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WaterNews for July 14, 2005Benjamin 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:
New Assistance for States on Growth Issues AnnouncedBenjamin H. Grumbles, Assistant Administrator for Water, along with three former governors with a long history of promoting smart growth – Christie Whitman (New Jersey – also former EPA Administrator), Parris Glendening (Maryland) and Angus King (Maine) – joined the National Endowment for the Arts on July 12, to announce a new Governors’ Institute on Community Design. The Institute is intended to support governors’ leadership in good community design and sound planning. In the coming year, the Institute will conduct up to four workshops to pair governors and their cabinets with top planning experts to identify strategies that spur smarter development – development that serves the economy, public health and the environment. The Institute, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), EPA’s Office of Water and the Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation, will be jointly administered by two organizations with extensive experience in helping states address development and related quality-of-life issues – the Smart Growth Leadership Institute and the National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education, both at the University of Maryland. "Air and water quality, Brownfields, water infrastructure and wetlands protection are all linked to how and where we grow," said Grumbles. "Working in collaboration with states, we will enhance our understanding of the implications of growth. Thinking strategically, the participating governors will help their states´ dollars go further while protecting." For more information about the Governors Institute, visit: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/gov_institute.htm To read the full press release visit www.epa.gov/newsroom Assistant Administrator Speaks at National ForumBenjamin H. Grumbles, Assistant Administrator for Water, spoke at the National Forum on Synergies between Water Quality Trading and Wetlands Mitigation Banking at the Carnegie Conference Center on July 11, 2005, in Washington, DC cosponsored by the Environmental Law Institute. He discussed wetlands mitigation banking and the development of future nonpoint source trading markets at the watershed scale, and the potential for incorporating wetlands in water quality trading programs. The Agency has supported trading through its Water Quality Trading Policy and has taken a eadership role for funding projects. For more information visit http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/trading.htm Office of Water Program Mid-Year Performance Report Available On-lineThe Office of Water has published an assessment of progress in implementing the water elements of EPA Strategic Plan at the mid point in FY 2005. The new report, along with a cover memorandum from Deputy Assistant Administrator Michael Shapiro, are now available on the internet at www.epa.gov/water/waterplan. The Report includes three major elements:
In general terms, water program implementation at the mid-point of FY 2005 is strong and is consistent across the EPA Regional office water programs. EPA and States are making progress toward more effective integration of programs and are expanding efforts to coordinate our work with that of other agencies implementing related programs. At the same time, performance with respect to measures of environmental and public health improvements is mixed or not yet established. In addition, in looking across all the subobjectives, more work needs to be done to improve tribal program implementation, to improve coordination with respect to compliance and enforcement, to respond to issues related to mercury in water, and to reduce lag times in reporting and analysis of key data. Announcing Freshwater Mussels Toxicity Testing WorkshopOn August 23-24, EPA’s Office of Water and Region 5 are holding a workshop in Chicago. The workshop is a forum for discussion of science issues related to freshwater mussels toxicity testing. There is no charge to attend, but we advise that you register by July 23 as space may be limited. You can find more information and the registration form on the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/criteria/ammonia/announce.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 listserve:/
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