All Healthy News

Clean Air. Pure Water. Healthy Home.

HEALTH BEGINS WITH:
Clean Air. Pure Water. Healthy Homes.

Staff Reporter

EPA Opens Public Comment Period on Ozone Data Determination for Detroit

by

February 3, 2023

CHICAGO (February 3, 2023) – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began a 31-day public comment period on a determination that the Detroit metropolitan area has attained the health-based air quality standard for ground level ozone, or smog. This determination is based on an analysis from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) that high ozone values in June 2022 were caused by wildfires. EPA is also taking comment on the state’s analysis.

EGLE’s analysis relies on meteorological data, modeling of air mass trajectories, comparisons to historical data, and measurements of brown carbon and black carbon, or soot. Considered together, the analysis concludes that high smog values measured at an air monitor in Wayne County on June 24 and 25, 2022, were caused by Canadian wildfires. Under EPA rules, wildfire impacts may be excluded when calculating attainment of the smog standard.

The air quality data now show that the Detroit area meets the federal smog standard. Air quality that shows attainment of the standard is one of the requirements for areas to receive formal air quality “attainment” status under the Clean Air Act.

 Comments may be submitted at Regulations.gov (search for docket number EPA-R05-OAR-2023-0058) or via email to [email protected] until March 6. For comments submitted at Regulations.gov, follow the online instructions for submitting comments.

Additional information about the proposal can be found on EPA’s website.

###



Originally Appeared Here

Filed Under: EPA

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $340 Million for Water Infrastructure and Lead Pipe Replacement Projects in Philadelphia

by

EPA WIFIA loans are financing $36 billion in infrastructure upgrades, ensuring clean, safe water and creating 122,000 jobs

February 3, 2023

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a $340 million financing commitment to upgrade the City of Philadelphia’s aging drinking water infrastructure, including replacing customers’ lead service lines. This Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) low-interest loan will jumpstart the work to modernize the drinking water system with an initial investment of nearly $20 million.

“At EPA, we’re committed to ensuring access to clean, safe water for all. Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic investment in water infrastructure upgrades, we’re delivering on that commitment for communities across this nation,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “With the funds announced today, the City of Philadelphia will be able to upgrade its aging system for the 1.6 million people that depend on it, ensuring no one has to worry about access to safe, affordable drinking water.”

The announcement was made by President Biden, Vice President Harris and Administrator Regan at an event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to highlight the progress we have made and the Administration’s work implementing the Biden-Harris economic and environmental agenda that continues to deliver results for the American people.

Portions of the City of Philadelphia’s drinking water systems are approaching the end of their useful life and need significant upgrades to continue to deliver clean and safe water to the residents of Philadelphia. With this announcement, EPA is committing over $340 million in WIFIA financing to the city. The initial loan of $19.8 million will modernize critical drinking water infrastructure by replacing approximately 160 lead service lines and 15 miles of watermains throughout the city.

“This commitment will provide an immense boost to Philadelphia’s ongoing efforts to ramp up water main replacement and help sustain our recently launched 25-year, multibillion-dollar Water Revitalization Plan, investments that will result in direct health and safety benefits for all Philadelphians,” said Philadelphia Water Department Commissioner Randy E. Hayman. “Replacing miles of water mains in these neighborhoods will also strengthen our campaign to replace customers’ lead service lines as we renew and improve the City’s infrastructure. This represents the biggest investment in drinking water infrastructure in a generation, and we would not be able to do this work without this level of federal investment.”

The Biden-Harris Administration has committed to revitalizing the nation’s water and wastewater infrastructure to ensure every community has access to clean, safe and reliable drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services. In addition to WIFIA loans and other federally funded programs, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is making a historic $50 billion investment in water infrastructure and allocates $15 billion specifically for lead service line replacement and removal. To date, more than $4.7 billion of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding has been invested through the State Revolving Funds to support states, Tribes and territories in improving water infrastructure.

By financing this first project with a WIFIA loan, EPA estimates the City of Philadelphia will save approximately $4 million. Construction and operation under this first loan are estimated to create approximately 100 jobs.

Background 

Established by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014, the WIFIA program is a federal loan and guarantee program administered by EPA. The WIFIA program’s aim is to accelerate investment in the nation’s water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental credit assistance for regionally and nationally significant projects. 

