June 2007
United States
Environmental Protection
EP Agency New England
Environmental News in New England
ZL JJJ 4
S S S S • S S S S • • S • S • • S S • S S S • • S •
Investing in Your Water
Just because it’s out of sight, doesn’t
mean you can afford to keep it out of
mind. The infrastructure on which New
England cities and towns are built and
run—water distribution and treatment
systems—are systems whose services
citizens rely upon daily. with little
consideration for how they are run or
maintained. These services are easy to
forget and are often taken for granted.
running faithfully below our feet dai-
ly, out of our line of sight.
This vital infrastructure is aging
and deteriorating across the country,
especially in New England where
we have water treatment and distri-
bution systems more than 100 years
old. Economic and population growth
are placing increasing demands on
these systems, at the same time com-
munities are faced with competing
& Wastewater System
4
demands and diminishing resources.
EPA’s 2002 Clean Water and Drink-
ing Water Infrastructure Gap Analysis
found that the United States faces a
shortfall of S500 billion in infrastruc-
ture investment by 2020.
On April 30 & May 1, 2007. the
US EPA Regions 1 and 2 convened for
a Sustainable Infrastructure Forum in
Groton, CT to examine ways for cit-
ies and towns to improve infrastruc-
ture efficiency and explore innovative
means for funding improvements, es-
tablishing leadership models to pro-
mote investment and to examine the
continued on page 2
ers spend close to S 1 billion each year to
heat, cool and light municipal facilities.
As the price of energy continues to rise,
improving energy efficiency can help
New England communities cut energy
costs and protect the environment.
To help communities become more
energy efficient, EPA recently launched
the Community Energy Challenge. The
Community Energy Challenge is an
accessible and achievable way to help
communities in New England cut ener-
gy costs through efficiency and explore
renewable energy sources. By joining
Join the Community Energy Challenge!
Is your town sending tax dollars out
the window because of inefficient
buildings? With some of the highest en-
ergv costs in the nation, New England-
INSIDE
• Energy Challenge
• Investing in Wastewafer
• No Discharge Areas
• Water Infrastructure DVD
• Urban River Restoration
• Harmful Sewage Overflow
• $ 1 8 Mu for Brownfields
• This is an opportunity/br municipal-
ities acmss .\‘cu’ England to identify
simple and cost-effective measures
that increase ene, y efficiency as
we/i as increase the use of renewable
ene ’g ’ resources. And the pavof / fbr
participating can be big!’
—Robert W. Varney
Administrator. EPA New England
continued on page 2

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(cont.) Invest
role that energy efficiency might play
The conference presented four pillars
of sustainability which provide a foun-
dation for improved infrastructure
I Better Management
2 Full Cost Pricing
3 Water Efficiency
4 Watershed Approaches
The conference discussed and
acknowledged that a band-aid ap-
proach—waiting for things to break
and then attempting to repair them one
by one—is costly, both environmen-
tally and economically Well planned
replacement and rehabilitation of aging
pipes, pumps stations and treatment
plants to meet or exceed environmen-
tal standards
The conference sought to identify
innovative financing solutions, effec-
ti ye communications approaches, and
the role of energy used in treatment
It resulted in the identification of four
priority areas
I Institutionalize sustainable infra-
structure practices throughout state
revolving fund programs
2 Explore opportunities for regional
models of governance
3 Initiate an outreach campaign on
sustainable infrastructure
4 Reduce energy use and improve
efficiency
Leadership driven communica-
tion efforts to inform the public
about the importance of sustainable
water systems for their health and
environment, including explanatory
inserts in bills, will help the public
understand the value of this impor-
tant public asset
Thank you to Dannel Malloy,
Mayor of Stamford, CT; Bruce To-
bey, VP, Mass Municipal Associa-
tion, Michael Sullivan, Mayor of
Holyoke, MA, Mark Oefinger, Town
Manager, Groton, CT and the many
other local government contribu-
tors to this important conference Visit
www.epa gov/wateri nfrastructure/ +
Consider that $1 .50
buysa l6oz.
bottled water or 350
gallons of tap water in
New England.
— NEIWPCC, 2006
(cont.) Energy
Fixed costs like eneigy are a real budget-busier for fiscally s/i apped cities like
Somerville For us, reducing our energy usage is not only repsonsible heal//i policy
but a/so sound fiscal management The EPA Community Energy Challenge provides
us the tools and support we need to track our progress on this important initiative
—Joseph Curtatone
Mayor. Somerville, MA
‘Hamden is proud to be the first municipality in Connecticut to commit to EPA
Energy Challenge I see tins program as a critical step to reduce greenhouse gas
em iSS ions throughout iVei i’ England”
the Challenge, each town agrees
to work towards reducing their
building energy use by at least
10%—though many are com-
mitted to 20 and even 30%
How can your community
reduce energy use 9 Find out
now, by joining the Communi-
ty Energy Challenge Commu-
nities that sign onto the chal-
lenge receive help and support
from EPA New England and
EPA ENERGY STAR® through
free training and technical as-
sistance in energy management
and benchmarking
Reduce energy use, save
money, and conserve natural
resources by joining the Com-
munity Energy Challenge
Please visit www epa gov/re-
gion 1/eco/energy/energy-chal-
lenge html, and click “Take the
Challenge” today’ +
—Craig Henrici
Mayor. Town of Hamden, CT
“The City of Rochester is excited to participate in EPA c Energy Challenge We are
committed to protecting the environment and reducing enemgv use Plus, our city
council always wants to save money
—John Scruton
City Manager, Rochester, NH
To participate:
• Make a commitment to improve energy efficiency
• Assess—benchmark—the energy performance of all municipal buildings, schools
and/or drinking water and waste water treatment facilities in the community
• Set a goal to reduce energy use by 10% or more
• Return a Community Energy Challenge form letter to EPA New England
• Promote energy efficiency and renewables to citizens, companies and organizations
in the community
—2—

