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NJPDES
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NACWA's
Recommendations For A Viable And Vital 21st
Century Clean Water Policy
(Posted 1/7/08)In
the 35 years since the Clean Water Act was passed,
clean water agencies have contributed
significantly to improvements in the quality of
the nation's waters. Despite these and other
improvements from point-source discharges and the
significant reductions in the concentrations of
pollutants that have been achieved in our lakes,
rivers and streams, the incremental rate of water
quality improvement has slowed significantly.
Increasing amounts of resources are now being
spent to curtail end-of-pipe discharges, but a
proportionate return on investment is not being
seen in improved water quality. NACWA's clean
water agency members remain on the frontlines of
protecting and restoring our nation's waters. They
continue to upgrade their treatment processes and
have increased their overall environmental
protection capabilities, but they are also
increasingly aware of the disconnect between
current management, monitoring and implementation
practices and what is needed to achieve the goals
of the Clean Water Act.
In March 2007, the National Association of Clean
Water Agencies (NACWA) formed a Strategic
Watershed Task Force to investigate if the concept
of a "watershed approach" may still prove to be
the path forward to improve the quality of the
nation's waters further. The Task Force was
charged with identifying the obstacles to
achieving a true watershed approach and the
changes that need to be made for it to succeed.
Framed by a discussion of
the opportunities provided by a meaningful and
effective watershed approach, as well as the
current obstacles to implementing such an
approach, the Task Force developed several key
short and long-term recommendations. NACWA's
Recommendations For A Viable And Vital 21st
Century Clean Water Policy can be downloaded by
clicking
here.
NJDEP's most recent NJPDES
Monitoring Report Form Reference Manual is
available for download
here.
(Posted 7/25/07)
The USEPA has issued a final
MUR that revises the list of the approved analysis
and sampling procedures in wastewater regulations.
It can be downloaded
here.
(Posted 7/25/07)
EPA Proposes Short-Term Regulatory Revisions
and Clarifications of Lead and Copper Rule
(Posted
7/21/06)
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Phosphorus Update |
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| Links to Security Information for AEA members
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The
National Security Alert is
Incident
Command Training Required for Public Utility Workers
Did you know that Acting Governor Codey signed
Executive Order
# 50 requiring all local agencies to follow the National
Incident Command System with regard to responding to
emergencies? As such, you will need training in this
system which is available through the NJ State Police
and many local emergency management agencies . You may
recall that this ICS was referenced in the Best Security
Practices for wastewater and water.
Authorities will need to train their employees with a
basic knowledge of the ICS and of counterterrorism. The
AEA Preparedness Committee has completed a PowerPoint
program that can be used along with a module prepared by
the NJ Office of Counterterrorism to train employees. In
April, the association will hold a train the trainer
session for all members to familiarize you with the
program and help you plan your own site specific
program.
In the
meantime, you may wish to get someone trained in the
Incident Command System.
Click
here for a copy of the Incident Command System
Information.
Link of the Week (Posted 12/21/05)
CREATE Homeland Security Center
www.usc.edu/create/
CREATE is an interdisciplinary national research center based at the
University of Southern California and funded by the Department of Homeland
Security. The Center comprises a team of experts from across the country,
including partnerships with New York University and the University of
Wisconsin at Madison.
EPA Issues Water Utility Security Guide
(Posted 6/23/05)
EPA’s National
Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC) published
Security Information
Collaboratives: A Guide for Water Utilities. The purpose of the
guide is to inform drinking water and wastewater utilities about the benefits
of establishing collaborative arrangements with other organizations to share
information on water security. The guide provides step-by-step suggestions for
establishing a successful security-information collaborative and includes
three case studies. To download the guide, visit:
http://www.lgean.org/documents/security information
collaboratives.pdf.
http://www.wef.org/watersecurity/
Water authorities should be sure to download
the information on this site
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/security
N.J.