The WIFIA program has an active pipeline of projects that will result in billions of dollars in water infrastructure investment and thousands of jobs. With this loan closing, EPA’s WIFIA program has announced 97 loans that are providing $17 billion in credit assistance to help finance $36 billion for water infrastructure while creating 122,000 jobs and saving ratepayers over $5 billion. 

EPA is currently accepting letters of interest for WIFIA and SWIFIA loans. In June, EPA announced the availability of $5.5 billion under the 2022 WIFIA Notice of Funding Availability and an additional $1 billion under the SWIFIA program. Together, this newly available funding will support more than $13 billion in water infrastructure projects while creating more than 40,000 jobs.



Originally Appeared Here

Filed Under: EPA

First 88M 3D-Printed Pegasus Revealed by Jozeph Forakis

by

After the world premiere of his award-winning CLX96 design (exterior and interior) at FLIBS 2022, international designer Jozeph Forakis presents the visionary Pegasus envisioned for introduction in 2030. The futuristic yacht was conceived on a beach in Koufonissi island, Greece. 

“I was inspired to create a yacht as close to the sea and nature as possible, made of clouds floating above the waterline,” Forakis says, “I wanted to honor nature by blending into it, becoming virtually invisible.” This desire for “invisibility” drove Forakis to develop a true zero emissions yacht that is “invisible both in design and in her environmental impact.” 


Jozeph Forakis

With characteristic in-depth research, Forakis and his team composed a symphony of selected advanced technologies (existing and currently in development) to achieve unprecedented levels of sustainably, range, and structural integrity. The 88m superyacht’s construction uses robotic 3D printing to create a mesh framework integrating both hull and superstructure. The result is an extraordinarily strong and lightweight structure that can be produced using less energy, material, waste, space, and time compared to conventional construction. The exterior design starts with a low, linear hull with a plumb bow and silvery metallic finish, which blends chameleon-like with the water’s colors and movements. This foundation at the waterline supports the superstructure with multi-tiered, ephemeral glass wings that reflect the clouds and the sky. 


The centerpiece of the futuristic interior design is the multi-level “Tree of Life” – a living, breathing monument to mother nature and the nucleus of the hydroponic garden providing fresh food and air purification. 


The base of the tree emerges from a reflecting pool on the lower deck and is surrounded by the hydroponic + meditation Zen Garden. The tree extends vertically through all four levels accompanied by a sculptural spiral staircase. The spacious guest lounges showcase the harmonious balance of minimalist design and living nature, both inside with living greenery and rich appointments skillfully integrated throughout, as well outside with uninterrupted views in all directions and copious daylight penetrating to the core.


The top level is exclusive to the owner, with a forward facing master-suite featuring a large private terrace.


The forward pool club has an aquarium-style lap pool and expansive horizontal windows that transform into open balconies on both port and starboard. When closed, the pool cover functions as the helipad. At the aft of the ship, the open beach club with an oversized hot tub and fold-down balconies transforms into an enclosed solarium with sliding glass panels across the ceiling and down the transom bulkhead.


Solar energy converts seawater into hydrogen, producing zero emissions and infinite range. In operation Pegasus will produce zero carbon emissions and will have a virtually unlimited range. Solar energy is used to convert seawater into hydrogen which is stored for longer periods. 


“Now is the time for courageous leaps toward our collective sustainable future. Pegasus is a bold but achievable vision for the near future of the superyacht industry, where man and machine live in harmony with nature rather than competing or compromising it,” said Jozeph Forakis.

Credits: Jozeph Forakis



Originally Appeared Here

DTG will close public access to 80 acres and most Rocky Top trails | Local

by

DTG Recycle will shut down public access to 80 acres of the land it owns at Rocky Top, effectively closing off most of a popular Yakima trail system.

DTG operates a recycling center and limited-purpose landfill for construction waste at Rocky Top. The previous owner of the rock and demolition pit allowed hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders to use the land for recreation.

Cowiche Canyon Conservancy will maintain its easement for access to the Rocky Top trailhead, and CCC Executive Director Celisa Hopkins said the “Walk N Roll” trail will still be accessible. The parking lot by the trailhead will remain open.

A news release from DTG noted it plans to work with the William O. Douglas Trail Foundation “to maintain safe access to this historic trail” around the landfill.

Concerns about expansion

DTG continued to allow public access when it acquired the property in late 2019, but a news release from the company Wednesday blamed “neighbor complaints” for the change of plans. The company said at the time recreation was allowed, it was believed that area would “not be active for decades,” and DTG intended to follow the original development plans.

