LGAC Small Community Advisory Subcommittee (SCAS)
Notes from SCAS Teleconference
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
4:00-4:30 pm (ET)
SCAS Participants:
Commissioner Robert Cope, Chair
County Administrator Brian Fulton, Vice-Chair
Mayor Bob Dixson
Mr. William Youngblood
Council Member Mervin Wright
Commissioner Libby Szabo
Supervisor Ryan Sundberg
Mr. Tom Willsey
Mayor Jose Carlos Aponte Dalmau
Commissioner Dennis Scott
LGAC Participant:
Ms. Susan Hann, LGAC Water Workgroup
EPA Participants:
Jack Bowles, Director of State and Local Relations
Cristina Mercurio, DFO for SCAS
Maggie Sauerhage, Office of Public Affairs
Chitra Kumar; Office of Revitalizing Communities
Members of the Public:
Miss Brandon Allen, Government Relations Manager, International Association of Fire Chiefs
Evan Branosky, Program Manager, Environmental Policy, National Association of Home Builders
Suzanne Yohannon, Reporter, Inside EPA
David LaRoss, Reporter, Inside EPA
Ariel Wittenberg, Reporter, E&E News
Elizabeth Wefel, Senior Attorney/Lobbyist, Flaherty and Hood, P.A., St. Paul, M
Frank Sturges, Student at the Environmental Law & Policy Clinic, Harvard Law School
Whitney Glaccum, Environmental Analyst, Enterprise Engineering and Environmental Solutions
A. Hope Sheils, Research Professional Public Strategies, Cozen O'Connor

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LGAC Small Community Advisory Subcommittee (SCAS)
Motes
4:00 pm- 4:05 pm	Introduction/Welcome
Commissioner Robert Cope, Chair
County Administrator Brian Fulton, Vice-chair
• Chair Cope opened the meeting by welcoming the participants and asking for everyone
to introduce themselves. He then proceeded to review the agenda (attached) and
conduct roll call.
EPA Updates
Jack Bowles, Director of State and Local Relations
•	Chair Cope introduced Jack Bowles, Director of the State and Local Government
Relations within EPA's Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs, to provide
an update from EPA.
•	Mr. Bowles thanked the SCAS Members for their contribution to the PFAS Report which
he described as containing sharp and concise points which are timely in terms of the
input to EPA as it develops its approach on PFAS issues. In addition, Mr. Bowles
mentioned;
o Clean Truck Initiative: A multi-year effort announced by Acting Administrator
Wheeler to address heavy-duty vehicle emissions for which standards have not
be updated since 2001.
o Water Infrastructure Finance Innovation Act (WIFIA) Loans: EPA announced 39
projects which are invited to apply for $5 billion in WIFIA loans and will result in
$10 billion investment in projects and the creation of the thousands of jobs
o Waters of the United States (WOTUS): Proposal is still under review by OMB and
going through interagency review. EPA is eager that this process results in
simplified and understandable approach for local governments and other
stakeholders.
o America Recycles Day: Acting Administrator Wheeler will be hosting a range of
stakeholders on November 15, 2018, around sustainable materials management
issues.

