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<br />032936 <br /> <br />meetings of the western water quality administrators in which the regional needs of the western states are <br />identified, and (2) broader stakeholder group meetings that will include state water quality administrators, <br />EPA, water user groups, environmental groups, and local government representatives. During the broader <br />stakeholder group meetings, WGA/WSWC will facilitate discussions aimed at finding broad common <br />ground in order that agreement may be reached on appropriate strategies. <br /> <br />C. TMDLs, WATER QUALITY LIMITED SEGMENTS, AND NPS POLLUTION <br /> <br />Work to date: Another area of importance to Committee members is implementation of the provisions <br />of the existing CW A. These areas focus on the efforts required under the CW A to control non-point source <br />(NPS) pollution and other forms of contamination that result in impaired water quality, despite point source <br />permitting and NPS controls already in place. <br /> <br />Committee members participated in the WGA workshops addressing issues such as TMDL listing <br />management, improving TMDL science, TMDL coordination within states and river basins, EPA's <br />proposed TMDL regulations, released in August of 1999, and quantity/quality issues in TMDL <br />development and implementation. The WSWC adopted and communicated positions on both the draft and <br />fmal TMDL rule. Further, the Council shared its views with EPA via a "listening session" sponsored by <br />EPA and through informal dialogue with EPA officials at the November 2001 Council meetings. <br /> <br />2002: The Council will continue to follow and discuss implementation of the TMDL program, and provide <br />input as appropriate to the Administration and the Congress, both in order to influence national policy to <br />improve the effectiveness of the TMDL program and to provide a forum for sharing among Council <br />members successful approaches and other experiences associated with the TMDL program. A particular <br />focus will be on integration with related ESA plans and requirements, as more fully described in the <br />ESA/CW A integration work plan item that follows. <br /> <br />D. CONCENTRATED ANIMAL FEEDLOT OPERATIONS (CAFOs) <br /> <br />Work to date: CAFOs and their associated non-point source pollution problems have increasingly become <br />the focus of proposed congressional legislation and Administration action. <br /> <br />The Committee addressed this topic during various Council meetings. A common concern shared by many <br />Council members has been that an additional layer of regulation would be created that might duplicate <br />and/or weaken state programs attempting to deal with the problem. <br /> <br />2002: The Committee will continue to revisit this issue in upcoming Council meetings, inclUding at the <br />Water Policy Seminar in March, where dialogue with EPA officials and water quality administrators from <br />around the country will be facilitated. The Committee will respond, as appropriate, to EPA, the <br />Department of Agriculture and federal legislators. <br /> <br />E. CLEAN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING <br /> <br />Work to date: In February 2001, Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) introduced S.252 commonly known <br />as the Clean Water Infrastructure Act of 2001. If successful, this bill would grant to states $15 Billion <br />over a 5 year period to enable them to loan funds to communities that need to repair and upgrade existing <br />wastewater collection and treatment facilities. Currently there are seven cosponsors for the bill which, <br />among other things, requires that state revolving funds be used only for providing assistance for activities <br /> <br />2 <br />