Domestic Security Preparedness Task Force
N.J. Office of Emergency
Management
County
Emergency Management Coordinators
FEMA
EPA
Water Infrastructure Security page
EPA National Homeland
Security Research Center
EPA
"Guidance for water utility response, recovery
and remediation"
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An Ocean
Blueprint for the 21st Century
Final Report of the U.S. Commission on Ocean
Policy Released by the U.S. Commission on Ocean
Policy on September 20, 2004,
An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century
contains the Commission's findings and
recommendations for a new, coordinated and
comprehensive national ocean policy. You must
have Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 or higher to open
this document. Adobe Acrobat Reader can be
downloaded for free.
New Data Indicates Improvements in Beach Health
(Posted
7/29/05)
This
week the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) made available on its web site the latest
data about beach closings and advisories for the
2004 swimming season. According to EPA, the
data show that only four percent of beach days
were lost in 2004 due to advisories or closures
triggered by monitoring for bacteria. In
addition, closures were relatively short in
duration, with over 2,700 closings for two days
or less, and only 59 closings that lasted more
than 30 days. Over 3,500 beaches were monitored
in 2004 compared to only 1, 021 in 1997 when EPA
first began collecting beach-monitoring program
data. Of the beaches reported in the 2004 data,
942, or 26 percent, had at least one advisory or
closing during the season. The beach-monitoring
program is required under the Beaches
Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health
(BEACH) Act. Coastal and
Great Lakes
states and territories must report to EPA on
beach monitoring and notification data for their
coastal recreation waters. Summary information
for 2004 is available at
http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/beaches/2004fs.html.
(SRT)
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The Government
Records Council recently issued Advisory Opinion
No. 2006-01 entitled "What Constitutes a Valid
Open Public Records Request".
This important Opinion concluded that OPRA
"requires all requestors to submit OPRA requests
on an agency's official OPRA records request
form." All Records Custodians and legal advisors
should review this Opinion at
www.state.nj.us/grc/pdf/AdvisoryOpinionNo2006-01.pdf
Government Records Council
web site
Open Public Records Act and the Destruction
of Public Records Act
Edward Kondracki, Esq.
Sample Open Public Records Act public notice
Sample Open Public Records form
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| Stormwater |
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DEP Report Shows
Municipalities are making good progress meeting
stormwater pollution control requirements.
(Posted 2/19/08)
New Jersey Stream
Buffers Cut Back by Senior Environment Official
Environmental News Service (posted
2/14/08)
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/feb2008/2008-02-11-096.asp
TRENTON, New
Jersey,
February 11, 2008 (ENS) - The commissioner of the
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
has revoked her own order issued little more than
a year ago protecting stream buffers. These strips
of grass, shrubs, and trees beside streams provide
cooling shade and act to remove pollutants in
urban stormwater, reduce erosion and stabilize
stream banks.
Click here
for more information
DEP Wins Legal
Challenge to Stormwater Regulations
Guidebook Details Control Of Urban Runoff
Pollution
(Posted 12/15/05)
12/13/2005 Washington, D.C. — The Environmental
Protection Agency has released a guidebook on
managing runoff pollution caused by urban
activities. National Management Measures to
Control Nonpoint Source Pollution from Urban Areas
is an information source for states and cities to
use in their pollution-management programs for
protecting waterways.
The guidebook is free and available at:
http://www.epa.gov/nps/urbanmm/
More information about nonpoint source pollution
and urban runoff is at:
http://www.epa.gov/nps
Check out this
web site for an update on products and info on
stormwater
www.wateronline.com
New EPA Web Site Shares Section 319 Nonpoint
Source Success Stories
(Posted 9/20/05)
EPA launched a new
web site sharing Section 319 Nonpoint Source
Success Stories. The Web site features projects
receiving grant funds from the Clean Water Act
section 319 Nonpoint Source Program that have
achieved documented water quality improvements,
including the achievement of water quality
standards and removal from state section 303(d)
lists of impaired waters. The Web
site includes 18
stories, and 10
more will be
posted
in the next
several weeks. The web address is
http://www.epa.gov/nps/success/
Wisconsin Study Reveals Fertilizers More Harmful Than Previously
Thought
A Wisconsin study found that farmer’s routine application of chemical
fertilizers and manure to the land poses a far greater
environmental problem to freshwater lakes than previously
thought, potentially polluting water for hundreds of years.