As DTG expanded its operations, the neighborhood group Friends of Rocky Top, along with consultant Scott Cave, raised concerns about trash, air quality and potential groundwater contamination at the site, which in turn drew attention from regulatory agencies.

“Stop being out of compliance and we can stop complaining,” Cave said. “People don’t want to spend their days having to track the operations of this facility.”

The Yakima Health District, Washington Department of Ecology and the Yakima Clean Air Agency responded by halting DTG’s expansion and giving DTG a list of requirements to ensure compliance.

So far DTG’s taken some steps, such as adding a monitoring well, hiring a landfill manager and picking up trash on the trails managed by the Single Track Alliance of Yakima, a nonprofit group dedicated to maintaining trails for all.

DTG initially planned to move into a new area to the west of its current operations where it had already started gravel mining and blasting. But regulatory requirements and the identification of a 1,000-foot setback from a neighbor’s home that was previously unrecognized by DTG halted that progress. In its release, DTG said that forced the company to move its operations to the south, causing conflict with trails.

“Because DTG was already forced to prematurely move into the Southern Fill Area, development will continue moving south and west of the Southern Fill Area, making it unsafe for recreational users to be in an area under active development,” the release said.

Nancy Lust of the Friends of Rocky Top said it would have been possible for DTG to abide by the setback and still move its development to the west, where trails wouldn’t be affected. Instead, DTG said the complaints forced it to move waste into the south and led to continued development south and west of the current “Southern Fill Area.”

“DTG doesn’t like being accountable and sometimes they can overreact,” Lust said. “I think this is their attempt to make it harder for concerned citizens and neighbors to be able to take pictures of what they’re doing in their operation because we need those pictures when we file complaints.”

Trail access

Single Track Alliance of Yakima Vice President Will Hollingbery said he hopes to work with the William O. Douglas Trail Foundation to establish new connections to the Rocky Top trails not located within the closure. 

Hollingbery added he’s heard of no plans to shut down the nearby dirt jumps, but the closure cuts off all connections to other trails within the system.

“From my perspective as the trail builder, I think the whole place is shut down until we make some connections for the lower trails,” Hollingbery said of the trail system he started work on in 2011.

Both Hopkins and Hollingbery said DTG gave them no warning before announcing its permanent closure.

The trails have been temporarily closed due to mud since Jan. 9.



Originally Appeared Here

EPA Opens Public Comment Period for Indoor airPLUS Program Update

by

February 1, 2023

WASHINGTON — In order to advance indoor air quality protection, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing proposed updates to the Indoor airPLUS program, and will be taking public comment for 60 days. Comments will be accepted until April 3, 2023.

Indoor airPLUS is a voluntary partnership and labeling program designed to improve indoor air quality in homes to help reduce the likelihood of common and serious health problems like heart disease, cancer, asthma and other respiratory issues. Builders that participate in the program must use construction practices designed to minimize exposure to airborne pollutants and contaminants in the home. The indoor airPLUS program also requires that these practices are inspected and certified by qualified verifiers.

The updates to the program being proposed today take into consideration the broad range of feedback EPA received in response to a December 2020 opportunity for public comment on revised Indoor airPLUS Construction Specifications proposed at that time. This 2023 proposal is designed to address feedback received on the 2020 proposal and to encourage broad industry participation to advance indoor air quality protections, while strengthening program integrity with an improved verification and quality assurance framework.

Under this proposed program update, builders will have an opportunity to choose between two Indoor airPLUS labels: Indoor airPLUS Certification, and Indoor airPLUS Gold. The proposed “Indoor airPLUS Certification” specifications focus on strategies to improve indoor air quality without a pre-requisite of ENERGY STAR certification. The proposed “Indoor airPLUS Gold” specifications include more advanced protections for improved indoor air quality in conjunction with ENERGY STAR certification.

Other features of the proposed program update include changes to the training requirements for verifiers, a Home Certification Organization model to improve quality assurance, and a five-year expiration date to the new Indoor airPLUS labels and specifications for voluntary recertification by the home/building owner after the five-year expiration.

Following the 60-day comment period, EPA expects to release the final Indoor airPLUS Certification and Gold specifications in January 2024. During the first 12-months of implementation beginning January 2024, partners could continue to use Indoor airPLUS Construction Specifications Version 1, Rev.4 or begin to use one of the new two-tier specifications, if finalized. EPA anticipates that the Indoor airPLUS Construction Specifications Version 1, Rev. 4 will be sunset by January 2025. These dates are subject to change.

