Regulatory
Distillers Struggle to Comply with Water Quality Regulations
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — As the whiskey industry continues to grow, Tennessee’s two largest distilleries struggled to comply with water quality regulations last year. Jack Daniels and George Dickel exceeded their limits for chlorine and other pollutants that can harm aquatic wildlife. After investig..
West Virginia Issues Stormwater Construction Permit for Atlantic Coast Pipeline
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia’s environmental regulators have approved a construction stormwater permit for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, which would carry natural gas southeast from the center of the state. The Department of Environmental Protection says it covers stormwater discharge asso..
North Carolina OKs Water Certification for Atlantic Coast Pipeline
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A pipeline that would carry fracked natural gas from West Virginia into the Southeast cleared another regulatory hurdle Friday when North Carolina’s environmental agency issued a water quality certification. Gov. Roy Cooper’s office separately announced pipeline partners Domini..
Virginia Governor Voices "Significant Concerns" on Electric Rate Bills
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said Thursday he has “significant concerns” about utility-backed legislation to allow electric monopolies to continue charging rates that currently produce excessive yearly profits of hundreds of millions of dollars. Northam said he wants state regul..
California Governor Defends Water Tunnel Plan
In his State of the State address, California Gov. Jerry Brown defended his plan to transport water across California through large tunnels. According to Brown, the project will help the state conserve water and protect wildlife. Earlier this month, Brown’s administration amended the proposed plan..
Ex-Emergency Manager Waives Key Hearing in Flint Water Case
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A former state-appointed emergency manager facing charges in Flint’s lead-contaminated water crisis has waived a key hearing in the case. Gerald Ambrose appeared Thursday in Genesee County District Court and agreed to let the case proceed to Circuit Court, which would hand..
Emergency Hearing to Address Kentucky Water District Rate Increase
INEZ, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky Public Service Commission will hold an emergency hearing to discuss proposed rate increases for a troubled Kentucky water district. WYMT-TV reports the Friday morning hearing in Frankfort will discuss the proposed 49.5 percent increase in rates for Martin County Water ..
Gas Pipeline Told to Halt Drilling Under River After Spill
CANTON, Ohio (AP) — Federal regulators have again told a company building twin natural gas pipelines across northern Ohio to stop drilling under a river because of concerns over a spill. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission says in the stoppage ordered Wednesday that it wants the builders of th..
Chicago Sues US Steel over Indiana Plant's Spills
CHICAGO (AP) — The city of Chicago is suing U.S. Steel, alleging it violated federal law with discharges of a potentially carcinogenic chemical last year from a northwest Indiana plant. The federal lawsuit filed Wednesday comes a week after the Surfrider Foundation’s Chicago chapter filed a similar..
Power Restored to 240,000 Customers in Puerto Rico
New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the state’s utilities have restored power to nearly 240,000 customers in the San Juan, Puerto Rico metro area, roughly 80 percent of the region’s total customer base. Since November 2017, more than 450 New York utility personnel have been working t..
Plumbing Manufacturers International: Federal Drinking Water Safety Programs Must Continue
Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI) congratulated David Ross on his appointment as the EPA assistant administrator in charge of the agency’s Office of Water, and underscored the critical importance of continuing EPA programs that assure drinking water safety and help to conserve water through..
Wisconsin Senate Passes Bill to Ease Lead Pipe Costs
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The state Senate has passed a bill designed to help Wisconsin homeowners cover the cost of replacing lead pipes. The bill passed Tuesday would allow public water utilities and local governments to provide grants, loans or both to property owners to help them replace portions of..
Florida Quietly Worked Out Deal to Cap Fees in Water Wars
TALLAHASSEE (AP) — Florida has worked out a deal to cap the amount of money that will be paid to law firms hired to help the state in its long-running water war with Georgia. Some Republican legislators last year complained about the escalating costs — which began to rise sharply after the state to..
Mountain Valley Pipeline Clears Another Regulatory Hurdle
ROANOKE, Va. (AP) — The federal government has approved preliminary construction for parts of the Mountain Valley Pipeline in West Virginia. The 300-mile natural gas pipeline would also run through parts of southwestern Virginia if it’s fully approved. The Roanoke Times reported Monday that the Fed..
Wisconsin Senate to Take up Lead Pipe Bill Again
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The state Senate is set to put the finishing touches on a bill designed to help Wisconsin homeowners cover the cost of replacing lead pipes. The would allow public water utilities and local governments to provide grants, loans or both to property owners to help them replace por..
