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COG Bay Policy Committee Some Recent Developments. Karl Berger Dept. of Environmental Programs Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. Outline. Regional Water Quality Forum Joint CBPC – CEEPC meeting New Bay Agreement Comments – (covered separately)
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COG Bay Policy CommitteeSome Recent Developments Karl Berger Dept. of Environmental Programs Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments
WRTC Meeting Outline • Regional Water Quality Forum • Joint CBPC – CEEPC meeting • New Bay Agreement Comments – (covered separately) • Participation in National Affordability Dialogue • Future Developments
WRTC Meeting Regional Water Quality Forum in May • Attendance Shawn Garvin, Ellen Gilinsky, Jon Capacasa, EPA Region III Jeff Corbin -- EPA Diane Davis -- District of Columbia Doug Domenech -- Virginia Robert Summers -- Maryland • Issues • Affordability; need to address aging infrastructure • Flexibility in permitting; allowing for innovation • Need for greater public awareness • Next Steps • Organize regional dialogue on challenges of water resource infrastructure • Gather regional fee data on wastewater, drinking water, and stormwater costs • Develop a regional water quality education effort in partnership with EPA, states
WRTC Meeting Joint CBPC – CEEPC meeting in July Highlights • Energy-Water Nexus • Address trade-off between measures that improve water quality while increasing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions • Work to have energy and emission concerns addressed in water quality permits • Infrastructure Resilience and Disaster Preparedness • Make infrastructure more resilient to natural disasters • Tree Canopy • Better document benefits of urban tree canopy on air pollution reduction, energy savings and water pollution reduction • Work with bay program to explore credit for urban tree canopy in watershed model
WRTC Meeting National Affordability Dialogue • November 2012 presentation to CBPC by U. S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) • April dialogue session with EPA • Four COG members attended wearing other hats • Fairfax County and Frederick County – NACO • Greenbelt and Gaithersburg – National League of Cities • Focus on flexible permitting (integrated permits) and affordability • Use of 2-percent median household income as threshold does not work
WRTC Meeting Upcoming Developments • Potential legislation • USCM has developed proposed legislation to amend the Clean Water Act • Codifies how EPA should define technically achievable and economically affordable • Discussion at Sept. 20 CBPC meeting • Another national dialogue session with EPA planned for October