On December 11, 2018, the EPA and Department of the Army proposed a clear, understandable, and implementable definition of "waters of the United States" that clarifies federal authority under the Clean Water Act. The agencies’ proposal is the second step in a two-step process to review and revise the definition of “waters of the United States” consistent with the February 2017 Presidential Executive Order entitled “Restoring the Rule of Law, Federalism, and Economic Growth by Reviewing the ‘Waters of the United States’ Rule.” The proposed definition would replace the approach in the 2015 Rule and the pre-2015 regulations.

The agencies will take comment on the proposal for 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.

https://www.epa.gov/wotus-rule/proposed-revised-definition-wotus-factsheets

https://www.epa.gov/wotus-rule/revised-definition-waters-united-states-proposed-rule

Revised Definition of "Waters of the United States" Proposed Rule - Pre-publication Version (PDF)(253 pp, 1 MB)

Apply for a Jim Roberts Scholarship
Application deadline is November 30

NAEP is still receiving applications for the Jim Robert Scholarship. This scholarship was established in 2008 to honor Jim Roberts, an early and influential NAEP member who held several leadership roles.

Scholarship winners receive $1,000 to offset education expenses, as well as a pre-paid, year-long NAEP membership! Applicants must be enrolled in an environmental program at an accredited university or college in the United States, its territories, or Canada.

Application Instructions

Simply go through the following application form and fill in each appropriate item. Save the document to your hard drive then submit (by email) this form—along with all other required information for your nomination package—to Chuck Nicholson at cpnicholson53@gmail.com.
Application Form

A federal judge in South Carolina has issued an injunction to block the Trump administration's move to delay a clean water rule intended to prevent pollution from being released into bodies of water like creeks, lakes and streams.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/federal-court-reinstates-clean-water-rule-delayed-trump/story?id=57222558

The U.S. Army released a memorandum taking initial steps to empower States and tribes in assuming Section 404 permit authority under the Clean Water Act (CWA). In taking on this authority, States and tribes can accelerate job-creating economic development and infrastructure, all while continuing to protect the environment. To read the full story, visit:
https://www.army.mil/article/209359/army_issues_memorandum_to_empower_states_tribes_in_their_permitting_authority

The Environmental Protection Agency  and the Department of the Army are issuing a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking to the July 2017 proposed action to repeal the 2015 definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS).  Read the supplemental proposal.

The NC Aquatic Data Hub is hosting a series of training workshops across the state on stream monitoring methods. To register: http://ncaquaticdatahub.org/workshops/

Who should attend? Anyone who engages or is interested in engaging citizen scientists in monitoring streams. Participants will learn about and practice methods that NCADH recommends for citizen stream monitoring.

Dates and locations offered:

Piedmont: May 7 and 8 at Umstead State Park, Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh
Western North Carolina: May 22 and 23 at Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa
Eastern North Carolina: June 6 and 7 Edgecombe Cooperative Extension, Tarboro

Each workshop will take place over two days and will consist of both classroom and in-the-stream components each day. Participants can register for day 1, day 2, or both days:

Day 1: 9am – 6pm – Monitoring best practices, habitat assessment, and Tier 1 and Tier 2 chemical/physical monitoring.
Day 2:  9am – 4pm – Tier 2 Bacteria sampling and Tier 1 macroinvertebrate monitoring.

CLICK HERE for the full agenda for each day.

Tier 2 benthic macroinvertebrate monitoring for program leaders will be taught in a separate, two day workshop hosted by the Environmental Quality Institute. More information about the Tier 2 macro workshop is coming soon!

For a review of the NCADH monitoring tiers, click here

The North Carolina Aquatic Data Hub is a new initiative for connecting aquatic monitoring efforts across the state in order to better understand the condition of North Carolina's waters and to maintain and improve them. NCADH is providing resources and training for new groups and existing organizations to contribute to and access a statewide network of aquatic data. Funding is provided by Z Smith Reynolds Foundation.

For more information about the NCADH, visit http://ncaquaticdatahub.org/

Environmental Tech Summit: Improving Our Environment with Modern Technology

Thursday April 26, 2018

8am – 5:30pm EDT

https://envirotechsummit.org/

Location:

Devolve

304 Glenwood Ave

Raleigh, NC 27603

The Summit is designed to introduce engineers, scientists, technical and other professional in the environmental industry to the latest software and hardware solutions, and to the people tackling big environmental problems.

DISCOVER the latest apps, smart IoT devices, drone use cases, mapping technologies, field data collection systems, reporting automation, big data uses, and other modern tools and techniques.

CONNECT with environmental professionals, tech developers, hardware engineers, and scientists to learn and create solutions for your projects and problem sets!

EARN NC Professional Development Hours (PDHs) for Engineers.

Sponsorship opportunities available!

For more information please contact: Nicholas A. Moran, PG

CoFounder & Geologist (namoran@gmail.com)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wilmington District (Corps) and the N.C. Division of Water Resources (DWR) have developed an online Pre-Construction Notification (PCN) form that can be used in lieu of the paper PCN form. This online form will be available for use by all applicants starting February 1, 2018. The Corps and DWR will hold three webinars to introduce the online PCN process, including a review of the PCN form, demonstrations of how to use the form, and a question/answer session. Each training session will have staff on hand from the mountain, piedmont or coastal region to help answer questions.

•    January 11, 2018 from 9:00-11:00 am (mountain region focus)
•    January 18, 2018 from 9:00-11:00 am (piedmont region focus)
•    January 25, 2018 from 9:00-11:00 am (coastal region focus)

To register for one of the webinars, please complete the form found online:
https://edocs.deq.nc.gov/Forms/PCN_Registration. If you have any questions, please contact
Beverly Strickland by email at bev.strickland@ncdenr.gov or call 919-707-8789.

Registration for the 2018 National Association of Environmental Professionals 43^rd Annual Conference is now open! The conference is hosted by the national affiliate Northwest Chapter (NWAEP), and will be held on March 11-14, 2018, in Tacoma, Washington. Early registration rates are effective through January 15, 2018. Visit the conference website for more information on key note speakers, workshops, schedules, sponsors, and registration: https://naep.memberclicks.net/2018-conference

A good summary of NCDEQ's in-lieu fee program (Division of Mitigation Services) via a FHWA Case Study webinar that was held yesterday.  The webinar can be viewed at https://connectdot.connectsolutions.com/p4qw9hzqvtk/

Summary is  at: https://www.environment.fhwa.dot.gov/ecological/ImplementingEcoLogicalApproach/Case_Study_NCDEQ.asp