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WaterNews for November 9, 2004Benjamin Grumbles WaterNews is a weekly on-line publication that announces publications, policies, and activities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water. In This Week’s WaterNews:
1. EPA Acts to Make Beaches Cleaner and SaferTo further protect beach goers at their favorite recreational spots, EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt signed yesterday a final regulation that helps improve the health of the nation’s beaches on coastal and Great Lakes waters. “This Administration has taken an important step in fulfilling the promise of clean, safe beaches for every American,” said EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt. “We're putting in place improved, health-based standards for pathogens in water to further protect the public, particularly children who are often more vulnerable to bacteria-causing illnesses in beach water.” The BEACH Act of 2000 required coastal states and states bordering the Great Lakes to adopt bacteria standards by April 2004 to better protect beach bathers from harmful pathogens. For states that have not yet adopted more protective standards, the Act required EPA to establish Acting Assistant Administrator Ben Grumbles noted, “The rule reflects our priorities of working with States and others to improve water quality monitoring, public health protection and coastal watersheds -- all important recommendations of the US Commission on Ocean Policy in its recent Report.” To read the full press release visit http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/b1ab9f485b098972852562e7004dc686/ For more information about the new criteria and the rule, see: http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/beaches/bacteria-rule-final-fs.htm.
2. EPA Announces Agreements, Regulatory Plan on Airline Drinking WaterThe Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced commitments from 12 major U.S. passenger airlines to implement new aircraft water testing and disinfection protocols. These protocols will further protect the traveling public while existing guidance governing potable water aboard passenger aircraft continues to be reviewed by EPA. Agreements have been signed with Alaska Airlines, Aloha Airlines, American Airlines, America West, ATA Airlines, Continental Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue, Midwest Airlines, Northwest Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways. Two additional airlines, Delta Airlines and Southwest Airlines, are currently negotiating separate agreements with EPA. Collectively, these 14 carriers represent the majority of U.S. flag carrying aircraft transporting the flying public. The Agency will continue to work with smaller, regional and charter aircraft carriers to address drinking water quality with agreements similar to those reached with ATA members. To read the full press release visit http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/b1ab9f485b098972852562e7004dc686/ 3. Training Video to Help Health Care Providers Prevent Potential Drinking Water Health Risks - Now AvailableEPA is releasing an educational training video intended to help health care providers recognize, report, and prevent waterborne illness from drinking water sources. “Tap into Prevention: Drinking Water Information for Health Care Providers” was developed in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the CDC’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. This video explains potential health risks from exposure to microbial and chemical contaminants in drinking water and demonstrates actions health care providers can take in their practices and communities. For further information, please contact Sherri Umansky at 202-564-4639. To order the video in a DVD or VHS format and to view supplemental materials, which include additional resources about drinking water for health care providers, visit: www.epa.gov/safewater/healthcare. 4. Workshop To Be Held On Lead in Drinking WaterEPA is holding a workshop on Dec. 7, 2004, at the Wyndham Washington Hotel in Washington, DC, to discuss issues concerning lead in drinking water in schools and child care facilities. The Agency and the Department of Education are working to bring together educators, school and child care associations, drinking water systems, and health officials to discuss voluntary approaches to reduce exposure of children to lead in drinking water. This is one in a series of expert workshops that EPA is planning to provide for exchange of ideas, opportunities, and challenges related to issues in implementing the Lead and Copper Rule. The public is invited. To register, please call Sarah Koppel at 202-564-3859. To view more information about this and future workshops, go to EPA's "Lead and Drinking Water" website at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lcrmr/lead_review.html. 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 listserv: 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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