Rural Water Partnership
Fund Provides Congressional Briefing
Congress’ oversight
authority only works if congressional leaders have a
solid understanding of key issues. So, the Rural Water
Partnership Fund scheduled a congressional briefing last
Thursday and Friday, December 4 and 5 to discuss two
critical whitepapers dealing with hot topics in rural
water.
The purpose of the
briefing was to educate lead staff working with the
Senate Environmental Public Works Committee. The
objective was to provide congress with the results of
the whitepapers and their impact on safe drinking water
in rural America. Two whitepapers were discussed at the
briefing: The Radon MCL for Drinking Water:
Variability, Uncertainty, Precautionary Assumptions, and
Related Benefit – Cost Issues for Small Systems by
Robert S. Raucher, PhD. and Acceptable Risk in the
Criteria to Assess the Affordability of Water Service
by Scott J. Rubin.
While reviewing
Raucher’s paper, the Senate staff learned about safety
factors and how precautionary determinations are made by
the Environmental Protection Agency. The Rubin paper
closed in on the affordability of EPA rules and how EPA
calculates what people can afford in terms of rates.
Mike Keegan, NRWA
Political Analyst stated, “The papers were well
received. Whitepapers and their outcomes educate key
decision makers to analysis results so congress
understands what happens in these key rural water
issues.”
Overall, the Rural
Water Partnership Fund Whitepapers continue to improve
the regulatory process providing the United States with
safe drinking water.
###
Press
Release
December 11, 2003