Ohio Regulators Award Nearly $3.5 Million for Sewer Project
In projects financed with loans worth approximately $3.5 million from the Ohio EPA, Perry County will install a sanitary sewer system in Moore’s Junction and study the feasibility of establishing a storm water utility in the village of Crooksville. The Moore’s Junction project involves constructing..
Tests Show Pittsburgh's Water Still Exceeds Federal Lead Standards
The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) today released the results from its most recent compliance testing for lead, which show the utility’s water system still exceeds federal standards. According to the company, the 90th percentile results from the December 2017 testing were 21 parts per ..
Nearly $11 Million Awarded for Texas Sewer, Water Projects
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) today approved more than $10 million in financial assistance for the following water and wastewater system projects: $700,000 to the Holiday Beach Water Supply Corporation for a Hurricane Harvey disaster recovery project, which includes replacing sections ..
Officials Delay Hearings on Thornton Water Pipeline Project
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — County officials have delayed public hearings after requesting additional information on a pipeline project that would transport water from a northern Colorado river to a Denver suburb. The Fort Collins Coloradoan reports Larimer County officials requested additional mate..
FERC Approves PennEast Pipeline
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) today issued an Order under section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act approving the construction of the PennEast Pipeline. The approval comes two weeks after a severe regional cold spell that forced natural gas prices in New Jersey to skyrocket 31 times abo..
Virginia Lawmakers Propose Major Electric Rate Regulation Overhaul
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — New utility-backed legislation in Virginia would mean lower monthly bills in the short term but would still allow electric monopolies to charge rates that currently produce excessive yearly profits of hundreds of millions of dollars. A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a..
Environmental Groups Challenge Key Approval for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A coalition of community and environmental groups has filed a legal challenge to Virginia regulators’ decision to grant a conditional water quality permit for the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline. The groups filed a petition Thursday with the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals i..
Vermont Officials Urge Residents to Check Well Water After Floods
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — Vermont health officials are warning residents about possible water contamination following flooding in the region. The state health department tells WCAX-TV residents using private wells should monitor their water quality. Health officials say standing water from flood..
Water Quality Initiative Announced for Minnesota Watershed
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has announced a public-private partnership to help improve water quality and fight flooding in the Cedar River watershed in southern Minnesota. It’s a collaboration among the department and CFS Cooperative, Land O’Lakes, Hormel Foods, t..
South Carolina Regulators Reviewing Farms Water Use
LEXINGTON, S.C. (AP) – Environmental officials in South Carolina are worried about how much water large farms are using. The State newspaper reported the Department of Health and Environmental Control is looking to limit the amount of water that is removed from groundwater tables in Lexington and s..
Legislative Deal Reached in Washington Water Dispute that Stalled New Construction
SEATTLE (AP) — Top state lawmakers have reached a deal on a rural water dispute that has held up approval of more than $4 billion in new school and other construction projects for months, officials said Thursday. Rep. Larry Springer, a Kirkland Democrat, said that top Republican and Democratic lead..
Milwaukee Ends Contracts with Sewer Contractor After Racist Displays
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee officials are terminating two contracts with a construction company whose employees were photographed displaying a Ku Klux Klan sticker and openly brandishing firearms in a majority black neighborhood. The Milwaukee Common Council passed a resolution Wednesday that ends t..
Navy to Pay for Water-Filter System for Washington Town
COUPEVILLE, Wash. (AP) — The U.S. Navy will pay for a filter system to protect a Washington town’s water supply from chemicals found in firefighting foam used at a nearby airstrip. The Seattle Times reports the initiative is part of a broader Defense Department nationwide effort to track pollution ..
US Withholds Hurricane Emergency Loan Sought by Puerto Rico
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A billion-dollar emergency loan approved by Congress to help Puerto Rico deal with the effects of Hurricane Maria has been temporarily withheld by federal officials who say the U.S. territory is not facing a cash shortage like it has repeatedly warned about in recent mon..
$3.7 Million Awarded for Sewer, Water Projects in Ohio
The Ohio EPA has awarded approximately $3.7 million in low-interest loans to improve sewer and water systems across the state. The projects receiving funding include: $2.37 million to the City of Marion to reduce combined sewer overflows and improve water quality in the Little Scioto River. The ..
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