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WaterNews for October 8, 1998WaterNews is a weekly on-line publication that announces publications, policies, and activities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water. Inside this week's WaterNews: 1) EPA Testifies Before Congress on Drinking WaterTwo years ago, Congress passed amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act that provide for better protection of public health through regulatory improvements, increased funding, prevention of source water contamination, and public participation. Today, Chuck Fox, Acting Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Water testified about progress to date in implementing these amendments before the Subcommittee on Health and Environment of the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Commerce. To view the testimony in full, visit the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations' Website at http://www.epa.gov/ocir/testimony.htm. 2) Clean Water Action Plan Update: Unified Watershed AssessmentsThe Administration's Clean Water Action Plan calls upon States and Tribes to work in cooperation with federal, interstate, and local agencies, watershed-based organizations, and the public to identify watersheds most in need of restoration and to develop restoration action strategies. In June, EPA, USDA and other federal agencies developed a framework to assist States and Tribes in preparing their watershed assessments. States were encouraged to draw from existing water quality data and piece together what this information tells us about overall watershed conditions. After receiving feedback on drafts from an interagency workgroup and the public, 47 States/Territories and the District of Columbia as well as 11 Tribes submitted final Unified Watershed Assessments on October 1. The next step will be to map the results of these UWAs. A large part of the new resources available from the President's Budget in fiscal year 1999 is to implement restoration strategies targeted at watersheds not meeting clean water and other natural resource goals. For more information visit the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/owow/cleanwater/uwafinal/uwa.html. 3) EPA to Test for Endocrine Disruptors Under Safe Drinking Water ActEPA established the Endocrine Disruptor Screening and Testing Committee (EDSTAC) in 1996, following enactment of the Food Quality Protection Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). As a growing body of research indicates, many industrial chemicals and pesticides may interfere with the normal functioning of human and wildlife endocrine systems. Because the endocrine, or hormone, system regulates chemical levels in a body, these disruptors may cause a variety of problems with development and reproduction. Recently, EPA received recommendations from EDSTAC for a program design that will evaluate certain health and environmental effects of some 15,000 chemicals used in thousands of common products, ranging from pesticides to plastics. A copy of the EDSTAC report can be obtained by calling EPA's Toxic Substance Control Act Hotline at 202-554-1404. Additionally, the report can be viewed on the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/opptendo/. 4) EPA Posts Coral Reef Assessment PaperEPA recently posted a document on its Coral Reef Homepage entitled, "Development of Biological Criteria for Coral Reef Ecosystem Assessment," which will assist coral reef managers in identifying threats to the reefs. This is a follow-up to a 1996 document which dealt with practical, reliable, economic monitoring methods for assessing the biota of reefs, and should further the development of appropriate assessment methods for coral reefs. To view the document, visit EPA's website at http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/coral/biocrit/cont.html. 5) National Watershed Awards Presented to Five WinnersToday, the third annual National Watershed Awards were presented to four exemplary local watershed groups and one corporation. Under the Administration's Clean Water Action Plan one of the key action items directs EPA, USDA, and other agencies to broaden this national award and to continue to celebrate local watershed efforts. The awards emphasize local partnerships that demonstrate successful economic incentives, voluntary initiatives and education. For more information, contact the Terrene Institute at 703-548-5473 or by email at terrinst@aol.com. 6) US News Chronicles Worsening Water QualityIn the September 28 issue of US News and World Report, an article entitled "Very troubled waters" addresses some of the limitations and challenges of the Clean Water Act. The main focus of the article is nonpoint source pollution and the measures needed to reduce contaminants. It also recognizes the combined efforts of EPA and USDA's recent release of the draft Animal Feedlot Operations (AFOs) strategy that aims to control runoff from designated farms, and comments on the reaction of Congress to fund the measure. To view the article in its entirety, visit US News and World Report's website at
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/980928/28rive.htm Please forward this message to your friends and colleagues who share an interest in water-related issues and would like to hear from EPA's Office of Water. To subscribe to the WaterNews listserve:
A welcome message will appear in your email box once you are officially subscribed. WaterNews will be sent to you at the end of each week. If you encounter difficulties subscribing to this list server or if you would like to be taken off the WaterNews list server at any time, please send your E-mail address to Gloria Posey at Posey.Gloria@epa.gov.
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