ASDWA Representatives Participate in Meeting with EPA’s Office of Water and Regional Water Division Directors
On December 11th, ASDWA members Ed Hallock (DE), Mike Baker (OH), and Shellie Chard-McClary (OK), together with ASDWA staff, participated in the subject meeting in Denver, Colorado. These meetings are held once or twice yearly and are designed as a means for EPA to establish national direction for Clean Water Act (CWA) and Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) programs, as well as take stock of how these programs are being implemented across the country. Over the past several years, state representatives from ASDWA, the Ground Water Protection Council, the Association of Clean Water Administrators, and the Environmental Council of the States have been invited to participate.
At this week’s meeting, the state representatives shared their overarching perspectives and challenges (e.g., state resource needs and the importance of thoughtfully setting priorities in a resource-constrained environment). Among the “hot topics” discussed by meeting participants were addressing nitrogen and phosphorus pollution; implementing EPA’s integrated planning approach to NPDES permits and enforcement actions; fostering greater collaboration between CWA and SDWA programs; and breaking down barriers to use of green infrastructure approaches, where appropriate.
