EPA Climate Change and Water News 11/2012

EPA Climate Change and Water News

U.S. EPA News

Early Registration Opens for 2013 Climate Leadership Conference
The 2013 Climate Leadership Conference will take place February 27- March 1, 2013 in Washington, DC.  This conference is an annual exchange addressing global climate change through policy, innovation, and business solutions.  Following a successful inaugural event in 2012, the Climate Leadership Conference has been dedicated to professionals addressing global climate change through policy, innovation, and business solutions.  This event gathers forward-thinking leaders from business, government, academia, and the non-profit community to explore energy and climate related solutions, introduce new opportunities, and provide support to leaders taking action on climate change.  The 2013 Climate Leadership Conference is hosted by EPA, the Climate Registry, the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, and the Association of Climate Change Officers.  For more information, please visit: http://www.climateleadershipconference.org/.

EPA Releases Report "Opportunities to Advance Sustainability in California's Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program"
This recently released report highlights EPA's emphasis on the importance of directing State Revolving Fund (SRF) assistance to projects that support sustainable systems and help build or maintain the technical, financial, and managerial capacity of the recipient.  Beginning in 2010, EPA's Office of Water and Office of Sustainable Communities jointly sponsored a pilot technical assistance program with three state Clean Water SRF (CWSRF) programs to explore potential modifications that could encourage these types of investments and to provide models for other states.  EPA selected Maryland, New York, and California for this assistance.  EPA worked with these state CWSRF programs to review their intended use plans, project priority systems, borrower application processes, and other funding guidelines.  State limitations due to legislation, regulations, and policies were examined as well as potential avenues for change.  This report focuses primarily on ways that the California CWSRF program might attract more applicants with sustainable projects by better coordination with existing statewide sustainability initiatives, strategic outreach efforts, and incentives.  To view the report, visit:
http://water.epa.gov/grants_funding/cwsrf/upload/CA-SRF-Pilot-Report-09-10-12.pdf.

EPA Announces Registration for December 4th Symposium on the Importance of Water to the U.S. Economy
EPA is conducting a study on the importance of water in the U.S. economy to better understand how water contributes to the economic welfare of the nation and plays a critical role in many sectors of the U.S. economy.  On December 4, 2013, EPA and American University will host a public symposium in Washington, D.C. with speakers who represent a diverse array of industries including agriculture, food and beverage production, manufacturing, recreation, tourism and fishing.  EPA will also release a draft report on the importance of water to the U.S. economy.  To register to attend the symposium, please visit: http://water.epa.gov/action/importanceofwater/registration.cfm.

EPA Releases Video: "EPA Scientists at Work: Managing Sewer Overflows with Green Infrastructure"
EPA scientists are currently studying green infrastructure to determine the most effective and efficient practices for water treatment, management and transport. Water infrastructure may be considered "gray" or "green."  Gray infrastructure refers to traditional practices for stormwater management and wastewater treatment.  Green infrastructure refers to sustainable pollution reducing practices that also provide other ecosystem services such as reduced greenhouse gas emissions or increased flood control.  Examples of green infrastructure include grass and forest buffers, use of porous materials for paving, as well as small-scale practices like rain gardens and rain barrels.  To watch this video and read more about the methods EPA is exploring to improve stormwater management, please visit: http://epa.gov/sciencematters/sept2012/whygreen.htm.

EPA Launches Website on Hurricane Sandy Response and Recovery
In response to Hurricane Sandy, EPA has been supporting the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and working closely with federal agencies and the states of New Jersey and New York to assess damage and respond to environmental concerns.  In some areas, storm damage is widespread and the first and immediate priority is the protection of people's health and their safety.  EPA is assessing the condition of drinking water and wastewater facilities, helping several damaged wastewater treatment plants in New Jersey, evaluating conditions at hazardous waste sites and assisting in the collection of debris and household hazardous waste.  Water quality sampling has been conducted along the New Jersey coastline.  To find information on the latest EPA updates, please visit:
http://epa.gov/sandy/.

Other U.S. Federal Agency News

U.S. Department of Interior Announces Lease for Delaware Offshore Wind
As part of the Obama Administration's strategy to expand safe and responsible domestic energy production, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Tommy P. Beaudreau announced that BOEM has reached agreement on a lease for commercial wind energy development in federal waters that covers 96,430 acres, approximately 11 nautical miles off the coast of Delaware.  This is the first lease completed under Interior's "Smart from the Start" approach to facilitate environmentally responsible offshore wind development along the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf.  This approach identifies wind energy areas in a coordinated, focused approach with extensive environmental analysis, public review, and large-scale planning.  For more information, please visit: http://www.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/Interior-Announces-Commercial-Lease-for-Renewable-Energy-Offshore-Delaware.cfm.

OneNOAA Science Seminar Series Announces Webinar: "CanVis: A Tool for Visualizing Coastal Changes and Potential Adaptation Strategies"
On November 28, 2012 OneNOAA Science Seminars will host a webinar sponsored by NOAA's Climate Connection in collaboration with the National Weather Service Climate Services Division.  During this webinar, Adam Bode, a GIS Spatial Analyst with NOAA Coastal Services Center, will share an overview of CanVis, software for generating photorealistic illustrations of potential changes in landscapes.  The tool allows users to begin with a background photograph and insert visualizations of proposed objects or projected changes.  CanVis images help stakeholders envision how existing views may change over time.  For more information and to register for this webinar, please visit: http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/seminars/2012/11-nov.html#OneNOAAScienceSeminars_28Nov2012_NOAACC.

Other News

American Water Resources Association Publishes "Case Studies in Integrated Water Resources Management: From Local Stewardship to National Vision"
Showcasing state, multi-state, and regional efforts to implement Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), this collection of case studies highlights the effectiveness of IWRM at all levels of water management.  The case studies dispel the mystery behind IWRM by discussing the process of shifting to an IWRM approach and the resulting costs and benefits.  Together, the selected set of cases show that IWRM is an effective and common-sense approach for managing water in the United States. To download the publication, visit: http://awra.org/committees/AWRA-Case-Studies-IWRM.pdf.