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Water Headlines for January 21, 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:
EPA Lays Groundwork for Promising Technologies to Help Mitigate Climate ChangeEPA proposed a rule that supports promising technologies to prevent industrial emissions of carbon dioxide. Secure, long-term underground storage of the greenhouse gas is one way scientific innovation could lessen the effects of climate change. "This proposal paves the way for technologies that would protect public health and help reduce the effects of climate change," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "With proper site selection and management, geologic sequestration could play a major role in reducing emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere." EPA's proposed regulation creates a consistent, national framework for the injection of carbon dioxide underground and protection of underground drinking water resources. The rule would create a new class of injection wells under the authority of the Safe Drinking Water Act's Underground Injection Control (UIC) program. The proposed rule builds on the existing UIC program, including extensive requirements to ensure wells are appropriately located, constructed, tested, monitored, and ultimately, closed with proper funding. It would apply to owners and operators of wells that will be used to inject carbon dioxide into the subsurface for the purpose of long-term storage. Carbon capture and storage is part of a portfolio of technologies available to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. EPA is coordinating with the Department of Energy on carbon sequestration research and development. EPA is requesting public comments on the proposed rule for 120 days. Proposal and information about geologic sequestration activities and the UIC program: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/uic/wells_sequestration.html Water Quality Modeling Workshop in Baltimore, MarylandEPA will convene a 1 ½ day water quality modeling workshop, “Water Quality Modeling to Support Management Actions,” from September 9 to 10, 2008, at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. The meeting is being coordinated with a Water Environment Federation (WEF) Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) conference scheduled for September 11, 2008. Attendees of the workshop will obtain an understanding of EPA-supported models that can be used to address regulatory and water quality planning objectives. The workshop will focus on tools available to meet multiple objectives like watershed planning, smart growth, trading, TMDL development, and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit development. The workshop will identify objectives that can be addressed within EPA’s BASINS environment and provide participants with an opportunity to provide feedback to guide future development of BASINS and other modeling-related tools. (BASINS or “Better Assessment Science Integrating Point & Nonpoint Sources” is a multi-purpose environmental analysis system that integrates a geographical information system (GIS), national watershed data, and environmental assessment and modeling tools.) More information about the workshop is available at http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/ftp/basins/training/training-200809.html Amendment to Guidelines for the Award of Section 106 Monitoring Initiative Funds Published in Federal RegisterOn Thursday, July 17, EPA’s Amendment to the Guidelines for the Award of Monitoring Initiative Funds was published in the Federal Register. This amendment accelerates the use of state-scale statistical surveys of water quality by incorporating a performance-based standard into the allotment of Section 106 Monitoring Initiative funds. Funds will continue to be used for building state water monitoring program capacity according to the original guidelines of March 2006, as long as states make progress in adopting scientifically-valid, state-scale statistical surveys. State and national statistical surveys will help inform the Council on Environmental Quality's recently announced National Environmental Status and Trends initiative to gather scientifically-valid environmental information. The Federal Register notice is posted at: http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-WATER/2008/July/Day-17/w16385.pdf and for more background on 106 Guidelines please visit: http://www.epa.gov/owm/cwfinance/award-monitoring-fund.htm. Extension of Public Comment Period for WaterSense New Homes SpecificationWaterSense has extended the public comment period for the draft specification for single-family new homes an additional 45 days. The new public comment period will end on September 4, 2008. Please send any comments or suggestions regarding this draft specification to watersense-newhomes@erg.com. (Please note that all comments become part of the public record.) The draft specification for water-efficient single-family new homes provides the criteria new homes will need to meet to be certified and labeled under the WaterSense program. The specification is designed to ensure not only sustainable, efficient water use but also a high level of user performance satisfaction. WaterSense labeled new homes will combine WaterSense labeled products with other water-efficient fixtures and practices to reduce the amount of water used by approximately 20 percent. Homes must meet criteria in three areas: indoor water use, outdoor water use and homeowner education. Third-party inspectors will certify that homes meet all of the required criteria. Homes meeting all the criteria will be given a WaterSense label. If you have questions about the draft specification for water-efficient single-family new homes or joining WaterSense, please contact the WaterSense Helpline at (866) WTR-SENS (987-7367) or e-mail watersense@erg.com. Information on the draft specification is available at http://www.epa.gov/watersense/specs/homes.htm Updates to IRISFinal human health assessments for four polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are now available on the Agency's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) website at http://www.epa.gov/ncea/iris/recent.htm. The four PBDEs are tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47), pentabromodiphenyl (BDE-99), hexabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-153) and decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209). PBDEs are used as flame retardants in a variety of consumer’s products including furniture foam, draperies, carpets, automobile fabrics, and plastics for TV cabinets and personal computers. These IRIS health assessments were subjected to Agency and inter-Agencies reviews, external peer review by a panel of experts, and public review prior to finalization. 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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