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Federal Water Tap, February 20: Legislation
Written by Brett Walton
Monday, 20 February 2012 06:00
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Bills, Bills, Bills
More than 40 senators called on the body’s leadership to pass a flood insurance bill, The Hill reports. The bill, among other things, would change insurance premiums to help cover the billions in debt the program has run up. The Government Accountability Office, which has been concerned about the insurance program for years, issued a report last June calling for reform.

A Massachusetts Democrat has introduced a bill in the House to prevent any new natural gas export terminals until 2025. According to Reuters, Edward Markey said he wants to prevent price increases for U.S. consumers. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which handles the permits, has already approved an export terminal in Louisiana.

The Senate team from Arizona, John McCain and John Kyl, introduced tribal water rights legislation in which the Navajo and Hopi tribes would give up pending claims on water from the Little Colorado River for money to build pipelines for drinking water. The bill would transfer additional water rights to the Navajo if the tribe signs agreements continuing the leases for transmission lines and mining permits for the coal-fired Navajo Generating Station, which is on tribal land.

Kyl, who is not seeking re-election, wants to resolve the water rights issue before leaving office next January.

The House passed a bill that would take the permitting decision for the Keystone XL pipeline out of the president’s hands.

Radium in Groundwater
The U.S. Geological Survey found that one in five wells tested in the regions around Iowa and New Jersey had levels of radium—a cancer-causing chemical—above health standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency. Radium occurs naturally, and the water tested in the study had not been treated.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions—But Not Carbon Dioxide
The State Department announced the formation of a global alliance to reduce global warming from methane, soot and HFCs—a class of compound used in refrigeration. The U.S. will work with five countries and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). The group, according to a senior U.S. administration official, will encourage countries to adopt a set of guidelines proposed by UNEP to reduce these pollutants that have a short life in the atmosphere. The group will also help countries with planning, and, in some cases, financing a reduction program.

Colorado River
The Bureau of Reclamation released the February update for reservoirs in the Colorado River basin. The current forecast predicts the amount of water flowing into Lake Powell to be 71 percent of average, but there is significant uncertainty because it is so early in the season.

EPA Arsenic
The Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public meeting on March 2 to discuss arsenic in drinking water and affordable removal methods for small communities. To sign up for the webcast, follow the directions found here. To make comments, email perkinson.russ@epa.gov by Feb. 28.

And Finally, Some Research
Here’s a trio of recent reports from the Congressional Research Service, the research arm of the legislative branch. On changes in the Arctic. On pipeline safety. On federal land ownership.

Federal Water Tap is a weekly digest spotting trends in U.S. government water policy. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

 
Federal Water Tap, February 13: The Budget and Infrastructure
Written by Brett Walton
Monday, 13 February 2012 06:00
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A few choice items have already trickled out or were set in deals made months ago, but today President Barack Obama will submit his fiscal year 2013 budget to Congress. We’ll have all the water details here, once the complete document lands.

Afterward, the budget debate moves to the east end of the National Mall for Congressional hearings. On Wednesday, the House Natural Resources Committee will discuss the Interior Department’s appropriation with Sec. Ken Salazar.

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will convene on Thursday for a hearing on the Department of Energy’s 2013 budget. Steven Chu, the energy secretary, will testify.

The National Journal reports that, in the wake of a few loan guarantees gone bust, the president may shift spending for clean energy programs from the Energy Department to the Defense Department.

Sewer Infrastructure
Sen. Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat, said he will introduce a bill to help communities pay for improvements to wastewater infrastructure. The Clean Water Affordability Act would provide $1.8 billion in grants over five years. It would also extend the repayment period for federal loans for water projects from 20 years to 30, and it would require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to prioritize water quality improvements according to their cost effectiveness.

A similar bill was introduced last year in the House by Ohio Republican Robert Latta. It has not been acted on.

Infrastructure Spending
While those bills sit, the Senate actually moved ahead with a measure that would boost private-sector investment in water infrastructure. According to Bloomberg BNA, the Finance Committee, as part of a transportation bill, included a provision to lift the volume cap on private activity bonds for water and wastewater projects. These are bonds with tax-free interest that are issued for a private development that has a public benefit. The bill would allow more such bonds to be issued.

Rural Infrastructure
The Bureau of Reclamation selected six water supply projects in rural parts of the western U.S. to receive a combined $30 million in federal funding. Another $20 million was handed out for environmental restoration, water conservation studies, fisheries management and infrastructure repairs.

