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The Latest AWWA, U.S. EPA, PA. DEP, Legislative and Regulatory Information: News for Immediate Release May 6, 2013 DEP Celebrates National Drinking Water Week, Reminds Pennsylvanians to Make Every Drop Count Harrisburg – The Department of Environment Protection is celebrating National Drinking Water Week from May 5 to 11 by encouraging all Pennsylvanians to learn how to better protect and conserve their water. “This week, we renew our commitment to work with the state’s water quality partners and ensure drinking water meets all federal and state standards,” Acting DEP Secretary Chris Abruzzo said. “With 11 million Pennsylvanians using public water systems and two million using individual household wells, Gov. Corbett is committed to water protection efforts that are vital to ensuring the health of the public and Pennsylvania’s economy.” National Drinking Water Week recognizes the importance of water source protection and conservation; the fragility of Pennsylvania’s water resources; and that cutting down on pollution and conserving water start at home. To keep pollution out of water sources, consider these steps:
To conserve Pennsylvania’s water sources:
To learn more about what is in public drinking water, ask your water provider for a copy of your system’s water quality report, or Consumer Confidence Report. DEP also has an online Drinking Water Reporting System where the general public can find information about their systems. This year marks the 39th anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act, the main federal law that ensures the quality of drinking water in the United States. For more information about drinking water and to search the online Drinking Water Reporting System, visit www.dep.state.pa.us and click the “Drinking Water Week” banner at the top of the homepage. Media Contact: Lisa Kasianowitz, 717-787-1323 ______________________________________
Drinking Water
Week in Pennsylvania May 5-11, 2013
All, Yesterday, the Senate unanimously passed Senate Resolution 107 (Yaw-R). Senate Resolution 107 is a Resolution designating the week of May 5 through 11, 2013, as "Drinking Water Week" in Pennsylvania. As you may know, the House previously passed an identical resolution – House Resolution 271 (Miller-R). Thanks, Erik Erik A. Ross (717) 234-8525 (717) 574-3963 (Cell) (717) 234-8812 (Fax) _________________________ PA DEP OAS web course To all Surface Water Suppliers, The web course called Interpreting the Treatment Barrier Performance Summary Sheet for AWOP Participants is now live on the Operator eLearning Center at http://padepelearn.com. Based on the beta testing, the course was assigned one contact hour for certified drinking water operators. The course is designed to help surface water treatment plants that use the OAS software interpret and apply information from the annual performance summary sheet.
If you are a certified operator, you can log-in using your Client ID as your username and password at the address above. The course costs $25 to enroll. If non-certified individuals would like to complete the course, please email your information to DEP at WSTechTrain@pa.gov . Thanks, DEP - Safe Drinking Water Program __________________________
PA PUC, PA OHS,
US DHS offer Cybersecurity Workshop (May 16, 2013)
The issue of cybersecurity is of growing concern to all businesses from the impact it has on your bottom line to the compromise of customer information as well as the potential for devastating impact to our critical infrastructure. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PA PUC), in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Office of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, is pleased to announce a free workshop on May 16th designed to provide vital information to executive and senior level security personnel. During this half-day workshop you will learn of emerging cyber threats, federal initiatives affecting critical infrastructure protection, and realistic practices for improving operational resilience as well as what the PA PUC looks for when conducting audits of security plans. Seating is limited to the first thirty (30) registrants. All registrations are due by May 10th. Attached is additional information and the registration form. If you are receiving this as the head of an association, please inform your membership of this training opportunity. Questions concerning the workshop should be directed to RaChelle Coleman in Commissioner Pam Witmer’s office at 717-783-1763 or raccoleman@pa.gov
Cybersecurity workshop __________________________ FREE EPA Region 3 Extreme Weather/Climate Change Workshop Invitation We have opened the registration website for our FREE May 9 -10th workshop on extreme weather events. Please visit www.horsleywitten.com/extremeweather for more details and register today. This site contains more details and logistical information. More details will be shared after your registration is received. Please share with others in your organization who may have a role to play in preparedness and response to extreme weather events. On May 9 and 10, 2013, EPA Region 3 will convene a 1.5-day conference on water sector impacts from extreme weather events and climate change. This conference will be held in Laurel, Maryland at the Conference Facilities at the Patuxent Research Refuge’s National Wildlife Visitor Center. This is likely to be the first of two workshops; (the second of which will take place in Pennsylvania later this year, unless impacted by budget cuts). We are seeking continuing education credits for you. This conference will touch on a variety of topics of interest to drinking water and wastewater utilities including: · Preparing for water-sector impacts related to extreme weather · Mitigation vs. adaptation measures to be undertaken at the utility level · Funding opportunities for Utility mitigation and adaptation activities · Utility perspectives on implementing mitigation/adaptation measures (e.g., case studies) I thank those of you who took the time to provide input into our planning by responding to our pre-workshop survey monkey. A word about lunch. EPA cannot pay for your lunch; however, we have arranged for a caterer to offer box lunches. More details can be found on the registration website. Costs are based on attendance and with a good turnout, will be less than the cost stated. We are working out the details for providing coffee each morning as well. If you have additional questions or concerns, please let me know. And, please come join us for these critical discussions. Sincerely,
Patti Kay Wisniewski
Drinking Water Branch (3WP21) 215-814-5668 215-514-7893 (cell) ________________________________________ PUC Recognizes Safe Digging Month; Urges Residents to ‘Know What’s Below. Call Before you Dig’ by Calling 8-1-1 Emphasizing the importance of safe digging during spring projects and recognizing April as Safe Digging Month, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) reminds utilities, residents and contractors to use safe digging practices. “Consumers should dial 811 and that will connect them with the Pennsylvania One Call system and in doing so, it allows the One Call system to then alert all the utilities within the area where you are intending to dig and the utility companies will come out and mark where the utilities are located on the properties,” said PUC Vice Chairman John F. Coleman in a video news release http://www.puc.pa.gov/about_puc/2013_pr_videos.aspx . “We have seen incidents where property owners are installing a mailbox post or basketball hoop and they innocently dig in their yard to find out they hit a gas line, water line or electric line and that, obviously, will cause significant problems.” “It’s simple. It’s convenient. It’s easy to remember, and whether it be power lines, communication cables, natural gas pipelines or water lines, they are all at varying lengths underground so it’s really important you call Pennsylvania One Call at 8-1-1,” said PUC Commissioner Pamela Witmer in a video news release http://www.puc.pa.gov/about_puc/2013_pr_videos.aspx . “It’s the season for spring construction and home projects, and the PUC really wants all Pennsylvanians to know what’s below and call before they dig. It’s really very simple. Just call 8-1-1.” In Pennsylvania, utilities, contractors and homeowners are required by law to call 8-1-1 at least three business days before using power equipment to make certain underground utility lines are marked. The PUC provided the regulatory support needed to allow Pennsylvania to join the nation with 8-1-1 abbreviated dialing. An informational brochure on the “Know What’s Below. Call 8-1-1 before you dig” campaign is also available on the PUC website under the Consumer Education link. Pennsylvania One Call System Inc. is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit corporation established in 1972. Their purpose is to prevent damage to underground facilities. To promote safety, they provide an efficient, cost-effective communications network among designers, excavators, and facility owners. Before digging begins, PA One Call facilitates contact between those wishing to excavate a particular location with the owners and operators of underground facilities nearby, including public utilities. All excavators and residents must contact PA One Call at least three business days prior to excavation, as required by law. The service is offered at no cost to homeowners. For more information, please visit www.PaOneCall.org. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities; ensures safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protects the public interest; educates consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; furthers economic development; and fosters new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner. For recent news releases, video of select Commission proceedings or more information about the PUC, visit our website at www.puc.pa.gov . Follow the PUC on Twitter – @PA_PUC for all things utility. “Like” PAPowerSwitch on Facebook for easy access to information on electric shopping. Source: PUC Press Release, 4/1/2013 _________________________ EPA Webinar - Revised Total Coliform Rule - April 10, 2013, 1:00 -3:00 pm ET This information was shared with AWWA and others, so hopefully it has trickled down to you, but I wanted to reminder everyone about it. Please register, and if a group from your entity will be viewing this, please meet together to allow more folks to join us. On February 13, 2013, EPA published the Revisions to the Total Coliform Rule (RTCR) in the Federal Register. Please see our website for additional information. (http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/rulesregs/sdwa/tcr/regulation_revisions.cfm) EPA will be conducting a webinar on Wednesday, April 10, 2013 from 1:00 to 3:00pm eastern time to discuss the requirements of the RTCR. The primary audience for the webinar will be water system operators and state and EPA drinking water program personnel. The attached flyer and the information below provide instructions on how to register for the webinar. Thanks, and we hope you are able to register and join us! Revised Total Coliform Rule -- Join us for a Webinar on April 10, 1 - 3 PM Eastern [https://www3.gotomeeting.com/images/webinar/themes/basic/button_registerNow.gif] Space is limited. Please consider coordinating with others in your organization or location to share a space / registration. Reserve your Webinar Seat Now at: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/933440302 Training for Revised Total Coliform Rule (RTCR) The final RTCR, which applies to all public water systems, offers an opportunity for greater public health protection against waterborne pathogens and reduces implementation burden for water systems. The final RTCR is based on the Agency's consideration of public comments on the proposed rule and on recommendations from the Total Coliform Distribution System Advisory Committee, a federal advisory committee, which consisted of a broad range of stakeholder groups, including States, environmental groups, utilities, and public health and public interest groups. Under the RTCR, public water systems and the state and local agencies that oversee these systems must comply with the requirements of the RTCR beginning April 1, 2016. Until then, public water systems and primacy agencies must continue to comply with the 1989 version of the rule. System Requirements PC-based attendees Required: Windows(r) 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server Macintosh(r)-based attendees Required: Mac OS(r) X 10.6 or newer Mobile attendees Required: iPhone(r), iPad(r), Android(tm) phone or Android tablet ________________________ Drinking Water Website/CCR page update with CCR electronic delivery options information Dear DEP Staff and Water Industry Members: We have updated our Drinking Water Home page with the attached summary article about the acceptable electronic delivery options for Consumer Confidence Reports (CCRs). This article also contains a link to the EPA memo. The summary article and a brief description is found under “What’s New…” on the Drinking Water Home page and also within the initial paragraph on the CCR page. The CCR certification form and both CCR templates have been updated with the new electronic delivery options. There is a line on the CCR certification form to include the direct URL so that DEP staff can verify that the CCR is posted at that URL. I’m attaching both unprotected templates (no edit restrictions) and the CCR certification form for your use. Please share this e-mail with anyone who needs to know this information. Thank you!
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Deb Rotz | Water Program
Specialist PLEASE NOTE MY NEW PHONE NUMBER WHICH IS 717-705-6352 ____________________ Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Mike Krancer will step down April 15 HARRISBURG -- Governor Tom Corbett today announced that Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Mike Krancer will step down April 15 to return home to Montgomery County to practice law.
“Secretary Krancer has been an invaluable member of our team and I
am grateful for his service,’’ Corbett said. “His impressive
efforts at DEP have taken the agency back to basics, protecting
the environment and making the permitting process more
efficient.
Krancer also oversaw the Permit Review Process and Permit Decision
Guarantee, which have brought timeliness and consistency to the
permitting process for all agency-regulated activities. Krancer and his agency were also instrumental in facilitating new investments and potential investments around the state, including his role in Governor Corbett’s team efforts to save the three southeastern Pennsylvania refineries and attract to them new environmentally responsible investors, employers and projects. Krancer also had the opportunity to testify as an expert before several U.S. Congressional committees on many topics. “Serving Governor Corbett and DEP has been the greatest honor of my career,’’ Krancer said. “Pennsylvania is well on its way to becoming the focal point of an American energy revolution, and I am grateful to the governor for giving me this role in assuring that natural gas and energy development happen in an environmentally sound and responsible manner.
“I owe a tremendous amount of thanks and appreciation to all of the
talented, dedicated, hard-working professionals at DEP with whom
I have been privileged to work as their Secretary,” he said. In addition to his previous legal work at Blank Rome, Krancer, 55, of Bryn Mawr, Montgomery County, served as a judge on the state’s Environmental Hearing Board for 10 years, including four years as chief judge and chairman. He has also worked as an attorney for Exelon Corp. A graduate of the University of Virginia, Krancer earned his law degree from Washington and Lee University.
