Rural Community Assistance Partnership

Practical solutions for improving rural communities
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December 2012

EPA updates rule for pathogens in drinking water, sets limit for E. Coli

Posted Fri, 2012/12/21 - 11:02am by RCAP

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has updated the rule for pathogens in drinking water, including setting a limit for the bacteria E. coli to better protect public health.

EPA releases National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change

Posted Fri, 2012/12/21 - 10:01am by RCAP

EPA has released the "National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change," which describes how EPA's water-related programs plan to address the impacts of climate change and provides long-term visions, goals and strategic actions for the management of sustainable water resources for future generations. The strategy, which builds upon EPA's first climate change and water strategy released in 2008, focuses on five key areas:

Nashville, Ga., gets new wastewater treatment plant

Posted Thu, 2012/12/20 - 4:33pm by RCAP

by Phillip Read

Located in southeastern Georgia, Nashville is the seat of Berrien County and provides water and wastewater services to approximately 1,940 households. The aging wastewater treatment plant and land-application spray fields had become undersized due to growth in the area and also suffered from large volumes of infiltration and inflow during heavy rains. A complete system upgrade had become necessary to manage the issues facing the city’s wastewater service.

Five things you can do to help your community

Posted Thu, 2012/12/20 - 3:51pm by RCAP

by Jean A. Thompson-Ibbeson

Editor’s note: This is one in an occasional series of articles on “Five things you can do to improve…” Earlier articles have appeared in previous issues of Rural Matters in 2012.

Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results. --Andrew Carnegie

Format: 
Magazine/newsletter (single article)
Topic: 
Planning
Source: 
RCAP
Audience: 
Board/council member
Mayor/town manager/elected official (local)

EPA enforcement in 2012 protects communities from harmful pollution

Posted Tue, 2012/12/18 - 3:24pm by RCAP

WASHINGTON (EPA) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released Dec. 17 its annual enforcement results, showing significant environmental and public health protections achieved – a reduction of 2.2 billion pounds of air, water and land pollution, as well as 4.4 billion pounds of hazardous waste, and $252 million in civil and criminal penalties levied – while also focusing on enforcement efforts that reduce smaller amounts of pollution but have substantial health impacts in communities.

Puerto Rican community wins award, recognizes RCAP Solutions for outstanding assistance

Posted Tue, 2012/12/18 - 11:11am by RCAP

by Josefa Torres

Colorado River Basin study projects major imbalances in water supply and demand

Posted Mon, 2012/12/17 - 4:24pm by RCAP

Comprehensive study developed by Interior and seven basin states looks at water supply and demand over the next 50 years; includes range of proposed strategies from stakeholders to mitigate projected imbalances

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced Dec.

Bloomberg: Tougher fracking regulations backed by 66%, poll shows

Posted Mon, 2012/12/17 - 3:59pm by RCAP

"Support for regulation of hydraulic fracturing has increased in the past three months, a sign that the gas-drilling practice is facing greater public scrutiny.

"A Bloomberg National Poll found that 66 percent of Americans want more government oversight of the process, known as fracking, in which water, chemicals and sand are shot underground to free gas trapped in rock. That’s an increase from 56 percent in a September poll. The poll found 18 percent favored less regulation, down from 29 percent three months ago."

Your responsibilities to your customers include overseeing cross-connections

Posted Mon, 2012/12/17 - 12:03pm by RCAP

All community water systems are required under the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendment of 1986 to establish a cross-connection control program.

Format: 
Magazine/newsletter (single article)
Topic: 
Operations - technical operations of facilities and infrastructure
Source: 
RCAP
Audience: 
Operator

ProPublica: Poisoning the well: How the Feds let industry pollute the nation's underground water supply

Posted Wed, 2012/12/12 - 3:09pm by RCAP

by Abrahm Lustgarten ProPublica, Dec. 11, 2012

Federal officials have given energy and mining companies permission to pollute aquifers in more than 1,500 places across the country, releasing toxic material into underground reservoirs that help supply more than half of the nation's drinking water.

In many cases, the Environmental Protection Agency has granted these so-called aquifer exemptions in Western states now stricken by drought and increasingly desperate for water.