Drought
New months, same story. That’s the precipitation prognosis for the southern tier of the U.S., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s spring drought outlook. Through the end of April, NOAA scientists foresee “persistent or intensifying drought conditions” in the south and southwest, with “no relief in sight for Texas.”

The short-term outlook is no better. The U.S. Drought Monitor, which is updated weekly, shows much of the Texas panhandle and southern Georgia in “exceptional” drought.

Pipelines
An official from the federal agency investigating last year’s pipeline oil spill in a Montana river said that companies need to consider environmental changes when building the pipelines, according to the Billings Gazette. Erosion, floods and land subsidence can all cause a line to rupture, said Chris Hoidal, of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

Keystone XL
The State Department’s internal watchdog released a report on its investigation into the permitting process for the Keystone XL pipeline. The report was requested in October 2011 by several members of Congress.

The Office of the Inspector General found no illegal acts in the permitting process. It did recommend that the State Department should hire a person within the bureau handling the pipeline permit who has experience with environmental reviews required under the National Environmental Policy Act. It also recommended changing policies for third-party contractors to make potential conflicts of interest more transparent.

Reviving the Nuclear Family
Despite a dissenting vote from its chairman, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the nation’s first new nuclear reactors in more than three decades, Reuters reports. Southern Company will build two new reactors at an existing plant in eastern Georgia.

Federal Water Tap is a weekly digest spotting trends in U.S. government water policy. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

 
Federal Water Tap, February 6: Water and National Security
Written by Brett Walton
Monday, 06 February 2012 06:00
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The director of national intelligence said that during the next decade water issues abroad will affect America’s national security, according to an on-the-record report to a special Senate committee on intelligence.

In his annual threat assessment, James Clapper told the committee that “water shortages and pollution will probably negatively affect the economic performance of important U.S. trading partners” — especially in the agriculture and energy sectors. While water problems alone will not cause instability, Clapper said, they can exacerbate tensions that already exist. He said that direct conflict in the next decade between countries over water is not likely.

Low Snowpack
The latest monthly water supply forecast from the National Water and Climate Center shows that the snowpack in the mountains of California and Nevada is less than 50 percent of normal. Most of the Colorado River basin is below average as well.

Oil Shale Developments
The Department of the Interior released a draft plan for oil shale development in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming that prioritizes research and development before granting commercial leases. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, at least 1.4 trillion barrels of oil are in the formation. But the Government Accountability Office said that limited water supplies would prevent the deposit from full development.

The Bureau of Land Management acknowledged this in the draft plan. “Because there are still many unanswered questions about the technology, water use, and impacts of potential commercial-scale oil shale development, we are proposing a prudent and orderly approach,” said BLM Director Bob Abbey in a statement.

A public comment period ends May 4. Comments can be submitted on the plan’s website.

Does Red Tape Hold Back Reservoirs?
On Tuesday, a House Natural Resources subcommittee will hold a hearing to talk about which regulations are preventing more “surface storage infrastructure” (i.e. “reservoirs”) from being built. A list of witnesses has not yet been published.

Lawsuit
One of the nation’s largest irrigation districts is suing the Department of the Interior (DOI) for $1 billion in damages over the federal government’s failure to clean up salty irrigation drainage, the Fresno Bee reports. The dispute between the DOI and Westlands Water District in California’s Central Valley dates to a law from the 1960s that put the federal government in charge of drainage. Subsequent attempts to clear the land of the poisonous irrigation runoff have been unsuccessful.

South Sudan
Last December the U.S. government hosted a conference to discuss development goals for South Sudan. A number of international organizations and donor countries participated and made commitments to the newly independent country. The government of South Sudan, for its part, pledged to increase the percent of its population with access to water and sanitation from 9 percent to 29 percent by 2014.

Transportation
Last Friday, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved a $260 billion bill for transportation and highway funding. A section of the bill directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish a research program with emphasis on 16 areas, one of which is porous or permeable pavement that would minimize stormwater runoff. But a paltry amount—$3 million per fiscal year through 2016—is allocated to the broad program.

Federal Water Tap is a weekly digest spotting trends in U.S. government water policy. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

 
Federal Water Tap, January 30: Nuclear Waste and Drought
Written by Brett Walton
Monday, 30 January 2012 06:00
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Haste and Waste
The Commission on America’s Nuclear Future released its report on how to handle the nation’s growing pile of nuclear waste. Co-chaired by Lee Hamilton, a former Congressman, and Brent Scowcroft, a former National Security Advisor, the commission made numerous recommendations that would require action from the administration or Congress.

