Help us Welcome Spencer Saks to the CASA Family!
CASA is pleased to introduce the newest member of our team, Spencer Saks. Spencer has been hired as CASA’s Legislative and Regulatory Analyst and will be supporting the state legislative and regulatory advocacy programs. His first day was Monday and he’s ready to hit the ground running. Spencer will be a key point of contact for CASA members on legislative and regulatory issues. Before coming to CASA Spencer participated in the Legislative and Public Policy Clinic at McGeorge School of Law where he worked as a Legislative Advocate. He also worked as a Special Advisor to The Gualco Group, Inc. while attending law school full time. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science in addition to a J.D. from McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento. Please help us in welcoming Spencer to the CASA team and community! He can be reached at ssaks@casaweb.org.
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CASA Mentoring Program: Year Two!
Calling all mentors and mentees! CASA is pleased to share that we will be continuing the CASA Mentoring Program in 2022-23 after a successful inaugural year. This 11-month comprehensive program, kicking off in October 2022 and concluding in August 2023, serves to connect clean water professionals from across the state of California. Working with Core Consulting, which has a depth of experience developing mentoring and training programs working with public agencies, CASA will match mentor/mentee pairs based on their professional goals, preferences, and experience. The program is open to both associates and agency members, and this year we hope to add additional resources and opportunities for participants. If you already know you are interested in this program for the upcoming year, please email Alyssa Downs (adowns@casaweb.org) so we can add you to our interest list. Keep an eye out for more information on this exclusive member benefit in the next few weeks!
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Deadline Approaching: CASA Education Foundation Scholarships Available
Does your local college or university know about CASA’s financial aid to students interested in a career in water? The CASA Education Foundation helps energize the future of the clean water sector by awarding scholarships to promising students on a path to serving the environmental community. The Foundation is accepting scholarship applications through May 15, 2022. Help CASA spread the word by sharing this flyer with your local colleges! For information on how to apply, who is eligible and the scholarship guidelines, visit the website.
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Sign up for CASA’s Regulatory Updates
CASA’s Regulatory Workgroup regularly puts together a comprehensive e-newsletter to share all regulatory updates on key issues and workgroup initiatives with the CASA membership. If you are interested in receiving these regulatory updates, please contact Jared Voskuhl. Last month’s edition is available here.
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AB 2247 Advances, State Legislative Committee to Meet Next Week
CASA is pleased to share that our co-sponsored bill, AB 2247 (Bloom) was heard in the Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee last week and passed. The bill, which requires manufacturers to disclose PFAS in their products on a publicly accessible database, now advances to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Several other bills CASA is tracking also advanced and will be discussed at the next State Legislative Committee meeting on May 13.
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Senate Budget Plan Released
Last week, the Senate released its Budget plan in advance of the Governor’s May Revise being released. There is some good news in the revise for wastewater agencies, although some of the details about their funding priorities are sparse. The entire plan can be viewed here. There are several key takeaways of interest, including:
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CASA Joins Water Coalition Letter on PFAS, USEPA Announces Three Actions
Last week, a coalition of water sector stakeholders, including CASA, sent a letter to the House Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure and Energy and Commerce and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works’ leadership urging Congress provide the water and wastewater sectors explicit CERCLA liability exemption if PFAS chemicals are designated as hazardous substances under the law. On the heels of the letter’s transmittal to Congress, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) announced three actions that the Office of Water is taking to address PFAS contamination. The actions include publishing improved methods to detect PFAS in water, instructions NPDES permitting and effluent limitation guidelines to reduce PFAS discharges into waterways and proposing the first Clean Water Act aquatic life criteria for PFOA and PFOS.
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USEPA Holds Buy America Webinar for Water Sector Stakeholders
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA) Office of Water hosted a webinar last week entitled, “Build America Buy America: Water Sector and Water Infrastructure Organizations, Associations, and Professional Trade Groups”. The webinar was the second in a series the Agency is holding as it develops its programmatic implementation procedures for the Build America, Buy America (BABA) mandates, following the Office of Management and Budget’s implementation guidance to federal agencies earlier this month. The Agency has until May 14, 2022 to issue its guidance.
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Senate Committee Reports Out WRDA 2022
The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works reported out the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) 2022 this week by unanimous consent. This year’s WRDA is a narrowly focused U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) bill.
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CASA Member in the News
Check out this interview on CapRadio featuring Christoph Dobson, General Manager at Regional San in Sacramento County discussing wastewater-based epidemiology!
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Anaergia Commissions Renewable Natural Gas Facility in Italy
Anaergia Inc. recently announced it officially commissioned its Easy Energia Ambiente facility in Pontinia, Italy. The state-of-the-art facility has the capacity to anaerobically digest 36,450 tons of landfill-diverted food scraps and other organic waste each year, and to convert this waste into 3,215,000 cubic meters of renewable natural gas that will be injected into the region’s gas pipelines. The new plant will also treat the digestate that remains after the anaerobic digestion process to create 4,500 tons per year of high-quality natural fertilizer, plus enough water to cover all the facility’s requirements. Read more in the press release. Congratulations to associate member Anaergia!
