Tag Archive for: Water Legislation

Sentate Confirms Radhika Fox to EPA Office of Water

/in , /by /Water & Waste Digestby Bob Crossen

The U.S. Senate confirmed Radhika Fox, former US Water Alliance CEO, as EPA Office of Water Assistant Administrator during a confirmation hearing May 12. With the confirmation, Fox became the first woman of color and first individual of Asian heritage to be both nominated and confirmed to lead the EPA Office of Water. Fox has been appointed to the Office of Water after President Joe Biden’s inauguration in January. Since that time, she has spearheaded a roundtable discussion with utility leaders in water and wastewater for feedback on the American Jobs Plan, Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure plan, and has lead the office as the EPA delayed the Lead & Copper Rule Revision effective date and published the Unregulated Contaminants Monitoring Rule 5, which targets per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

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Water Bill May Open Spigot for Biden Infrastructure Plan

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Lisa Mascaro Kevin Freking

Rarely has a routine water resources bill generated so much political buzz, but as senators hoisted the measure to passage Thursday the bipartisan infrastructure legislation served as a potential template for building consensus around President Joe Biden’s ambitious American Jobs Plan.

The Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act of 2021 authorizes about $35 billion over five years to improve leaky pipes and upgrade facilities, and is widely supported by lawmakers and their states back home.

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Nevada Farmers and Conservationists Balk at ‘Water Banking’

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Sam Metz

Rural water users are panicking over a proposal to create a market for the sale and purchase of water rights in Nevada, unconvinced by arguments that the concept would encourage conservation. Lawmakers on Monday weighed whether so-called “water banking” would be preferable to prevailing water law doctrines that govern surface and groundwater rights disputes in the driest state in the U.S.

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Bill to Create a Southern LA County Water Watchdog Puts Agencies on Edge

/in , /by /Press Telegramby Jason Henry

A proposal to create a watchdog for South Los Angeles County’s dozens of disjointed and struggling water systems has stirred fear among public agencies and companies further down the pipeline that they could be the target of hostile takeovers. AB 1195, introduced by Assemblywoman Christina Garcia, would establish the Southern Los Angeles County Regional Water Agency and grant it authority to assist failing water systems with aging infrastructure, or to take control if a system is no longer able to provide affordable, clean drinking water.

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Utah Water Legislation Concerns Colorado River Basin States

/in , , /by /KJZZ Arizonaby Ron Dungan

Drought has forced several states to rethink how they use the Colorado River, but Utah is trying to figure out how to get more water out of it. Utah’s plan to build a pipeline from Lake Powell to the St. George area has raised eyebrows from the six other Colorado River Basin states. In September, those states wrote a letter reminding Utah of their history of collaboration. It concluded by saying that the pipeline could result in litigation. Utah’s response was to create a new water board.

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Valadao Hopes to Pump Funding Into Water Infrastructure

/in , /by /The Sun-Gazette

Despite taking two years off from Congress, David Valadao (R—Hanford) is getting back to work by introducing new legislation to help keep water flowing in the Central Valley.

Early this month, Valadao introduced the Responsible, No-Cost Extension of Western Water Infrastructure Improvements, or RENEW WIIN, Act, a no-cost, clean extension of operations and storage provisions of the WIIN Act.

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Drinking Water, Clean Energy, Lithium Bills Pass in California

/in , , /by /Bloomberg Lawby Emily C. Dooley

California’s Senate and Assembly approved a number of bills in the Legislature’s waning hours Monday, including measures that would ensure funding for a safe drinking water fund, make it easier to upgrade schools with clean energy appliances, help electric utilities manage ratepayer deficits related to the coronavirus pandemic, and take other actions.

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Controversial Water Legislation Heads To Calif. Assembly Floor

/in , , /by /The San Jouquin Valley Sun

Senate Bill 1, a highly controversial piece of water legislation, is headed to the floor of the California State Assembly in the coming weeks after clearing the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Friday.

The bill, penned by Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D–San Diego) would tie California’s air quality and water laws to the Federal standards as of Jan. 19, 2017 – the final day of the Obama administration.

Initially, Senate Bill 1 was placed in the committee’s “suspense file,” or Legislative jargon for setting the bill aside temporarily. During Friday’s committee hearing, the bill was brought on with new amendments included.

 

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