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WaterNews for July 22, 2003G. Tracy Mehan, III 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
EPA Awards Security Planning Grant to Help Small Drinking Water UtilitiesAs part of EPA's continuing efforts to help small drinking water utilities assess their vulnerabilities to terrorist attack, EPA Assistant Administrator for Water G. Tracy Mehan III today announced the award of nearly $2 million to the National Rural Water Association (NRWA). Through this grant award, the Association will assist small community water systems serving populations between 3,300 and 10,000 people with security planning. These drinking water systems are required to submit vulnerability assessments to EPA under the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (the Act), by June 30, 2004. Through a combination of training sessions, on-site technical assistance, and internet based tools, the Association will educate system personnel about the Act and provide assistance in preparing vulnerability assessments and emergency response plans. Under this project, the Association will assist approximately 4,400 community water systems serving between 3,300 and 10,000 people that must comply with the Act's requirements. For more information on EPA's water infrastructure security efforts go to: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/security/. EPA Issues Interim Guidance on Circumstances Under Which NPDES Permit Not Required to Apply Pesticide to WaterOn July 11, 2003, G. Tracy Mehan, III, Assistant Administrator for Water, and Stephen Johnson, Assistant Administrator for Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances, signed a memorandum that provides interim guidance on whether certain pesticide uses may legally occur without issuance of a permit under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) of the Clean Water Act. The Interim Guidance states that the application of a pesticide to waters of the United States consistent with relevant requirements of Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rotencide Act (FIFRA) does not constitute the discharge of a pollutant that requires a NPDES permit in the following circumstances: (1) the application of pesticides is directly to waters of the United States in order to control pests (for example mosquito larvae or aquatic weeds that are present in the water) and (2) the application of pesticides is to control pests that are present over waters of the United States that result in a portion of the pesticide being deposited to water bodies (for example when insecticides are aerially applied to a forest canopy where water may be present below the canopy or when insecticides are applied for control of adult mosquitoes). EPA will solicit comments on this interim statement and guidance through the Federal Register prior to determining a final Agency position. The memorandum is available on the Internet at: http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/pesticide_interim_guidance.pdf. Workgroup Charged with Studying Risk Management of Aquatic PesticidesOn July 11, 2003, G. Tracy Mehan, III, Assistant Administrator for Water, and Stephen Johnson, Assistant Administrator for Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances, also signed a “Charge to the NPDES/Pesticides Work Group” that directed an EPA workgroup to compare the risk management/risk mitigation measures that have been adopted as a result of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rotendicide Act (FIFRA) label relative to actions that would be required as a result of an NPDES permit. The workgroup was also directed to identify any recommendations that could be made under either FIFRA/FQPA (Food Quality Protection Act) or Clean Water Act (CWA) that would assist in better coordination, integration and increased efficiencies between the programs and continued protection of the aquatic environment. For example, these could include modifications that could be made in the pesticide registration process or changes in the approach to risk management under the CWA and/or FIFRA. A copy of the document is available at: http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/pesticides_charge_to_wkgrp.pdf. New Water Pollution Chapter Added to Physician WebsiteThe "Physician On-Line Reference Guide to Recognizing Waterborne Disease and the Health Effects of Water Pollution" is now available at www.waterhealthconnection.org. EPA Host Small Business Open HouseAs part of our efforts to promote a greater awareness and higher utilization of small businesses, the Office of Water hosted an Open House for small businesses on July 9. The session was designed to heighten understanding of small business capabilities in meeting the Safe Drinking Water Act program objectives. After a welcome from the Director of Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, eight small business contractors provided presentations on their particular skills and capabilities. Each contractor was also provided the opportunity for a more detailed follow-up session with staff. More than 35 Office of Water staffers and managers attended the open house over the course of the day; interest in using such contractors has been strong. For more information, please contact Joe Jackson at 202-564-3817. EPA Supports American Heritage River Watershed Projectby: Endyce Manguchei - TGI Staff Writer HANALEI -- Regional administrator from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency visited Kaua‘i Thursday to tour taro lo‘i, the Hanalei River and Hanalei Bay, and to see what projects the Hanalei Watershed Hui is working on with the $700,000 Watershed Initiatives grant they were [selected to receive] in May. Hanalei was the only watershed selected from California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawai‘i, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and tribal lands that make up the EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region (Region 9). The EPA received 176 nominations [for its Watershed Initiative] and a total of 20 grants were awarded nationwide. A total of $15 million [will be] awarded under the Watershed Initiative program.
Wayne Nastri, [EPA] Pacific Region administrator, made his first trip to Kaua‘i. He said Hanalei was chosen based on its current practices of testing, monitoring and educating the community. Plans to replace cesspools with septic systems will bring immediate results, he said. "Everything has to go through the community," Nastri said. EPA Pacific Island Region representative Wendy Wiltse said Hanalei has proven its depth of community involvement, and a track record of success, since being named an American Heritage River in 1998. To read the story visit http://www.kauaiworld.com/. 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: Send an email message, leave the subject line blank, and address it to: In the body of the message write: Subscribe WaterNews firstname lastname (Please leave one blank space between each word, do not include any other message, and use A welcome message will appear in your email box once you are officially subscribed. Following your welcome message, you will begin to receive WaterNews once a week.
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