July 15, 2020 Deirdre White ASDWA.org Drinking Water Headlines, Source Water see link for full article “House legislators are seeking to attach a bipartisan amendment (Subtitle F – PFAS Action Act) to the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that includes new PFAS requirements for the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), the Toxic Substances Control […]
Archive | Legislative
EPA Limits States’ Power to Review Projects That Affect Water Quality
July 13, 2020 See https://www.courthousenews.com/epa-limits-states-power-to-review-projects-that-affect-water-quality/ for the full article. “The “Clean Water Act 401 Certification Rule” narrows what issues state and tribal governments may consider when determining if a project, such as one that involves discharging pollution into a river or stream, will comply with state water quality standards. State or tribal approval is a […]
Watch for MA Legislative Bills
Bills filed in the current legislative session of the MA State House, which may be of interest to water suppliers, include the following: HB2472 (HD2257) – An Act relative to closing the water infrastructure funding gap with water and sewer connection fees Sponsor Rep. Sean Garballey (D) Summary Adds new Section to GL 29 (State […]
EPA Adds PFAS to Toxics Release Inventory Reporting
from asdwa.org 5/20 On May 18, EPA finalized its rule to add 172 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) chemical reporting list under section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). These PFAS additions were mandated by the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and became effective on […]
Trump’s EPA to reverse regulation on Perchlorate
See nationofchange.org “The Trump administration Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has decided to go against a court order and will not be regulating toxic chemicals, like perchlorate, that contaminates our drinking water and harms the development of children. EPA spokeswoman Andrea Woods claims a final decision has not been made and states: “Any information that is […]
EPA Releases Information on Perchlorate Reductions in Drinking Water
From ASDWA.org (5/14) EPA released information on reductions of perchlorate in drinking water due to actions that the drinking water community and the agency have taken to mitigate this contaminant and protect public health. The Agency is also providing information for drinking water utilities on perchlorate. Since EPA made a determination to regulate perchlorate in […]
EPA Releases Guidance for Small Systems on AWIA Risk and Resilience Assessments
from asdwa.org: EPA recently released the final version of its guidance for Small Community Water Systems on Risk and Resilience Assessments under America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA). This is a voluntary checklist that was designed for systems serving 3,301 to 50,000 people. For larger CWSs, EPA recommends the Vulnerability Self-Assessment Tool (VSAT) Web 2.0 or […]
White House Steps In To Weaken EPA PFAS Regulation
From Wateronline.com. Full story here The White House has reportedly taken steps to diminish a rule proposed by the U.S. EPA to curb the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), one of the country’s most prevalent and contentious drinking water contaminants. According to communications between the White House and EPA, the former stepped in […]
ASDWA and AMWA Submit Recommendations to EPA on PFAS Risk Communication
from ASDWA: On May 15th, the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA) and the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) submitted a joint letter of recommendations to EPA on developing risk communication messages for states and water systems to use when communicating with their customers and the public about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). […]
US House passed a $3 trillion Heroes Act, awaiting Senate action
from ASDWA.org: The US House of Representatives has passed a $3 trillion coronavirus aid bill that includes a moratorium on disconnecting or terminating service from a utility, including water and sewer, for nonpayment. The latest coronavirus relief package, H.R. 6800, or the HEROES Act, includes funding for individual stimulus, assistance to state and local governments, […]