Since halting work on the Yucca Mountain disposal facility, the need for a new strategy is “urgent”, according to the commission, because “this generation has a fundamental ethical obligation to avoid burdening future generations with the entire task of finding a safe permanent solution for managing hazardous nuclear materials they had no part in creating.”

On Wednesday, a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee will hear testimony from the co-chairs about the report. On Thursday, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will do the same.

Energy: 2012
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will also hold a hearing on Tuesday to discuss the year’s energy trends.

La Nina
NASA satellite images show cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific, indicating the peak of the La Nina phenomenon. One NASA scientist said that “this La Niña could deepen the drought in the already parched Southwest.”

Bureau of Reclamation forecasters have done a 180 on projections of surplus water for Lake Mead, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. In December, the reservoir behind Hoover Dam was predicted to rise 11 feet this year. Now, it is forecast to fall 13 feet by next January.

The National Water and Climate Center’s water supply outlook for the western U.S. can be found here.

Keystone
During a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing last Wednesday, Assistant Secretary of State Kerri-Ann Jones explained the department’s permitting process and the rationale for rejecting a permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.

Water Reuse
The National Research Council published a report on recycled municipal wastewater and its role as part of the national water supply.

Water Pollution
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a new tool to help the public learn who is dumping chemicals into which bodies of water. Data is available for 2007-2010.

Fracking Study
The EPA has extended to March 12 the deadline for public comments on its draft study of groundwater contamination from natural gas drilling near a Wyoming town. The agency also announced that it will test groundwater in northeastern Pennsylvania as it continues its investigation into claims of water contaminated because of hydraulic fracturing.

Federal Water Tap is a weekly digest spotting trends in U.S. government water policy. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

 
Federal Water Tap, January 24, Part 2: Energy and Climate
Written by Brett Walton
Tuesday, 24 January 2012 06:00
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Solar Review
The deadline for submitting public comments on the Bureau of Land Management’s broad environmental review of solar energy development in six western U.S. states is Friday. The review will result in changes to the agency’s resource management plans, allowing it to concentrate solar energy projects on the most suitable parcels of land. Comments can be submitted via this link.

Clean Water Act
Four Republican members of Congress—Sens. James Inhofe (Okla.) and Jeff Sessions (Ala.) and Reps. John Mica (Fla.) and Bob Gibbs (Ohio)—wrote a letter to the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, claiming that, in negotiating settlements for several lawsuits, the agency is exceeding its authority under the Clean Water Act. The letter requests the EPA to justify its actions. At issue are settlements over groundwater regulation and water pollution from nonpoint sources.

Water Infrastructure
In a letter to the White House budget director, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, urged Jacob Lew to allocate more money in the fiscal year 2013 budget to two federal loan programs for water and sewer infrastructure. Gillibrand called for a nearly 50 percent total increase to the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. The text of the letter follows the press release from the senator’s office.

Air Quality, Energy and Water
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory released a study on the effects of stricter air pollution controls for a key Arizona power plant. The EPA is considering haze-reduction technology for the coal-fired Navajo Generating Station, which provides some 92 percent of the low-cost power to pump Arizona’s share of the Colorado River.

NREL found that the two proposed options—selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and SCR plus baghouses and sorbent injection—would cost less than shutting the plant down and replacing the power with existing spare capacity. The study also found that using SCR controls, water rates for agricultural users would increase between 13 percent and 16 percent; using SCR technology with baghouses and sorbent injection would double the effect.

Weather 2011 and Consolidation
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) published its review of the year’s weather events and climate trends. All sorts of records were broken. Texas had its second warmest and its driest year on record. The data from the September to December period, however, has not yet been made final.

As part of a broader government re-organization, President Barack Obama proposed moving NOAA from the Commerce Department to the Interior Department, the Wall Street Journal reports. Many environmental groups opposed the move, arguing NOAA’s mission and culture does not fit with Interior’s focus on natural resources development.

Climate Adaptation
The Obama administration released a draft plan for adapting to the effects of climate change on fish, animals and plants. The national strategy is directed toward all resource management decisions, not just those made by the federal government. A public comment period is open through March 5. The final plan will be released by early summer.

