|
Grassroots Rural Water Policy Advocacy
|
The photos above
are a copy of
a postcard that is being sent to Congress by NRWA's Regulatory Committee asking them for their help in eliminating unnecessary EPA regulations.
The committee is encouraging legislators to acknowlege that electronic delivery or postcards notices apply to Tier 2 notices.
This is just one of the many issues that the Regulatory Committee has been working on in your behalf in 2018 as you can see from the lists below.
Recent Successes
- (September 2018) Oppose EPA "Mandatory
- Consolidation" Authority, H.R. 3387 (link).
- (September 2018) Expand WIFIA to SRFs (link).
- (August 2018) Comments on Strengthening Transparency
- in Regulatory Science (link).
- (March 2018) Support Decoupling Lead In-home
- Monitoring from Rule Compliance
- (May 2017) Executive Order 13777, Support 18 EPA Rules
- for Regulatory Reform (link).
- (September 2017) Support Change of Definition of
- ''Waters of the United States'' Rule (link).
- (May 2016) Oppose Expansion of EPA Regulatory
- Authority under Risk Management Plans Rule (link).
Issues under Consideration
- Oppose MCL for PFAS (Support PFAS Clean-up
- Assistance)
- Perchlorate MCL Rulemaking (Modeling and Selection)
- Affordability (Under SDWA and CWA)
- Mandatory Federal CAPs (Consumer Assistance Programs)
- Revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule
- "Flushable" Wipes (Legislation, Ordinances, and Torts)
- PVC Industry (Preferential Federal Reviews)
- Drinking Water Health Advisories (vs. MCLs)
Please see below some examples of NRWA Advocacy's Cost Savings to Water Utilities:
- 2,000 Utilities'Risk Management Plans: In January 2017, the White House suspended EPA's rule updating its Risk Management Programs (RMP).
- $590,000,000-Senate Amendment to Extend UCMR to All: Rejected Senate amendment to extend EPA unregulated monitoring to all public water systems (September 2016).
- $5,000,000,000 -Strontium Rule: In December 2015, EPA delayed any final decision on a regulation for strontium. NRWA urged EPA to rewrite the proposed rule.
- $2,200,000,000 -Perchlorate Rule: Delayed since 2011 (2008 EPA decision not to regulate perchlorate).
- $126,000,000 (annually) -Consumer Confidence Reports: In 2012, NRWA advocated for the e-delivery of CCRs.
- $25,678,187 (annually) -Revised Total Coliform Rule: In 2006, NRWA was selected for the federal committee to craft the new TCR. This figure represents the savings for not having to mail notices of violation for the TCR.
- $11,550,871,000 -Retain Section 1926(b) Protection In 2013, NRWA successfully opposed Congressional efforts to change this core protection for water service areas. This figure is the total USDA debt that is protected by 1926(b).
- $3,000,000,000 -The Community Fire Safety Act 2013 In 2013, NRWA supported legislation to exempt fire hydrants from new lead standards which would have required the scrapping of already purchased fire hydrants.
For more information on some of the projects of the Committee, click
here.
For a video explaining more about the Regulatory Committee, click
here.
|
FRWA's Emergency Response Efforts
Hurricane Florence
|
|
|
| Trucks Loaded for FRWA Emergency Response |
FRWA began receiving requests for help from North Carolina Rural Water Association last Thursday. The staff gathered at the FRWA Warehouse on Monday morning in emergency response mode. Generators were loaded onto semi trailers and headed north within a few hours.
|
|
| Hurricane Florence Slide Show |
|
Jamie Takes Home the Gold
|
When Gary Williams, Executive Director of FRWA was called away from last week'e NRWA WaterPro Conference, Jamie Hope, FRWA Wastewater Circuit Rider, stepped in to do the presentation. Thanks, Jamie for representing FRWA!
Not only is Jamie a team player, but it looks like he is pretty smart as well. Jamie appears to be "Smarter Than a Circuit Rider" when he won first place at the Water Pro Conference competition. Congratulations, Jamie! For more information on the win, click here.
|
#NCRWA circuit riders face flooding on virtually all their routes still today, these pictures were taken at the Pollocksville, NC town hall more
Maysville, NC. Town of Columbia delivered a generator with the help of Johnny Spencer, Tyrrell County. NCRWA Circuit Rider Mike Hill was there to assist and generator is said to be running smoothly since then. more
Hurricane Florence Impacts Persist Across the Carolinas
Impacts from Hurricane Florence continue to be felt across both North and South Carolina. Governors in both states continue to warn against overconfidence when travelling in flooded areas. more
FRWA transported units for response to our NCRWA Members Sanford, NC - Charles R. Underwood, Inc. unloads three 150 kw generators from Mississippi RWA in response to needs across NC. more
AMAZING COLLABORATION!!! Fort Payne Water Works from Al.,@USACEHQ & Beaufort Western Branch Diesel This special team managed to repair the broken generator for the town of Fairmont. Special shout out to our very own Mandy Greathouse on her amazing work. more
Town of Robbins received some much needed help from Moore County and FRWA more
Trump, in NC, says 'a lot of money' coming to state for Florence recovery Much of North Carolina returned to normal on Wednesday, even as broad swaths of the state remained inundated and imperiled by floods spurred by former Hurricane Florence. more
Storm's over, but not danger, misery Despite the sunny skies, the impacts of Florence could still be seen and felt across Randolph and surrounding counties Tuesday. more
|
Collaborations & Partnerships Abound at NRWA WaterPro Conference The National Rural Water Association (NRWA) held its annual WaterPro Conference in Fort Worth, Texas on September 17-19th and collaborations and partnerships were the focus of several of the keynote sessions and breakouts. more
EPA Memo on Drug Take-Back Programs to Fight the Opioid Epidemic Includes Environmental Protection Considerations As law enforcement agencies continue to fight the opioid epidemic around the United States by collecting unwanted and unused drugs from households, more
|
Boil-water advisory affects three Collier County schools Palmetto Ridge High School and homes nearby were without running water for most of Wednesday due to a water main break, more
Damaged fire hydrant leads to boil water notice in Weirsdale A precautionary boil water notice was issued Monday for 160 customers in the Weirsdale area after damage caused a fire hydrant to temporarily lose pressure. more
Lead Testing Continues at Polk Schools A faucet at Winston Academy of Engineering in Lakeland continues to be problematic for lead testing, a Polk County School District official said Monday afternoon. more
Tampa General Hospital's East Pavilion advised not to use running water after water main break Since Saturday morning, patients and staff in Tampa General Hospital's East Pavilion and Rehabilitation Center have been advised against using running water. more
City water and sewer rates, non-management staff salaries increased In a special meeting held on August 27, 2018, the Brooksville City Council met to discuss items stemming from the previous budget meeting on August 13, 2018. more
|
This Week in Water History
|
September 15, 1998:
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Report
on Radon in Drinking Water "Risk Assessment of Radon in Drinking Water" was released on this date. The report is touted as the most comprehensive accumulation of scientific data on the public health risks of radon in drinking water. The report was required by the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The NAS report confirmed that radon is a serious public health threat and goes on to refine the risks of radon in drinking water-confirmed that there are drinking water related cancer deaths, primarily due to lung cancer. The report, in general, confirmed earlier EPA scientific conclusions and analyses for drinking water, and presented no major changes to EPA's 1994 risk assessment.
For more articles on what went on this week in water history, click
here.
|
|
