WaterNews for March 31, 2000

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. Vice President Gore Announces New Drinking Water Rules
   
2. EPA Revises Water Quality Listing Requirements for April 2000
   
3. Hotels Join EPA's WAVE Program
   
4. FY 2000 Guidelines issued for the Indian Environmental General Assistance Program

1) Vice President Gore Announces New Drinking Water Rules

On March 28, Vice President Gore announced new steps to protect an additional 40 million Americans from potentially dangerous microbes, including Cryptosporidium, in their drinking water. Today's proposal would extend public health protections by requiring 11,500 small water systems serving fewer than 10,000 people each to protect against Cryptosporidium and will improve treatment processes at water systems of all sizes. To help communities upgrade their water systems, the Administration's FY 2001 budget proposes $825 million for the Safe Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund. For more information on the rule, visit http://www.epa.gov/safewater/mdbp/lt1fbr.html on the Internet.

2) EPA Revises Water Quality Listing Requirements for April 2000

Today, EPA published a final rule in the Federal Register revising one provision of the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) regulations to remove the regulatory requirement that states, territories, and authorized tribes submit to EPA by April 1, 2000 lists of water quality limited waters, unless EPA has been required by a court order, consent decree, or settlement agreement to take action based on a year-2000 list. The rule only affects the April 1, 2000 list; it retains the existing regulatory requirement that lists be submitted on April 1, 2002, and on April 1 of subsequent even numbered years.

A copy of the final rule is also posted on EPA's TMDL web site at http://www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl/2000final.html and a fact sheet on this rule is available at http://www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl/2000fact.html on the Internet.

3) Hotels Join EPA's WAVE Program

Red Roof Inns, Motel 6 and Studio 6 Lodging have joined EPA's Water Alliances for Voluntary Efficiency, or WAVE program, which promotes water efficiencies leading to significant water and energy savings. WAVE encourages commercial businesses and institutions to reduce water consumption while increasing efficiency, profitability and competitiveness. To date, WAVE has 40 partners, including the large hotel chains Westin, Hyatt, Sheraton, Outrigger and LaQuinta. The lodging industry could potentially save 32 billion gallons of water per year and over one trillion BTUs per year of associated energy use. More information on the WAVE program and other water conservation programs and links are available at http://www.epa.gov/owm/genwave.htm on the Internet.

4) FY 2000 Guidelines issued for the Indian Environmental General Assistance Program

EPA's American Indian Environmental Office issued the final guidelines on the award and management of general assistance agreements for Indian Tribes. Established in 1993, General Assistance Program (GAP) funds assist Tribal governments and intertribal consortia in planning, developing or establishing environmental protection programs. The purpose of this new document is to provide the national policy guidelines and criteria to promote national consistency and appropriate use of GAP funds. A copy of the new guidelines can be found at http://www.epa.gov/indian/gap2000.pdf on the Internet.

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TRY OUR OTHER WEBSITES: A new catalog of federal funding sources for watershed protection provides a guide for watershed practitioners on the federal monies that might be available to fund a variety of watershed protection projects. For more information, visit http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/wacademy/fund.html on the Internet.
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