The paper is published in the Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences. The paper concludes that phosphorus in
fertilizers builds up in soils and will slowly end up in
many lakes where nutrients lead to plant and algae growth
and to eutrophication, a phenomenon that turns pristine
lakes into smelly, weed-filled swamps. (PS)
Stormwater information from the
Assn. of Environmental Commissions
(Posted 7/12/05)
Municipal
options for stormwater management
http://www.anjec.org/html/papers.htm#waterresource
EPA Releases Improved Storm Water Management Model
(Posted 5/10/05)
EPA Issues Request for Proposals for Watershed Protection Grants
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds issued a request for initial proposals for Asse21t and Watershed Protection Program Grants (AWPPG). The main goals of the AWPPGs include supporting a watershed approach to better address water quality problems in the U.S. and building the capacity of all levels of government to develop and implement effective, comprehensive programs for watershed protection, restoration, and management. States and local governments, federally recognized Indian Tribes, territories of the U.S., public or private nonprofit, nongovernmental institutions, and individuals are eligible to apply. Initial proposals are due June 21. The request for proposals is posted on EPA’s website at
http://www.epa.gov/owow/funding.html. (SRT)
For
the latest copy of stormwater rules, guidance
documents, general permits, and applications please
downloads items from the DEP
website
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/dwq/mrsp-.html
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New Jersey Drinking Water Running Out
(Posted 10/25/07)
Click
here
Water Is Life, and Infrastructure Makes
It Happen™
(Posted 2/21/07)
is a program to
help communities build, maintain and
improve life-sustaining water and
wastewater systems. A
toolkit
including PowerPoint presentations,
media releases and other materials is
available to assist you in educating the
community – visit
www.WaterIsLife.Net
to find these and other tools:
After 60 years,
debate over fluoride still rages
USGS Releases First Annual Streamflow
Summary (Posted
1/31/07)
Streamflow conditions last year reached
record-breaking highs in the Northeast
and
near-record lows in other areas of
the country, according to a new report
from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS),
“Streamflow of 2006 – Water Year
Summary. ”The report compares changes
in streamflow conditions over the course
of 2006 to conditions over the past 75
years. “Despite these regional highs
and lows, however, streamflow conditions
nationwide were relatively typical,”
says Harry Lins, hydrologist with the
USGS surface-water program. “We expect
in any given year that one percent of
streamgages will experience a new
all-time record high or all-time record
low streamflow. In 2006, two percent of
streamgages reported new record high
streamflow, most of which were in New
England, and one percent of streamgages
experienced new record lows.” Below
normal conditions were prevalent in
Texas and other states in the central
and southern Great Plains, parts of the
Southeast, and Alaska. USGS plans to
provide similar summaries every year and
collects data from more than 7,400
streamgages. The summary report is
available at
http://water.usgs.gov/waterwatch/2006summary/.
U.S.
National Academies Launches Water
Information Center on the Web
(Posted 9/12/05)
The U.S. National Academies this week
announced the launch of its web-based
Water Information Center,
containing more than 100 peer-reviewed
reports from the National Academies on
water-related issues. The
goal of
the Center is to assist the work of water
scientists, engineers, managers,
policy-makers, and students throughout the
world by providing
reports
that
represent
independent and objective consensus among
experts from academia, industry, and other
entities.
The
website features the following major
topics: Water Supply and Sanitation, Water
and Soil Remediation,
Hydrologic Hazards,
Water
Quality in the Natural Environment,
River
Basin Systems Management,
Environmental Assessment, Management, and
Restoration, and
Water
Science and Research.
All of the reports are free on-line and
summaries can be downloaded as PDF
documents. The web address is
http://water.nationalacademies.org
After 60 years, debate over fluoride still
rages
EPA Releases Report on Source Water Assessment Program
Obstacles
(Posted 4/6/05)
On
March 28 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office
of Inspector General (EPA OIG) released a report reviewing
the Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) and Source
Water Protection Program (SWPP). Although some states are
using these programs to improve their drinking water
protection programs and to prioritize efforts and
resources, assessment use is limited at the local level,
according to OIG. In the report, OIG points to a lack of
consistent funding as a program weakness and stresses the
need for more collaborative partnerships “to leverage
human and financial resources, technical assistance, and
outreach to utilities and communities.” OIG recommended
that EPA provide additional guidance to States on how to
leverage resources and to improve cooperation and
coordination between States and EPA. A copy of the report
is available at http://www.epa.gov/oig/reports/2005/20050328-2005-P-00013.pdf
EPA Published List of Contaminants for Possible Future
Drinking Water Regulations
(Posted 3/2/05)
In February 2008, EPA announced the
draft third Drinking Water Contaminant
Candidate List (CCL 3)
and described the process and rationale
used to develop the list.
