Meeting Between EPA Office of Water Senior Managers and State Water Association Representatives
On April 24th, EPA Office of Water senior managers met in Washington, D.C. with the Executive Directors of ECOS, ACWA, GWPC, and ASDWA and by phone with state members of each organization (including ASDWA’s Executive Committee). Meeting of this type are held three or four times per year and afford an opportunity to review both Agency and state plans, priorities, and issues. Among the highlights from this week’s meeting, were the following:
- FY 13 Operating Plan: EPA’s Operating Plan (i.e., the specific details of how its final FY 13 budget will be apportioned among the Agency’s offices and programs) was to have been submitted to Congress for review this week. There is no firm date for when Congress will approve the plan, but we collectively hope it will be done quickly — so that, among other things, remaining amounts of grants earmarked for states for FY 13 can be expeditiously provided to states.
- OGWDW Rule/Guidance Developments:
- Perchlorate: The Agency expects final health effects recommendations from its Science Advisory Board (SAB) over the next week or so (draft recommendations have already been provided to EPA by SAB). The Agency will then need to evaluate those recommendations and determine their impacts on schedule for developing a proposed rule and next steps.
- Lead and Copper Rule (long term revisions): The Agency will shortly engage in a stakeholder process to gather additional input on such challenging issues as lead service line replacement and location of copper vs. lead sampling sites.
- Lead Reduction Act (i.e., new definition of “lead-free”): The Agency plans to release draft Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and interpretive guidance this Spring and final such documents this Summer — in advance of the January 2014 effective date for the statutory change.
- Carcinogenic VOCs: A rule considering several cVOCs as a group will likely be proposed in Spring of 2014.
- Hydrofracturing with Diesel Fuel: The Agency’s final guidance on this subject is expected in the late Summer or early Fall of this year.
