Due to the January 20 Presidential Inauguration and the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, the APWA Washington Report will publish next on January 27. Follow APWA Government Affairs on X and LinkedIn to stay updated.
Latest News
APWA’s 119th Congress Public Policy Priorities Available
- With the arrival of the 119th Congress, the APWA Government Affairs team today begins delivering our new public policy priorities to each of the 535 U.S. House and Senate offices;
- With strong support and input from APWA committee members, the overarching priorities are emergency management, transportation, and water resiliency;
- Our press release announcing the new public policy priorities is on our website, with comments from APWA CEO Scott Grayson, APWA President Dominick Longobardi, and APWA Government Affairs Committee Chair Jeff May;
- As important as it is for APWA Government Affairs to distribute the priorities on Capitol Hill, it’s also key for APWA chapters and members to share the priorities with local and state public officials, and your colleagues.
APWA President and CEO Share Message in Response to Ongoing Wildfires
- APWA President Longobardi and CEO Grayson have shared a message in response to the ongoing California wildfires;
- The message includes direct links to federal agencies – including the Federal Emergency Managment Agency (FEMA), American Red Cross, and the California Fire Foundation – on how to help, and how to make donations;
- With public works professionals on the front lines of these disasters as first responders it is vitally important to share these resources with APWA membership.
FEMA with Assistance for Individuals Affected by California Wildfires
- FEMA said assistance is available for those impacted by the ongoing wildfires in Southern California;
- Last Wednesday, President Biden approved a Major Disaster Declaration to supplement recovery efforts;
- This is an evolving situation and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell has been in California over the past week to monitor and assess the damage;
- Visit the following FEMA site for information on additional assistance for disasters.
FEMA Releases Updated Public Assistance Program Guide
- The FEMA has published the fifth edition of its Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide (PA Guide), which is effective for disasters declared on or after Jan. 6;
- The PA Guide serves as FEMA’s comprehensive resource for Public Assistance (PA) policies that establish how states, Tribal Nations, local governments, territories and certain private nonprofits can recover and rebuild using federal funds after disasters;
- Updated information in this edition:
- Resilience measures that can help mitigate future damage and strengthen communities
- Simplified language designed to make the guide more user friendly
- Focus on reducing documentation requirements to help streamline processes
- To assist in the outreach efforts, FEMA will host four webinars, which will be held at 2 p.m. Jan. 14, 15, 16, and at 1pm (in Spanish) Jan. 17. To participate, use Meeting ID# 161-822-4786, and Passcode PAPPG.
White House, FEMA Announce $1.35B for Climate Resiliency
- FEMA announced its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program will provide $750M towards projects that protect people and infrastructure from natural hazards and the effects of extreme weather events, and there will be $600M through Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) for projects designed to mitigate flood risks facing homes and communities across the nation;
- Both of these grant programs received additional funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
Homeland Security Releases AI Playbook for Public Sector
- The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released its Playbook for Public Sector Artificial Intelligence Deployment (Playbook);
- This playbook offers tools for government officials to improve the delivery of services through the responsible and effective deployment of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) technologies;
- Additionally, the playbook features detailed case studies from DHS’s own pilots, which evaluated GenAI applications that enhanced investigative leads, assisted local governments with hazard mitigation planning, and created innovative training opportunities for immigration officers.
Lawsuit Filed Against New Toxic Substances Rules
- Olin, the nation’s leading chlorine producer, filed legal challenges against EPA’s trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE) and carbon tetrachloride (CTC) risk management rules;
- If implemented, these rules would:
- Phase out all uses of TCE, a carcinogen used as a solvent in dry cleaning products and in other industrial applications
- Some uses of PCE, a probable carcinogen also used in dry cleaning, would be banned, while others would be allowed to continue under stronger workplace protections
- Ban only the uses of CTC that have already been phased out, while implementing workplace protections for continued uses. CTC is a cancer-tied compound widely used to make refrigerants
- PCE and TCE were found in drinking water at Camp Lejeune, a decadeslong scandal that has left an estimated 1 million people with illness due to exposures, TCE is also notorious as the main pollutant in water contamination in Woburn, MA;
- None of the three petitions specify any claims and Olin uses all three of the chemicals in its chlorinated organics division, which produces the chemicals used to make chlorine, caustic sodas, silicone, automobiles and consumer goods;
- The new regulations represent milestones for the Toxic Substances Control Act, which Congress updated in 2016 to reign in uses of dangerous existing chemicals, among other authorities, and EPA finalized 5 risk management rules for existing chemicals (the others being asbestos and methylene chloride) during the Biden administration;
- The litigation was very much expected given this is the first test of the 2016 amendments and the courts could substantially influence the way those reforms are implemented.
EPA Takes Additional Actions on PFAS
- For a further scope of the level of PFAS contamination, EPA has added nine additional PFAS to the Toxics Release Inventory;
- EPA Office of Water also published a Q&A document on Potable Water Reuse and PFAS, the document is meant to help provide clarity on reuse and the recent PFAS drinking water standards particularly as it relates to source control and treatment.
On the Horizon
All times ET.
- Jan 14 at 10 a.m., The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will hold a hearing to consider the nomination of North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to serve as Secretary of the Department of Interior;
- Jan 15 at 9 a.m., The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on the nomination of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to serve as DHS Secretary;
- Jan. 15 at 10 a.m., the Senate Commerce Committee is holding a confirmation hearing for Sean Duffy, the nominee for Transportation Department Secretary;
- Jan. 15 at 10 a.m., the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is scheduled to hold an organization meeting and hearing, America Builds: The State of the Nation’s Transportation System;
- Jan. 15 at 10:15 a.m., the House Committee on Education and Workforce will hold its organizing meeting for the 119th Congress;
- Jan. 15 at 1 p.m., the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is holding a confirmation hearing on Russell Vought, the nominee for director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB);
- Jan. 16 at 10 a.m., the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is holding a confirmation hearing for Lee Zeldin, the nominee for Environmental Protection Agency administrator;
- Jan. 16 at 10 a.m., the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee will hold a confirmation hearing for Eric Turner, the nominee for secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Explore APWA’s Member Advocacy Tools:
- APWA Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Resource page
- APWA Government Affairs LinkedIn
- APWA Government Affairs on X
- 118th Congress Public Policy Priorities and Policymaker Primers
- APWA Washington Report
- Legislative Action Center
- “What is Public Works?”
- Tell Your Story
- Public Works Research