April 8, 2011

The current Continuing Resolution funding the government is set to expire at midnight tonight, April 8.

If the House and the Senate do not pass another CR then the Federal Government will have to implement its shutdown procedures, including furloughing 800,000 non-essential workers. Only those activities that have alternate funding sources or that are deemed necessary for the safety of life and protection of property would continue.

This week Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) introduced S. 718, a bill to amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act to improve the use of certain registered pesticides.

The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.

The introduction of the Senate bill follows the recent actions on this issue, including the House passing HR 872 292-130, and the EPA release of its Draft Final Pesticide Permit.

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on the Environment and Economy held a chemical security hearing on March 31. 

The Subcommittee considered HR 908, by Rep. Lungren (R-3), a bill to extend the Department of Homeland Security’s Chemical Facilities Anti-Terrorism Standards program for seven years.  As currently drafted, this bill does not cover security at drinking water and wastewater facilities. 

On Thursday, March 31, the Senate Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a hearing to examine President Obama’s proposed Fiscal Year 2012 budget for the Army Corps of Engineers. 

In her opening remarks, Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, said “The Budget provides gross new discretionary funding of $4.631 billion, which will keep the Civil Works program moving forward to help revitalize the economy, and provide for restoration and stewardship of the environment”.

On Thursday March 31, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee held a hearing on S. 629, the Hydropower Improvement Act of 2011.

Witnesses at the hearing included Michael Connor, Commissioner of Reclamation; Steven Chalk, COO and Acting Deputy Secretary for Renewable Energy, Department of Energy; Jeff Wright, Director, Office of Energy Projects, FERC; John Seebach, American Rivers; Andrew Munro, National Hydropower Association; Michael Webber, University of Texas.

The Department of Energy and Department of Interior announced $26.6 million in funding for hydropower research and development projects on April 5.

Projects will be selected in four categories: Sustainable Small Hydropower, Environmental Mitigation Technologies for Conventional Hydropower, Sustainable Pumped Storage, and Advanced Conventional Hydropower System Testing.

The Department of Interior estimates up to 1 million megawatt-hours of electricity each year could be generated by adding hydropower capacity to Bureau of Reclamation facilities. 

A survey of Reclamation’s 532 facilities identified 70 locations where hydropower could be developed.  The full DOI assessment was released on March 31, and can be viewed at the link below.

The United State Geological Survey is requesting comments on the draft report to Congress titled ``Strengthening the Scientific Understanding of Climate Change Impacts on Freshwater Resources of the United States.'' 

ACWA is collecting comments on this report from its member agencies until close of business on April 15^th. If you have feedback, please email your comments to: kgoree@sso.org.

EPA hosted a webinar to explain various on-line resources available to help water agencies plan for the impacts of climate change on April 7.  The tools discussed during the webinar can all be accessed through EPA’s climate ready water utility program homepage and are described below.

The National Water Resources Association, of which ACWA is a member, held their 2011 DC conference at the Washington Court hotel between April 4-6^th.  Featured speakers included Robert Quint, Chief of Staff, Bureau of Reclamation; Robyn Colosimo, Council on Environmental Quality, and numerous House and Senate staff.