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EPA Issues Emergency Drinking Water Order for Pala Trailer Park

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby City News Service

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued an emergency order after finding the owners of a privately owned mobile home park on the Pala Band of Mission Indians Reservation were in violation of federal laws that safeguard clean drinking water, it was announced Thursday.

EPA officials said problems with a faulty septic system and broken water lines at the Lee Bar Ranch mobile home park were so bad that the park’s residents have been told to start boiling water to drink. The EPA called the water system at the park — which has no connection to the Pala Band — “a danger to the residents of the park.”

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Opinion: Changing the Climate for Environmental Racism

/in , , /by /Bloomberg Lawby Kevin McKie

Environmental toxic exposure suffered in many minority neighborhoods is part of the systemic racism evident in society, and environmental justice belongs near the top of discussions to right those wrongs, writes Kevin McKie, an attorney at the Environmental Litigation Group P.C. Communities can take several steps, including passing legislation requiring industries to comply with stricter environmental regulations or pay additional fines, requiring that stringent environmental impact studies be performed before construction of new plants or the installation of toxic emission monitoring stations, and offering free medical monitoring.

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PFAS Issues in California Compounded by Colorado’s PFAS Proliferation

/in , , /by /The National Law Reviewby John Gardella

Every year, nearly 40% of California’s water used for drinking, agriculture, and irrigation comes from groundwater sources located in Northern California. During droughts, as much as 60% of water in California is sourced from groundwater. In addition, large quantities of California’s surface water (water found in lakes, rivers, stream, and reservoirs) provides a resource to citizens and farms in the state. However, since the 1922 Colorado River Compact, California is also able to draw up to 4.4 million acre feet per year from the Colorado River.

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Opinion: No One is Actually in Charge of Solving the Border Sewage Crisis

/in , , /by /Voice of San Diegoby Dianne Feinstein

For more than two decades, cleaning up the Tijuana River has been one of my top priorities. The wastewater, trash and sediment that continues to flow into San Diego County are a danger to public health and our economy and it must be addressed.

Over the past year we’ve made real strides to fix the problem of cross-border pollution. And last week’s introduction of the Border Water Quality Restoration and Protection Act is another step toward achieving that goal.

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Energy Department Proposes Showerhead Standards Rollback After Trump Complains

/in , , /by /The Hillby Rebecca Beitsch

The Trump administration is moving to loosen environmental standards for showerheads following a string of public complaints from the president about low-flow fixtures designed to save water.

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House Republicans Push Using Wastewater to Track COVID-19

/in , , /by /E&E News by Hannah Northey
Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are probing the extent to which EPA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are using wastewater to track the spread of the coronavirus.
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California Childcare Centers Get $6,137,000 to Test for Lead in Drinking Water

/in , , /by /Water World

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued $6,137,000 in grants to assist the California Department of Social Services with identifying sources of lead in drinking water in childcare centers.

“Testing for lead in drinking water is critical for the protection of our children,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator John Busterud. “EPA is pleased to support California in its efforts to detect and reduce lead in drinking water, thereby protecting children’s health at childcare centers and elsewhere.”

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An Update on the WIFIA Loan Program

/in , , /by /Water Finance & Managementby John Ryan

The U.S. EPA’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act Loan Program was enacted in 2014 and became operational in 2017. WIFIA has now completed three solicitation rounds over the period 2017-2019, generating 90 competitively selected applications totaling $13.6 billion of loan volume, of which more than $5 billion has been closed.

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CDC Scientists Discuss Wastewater-Based Epidemiology

/in , , /by /Water Environment Federationby Justin Jacques

Studying concentrations of pathogens in wastewater — a practice known as wastewater-based epidemiology — is a time-honored approach to gathering crucial public health data that traditional approaches might miss. During the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are partnering with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to establish a formalized, federal-led approach to WBE over the next 18 months.

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House FY21 Spending Bill Includes No New Direct WIFIA Appropriations

/in , , /by /Water Finance & Managementby Andrew Farr

As the start of the federal Fiscal Year 2021 rapidly approaches on October 1st, the U.S. House has begun working to advance its annual Appropriations (funding) bills through their committee process. Last week, the House Appropriations Committee passed its Interior and Environment bill to fund the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and core clean water programs.

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