Water to the Supreme Court?
A Texas water district asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear its lawsuit to gain access to water in Oklahoma, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. The Tarrant Regional Water District, which serves nearly 2 million customers west of Dallas, sued the state of Oklahoma in 2007 to acquire water. The Supreme Court has yet to decide whether it will hear the case.

The Motion of the Ocean
The U.S. Department of Energy released assessments of the power potential of wave energy and tidal energy in the United States. The west coast has greater recoverable resources than the east coast—though Alaska beats them both. Alaska also does well in tidal energy.

Federal Water Tap is a weekly digest spotting trends in U.S. government water policy. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

 
Federal Water Tap, January 23, Part I: Keystone XL Decision, Reaction
Written by Brett Walton
Monday, 23 January 2012 06:00
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Lines in the Sand
Last Wednesday, the Obama administration denied a permit for Keystone XL, a 2,750 km (1,710 mi) pipeline from Canada’s tars sands to oil refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast. In a statement, President Barack Obama said that the decision was “not a judgment on the merits of the pipeline, but [on] the arbitrary nature of a deadline that prevented the State Department from gathering the information necessary to approve the project and protect the American people.”

In December, as part of a tax cut compromise, Congress gave the administration a 60-day deadline to approve or reject the project.

The door is still open for the developer, TransCanada, to reapply once it plots a new route through Nebraska, where the pipeline was a contentious issue, owing to its path through ecologically sensitive regions.

Congressional Republicans, meanwhile, are trying to wrest authority for the pipeline away from the executive branch. Nebraska Republican Lee Terry introduced a bill that would shift the permitting process to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and require a permit within 30 days.

Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee will consider Rep. Terry’s bill during a hearing scheduled for Wednesday. An assistant secretary of state, Kerri-Ann Jones, will give testimony on behalf of the State Department.

GOP lawmakers were buoyed by a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report stating that Congress is likely “within its Constitutionally enumerated authority” if it attempts to take control of the permitting process, according to The Hill. CRS is Congress’s research arm, analyzing issues that pertain to policy and legislation.

USDA Energy Projects
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released an interactive map that shows—by state, county and congressional district—where the department has invested in renewable energy projects and efficiency improvements. In terms of dollars spent, Iowa ($473 million) and North Dakota ($422 lead the way. Biomass projects trump other categories of energy investment.

Nuclear Clean Up
Seven decades ago in the drylands of Washington state, scientists working for the U.S. government made plutonium for the first atomic bombs. Several generations later, cleaning the contaminated soil and groundwater and isolating the waste have proven devilishly difficult, as USA Today investigates in a report about the Department of Energy’s Hanford nuclear site.

EPA: The Early Years
In the 1970s the newly formed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency hired photographers to document the nation’s environmental health. Thanks to the U.S. National Archives, those photos—more than 15,000 of them—are now available digitally. A few are posted to the National Archives’s Flickr site. But the whole catalog can be searched via this link.

And…stay tuned. Because last week brimmed with water news from the U.S. government, the Federal Water Tap will come in two parts this week. Tomorrow, look for items on fracking, air pollution and the price of water, climate records, a court case, and a call for more federal money for water infrastructure.

Federal Water Tap is a weekly digest spotting trends in U.S. government water policy. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

 
Federal Water Tap, January 16: A Busy EPA
Written by Brett Walton
Monday, 16 January 2012 06:00
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Peer Reviewers for Fracking Study
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting nominations for qualified scientists to review its draft study of groundwater contamination in a Wyoming town. The draft, released in December, found compounds that are associated with natural-gas drilling processes in two monitoring wells. To nominate someone, send the person’s name, address and phone number to peerreview@erg.com by Feb. 17.

EPA in Court
In arguments last Monday, U.S. Supreme Court justices appeared to side with Idaho landowners in their case against the EPA’s enforcement of the Clean Water Act, Reuters reports. Justices questioned whether the EPA’s compliance orders should undergo judicial review, and whether the size of the threatened fines was “coercive.” A ruling is expected by June.

U.S. Forest Service in Court
An association made up of ski resort owners is suing the U.S. Forest Service over water rights, the Denver Post reports.

Pipeline Maneuvers
Reuters reports on two items concerning the Canada-to-Texas Keystone XL pipeline. Congressional Republicans are trying to use Congress’s authority over international commerce to control the permitting process for the pipeline. And, the White House spokesman told reporters that an alternative route through Nebraska has not been established and that the expedited timetable is a concern. The Obama administration has a Feb. 21 deadline to decide on a permit.

