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WaterNews for August 20, 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
Free Watershed Academy Web Training CD Now AvailableThe Watershed Academy's online training program, Watershed Academy Web (http://www.epa.gov/watertrain/ ), is now available on a free CD as well as on the Internet. The CD format allows users to save their limited web access time as well as move through the training modules more quickly than they could via slow web connections. This training CD contains 44 modules on the primary elements of watershed management, and also includes all the materials needed for the training certificate earned by over 500 graduates in 47 states and 14 countries. Single copies are available by requesting "Watershed Academy Web on CD" publication no. EPA 841-C-03-001 from ncepimal@one.net or by phone at 1-800-490-9198. Ordering information is also available on the Watershed Academy Web home page. For more information contact Doug Norton at 202-566-1221. EPA Allocates Grant Funds For Water Counter-Terrorism ActivitiesEPA announces the allocation of nearly $5 million in State and Tribal Assistance Grants to assist drinking water systems across the nation in continued support of counter-terrorism coordination with state, local, and federal governments, which began under a 2002 grant program. This coordination is to ensure drinking water utilities receive technical assistance and training on homeland security issues, including vulnerability assessments and emergency response plans. For more information, please contact Pat Minami at 202-564-4654 or minami.patricia@epa.gov. EPA Funds $2 Million Program to Ensure the Safety and Security of the Nation's Drinking Water SystemsUnder a $2 million funding agreement with the Office of Water, the Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) program is developing innovative protocols and testing technologies to monitor the safety and security of the nation's drinking water systems and supplies. In late August, the first round of verification testing will commence on one point-of-use (POU) reverse osmosis combination unit. Two other vendors' products are planned for testing later in the fall. These devices should provide dual benefits to homeland security by offering an additional level of protection from potential biological and chemical contamination of drinking water supplies. This step represents an accomplishment in EPA's efforts in the area of water security research and investment in new technologies. The Office of Water and the Office of Research and Development's (ORD) National Homeland Security Research Center are working collaboratively in these efforts. For more information, please contract Grace Robiou at (202) 564-6319. New Fact sheet: "When Are Storm Water Discharges Regulated as Class V Wells?"This new fact sheet clarifies when shallow wells, dry wells, and other storm water best management practices may be regulated by EPA's Underground Injection Control (UIC) program. The fact sheet seeks to raise the awareness of stormwater managers of the need to protect vulnerable underground sources of drinking water as they design and approve best management practices to control storm water runoff to surface waters. To view this fact sheet or for more information on EPA's Underground Injection Control program, visit www.epa.gov/safewater/uic/classv.html. For information on EPA's Storm Water program, visit www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater. New Information Available on Meat & Poultry ProcessingEPA released and requested comments on new information that the Agency will use to set wastewater discharge standards for the meat and poultry processing industry on Aug. 13. The new data was received after our February 2002 proposal for effluent guidelines applying to about 300 facilities that process meat and chicken. Last week’s Federal Register notice highlights how the new data could affect the regulatory options, costs to the industry, pollutant reductions, and the limitations and standards. You can find more information on this action on the EPA web site at http://www.epa.gov/ost/guide/mpp. Information Collection Request for EPA’s Clean Water Act Recognition AwardsEPA published a Federal Notice on Aug. 14, 2003, to announce its plan to submit a continuing information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The request is to renew an existing approved collection activity for the awards program. Before submitting the information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget for review and approval, EPA is requesting comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection. The comment period ends Oct. 14, 2003. Public Docket number OW-2003-0064 is available for viewing www.epa.gov/edocket. For more information, contact Maria Campbell at 202-564-0628. Correction to announcement of Free Water Quality Trading Assessment HandbookWe recently announced the availability of this free guide to determining if water quality trading is right for your watershed. However, the web address where you could go to download your free copy of the Handbook should have included the following instructions: go to www.epa.gov/r10earth/ and then go to the Index and click on T (for Trading) to go directly to the Water Quality Trading Handbook link. We encourage you to down load your own copy to save on printing and mailing costs for Region 10, which is receiving greater national interest in the Handbook than they anticipated. However, if you would like to order a hard copy, then please note that the correct telephone number is (206) 553-1200 (an incorrect area code was listed in the earlier version). We apologize for the fact that the toll-free number provided earlier (1-800-424-4372) only applies to the Region 10 states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. To speak with someone about water quality trading in Region 10, call Claire Schary at (206) 553-8514. 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 your actual name- i.e. Subscribe WaterNews Robert Jones) A welcome message will appear in your email box once you are officially subscribed.
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