WaterNews is a weekly on-line publication that announces
publications, policies, and activities of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water.
1) EPA Releases 2000 Update on Nation's Fish
Advisories2) Health Care Practitioners Receive Fish Advisory
Outreach Materials
3) National Watershed Forum, Arlington, VA,
June 28 to July 1, 2001
4) EPA Releases Report on the Clean Water State
Revolving Fund
1) EPA Releases 2000 Update on Nation's Fish
Advisories
EPA has released its annual update of the National Listing
of Fish and Wildlife Advisories. The 2000 list indicates a 7%
rise in fish consumption advisories over 1999. This increase
generally reflects more extensive coverage by state monitoring
programs, as well as improvements in data collection and
monitoring methods. Approximately 23% of the Nation's lake
acreage and 325,500 river miles were under fish consumption
advisories during all or part of 2000. All Great Lakes (which
are not included in thelake acreage figure) and their connecting
waters were also under advisory, as were 71% of coastal
waters, including 20 National Estuary Program sites. To view
the fact sheet, go to www.epa.gov/ost/fish/advisories/factsheet.pdf.
2) Health Care Practitioners Receive Fish Advisory Outreach
Materials
EPA and the U.S. Public Health Service are distributing new fish
advisory outreach materials to health care providers throughout the
country, to educate their patients about recently developed national
guidelines for fish consumption. The materials, including brochures
and posters, explain that some fish may contain levels of mercury
which could have adverse health effects for young children. The
EPA and FDA recommendations for limited fish consumption are
specifically addressed to pregnant and nursing women, women who
may become pregnant, and small children. The guidelines indicate
that these groups should not consume shark, swordfish, king
mackerel, or tilefish, but may safely consume limited quantities of
other fish. For more information on EPA and FDA guidance for
fish consumption, go to www.epa.gov/ost/fishadvice/ on the Internet.
3) National Watershed Forum, Arlington, VA, June 28 to
July 1, 2001
Representatives from watershed initiatives around the country will
gather in Arlington, Virginia next week, for the first National Watersh=
ed
Forum. The Meridian Institute, in collaboration with EPA, designed the
Forum to be an unprecedented event to give voice to the broad diversity=
of stakeholders concerned with the future of watersheds in America.
Delegates at the Forum will share their visions for the future of our
nation's
watersheds and frame recommendations for future policies and actions.
The recommendations will be delivered at the Forum to a critical group
of senior decision makers from government and the private sector. For
more information on the National Watershed Forum, go to
www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/conferences.html.
4) EPA Releases Report on the Clean Water State Revolving Fund
EPA has released an update on the progress of the Clean Water State
Revolving Fund (CWSRF), the low-interest rate loan program available
under the Clean Water Act. The CWSRF has provided over $30 billion
to improve water quality since its inception in 1987. While the
traditional
emphasis of CWSRF loans has been on municipal wastewater treatment
systems, the report notes that states are increasingly using the CWSRF =
to
finance programs for watershed protection projects, including land
purchase,
wetlands enhancement, and reducing polluted runoff. Also, nearly half =
the
states use CWSRF funds to leverage additional financial support, allowi=
ng
states to award an average of about $3.2 billion annually over the last=
five
years. The report, Financing America's Clean Water Since 1987: A
Report of Progress and Innovation (EPA-832-R-00-011), can be
viewed at www.epa.gov/owm/pdfs/progress.pdf or ordered by calling the
National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP) at
1-800-490-9198.
Source: Water News