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In Memoriam
We are deeply saddened to inform the CASA membership of the sudden passing of Sherry Stanley, Board Member of West County Wastewater (WCW), and active CASA member. Sherry was first elected to the WCW Board of Directors in 2016 and was part of the leadership who brought transformation and modernization to WCW. Director Stanley graduated from CSU Hayward, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree. She went on to receive a Juris Doctorate degree from Golden Gate University School of Law, where she earned specialization certificates in the areas of Public Interest, Litigation and Criminal Law. CASA extends their deepest condolences and sympathy to Sherry’s family, friends, and all those whose lives she touched, especially within the CASA and WCW communities.
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EFAR Interview with CASA’s Greg Kester
Greg Kester, CASA’s Director of Renewable Resource Programs, recently gave an interview to the European Federation for Agricultural Recycling (EFAR) on Biosolids Land Application in California. View the interview on LinkedIn or the transcript here:
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$68M in Grant Funding Available
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a Request for Applications for $68 million in federal funding through the Environmental Finance Center (EFC) Grant Program. A major priority for this program over the next five years is to provide technical support to disadvantaged communities across the country. Selected technical assistance providers will help communities develop and submit project proposals, including State Revolving Fund (SRF) applications for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding. Additionally, the EFCs will support a range of projects focused on solid waste, clean air, toxic substances, drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater. Application packages must be submitted electronically no later than Friday, June 17, 2022, to be considered for funding. More information is available here.
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CASA 2022 “Ask the Experts” Webinar Series
Join us as we continue a series of CASA-led “Ask the Experts” webinars! This series closes out with three final webinars on public messaging, communications and career development, and air quality, climate change and energy! These virtual workshops are free and open to all CASA members. Check the CASA website and the Connects Newsletter as we update the details on each webinar as they are confirmed. We hope you will join us!
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NACWA Complimentary Webinar: Wastewater Surveillance
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ACT Expo
CASA is proud to endorse the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo on May 9-12, 2022, in Long Beach, CA. The advanced clean transportation sector continues to grow at a breakneck pace, rapidly rising to the occasion through ongoing innovation. Every year, ACT Expo attendees receive unmatched educational opportunities on the latest trends, policies, technologies, and opportunities in clean tech transportation. The 2022 agenda will enable attendees to:
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Making Conservation a California Way of Life
On Wednesday, May 11, from 1:00 to 4:00 the State Water Resources Control Board staff will be holding an informational public workshop: Making Conservation a California a Way of Life: How Forthcoming Efficiency Standards May Impact Local Wastewater Management, to solicit input on the potential effects that the Board’s proposed efficiency standards may have on local wastewater management. Interested persons can provide input during the remote workshop or via the virtual speaker card. There will also be other opportunities to provide comments once the rulemaking has formally begun. Register here.
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JVS Strictly Business
On Wednesday, May 11, at 5:00pm, join the Jewish Vocational & Career Counseling Service (JVS) and community members, near and far, to honor the dynamic resiliency and inspiring accomplishments of job seekers with a virtual event: Strictly Business. Celebrate the potential that is unlocked when partners come together to launch innovative solutions to close the opportunity gap so everyone can thrive. Special guest Senator Alex Padilla will join JVS CEO Lisa Countryman-Quiroz in an important conversation on ways we can create equitable economic opportunity for all Californians. Register here.
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Please join the Bay Area Water/Wastewater Workforce Reliability (BAYWORK) on May 12, 2022, from 8:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. at the Hilton Oakland Airport for an in-person discussion on how to ensure that our workforce is able to make effective use of new digital tools. Hear real-life case studies from water/wastewater utilities, initiate development of a digital readiness self-assessment tool, and listen in on a panel discussion with utility leaders and community college faculty on training qualified staff. You won’t want to miss it! Register Here.
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Turning Trash into California's Next Innovation Boom
On Tuesday, May 17, from 1:00pm to 3:00pm, join California Secretary for Environmental Protection Jared Blumenfeld, CalRecycle Director Rachel Machi Wagoner, Legislators, state and business leaders, and Californians from all walks of life as they plan how to build California’s circular, remanufacturing and reuse system to make sure products used in California are recycled here in our state. Live Streaming Interactive Circular Economy Symposium. Register today!
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WELL Southern California Conference
Join the Water Education for Latino Leaders (WELL) as their 10-year anniversary conference series continues! Friday, June 10 to Saturday, June 11, 2022, the second conference will take place at the Water Replenishment District of Southern California, Albert Robles Center for Water Recycling and Environmental Learning in Pico Rivera, CA. Join WELL to learn more about critical water issues and help support your residents and local economy as the state faces a third year of drought. Register here.
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Careers and Opportunities |
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CASA represents more than 125 local public agencies engaged in the collection, treatment and recycling of Wastewater and biosolids to protect public health and the environment. Our mission is to provide trusted information and advocacy on behalf of California clean water agencies, and to be a leader in sustainability and utilization of renewable resources. |
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