EPA's Jackson Charts The Course For Cleaner Water
October 10, 2012
By Kevin Westerling, Editor
The head of the U.S. EPA, Lisa Jackson, spoke at North America’s premier water quality event, recounting past successes, identifying current challenges, and charting the path forward for an industry at the crossroads.
Calling it a homecoming, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, a native of New Orleans,
welcomed a packed house of water and wastewater professionals to the
Crescent City for the 85th Annual Water Environment Federation
Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC) last week.
As the keynote speaker for the Water Leaders Summit, a program that
included a panel of industry experts sharing their thoughts on the
future of water, Jackson noted the 40th anniversary of the Clean
Water Act and its successful track record since its introduction on
October 18, 1972. She also talked about the remaining and mounting
challenges for the water industry, with key observations regarding
the path forward.
Before the days of the
Clean Water Act, Jackson recalled that the Cuyahoga River in
Cleveland literally caught fire, Lake Erie was declared dead, and
“you could smell the Potomac River on a hot day” in Washington, D.C.
These bodies of water, and countless others, are now thriving thanks
in large part to the regulations set forth by the Clean Water Act.
“It’s only when you don’t have access to water that you suddenly
realize just how irreplaceable that resource is, and how much the
ecosystem is at the heart of community and economy,” Jackson said.
The work is not complete, however, as even today 8% of Americans do
not have access to water that meets all federal standards. An old
and crumbling infrastructure has much to do with the failure to
reach 100%, and was identified by Jackson as the prevailing issue
for municipalities in North America. Other challenges mentioned were
the financing of municipal projects, dealing with the repercussions
of climate change such as drought and extreme weather, and
protecting water from emerging contaminants derived from
pharmaceuticals and personal care products.
Jackson stressed that the EPA doesn’t want to be a hindrance to
success, as it is sometimes perceived, but a facilitator. “If you’re
not successful, we’re not successful” she said, adding that “the way
forward must be rooted in innovation and new technology.”
Success also hinges on growing the market. Noting that the water
sector constitutes 37% of the U.S. environmental sector’s exports,
Jackson said she was encouraged that the group’s innovative spirit
could marshal the international market for clean water — “because
that’s what we have to bet on moving forward.”
She added that, although it is a private sector initiative, the EPA
is doing its part to promote American ingenuity abroad through the
launch of the
U.S. Environmental Technologies Export Initiative — announced at
WEFTEC by Francisco J. Sánchez, Under Secretary of Commerce for
International Trade, U.S. Department of Commerce. In particular,
Jackson cited the
Water
Technology Innovation Cluster in Cincinnati as a springboard to
environmental technologies that can be utilized the world over.
Scientists there are focused on international issues such as the
rising demand for water, the water-energy nexus, the development of
green infrastructure, and the need for water reuse.
“We must become evangelists for water reuse,” Jackson implored the
audience, referring them to the
2012
Guidelines for Water Reuse recently issued by the EPA. She also
touted the EPA’s
WaterSense
program for strides made in water efficiency, and the
Small
Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program for placing special
emphasis on water topics.
In closing, Jackson reiterated the we’re-all-in-this-together
message, at the same time charting a course of action for the
future: “The best path forward is partnership among all levels — the
private sector, government, nonprofits, and the public. It’s because
of partnership that we’ve made progress over the past 40 years, and
we will not endure without partnership and support.”
Copyright © 1996 - 2012, VertMarkets, Inc. All rights reserved. To subscribe or visit go to: http://www.wateronline.com