{
  "id": "RL32384",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL32384",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 304328,
      "date": "2005-05-24",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-07T19:44:02.600029",
      "title": "EPA's Proposed Policy on Wastewater Blending: Background and Issues",
      "summary": "In November 2003 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a policy concerning\na\nwastewater treatment practice called blending. The policy was intended to clarify when the practice\ncan be allowed and still adhere to Clean Water Act regulations and requirements. Some cities use\nblending to manage peak flows of water and waste into wastewater treatment plants during and after\nstorms as a way to prevent conditions that otherwise result in raw sewage backups into homes and\nother buildings or overflows into nearby waters. Blending involves routing excess wastewater\naround the plant's biological treatment processes and recombining this excess flow with fully treated\nwastewater before discharging it to a stream or lake. \n Although blending has been standard engineering practice for several decades as a way to\nmanage peak stormwater flows, controversy exists about the practice, both among stakeholder\ngroups and also internally at EPA, where enforcement officials have challenged the practice and in\nsome cases opposed allowing cities to use it. Others at EPA believe that, with certain restrictions,\nthe practice is legal and environmentally protective. Controversies and uncertainties led EPA to\nannounce on May 19, 2005, that it will not finalize the policy that it proposed in 2003.\n This report provides background on blending, why and how it is practiced, the proposed policy\nthat EPA now says it will not finalize, associated issues, and congressional interest in the topic. It\nwill be updated as warranted.\n Criticism of blending focuses on three concerns: legality of the practice, impacts on public\nhealth and the environment, and other policy issues. A number of groups and interests weighed in\non all of these issues, especially in comments on the November 2003 proposed policy. \nEnvironmental advocates say that the practice of blending is inconsistent with existing rules that\nprohibit intentional bypass of a treatment facility. These groups have also raised substantial concern\nabout public health and environmental impacts from discharges of wastes that contain pathogenic\norganisms. Many cities and municipal organizations supported the EPA policy and practice of\nblending, saying that if cities are barred from blending, they are forced to make costly infrastructure\ninvestments, with limited benefit. While a number of states supported the EPA policy, others\nopposed it for reasons including concern that the policy would undermine incentives for cities to\nremedy the infrastructure problems that result in sewage overflows.\n In Congress, these issues have drawn some attention. In January 2004, Members with differing\nviews wrote to EPA to express concerns about the proposed policy. A House subcommittee held\na hearing on the topic in April 2005. Legislation intended to bar EPA from issuing blending rules\nor guidance has been introduced in the 109th Congress ( H.R. 1126 ). Also, in acting on\nFY2006 appropriations for EPA ( H.R. 2361 ), the House adopted an amendment\nprohibiting EPA from using funds to finalize or implement the 2003 proposed blending policy.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": false,
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          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL32384",
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      "topics": []
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc821594/",
      "id": "RL32384_2005Feb14",
      "date": "2005-02-14",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "EPA\u2019s Proposed Policy on Wastewater Blending: Background and Issues",
      "summary": "In November 2003 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a policy regarding a type of wastewater treatment practice called blending. Some cities use blending to manage peak flows of water and waste into wastewater treatment plants during and after storms as a way to prevent conditions that otherwise result in raw sewage backups into homes and other buildings or overflows into nearby waters. This report provides background on blending, why and how it is practiced, EPA\u2019s proposed policy, associated issues, and congressional interest in the topic.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
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          "format": "PDF",
          "filename": "files/20050214_RL32384_fca54e2b800c10595f4871eb153c10709be66c0e.pdf"
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          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20050214_RL32384_fca54e2b800c10595f4871eb153c10709be66c0e.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Sewage disposal",
          "name": "Sewage disposal"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Sewage treatment plants",
          "name": "Sewage treatment plants"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Waste water treatment",
          "name": "Waste water treatment"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Appropriations",
    "Energy Policy",
    "Environmental Policy"
  ]
}