“I appreciate Mike’s unwavering commitment to this job, knowing
that it took him away from spending quality time with his wife
and children,’’ Corbett said. “While I am sorry to lose his
expertise in the administration, I am glad this is an
opportunity for him to go back home.” For more information, visit www.pa.gov or www.dep.state.pa.us. Source: DEP Press Release, 3/22/2013 ____________________________ Subject: DEP Releases 2013 Susquehanna River Sampling Plan FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 03/20/2013 CONTACT: Kevin Sunday, Department of Environmental Protection 717-787-1323 DEP Releases 2013 Susquehanna River Sampling Plan Agency Will Provide Regular Updates on Website HARRISBURG -- The Department of Environmental Protection today released a work plan outlining intensive efforts to continue studying and sampling dozens of locations in the Susquehanna River basin throughout 2013. DEP’s ongoing efforts include analysis of water quality, water flow, sediment, pesticides, hormones, invertebrates, fish tissue and other areas of study. Portions of the study will focus on areas of the river or its tributaries where smallmouth bass reproduce. “The scientists and experts here at DEP have, quite simply, done an incredible amount of work on this complex issue over the past few years,” DEP Secretary Mike Krancer said. “Our staff will continue this comprehensive, fact-based approach, working with our partners at the Fish and Boat Commission, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission and the U.S. Geological Survey. “The actual cause or causes of the issues we have seen with the smallmouth bass have not yet been determined or linked to any particular water quality issue,” he said. “But DEP is dedicated to working with our partners to find the answer.” The agency’s sampling efforts will be focused on sites along the Susquehanna at Marietta, City Island and Sunbury and along the Juniata River at the Lewistown Narrows and Newport. A site along the Delaware River near Trenton, NJ, will be used as a control site. Staff will test for various water quality parameters, like dissolved oxygen, temperature and pH, at multiple sites in the Susquehanna. Samples of fish, mussels and macroinvertebrates, such as mayflies, will also be collected. “Our efforts span the entire watershed,” Krancer said. “Sampling across the Susquehanna River basin allows us to identify and accurately measure the effects of various influences on the river. This research will provide data and help us decide what next steps, if any, are needed to protect our waterways.” Fish tissue from bass collected during spawning season will be analyzed for pesticides, PCBs and metals. DEP will also work with the U.S. Geological Survey to analyze fatty tissue from healthy and diseased fish to determine the effects of different environmental factors. In the coming weeks, DEP will sample for pesticides at existing water quality network stations along the Susquehanna, Juniata and Delaware rivers. Samples will be collected during some rain events, as that is when pesticides and herbicides are more likely to wash into the river. DEP will analyze the samples for 54 different compounds. The study also calls for analysis of sediment samples and in-stream monitoring data, to be collected at spawning areas, that examines for pesticides and hormonal compounds. Staff will also take water quality samples from 32 sites in the tributaries of the Susquehanna River basin to better characterize the entire watershed. The agency’s biologists continue to consult with a contracted algal expert to analyze samples collected in areas where young-of-year bass have died off or where algal blooms have occurred in the past. Water samples from algae-heavy areas will be analyzed for total suspended solids, ammonia, nitrogen and phosphorus to determine the relationship between nutrient run-off, or discharges, and algae growth. Excessive algae may be indicative of poor water quality and can inhibit aquatic life and recreational activity, such as fishing. DEP continues to wait for final approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of its final 2012 Integrated Waters report, a biannual assessment of the state’s rivers and streams required by the federal Clean Water Act. The report describes the health of various waterways in the state and, where needed, DEP proposes listing waterways as impaired. For more information, visit www.dep.state.pa.us and click on the “Susquehanna River Study Update” button on the homepage. _______________________
Subject:
AWWA update - Senate committee passes bill with WIFIA title! We reached a significant milestone yesterday in advancing our proposal for a Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Authority (WIFIA). On Wednesday morning, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works unanimously approved S. 601, the Water Resources Development Act of 2013, and sent it forward for consideration by the full Senate. Title X of this bill creates a five-year pilot program for WIFIA. You can download the bill from the EPW Committee website at WIFIA is title X of the bill, starting on page 262. The bill authorizes $50 million annually for EPA and another $50 million annually for the Corps of Engineers. Those agencies will make independent decisions and support different projects, but there is also a provision for them to jointly fund projects (such as reservoirs). This level of authorization should support at least $500 million annually in low-interest loans for EPA and the same for the Corps. That isn’t as much as we need but it’s a good start. The similar, already-existing transportation program known as TIFIA started as a pilot program and is now a success story. The WIFIA program will offer loans or loan guarantees at Treasury rates, with 35 years to repay after substantial project completion. The minimum project size is $20 million. Water and wastewater utilities and authorities are eligible, as are state finance authorities (SRFs). As we have noted, under the current bill WIFIA will support a maximum of 49% of eligible project costs. That is something we would like to increase as an improvement to the bill as part of the Fly-In. But note we have accepted project selection criteria that will reward projects that bring other money to bear in addition to WIFIA (such as other local resources or P3 projects), so WIFIA isn’t likely to award 100% financing in many instances. Eligible projects include pipe replacement or rehabilitation, new or upgraded treatment plants, CSO and wastewater projects, reuse, desalination, capital projects to improve energy efficiency, and new water supply projects. This is basically everything we asked for, with the possible exception of expanding distribution systems to accommodate growth: that kind of project is not clear in the bill and may not be covered. The bill encourages projects that “use new or innovative approaches.” From discussion with Senate staff, it’s clear that includes design-build projects. In a project carried out by an entity that is not a state or local government entity or its instrumentality, the private entity can get WIFIA funding only if it is sponsored by such a governmental unit. We’ll keep working on this bill as it progresses. It will have to go through the House of Representatives as well before becoming law. AWWA has expressed its appreciation to the committee and to Senators Boxer and Vitter in particular. Even if we might wish to tweak the bill if a few places, it is highly consistent with our legislative outline and deserves our support. _____________________________ Action requested: contact your senators on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and ask them to remove the cap on the cost of projects that would be funded in proposed WIFIA
To: AWWA Government Affairs contacts Greetings! We have received a copy of a draft Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) bill that contains a provision creating a WIFIA pilot program. As you probably know, AWWA, AMWA, WEF and others have been seeking creation of a WIFIA, or Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, for some time now. Generally, the draft looks very good. However, there is one point we very much want to see changed. This is a provision that would cap the total cost of a project funded by WIFIA at 49 percent. Total federal contributions to the project would be capped at 80 percent. This seems to be copied and pasted from legislation creating a similar transportation program years ago. Transportation projects usually receive a combination of federal funds. This draft bill is scheduled for a committee “markup” session on Wednesday. Markup is a committee meeting where members offer and vote on amendments to a bill. Our staff has had several meetings on Capitol Hill on this and other WIFIA issues, so there will be some familiarity with our concerns, if not with the first staffer you talk to, but with others on the senator’s staff. Therefore, we are asking AWWA members to contact their senators on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and ask them to introduce and/or vote for an amendment that would remove the 49% cap on funding the cost of a project in Title X of the draft WRDA bill. If you do have a senator on this committee, we still thought you ought to know what is going on with WIFIA. Here is a roster of members of the committee:
March 18, 2013 Dear Senator XXXXXXXXXX, I understand that the Committee on Environment and Public Works, on which you serve, will mark up legislation reauthorizing the Water Resources Development Act on Wednesday. I am very pleased to see that Title X of the draft bill would create a Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Authority (WIFIA). This would be an invaluable tool for reinvigorating our nation’s drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. However, there is one provision in the draft that we would like to see changed. That is the cap placed on how much of a project the WIFIA could fund – 49 percent. That may make sense for a transportation project – WIFIA is patterned after the transportation program known as TIFIA, after all – but it does not make sense for a water infrastructure program. Transportation projects may receive a variety of federal funds, but that is not the case for water projects. Therefore, we ask that you seek a change in the bill to remove that cap and allow WIFIA to fund 100 percent of a project’s cost. We thank the Committee for its leadership on these pressing infrastructure issues, and look forward to working with you further on this. We do feel strongly, however, on the need to fix the cap on individual project funding. Sincerely, Tommy Holmes Legislative Director American Water Works Association 1300 Eye St. NW Suite 701W Washington, DC 20005 202 326-6128 _______________________________ Infrastructure Deficit Will Be $84 Billion by 2020 -- Craig D. Brooks, Executive Director If current trends continue, $126 billion will be needed for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure by 2020, leaving an anticipated funding gap of $84 billion, according to a report released by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Moreover, by 2040, the needs for capital investment in water will amount to $195 billion, and the funding gap will have escalated to $144 billion unless funding strategies to address the gap are implemented in the coming years. The report, “Failure to Act: The Impact of Current Infrastructure Investment on America’s Economic Future”, is the fifth and final report in the ASCE series. According to the report, an $84 billion deficit for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure could lead to $206 billion in increased costs for businesses between now and 2020. In the worst case scenario, nearly 700,000 jobs would be lost in the United States by 2020, and if the deficit is not addressed by 2040, 1.4 million jobs could be at risk in addition to what is otherwise anticipated for that year. The impacts on jobs are a result of costs to businesses and households managing unreliable water delivery and wastewater treatment services, and will be spread throughout the economy. Regarding all infrastructure, investment gaps will total $1.1 trillion by 2020 and $4.7 trillion by 2040. By 2020, the United States will have lost over $400 billion in gross domestic product, while cumulative impact through 2040 is expected to be almost $4 trillion, according to ASCE. __________________________________________________ The most recent report on water infrastructure from the American Society of Civil Engineers describes a growing infrastructure deficit and a corresponding negative economic impact __________________________________________________ The report released January 2013 addresses the following infrastructure categories: surface transportation; airports; inland waterways and marine ports; electricity; and water and wastewater. According to the report, delivery of drinking water and wastewater services in the United States is decentralized and strained. About 54,000 drinking water systems serve more than 264 million people, and more than half of these systems serve fewer than 500 people. As the U.S. population has increased, the percentage of people served by public drinking water systems also has increased. Each year, new water lines are constructed to connect more distant dwellers to centralized systems, which continues to add users to aging systems. Although new pipes are being added to expand service areas, drinking water systems degrade over time, with the useful life of components ranging from 15 to 95 years. In regard to wastewater, the report says that the United States has about 15,000 treatment facilities and 20,000 wastewater pipe systems. Although access to centralized treatment systems is widespread, the condition of many of these systems is poor. Aging pipes and inadequate capacity lead to the discharge of about 900 billion gallons of untreated sewage each year. ASCE is scheduled to release its 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, in which it will grade 16 infrastructure categories on a scale of A through F, in March 2013. The last report card, published in 2009, gave an overall grade of D for infrastructure, the same grade given in 2005. ASCE’s current report is available at: http://www.asce.org/economicstudy/. Source: ENVIRONMENTAL SYNOPSIS / FEBRUARY 2013 / P. 4 __________________
EPA Region 3 Extreme Weather/Climate Change Workshop Dear Water Sector Partners: Please share with others in your organization who may have a role to play in preparedness and response to extreme weather events. President Obama stated in his 2013 State of the Union Address “But for the sake of our children and our future, we must do more to combat climate change. Yes, it’s true that no single event makes a trend. But the fact is, the 12 hottest years on record have all come in the last 15. Heat waves, droughts, wildfires, and floods – all are now more frequent and intense. We can choose to believe that Superstorm Sandy, and the most severe drought in decades, and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all just a freak coincidence. Or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science – and act before it’s too late. On May 9 and 10, 2013, EPA Region 3 plans to convene a 1.5-day conference on water sector impacts from extreme weather events and climate change. This conference will be held in the Laurel, Maryland, area and likely be the first of two conferences; the second of which will take place in Pennsylvania later this year, unless impacted by budget cuts. In order to give you the opportunity to provide feedback and help create an engaging and informative agenda, we are requesting any feedback you may wish to provide. At your earliest convenience, but no later than Friday, March 15th, 2013, please click on the link below to view our workshop information and to share your expectations and suggestions for this conference. You can find our feedback form at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Region3Conference This conference will touch on a variety of topics including: · The relationship between extreme weather and climate change · Preparing for water-sector impacts related to extreme weather and climate change · Mitigation vs. adaptation measures to be undertaken at the utility level · Funding opportunities for Utility mitigation and adaptation activities · Utility perspectives on implementing mitigation/adaptation measures (e.g., case studies) I look forward to hearing from you and greatly appreciate your feedback. If you have additional questions or concerns, please let me know.