Looking for innovative ideas for water
reuse?
Try this site:
http://www.watereuse.org
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Final Rule on Lead and Copper in
Drinking Water
EPA
issued a final rule intended to improve
requirements in the areas of monitoring,
customer awareness, and lead service
line replacement In the Oct. 10
Federal
Register. The final rule
makes several targeted regulatory
revisions to the existing national
primary drinking water regulations for
lead and copper (see related story in
Sept. 28 issue). The final rule is
effective on Dec. 10. A copy of the
rule and more information on lead in
drinking water are available at:
www.epa.gov/safewater/lcrmr/index.html.
Hearing
on the Integrated WQ Report July 24th
Please also be advised that the
Draft 2008 Integrated Water Quality
Monitoring and Assessment Methods
Document
(Methods Document) is now available for
public review and comment. The Methods
Document is intended to provide a
description of the methodology to be
used to develop the 2008 303(d) List of
Impaired Waterbodies, a key component of
the 2008 Integrated Report. A public
notice
announcing the availability of the draft
Methods Document for review and comment
was published in the New Jersey Register
on July 2, 2007 (see 39 N.J.R.
2548(a).).
(posted
7/16/07)
Authorities no longer will prepare
WMPs under proposed rule
(posted 5/23/07)
Water Quality Management
Planning rules, N.J.A.C. 7:15
Proposal
Date: 5/21/2007
Comment Period closed: 8/20/2007
View copy of
the proposal
(PDF)
The rule amendments will affect New Jersey
Authorities, Municipalities and Counties
and propose the following:
click here
EPA To
Implement
Expedited
Approval of SDWA
Test Procedures for the Analysis of
Contaminants
EPA announced in
the April 10
Federal
Register its intent to
implement an expedited process for
approving alternative testing methods
for existing regulations for drinking
water contaminants. The Safe Drinking
Water Act (SDWA) authorizes EPA to
approve the use of alternative testing
methods through publication of a notice
in the
Federal
Register instead of through
rulemaking procedures. EPA plans to use
this streamlined authority to make
additional methods available for
analyzing drinking water compliance and
unregulated contaminant monitoring
samples. This expedited approach will
provide public water systems,
laboratories, and primacy agencies with
more timely access to new measurement
techniques and greater flexibility in
the selection of analytical methods.
Comments on implementation aspects of
the expedited method approval process
were due June 11. To view the notice,
visit
http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-WATER/2007/April/Day-10/w6726.htm.
DEP
Releases Results of Drinking-Water Study
(Posted 2/20/07)
PFOA is used to
make fluropolymers-substances with special
properties used in many industrial
applications, including the manufacture of
consumer products such as non-stick cookware
and all-weather clothing.
To view DEP's occurrence study and the report
establishing a guidance level,
visit:
http://www.nj.gov/dep/watersupply/pfoa.htm
Public can instantly learn Progress of
Permit Applications through new feature on
DEP Web Site
(Posted 2/20/07)
To use the new Permit Progress Report,
visit: http://datamine.state.nj.us/DEP_OPRA/OpraMain/report?report=Pending+Permit+Progress+Report
Draft Guidance for Implementing the
Methylmercury Water Quality Criterion
(posted
8/15/06)
In January 2001, EPA published
ambient water quality criteria (AWQC)
recommendations for methylmercury for the
protection of people who eat fish and
shellfish. This criterion, 0.3 mg
methylmercury/kg fish tissue wet weight, marks
EPA's first issuance of a water quality
criterion expressed as a fish and shellfish
tissue value rather than as an ambient water
column value.
