
	Water

WaterNews for March 18, 1999

WaterNews 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) Clean Water Action Plan First Year Report
2) Extended Comment Period for Endangered Species Act Memorandum of Agreement

1) Clean Water Action Plan First Year Report

EPA and eight other federal agencies have released a report on the accomplishments during the first year of the Clean Water Action Plan. The Clean Water Action Plan, announced by the President and Vice President on February 19, 1998, seeks to protect public health and restore waterways by setting strong goals and providing states, tribes, communities, farmers, and landowners with the tools and resources to meet them. Accomplishments include the first national assessment of watershed conditions and priorities, a strategy for animal feeding operations, an emergency plan to coordinate federal response to harmful algal blooms, and the first national Internet listing of beach water quality conditions.

The report highlights the progress that has been made toward implementing the plan and outlines the agenda for the coming year.

2) Extended Comment Period for Endangered Species Act Memorandum of Agreement

On March 12, the comment period was extended for the Draft Memorandum of Agreement between EPA, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Marine Fisheries Service regarding enhanced coordination under the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act. The goal of this national approach is to ensure protection and recovery for listed species, provide greater regulatory predictability, and reduce the need to list new species.

In response to requests for additional time to prepare comments, EPA has extended the original 60 day comment period by 30 days, to April 15, 1999. The Notice and Request for Comment on the draft memorandum was originally published in the Federal Register on Friday, January 15, 1999. The Draft Memorandum of Agreement is available at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-SPECIES/1999/January/Day-15/e1029.htm on the Internet.

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