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Water Headlines for September 4, 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:
EPA Awards Grants to Further Source Water ProtectionEPA recently awarded $600,000 in grants to the Trust for Public Land (TPL), in partnership with the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators and the River Network, and the Smart Growth Leadership Institute to enhance source water protection at the local and watershed levels by encouraging more effective collaboration and better harmony between various state policies and programs. Working together will maximize the effectiveness of initiatives taken by land use planners, water utilities, watershed associations, government officials, conservationists, farmers and foresters in protecting drinking water resources.
Over the four year grants, the awardees will select seven states as partners for a program focused on Enabling Source Water Protection: Aligning State Land Use and Water Protection Programs. Applications are being accepted from states interested in participating in this effort. Information describing the project, including applications and important dates, is at http://www.landuseandwater.org Governors of the Gulf States Renew Commitment to Protect the CoastAssistant Administrator for Water Benjamin H. Grumbles along with Gulf State governors, senior federal and state agency officials renewed a commitment to enhance the economic and environmental health of the Gulf at the Gulf of Mexico Alliance meeting on August 26, in Biloxi, MS. The Gulf of Mexico Alliance is a partnership among the states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas and the federal government to work together to protect the Gulf of Mexico’s economic and natural resources. In March of 2006, the five U.S. Gulf state governors released the Governors’ Action Plan for Healthy and Resilient Coasts. The Action Plan challenges the Alliance to make tangible progress on issues such as water quality, wetland conservation, and environmental education. In the 18 months since the Action Plan’s release, work on more than 90 percent of the plan’s 70+ actions have either been completed or are in progress. For more information visit http://www2.nos.noaa.gov/gomex/welcome.html. 2007 Blue Planet Run for Global Water Progress Concludes Today in NYC
An historic around-the-world relay run reached its finish line today in New York City. On August 31, EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Benjamin H. Grumbles joined other government, NGO, and corporate officials in welcoming to Washington a team of 20 citizen athletes representing 13 countries who have been running around the world nonstop since starting at the United Nations in New York on June 1. The inaugural 2007 Blue Planet Run is an unprecedented international athletic event dedicated to raising awareness and funds for projects that will deliver safe drinking water to some of the more than 1 billion people globally who currently live without it. The team has traveled relay-style 24 hours a day, seven days a week and by the time they reached Washington had passed through 16 countries and covered more than 14,000 miles of the 15,200 mile journey. The runners have taken approximately 26.7 million strides, burning roughly 1.4 million calories, and collectively run the distance of 573 marathons – all for the worthy cause of raising awareness and funds for safe drinking water projects around the world. For further information on the Run, visit www.blueplanetrun.org EPA Issues New Technical Document on Using Load Duration Curves in the Development of TMDLsEPA recently issued a new technical document called “An Approach for Using Load Duration Curves in the Development of TMDLs.” This document provides an overview on the use of duration curves for developing Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs). The duration curve approach allows for characterizing water quality conditions at different flow regimes. The method provides a visual display of the relationship between stream flow and water quality. The document describes basic steps needed to develop duration curves, which identify loading capacities, load and wasteload allocations, margins of safety, and seasonal variations. It is written for TMDL practitioners who are familiar with relevant technical approaches and legal requirements. The guide also discusses some considerations and limitations in using the approach, and includes several case examples. Related to this, in November 2006, EPA issued a memorandum entitled “Establishing TMDL “Daily” Loads in Light of the Decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in Friends of the Earth, Inc. v. EPA et. al., No. 05-5015 (April 25, 2006) and Implications for NPDES Permits” that clarified EPA´s expectations concerning the appropriate time increment used to express TMDLs in light of the recent decision. This Memorandum is posted at http://www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl/dailyloadsguidance.html). The Memorandum also indicated that additional technical information would be forthcoming, such as this 74-page technical document, which may be found at: http://www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl/duration_curve_guide_aug2007.pdf . WGA/WSWC conference on "Water Policies and Planning in the West: Ensuring a Sustainable Future."The Western Governors conference will be held from Oct. 10-12 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The purpose of the conference is to develop policy options and identify case studies relating to water planning to deal with challenges resulting from growth, effective watershed approaches and water planning, and responding to climate change and drought impacts. Plenary highlights will cover Dealing with Growth; Water Planning at the Local Level; and Planning for Climate Change Impacts.
To learn more about the conference and to read latest agenda visit http://www.westgov.org 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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