More about the Indoor airPLUS program:

Indoor airPLUS homes are healthier by design, improving indoor air quality (IAQ) and comfort. Labeled homes can help reduce the likelihood of common and serious health problems like heart disease, cancer, asthma, allergies, respiratory issues, headaches and more through comprehensive IAQ approaches. These approaches include mold and moisture control; radon resistance; pest management; improved heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems; combustion venting; healthier building materials; and homeowner education.

Find more information on:



Originally Appeared Here

Filed Under: EPA

QleanAir delivered 6.40 billion cubic meters of cleaned air at the end of the fourth quarter

by

At the end of December, QleanAir delivered 6.40 (5.39) billion cubic meters cleaned indoor air per month. This corresponds to an increase of 19% compared with the third quarter of the previous year. QleanAir reports the volume of cleaned indoor air through its air cleaners, clean rooms, and Cabin Solutions quarterly on a global basis.

Air pollution is now considered the world’s biggest environmental threat to health and accounts for 7 million premature deaths around the world each year, according to the WHO. Air pollutants accumulate indoors where the air can be up to 50 times more polluted than outdoor air, which is problematic because we spend about 90% of our time indoors.

Air quality has a significant impact on human health, well-being, and cognitive ability both in the short and long term. In many organizations, air quality is also critical for the products’ quality, lifespan, and technical cleanliness. Clean air also contributes to mechanical equipment working better, lasting longer, and requiring less maintenance. QleanAir provides air cleaning solutions for most types of professional and public spaces.



Originally Appeared Here

Aldi and Lidl: What’s in the middle aisles from Thursday February 2

by

The middle aisle of both Aldi and Lidl are popular with shoppers keen to find a bargain on anything from gardening tools to clothing.

Whether it’s Aldi’s Specialbuys or Lidl’s Middle of Lidl, the latest offers are always worth checking out and there are some fantastic buys from Thursday, February 2.

Let’s take a look at some of the items you can buy this week.

5 ways to save money on your weekly food shop

Aldi Specialbuys

This Thursday, you’ll find a range of home bits, motor and travel items and more amongst Aldi’s Specialbuys.

Menabo Rear 3-Bike Carrier

Somerset County Gazette: Menabo Rear 3-Bike CarrierMenabo Rear 3-Bike Carrier (Image: Aldi)

If you’re looking forward to the warmer days, you might be thinking about your next cycling adventure.

This bike carrier could be just what you need to transport your bike to your cycle route.

It can hold up to three bikes up to 15kg each and it has six straps for extra stability.

This is an online exclusive so won’t be sold in Aldi stores. You can order it for £49.99 via the Aldi website.

Anthracite Air Purifier with LED

Somerset County Gazette: Anthracite Air Purifier with LEDAnthracite Air Purifier with LED (Image: Aldi)

Remove dust, smoke, odours and pollutants from your home with this air purifier.

The ring LED displays different colours to indicate the level of contamination in the air.

It’s available for £64.99 and is an online exclusive so it won’t be available in Aldi stores but you can order it via the website.

You can see more of Aldi’s Specialbuys via the website.

Lidl’s middle aisle

This Thursday, you’ll find Valentine’s Day gifts, Rita Ora electric hair tools and more amongst Lidl’s middle aisle, which can be found on their website here.

Esmara Ladies’ Oversized Hoodie Dress

Somerset County Gazette: Esmara Ladies’ Oversized Hoodie DressEsmara Ladies’ Oversized Hoodie Dress (Image: Lidl)

While the nights are slowly staying lighter for longer, we’re still experiencing cold days but this hoodie dress could be just what you need to stay warm.

It has side pockets, fluffy lining and it’s available in dark grey, leopard print and cream.

It’ll set you back £12.99 and you can find out more about it via the Lidl website.

Silvercrest Foot Massager

Somerset County Gazette: Silvercrest Foot MassagerSilvercrest Foot Massager (Image: Lidl)

Get a relaxing start to your February with the Silvercrest Foot Massager.

This massager helps to relax foot muscles and is also suitable for use on your back.

It has eight rotating massage heads and gives you the choice of two massage directions.

Make it yours for £39.99 and find out more via the Lidl website.

