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Welcome to the Water Resources Coalition's January newsletter and the first of 2010! December 2009 was a busy month and thank you for all of the response that we received from our multiple newsletters. The Water Resources Coalition is a group of organizations devoted to the progress being made as we try to achieve the development, implementation, and funding of a comprehensive, national water resources policy to ensure a sustainable, productive economy; a healthy aquatic ecology; and public health and safety.
We hope everyone had a Happy New Year! |
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House Passes the "Jobs for Main Street" Act
Before the House of Representatives broke for the holidays the Chamber passed the "Jobs for Main Street" Act, H.R. 2847, which includes substantial transportation and infrastructure investment aimed at creating new jobs. The bill passed with a close vote of 217 - 212. Specifically, the legislation provides $48 billion for infrastructure, including:
- More than $35 billion for highways and mass transit;
- $2 billion for clean and safe water;
- $800 million for Amtrak;
- $500 million for the Airport Improvement Program;
- $715 million for investments in inland and navigable waterways administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The $715 million made available to the US Army Corps of Engineers for construction includes $30 million for "water related environmental infrastructure assistance" and another $30 million for the Mississippi River and Tributaries Account. The balance will go toward navigation infrastructure projects, flood protection, environmental restoration, and hydropower. Additionally, the House passed bill will waive the cost share requirement with the Inland Waterways Trust Fund for new navigation infrastructure projects.
The Water Resources Coalition strongly supported the "Jobs for Main Street" Act in letters delivered to both Houses of Congress and urged Congress to include water resources infrastructure investment in the bill. The Coalition sent a letter to House leadership in November urging an increase in water resources funding in the bill and identified areas where the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation could properly use the funds to the benefit of water projects throughout the country. WRC Letter to House Leadership
Additionally, in December some members of the Water Resources Coalition, as well as 44 outside groups, sent another letter to Congressional leaders supporting efforts to increase water resources infrastructure investment in the jobs bill.
The Coalition is pleased with the legislation that passed in the House and looks forward to the Senate taking up similar legislation in the upcoming weeks. |
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EPA Seeking Data on Stormwater Regulations
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is requesting, through an Information Collection Request, that it be able to survey a sampling of local stormwater agencies, as well as states and private firms on a number of stormwater management issues. The mandatory questionnaires will be sent to owners, operators, developers and contractors of newly and redeveloped sites; owners and operators of municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s); and the states and territories. The data collected by EPA will be used to help strengthen stormwater regulations and reduce stormwater discharges from newly developed and redeveloped sites. The proposed survey would require detailed information about stormwater management and control practices, local regulations and baseline financial information.
Additionally, the MS4 and state/territory questionnaires will gather information to characterize the current scope of the various regulatory programs; incentives and disincentives for best management practices; and the current burden and expenditures to comply with an enforce existing requirements.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold five listening sessions to provide information to the public about a potential rule to strengthen stormwater regulations and to establish a comprehensive program to reduce stormwater from new development and redevelopment. EPA is seeking input on the following preliminary regulatory considerations: expand the area subject to federal stormwater regulations; establish specific requirements to control stormwater discharges from new development and redevelopment; develop a single set of consistent stormwater requirements for all municipal separate storm sewer systems; require those sewer systems to address stormwater discharges in areas of existing development through retrofitting the sewer system or drainage area with improved stormwater control measures; and explore specific stormwater provisions to protect sensitive areas.
The sessions will be held:
· January 19, 2010, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at EPA Region 5 Office, 77 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago
· January 20, 2010, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at EPA Region 9 Office, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, Calif.
· January 25, 2010, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at EPA Region 8 Office, 1595 Wynkoop Street, Denver, Colo.
· January 26, 2010, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at EPA Region 6 Office, 1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 1200 Dallas, Texas
· January 28, 2010, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at EPA HQ Office, Ariel Rios Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.
The public can register by going to the Web site below.
EPA will accept written comments on the preliminary rulemaking considerations until February 26, 2010.
More information on listening sessions, the potential rule and instructions for submitting written comments: http://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/rulemaking
Additional information on the proposed information collection request is available at www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/rulemaking. |
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EPA Issues Guidelines for Discharges from Construction Industry
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final rule to help control water pollution from construction sites. The rule takes effect in February 2010 and will be phased in over four years. The final rules require construction site owners and operators that disturb one or more acres to use best management practices to ensure that soil disturbed during construction activity does not pollute nearby water bodies. Owners and operators of sites that impact 10 or more acres of land at one time will be required to monitor discharges and ensure that they comply with specific limits on discharges to minimize the impact on nearby water bodies. The final rule is posted at http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/guide/construction |
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National Research Council Launches Study on Sustainable Water in California Bay - Delta
At the request of Congress and the Departments of Interior and Commerce, the National Research Council will review action that have been and could be taken to achieve both an environmentally sustainable Bay - Delta and a reliable water supply. The National Research Council will issue two reports over the next two years in order to create informed decisions on water and environmental challenges that will be present over the long - term.
The first report will focus on scientific questions, assumptions, and conclusions underlying water management alternatives in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service. The second report is expected to be issued in the fall of 2011, and will focus on how to most effectively incorporate science and adaptive management concepts into holistic programs for the management and restoration of the Bay - Delta.
The committee will meet several times over the next two years, with the first meeting scheduled for January 24 - 28.
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National Water Resources Conference Releases Draft Report
The National Water Resources Collaborative Conference recently released the draft report detailing the recommendations and proposed actions that resulted from the meeting last summer. The recommendations were integrated into eight overarching themes based on an assessment of trends and proceedings reports, interviews with State and Federal water officials and discussions at the three regional conferences and the national conference.
The work done under the first phase of this project is just the beginning. The next phase will focus on developing implementation plans and strategies to implement the recommendations.
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ASBPA Urges President Obama for Emergency Disaster Funds
The American Shore and Beach Preservation Association sent a letter to President Obama this week urging the President to propose an Emergency Disaster Relief package that will provide the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) with the funds it needs to repair federal coastal projects.
Congress has appropriated no funds into the USACE's Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies account for Fiscal Year 2010, meaning funds for federal beach nourishment projects will be drying up in the upcoming months.
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Sincerely,
Brian Pallasch and Marco Giamberardino
Co-Chairs
Water Resources Coalition |
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