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LGAC Small Community Advisory Subcommittee (SCAS)
4:05 pm- 4:10 pm	Draft PFAS Report
Subcommittee Discussion
•	Chair Cope opened the discussion by talking about the issue of affordability related to
addressing PFAS contamination in small communities. A one-size-fits-all regulatory
approach due to the per capita costs does not work.
•	Mayor Dixon agreed with Chair Cope's summation of the issues and congratulated his
fellow members on the work that the SCAS put into the PFAS Report.
•	Mr. Brian Fulton concurred with both Chair Cope and Mayor Dixon's remarks.
•	The draft PFAS Report and transmission letter were approved by SCAS as written.
4:10 pm- 4:15 pm	Public Comment
•	Chair Cope asked for any comments from participating members of the public. There
were no comments
4:15 pm- 4:20 pm	Draft WOTUS Letter
Subcommittee Discussion
•	Chair Cope opened the discussion by recounting the feedback that LGAC provided on
the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Rulemaking proposals back in 2013-14
indicating at that stage the LGAC pushed for clarity and the need for understandable
definitions, as well as the need to spell out specific exemptions. The LGAC
recommendations from 2014 still stand and are reiterated in the current WOTUS letter.
If followed, they would eliminate a lot of uncertainty.
•	Mr. William Youngblood strongly agreed with the need for clarity.
•	Mr. Tom Willsey asked about impacts on construction of ditches to address flooding.
•	Mr. Bowles indicated that the WOTUS Rulemaking proposal went to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) as a part of the interagency review process and
confirmed that for many stakeholders the question of how a ditch is defined under
WOTUS is a key issue. He was confident that whatever was submitted to OMB
addressed the concerns raised around ditches.
•	Chair Cope thought that better definitions around these issues will reduce litigation.

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LGAC Small Community Advisory Subcommittee (SCAS)
•	Ms. Susan Hann, LGAC Water Workgroup, indicated she supported the draft WOTUS
letter as it stands.
•	Chair Cope requested and received approval from the SCAS to submit the WOTUS letter
to EPA as written.
4:20 pm- 4:25 pm	Informal Presentation of Draft EPA Community
Revitalization Strategy Charge
Chitra Kumar, Director, Federal and State Division,
OP/OCR
•	Chair Cope introduced Chitra Kumar, Director of the Federal and State Division in EPA's
Office of Community Revitalization (OCR), to make a brief presentation on the draft
Community Revitalization Charge which was presented to the LGAC/Community
Revitalization Workgroup on November 1, 2018.
•	Ms. Kumar provided a brief history of OCR which has been in existence for two decades
under various names and has allowed EPA to develop understanding and expertise
around issues facing local, small communities and rural areas related to health issues
and environmental impacts to land, air and water.
o OCR works together with communities to support locally-driven strategies.
o She mentioned some of OCR's programs, including those around local food,
health centers and recreation/tourism.
¦ EPA has worked with the Appalachian Regional Commission and towns in
New Mexico.
o Through the draft Community Revitalization Charge (attached), EPA is asking for
feedback on the focus of EPA's community revitalization programs, whether
members have suggestions for additional areas of focus, what unique challenges
arise for small communities around these approaches and whether there are
case studies that SCAS members or their network could provide that
demonstrate how to build the economy of small communities while protecting
health and the environment.
•	Chair Cope thanked Ms. Kumar for her presentation.
4:25 pm-4:30 pm
Wrap Up and Next Steps
Commissioner Robert Cope, Chair

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LGAC Small Community Advisory Subcommittee (SCAS)
•	In wrapping up, Chair Cope asked the members who would be attending the face-to-
face LGAC Meeting on January 10-11, 2019. The following members indicated they
would be attending;
o Chair Cope
o County Administrator Brian Fulton, Vice-Chair
o Mr. William Youngblood
o Council Member Mervin Wright
o Commissioner Libby Szabo
o Mr. Tom Willsey
o Supervisor Ryan Sundberg
o Commissioner Dennis Scott
•	In terms of new topics, Chair Cope raised the issue of forest fires and the environmental
impacts on air, water and land and the idea of getting EPA involved in the National
Cohesive Wildfire Strategy.
o Mr. William Youngblood raised the issue of flooding which is a challenge around
Pittsburgh, OH, and has caused multiple deaths. He pointed out the challenge of
trying to get permits to address the capacity of streams and rivers. It takes ten
years to get a permit from EPA and the State Department of Environmental
Protection.
o Chair Cope agreed and advocated the need to get a response to permit requests
within 60 to 90 days.
o Mr. Ryan Sandberg raised the issue of smart growth approaches and how these
approaches can make it more difficult to develop rural areas.
4:30 pm	Adjournment
Commissioner Robert Cope, Chair
• Chair Cope thanked all the participants and adjourned the conference cal
Attachments:
1)	Agenda for SCAS November 14, 2018, Teleconference Call
2)	Draft Charge for LGAC/Revitalizing Communities Workgroup on EPA's Office of
Policy/Revitalizing Communities Strategy