Patti Kay Wisniewski US EPA Region 3 1650 Arch Street Phila, PA 19103 215-814-5668 215-514-7893 (cell) __________________ PUC Provides Outage Reminders in Advance of Expected Storm
March 05, 2013 When electricity is lost, priority restoration is given to locations that can restore larger numbers of customers and high priority customers such as nursing homes, emergency shelters, emergency governmental services and hospitals. Consumers should call their utility for the most up-to-date information. The following areas are expected to be impacted:
The companies also will be sharing information on social media such as Twitter. You can follow them: @Met_Ed; @Penelec; @penn_power; @W_Penn_Power; @PPLElectric; @UGI_Utilities; @DuquesneLight. Consumers should not use social media to report outages or share account information or addresses. Before the lights go out, the PUC reminds consumers to charge cell phones and other portable electronic devices. The PUC offers the following tips for residents during a power outage: When the lights go out
Driving during a power outage
Downed power lines
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities; ensures safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protects the public interest; educates consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; furthers economic development; and fosters new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner. For recent news releases, video and audio of select Commission proceedings or more information about the PUC, visit our website at www.puc.pa.gov. Follow the PUC on Twitter – @PA_PUC for all things utility. “Like” PAPowerSwitch on Facebook for easy access to information on electric shopping.
__________________ EWG Report Released: Water Treatment Contaminants Report http://www.ewg.org/research/water-treatment-contaminants __________________ Obama orders voluntary security standards for critical industries’ computer networks
By
Ellen Nakashima, Published: February 12 Citing the growing threat from cyberattacks, President Obama on Tuesday announced that he had signed an executive order that calls for the creation of voluntary standards to boost the security of computer networks in critical industries such as those that keep trains from colliding and drinking water clean. “We know hackers steal people’s identities and infiltrate private e-mail,” he said in his State of the Union speech. “We know foreign countries and companies swipe our corporate secrets. Now our enemies are also seeking the ability to sabotage our power grid, our financial institutions, and our air traffic control systems. We cannot look back years from now and wonder why we did nothing in the face of real threats to our security and our economy.” The establishment of standards is part of a broader administration effort to protect the nation against a growing cyberthreat and the prospect of attacks that result in the loss of sensitive corporate data or even physical damage and deaths. In his speech, Obama also called on Congress to pass legislation to give government greater ability to deter attacks. In the works since last summer, the order also calls for greater sharing of cyberthreat information by the federal government with the private sector to better detect risks. The president’s executive action follows a failed effort by Congress to pass a law calling for voluntary standards. The order does not create regulations or authorities. Rather, it directs the Commerce Department to work with industry and federal agencies to craft a framework of standards within a year. The standards would apply only to sectors regulated by federal agencies, such as banking and electric power. “This is not designed to be a one-size-fits-all approach,” said a senior administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss an order before Obama announced it. The standards would affect only the most critical functions within sectors, such as computers that run financial trading systems or electric power generation. Computers that operate a bank’s Web site, for example, would not be subject to the standards. Although the administration is stressing the program’s voluntary nature, it left open the possibility that regulators may use their authority to enforce the standards. “So . . . this actually does have some teeth to it,” the official said. The effort has drawn criticism from some business interests as a backdoor to burdensome regulations. The executive order is “likely to be only marginally effective in enhancing cybersecurity,” said Paul Rosenzweig, a former Department of Homeland Security official who is now a security consultant. “In the absence of liability protections and other incentives, most private sector actors will choose not to participate.” The order calls for agencies to review incentives that could be offered to induce compliance. But one of the biggest — protection from lawsuits — can come only from Congress. Some experts say the executive order eventually could create a “standard of care” that companies would be encouraged to observe to avoid being sued. “And that’s a good thing,” said Jacob Olcott, a cyber expert with Good Harbor Security Risk Management. The order also directs agencies to increase the flow of cyberthreat data to companies, including warnings that they are being targeted. They will share malware, not people’s personal information, one official said. “It’s not about content,” he added. © The Washington Post Company __________________________ DEP Announces Major Permitting Efficiency Improvements; Provides New Policy’s First Quarterly Report Feb. 14, 2013 DEP Announces Major Permitting Efficiency Improvements; Provides New Policy’s First Quarterly Report Harrisburg –The Department of Environmental Protection today released the results of the first of four quarterly reports detailing progress under the new Permit Review Process and Permit Decision Guarantee policy. “The early results are nothing short of stunning,” DEP Secretary Mike Krancer said. The early data shows that DEP has increased its permit review efficiency by 74 percent in the Mining programs; 68 percent in the Water programs; 67 percent in Waste, Air Radiation and Remediation; and 19 percent in Oil and Gas. The agency has provided permit applicants with decisions within the targeted timeframes nearly 98 percent of the time and has reduced the permit application backlog by about 40 percent. “Last year, Governor Corbett delivered on his promise and directed DEP in July 2012 to establish this program, aimed at assuring predictability and efficiency in permit submissions and reviews,” Krancer said. “And DEP has delivered. “Our program has only been up and running since November 2012, and I would like to thank both DEP staff and the regulated community for responding like champions to make this a resounding success for all Pennsylvanians right out of the chute.” The new process aims to eliminate what had become an inefficient process of “back and forth” of permit applications. Before the new policy, about 40 percent of permit applications came in the door with substantial deficiencies that prevented timely review. “We have accomplished quite a paradigm shift,” Krancer said. “Under the Governor’s and DEP’s initiative, less than one and a half percent of applications have been in that category. This allows DEP permit reviewers to focus on their core functions of protecting the environment and public health and safety. “We all know that it is still early, and we all need to keep up our efforts and our focus to continue this tremendous momentum,” Krancer said. DEP will release subsequent reviews of the policy in each of the next three quarters. For more information and to view the report, visit www.dep.state.pa.us and click “Permit Decision Guarantee.” Media contact: Kevin Sunday, 717-787-1323 ###
_______________________________
Subject:
Participating in March 20th 2013 PENNVEST's Nutrient Credit
Forward Auction Dear PENNVEST Nutrient Credit Auctions participant, Just a reminder that February 18th is the cutoff to register and submit enrollment and eligibility documentation for PENNVEST’s March 20th Forward Auction. In this auction you will be able to bid/offer on the purchase/sale of credits that will be applicable to meeting nutrient discharge permit limits. You can bid/offer credits for this compliance year as well as future compliance years. The auction is open to potential credit buyers and sellers in both the Susquehanna and Potomac watersheds. If you are interested in learning more about this auction and how to participate, please note the following links: · To open a Markit account, please apply here: http://www.markit.com/sites/en/about/registrations/environmental-auctions-pennvest.page · Training session materials: http://www.markit.com/assets/en/docs/products/environmental/auctions/PENNVEST_Enrollment_Eligibility_Webinar_March2013%20v2.pdf · Any additional details : http://www.markit.com/sites/en/products/environmental/auctions/pennvest.page Please let us know if you have any questions, Sincerely, Markit Environmental Auctions Team Environmental.auctions@markit.com +1-917-441-6668 ______________________ AWWA releases white paper on Hydraulic Fracturing Click on this link for more information http://www.awwa.org/legislation-regulation/issues/hydraulic-fracturing.aspx
http://www.awwa.org/Portals/0/files/legreg/documents/AWWAFrackingReport.pdf ______________________ CCR Electronic Delivery Options In January 2013, EPA issued new guidance that allows for additional, electronic delivery options that will meet the definition of direct delivery. These new options will significantly reduce mailing costs for the larger water systems. Here are the descriptions of the new electronic methods that EPA and DEP will accept as a form of direct delivery:
NOTES:
In addition to electronic delivery, EPA and DEP will continue to accept paper mail or hand delivery of CCRs as forms of acceptable delivery. To view EPA’s CCR Delivery Options memo and guidance, click on this link: http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/rulesregs/sdwa/ccr/upload/ccrdeliveryoptionsmemo.pdf Although, the new delivery methods will not affect the CCR templates we have on the website, the template instructions are being updated to include this new information about the delivery options. However, the CCR Certification of Delivery form does need to be (and is in the process of being) updated to address these new delivery methods. Specifically, if a water system uses the direct URL option, they will have to provide that URL on the form. I expect the final form to be available on the web no later than July 1. I will send a separate notice when the updated forms are finalized. We will also be posting this information on the drinking water web page, so please feel free to share this message with your water systems. Contact me if you have any questions.
Dawn Hissner |
Environmental Group Manager, Operations ________________________ CCR e-Delivery Options Memo
Many
of you asked for this option for CCR e-delivery and provided
input along the way. Thank you for your efforts to make this a
reality! And Happy New Year. ______________________
STATEMENT BY EPA ADMINISTRATOR LISA P. JACKSON ANNOUNCING HER LEAVING CABINET AFTER STATE OF UNION
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON -- I want to thank President Obama for the honor he bestowed on me and the confidence he placed in me four years ago this month when he announced my nomination as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. At the time I spoke about the need to address climate change, but also said: “There is much more on the agenda: air pollution, toxic chemicals and children’s health issues, redevelopment and waste-site cleanup issues, and justice for the communities who bear disproportionate risk.” As the President said earlier this year when he addressed EPA’s employees, “You help make sure the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat are safe. You help protect the environment not just for our children but their children. And you keep us moving toward energy independence…We have made historic progress on all these fronts.” So, I will leave the EPA confident the ship is sailing in the right direction, and ready in my own life for new challenges, time with my family and new opportunities to make a difference. ________________________________ EPA Update: CCR Rule Retrospective Review-Webinar SAVE THE DATE! January 17, 2013 (2:00 - 4:00 PM ET): Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) Rule Retrospective Review - Electronic Delivery Framework Webinar · The objective of this webinar is to explain the CCR electronic delivery framework outlined in the CCR Delivery Options memorandum (soon to be released.) Panelists will discuss electronic delivery methods and approaches appropriate to meet CCR Rule requirements to “mail or otherwise directly deliver” the CCR to customers. The webinar is intended for community water systems, state and federal drinking water regulators and other interested parties. The webinar will also provide an opportunity for attendees to ask questions of the EPA representatives regarding delivery requirements. Space is limited. Reserve your webinar seat now at: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/888824022
________________________________ EPA Administrator signs final RTCR Please
share this to others in your organization. Have a wonderful
holiday and Happy New Year. A link to the Federal Register
version will be shared once published.
