solving NPS impairments. The remaining funds will be distributed to all eligible tribes for education programs, protection activities, and implementing watershed projects. The agency is also releasing national guidelines for the award of this base-grant funding. EPA expects funds will be similar to those distributed in FY 2006, which included approximately $3.8 million awarded to 28 tribes and $3.2 million in base grants awarded to 95 tribes. Nonpoint source pollution, unlike pollution from industrial and sewage treatment plants, comes from many sources and is caused by rainfall or snow melt moving over and through the ground. The runoff picks up and carries away natural and human-made pollutants, finally depositing them into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters, and even underground water sources. Applications for the funding must be received by Dec. 19, 2006. Request for proposals: http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?oppId=11280&mode=VIEW National Guidelines: http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/tribal Tribal Grants Guidance to Promote Environmental ResultsA new EPA publication will help Indian tribes design and implement successful water quality programs. The Guidance on Awards of Grants to Indian Tribes under Section 106 of the Clean Water Act sets goals and requirements for grant recipients and provides a framework for evaluating program results. The guidelines will help redefine how tribes implement the Clean Water Act to protect, restore, and maintain the integrity of the nation's waters. During the past 10 years, EPA has increased funding for the grants from $3 million to $25 million a year. Many tribes have implemented successful water quality programs under these grants. The guide will serve as a one-stop reference for major water quality activities. It will increase uniformity in program management nationally while providing tribes with the flexibility to adapt to local situations. It will also help improve the quality and access to data on the results of the grant investments. Reporting requirements and data management expectations for all tribal programs are key components of this guidance. Data collected as a result of these requirements will help EPA measure results and comply with the Government Performance and Results Act and other federal mandates. Additional information on these grants: http://www.epa.gov/owm/cwfinance/106tgg07.htm. Web cast Training on Drinking Water Rule Implementation ToolsEPA is hosting three Web cast training sessions in November 2006 and January 2007 to help owners and operators of public drinking water systems and laboratories in their compliance with the Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (Stage 2) and the Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT2). The training sessions are designed to cover the Data Collection and Tracking System (DCTS), the Initial Distribution System Evaluation (IDSE) Tool, and sampling procedures. The goal of these trainings is to familiarize EPA Regions, states, public water systems, and laboratories on how to use these tools for implementation activities and to provide an overview of how to collect Cryptosporidium and E.Coli samples. For additional information about the Stage 2 and LT2 rules visit: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/disinfection/. Registration links for these Web cast trainings are listed below. EPA is currently working on posting these registration sites on the DWA Training Calendar and the MDBP Training Web site. For questions, please send an email to stage2mdbp@epa.gov . DCTS Tool: Implementation for LT2 Stage 2 and LT2: Complete Rule Overview Stage 2 and LT2: Complete Rule Overview IDSE Tool and DCTS: Implementation, Compliance and Assistance Tools for Stage 2 & LT2 IDSE Tool and DCTS: Implementation, Compliance and Assistance Tools for Stage 2 & LT2 Watershed Academy to sponsor November 29th Webcast on Drinking Water and Watershed ProtectionEPA's Watershed Academy is pleased to sponsor its 16th free Web cast Seminar on Nov. 29, 2006 on: "Integrating Drinking Water into Watershed Protection" featuring Beth Hall, Environmental Protection Specialist, US EPA´s Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, Sheree Stewart, Drinking Water Protection Coordinator, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and Christopher Crockett, Manager of Watershed Protection, Philadelphia Water Department. This Web cast will provide a primer on public water supplies and the recently completed source water assessments mandated by the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act. Source water is untreated water from streams, rivers, lakes or underground aquifers that is used to provide public drinking water and to supply private wells. While the source water assessments were required and funded, responsibility for implementing protection measures resides at the state, local and utility level. Instructors will discuss how they have integrated source water protection into their programs by using technical assistance, partnerships, tools available through the Clean Water Act and other programs, and by collaborating with watershed and smart growth efforts. Eastern: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Central: 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm Mountain: 11:00 am – 1:00 pm Pacific: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Registration will open Nov. 15th. Visit www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts for details.
Reflections from EstuaryLiveEstuaryLive! is more popular than ever. This year, there were an estimated 25,000 “requests” via the internet to view the broadcast up from 20,958 last year (a request could be one individual, a classroom of children, or an auditorium full) -- viewers were from 28 States and even from Aruba! The Program was also broadcast by Comcast of Delaware, at the Oregon Aquarium, and by the entire South Carolina school district via educational television raising the viewership even higher. This translates to over 700,000 potential viewers that watched the broadcast over the internet and via satellite! 1,398 questions were raised during the broadcast - up from 1,150 last year.
Over 100 organizations/agencies/associations and state and local governments, partnered with EPA, NOAA, the National Estuary Programs (NEP) and National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) to promote and advertise the program, assist in program content and curriculum development, appear “on air,” or provide other logistical/technical support. EstuaryLive! has helped forge a strong partnership with NOAA’s National Estuarine Research Reserve System Division and strengthened the working relationship and interaction between local programs - the NEPs and NERRS. 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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