Biden Administration Releases Updated Fact Sheets on IIJA
- The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) recently turned 2-years old and to share federal investments to date, the Biden Administration released new state fact sheets and an investment map;
- According to the updated information, IIJA has brought with it $400B covering 40,000 projects across 4,500 U.S. communities;
- APWA Government Affairs needs to hear from you about any IIJA funded projects in your community and the impact of the investment;
- Submit your stories to APWA’s Tell Your Story portal and send details to APWA Director of Government and Public Affairs Andrea Eales;
- For ongoing information about IIJA programs and funding opportunities, check out APWA’s U.S. Infrastructure Law: Resources for Public Works.
Road to Zero Grants Available—Due Jan. 15
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Safety Council recently announced a funding opportunity for Community Traffic Safety Grants;
- These grants are intended to fund projects and research leading to improved traffic safety and achieving the goal of zero traffic deaths.
RAISE Grants Open for Application—Due Feb. 24
- Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grants, funded through IIJA, are open for application;
- RAISE grants are designed to fund projects with significant local or regional impact;
- $1.5B is available for 2024.
EPA Releases SRF Dashboards, Public Portal
- EPA released two new public online tools, the SRF Public Dashboards and State Revolving Fund (SRF) Public Portal to provide user-friendly access to Clean Water and Drinking Water SRF data and highlight funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which delivers more than $50B to improve our nation’s drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure;
- The SRF Public Dashboards allow anyone to explore SRF data though interactive, click-enabled visualizations that can be filtered and downloaded;
- The SRF Public Portal enables water industry professionals – such as states and utilities – to develop and download custom SRF data reports and it displays summary state-level data since program inception and project-level data since 2021;
- For questions, contact EPA’s Jim Kohler.
EPA Proposes Rule to Remove All Lead Pipes in a Decade
- An EPA proposal requiring water systems to create inventories of all lead pipes, replacing a minimum of 10% of their lead pipes annually and reducing the current action level from 15 parts per billion (ppb) to 10 ppb (though some activists are pushing for 5 ppb in line with standards recommended by Canada and European governments);
- If levels are exceeded, utilities would also be required to inform the public of contamination and take immediate action to reduce lead exposure through adjusting corrosion control mechanisms, for example, and/or providing lead filters to all consumers if controls are inadequate and repeatedly exceed action levels;
- EPA’s own estimates put a possible $30B price tag on the proposal, but Biden administration officials insist most of that funding is ready to be spent, with the infrastructure law dedicating $15B to lead pipe removals and $11.7B in general funding to states through the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds;
- Utilities would not be required to pay to replace lead pipes on private property, however utilities can only access infrastructure bill funding if they replace whole pipes, not solely the publicly owned portions of them;
- Estimates by water groups show higher costs than EPA’s projections and insufficient funds, especially when considering other regulatory proposals for other contaminants, such as PFAS, and the diversion of water funding by Congress to earmarks
- Once the proposed rule is published in the Federal Register, EPA will accept comments for 60 days and hold a virtual public hearing Jan. 16;
- APWA will solicit feedback from members and submit comments.
EPA Partners with Labor on Get the Lead Out (GLO) Initiative
- The initiative is geared toward supplying underserved communities with technical assistance and EPA said 200 areas will receive hands-on government assistance in identifying and removing lead pipes, while also developing replacement plans;
- The announcement coincides with the new proposed lead and copper rule, which was initially scheduled to be released in September, EPA sent the proposal for review to the Office of Management and Budget at the end of August;
- The review process typically takes several months, but EPA said it still anticipates unveiling it by the end of the year though a holdup could be that the rule has been deemed economically significant, which is unlikely to prevent its release.
Applications Sought for Western Small-Scale Water Efficiency Projects
- The Interior Department announced a grant opportunity for the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Small-Scale Water Efficiency Projects for FYs ‘24 and ‘25;
- The objective is to invite States, Indian Tribes, irrigation districts, water districts, and other organizations with water or power delivery authority to leverage their money and resources by cost sharing with Reclamation on small-scale, on-the-ground projects that conserve, better manage, or otherwise make more efficient use of water supplies;
- Local governments in western states are eligible for maximum awards of $100K;
- Applications are due by Jan. 16.
CISA Releases Water, Wastewater Cybersecurity Exploitation Advisory
- The Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency (CISA) has released a joint national and international advisory in response to an active exploitation in multiple sectors, including U.S. Water and Wastewater Systems (WWS) facilities;
- CISA is advising all organizations, including WWS, to review and implement the recommended actions and mitigations provided in the advisory.
FEMA Releases First Winter Ready Campaign
- FEMA has announced its first #WinterReady awareness campaign;
- The campaign includes tips and recommendations to enhance the general public’s ability to prepare for wintertime hazards including:
- Safely keeping homes warm
- Traveling safely and to better prepare for inclement weather
- Steps to mitigate the risks of home fires, which happen more often during winter weather.
On the Horizon
All times ET.
- Dec. 5 at 10 a.m., the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment will hold a legislative hearing on the Water Resources Development Acts: Status of Past Provisions and Future Needs;
- Dec. 6 at 10 a.m., the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has a hearing on IIJA Investments in Habitat and Ecosystem Restoration, Pollinators, and Wildlife Crossings.
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Publish Date
December 4, 2023
Category
Advocacy, United States
News Type
Advocacy News, Washington Report