________________________
AWWA Washington Report for Dec 18 Attached please find the AWWA Washington Report for Dec. 18. Topics in this issue are · Release May be Imminent for Revised Total Coliform Rule · EPA Expected to Release CCR Memo Before End of Year · Agency Releases Climate Change Strategy · EPA Could Agree to Reopen Stormwater Consent Decree to Allow Green Infrastructure · Just Politics Click here for more information Tommy Holmes Legislative Director American Water Works Association 1300 Eye St. NW Suite 701W Washington, DC 20005 202 326-6128
Shale drillers want to move wastewater on barges December 16, 2012 12:13 am By Emily DeMarco / PublicSource The shale gas drilling industry wants to move its wastewater by barge on rivers and lakes across the country. But the U.S. Coast Guard, which regulates the nation's waterways, must first decide whether it's safe. "It may be hazardous," said Cmdr. Michael Roldan, chief of the Coast Guard's Hazardous Material Division, stressing the word "may." "If it is, it would not be allowed to ship under bulk." Right now, he pointed out during an interview with PublicSource, it can't be shipped by barge, even though there has been confusion in Pittsburgh, West Virginia and Ohio about whether it could be. The Coast Guard has been considering whether to allow the industry to use the waterways for about a year, according to Cmdr. Roldan, who said the question came up when the Marine Safety Unit Pittsburgh -- the local office of the Coast Guard -- called the Washington office to clarify whether bulk transport was allowed after Marcellus Shale drillers began making inquiries. The Coast Guard's decision would affect more than Pittsburgh's iconic three rivers. Nearly 12,000 miles of waterways could be open to these waterborne behemoths, each carrying 10,000 barrels of wastewater. Like so many questions involving the shale gas industry, it's a divisive one. Environmentalists said the possibility of a spill that could contaminate Pittsburgh's rivers with chemicals isn't worth the risk. But industry officials who advocate waterway transport said barges are the safest, and cheapest, way to move this stuff. A barge accident would be a "massive catastrophe," said Steve Hvozdovich, Marcellus campaign coordinator for Clean Water Action, a national environmental advocacy organization. "It's not just a contamination of a waterway," Mr. Hvozdovich said. "You're talking about the contamination of the drinking water supply for about half a million people. ... It seems like a very bad idea." But industry officials and transportation experts counter that other industrial materials, some toxic, are moved on barges now. They include chlorine, hydrochloric acid and anhydrous ammonia. Why should the drilling industry be treated differently? they ask. Anyone who says moving the wastewater is a danger doesn't know what's on the waters already, said John Jack, vice president of business development and operations for GreenHunter Water, a company that handles wastewater for major oil companies. "Look what's going down the waters right now," Mr. Jack said, "highly toxic stuff. ... There's nothing in our product that's hazardous." Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, requires about 5 millions gallons of water per well. Water is combined with chemicals and sand and shot deep underground, releasing pockets of gas from shale rock formations. Depending on the well, about 15 to 80 percent of what was injected returns to the surface. That's called "flowback." Plus, the well continues to regurgitate naturally occurring water from inside the shale, which is called "produced water." Both liquids become wastewater, often called "brine." Complications arise for the Coast Guard's analysis because companies use proprietary mixtures of chemicals in fracking. And, salt, hydrocarbons and radioactive elements that occur naturally underground catch a free ride with the watery mixture to the surface. "If there wasn't the variability, this would be a much easier process," Cmdr. Roldan said. Ring-around-the-tub effect The agency is determining appropriate "ceilings" for each component in the wastewater. Companies that want to ship by bulk would have to test their wastewater first. If the components are under the Coast Guard's ceilings, companies would be given the green light, assuming approval. The Coast Guard's biggest concern about the wastewater is what Cmdr. Roldan calls the "bathtub ring" effect inside the barges. Just as, after many showers and baths, calcium in tap water can leave a ring around the tub, radioactive particles in the wastewater may accumulate inside the barge. Workers and inspectors on the barges could be at risk after long-term exposure, he said, and the agency would likely require regular testing of the barges for radioactivity. Cmdr. Roldan couldn't say when the Coast Guard's determination of whether wastewater can be safely moved on barges would be complete. In part, that is because the nationwide issue is complicated. For example, experts from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Transportation and Energy departments have weighed in already. Others, including a committee established by the White House, will likely review the draft proposal. The agency plans to publish its proposal on transporting wastewater in the Federal Register. Then, the public and the industry will have an opportunity to weigh in. But there has been great confusion at the ports about the rules. Officials at GreenHunter, which moves wastewater for some of the largest drilling companies in the Marcellus and Utica Shales by truck, planned to start using barges before the end of the year because they believed it was allowed, Mr. Jack said. They've been investing in five terminals in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. "I've had the regional commanders out to our sites and nobody told us that we couldn't" move it by barge, he said. His understanding, he said, is that it's being done in Texas and Louisiana. The Pittsburgh office of the Coast Guard declined to comment. But Cmdr. Roldan's reaction was immediate when asked whether any company is allowed to do this. "No, they're not allowed," he said. "You may want to tell them before we catch them." But he said he understood the confusion because of the way the current regulations are worded. "A liberal reading [...] could lead to a misinterpretation," he said. One question the agency couldn't answer is the expected volume of wastewater that would be shipped over the rivers. "We've been asking ourselves this," Cmdr. Roldan said. In Pennsylvania alone, about 23 million barrels of wastewater were generated in 2011, according to PublicSource calculations using data from the state Department of Environmental Protection's Oil & Gas Reporting website. The data are self-reported by the producers and are not vetted by the DEP. While about 99 percent of the waste from shale drilling is just water, the remaining 1 percent is salt, chemicals and radioactive particles. A spokesman for the Marcellus Shale Coalition declined to answer questions about moving waste on barges and instead emphasized the industry's commitment to recycling wastewater. Today, new technology has increased the capacity for on-site recycling, but that is costly. Transporting the waste off-site to disposal or treatment locations is still needed by the industry. Less wear and tear on roads Shale gas companies have good reason to eye the waterways. Transporting wastewater by barges has environmental, safety and economic benefits, Mr. Jack, of GreenHunter, said. For example, a major drilling company would save 58,000 trucking hours by using barges. And trucks have about 2,000 accidents for every barge accident, he said, citing data from the DOT and Coast Guard. James McCarville, executive director of the Port of Pittsburgh Commission, an agency that advocates for waterway transport, said using barges is a good idea. "The more that it can be moved on waterways, the less wear and tear of roads," he said, adding that barges also produce less air pollution than trucks. And they're a fraction of the cost. Barges cost only about 10 percent of the cost to move the waste by truck, said Jim Kruse, director of the Center for Ports and Waterways Institute at Texas A&M University. They are 20 to 30 percent cheaper than trains, he said. The change would not eliminate trucks because they'd still be needed to get the wastewater from the drill rigs to the barges. Three gas drilling companies have already approached Pittsburgh-based Campbell Transportation Co. about moving their wastewater by barge, said Peter Stephaich, one of Campbell's shareholders. "We are regulated by just about everybody," he said, listing federal and state agencies that oversee barge companies. Mr. Stephaich said he's confident that wastewater will be moved responsibly. "If we move it, we'll move it within the rules," he said. "If the costs are too high, we won't do it." Operators like Campbell may have to purchase new equipment, retrofit their infrastructure and train their crews. Benjamin Stout, a biology professor at Wheeling Jesuit University, about 60 miles southwest of Pittsburgh, is one expert who didn't know about the Coast Guard's review. "Oh, crap," he said. "A lot of things could go wrong." For example, wastewater contains bromides. Bromides transform into carcinogens when they are pumped through water treatment facilities, Mr. Stout said. If there was a barge accident, the treatment facilities would have to shut their intake valves of river water, he said. Cities such as Pittsburgh and Wheeling use water from the Ohio River for drinking. Mr. Stout is a board member of FracTracker, a nonprofit that disseminates data about the shale gas industry. Both FracTracker and PublicSource are funded, in part, by the Heinz Endowments. Despite his alarm, Mr. Stout said he is glad that the Coast Guard is studying the issue because it's one more determination about an industry that currently doesn't offer a lot of transparency. Asked whether the Coast Guard is being lobbied by the industry, Cmdr. Roldan said: "We're not really feeling pressure. We could deny it." Emily DeMarco:
edemarco@publicsource.org or 412-315-0262. The Post-Gazette
is a news partner of
PublicSource, a nonprofit investigative news group in
Western Pennsylvania. _______________________________ Public Notice of Availability of Final NPDES General Permit for Stormwater Discharges Associated with Construction Activities (PAG-02) http://www.pabulletin.com/secure/data/vol42/42-48/2326.html
Public Notice of Availability of Final NPDES General Permit for
Stormwater Discharges Associated with Construction Activities
(PAG-02)
[42 Pa.B. 7347]
The Department of Environmental Protection (Department) by this
notice is publishing as final the National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System (NPDES) General Permit for Stormwater
Discharges Associated with Construction Activities (PAG-02, 2012
amendment) for renewal for 5 years. This General NPDES Permit is
issued under the authority of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C.A.
§§ 1251—1387) and The Clean Streams Law (35 P. S.
§§ 691.1—691.1001). The current PAG-02 permit is scheduled to
expire at 12 a.m. on December 7, 2012. This permit becomes
available at 12:01 a.m. on December 8, 2012. In accordance with
25 Pa. Code § 92a.84(c)(3)
(relating to public notice of general permits), a notice will be
published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin of every approval
of coverage only.
This General Permit, as finalized, has been modified in the
following significant ways:
• Changing from 2-year term to 5-year term.
• Updated fees.
• Updated stabilization requirements to mirror the revised 25
Pa. Code
Chapter 102 (relating to erosion and sediment control)
regulations.
• Revised condition for projects that drain to waters with
Total Maximum Daily Loads or that are impaired.
• Added condition for projects discharging to permitted
Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) or Combined Sewer
Overflow (CSO) if there is a net change in the post construction
stormwater rate, volume or quality, must obtain permission from
the permitted MS4 or CSO.
• Added conditions related insufficient funds tendered for
permit fees.
• Updated long-term post construction stormwater management
conditions to mirror the revised 25 Pa. Code Chapter 102
regulations.
• Modified condition regarding when the Department must be
notified for noncompliance monitoring.
• Added conditions per 25 Pa. Code § 102.8(n)
(relating to PCSM requirements) regarding when site restoration
plans can be used in lieu of post construction stormwater
management plans.
• Added condition to address use of voluntary riparian forest
buffers to achieve the antidegradation presumption and for
trading, offsetting purposes.
• Added condition related to permitted MS4 reliance on the
construction stormwater program as a ''Qualifying Local
Program'' to meet some of their permit obligations.
• Added conditions related to public notice and stormwater
offsetting.
• Deeding restrictions for Federal facilities must be done upon
the transfer of the property but not with the notice of
termination.
• Deeding restrictions/covenants must be recorded before the
sale of property to owners.
• Included effluent monitoring conditions and limitations for
turbidity to maintain compliance with 40 CFR Part 450 (relating
to construction and development point source category).
• Modified preconstruction meetings from voluntary to mandatory
unless the applicant is informed by the Department or delegated
conservation district that it is not necessary.
The Department solicited public comment on the proposed
revisions to PAG-02 from August 18, 2012, through October 2,
2012. Sixty comments were received from five commentators. The
final PAG-02, 2012 amendment permit is available by contacting
the Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Waterways
Engineering and Wetlands, Rachel Carson State Office Building,
P. O.
Box 8460, 3rd Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8460, (717) 787-3411.
The final PAG-02, 2012 amendment permit is also available on the
Department's web site. To access the General Permit and related
documents, visit www. elibrary.dep.state.pa.us and select
''Permit and Authorization Packages,'' ''Water Management,'' ''NPDES
(National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System),'' ''Stormwater
Construction Activities'' and ''PAG-02.''
Questions about the final PAG-02 should be directed to Jennifer
Orr, Chief, NPDES Construction Program at (717) 772-5961 or
jeorr@pa.gov.
MICHAEL L. KRANCER,
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 12-2326. Filed for public inspection November
30, 2012, 9:00 a.m.]
________________________
Policy for Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI) Coordination During Permit Review and Evaluation Dear Water Community, I am pleased to announce that the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently published the long-awaited draft technical guidance, “Policy for Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI) Coordination During Permit Review and Evaluation.” DEP is accepting public comments on the draft technical guidance until Dec. 10. The policy is available for review at: http://www.elibrary.dep.state.pa.us/dsweb/Get/Document-91339/400-0200-001.pdf DEP is revising its existing policy to clarify PNDI coordination within the permit review process. DEP and County Conservation Districts will follow this policy during the permit application review process. I also invite you to participate in a webinar about the draft technical guidance that will take place from 10:30-11:30 a.m., Monday, Dec. 3. DEP staff will deliver a PowerPoint presentation followed by a question-and-answer session. To register for the webinar, visit: https://copa.webex.com/copa/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=311355876 We look forward to your comments on this important policy. ________________________ IRRC to Consider Final-form Rulemaking: Dam Safety and Waterway Management Fees The Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) will meet on Thursday, 12/13/12 at 10:00 a.m., 333 Market Street, 14th Floor Conference Room, Harrisburg. Among the agenda items will be the Dam Safety and Waterway Management Fees. The IRRC meeting agenda includes the following regulations: • Reg. No. 2914 PA Gaming Control Board #125-156: Practice and Procedure; Server Supported Slot Systems; Compulsive and Problem Gambling • Reg. No. 2936 PA Liquor Control Board #54-70: Office of Administrative Law Judge; Payment of Fees and Fines • Reg. No. 2933 Dept. of Revenue #15-454: Board of Appeals; Small Games of Chance • Reg. No. 2939 Dept. of Labor & Industry #12-96: Unemployment Compensation; Active Search for Work • Reg. No. 2874 Environmental Quality Board #7-462: Commercial Fuel Oil Sulfur Limits for Combustion Units • Reg. No. 2927 Environmental Quality Board #7-466: Dam Safety and Waterway Management Fees Please see the information (links) below from the EQB meeting regarding the Final Rulemaking: Dam Safety and Waterway Management Fees (25 Pa Code Chapter 105): _____________________
Permit Review Process and Permit Decision Guarantee Drinking Water Community, I would like to share the following communication regarding the Permit Review Process (PRP) and Permit Decision Guarantee (PDG). Please note the link that will take you to the PDG website. Also note the upcoming webinar on November 26 from 1:30 – 2:30 for the Drinking Water Program. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for your participation and comments that helped to shape the Department’s new Permit Review Process and Permit Decision Guarantee and Permit Coordination policies. After careful consideration of public comments and stakeholder input, DEP will announce the publication of the final policies in the Nov. 3 edition of the Pennsylvania Bulletin. Though the policies are effective upon publication, the Department will not begin to process applications under this new process until Wednesday, Nov. 14, as a result of Tropical Storm Sandy. Final versions of the policies and their respective comment-response documents will be available today on the Department’s Permit Decision Guarantee website at: www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/Permit_Decision_Guarantee/21048
DEP has conducted considerable outreach during the past several months relating to these new policies and will continue to do so as we move together into the first quarter of implementation. There will be program-specific webinars held during the month of November to explain how the new processes will impact individual programs within the Department, discuss standard operating procedures and outline where statute or regulations may require a process other than that outlined in the policies. The dates and times of these program-specific webinars and registration links are below and are also available on the Department’s Permit Decision Guarantee website, which can be easily accessed by clicking the “Permit Decision Guarantee” button on our home page:
After some analysis, the Department has decided to eliminate sending hard-copy completeness letters, except in cases required by statute or regulation. In an effort to go paperless in this area, DEP will provide application tracking updates through the eFACTS on the Web application at: http://www.ahs2.dep.state.pa.us/eFactsWeb/default.aspx. The Department will be holding webinar training sessions on the eFACTS on the Web system to ensure that applicants are aware of the information contained in this application and are able to easily navigate it. The dates and times for 2012 are outlined below and all dates, including those in 2013, along with registration information, are available on the Department’s Permit Decision Guarantee website.
