CASA Wipes Bill, AB 818 (Bloom), Heads to the Governor
CASA is pleased to announce that after three years of legislative work on the wipes issue, AB 818 (Bloom) is headed to the Governor’s desk! If signed, this bill will establish the strongest “Do Not Flush” wipes labeling and public education requirements in the country. This is a huge win for our sector and we would like to thank Jessica Gauger and the State Legislative committee for all of their hard work over the years to see this through. Please be sure to submit a letter requesting the Governor’s signature on AB 818. We have provided a template letter that can be customized for your individual agency.
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CASA Stormwater Bill, SB 273 (Hertzberg), Heads to the Governor
We are pleased to report that SB 273 (Hertzberg), our co-sponsored bill with California Coastkeepers Alliance, is headed to the Governor’s desk after passing unanimously off the Senate Floor on concurrence last week. If enacted this bill will authorize any wastewater treatment entity in California to undertake voluntary programs and projects to divert and treat industrial, commercial, and municipal stormwater and dry weather runoff. We have sent a coalition support letter on behalf of the supporting association members, and have drafted a template signature request letter for agencies wishing to support the bill with the Governor’s office. Feel free to customize the letter for your agency’s needs and we encourage you to get letters in as soon as possible. If you have any questions about the bill or how to submit a letter, please contact Jessica Gauger or Alma Musvosvi.
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2021 Legislative Session Ends Friday
Friday, September 10 is the final adjournment of the 2021 Legislative Session. The last several weeks have been incredibly busy as the Legislature wraps up their business for the year. Several major policy bills and Budget packages still have to be passed before Friday’s deadline, and we expect that the Legislature will be meeting late into the night in the last remaining days prior to the end of Session. Once the Session adjourns, the Governor has until October 10 to sign or veto the hundreds of bills that are now awaiting action on his desk. The Legislature will remain adjourned until January. Over the Fall recess, Legislative staff will be relocating to the newly constructed “swing space,” in downtown Sacramento, which will serve as their temporary workplace while the historic Capitol building is being renovated for the next several years. The 2022 Legislative Session will be conducted entirely in the new “swing space,” which has several hearing rooms in addition to individual member offices.
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Federal Legislative Update |
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House Agrees To Budget Resolution; Reconciliation Process Begins
On August 24, the House approved a budget resolution that sets in motion the process to develop and vote on the reconciliation funding package later this fall. The chamber narrowly approved of the resolution on a vote of 220-212, after House Democrat leadership reached an agreement with centrist Democrats who threatened to vote against the resolution if a vote on the Senate-passed infrastructure bill (H.R. 3684) was not scheduled by leadership. The House is now scheduled to vote on the infrastructure bill on September 27.
Now that the House has passed the budget resolution, it allows for congressional committees to start developing their titles of the reconciliation package that will be used to pass the Administration’s $3.5 trillion “soft” infrastructure policy agenda. By using reconciliation, Democrats are hoping to secure passage of this $3.5 trillion dollar package by a simple majority vote of 51 in the Senate where the package lacks bipartisan support.
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Senate Passes Comprehensive Infrastructure Package
Before adjourning for August recess, the Senate passed its version of the comprehensive infrastructure package, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684). Now that the Senate passed its version of the bill, H.R. 3684 goes back to the House to be considered and voted on. The House is scheduled to vote on the bill on September 27. Under the Senate package, clean water infrastructure would receive a variety of federal funding assistance through reauthorizations of existing programs, creation of new funding assistance programs, and emergency appropriated funding. This includes the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund (SRF) being appropriated $11.7 billion over five years, $50 million for the popular WIFIA program, and $1 billion in capitalization grants to support wastewater utilities in addressing PFAS contamination. Additionally, the Senate bill includes a Western Water Infrastructure title that reauthorizes water infrastructure assistance programs at the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation that support western water needs. A complete summary of the key funding provisions for the clean water sector can be accessed here.
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Connecting Beyond CASA Connects: Join CASA’s LISTSERVs!
Is there a topic of interest particularly near and dear to your heart? Maybe biosolids? Collection systems? Legislative advocacy? Along with this newsletter, CASA offers several other ways to connect and share on these topics and more. With a number of LISTSERVs available to our members for updates on Biosolids, Communications, Collection Systems, Federal Advocacy, Regulatory Issues, State Advocacy, Air Quality, Climate Change, and Renewable Energy, and our NEWEST listserv, Professional Development, there really is something for everyone! These group email lists are interactive and the most immediate way to get up to date information about what’s going on in the world of clean water advocacy.
Members can subscribe employees to any (or all) of these LISTSERVs. If you are interested, please send Cheryl MacKelvie your email and identify the list you would like to subscribe to. We are proud to be your source for wastewater legislative, regulatory, and industry news! Below please find a brief description of each LISTSERV:
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We Moved!
The CASA office is excited to announce that we have moved! We are officially in our new home as of September 1, 2021. Don’t fret, we haven’t gone far, just a couple blocks down the street (and closer to the Capitol building!). We hope you can come visit us in the near future at our new location: 925 L Street, Suite 200 Sacramento, CA 95814.
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Webinars, Workshops & Events |
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EPA Webinar on Developing and Maintaining Workforce and Equity Partnerships
The Office of Water at EPA invites you to register for their next Water Workforce Webinar on September 15th from 9:00am – 10:30am PT. This is part of an ongoing series of webinars to provide information across the water sector on ways utilities and others are addressing the challenges of building and maintaining a sustainable water workforce for the future. The September webinar will focus on building partnerships for effective state-wide workforce programs and efforts to attract talented individuals from disadvantaged communities into water utility jobs. To register, please follow this registration link. PDHs will be available for those who attend the webinar.
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Northwest Biosolids Virtual Event: Biofest
This year the focus is on Strengthening your System- one thing that has become clear after a year like no other. The virtual event will be held online the mornings of Sept 15-16 and 20-21. Topics include: Soil health, PFAS- the contaminant that won’t quit, nutrient dynamics, carbon sequestration, and wastewater based epidemiology. Be sure to register today!
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Diversity in California Water Webinar
The California water sector is rapidly hiring. How do we reflect California’s diversity at all levels of our workforce and foster a more inclusive environment with our co-workers? Join this panel of water leaders for an in-depth discussion about new workforce development programs, new DEI efforts and a discussion about what can hold back diversity efforts and the champions we need to move these efforts forward. This webinar is free and open to water professionals, leaders, HR professionals and anyone interested in our sector to join this critical discussion. The webinar is part of our series celebrating water professionals for California Water Professionals Appreciation Week. Register today!
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CASA-CWEA Biosolids and Renewable Energy Seminars
We are pleased to announce the return of the ever popular Biosolids and Renewable Energy Seminars, co-hosted by CASA and CWEA. Under the hopeful assumptions that the worst of the pandemic is in our rearview mirror, travel restrictions are not in place and venues are open, these seminars will be held, with thanks to our hosts, on October 13th at the San Francisco Regional Water Board office in Oakland and October 14th at the City of Los Angeles Hyperion Wastewater treatment plant. The agenda will be identical at each location. Registration and the agenda can be found here, we hope to see you there!
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CAAWEF Leadership Summit and Fundraiser
Save the date for the California African American Water Education Foundation’s (CAAWEF), Second Annual Leadership Summit and Fundraiser on Friday, November 19, in Long Beach, CA.
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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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