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Harmful Sewage Overflow:
A Consequence of Unsustainable Infrastructure
Sanitary Sewage Overflows, a prob-
lem faced by many towns, contribute
to beach and shellfish bed closures,
claims and complaints from flooded
homeowners. Caused by breakdowns
in the system of pipes. pumps and
other parts of a town’s infrastructure,
when a SSO occurs, ra sewaue is
released from the \ astewater collec-
tion system and often times ends up in
streets, basements or surface waters.
Costly property damage is likely to
be the result, as well as risk to public
health due to bacteria in the water and
mildew that grows after flooding.
The most common cause of SSOs
is inadequate maintenance of a city or
town’s waste water system. The good
Implementation
of preventative
maintenance
programs has
been shown to
significantly reduce
the frequency and
volume of sewage
overflows.
news is you can prevent overflows.
Implementation of preventative main-
tenance programs has been shown to
significantly reduce the frequency and
volume of these discharges.
EPA is combining assistance, train-
ing and enforcement to address SSOs.
EPA efforts will help municipalities
identify and prevent problems with
the operation and maintenance of
their wastewater collection infrastruc-
ture and will also provide them with
guidance on how to develop long-term
management and investment plans for
future protection.
Find out more about SSOs and
CSOs at: www.epa.gov/regionl SSO
New England States Receive $18 Million for Brownfields
EPA recently awarded S70.7 million
dollars in funding for Brownfield
grants nationwide, including Sl8
million dedicated to New England
projects.
Brownfields are sites where expan-
sion, redevelopment, or reuse may be
complicated by the presence or poten-
tial presence of a hazardous substance,
pollutant, or contaminant. EPA grants
help pay to assess, clean and redevel-
op these sites and transform them into
public facilities, including housing or
open spaces for recreation.
The Sl8 million awarded to New
England was given for both assessment
and clean-up. A total of 80 grants were
given to 53 towns, cities and other re-
cipients. These grants were distributed
amongst the states with 33 in Massa-
chusetts, 17 in Connecticut, 10 in New
Hampshire, 8 in Rhode Island, 7 in
Vermont and 5 in Maine.
For more information, go to
www.epa.gov/region I brownfields
whatsnew.htm.
In 2006. Broit’,,fields grants fll l /L’ it possible to perfbr,n major asbestos USSt”.sl?iL’n!
and cleanup of a .Vas/wa, VH site. It al/o t’ed i/ic much needed expansion ala p0/ni/al’
Sc/liar center a.’ well u. s adding service space and a ho,,singJuciIi v. The 24.000 sq. Ii.
cc/her includes 43 Iwusing units.
—3—