We appreciate your feedback as we implement these new policies that will transform the way we will do business. We have committed to re-evaluating the policy on a quarterly basis during the first year of implementation, with the first evaluation to be concluded by Feb. 15, 2013. Thank you for your continued support for these new policies. -------------------------------------------------------------- Lisa D. Daniels | Director Department of Environmental Protection | Bureau of Safe Drinking Water Rachel Carson State Office Building 400 Market Street | Hbg PA 17101 Phone: 717.787.9633 | Fax: 717.772.5630 _________________________
PADEP Permit
Review Process & Permit Decision Guarantee- Nov 14th
'Go-Live'
Dear colleagues,
Thank you for your participation and comments that helped to
shape the Department’s new Permit Review Process and Permit
Decision Guarantee and Permit Coordination policies. After
careful consideration of public comments and stakeholder input,
DEP announced the publication of the final policies in the Nov.
3 edition of the Pennsylvania Bulletin. Though the
policies are effective upon publication, the Department will not
begin to process applications under this new process until
Wednesday, Nov. 14, as a result of Tropical Storm Sandy. Final
versions of the policies and their respective comment-response
documents are available on the Department’s Permit Decision
Guarantee website at:
www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/Permit_Decision_Guarantee/21048
DEP has conducted considerable outreach during the past several
months relating to these new policies and will continue to do so
as we move together into the first quarter of implementation.
There will be program-specific webinars held during the month of
November to explain how the new processes will impact individual
programs within the Department, discuss standard operating
procedures and outline where statute or regulations may require
a process other than that outlined in the policies. The dates
and times of these program-specific webinars and registration
links are below and are also available on the Department’s
Permit Decision Guarantee website, which can be easily accessed
by clicking the “Permit Decision Guarantee” button on our home
page:
·
Nov. 20 --
Waste Management, 10-11 a.m. § https://copa.webex.com/copa/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=645609642
·
Nov. 20 --
Active and Abandoned Mine Operations, 1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. § https://copa.webex.com/copa/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=643516662
·
Nov.
26 – Safe Drinking Water, 1:30-2:30 p.m. § https://copa.webex.com/copa/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=646360416
·
Nov. 27
– Point and Non-point Source Management, 1:30-2:30 p.m. § https://copa.webex.com/copa/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=649617646
·
Nov. 28 –
Storage Tanks, 10-11 a.m. § https://copa.webex.com/copa/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=640351765
·
Nov. 28 --
Oil and Gas Management, 1:30-2:30 p.m. § https://copa.webex.com/copa/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=647455718
·
Nov.
29 – Radiation Protection, 10-11 a.m. § https://copa.webex.com/copa/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=646640985
·
Nov.
29 – Air Quality, 2-3 p.m. § https://copa.webex.com/copa/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=640478559
·
Nov.
30 -- Waterways Engineering & Wetlands: Chapter 102,
10-11 a.m. § https://copa.webex.com/copa/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=641561481
·
Nov.
30 -- Waterways Engineering & Wetlands: Chapter 105 & Dam
Safety, 1:30-2:30 p.m. § https://copa.webex.com/copa/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=649569129
After some analysis, the Department has decided to eliminate
sending hard-copy completeness letters, except in cases required
by statute or regulation. In an effort to go paperless in this
area, DEP will provide application tracking updates through the
eFACTS on the Web application at:
http://www.ahs2.dep.state.pa.us/eFactsWeb/default.aspx.
The Department will be holding webinar training sessions on the
eFACTS on the Web system to ensure that applicants are
aware of the information contained in this application and are
able to easily navigate it. The dates and times for 2012 are
outlined below and all dates, including those in 2013, along
with registration information, are available on the Department’s
Permit Decision Guarantee website.
·
Friday, Nov. 9, 2012:
9-10 a.m.
·
Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012:
2-3 p.m.
·
Monday, Nov. 19, 2012:
10-11 a.m.
·
Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012:
10-11 a.m.
·
Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012:
1:30-2:30pm · Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012: 10-11a.m
We appreciate your feedback as we implement these new policies
that will transform the way we will do business. We have
committed to re-evaluating the policy on a quarterly basis
during the first year of implementation, with the first
evaluation to be concluded by Feb. 15, 2013. Thank you for your
continued support for these new policies.
Regards,
Hayley Book
Hayley L. Book
| Acting Director
Office of Program Integration _________________________
Hurricane Sandy Debris Removal FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 10/30/2012 CONTACT: Lisa Kasianowitz or Katy Gresh , Department of Environmental Protection 717-787-1323 DEP Offers Tips for Removing, Processing Storm Debris
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is reminding
homeowners how to properly dispose of and process debris left behind
from Hurricane Sandy. _________________________
DEP Publishes Final Permit Improvement Policies FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 11/2/2012 CONTACT: Kevin Sunday, Department of Environmental Protection 717-787-1323 DEP Publishes Final Permit Improvement Policies HARRISBURG -- The Department of Environmental Protection announced today it has finalized its Permit Review Process and Permit Decision Guarantee and Permit Coordination policies. The agency submitted the final versions of the policies, as well as accompanying comment-and-response documents for each policy, for publication in the Nov. 3 edition of the Pennsylvania Bulletin. Because of DEP’s emergency response work related to Hurricane Sandy, the final policies will not be implemented until Nov. 14. “These policies deliver on Governor Corbett’s promise to reform how state government works,” DEP Secretary Mike Krancer said. “We are making clear to those who seek permits that we need to see quality applications. That is key. Then, we will do our part to deliver efficient and complete reviews in a predictable time frame.” The policies implement Gov. Corbett’s July 24 Executive Order, outlining the process DEP will use to guarantee an efficient timeframe in which the agency will make a decision on complete applications for 278 types of permits and authorizations. In reviewing its permitting procedures, DEP found that 40 percent of permit applications submitted to the agency were deficient, meaning they lacked the full information needed for DEP’s permit reviewers to make a sound decision. “The result of this was a waste of time and resources for all involved,” Krancer said. Under the new process, if a permit lacks necessary information, DEP may deny the application. If a complete permit application is technically deficient, requiring it to be returned twice, DEP may deny it. Agency staff will point to specific statutes or regulations when citing deficiencies in the application. The final Permit Review Process and Permit Decision Guarantee strongly encourages pre-application conferences between DEP staff and applicants to discuss expectations and obligations. The final policy also provides guidance to DEP managers on how to prioritize workload for the review of permits. “This is not about rushing permits through,” Krancer said. “It is about efficiently using our time and our applicants’ time and resources, and it is about predictable time frames. “Every complete and technically adequate application we receive will be reviewed thoroughly,” he said. “DEP will issue permits that meet all legal requirements that are in place which protect the environment and public health and safety.” DEP finalized the policies after reviewing the hundreds of comments submitted during the public comment period, which ran from Sept. 1 to Oct. 1. The companion Permit Coordination policy outlines how staff should coordinate projects that require multiple permits. During the first year of implementation, DEP staff will review the policies’ effectiveness quarterly and propose necessary adjustments. In addition to using a paperless “completeness notification process” through eFACTS on the Web, a tool to track permits and sites across the state, the agency is developing electronic permitting tools to further improve the process. In the coming weeks and months, DEP will host web-based information sessions for both eFACTS on the Web and its many program areas, such as air quality and mining. The program-specific webinars will discuss how each program is implementing the new permitting process. To register for the webinars and review the final policies and executive order, visit www.dep.state.pa.us and click the “Permit Decision Guarantee” button. ______________________
DEP Warns Residents in Three Counties of Bogus Public Water Notice
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 10/18/2012 CONTACT: Colleen Connolly, Department of Environmental Protection Northeast Regional Office 570-826-2035
DEP Warns Residents in Three Counties of Bogus Public Water Notice Agency Knows of No Water Contamination Issues in Counties WILKES-BARRE -- The Department of Environmental Protection is warning residents of Carbon, Luzerne and Schuylkill counties to disregard a posting discovered recently at the McAdoo Post Office in Kline Township, Schuylkill County, concerning contaminated drinking water. The flyer was not posted by DEP and was not authorized as an “official public notice.” The posting makes reference to polycythemia vera (PV), a form of blood cancer, and its relationship to drinking water in 10 communities and “others in the surrounding area.” It also encourages residents to purchase water filters. Currently, DEP knows of no drinking water contamination issues associated with any of the public water systems in those areas. Additionally, the agency knows of no environmental link between PV and drinking water in Carbon, Luzerne and Schuylkill counties. DEP reminds residents that the agency posts public notices about drinking water in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, local newspapers and, in some cases, delivers notices to affected customers. For more information, visit www.dep.state.pa.us or call 570-826-2511. ______________________ CCR Update Dear Water Community: I’m sending you the CCR Delivery Options Listening Session slides and the 8-page summary of the EPA Draft Guidance document. Slide 20 discusses the new proposed electronic delivery options and the remaining slides provide examples of each type of option. The guidance is pretty easy to read. If you support these new electronic delivery options, it’s in your best interest to submit written comments to EPA that you support their proposed guidance. Send your comments to: ccrretrospectivereview@epa.gov by October 11, 2012. DEP supports all proposed electronic delivery options that EPA has described in this DRAFT guidance document. Please share this e-mail with other industry people who are interested in commenting on this EPA DRAFT guidance document.
CCR Delivery Options Information October Listening Session
Deb Rotz | Water Program
Specialist ______________________
PENNVEST Update Please join Markit Environmental team for a series of informative Webinars that will discuss how to use Markit systems for PENNVEST’s Nutrient Credit Trading Auctions Program for the upcoming November 7th Spot Water Auction. The following topics will be covered: · Enrollment and Eligibility o Utilize Markit Document Exchange platform to manage your enrollment documentation o For returning customers we will cover questions regarding necessary updates to documentation submitted for previous auctions · Submitting Bids and Offers, Review Auction Results o Submit Auction Bids and Offers through Markit Environmental Registry o Review Auction Results – Review your individual Auction results on Markit Document Exchange Enrollment and Eligibility (Please participate in one of the following sessions) Wednesday October 3rd, 2012 (9:00 am to 10:00 am) Submitting Bids and Offers, Review Auction Results (Please participate in one of the following sessions) Wednesday October 31st, 2012 (9:00 am to 10:00 am) Monday November 5th, 2012 (9:00 am to 10:00 am) If you are interested in learning more about this spot auction and how to participate, please note the following dates: · Training webinar: Enrollment and Eligibility – Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012 (9am – 10am) · Deadline for registration forms/documents submission – Wednesday, October 17th, 2012 · PENNVEST sends out Eligibility letters to the participants – Monday, October 29th, 2012 · Training webinar: Submit Bids and Offers, Review Auction Results – Wednesday, October 31st and Monday, November 5th, 2012 (9am – 10am) · Collateral and executed nutrient credit sales agreements and nutrient credit purchase agreements due to PENNVEST – Tuesday, November 6th, 2012 · Spot Auction takes place - Wednesday, November 7th, 2012 To open a Markit account, please apply here: http://www.markit.com/sites/en/about/registrations/environmental-auctions-pennvest.page Any additional details : http://www.markit.com/sites/en/products/environmental/auctions/pennvest.page Training session call-in information: Call-in toll-free number (US/Canada): (866) 273 - 7990 Call-in toll-free number (UK): (800) 358 - 6526 Meeting Password: 3870033# In order to see the presentation, please open the following link in your Internet Explorer Browser: http://www.meetingzone.com/markit/ Complete the participant information and click Login. Please use the Participant Access Code: 3870033 To ensure that you are able to see all parts of the presentation, please perform the system check by following this link: http://www.meetingzone.com/markit/ Under Related Links on the right side of the screen, click on System Compatibility Check and follow the instructions. Thank you, Markit Environmental Auctions Team Environmental.auctions@markit.com +1-917-441-6668 _______________________ EPA has launched a new website pertaining to Federal Funding for Utilities - Water/Wastewater - in National Disasters (Fed FUNDS).
