EPA Releases 2019 Year in Review
Yesterday, EPA released its 2019 Year in Review, outlining last year’s accomplishments. Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler emphasized some of 2019’s achievements, such as the deletion of 27 Superfund sites from the National Priorities List and the proposed first update to the Lead and Copper Rule in nearly three decades.
Some of the FY 2019 EPA accomplishments include:
- Inviting 38 new projects in 18 states to apply for WIFIA loans totaling $6 billion to help finance over $12 billion dollars in water infrastructure investments and create up to 200,000 jobs.
- Advancing EPA’s PFAS Action Plan – the first multi-media, multi-program, national research, management, and risk communication plan to address an emerging contamination of concern like PFAS. In 2019, EPA sent the proposed regulatory determination under the Safe Drinking Water Act for PFOA and PFOS in drinking water to the Office of Management and Budget for interagency review, validated a new test method to identify additional PFAS compounds in drinking water, issued Interim Recommendations for Addressing Groundwater Contaminated with PFOA and PFOS under federal cleanup programs, and announced the availability of nearly $5 million for new research on PFAS in agriculture.
- Providing $1.2 million to 12 states members of the Hypoxia Task Force to reduce excess nutrients.
- Awarding 36 environmental education regional grants in 25 states totaling more than $3 million.
The report also highlights the draft Water Reuse Action Plan, which is planned to be finalized in February 2020, and the Water Workforce Initiative aimed at bolstering interest in water sector careers. Similar to last year’s Review, this year also includes highlights from each of the 10 EPA regions.
