Register Here For more information on this event, visit the U.S. EPA Water Research webpage. Among the many questions surrounding per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are their potential effects on aquatic communities. While much of the initial research effort has focused on ecological effects of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), there is a much wider range of PFAS that can occur in the environment―both as a result of more recently developed compounds and the breakdown products of other PFAS. Effective management of PFAS in aquatic systems requires understanding of the potential effects of a more complete range of PFAS chemicals. EPA is working to explore the relationships between PFAS toxicity and chemical structure for several aquatic species to help identify and predict the toxicity of PFAS and PFAS…
Feb. 2, 12-2 p.m. MST Register Here State Revolving Funds offer numerous ways to support and encourage the implementation of projects aimed at the protection of source waters. Kara Goodwin, US EPA, will open the session with a national overview of SRF-related tools currently available to environmental entities interested in source water protection. The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund program (DWSRF) funds Source Water Protection through two different optional set-asides: State Program Management (10%) and Local Assistance and Other State Programs (15%). April Byrne, US EPA ORISE Fellow, will showcase recent source water protection project eligibility and spending trends within these two set-asides. Potential increases to the DWSRF capitalization grants in the future would in turn increase opportunities to fund source water protection efforts. Learn how to maximize these two…
By Matthew Daly, AP News WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency announced a series of enforcement actions Wednesday to address air pollution, unsafe drinking water and other problems afflicting minority communities in three Gulf Coast states, following a “Journey to Justice” tour by Administrator Michael Regan last fall. The agency will conduct unannounced inspections of chemical plants, refineries and other industrial sites suspected of polluting air and water and causing health problems to nearby residents, Regan said. And it will install air monitoring equipment in Louisiana’s “chemical corridor” to enhance enforcement at chemical and plastics plants between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The region contains several hotspots where cancer risks are far above national levels. The EPA also issued a notice to the city of Jackson, Mississippi, saying its…
E&E News Idaho landowners Chantell and Michael Sackett are behind a new Supreme Court case that could upend Clean Water Act precedent. Pacific Legal Foundation The Supreme Court’s decision today to take a fresh look at the scope of the Clean Water Act could impair EPA’s ability to protect isolated wetlands and ephemeral and intermittent streams. It’s the latest brawl the high court has agreed to tackle with the potential to reshape national environmental policy. “They very well could address this whole issue fresh, what we call de novo, look at it in light of what the language of the statute really means,” said Larry Liebesman, a senior adviser at Dawson & Associates, a consulting firm that specializes in permitting. “With a 6-3 majority conservative, there’s a fair chance they may…
EPA will host a webinar on Advancing Water Equity as part of its DWSRF and Capacity Building in Action series. The webinar will feature state presenters and will focus on how states can use their DWSRF set-asides for activities that identify and prioritize water infrastructure and capacity building projects for underserved communities. For more information and to register, click here. For information about drinking water capacity and other upcoming webinars, visit www.epa.gov/dwcapacity.
