February 21, 2012

1) Blog Spotlight: Bring Back the Water Fountain
2) Draft Fiscal Year 2013 National Water Program Guidance Released for Comments
3) EPA Issues Permit for Stormwater Discharges from Construction Sites
4) EPA Releases Permit Writer's Manual for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations
5) EPA Announces Availability of Green Infrastructure Technical Assistance to Selected Partner Communities

1) Blog Spotlight: Bring Back the Water Fountain
Nancy Stoner, acting Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Water, blogged about water fountains in public places. In the blog, Ms. Stoner discusses the benefits in services provided to people in cities in access to clean drinking water as well as the cost savings in choosing tap water over bottled water. To read the blog, visit: http://blog.epa.gov/blog/2012/02/14/bring-back-the-water-fountain/

2) Draft Fiscal Year 2013 National Water Program Guidance Released for Comments
The draft FY 2013 national water program guidance has been made available for review and comment at http://water.epa.gov/resource_performance/planning/FY-2013-National-Water-Program-Guidance.cfm. Issued annually, this draft guidance, posted on February 17, 2012, provides the priorities, implementation strategies, and performance targets for the national water program for fiscal year 2013.

The comment period is open until March 19, 2012, and comments and suggestions will be considered by the Office of Water for the final version of the guidance to be released in late April. When providing comments, please use the official form at http://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/annualplan/FY13_Comments_Template.doc and submit the form to Vinh Nguyen (nguyen.vinh@epa.gov) and Ian Achimore (achimore.ian@epa.gov) in the Office of Water, as well as to Daniel J. Hopkins (hopkins.daniel@epa.gov), Marc Vincent (vincent.marc@epa.gov) and Benita Mahanta (mahanta.benita@epa.gov) in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer.

3) EPA Issues Permit for Stormwater Discharges from Construction Sites
EPA issued a new permit, in accordance with the Clean Water Act, that will provide streamlined permitting to thousands of construction operators, while protecting our nation's waterways from discharges of polluted stormwater from construction sites. The 2012 construction general permit is required under the Clean Water Act and replaces the existing 2008 CGP, which expired on February 15, 2012.

The 2012 permit updates include steps intended to limit erosion, minimize pollution sources, provide natural buffers or their equivalent around surface waters, and further restrict discharges to areas impaired by previous pollution discharge. Many of the permit requirements implement new effluent limitations guidelines and new source performance standards for the construction and development industry that became effective on February 1, 2010, which include pollution control techniques to decrease erosion and sediment pollution. The permit will be effective in areas where EPA is the permitting authority: Idaho, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Washington, D.C., and most U.S. territories and in Indian country lands.

More information on the construction general permit: http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/cgp.cfm

4) EPA Releases Permit Writer's Manual for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations
EPA has released a technical manual for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to provide states, producers, and the general public with general information on Clean Water Act and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program requirements for CAFOs, information to explain CAFO permitting requirements under the Clean Water Act, and technical information to help states and producers understand options for nutrient management planning.

It is EPA's intent that this is a living document that will be updated periodically to incorporate new and emerging approaches to CAFO management, including those focused on manure reuse and recycling and use for energy generation. Interested parties are encouraged to bring to EPA's attention questions and suggestions concerning the content of this manual at any time. EPA will consider this input and update this document periodically to ensure that this manual is as helpful as possible. For more information and to view a copy of the manual, visit: http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/afo/info.cfm#guide_docs.

5) EPA Announces Availability of Green Infrastructure Technical Assistance to Selected Partner Communities
EPA is accepting letters of interest from communities interested in receiving direct assistance for projects that facilitate the use of green infrastructure to protect water quality. Technical assistance will be provided through EPA contract support, and will be directed to watersheds/sewersheds with significant water quality degradation associated with urban stormwater. The total EPA assistance available is approximately $950,000, and will be distributed among 10 to 20 projects. The value of the assistance available to each project will be approximately $50,000 to $100,000. Letters of interest must be received by April 6, 2012. For more information, please see EPA's green infrastructure website: http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/greeninfrastructure