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/funding/fedfunds/index.cfm
____________________
AWWA Public Affairs Advisory
http://www.awwa.org/files/GovtPublicAffairs/AdvisoriesAlerts/092812waterRatesUSAtoday.pdf _________________________ AWWA Washington Report-9/18/2012
Click here for more information Send comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency concerning the electronic delivery of Consumer Confidence Reports Please find below a link to an AWWA Regulatory Alert asking that drinking water utilities send comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency concerning the electronic delivery of Consumer Confidence Reports. http://www.awwa.org/files/GovtPublicAffairs/AdvisoriesAlerts/091412electronicCCRs.pdf _________________________
CCR e-delivery stakeholder meeting This
morning, September 11, 2012, the Federal Register notice
for the CCR Rule Public Meeting to be held Monday, October 1st
was published. The notice announces a 30-day comment period on
a draft document pertaining to electronic delivery options for
consumer confidence reports. The document (which is described
as an attachment since it will be released by EPA via memo to
the States) and FR Notice link can be found on our website at
http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/rulesregs/sdwa/ccr/regulations.cfm.
________________________ DEP Lifts Drought Declaration for 15 Counties in Western PA Harrisburg — The Department of Environmental Protection announced today it has lifted a drought watch declaration for 15 counties in western Pennsylvania, based on recommendations from the Pennsylvania Drought Task Force. “Rainfall over the last six weeks helped out the situation immensely in these counties,” DEP Secretary Mike Krancer said. “We’ve seen improved stream-flows and soil moisture, and while some groundwater levels are still below normal we feel confident that conditions will continue to improve.” The drought watch was issued July 19 because of below-normal rainfall that resulted in low stream-flow conditions, decreased groundwater levels and precipitation deficits of up to five and a half inches. The Pennsylvania Drought Task Force uses reports and forecasts from the National Weather Service and U.S. Geological Survey, as well as analysis from DEP’s drought monitoring program, to make its recommendations on issuing and lifting declarations. Stream-flows have returned to normal for many areas. The upper reaches of the Allegheny basin are still below average. Recent rainfall has improved soil moisture in the region. Groundwater conditions are expected to return to normal over the coming months, as these levels typically lag two to three months behind precipitation. While conditions have improved, it is not a complete recovery. The Pennsylvania Drought Task Force will continue to monitor conditions across the state. A drought watch declaration, the first and least severe level of the state’s three drought classifications, calls for a voluntary five-percent reduction in non-essential water use. A drought warning is the second level of the drought classification and asks residents to voluntarily reduce water use by 10-15 percent. A drought emergency is declared through proclamation by the governor, bans non-essential use and requires public water suppliers to implement contingency plans. Water conservation tips and drought information can be found online at www.depweb.state.pa.us, keyword: “drought.” Editor’s note: DEP has lifted the drought watch in the following 15 counties: Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Greene, Lawrence, Mercer, Somerset, Venango, Warren and Washington. ________________________
DEP Releases Draft Permit Improvement Policies for Public Comment Two Webinars Will Offer Additional Information, Answer Questions HARRISBURG -- The Department of Environmental Protection has submitted for publication in the Sept. 1 Pennsylvania Bulletin drafts of its Permit Review Process and Decision Guarantee and Permit Coordination policies. The policies are open for public comment until Oct. 1. The policies implement Gov. Corbett’s July 24 Permit Decision Guarantee Executive Order, outlining the process DEP will use to guarantee an efficient timeframe in which the agency will make a decision on complete permit applications and authorizations. “Governor Corbett promised to reform how government operates in Pennsylvania,” DEP Secretary Mike Krancer said. “Good government means the efficient delivery of services, and that includes DEP permitting decisions. This process asks everyone to do a better job: DEP, businesses, non-profit organizations, local governments and consultants who work for these groups.” DEP studied applications and permit procedures and discovered that about 40 percent of permit applications submitted to DEP are deficient, meaning they lack full information needed for DEP’s permit reviewers to make a sound decision. “That creates a waste of everyone’s time,” Krancer said. Under the new process, if a permit application is deficient—requiring it to be returned twice—DEP may deny it. “Setting the clear expectation that every permit application should be correct and complete the first time is the key to efficiency on both sides,” Krancer said. “We need to free our staff from what amounts to a merry-go-round of reviewing deficient applications; returning them to the applicants; and, essentially, doing applicants’ work to make the applications shipshape.” An important feature of the Permit Review Process and Decision Guarantee is that it strongly encourages applicants to arrange pre-application meetings with DEP to discuss the agency’s expectations during the permitting process and learn their obligations as applicants. It also prioritizes the order in which permits are reviewed. “The Permit Review Process and Decision Guarantee enables our staff to do their main job of concentrating on protecting the environment and making decisions. At the same time, it gives the regulated community a more predictable and efficient permit application review and decision process,” Krancer said. “We encourage the public and all stakeholders to review the draft policies and offer feedback to us.” The companion Permit Coordination policy outlines how staff should coordinate projects that require multiple permits. DEP staff will review the policies’ effectiveness annually and make any necessary adjustments. The agency plans to develop electronic permitting tools to further improve the process. DEP will host two web-based information sessions about the draft policies, with time for questions and answers, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 5, and Monday, Sept. 10. To register for the webinars and review the draft policies and executive order, visit www.dep.state.pa.us and click the “Permit Decision Guarantee” button. Source: DEP Press Release, 8/30/2012 _______________________ DEP Awards Grant to Help Small Water Suppliers Meet Updated Standards On August 27, 2012, the Department of Environmental Protection announced that it has awarded the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) a $125,000 grant to guide small public water supply systems through the commission's water withdrawal approval process. Some existing approvals, granted prior to today's more comprehensive resource-management standards, will soon expire. This grant will help those systems' operators comply with the new process. "DEP is working with the commission to ensure that the smaller systems receive the technical assistance needed to navigate today's regulatory environment," DEP Deputy Secretary for Water Management Kelly Heffner said. "This grant will allow the commission to provide system-specific guidance for facilities that are dependent on water from the watershed." "SRBC is very aware that smaller public water systems often lack the resources to prepare and complete applications that are substantially more involved now than they were 25 or 30 years ago," SRBC Executive Director Paul Swartz said. "Thanks to this grant from DEP, we will be able to provide training and assistance to these smaller, rural local government systems that will, in turn, improve the quality of the applications the commission receives." SRBC will use a selection process to identify the small public water supply systems in the Pennsylvania portion of the Susquehanna River Basin needing the most assistance to develop system-specific compliance and permitting action plans. The plans will outline a course of action for preparing and submitting applications to SRBC. In addition to guiding the public systems through SRBC's application process, the grant will allow SRBC to help the local governments identify potential system capacity needs, reduce consulting costs and provide technical hydrogeological assistance. SRBC will also offer training to the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, Pennsylvania Rural Water Association and Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, along with advanced training to consultants who work with public water systems. SRBC is a federal-interstate water resource management agency comprised of representatives from the federal government, Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania. One of the commission's primary functions is to oversee water withdrawals from the Susquehanna River Basin. The grant is funded by Pennsylvania's Clean Water Fund, which is supported by fines, fees and penalties. For more information, visit www.dep.state.pa.us or www.srbc.net . Source: DEP Press Release, 8/27/2012 ________________________
Chapter 109 Update Dear Water Community: Two weeks ago, I sent you an e-mail about posting documents to WWOAP’s website. One of these documents (Chapter 109 Outline of Subchapters) is now posted to our DEP website. I’m also posting the one hour reporting documents listed below. These resources are now posted under the regulations section of the “Drinking Water Standards, Regulations and Resources” page at this link: 1. Chapter 109 Outline of Subchapters 2. One Hour Reporting Violations or Situations fact sheet (3900-FS-DEP4367) 3. Groundwater CWS One Hour Reporting poster (3900-SI-BSDW0475) 4. Surface Water CWS One Hour Reporting poster (3900-SI-BSDW0474) The One Hour Reporting Violations or Situations fact sheet includes all situations for both surface water and groundwater systems. It’s a useful sheet that describes the actual conditions of violating the MCL, MRDL, or treatment techniques. The two single-sided posters summarize the violations based on whether you have to comply with surface water requirements or groundwater requirements. I’m currently distributing a laminated poster to each of the DEP District Offices for their community and nontransient noncommunity water systems. Hopefully, you will be getting this poster from your DEP sanitarian soon.
I hope you find these resources helpful to you. Please share this e-mail with others who may benefit from these resources. Thanks! Deb Rotz | Water Program
Specialist ________________ DEP proposes stronger rules for regulating shale industry August 28, 2012 12:13 am By Don Hopey / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette A state proposal to make far-reaching amendments to oil and gas regulations governing Marcellus Shale gas development indicates stronger rules are needed to protect Pennsylvania's surface and groundwater resources. But it's too early to tell if the more than 100 proposed changes in a 23-page draft "concept paper" from the state Department of Environmental Protection will eventually provide those protections, environmental groups say. The document is the first step in a regulatory rewrite, required by last year's Act 13 amendments to the state's 1984 Oil and Gas Act, and was circulated to the DEP's Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board earlier this month. The five-member board, appointed by the governor, has scheduled public meetings Sept. 17 and Oct. 15 in Harrisburg to review as-yet-to-be-completed regulatory language based on the proposals. "There's a lot of work to do, and we're just starting to review it," said Burt Waite, a member of the technical advisory board since 1996. "The changes are to address Marcellus Shale drilling operations and the shortcomings of the present regulations. Things are being tightened up, and that's appropriate." Mr. Waite said the proposed regulatory changes are "comprehensive and potentially the biggest" since the enactment of the state Oil and Gas Act in 1984. "The underlying goal is to protect groundwater and surface water," he said, "and that is absolutely appropriate." Among the more notable proposals in the concept paper is the elimination of the drilling industry's use of in-ground pits for storage of "produced fluids," which are briny liquids that flow back to the surface after a well has been hydraulically fractured, and a requirement to locate and map abandoned gas and oil wells near new well sites that could allow methane to migrate into shallow aquifers. Other proposals would require drillers to build secondary containment structures around all new permanent storage tanks to protect nearby waterways and regulate on-site wastewater treatment processes and pipelines for the first time. According to the DEP's concept paper, storing produced fluids in a pit "presents an unacceptable risk to the environment through leaks or overtopping of the pit." The document also notes: "There are tens of thousands of tanks containing produced fluids that have no adequate secondary containment, which has resulted in numerous spills and releases of produced fluids into the environment over many decades." John Walliser, vice president for legal and governmental affairs for the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, a statewide environmental organization, said he is "encouraged" by the proposals, which fill in gaps in Act 13. "We wanted to see some of those things in Act 13, but they were left out, so it's nice to see the department jump on it," said Mr. Walliser, who is also chairman of the DEP's Citizens Advisory Council. "But the devil is in the details." For example, while a proposal would eliminate use of storage pits for produced fluids, it doesn't say whether produced fluids are just salty brine flushed from the deep shale formation or also the so-called "flowback fluid" containing fracking chemicals. "If produced fluids are only brines and they pose an unacceptable risk, wouldn't it stand to reason that flowback fluid does as well?" said Mark Szybist, staff attorney with Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future, a statewide environmental organization. "The concept paper is vague in a number of areas and raises red flags." Those include proposals to require drillers to build secondary containment structures to American Petroleum Institute standards around all new permanent storage tanks to protect nearby waterways, establish a spill reporting minimum, and first time regulation of on-site wastewater impoundments, treatment processes and pipelines. Mr. Szybist said new standards are needed for temporary pipeline use and for regulating centralized residual waste impoundments used by the drilling industry, but the DEP's proposal comes up short on both. "I don't see the justification for lesser controls than another industry would have on waste impoundments," he said. "The conceptual premise on many of these things is good, but it's hard to know if the final regulations will be good enough." The DEP in a statement said the proposals are just memorializing existing regulations or industry practices. The DEP's plans call for finalizing the proposed language of the regulatory changes at the technical advisory board meeting Nov. 15 and submitting the final regulatory language for consideration by the state Environmental Quality Board on Dec. 12. Mr. Szybist said that schedule may be too optimistic because it doesn't allow for adequate public comment. "Given the breadth of the changes, the DEP has to allow at least 60 days and maybe longer for public review and comment," he said. "There's going to be a lot to go through, and it's something that shouldn't be rushed." Don Hopey: dhopey@post-gazette.com
or 412-263-1983.