Hair Straightener

Somerset County Gazette: Hair StraightenerHair Straightener (Image: Lidl)

A variety of items from Rita Ora’s hair tool range are coming to Lidl’s middle aisle from Thursday including a hairbrush, curling tongs and a hair dryer, as well as a hair straightener which can be seen here.

The straightener can be set to different heat settings from 100C to 180C.

It has extra long hot plates and an automatic switch off plus a fast heat up.

The straightener is available for £24.99 and you can find out more about it via the Lidl website.



Originally Appeared Here

Mitsubishi Cement Pulls Out of Proposed Warehouse Project in Barrio Logan

by

Barrio Logan with downtown San Diego in the distance. Photo by Chris Jennewein

Mitsubishi Cement Corp. Wednesday withdrew its application to build a controversial cement warehouse at the Port of San Diego’s Tenth Avenue Terminal in Barrio Logan.

The proposed warehouse was intended to produce 600,000 metric tons of cement materials a year — 35% of the Henderson, Nevada-based company’s total production annually.

According to the company, the project’s goal was to “repurpose an existing on-terminal warehouse, create jobs and establish a local source of cement, which currently can only be obtained by being trucked in — long distances — from the high desert or the Port of Long Beach.”

Climate activists and some residents of Barrio Logan and National City opposed the project for years, referring to it as a “mega-polluter” from idling truck diesel fumes, among other environmental issues.

“This would never have been proposed in a community like Coronado, so why do Logan and National City have to continually fight for the right to breathe clean air?,” asked Julie Corrales, Barrio Logan policy advocate for the Environmental Health Coalition. “The reason is environmental racism. Today, we celebrate our victory but also send a clear message to decision- makers: Do not allow proposals like MCC to come forward again. The community is clear — no more diesel death.”

The company — which still has the project listen prominently on its website — described the cement warehouse as “an environmentally clean, electrified project, with an emissions reduction plan, and installation of electric infrastructure that will support port and community efforts to decrease local impacts and actually promote an environmentally cleaner port.”

The Board of Port Commissioners rejected a similar proposal from MCC in 2020, giving the company a directive to develop measurable zero-emission truck requirements for the project. The anti-warehouse activists claim that in those two years, MCC failed to present any plans for ZEV trucks.

“Mitsubishi disrespected the community by refusing to come forward with any plans to use zero emission trucks,” said Diane Takvorian, co-founder of the Environmental Health Coalition. “They also underestimated the strength, commitment and persistence of residents who pushed back hard — refusing to allow more deadly pollution in our communities.”

Port board Chairman Rafael Castellanos said the port would be willing to have future negotiations with the company “that meet the goals of our Maritime Clean Air Strategy, which strives to support our maritime businesses that help the regional economy thrive while also significantly improving air quality for our neighbors and those who visit and work on our waterfront.”

“We would urge MCC to continue their most recent path should the day come when they want to re-open negotiations,” Castellanos said. “In the meantime, the port continues to collaborate with our current tenants to meet the goals of our MCAS and is open to businesses that share our dedication to a zero emissions future.”

The warehouse would have imported cement materials with up to 10,500 diesel truck trips a day and would have been located within a mile of Cesar Chavez Park and Perkins Elementary School.

More than 800 community members emailed or wrote letters to port commissioners calling on them to reject the project.

— City News Service



Originally Appeared Here

EPA Announces Community Meeting Feb. 23 to Discuss Groundwater Contamination in St. Charles, Missouri

by

January 31, 2023

LENEXA, KAN. (JAN. 31, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 will hold a Community Meeting at the St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Parish on Thursday, Feb. 23. The session will begin at 6 p.m. with a formal presentation held at 7 p.m. Following the presentation, EPA staff will facilitate a question-and-answer session until 8:30 p.m.

“We are committed to providing the residents of St. Charles with timely and accurate information regarding EPA’s work at the Findett Corp. Superfund Site,” said EPA Region 7 Superfund and Emergency Management Division Director Bob Jurgens. “EPA will be available to address community concerns in St. Charles on Feb. 23.”

The purpose of the meeting is to provide members of the public with an update on the field sampling conducted by EPA to identify the source of new contamination found near the Ameren Huster Road substation. EPA conducted this field work in January 2023.

This meeting follows a November 2022 Public Meeting in which EPA shared information about the Consent Decree for the Operable Unit 4 Remedial Design/Remedial Action and response actions at the site.