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LGAC Small Community Advisory Subcommittee (SCAS)
We hereby certify that, to the best of our knowledge, the foregoing minutes are accurate and
complete.
Respectfully submitted:
/ s
Dr. Robert Cope Chairman	Date: 12/12/18
Local Government Advisory Committee's Small Community
Advisory Subcommittee
Cristina Mercurio	Date: 12/12/18
Designated Federal Officer
Local Government Advisory Committee's Small Community
Advisory Subcommittee
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

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LGAC Small Community Advisory Subcommittee (SCAS)
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
4:00-4:30 pm (ET)
Call in number-1-866-299-3188, Conference Code- 202-564-3115#
LGAC Small Community Advisory Subcommittee (SCAS) Members:
Commissioner Robert Cope, Chair
Secretary Jeff Witte
Chairman Shawn Yanity
Councilor Andy Beerman
Council Member Mervin Wright
Mr. William Youngblood
Mr. Tom Willsey
Mr. Brian Holier
Mayor Jose Carlos Aponte Dalmau
County Administrator Brian Fulton, Vice-Chair
Supervisor Ryan Sundberg
Mayor Bob Dixson
Mr. Rodney Bartlett
Commissioner Libby Szabo
Ms. Susan Lessard
Commissioner Dennis Scott
Commissioner Carvel Lewis
SCAS Agenda
4:00 pm- 4:05 pm
Introduction/Welcome
Commissioner Robert Cope, Chair
County Administrator Brian Fulton, Vice-chair
EPA Updates
Jack Bowles, Director, State and Local Relations
4:05 pm- 4:10 pm
Draft PFAS Report
Subcommittee Discussion
4:10 pm- 4:15 pm
4:15 pm- 4:20 pm
Public Comment
Draft WOTUS Letter
Subcommittee Discussion
4:20 pm- 4:25 pm
Informal Presentation of Draft EPA Community
Revitalization Strategy Charge

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LGAC Small Community Advisory Subcommittee (SCAS)
Matthew Da I bey, Director, Office of Community
Revitalization (ORC), Office of Policy (OP) or
Chitra Kumar, Director, Federal and State Division,
OP/ORC
4:25 pm-4:30 pm	Wrap Up and Next Steps
Commissioner Robert Cope, Chair
4:30 pm
Adjournment
Commissioner Robert Cope, Chair

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LGAC Small Community Advisory Subcommittee (SCAS)
EPA's Local Government Advisory Committee's (LGAC) Revitalizing Communities Workgroup
About the LGAC-The LGAC is a federally chartered advisory committee made up of elected and appointed officials
of state, local and tribal government. The LGAC provides advice and recommendations on key agency priorities of
environmental and public health that impact local government and communities.
Charge for LGAC/Revitalizing Communities Workgroup:
Review of EPA's Community Revitalization Strategy
Background:
EPA's Office of Policy (OP) under the Office of the Administrator is the primary policy arm of EPA and
works to support EPA priorities and enhance decision-making. This office provides multi-disciplinary
analysis and special expertise in a variety of areas, including community revitalization. OP's Office of
Community Revitalization (OCR) supports locally led, community-driven efforts to revitalize local
economies and improve environmental and human health outcomes.
To accomplish this work, OCR collaborates with other EPA programs, federal agencies, regional, state,
and local governments, and a broad array of nongovernmental and private-sector partners to bring
additional resources to communities and to leverage public and private sector investments. Assistance is
provided at the community's request on issues such as reuse and redevelopment of abandoned and
underused properties; diversifying economies and revitalizing main streets through local and regional
food systems, broadband infrastructure investments, health care organizations, tourism and other
community assets; disaster recovery and resilience and green and compete street designs.
Helping communities reuse existing buildings and infrastructure and revitalize neighborhoods brings
economic and quality of life benefits while also using resources wisely, preserving undeveloped
farmland and open space, and reducing pollution. Over the past 20 years, OCR has supported more than
600 projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands through a
variety programs, such as:
•	Local Foods, Local Places (https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/local-foods-local-places):
•	Healthy Places for Healthy People (https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/healthv-places-healthy-
people);
•	Cool & Connected (https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/cool-connected);
•	Greening America's Communities (https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/greening-americas-
communjties);
•	Produces tools, research, case studies and other information on a variety of topics;
•	Shares examples of community strategies and projects that can be models for other places; and
•	Convenes diverse interests to encourage better growth and development.