Participants will have the opportunity to pose questions to the USEPA moderator via the webinar chat function. Registration is limited, so please sign up soon for one of the two webinars being offered. Both webinars are the same, so you only need to attend one session. Dates/Times:
OR
___________________ EPA’s 8/16/12 “Lead-Free Definition Under the Safe Drinking Water Act” presentation I’m attaching the slides of EPA’s 8/16/12 “Lead-Free Definition Under the Safe Drinking Water Act” presentation. There were technical difficulties with this webinar so I only heard 30 minutes of the discussion before the session terminated prematurely. EPA is requesting comments from the water industry specifically about issues #4 and #5 which are found on pages 15 and 16 of the slides. Issue #4 relates to calculating the lead content and issue #5 relates to how the new lead-free standard is applied to repairing anything within a system that currently meets the higher lead-free standard of less than 8% lead. Both slides contain potential approaches that you can consider. It’s in your best interest to comment on these issues before EPA revises its regulations. I’m also including the Federal Register announcement of yesterday’s public meeting so you can read the background of the implementation issues. Please note comments are due by 8/31/12 to smith.lameka@epamail.epa.gov not to Junie.percy as indicated on the last slide. Please share
this e-mail with other water industry members. Thank you!
EPA Public Meeting info Deb Rotz | Water Program
Specialist ______________________________
Chapter 109 info from PA DEP Dear water community folks: Last week I presented a Chapter 109 overview session at the Water Works Operators’ Association of PA (WWOAP) annual conference. During my Chapter 109 overview session, I used the 2 attached documents that contain hyperlinks to various drinking water resources. These files are posted on WWOAP’s website:
Chapter 109
Overview I hope you find these hyperlinks useful as you search for drinking water resources that you need. Please share this e-mail with anyone who needs this information. Deb
Rotz |
Water Program Specialist ______________________
Upcoming EPA stakeholder public meetings Below
is a listing of near term stakeholder public meetings/listening
sessions. I have provided a link to additional information if
it is available. If you have trouble locating the Federal
Register notice on any item, please let me know and I can
send a pdf of the notice(s). Updates will be provided as future
meetings are announced. ____________________________ Governor Corbett Signs Executive Order Requiring DEP to Implement Permit Decision Guarantee Program FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 07/24/2012 CONTACT: Eric Shirk, Governor’s Office 717-783-1116 Kevin Sunday, DEP 717-787-1323 HARRISBURG -- Governor Tom Corbett today issued Executive Order EO2012-11, which requires the Department of Environmental Protection to immediately begin assessing how best to make timely permitting decisions. The order establishes a Permit Guarantee Program, in which DEP will strive to make permitting decisions within established processing times for complete and technically adequate applications. “One of the biggest complaints I have received over and over again is the time it takes for businesses, non-profit organizations and local governments to work through the permitting process,” Corbett said. “I promised to correct this, and today we are setting the wheels in motion to deliver on that promise. At the same time, DEP will continue its longstanding mission to protect our environment. “While DEP will be working hard to become even more efficient, the new program also must make clear our expectations from those seeking permits. Full and complete applications are necessary for DEP to be able to make a timely decision without sacrificing their duty and commitment to protect the environment,” Corbett said. “Complete applications mean DEP can make a sound decision quickly.” The order also requires DEP to coordinate the review of applications for projects with multiple permits; establish performance standards for staff engaged in permit reviews; and where possible, develop and improve electronic permitting tools. The executive order is published on the Office of Administration’s website at www.oa.state.pa.us. On the left toolbar, select “Records & Directives,” then “Executive Orders.” _____________________
A-Z Topic Index of Chapter 109
Click for the Chapter 109 Index EQB Information The Environmental Quality Board (EQB) published the above-referenced regulation in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on July 7, 2012. The proposed regulation is available on the Pennsylvania Bulletin website at the following link. http://www.pabulletin.com/secure/data/vol42/42-27/1292.html The proposed regulation is also available on our website at the following link. http://www.irrc.state.pa.us/regulation_details.aspx?IRRCNo=2954 The EQB is inviting the public to submit written comments on the proposal. Please reference Regulation #7-475 (IRRC #2954) on the correspondence. The deadline for submitting comments to the EQB is August 21, 2012. Please note that all correspondence, public comments, and documents submitted relating to a regulation are a matter of public record and will appear on IRRC’s website – www.irrc.state.pa.us. If you have any questions, please contact me or Scott Schalles. My contact information is below; Scott can be reached at 717-214-8955 or sschalles@irrc.state.pa.us. Thank you.
Michelle L. Elliott 717.787.8491 direct line 717.783.5417 main line 717.783.2664 fax ________________ AWWA Utility Alert Below please find the link to an AWWA utility alert regarding a policy statement we issued last week, in concert with other national water organizations, on the protection of drinking water supplies for hydraulic fracturing and associated oil and gas development.
http://www.awwa.org/files/GovtPublicAffairs/AdvisoriesAlerts/071012FrackingStatement.pdf ________________________ AWWA Regulatory Advisory
Following-up on yesterday's advisory, below
please find an additional AWWA advisory that went out
this morning requesting that utilities fill out a short
survey examining the potential cost savings of delivering annual
water quality reports electronically. The results of this
survey will be reported to the USEPA as it prepares draft
guidance on electronic delivery.
Additional questions about the survey may be
directed to Adam Carpenter at
acarpenter@awwa.org. ______________________
AWWA announces new member award AWWA is very pleased to announce a new member award! The Silver Water Drop will recognize the commitment of members who have shown their long-time commitment to the Association, but who are not yet eligible for Life Membership status. The Silver Water Drop will be awarded on the basis of a 30-year cumulative membership in the Association. Awardees will be recognized with a plaque and lapel pin. Similar to the Gold Water Drop and Life Member Awards, the Silver Water Drop Award deserves recognition at your annual conference. The criteria for these awards can be reviewed at http://www.awwa.org/membershipawards Recent changes to the Life Member category at AWWA have affected the timing of section recognition for Life, Silver, and Gold Water Drop awardees. The timeline for recognition is as follows: April − AWWA confirms awardee eligibility. June – Sections notified of eligible awardees. June – AWWA mails plaques and pins directly to awardees. July – Sections begin recognition of awardees at annual conferences. In 2012, sections will be provided with three sample plaques for public recognition of the Life, Silver, and Gold Water Drop awardees. The sample plaques should be used for both presentation and photos at your annual conferences. Be sure to keep these plaques for use at future annual conferences! Special thanks to to: Susan Franceschi, AWWA Chief Membership Officer _______________________
http://www.awwa.org/files/GovtPublicAffairs/PressReleases/060412ACEworkforceACE12.pdf
_______________________ EPA and Department of Veterans Affairs to Connect Veterans with Jobs in Water Sectors WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program announced today a memorandum of understanding to connect veterans with disabilities to career opportunities in the water and wastewater sectors -- such as at wastewater plants and drinking water facilities -- as part of EPA’s Water Sector Workforce Initiative. This effort will be beneficial to both the environment and economy as clean water and job placement for veterans are top priorities of the Obama Administration. The agreement allows EPA and VA to connect qualified veteran employees with staffing needs at water and wastewater utilities. EPA and the VA will work with water utilities, states and local VA counselors to promote water sector careers and resources for finding water jobs for veterans as well as educational programs to help veterans transition into careers in water industries. “This agreement comes at the perfect time to address the predicted workforce shortages in the water and wastewater industries and the need for transitioning veterans into civilian jobs,” said Nancy Stoner, acting assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Water. “EPA believes that well-trained and experienced water sector professionals are vital to ensuring sustainable, properly operated systems.” “VA has cultivated relationships with both public and private industry to ensure disabled veterans have opportunities to find and maintain meaningful employment,” said Under Secretary for Benefits Allison A. Hickey. “We are thrilled to forge this relationship with EPA to assist them with hiring veterans through our Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program.” More than one-third of all current water operators are eligible to retire within seven years and, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment for water and wastewater operators is expected to grow by 20 percent between 2008 and 2018, faster than the national average for all other occupations. EPA sees the need to invest now in creating a pipeline of future water sector professionals to fill these essential water sector careers. VA’s Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program assists more than 100,000 disabled veterans annually prepare for, find, and maintain meaningful careers. Veterans are an important target group for water and wastewater utility jobs because many veterans already possess training and technical skills that are directly transferable to careers in the water sector. There is a wide spectrum of water sector careers that veterans could be qualified for, including engineering, laboratory and water science, operations and maintenance, management and administration, communications, and public education. The Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program further supports veterans for the water workforce by providing necessary accommodations and additional training as needed. More on EPA’s Water Sector Workforce Initiative: http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/sustain/ws_workforce.cfm More about VA connecting qualified veterans with employer needs: http://www.vetsuccess.gov/ Source: EPA Press Release, 5/29/2012 _____________________ AWWA Utility Advisory Below please find a utility advisory from the American Water Works Association that went out to utility members this afternoon. It is regarding a recent settlement in the City of Greenville vs. Syngenta Crop Protection class action lawsuit. Settlement funds may now be available to water systems with measurable levels of atrazine in their source water to help address treatment costs. http://www.awwa.org/files/GovtPublicAffairs/AdvisoriesAlerts/052912AtrazineSettlement.pdf _______________________
AWWA Public Affairs Advisory
http://www.awwa.org/files/GovtPublicAffairs/AdvisoriesAlerts/051712LeadCDCRevision.pdf Below please find the link to an AWWA utility advisory that went to utility members today regarding a report from the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) that was released yesterday. The report focuses on shale gas wastewater from activities including hydraulic fracturing, and may result in customer or media inquiries.
http://www.awwa.org/files/GovtPublicAffairs/AdvisoriesAlerts/051012NRDCReport.pdf Important information from EPA
EPA
has finalized the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulations
(UCMR 3). This rule was published in the Federal Register on
May 2, 2012. Below is a link to a pdf of the document as well
as to further details, as posted on EPA's website.
____________________ AWWA Regulatory Advisory Below please find an AWWA regulatory advisory alerting utilities that the USEPA has posted the final Third Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR3) in the May 2nd Federal Register.
