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CASA Upcoming Events
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November 8, 2013
Fall Attorneys Committee Meeting, Sacramento, California
November 12, 2013
City of Fresno-Police Department: SSS-WDR MRP Compliance Workshops
November 14, 2013
Tri-TAC Conference Call
November 19, 2013
Orange County Sanitation District: SSS-WDR MRP Compliance Workshops
December 12, 2013
Tri-TAC Meeting
January 15-17, 2014
Winter Conference, Renaissance Esmeralda, Indian Wells, California
February 24-26, 2014
Washington D.C. Conference, Mayflower Renaissance Hotel, Washington, DC
April 28-29, 2014
CASA Public Policy Forum, Sheraton Grand Hotel, Sacramento, California
For a complete list of all upcoming CASA and industry events, visit the CASA calendar of events.
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Kevin Hardy Represents CASA Before Select Committee
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On October 25, 2013, Kevin Hardy, general manager of the Encina Wastewater Authority and CASA Second Vice President, provided testimony on behalf of CASA before the Joint Hearing of the Assembly Select Committee on Sea Level Rise and the California Economy and Assembly Select Committee on Ports (Select Committees). The subject of the hearing was the impact of sea-level rise on California’s infrastructure, and one of the topics was the role wastewater agencies play in adapting to expected climate change. Read more.
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CASA Enhances Opportunities for Members to Engage with Legislative Leaders
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Every year, numerous bills are signed into law in both the state and federal legislature. Some people think the legislative process is a thing best left to decision-makers and professionals, that it’s too complicated. However, civic engagement is important and CASA is providing its members two great opportunities in 2014. Read more.
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Orange County Provides CASA Members Access to NW Biosolids Resources
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Orange County Sanitation District has become a subscriber to the Northwest Biosolids Management Association’s research library which is maintained by Dr. Sally Brown at the University of Washington. Furthermore, by doing so they are generously providing access to the library to the entire CASA membership.Read more.
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Governor’s Action on Bills Rounds Out Successful Legislative Session for CASA
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Earlier this month the Governor Jerry Brown completed his actions on all remaining bills sent to him during the waning weeks of the 2013 Legislative Session. During the 2013 Session, Governor Brown signed 800 bills and vetoed 96. A few days prior to the signing deadline, on October 8, 2013, Governor Brown announced he had signed several pieces of water legislation, including AB 803 (Gomez) and SB 322 (Hueso), two key bills relating to water recycling which CASA supported throughout the 2013 Session. Read more.
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Stanford University and Delta Diablo Sanitation District to Explore Enhanced Renewable Energy Capabilities
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Dr. Yaniv Scherson, a Stanford postdoctoral scholar, has developed a new process to recover renewable energy from nitrogen in wastewater called the Coupled Aerobic-Anoxic Nitrous Decomposition Operation (CANDO). It converts wastewater nitrogen to nitrous oxide gas, then uses the gas to increase the power output of engines at wastewater treatment facilities. Many wastewater treatment facilities already recover renewable energy from wastewater as biogas; coupled with CANDO, wastewater treatment facilities can move toward energy-positive treatment – exporting renewable energy close to end-users from a free and continuous feedstock. Read more.
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Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) Passes House, Moves on to Conference Committee
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The House voted 417 to 3 to approve the Bipartisan Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013 (H.R. 3080) on Wednesday night. The bill will next go to conference with the Senate WRDA bill (S. 601). According to the Congressional Budget Office, H.R. 3080 would cost about $3.5 billion, while S. 601 would cost $5.7 billion between fiscal years 2014 – 2018. Read more.
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House Republican Leaders Ask EPA to Share Proposed Rule on CWA Jurisdiction
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Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX), Chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, and Representative Chris Stewart (R-UT), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, sent a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy. The letter requested that the Agency provide the Science Advisory Board (SAB) with the Clean Water Act jurisdiction proposed rule for review in conjunction with a study that has already been submitted. The proposed rule, which aims to clarify the types of water bodies that would fall under the authority of the USEPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was sent to the White House Office of Management and Budget on September 17 for review.Read more.
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Update on CalRecycle Exclusion for POTWs Receiving Hauled in Organic Waste for Anaerobic Digestion
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State Water Resources Control Board Executive Director Tom Howard sent a letter on October 4, 2013 to every POTW that holds an NPDES permit or WDR permit holder in the state that treats more than 1 MGD, regarding the receipt of hauled in organic waste for anaerobic digestion at POTWs. The letter culminates a multi-year effort by CASA in working with the SWRCB, CalRecycle, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to streamline the permitting process and to ensure that this activity is regulated by only a single agency rather than all of them. Read more.
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CASA Participates in Nutrient Roadmap Discussion With Interested Stakeholders
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On October 28 and 29 CASA representatives participated in a meeting convened by the Water Environment Federation, the Environmental Defense Fund and the Johnson Foundation to discuss the potential development of a ‘roadmap’ for nutrients. This meeting brought together wastewater sector leaders, regulators, and other stakeholders to discuss and develop a nutrient management roadmap. Topics discussed included nutrient recovery technologies, but also the regulatory and legal consequences of various approaches to nutrient management. Read more.
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Reclamation WaterSMART Grants
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This week, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Michael Connor revealed at a stakeholders meeting the USBR plans to issue a funding opportunity announcement. An announcement on the availability of WaterSMART grants is expected to be made in mid-November. Final grant awards are expected to be awarded in early 2014, subject to a final budget agreement.
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Drinking Water Program Reorganization
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After failure to reach agreement on legislation earlier this year that would have transitioned some portion of the drinking water related programs from the California Department of Public Health to the State Water Board, Governor Jerry Brown elected to try and move forward with a reorganization plan that would accomplish that goal. The new program would oversee both drinking water and recycled water, and the transition is designed to consolidate all major water quality programs within a single department.
Read more.
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Supreme Court Denies Plaintiffs’ Petitions for Review in Solano County Measure E Litigation
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On October 25, 2013, the California Supreme Court denied petitions for review initiated by plaintiffs in Sierra Club v. County of Solano. This litigation involved a challenge to Solano County Measure E, a de facto ban on out of county solid waste. Earlier this year, the First District California Court of Appeal invalidated Measure E due to enactment of Assembly Bill (AB) 845 in 2012, which effectively invalidated the ban through legislation. Read more.
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