 |
||
|
Water |  |
 |
||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
|
|
WaterNews for March 25, 2003WaterNews 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
US Ratifies Protocol to Protect Areas of the Wider CaribbeanThe US will become a formal Party to the Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) Protocol to the Cartagena Convention on April 16, 2003. Ratified by the US Senate in the Fall of 2002, the US deposited its instrument for ratification on March 17 in Colombia. The agreement commits parties to "take the necessary measures to protect, preserve and manage in a sustainable way, within areas of the Wider Caribbean Region in which [they] exercise sovereignty, or sovereign rights or jurisdiction: (a) areas that require protection to safeguard their special value; and (b) threatened or endangered species of flora and fauna." The purpose of the SPAW Protocol is to protect sensitive coral reef resources through the International Coral Reef Initiative and the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force, in designating and managing protected areas in the Region, protecting endangered species and their habitats, and in supporting potential cooperative environmental management opportunities. For more information contact Kathy Hurld at 566-1269. International Delegations Visit The EPAInternational interest in Safe Drinking Water Act programs, activities, and authorities remains strong. Seven water program managers from various municipal, area and national program offices in Egypt visited the EPA on March 11. Also, a visit from Mihai Arbagic, a Romanian provincial environmental official, occurred in the following week. For more information please contact George Hoessel at 202-564-3816. 2003 National Wetland Award Winners CeremonySeven outstanding wetlands educators, activists, scientists and conservationists were selected as recipients of the 2003 National Wetlands Awards for their exemplary contributions to the conservation and restoration of the nation’s wetlands. The award winners will be honored at the the Senate Caucus Room on Capitol Hill on May 20, 2003. The National Wetlands Awards program honors exceptional individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary effort, innovation, and excellence in wetland conservation through programs or projects at the regional, state, or local level. This year’s winners are Education/Outreach -Neil Johnston (Alabama), Science Research - Graeme Lockaby (Alabama), Volunteer Leadership - Maggie Hurchalla (Florida), Land Stewardship and Development - David Carter (Iowa) and Bryce and Brad Evans (Missouri), Outstanding Wetland Program Development - Paul Scott Hausmann (Wisconsin) and John Beal (Washington). A committee composed of wetland experts from federal and state agencies, academia, conservation organizations and the private sector selects the Award recipients. "I would like to congratulate the winners from across the U.S. who are working to preserve our nation's wetlands," said G. Tracy Mehan, III, Assistant Administrator for Water, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "I look forward to meeting them when they are honored here in Washington, D.C." EPA is a major sponsor of the awards program. For more information contact Connie Cahanap at 566-1382. EPA Honors Clean Water Partners For The 21ST CenturyRecognizing the critical role that local governments play in protecting our nation's waters, awards will be given to local agencies from across the United States in ceremonies at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, April 1, by EPA Administrator Christie Whitman and Assistant Administrator G. Tracy Mehan III. As part of the celebration of the Year of Clean Water proclaimed by President George W. Bush, the EPA's Office of Water is recognizing extraordinary actions taken by local governments to protect watersheds over and above the requirements of the Clean Water Act. This includes such actions as restoring lakes, protecting wetlands and reducing sewer overflows. "We received about 200 applications from across the U. S. and after careful review 79 were chosen as Clean Water Partners," said Assistant Administrator Mehan. "It is our belief that clean water begins at the local level. We applaud the efforts of all Clean Water Partners to improve the environment in the communities they serve." Each applicant had to complete a compliance screen. Applications were reviewed by a panel including EPA, the Water Environment Federation, Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies (AMSA) and National League of Cities. For more information please visit the website at http://www.cleanwaterpartners.org/ Assistant Administrator Receives AwardG. Tracy Mehan, III, Assistant Administrator for Water, was presented an award "in appreciation of his Service to the Lake Superior Binational Program 2003" from the Lake Superior Binational Program. A Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the U.S. and Canada was signed in 1978. To fulfill this commitment the U.S. Federal Government, Canadian, Province of Ontario and the States of Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, in 1991 announced a "Binational Program to Restore and Protect Lake Superior." The Binational Program identified two major areas of activity which includes a zero Discharge Demonstration Program dedicated to the goal of achieving zero discharge or emission of nine persistent bioaccumulative toxic substances and a "Broader Program" focusing on the protection and restoration of the broader Lake Superior basis ecosystem. For more information on the program please visit http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/lakesuperior/ Subscribe to WaterNewsPlease 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: In the body of the message write: A welcome message will appear in your email box once you are officially subscribed. WaterNews will be sent to you once a 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.
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
