Under EPA’s proposed Waters of the U.S. rule, work in stormwater retention ponds could trigger new permits.
national ambient air quality standards every five years. Tis has resulted in new ozone standards being issued before previous standards are imple- mented, leaving states faced with the prospect of simultaneously imple- menting two ozone standards. A bill has been proposed to provide states with more time and flexibility to implement EPA’s 2015 ozone stan- dard, the Ozone Standards Imple- mentation Act (S. 2882/H.R. 4775) introduced by Senators Shelley Capito (R-West Virginia) and Jeff Flake (R-Arizona) and Representatives Pete Olson (R-Texas) and Bill Flores (R-Texas). Te bill also outlines:
• phase-in implementation of the 2008 and 2015 ozone standards, extending the compliance date for the 2015 standard to 2025, making it easier and more cost-effective for states to comply.
• a change to the mandatory review of the national ambient air quality standards (from five to 10 years).
• a call on the EPA to consider tech- nological feasibility as a second- ary consideration when revising NAAQS.
• a directive to the EPA to submit a report to Congress within two years regarding the impacts of foreign emissions on NAAQS compliance and related matters.
Water Infrastructure Te U.S. drinking water and
wastewater infrastructure is in need of repair. Most of the buried drinking water infrastructure was built 50 or more years ago. In some urban areas, many water mains have been in the ground for a century or longer. Investment needs for buried drink- ing water infrastructure total more than $1 trillion nationwide over the next 25 years, according to a study by the American Water Works Associa- tion. Te American Society of Civil Engineers gives drinking water and wastewater systems a D grade in its Report Card on Infrastructure. Te majority of the burden of upgrading our nation’s water and wastewater infrastructure falls on the public sec- tor, as approximately 85% of water systems are municipal-owned. Investment in water infrastructure is
of interest to the metalcasting industry as it provides critical castings such as valves, fittings, pipes, pumps, water meters, manhole covers and fire hydrants. Tree tools for water infrastructure
finance are under consideration as part of the Water Resources Develop- ment Act 2016 legislation (S. 2848) (WRDA): • Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA).
• State revolving loan funds (SRFs). • Private activity bonds.
WIFIA is a cost-effective loan
program to improve and rehabili- tate our aging water and wastewater infrastructures. It complements the SRF programs by providing low- interest, long-term loans to projects beyond the scope of the SRFs. Te SRF programs have provided support for both drinking water and waste- water projects. Congress provides states an annual allocation of federal tax-exempt private activity bonds. Te annual volume cap hinders the use of these bonds, so removal of the volume caps would free up billions of private capital dollars for investment in water infrastructure. On April 28, the Senate Envi-
ronment and Public Works (EPW) Committee approved the bipartisan WRDA, which authorizes improve- ment and maintenance projects for a wide range of U.S. maritime, trans- portation and infrastructure programs. It also provides financial assistance to improve drinking water and wastewa- ter systems. Another potential inclusion in
the WRDA package is a permanent “American Iron and Steel” require- ment in the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) for iron and steel products produced in the U.S. Te DWSRF is critical in help- ing communities improve their water infrastructure.
June 2016 MODERN CASTING | 35
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