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WaterNews for October 30, 2002WaterNews 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
Assistant Administrator for Water Speaks at World Watershed SummitEPA’s Assistant Administrator for Water G. Tracy Mehan, III will speak today at the World Watershed Summit at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Washington, D.C. Earlier this week he gave a keynote address before the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. Permit Application Software System (PASS)The first phase of EPA’s electronic NPDES application system is ready for use. PASS allows users to fill out their NPDES permit applications using an easy, electronic question and answer format. This version of PASS will make it easier to complete the NPDES application process. In future editions, PASS will allow users to transmit their completed applications electronically to the appropriate permitting authority for review. PASS is available for use in 10 states. Many other states are expected to begin using PASS in the near future. Currently PASS is accepted in any state where U.S. EPA is the permitting authority (Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and all Territories except the U.S. Virgin Islands). In addition Alabama, California, Delaware, and Oregon will accept applications generated by PASS. For more information visit our website at http://www.epa.gov/npdes/PASS. National Drinking Water Advisory Council - Notice of Public MeetingOn Nov. 20-21, the National Drinking Water Advisory Council will hear presentations and have discussions on topics important to the Environmental Protection Agency's national drinking water program which includes updates on the Radon and Ground Water rules; status reports from working groups on Affordability and the Contaminant Candidate List; source water protection initiatives; and progress in implementing the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness Response Act of 2002. Members of the public that would like to attend the meeting, present an oral statement, or submit a written statement, should contact Brenda Johnson, Designated Federal Officer, National Drinking Water Advisory Council, at 202-564-3791, by e-mail to johnson.brendap@epa.gov, or by regular mail to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (4601), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20460. Public Stakeholder Meeting on Distribution SystemsOn Oct. 21, EPA published a Federal Register Notice of a public stakeholder meeting to discuss distribution system issues of potential public health concern (water quality changes after water leaves the treatment plant). The next meeting will be held on Nov. 14 in Seattle, Washington. EPA plans to present information from nine distribution system white papers, followed by an overview of public feedback on the issues. For more information, please contact Ken Rotert at 202-564-5280. Call for Abstracts: Cooling Water IntakesOn May 6-7, 2003, the Office of Water will hold a two-day symposium on the effectiveness and costs of technologies to reduce damage to aquatic organisms caused by cooling water intake structures. The forum for technology transfer and information exchange among experts in the field will be in Arlington, Virginia. Submit abstracts before November 25th on these topics:
For further details, visit the EPA website at http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/316b/ or contact Scott Minamyer at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 26 West Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268 or by e-mail to minamyer.scott@epa.gov. National Forum on Contaminants in FishEPA, the American Fisheries Society (AFS), and the Vermont Department of Health co-hosted the National Annual Forum on Contaminants in Fish in Burlington, Vermont, on Oct. 20-22. The Forum brought together over 250 people (public health and environmental officials from 48 states, 24 tribes, 6 federal agencies, and others) to talk about assessing possible health risks from eating noncommercial fish and wildlife. Over 60 presentations were made by medical doctors, toxicologists, epidemiologists, fishery biologists, chemists, engineers and senior government policy makers. Participants discussed the latest findings about the toxicological effects of bioaccumulative pollutants (including mercury, dioxins, brominated flame retardants, and PAHs) and approaches to developing state and tribal advisories. Special sessions focused on balancing the risks and benefits of eating fish. Proceedings from the Forum will be available in February 2003. You can find information about the Forum on the AFS website at http://www.fisheries.org/FishForum2002.shtml. You can learn about fish advisories in general by visiting the EPA website at http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/ or by calling Jeff Bigler at 202-566-0389. Proposed Use Designation for Five Mile CreekEPA has proposed a rule in the Federal Register for public comment by Dec. 23, 2002. The proposal, if finalized, will establish a designated water quality standards use of Fish and Wildlife for a segment of Five Mile Creek near Birmingham, Alabama. The proposed use designation would supersede the current state-designated use of Agricultural & Industrial Water Supply. You can find the Federal Register Notice, how to get more information and how to review the administrative record by visiting EPA’s web site at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPAWATER/2002/October/Day-23/w26845.htm.
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