After serving three years at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water Radhika Fox recently announced that she will depart the agency at the end of February.
Appointed by President Joe Biden and confirmed with bipartisan support by the U.S. Senate, Fox spearheaded EPA’s agenda to protect American communities from water pollution while embedding equity and environmental justice across its Office of Water programs. Fox has led EPA’s effort to implement billions of dollars of funding secured by President Biden under his Investing in America agenda to tackle water pollution from lead and PFAS, while advancing regulations to ensure every American has access to clean and safe water and can enjoy America’s natural resources.
Navajo Tribal Utility Authority Agrees to Treatment Improvements
The U.S. EPA announced a settlement with the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority to improve wastewater treatment at its Chinle, Kayenta, and Tuba City facilities in Arizona. NTUA has agreed to a Partial Consent Decree that requires wastewater treatment upgrades that will total approximately $100 million and aims to improve compliance with the facilities’ Clean Water Act permits. These upgrades will impact approximately 20,000 individuals across four communities within Navajo Nation.
Based on findings from EPA inspections and reports submitted by NTUA, the U.S. states in their complaint that NTUA violated its Clean Water Act permits by regularly discharging wastewater that had not been treated to the required permit standards, and by failing to properly operate and maintain the facilities’ sewer systems to prevent sewage spills.
The Partial Consent Decree requires NTUA to improve the performance of its existing treatment plants in the short term, and to construct new treatment plants over the longer term.
New York to See $325 Million in Water Infrastructure Grants
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul recently announced $325 million in grants is available for clean water infrastructure projects through the next round of the State's Water Infrastructure Improvement and Intermunicipal Grant programs.
“New York is committed to funding water infrastructure upgrades because every person has a right to clean water,” Hochul says. “With this additional funding for communities across the state, we are providing critical resources to local economies, creating jobs and safeguarding the health and well-being of all New Yorkers.”
This round of WIIA/IMG boasts improvements announced as part of Hochul’s 2024 State of the State to maximize benefits for rural and disadvantaged communities. Read more about it here.
