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Welcome to Water Online's review of the latest U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations, resources, and activities related to the water, wastewater, and stormwater industries. EPA offices and programs covered in this installment are listed below. Click on an office or program name to go directly to that section of the article.

• Office of Water (OW)
  • EPA Proposes More Environmentally Friendly Practices For Airport Deicing
  • EPA's Enforcement and Compliance Update
  • Registration Open for Green Infrastructure Workshop in Olathe, Kansas, September 11
• National Risk Management Research Laboratory (NRMRL)
• Upcoming Seminar On Nutrient Control At Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants
• Watershed Central: A New Interactive Management Tool
• Career Opportunity: Division Director - Microbiological & Chemical Exposure Assessment Research
• Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Program
• ETV Verified Technologies
• Vendor Solicitations
• Upcoming Conferences and Meetings
• Other EPA News
  • EPA Makes Preliminary Toxics Release Data Available To The Public
  • EPA Announces Recovery Act Funds For Water Infrastructure Projects
  • EPA Announces Recovery Act Funds For Wastewater Infrastructure Projects
  • Nine Mass. And N.H. Communities Face Actions To Improve Storm Sewer Pollution
  • EPA Awards Recovery Act Funds To Clean Up Underground Petroleum Leaks
  • Economic Recovery Funds to Improve Water Quality, Create Jobs

Office of Water (OW)

EPA Proposes More Environmentally Friendly Practices For Airport Deicing
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that it is proposing a new rule that would make deicing practices on aircraft and at airport runways more environmentally friendly while maintaining operational safety. Discharges from deicing operations at airports can have major impacts on water quality, causing reductions in wildlife, contamination of drinking water sources, and impacts in residential areas and parkland. EPA is proposing requirements for control of the wastewater associated with the deicing of aircraft and pavement at more than 200 commercial airports nationwide.

The proposed rule is open for public comment for 120 days following publication in the Federal Register. 

More information on the airport deicing proposed rule: http://www.epa.gov/guide/airport/. Read the full release here.

EPA's Enforcement and Compliance Update
On July 2, 2009, Administrator Lisa Jackson asked Cynthia Giles, as the head of EPA's enforcement and compliance program, to examine our water enforcement program in light of information showing that water quality goals are not being met and that there are too many violations in too many places. Administrator Jackson asked Cynthia Giles to report back in ninety days with recommendations to improve transparency, strengthen clean water enforcement performance, and expand our use of technology to increase efficiency and to provide useful information to the public. Our recommended action plan needs to improve compliance and address the problems that are having the biggest impact on water quality. To help us achieve the Administrator's goals, we invite you to share your ideas through our discussion forum. The discussion forum can be found at http://blog.epa.gov/cwaactionplan. Your ideas will be considered for recommendations to the EPA Administrator about the future direction for EPA's water enforcement program. In all our discussions, EPA will be mindful of the need to focus on the most important work for protecting water quality and improving compliance with the Clean Water Act, given resource constraints that require us to place a premium on innovation and efficiency. For more enforcement and compliance news and information, visit http://www.epa.gov/compliance/.

Registration Open for Green Infrastructure Workshop in Olathe, Kansas, September 11
EPA and the Mid-America Regional Council will be sponsoring a 1-day workshop on meeting the operation and maintenance (O&M) challenges of sustaining green infrastructure in Olathe, Kansas. This workshop is designed for local government officials, consultants, contractors and others who are planning or seeking solutions for the long-term O&M of green infrastructure. Information about the workshop, including agendas and registration, is available at: 
http://www.epa.gov/npdes/greeninfrastructure/training.

For more information on the EPA Office of Water, visit www.epa.gov/ow.

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National Risk Management Research Laboratory (NRMRL)

Upcoming Seminar On Nutrient Control At Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants
EPA's Office of Research and Development is conducting Technology Transfer Seminars on Nutrient Control at Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants. The first seminar is scheduled for Marlboro, MA on September 22-24, 2009. For additional details and to register for this free seminar go to: http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/events/nutrient_seminars.htm

Watershed Central: A New Interactive Management Tool
EPA recently launched a new web site called "Watershed Central" to help watershed organizations and other stakeholders find key information they need to implement watershed management decisions. The Watershed Central site includes guidance, tools, case studies, and data resources that integrate EPA programs to help users share information, analyze data, and initiate, or strengthen their own watershed efforts.

Watershed Central was developed to bridge the gap between user needs and the variety of resources offered by EPA and other groups. The result is an interactive web-based resource that helps users locate the information they need, including environmental data, watershed models, guidance documents, nearby local organizations, technical resources, and funding. A unique feature of Watershed Central is the "Watershed Central Wiki" — similar to Wikipedia — which allows registered users to submit case studies, tools, local approaches to watershed management, lessons learned, and success stories. To ensure that user needs are met and information is up-to-date, three teams were established — a Content Team, a User Team and an Information Technology (IT) Team. Team members and participants are solicited from within and outside EPA. In addition, as a feedback mechanism, EPA has sponsored regional workshops where participants are introduced to Watershed Central and encouraged to collaborate on improving the information it contains. The Watershed Central teams and other participants utilize the wiki site as a forum for discussing and vetting information for inclusion on the Watershed Central public web site. 

Watershed Central is a cooperative development effort among EPA's Office of Research and Development (National Risk Management Research Laboratory), Office of Water (Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds), and Office of Environmental Information. This growing and changing program is part of EPA's ongoing commitment to the protection of human health and the environment. 