The Community Meeting will be held:

Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023

Public Availability: 6 to 7 p.m.
Presentation: 7 to 7:30 p.m.
Question and Answer: 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The meeting location will be:
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Parish Gymnasium
534 N. 5th Street
St. Charles, MO 63301

During the public availability portion, representatives from EPA will be available for one-on-one discussions and to answer questions. Following the availability, EPA will provide a site update presentation at 7 p.m. After the presentation, EPA will facilitate a question-and-answer session until 8:30 p.m.

Site project information is available to the public on EPA’s Site Profile page. If you do not have internet access, you can view these documents online at this location: Kathryn Linnemann Branch, St. Charles City-County Library, 2323 Elm Street, St. Charles, MO 63301; 636-946-6294.

EPA is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. For reasonable accommodations at the Community Meeting, including the public availability portion, please contact Euleashia Embry at [email protected] or 1-800-223-0425.

# # #

Learn more about EPA Region 7

View all Region 7 news releases

Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter: @EPARegion7



Originally Appeared Here

Filed Under: EPA

EPA Announces Financial Capability Guidance to Support Communities and Ensure Clean, Affordable Water

by

February 1, 2023

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its updated Clean Water Act Financial Capability Assessment (FCA) Guidance to help communities ensure public health protections and financial feasibility as they make plans to comply with the Clean Water Act (CWA). The Guidance outlines strategies for communities to follow to support affordable rates while planning investments in water infrastructure essential to protecting our Nation’s waters.

“EPA is committed to ensuring all communities have access to clean water and critical water services. We also recognize that a growing number of people struggle to afford their water bills,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. “The updated FCA Guidance provides a better process to assess communities’ ability to afford water quality improvements, and also highlights a variety of tools, including assistance programs, grants, and subsidized loans, to help communities plan and pay for necessary water infrastructure improvements.”  

When discharges from municipal wastewater treatment facilities violate the CWA, EPA sets a schedule for the municipality to implement control measures to address the discharges as soon as possible. When negotiating CWA compliance schedules, EPA considers public health, environmental protection, and a community’s financial capability. The FCA Guidance outlines the financial information and formulas used to assess a community’s financial ability to make the needed water infrastructure investments essential for CWA implementation. The FCA Guidance is also used to evaluate the economic impacts on public entities of certain water quality standards (WQS) decisions.

For communities seeking extended CWA compliance schedules or certain changes to water quality standards, the updated FCA Guidance provides a clear process to demonstrate financial capability and ensure that a financial strategy is in place to support needed infrastructure upgrades without overburdening their most vulnerable ratepayers. The updated FCA Guidance also contains new measures that provide a better description of a community’s ability to afford water services, including community-specific poverty factors that are available and easy to find from census data. The FCA Guidance incorporates feedback from nearly 3,000 comments received during the public comment period and provides clear, step-by-step instructions for evaluating financial capability, including options for communities with less capacity.

The FCA Guidance is a starting point for negotiations and is not legally binding. The FCA Guidance recognizes that a variety of factors should be included in CWA schedule negotiations and encourages communities to bring their individual circumstances to those discussions. If a community has additional information that justifies a longer schedule than the general schedule benchmarks, this information can be submitted to EPA. Where appropriate, this information can result in different schedules than those suggested by the baseline analysis in the FCA Guidance.

The updated FCA Guidance provides ideas for working within legal boundaries and broadly consider how to minimize rate impacts to residents. For example, the FCA Guidance provides links to resources for obtaining available federal funding or for establishing programs to help low-income customers. In addition, EPA’s Water Finance Center can connect communities to technical assistance providers who can help with rate design and analysis, asset management planning, identifying sources of funding, and/or developing State Revolving Fund applications.

The FCA Guidance is available here.

Background
The Updated FCA Guidance supersedes the 1997 Guidance for Financial Capability Assessment and Schedule Development to evaluate a community’s capability to fund CWA control measures in both the permitting and enforcement context. The FCA Guidance also supplements the public sector sections of the 1995 Interim Economic Guidance for Water Quality Standards to assist states and authorized tribes in assessing the degree of economic and social impact of potential WQS decisions.

During a 60-day public comment period on the proposed FCA Guidance, EPA received nearly 3,000 public comments from a wide range of stakeholders, including local governments, state governments, utilities and municipalities, environmental organizations, NGOs, and private citizens. The final FCA Guidance has been informed by the input provided during the comment period.



Originally Appeared Here

Filed Under: EPA