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LGAC Small Community Advisory Subcommittee (SCAS)
Charge:
EPA is seeking the advice and perspective of the LGAC's Revitalizing Communities Work Group and Small
Community Advisory Subcommittee on EPA's approach with respect to supporting community
revitalization and improving human health and the environment. Areas for LGAC feedback include:
1)	Review and advise on EPA Office of Community Revitalization's programs and strategies - EPA offers
on-the-ground technical assistance, publications, research, and tools that communities can use to set
goals and make more informed decisions about how and where they grow and redevelop. OCR's
technical assistance program started with local economic drivers like local food, healthcare, and broad
band access, and hope to expand to other assets, like tourism and light manufacturing. OCR also works
on infrastructure needs and barriers, such as disaster recovery and resilience, green infrastructure,
complete streets, equitable development, and reusing vacant properties. Are there additional areas
that EPA should consider? Which areas of support are of greatest need/interest? What are key
measures of success?
2)	Advise on gaining access to capital to implement community visions- EPA programs on community
revitalization focus on provision of assistance in developing community-driven visions and support
planning efforts that help communities diversify their economies. Once communities use this assistance
to develop plans, how can they best access capital to implement the actions and projects that emerge?
Other than funding, how can the Federal government and EPA be more supportive of overcoming
barriers to achieving community goals? Are there good examples of how communities have made
significant progress?
3)	Case studies that demonstrate success around community revitalization planning approaches and
environmental impacts - EPA is interested in hearing from local leaders about keys to success in how
they have developed revitalization plans around any of our priority areas, and how they were able to
successfully access investment to implement those plans, resulting in more vibrant, thriving,
environmentally sustainable neighborhoods.
Proposal; The LGAC Revitalizing Communities Workgroup proposes to convene Workgroup meetings to
engage local officials in providing recommendations based on their unique perspectives as state, local
and tribal elected and appointed officials. This input may include:
•	Ongoing and robust dialogue with EPA on programmatic approaches focused on revitalizing
communities
•	Local government perspective on focus recommendations (above)
•	Ideas for working with communities from the perspective of local governments

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LGAC Small Community Advisory Subcommittee (SCAS)
Details of the LGAC Workgroup Meetings
Proposed Meeting(s): The LGAC Revitalizing Communities Workgroup proposes to convene a series of
workgroup meetings to gather information on a wide perspective of issues from large, urban cities; rural
counties; tribal communities; and small and disadvantaged communities. The Workgroup will also
convene a face to face public meeting to discuss the charge and outline a strategy for accomplishing it.
The Workgroup will convene monthly teleconference calls to provide ongoing consultation as needed.
Deliverables: The Workgroup will participate in ongoing consultations with EPA's Office of Policy/Office
of Community Revitalization on individual recommendations of Members detailing their findings and
recommendations related to its charge. If consensus advice is desired or needed on issues they can be
discharged to the Full Committee to provide consensus advice and recommendations (pursuant to
FACA). In addition, either the Revitalizing Communities Workgroup and/or the SCAS will submit a letter
of recommendation responding to the charge and the questions therein, including providing case
studies on successful approaches.

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