The president, meanwhile, visited EPA headquarters on Tuesday, telling staffers that a choice between economic growth and a healthy environment was a “false debate,” according to the New York Times.

GHG Data
Last week, the EPA released statistics on greenhouse gas emissions in 2010 from large facilities in nine sectors, including power plants, mining, and manufacturing.

Water Quality Policy Meetings
The EPA will hold a series of workshops in January and February to help the agency develop a policy for meeting the goals of the Clean Water Act without shackling cities to multi-billion dollar clean-up programs for sewer overflows. In October, EPA officials released a memo outlining the new integrated planning policy. Meetings will be held in Atlanta, New York, Seattle, Kansas City, and Chicago. If you want to attend, register here by Jan. 20. You can find the times and dates here.

Infrastructure Security
The National Infrastructure Advisory Council released a report on the role of information-sharing in protecting key national assets, which have been divided into 18 sectors, including energy, water, and transportation. The report concludes that relationships between federal, state and municipal governments have improved, but the private sector is not being adequately integrated into the intelligence-sharing system.

Arctic Defense
As the top of the world melts, the Department of Defense (DOD) is beginning to invest in national security infrastructure there. Last May, the DOD released a report on its Arctic operations. Last week, the Government Accountability Office evaluated the report, arguing the DOD has not prioritized near-term needs, nor has it collaborated with other agencies to maximize long-term investment strategies.

Grant Opportunities
The EPA has a couple millions dollars to dole out for small projects under its Urban Waters program, which seeks to improve water quality and reconnect citizens to their waterways. Proposals are due Jan. 23. Click here for more information.

And the U.S. Department of Agriculture has $10 million available for conservation projects and water quality trading programs in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Proposals are due March 2; more details here.

Federal Water Tap is a weekly digest spotting trends in U.S. government water policy. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

 
Federal Water Tap, January 9: The EPA and Natural Gas
Written by Brett Walton
Monday, 09 January 2012 06:00
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EPA in Court
Landowner rights and government power are in the docket Monday. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency, a case that stems from an EPA determination that an Idaho couple was building their home in a wetland. The agency ordered the Sacketts to stop building and take steps to restore the property, or face fines of up to $37,500 per day. Lawyers for the plaintiffs will argue that the ruling violates the “due process” clause of the U.S. Constitution and that the EPA should have to justify its decisions in front of a judge before issuing compliance orders against landowners.

Water Delivery Reversal
A day after telling families in a Pennsylvania town with wells soured by natural gas drilling that it would it deliver water to them, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency—without explanation—reversed its decision, the Associated Press reports.

EPA officials, according to the Scranton Times-Tribune, had told families in Dimock, Penn. on Friday by telephone that the agency would work out a contract with a water hauler to provide water to more than a dozen families whose wells have been tainted by methane. The state environment agency allowed the drilling operator, Cabot Oil and Gas, to stop paying for water deliveries last month, saying it had fulfilled the requirements of a 2010 settlement.

Other Natural Gas Items
Meanwhile, a top environmental health scientist at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told the Associated Press that the fracking research agenda should be expanded. The effects of contaminated water on fish and livestock ought to be studied, said Dr. Christopher Portier.

At the same time, the flow of natural gas in the U.S. is not stopping—and soon it will spread beyond the nation’s borders. The second liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility in North America—originally designed for imports—is being constructed in Louisiana. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission released an environmental assessment of the Sabine Pass LNG facility. FERC found that approval of the project, with a few changes, would not significantly affect the “quality of the human environment.” The deadline for comments is January 27.

Toxic Substances
Last week the EPA released its annual Toxics Release Inventory, a compendium of chemicals emitted by industrial facilities in 2010. Nationally, chemical releases tracked by the TRI increased 16 percent. State factsheets can be found here.

Reports to Congress
The Congressional Research Service, the research arm of Congress, has released two reports of interest for this space. One examines the process for approving the Keystone XL pipeline; the other outlines legislation that would create a national infrastructure bank, an institution that would provide low-interest financing for water and sewer systems.

And speaking of the pipeline, the Republican-led House Energy and Commerce Committee has posted a “pipeline delay” clock on its homepage. The clock purports to show President Barack Obama’s tardiness in creating the few thousand jobs that would come with his approval of the Canada-to-Texas oil funnel.

