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Water Headlines for June 9, 2008Benjamin 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:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Becomes Federal WaterSense PartnerToday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) joined forces with the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a federal WaterSense partner. CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding and EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Benjamin H. Grumbles signed a historic agreement this morning during the American Water Works Association annual conference in Atlanta. "By signing this agreement, CDC is saying we want to lead the way for others to follow and that's what we're going to continue to do," said CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding. "Every drop counts and every agency can do more to save water and energy," said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Benjamin H. Grumbles. "EPA commends CDC for being such a strong partner of WaterSense and a national model for stewardship and sustainability." EPA Reaffirms Clean Water Act Permit Not Needed for Water TransfersEPA is publishing a final rule that clarifies water transfers are excluded from regulation under the Clean Water Act’s (CWA) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting program. The rule defines a water transfer as an activity that conveys or connects waters of the United States without subjecting the transferred water to intervening industrial, municipal, or commercial use. This exclusion does not apply to pollutants introduced by the water transfer activity itself to the water being transferred. "EPA's Water Transfer Rule gives communities greater certainty and makes clear they have the flexibility to protect water quality and promote the public good without going through a new federal permitting process," said Assistant Administrator for Water Benjamin H. Grumbles. "Clean water permits should focus on water pollution, not water movement. EPA is committed to working with our state, tribal, and local partners to reduce environmental impacts associated with transfers and will continue to use all appropriate tools such as standards, best management practices, and watershed plans." For additional information, including a copy of the final rule, visit the NPDES website: http://www.epa.gov/npdes/agriculture, or contact Virginia Garelick, Water Permits Division, Office of Wastewater Management at (202) 564-2316 or garelick.virginia@epa.gov. EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds Posts First Podcast About Green Streets -- From Gray Funnels to Green SpongesEPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds posted its inaugural podcast, the first audio program in a planned series about smart growth and green development entitled, From Gray Funnels to Green Sponges. Hosted by EPA’s Jamal Kadri, this program features a discussion with EPA’s senior urban designer and smart growth expert Clark Wilson on how communities can more effectively manage rainwater and snow melt where it falls. Green streets can make great places, preserve water quality and restore our nation's waterways. These and other practices like rain gardens and green roofs are helping many urban communities like Portland, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. manage stormwater runoff as well as provide aesthetic benefits. In addition, green streets and other environmentally-friendly landscape designs can help minimize urban heat island effect, reduce a community’s carbon footprint, and cool the planet. To access the podcast, visit: http://www.epa.gov/owow/podcasts. Watershed Academy Webcasts are also available as podcasts from iTunes. Visit http://www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts. New "Impaired Waters and Total Maximum Daily Loads" Web SiteEPA recently released a new "Impaired Waters and Total Maximum Daily Loads" (TMDLs) homepage at www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl. The new Web page features an overview of the Clean Water Act section 303(d) program activities, highlights new resources, and provides easier access to program resources, such as EPA’s new Water Quality Assessment and TMDL Information (ATTAINS) Web site. The Web site revamping was prompted by the desire to improve navigation for a variety of audiences and to distinguish two key activities, e.g., 303(d) listing of impaired waters and development of TMDLs. The site also features a new "TMDL Stormwater Resources" page that hosts several stormwater-source TMDLs and case studies highlighting the innovative approaches states are using to address stormwater (see www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl/stormwater/). Additional pages that are coming soon include a new "TMDLs at Work” page, which will highlight successful restoration efforts where TMDL/303(d) activities were an important part of the process, and a "TMDL Mercury Air Deposition" page that will host a variety of resources and examples for developing TMDLs for waters impaired by mercury. Join EPA's Watershed Academy for June 18th Webcast on ATTAINS - A Gateway to State-Reported Water Quality InformationEPA's Watershed Academy sponsors free Webcasts for watershed practitioners from around the globe. On Wednesday, June 18, 2008, EPA experts will explain the newly released ATTAINS Web site where water quality managers and the public can go to view a wide range of state-reported water quality information. This Web site combines two formerly separate databases: the National Assessment Database and the National Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Tracking System. The National Assessment Database is for water quality assessment information reported by the states under Section 305(b) of the Clean Water Act, while the National TMDL Tracking System is for impaired waters information reported by the states under Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act. ATTAINS gives the “full story” showing which waters have been assessed, which are impaired, and which are being (or have been) restored. This Web site allows the user to view dynamic tables and charts that summarize state-reported information for the entire nation, for individual states and waters, and for the 10 EPA Regions. Visit ATTAINS at http://www.epa.gov/waters/ir. Registration for the Webcast opens June 6th. To sign up, visit: http://www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts. Archived audio versions of past Webcasts are also available, including last month’s Webcast on Wetlands and Climate Change. Expedited Approval of Alternative Test Procedures for ContaminantsEPA is approving 99 alternative test procedures for contaminants listed in the drinking water regulations under the Safe Drinking Water Act. These procedures are as effective as the methods already established in the regulations for the same contaminants. Eighty-five of the methods are identical to previously-approved methods from earlier publications, and 14 represent new or modified methods. EPA is using the expedited method approval process, rather than using the notice-and-comment rulemaking process, so that these new, equally-effective, alternative methods will be available to our stakeholders more quickly to test for contaminant concentrations in drinking water samples collected under the regulations. Approval time has been cut from several years to less than a year. You can view or download the complete text of EPA's Federal Register final action notice published on June 3, 2008, at: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/methods/expedited.html. A listing of the methods approved using the expedited approval process can also be downloaded from this site or obtained from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791). EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds 2007 Annual Report ReleasedThe Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds (OWOW) 2007 Annual Report provides a snapshot of OWOW’s notable accomplishments in calendar year 2007. Accomplishments include: the completion of more than 4,000 watershed cleanup plans in 2007, the 20th anniversary celebration of the National Estuary Program, and the release of the Nonpoint Source Outreach Toolbox, an on-line repository of watershed outreach materials, including nearly 800 public service announcements, radio, TV and print ads. To download the report, visit: http://www.epa.gov/owow/pdf/owowannualreport07.pdf. 2008 National Water Quality Monitoring Conference a SuccessAbout 600 people from state, federal, local, and tribal agencies, academia, volunteer monitoring organizations, and the private sector attended the Sixth National Monitoring Conference in Atlantic City, NJ, on May 18-22. Hosted by the Water Environment Federation and the National Water Quality Monitoring Council (NWQMC), the conference featured over 250 presentations, 30 technical posters, 50 exhibits, and many workshops, short courses, and field trips on topics as varied as new water sensor technology, data management and the Water Quality Exchange (WQX), bacteria monitoring, and large scale coastal monitoring programs. A highlight of the conference was the presentation of the 2008 Elizabeth Jester Fellows award to Tony R. Olsen of the EPA's National Health and Environmental Effects Research Lab in recognition of his role in monitoring programs that characterize water quality using randomly selected sampling sites. In addition, the YSI Foundation presented its 60th anniversary "Minding the Planet" award to the Columbia Riverkeeper. Alan Steinberg, Regional Administrator of EPA Region 2, spoke at the closing plenary. See the NWQMC Web site at http://acwi.gov/monitoring/ for more information on the Council and the conference. 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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