Career Opportunity: Division Director - Microbiological & Chemical Exposure Assessment Research (NERL-09-42-07)
The Office of Research and Development (ORD) seeks to recruit a senior scientist to hold a supervisory management and research leadership position as the Division Director for the Microbiological and Chemical Exposure Assessment Research Division (MCEARD) of the National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL). The primary focus of MCEARD's research program is human exposures to contaminants in the water environment. Closes September 14, 2009; Apply through USAJobs.gov. For detailed information regarding this opportunity, click here.

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Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Program

ETV Verified Technologies
The ETV Program has verified the performance of 408 innovative environmental technologies that can be used to monitor, prevent, control, and clean up pollution. For a full list of ETV verifications, visit http://www.epa.gov/etv/verifiedtechnologies.html.

Vendor Solicitations
ETV centers issue periodic solicitations for vendors and collaborators interested in verification. For a list of active ETV vendor solicitations, please visit www.epa.gov/etv/vendorswanted.html, or contact the appropriate ETV center (see www.epa.gov/etv/contacts.html).

Upcoming Conferences and Meetings

• September 13-16, 2009 – The 2009 International Public Works Congress and Exposition, hosted by the American Public Works Association, will be held in Columbus, OH. The Congress will feature education sessions on public works disciplines, including solid waste; water, wastewater and stormwater/flood control; sustainability; engineering and technology; construction management; and others. More than 400 companies will exhibit. The ETV Program will exhibit with the EPA National Risk Management Research Laboratory. For more information, visit http://www.apwa.net/Meetings/Congress/2009/index.asp.
• October 10-14, 2009 – The Water Environment Federation's Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC 2009), to be held in Orlando, FL, will include technical and educational sessions for water quality professionals on topics such as collection systems, membrane technologies, residuals and biosolids, water reuse/recycling, and others. The event will also include an exhibition featuring cutting-edge water and wastewater technologies. The ETV Program will exhibit with the EPA National Risk Management Research Laboratory. For more information, visit http://www.weftec.org/home.htm.
• October 26-28, 2009 – The 2009 Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA) Annual Conference will be held in Portland, OR. This year's conference themes will include drinking water security strategies, tools and techniques; source water protection, quantity and conservation; small systems technology; distribution systems issues; and emerging contaminants in drinking water. The ETV Drinking Water Systems Center plans to participate. For more information, visit http://www.asdwa.org/conferences.

For more information on the ETV, visit www.epa.gov/etv.

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Other EPA News

EPA Makes Preliminary Toxics Release Data Available To The Public
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has published preliminary data on the release of toxic chemicals occurring in the United States between Jan.1 and Dec. 31, 2008. In its continued commitment to openness and transparency, EPA is taking the unprecedented step of releasing the raw data prior to the agency completing its analysis. EPA is analyzing the data and will publish the national analysis once it is completed. 

"EPA's job is to ensure an open and transparent flow of information between Americans and their government, and today's unprecedented step represents the agency's commitment to doing just that," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "While we are still analyzing this information, we hope this raw data will be reviewed and used responsibly by stakeholders and the public to help them make informed decisions." 

The Toxics Release Inventory is a database that contains detailed information on nearly 650 chemicals and chemical categories that more than 23,000 industrial and other facilities manage through disposal or other releases, recycling, energy recovery, or treatment. The data are collected from industries including manufacturing, metal and coal mining, electric utilities, commercial hazardous waste treatment, and other industrial sectors. Facilities must report their data by July 1 of each year. 

The preliminary data account for approximately 80 to 85 percent of the data to be collected. EPA will continue to process paper submissions, late submissions, and to resolve issues with the electronic submissions. The agency will update the dataset in September and again in October so citizens will have complete access to the information. 

More information on the data: http://www.epa.gov/tri

EPA Announces Recovery Act Funds For Water Infrastructure Projects
In a move that stands to create jobs, boost local economies, improve aging drinking water infrastructure and protect human health and the environment, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is infusing money provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to help state and local governments finance many of the overdue improvements to water projects that are essential to protecting public health and the environment across the state. Recent awards were issued to: Virginia, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama, and Wisconsin.

EPA Announces Recovery Act Funds For Wastewater Infrastructure Projects
In a move that stands to create jobs, boost local economies, improve aging water infrastructure and protect human health and the environment, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is infusing money provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to help state and local governments finance many of the overdue improvements to wastewater projects that are essential to protecting public health and the environment across the country. Recent awards were issued to: Virginia, Arkansas, and Mississippi.

Nine Mass. And N.H. Communities Face Actions To Improve Storm Sewer Pollution
As part of a new integrated effort to combat illegal sewage connections that can lead to significant water pollution in New England's waters, EPA recently filed complaints against one New Hampshire and eight Massachusetts communities for failing to meet permit requirements designed to ensure that sewage and other pollutants stay out of storm sewers which drain to local rivers, ponds, and coastal waters. As part of this effort, EPA is offering training and other support to communities to help them detect and eliminate illegal sewer connections. For more information about Eliminating Sanitary Sewer Overflows in New England, visit: www.epa.gov/region1/sso/index.html. Read the full release here.

EPA Awards Recovery Act Funds To Clean Up Underground Petroleum Leaks
In an effort to protect people where they live, work and play, EPA has recently awarded funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to assess and clean up underground storage tank petroleum leaks to the following states and territories: Connecticut, West Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Delaware, and Massachusetts.

Economic Recovery Funds to Improve Water Quality, Create Jobs
In an effort to improve water quality and create jobs, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, will award a total of $39 million nationally for Water Quality Management Planning (WQMP) grants, which will keep and create jobs to help prevent water pollution and protect human health and the environment. Recent awards were issued to: Alaska, American Samoa, Guam, Georgia, and Minnesota.

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SOURCE: EPA