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Eliminating Boat
Discharge Along
the NE Coast
Rhode Island and New Hampshire
prohibit in all coastal waters the dis-
charge of treated and untreated boat
sewage. Connecticut plans to desig-
nate the remaining third of its coast-
line as such this summer. EPA New
England is currently working with
states and municipalities to imple-
ment a strategy to designate the en-
tire New England coastline as a No
Discharge Area.
A No Discharge Area is a des-
ignated body of water that prohib-
its the discharge of treated and tin-
treated boat sewage. Federal Law
prohibits the discharge of untreated
sewage from vessels within three
nautical miles from land.
Under the EPA Clean Water Act.
states may petition for a “No Dis-
charge Area.” EPA reviews seven
requirements in addition to the type
of outreach campaign planned for
mariners. The outreach campaign
of operation and who to call for
assistance.
Communities have come together
in Massachusetts and Maine to des-
ignate adjoining coastlines. In 2006.
_______ Casco Bay in Maine and
the towns of Kingston,
Plymouth and Duxbury
along the Massachusetts’
South Shore earned this
designation.
This spring the Ur-
ban 1-larbors Institute
held a meeting of Bos-
ton Harbor communities
to discern the interest
and viability of pushing
a harbor-wide strategy,
effectively making all of
Boston Harbor a NDA.
The cities of Boston and
Quincy plan to submit
applications this year.
To find out more, check
out www.epa.gov/
region I/topics water
nodischarge.html.
Water Infrastructure DVD Now
Available
Curious about how other local leaders are addressing water infrastructure
issues in their towns? Check out Water Infrastructure: Successful Strat-
egies for Local Leadership, a new DVD by EPA’s Local Government
Advisory Committee which features Gloucester, Massachusetts’s former
mayor. Bruce Tobey.
EPA’s LGAC is an advisory panel chartered under the Federal Adviso-
ry Committee Act to provide the citizens of the nation with more efficient
and effective environmental protection by strengthening the partnership
between local government and EPA. We congratulate Chuck Hafter, City
Manager of South BUrlington, Vermont on his recent appointment to this
important committee.
DVDs are available on a first come first serve basis. If you would like
to reserve a copy, e-mail Fran Eargle at Eargle.Frances epa.gov. or go
to www.epa.gov/waterinfrastructure/lgac_video/index.html to view the
video online.
may include distribution of written
material, visual material, and access
to websites. The information may
inform the public as to where the
pump-out facilities are located, times
Matte.
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in New England
— Current NDA
— 2007-2008
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Urban River Restoration: Promise and Challenge
While some New England communities
have realized the promise ofurban rivers,
turning them into tourist attractions and
recreational destinations, other commu-
nities are still struggling to remedy the
toll taken on them by our rich industrial
heritage. On March 29, 2007. EPA New
England along with the Urban Harbors
Institute held the Promise and Challenge
of Urban Rivers Conference in Boston.
The conference brought together over
330 people, from across New England,
including representatives from all levels
of government, environmental and pub-
lic health advocates, watershed associa-
tions, neighborhood groups, and urban
and regional planners.
The conference covered topics such
as: Urban river success stories, con-
taminated sediments, public access and
urban land conservation, storm water
and illicit connections, urban river res-
toration, monitoring and water quality
report cards as a way to get results for
your river. Conference presentations are
now available on-line, courtesy of the
Center for Watershed Protection. They
can be accessed through the EPA web
site. (epa.gov/ne/urbanrivers)
The conference also provided a fo-
rum to look at common environmental
problems on multiple levels, including
networking with others who share an
interest in a particular river or issue.
Communities also learned a technique
to measure water quality improvement
and explain it to the public in plain lan-
guage—a water quality report card sys-
tem, which has been used effectively on
the Charles and Mystic Rivers in Mas-
sachusetts.
In 1995, Boston’s Charles River
earned a grade D. marginally meeting
swimming and boating standards. To-
day it boasts a B± and meets boating
and swimming standards much of the
time. This is good news for the legions
of college crew teams and recreational
boaters who spend considerable time
on the river. This April, Massachusetts
and EPA New England, have started
a similar report card technique by the
Charles River. and has received an
initial grading of D. Clearly there is
work to be done.
At the conference, EPA New Eng-
land Regional Administrator, Bob
Varney announced a Volunteer Moni-
toring Equipment Loan Program . This
program provides equipment to new or
existing groups who have volunteers
to monitor water quality, in order to
generate well-documented physical,
chemical and biological data for use in
On March 29, 2007, EPA New
England and the Urban Harbors
Institute held the Promise and
Challen . e of Urban Rivers
assessing conditions of the region’s wa-
ters. This year’s applications were due
April 30th and we are targeting urban
groups for equipment loans this year.
To find out more about the equipment
loan program, or to read more about the
conference, visit www.epa.gov/ne/ur-
banrivers/.
i i-
I — I
The mj$e and the
of Urban Rive,
Agenda 4 gisaraijo
- - - ,
uo * .___
Mardi 29, 2007
Conference in Boston.
L
C4 . J 4 R
REPORT CARD
‘03.... ... B
•04
•05 B
‘95 D
‘96 C-
‘97 C
‘98 B
‘99 B
•00 B
‘0 1 B
‘02 B
[ o 1
LBI ]
.4 plain language approach—
a water quality report card
system—has been used effectivel,y
on the Charles and .%ui.vtic Rivers.
J RT1
M Rwe’r 2007 Ev st
—5—

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EPA New England Local Government Office
EPA New England
1 Congress Street
Suite 1100
Boston, MA 02114-2023
phone (617) 918-1021
fax (617) 918-0021
Editors
Douglas Gutro
gutro doug@epa gov
and
Elizabeth Murphy
EPA Contributors
Denny Dart, Lucy Edmondson, Trish Garrigan, Shubhada Kambli, Jackie
Leclair, Ann Rodney, Carol Tucker and Bill White
wwwepa gov/ne EPA9O1R07003
June 2007
Ca printed on 1 00% recycled paper, with a minimum of 50% post-consumer waste, using vegetable based inks
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency New England
I Congress Street
Suite I 100
Boston, MA 02114
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
An Equal Opportunity Employer

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