Water in the Western U.S.
The first water supply forecasts of the year from the National Water and Climate Center are out. As we push into the middle of January, snow is scarce on the ground. The only major regions with above-average snowpack are on the fringes: Alaska, Arizona, New Mexico and the eastern slopes of the Rockies. Though it is early, the snowpack in California’s Sierra Nevada is particularly low.

Correction: Sabine Pass is not North America’s first export terminal—it is the second. The first was completed in Kenai, Alaska in 1969.

Federal Water Tap is a weekly digest spotting trends in U.S. government water policy. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

 
Federal Water Tap, January 2: A New Day for Old Works
Written by Brett Walton
Monday, 02 January 2012 06:00
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Chicago’s Sewers
The sewer district for metropolitan Chicago has set a timetable for a completing a four-decade-old tunnel and reservoir project that will reduce sewer overflows into Lake Michigan, according to an agreement signed in December with the U.S. Justice Department. By 2029 the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District must complete the remaining two reservoirs in a system that will eventually hold close to 18 billion gallons of water. As part of the agreement, the district will also invest in “green” infrastructure—projects that use landscaping and porous surfaces to absorb stormwater.

Lake Mead: Bigger Than We Thought It Was
Thanks to the integration of data from a sediment survey and laser mapping, federal scientists have concluded that the storage capacity of Lake Mead is almost 1 percent greater than previously thought. Why? Since the upstream Glen Canyon dam was built in the 1960s, the amount of sediment flowing into Mead has decreased. Also, the sediment already at the bottom of Mead has been compacted. The Bureau of Reclamation, which manages the reservoir, began using the new capacity tables yesterday.

Solar Revision
On Dec. 20, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar approved a 300-megawatt solar power project planned for federal lands in the Arizona desert—but only after requiring a water-saving design revision. The Bureau of Land Management ordered the company behind the Sonoran Solar Energy Project to change its design from a concentrated solar thermal facility to photovoltaic (PV) technology. The PV panels will use 1 percent as much water—33 acre-feet per year, compared to 3,000 acre-feet for the solar thermal design.

Sec. Salazar also approved the Tule Wind Project, a 186-megawatt facility on federal lands in San Diego County, Calif.

Groundwater and Fracking
Officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are reopening an investigation of potential groundwater contamination from natural gas drilling in a northeastern Pennsylvania township. The Scranton Times-Tribune reports that the EPA received data from a drilling contractor that has caused the agency to reconsider its assertion that well water does not pose an “immediate health threat to users.”

Eye on Texas
Nothing shows the magnitude of change quite like a “before and after” comparison. NASA’s satellites have captured two such photos of Lake Buchanan in central Texas. An image from October 2003 shows a full reservoir. After the 2011 drought, homes built on the full-pool shoreline now sit, in some cases, nearly a mile from the water.

Federal Water Tap is a weekly digest spotting trends in U.S. government water policy. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

 
Federal Water Tap, December 26: Keystone Deadline
Written by Brett Walton
Monday, 26 December 2011 06:00
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Pipeline Expedition
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a two-month extension of the payroll tax cut. Included in the deal was a provision requiring President Barack Obama to make a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline within 60 days. Earlier this year, the president said he would delay any action on the proposed 1,700-mile oil conduit until 2013.

Alaska Dam
The developers of an Alaska mega-dam will begin the formal licensing process this week. On December 29, the Alaska Energy Authority, a state public corporation for energy development, will submit a pre-application document to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for the Susitna-Watana Hydroelectric Project. Licensing is expected to take three and a half years for the 700-ft tall dam on the Susitna River.

Mapping Drought
This fall, a national center for drought research released an updated version of its comprehensive drought-effects database. Funded by the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the University of Nebraska-based Drought Impact Reporter combines media reports with statistical analyses to show how a lack of rain is hurting wildlife, tourism, water supply and agriculture, among other areas. The university also hosts the Drought Monitor, which focuses on near-term weather patterns.

Ag Pollution
The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a report on how to reduce the amount of nitrogen and phosphorous pollution in the nation’s waterways. According to NPR, the USDA laid out a set of guidelines for putting farm fields on a fertilizer “diet.” The guidelines, however, are just that—they will not be mandatory.

Foreign Development
In the last six weeks, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency doled out a number of grants for water and energy projects. The agency gave money for coal bed methane extraction in Turkey and for technical assistance to a wastewater treatment plant in Cartagena, Colombia. The agency also brought water management officials from South Africa to the U.S. to discuss water use in the mining sector.

Federal Water Tap is a weekly digest spotting trends in U.S. government water policy. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.