http://www.awwa.org/files/GovtPublicAffairs/AdvisoriesAlerts/050212UCMR3.pdf DEP Drinking Water News ____________________
AWWA Regulatory Advisory Below please find the link to a regulatory alert that went out to AWWA utility members this morning. It addresses the Jan. 4, 2014 compliance deadline for "lead-free" plumbing materials, as defined by recent revisions to the Safe Drinking Water Act. http://www.awwa.org/files/GovtPublicAffairs/AdvisoriesAlerts/050112LeadFreeDeadline.pdf _____________________ AWWA Legislative Alert Below please find the link to a legislative alert from the American Water Works Association regarding a letter that AWWA and its fellow water associations submitted today to the U.S. House Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy expressing opposition to language in congressional legislation that would provide product defect liability immunity (“safe harbor”) to producers of a wide range of gas additives, including MTBE. http://www.awwa.org/files/GovtPublicAffairs/AdvisoriesAlerts/041912awwaMTBEletter.pdf (cut and paste to browser) ________________
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AWWA Public Affairs Advisory Please find below a link to an AWWA Public Affairs Advisory concerning an upcoming Natural Resources Defense Council report on water threats resulting from climate change. www.awwa.org/files/GovtPublicAffairs/AdvisoriesAlerts/040312nrdcClimateRankings.pdf _________________
AWWA Regulatory Advisory
http://www.awwa.org/files/GovtPublicAffairs/AdvisoriesAlerts/032812RMPUpdate.pdf
http://www.awwa.org/files/GovtPublicAffairs/AdvisoriesAlerts/032212CyberSecurity.pdf
_____________________________ The Department of Environmental Protection will host online information sessions on implementing Act 13, which Governor Tom Corbett signed into law in February to further protect the environment and place more stringent regulations on the natural gas drilling industry. “Act 13 reaffirms our strong commitment to safe, responsible, environmentally sensitive and transparent natural gas development here in Pennsylvania,” DEP Secretary Mike Krancer said. “Our intent with these sessions is to explain the law and answer whatever questions people may have.” Act 13’s environmental provisions for unconventional gas operations, which take effect April 16, include increased setbacks from buildings and waterways; limited development in floodplains; and increased time and distance provisions in which gas drillers are presumed liable for water contamination until evidence proves otherwise, among other things. Operators must also register their hydraulic fracturing fluid ingredients with FracFocus.org, a website created by the Ground Water Protection Council and Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission to make such information accessible to the public. DEP will offer four one-hour sessions, starting with a general overview of Act 13 on March 27; details on permitting and notifications on April 3; information about environmental protection and enhancement on April 10; and a session on inspections and enforcement on April 17. The sessions, which will begin at 1 p.m., will be presented live through Cisco WebEx software. There is a maximum of 500 attendees to each session due to technological limitations. DEP will post recordings of the presentations on its website. For more information and to register for the sessions, visit www.dep.state.pa.us and click the “Act 13” button on the homepage. Source: DEP Press Release, 3/20/2012 ____________________ AWWA Press Release Below please find a press release from the AWWA and Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure announcing their new partnership to develop a sustainability framework for evaluating and rating the community, environmental, and economic benefits of water infrastructure projects. http://www.awwa.org/files/GovtPublicAffairs/PressReleases/031612ISIandAWWAPartnership.pdf _____________________ AWWA Public Affairs Advisory Please find below a link to an AWWA Public Affairs Advisory concerning a report from the Union of Concerned Scientists advocacy group. www.awwa.org/files/GovtPublicAffairs/AdvisoriesAlerts/031512UnionConcernedScientists.pdf _____________________ AWWA Public Affairs Advisory Below please find the link to an AWWA public affairs advisory that went to members this afternoon. It regards a story in today's news about nitrates and agricultural run-off affecting drinking water supplies. It may result in local media inquiries on this topic. http://www.awwa.org/files/GovtPublicAffairs/AdvisoriesAlerts/031312APNitrateArticle.pdf _____________________ AWWA Press Release and Advisory Below please find links to two AWWA communications that went out this afternoon announcing that two AWWA Standards, J100-10 and G430-09, have received SAFETY Act designations from the US Department of Homeland Security. AWWA will host a complimentary webcast to discuss what this means for utilities using J100 and G430 as part of their security and preparedness programs on March 21st. Utility member advisory: http://www.awwa.org/files/GovtPublicAffairs/AdvisoriesAlerts/030512J100G430Advisory.pdf Press release: http://www.awwa.org/files/GovtPublicAffairs/PressReleases/030512J100andG430SAFETYAct.pdf
For additional
information please contact Kevin Morley at
kmorley@awwa.org. AWWA Regulatory Advisory
Below please find the link to a regulatory advisory that
went to AWWA utility members this morning regarding an EPA
web dialogue on various issues pertaining to Consumer
Confidence Reports (CCRs). AWWA is encouraging utilities to
participate in the web dialogue before it closes on March 9,
2012.
AWWA press release
Below please find the link to an AWWA press release that
went to media this afternoon regarding testimony offered
before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Water Resources and
Environment this morning. AWWA report on drinking water infrastructure needs...$1 Trillion in the next 25 years Attached is a report that AWWA is releasing today on the nation’s drinking water infrastructure needs. In summary, the researchers found that the country will need to spend $1 trillion in the next 25 years to maintain our current level of service and accommodate populations shifts and growth. More information is available at http://www.awwa.org/Government/Content.cfm?ItemNumber=1062&navItemNumber=58521 _____________________ PA DEP website information about private wells Even though PA DEP does not regulate private homeowner wells, we still get lots of questions from homeowners so we decided to create a new page that provides many links to other private well sites. Check out our new page: http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/private_water_wells/20690 Thanks to Wendy Lloyd for creating the content and links and to Kurt Smith for getting the pages on the web!!! I’ve already sent my first homeowner to this site this morning so I’m glad it’s a resource. I hope you find it useful too. _____________________
AWWA Public Affairs Advisory http://www.awwa.org/files/GovtPublicAffairs/AdvisoriesAlerts/022212InfrastructureReport.pdf
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EPA
is offering contractor assistance to 10-20 communities for green
infrastructure technical assistance. Each community selected
could receive contractor assistance valued at approximately
$50,000 to $100,000. Please see the announcement below for
EPA's new green infrastructure website. More information on
EPA's Request for Letters of Interest (RLI) can be found at this
website. Letters of Interest must be received by April 6, 2012.
_____________________ EPA Climate Change Guide now available FYI – Per yesterday’s WUC Board Meeting, Patti-Kay Wisniewski from EPA mentioned that the following guide on climate change was available from EPA at http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/climate/index.cfm#asg Adaptation Strategies Guide This interactive guide assists drinking water and wastewater utilities in gaining a better understanding of what climate-related impacts they may face in their region, and what adaptation strategies can be used to prepare their system for those impacts. A worksheet is provided to assist the user in the adaptation planning process. The guide also includes examples of utilities implementing adaptation options at their systems. Climate Ready Water Utilities ToolboxThis searchable toolbox contains resources that support all stages of the decision process, from basic climate science through integration of mitigation and adaptation into long-term planning. The Toolbox contains: reports, articles, and other publications; information about grant programs that could support climate-related actions by utilities and municipalities; current activities; upcoming seminars, workshops, and training sessions; models and tools; and climate response materials that focus on mitigation and adaptive strategies. Other Climate Ready Water Utilities Resources
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http://www.awwa.org/files/GovtPublicAffairs/AdvisoriesAlerts/021512GoodHousekeeping.pdf
Text of Feb. 13 press release. Harrisburg - Governor Tom Corbett today signed House Bill 1950, the Marcellus Shale bill, into law. The bill enhances protection of our natural resources through stronger environmental standards, authorizes counties to adopt an impact fee, and builds upon efforts to help move Pennsylvania toward energy independence. The historic measure is the first comprehensive re-write of the state’s Oil and Gas Act since 1984. It contains much of what Corbett outlined in his Marcellus Shale proposal last October. His plan followed the work of the Governor’s Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission. House Bill 1950 contains 24 of the legislative recommendations offered by the advisory commission. “This growing industry will provide new career opportunities that will give our children a reason to stay here in Pennsylvania,” Corbett said. “Thanks to this legislation, this natural resource will safely and fairly fuel our generating plants and heat our homes while creating jobs and powering our state’s economic engine for generations to come.” The new law enhances environmental standards by: • Increasing well-setback distance from 100 feet to 300 feet for streams, rivers, ponds and other water bodies, and from 200 feet to 500 feet from buildings and private water wells and to 1,000 feet for public drinking water systems. • Expanding an unconventional operator’s “presumed liability” for impairing water quality from 1,000 feet to 2,500 feet from a gas well, and extends the duration from 6 months to 12 months. • Enhancing water quality replacement standards to meet Safe Drinking Water Act standards. • Enabling DEP to revoke permits in a more efficient manner to deal with imminent safety or environmental concerns. • Increasing blanket bonds from $25,000 up to $600,000. • Providing for strong, uniform and consistent statewide environmental standards – building upon and incorporating the best practices used by industry leaders. • Enhancing hydraulic fracturing disclosure, including online posting through FracFocus.org. This law also authorizes counties within the shale regions to adopt an impact fee, which will be used by local communities experiencing the actual impacts of unconventional shale gas development. To recognize the tight economics associated with low natural gas prices, the fee amount can fluctuate annually and is based on the average price of natural gas for the preceding year. If all eligible counties adopt the fee, estimates for revenue are approximately $180 million in 2012, climbing to $211 million in 2013 and $264 million in 2014. State agencies with a role in mitigating shale gas impacts, such as the Department of Environmental Protection, the Public Utility Commission, Pennsylvania Emergency management Agency, State Fire Commissioner and the Fish and Boat Commission, will receive fixed dollar amounts off the top of the revenues collected from the fee. After that, 60 percent is directly distributed to impacted counties. A significant percentage of the remaining 40 percent will also be distributed to those counties through either population- or road-mileage-based formulas, or through the awarding of competitive grants. The new law also provides long-term regulatory predictability for job-creators and capital investors, and helps businesses succeed by providing increased uniformity and fairness of local regulations while preserving local government’s traditional zoning authority. Upon petition, the Public Utility Commission is authorized to review ordinances to make sure they comply with state law. Finally, the law creates a Natural Gas Energy Development Program, which will provide incentives to convert fleets with vehicles weighing at least 14,000 pounds to compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, or bi-fuel vehicles. At least 50 percent of the funds must be used for grants to local transportation organizations, including mass transit agencies. The law’s provisions authorizing counties to adopt ordinances imposing an impact fee go into effect immediately. The majority of the law takes effect in 60 days. Contact: Eric Shirk, 717-783-1116 _______________________
AWWA Press Release · Mayors Meet with EPA, Discuss Clean Water Act · AWWA Leads Meeting on Drinking Water · Consumer Confidence Reports · Outlook Dims for LightSquared’s Broadband Proposal
More info click here AWWA Public Affairs Advisory Below please find the link to an AWWA advisory that went to utility members today with information and links to free materials for Drinking Water Week 2012.
http://www.awwa.org/files/GovtPublicAffairs/AdvisoriesAlerts/010512DWWAnnouncement.pdf
STATE REGISTRATION BOARD FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS, LAND SURVEYORS AND GEOLOGISTS: PROPOSED RULEMAKING: QUALIFICATIONS FOR LICENSURE The State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists proposes to amend §§ 37.1, 37.31—37.33, 37.36, 37.37 and 37.47—37.49 to update them so they conform to current administrative practice. Written comments may be directed to the Regulatory Unit Counsel, Department of State, PO Box 2649, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2649, ST-ENGINEER@pa.gov within 30 days. Reference No. 16A-4711 (qualifications for licensure). A copy of this notice may be found at: http://pabulletin.com/secure/data/vol41/41-53/2219.html _____________ AWWA Public Affairs Advisory Please find below a link to an AWWA Public Affairs Advisory regarding today's Dr. Oz Show, which focuses on drinking water and features U.S.EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. http://www.awwa.org/files/GovtPublicAffairs/AdvisoriesAlerts/122011epaDrOz.pdf _____________ Safe Drinking Water Program Fees; Withdrawal of Proposed Rulemaking The Environmental Quality Board (Board), at the direction of Chairperson Michael L. Krancer, is withdrawing the proposed safe drinking water program fees rulemaking from further consideration. The proposed rulemaking, which was approved by the Board at the Board's November 16, 2010, meeting, proposed new and revised fees for community water systems, bottled, vended, retail and bulk water systems and public water systems to supplement State costs for administering the Commonwealth's Drinking Water Program. In subsequent review of the proposed rulemaking after Board action, it was determined that there is no compelling justification for an increase in fees that would most likely be passed on to the customers of public water systems. The rulemaking is currently being reviewed for form and legality by the Office of Attorney General; however, by the Board's formal withdrawal of the rulemaking, further action on the proposed rulemaking is suspended. Questions concerning the withdrawal of the safe drinking water program fees rulemaking should be directed to Michele Tate, Regulatory Coordinator, Department of Environmental Protection, (717) 783-8727, mtate@pa.gov. _____________
AWWA Public Affairs Advisory http://www.awwa.org/files/GovtPublicAffairs/AdvisoriesAlerts/121511ASCEinfrastructure.pdf
_____________ Please find attached the latest AWWA Washington DC Report. In this issue: · Feds Prepare for Government Shutdown…Again · Some RMP Data to be Made Public · ASCE Releases Water Infrastructure Report · Water Associations Weigh In on Infrastructure Investment Needs · Fun Facts As always, please get in touch if you have questions or comments.
Tommy Holmes 202 326-6128 _____________________ AWWA Regulatory Alert Please find below a link to an AWWA Regulatory Alert regarding U.S. EPA's plan to post portions of Risk Management Plans on the agency's web site. http://www.awwa.org/files/GovtPublicAffairs/AdvisoriesAlerts/120911epaRMPs.pdf _____________________
New Definition of "Lead Free" in the Safe Drinking Water Act Congress has revised the definition of “lead free” in the Safe Drinking Water Act with respect to the wetted surfaces of pipes, pipe fittings, plumbing fittings, and fixtures. Effective January 4, 2014, all pipes, pipe fittings, plumbing fitting, and fixtures must meet a 0.25% weighted average lead content. The Congressional Act that I’m attaching was dated January 5, 2010; but, President Obama did not sign it into law until January 4, 2011 which is why the effective date is January 4, 2014. This Act includes the weighted average calculation formula. I’m attaching an NSF article (see page 2) explaining Standard 61 changes. I’m also providing a link to an NSF bulletin:
NSF Article http://www.nsf.org/media/enews/pbulletin_1106.html#art2
Deb Rotz |
Water Program Specialist
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