Provided by the Water Environment Federation,
Alexandria, VA

EPA Seeks Time to Revise TMDL Rule
EPA filed a motion in the District of Columbia Circuit Court on July 16 asking the court for an 18-month hold on litigation over the rule to revise the total maximum daily load program (American Farm Bureau Federation v. Whitman, D.C. Cir, No. 00-1320 and consolidated cases, 7/18/00). The request corresponds with EPA's plan to issue a Federal Register notice proposing an 18-month extension of the effective date of the final rule. "We have an existing TMDL program and this review will not stop ongoing implementation of that program," stated EPA Administrator Whitman. "I am asking for this additional time to listen carefully to all parties with a stake in restoring America's waters." Revisions to the TMDL rule were made final under the Clinton administration in July of 2000 and were scheduled to go into effect on October 1. During the 18 months, EPA intends to undertake a public process to consult with stakeholders and to study recommendations of a National Academy of Sciences report on the TMDL program released June 15. The Agency intends to propose revisions to the rule by Spring 2002 and finalize them within the 18-month time period. (SRT)

Jeffords Outlines His Top Priorities; Includes Water Infrastructure
During a press conference on July 17, Sen. James M. Jeffords (I-Vt.) outlined the top priorities for the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee under his leadership. Jeffords pledged to focus on modernizing the nation's water treatment and supply infrastructure. "I will focus on improving the water infrastructure of our nation. We plan to write and consider legislation to help rebuild and meet drinking water and wastewater treatment needs." Other priorities include legislation to reduce air pollution from power plants and to address climate change. Jeffords announced plans to move a bill (S. 556) to reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, and mercury from coal and oil-fired power plants through the committee by the end of the year. He called on President Bush to back the 1997 Kyoto Protocol on climate change and said he will do "all I can to make the public aware and impress on the President" the importance of implementing the agreement. Jeffords said he hopes to reach an agreement with the House by the August recess on a brownfields bill (S. 350) that passed in the Senate. (SRT)

House and Senate Appropriations Committees Failed to Fund Wet Weather Grants
The House Appropriations Committee approved a spending bill on July 17 that would give EPA $7.5 billion in fiscal year 2002, $150 million more than President Bush requested. The FY 2002 amount did not change substantially from the version marked-up by the Appropriations Subcommittee on VA-HUD and Independent Agencies on July 10. The bill would include $1.2 billion for the clean water state revolving loan fund, but would not include funding for the wet weather grants program authorized as part of the fiscal 2001 omnibus appropriation act. The $7.5 billion includes $25 million for a state enforcement grants program and $200 million for a "targeted grant program" to address wastewater, drinking water, and ground water infrastructure concerns. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved their version of the EPA spending bill on July 19. The Senate plan includes 1.35 billion for the clean water state revolving loan fund and nothing for wet weather grants. (SRT).

EPA Presents Findings on CSO Report to Congress
EPA invited CSO experts to a meeting in Chicago on July 12 and 13 to get their feedback on preliminary findings that the Agency intends to use in constructing the CSO Report to Congress due September 1. The report, required by the Wet Weather Water Quality Act of 2000, will address progress made by EPA, states, and municipalities in implementing and enforcing the 1994 CSO Control Policy. EPA collected data for the report from state permitting files, headquarters program files and federal databases, conducted interviews and state visits, compiled and reviewed municipal case studies, and did a comprehensive literature search. The lack of data on water permitting at the federal level has been highlighted by this massive data collection effort, and the Agency plans to improve their information management systems. This theme is discussed in more detail in a strategic plan for the NPDES program published by EPA in April. EPA found that States have developed different approaches to implementing the CSO Policy, and although progress has been made, more needs to be done. (SRT)

"I am the fourth Vermonter to have the privilege to hold the chairmanship of this Committee. However, I will have the pleasure of being the first to be able to work in a tripartisan basis. I believe there is no Democratic or Republican, or Independent, way of protecting our natural resources and maintaining and enhancing our federal transportation needs." - Sen. James M. Jeffords (I-Vt.)

This Week in Washington is provided by the Water Environment Federation, Alexandria, VA. To receive This Week in Washington by e-mail, contact Lisa Scott, (703) 684-2400 ext. 7741, lscott@wef.org. For more information on this week's stories, please contact the WEF Government Affairs staff member whose initials appear at the end of the item in which you are interested. TSW - Tim Williams (703) 684-2437, twilliams@wef.org; JKS - Jim Sullivan, (703) 684-2436, jsullivan@wef.org; SRT - Sharon Thomas, (703) 684-2423, sthomas@wef.org; SJH - Sam Hadeed (703) 684-2418, mailto:shadeed@wef.org; Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) - mailto:michael@amwa.net This Week in Washington is available on-line at http://www.wef.org/GovtAffairs.