Federal

• The House Appropriations Committee is proposing to eliminate funding for the Clean Water and Drink Water State Revolving Funds by more than half in the FY24 budget. It’s critical that your Senators and Representative hears from you about the need to maintain federal funding for critical local water infrastructure investments. Use WEF Water Advocates call-to-action to send a message today!

Oregon:

• DEQ adopted rule amendments to Chapter 340 of Oregon Administrative Rules. The proposed rule amendments are to increase water quality fees in 2023 for fiscal year 2024 provided in ORS 468B.051. These fees apply to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits and Water Pollution Control Facility permits. New fees will be on invoices starting in November 2023, to cover costs associated with implementing the permitting program and delivering services to regulated entities. The fee increase was a total of 3% authorized by statute (ORS 468B.051) effective Nov. 1, 2023. There is more information about these rule adoptions on these DEQ web sites: State of Oregon: Rulemaking - Water Quality Fees 2023 & State of Oregon: Rulemaking - Water Quality Fees 2023
  

PFAS:

• In case you missed it! EPA has taken the following actions on PFAS in the last three months:
  • EPA has finalized a rule that will provide EPA, its partners, and the public with the largest-ever dataset of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) manufactured and used in the United States. The reporting rule under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is a statutory requirement under the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that requires all manufacturers (including importers) of PFAS and PFAS-containing articles in any year since 2011 to report information related to chemical identity, uses, volumes made and processed, byproducts, environmental and health effects, worker exposure, and disposal to EPA. Read more.
  • The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its framework for addressing new and new uses of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The framework outlines EPA’s planned approach when reviewing new PFAS and new uses of PFAS to ensure that, before these chemicals are allowed to enter into commerce, EPA will undertake an extensive evaluation to ensure they pose no harm to human health and the environment. The framework supports the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to address the impacts of these forever chemicals and advances EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap to confront the human health and environmental risks of PFAS pollution.