UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
                                                                          WSG 148
                                                     Date Signed: November 29, 20(11
MEMORANDUM

SUBJECT:    Expense Reimbursement Grants for The Operator Certification Program

FROM:       Clive Davies, Acting Chief
             Drinking Water Protection Branch

TO:   *      Drinking Water Program Managers
             Regions I-X

      The purpose of this memorandum is to provide clarifying information on the process of
awarding Operator Certification         Reimbursement Grants (ERGs) to States. I hope the
following key pieces of information help as you award      grants.

      States must receive EPA approval of their operator certification programs before they can
apply for an ERG, This is not a concern for most States        Regions have approved  forty-
one State operator certification programs. Regions I, IV, V, VI, and VHI have approved
programs for all of their States,

      The Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water at headquarters must concur on award
of the first State ERG application in     Region.  In contrast to Primacy Revision Applications,,
the Office of Enforcement and Office of General Counsel at headquarters do not play a role in
this concurrence.  The Regional Administrator or the Water Division Director, if the Region
chooses to delegate the signature authority, can award the remaining ERGs without headquarters
concurrence.

      Congratulations to Region V for being the first Region to award a» ERG. Region I and
Region X plan to award ERGs by the end of this calendar year.

      We expect that a total of almost SI 35  million will be available as grants to States for
ERGsJty      year 2003, So far, we have set      $74,934,000 for the ERG program from
     year 1999 through fiscal year 2001 Drinking Water      Revolving Fund (DWSRF)
appropriations. Funds from these years are now resident in Regional accounts and are available.
for award to States, We have received an additional $30 million as part of the fiscal year 2002
DWSRF appropriation. We will re-prograrn these funds to Regional accounts soon.

       States may apply for ERGs based on their allotment of the foil $135 million.  However,
until the full amount of fending is available, we will award partial ERG grant amounts, As
future Rinds become available, ERGs will be amended to increase their funding level.

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