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EPA Releases Draft Metals Risk Assessment Framework (Posted 1/5/05)
The Draft Framework for Inorganic Metals Risk Assessment, designed to provide guidance to scientists in assessing
the human health and ecological risks associated with inorganic metals and metal compounds, is available for public
comment through Jan. 18, 2005. Many EPA programs make decisions on whether and how to regulate metals,
particularly controlling releases to the environment and establishing acceptable levels in air, water, land and other
media. The framework presents recommendations for conducting metals risk assessment; including tools, methods
and data for conducting human exposure and health assessments. The draft is available at:
http://cfpub2.epa.gov/ncea/raf/recordisplay.cfm?deid=88903.
TMDL Report for PCBs in the Delaware River now available
The stage 1 TMDL, an executive summary , and associated reports are available on EPA Region III website via the following link:
http://www.epa.gov/reg3wapd/tmdl/index.htm
EPA's National Water Program
Strategic Plan, 2004-2008
Phosphorus: Marvel or
Menace?
Diane Alexander, Maraziti, Falcon
& Healey
All NJPDES permit holders and water purveyors
Please note the site below for a new Supreme Court Ruling which prohibits lesser quality waters to be discharged into C1 designated water bodies. You may recall that AEA raised this issue with our comments to DEP regarding the last listings of water bodies that were raised to C1.
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/08
mar20041130/www.supremecourtus.gov/o
pinions/03pdf/02-626.pdf.
USGS Releases Water Quality Reports
To read more information about the reports go to
http://water.usgs.gov/pubs/fs/2004/3045/.
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Technical
Manuals |
Protecting
the Nations Water Through Effective NJDES Permits
(Adobe pdf format)
Sanitary Sewer Overflow Solutions
(Adobe pdf format)
Optimizing Operation Maintenance and Rehabilitation Manual
(Adobe pdf format)
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Biosolids
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NBP Releases 2006-2007 Annual Report
(posted
1/31/07)
The
National Biosolids Partnership (NBP)
announced on January 16 the release of its 2006-2007
Annual Report. The
Report includes an overview of the
NBP
environmental management system (EMS)
program, 2006 accomplishments, 2007 action plan,
listing and geographical
locations of participating
EMS
agencies, testimonials from participating
EMS
agencies, NBP EMS program offerings, platinum level
program recipients, financial summary, listing of
volunteer contributors, and more. Hard copies of the
Annual Report will be distributed to a broad list of
individuals over the next several weeks. Electronic
copies
are
posted in several locations on the
NBP
web page, www.biosolids.org.
To view the NBP 2006-2007 Annual
Report, visit:
http://www.biosolids.org/docs/
NBP_2006_2007_AnnualReport.pdf
Columbus
Water Works, GA and City of Raleigh, NC Public
Utilities Receive NBP EMS Certification
(Posted 1/16/07)
The National Biosolids Partnership is pleased to
recognize the Columbus, GA Water Works and City of
Raleigh, NC Public Utilities Department as the newest
wastewater agencies in the nation to be certified and
admitted to the Partnership’s environmental management
system (EMS) for biosolids program. The Columbus Water
Works and City of Raleigh Public Utilities Department
are among 92 wastewater agencies currently
participating in the NBP EMS program. Columbus Water
Works was certified on November 15, 2006 and City of
Raleigh on December 19, 2006. There are now 15 NBP EMS
certified wastewater agencies. For more information,
visit the NBP web page –
www.biosolids.org. (SJH)
Looking for innovative ideas for water reuse?
Try this site:
http://www.watereuse.org
NBP Releases Biosolids EMS Success Stories Brochure
The
National Biosolids Partnership (NBP) has just published a
12-page publication entitled “Biosolids Environmental
Management System (EMS) Success Stories.” The brochure
provides summaries of how the NBP EMS program has benefited
the first six wastewater agencies that have successfully
achieved NBP certification after meeting verification
requirements by independent audit firms. The brochure also
includes testimonials from several other
EMS
participating agencies along with instructions for other
wastewater agencies to participate in the program. To view
the NBP Biosolids EMS Success Stories, visit the
Partnership’s web page:
www.biosolids.org
or
http://biosolids.org/docs/nbp_biosolids_ems_
success_stories_2005.pdf< | | | |
