Washington Report – June 24, 2024

Due to the Independence Day holiday, Congress will not be in session during the week of July 1. Therefore, the next issue of the APWA Washington Report will be sent July 8. APWA Government Affairs wishes you a safe and happy Independence Day!

Latest News

Reminder: Tell Your Senators to Pass APWA-Supported Bill Addressing Non-Flushables

The Wastewater Infrastructure Pollution Prevention and Environmental Safety (WIPPES) Act, passed the House of Representatives overwhelmingly and APWA is asking members to advocate once more and tell the Senate to pass the bill too!;
- If you have not already participated, please do to help build future support
  - If you aren’t receiving APWA action alerts, text PWX to 52886
- If you have participated, thank you for helping move this legislation forward and we hope you will encourage others to do the same
The legislation is an important step in making sure non-flushable wipes are accurately labeled so consumers appropriately dispose of them and help avoid more fatbergs that obstruct systems.

EPA to Propose First-Ever Limits on PFAS in Wastewater and Sewage

Office of Management and Budget (OMB) received EPA’s proposed rule on PFAS-laden liquid discharges from organic chemicals, plastics and synthetic fiber manufacturers;
This is the latest step in EPA’s Preliminary Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 15 (Preliminary Plan 15), which laid out regulatory goals for limiting substances in landfill leachate and industrial facilities in metal finishing, textiles, and steam electric power generation;
OMB aims to complete reviews and send back to the agency for publication within 90 days, which means any finalized Effluent Limitations Guidelines (ELGs) for PFAS from industrial sources would likely come during the next administration;
- When EPA announced it planned to establish ELGs for such facilities in 2021, it estimated the proposed rule would be out last summer
Exactly which compounds in the PFAS family will be targeted in the proposal is yet to be announced and while there is hope that this will help address sources of PFAS, there are concerns about potential impacts on discharges from public works facilities.

Water Reuse and Renewable Energy Webinars This Week

To improve the sustainability of water infrastructure environmentally and financially, federal agencies are hosting webinars to educate about tools and resources available across the government and potential strategies (all times are ET);
- June 25 at 11 a.m., the Department of Energy will host Quality on Tap: Water Reuse Technologies
- June 26 at 1 p.m., EPA will host an Infrastructure Finance Webinar: Opportunities to Advance Water Reuse
- June 27 at 2 p.m., EPA will host Renewable Energy Integration at Water and Wastewater Utilities.

Rural Utilities Service Funding Opportunity Open for Broadband Technical Assistance

The U.S Dept. of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service has released a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for Broadband Technical Assistance;
The funding is intended for training and technical assistance for expanding broadband into rural areas;
Appropriated funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provides the funds, and local, state, tribal governments, non-profit organizations, are among those eligible to apply;
Additional information is available here and applications are due Aug. 20.

On the Horizon

All times ET.

June 27 at 10 a.m., the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will hold a hearing on the Oversight of the Department of Transportation’s Policies and Programs and FY25 Budget Request;
June 27 at 1 p.m., CISA will host a Sector Risk Assessment (SRA) and Prioritization Workshop, immediately following the workshop, CISA will offer sector-specific breakouts, including the emergency and dam sectors;
June 27 at 1 p.m., CISA will host a National Cyber Incident Response Plan (NCIRP) 2024 listening session. Info collected during the listening session will be incorporated into the NCRIP update scheduled for publication by the end of this calendar year;
June 27 at 2 p.m., the House Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee will hold a hearing on Sector Down – Ensuring Critical Infrastructure Resilience;
June 28 at 8 a.m., the House Appropriations Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee holds a markup of the FY25 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Act;
June 28 at 8:30 a.m., the House Appropriations Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee holds a markup of the FY25 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Act bill.