EPA is sending signals that it is willing to work with cities and other local governments by taking a different path to ensuring compliance with municipal stormwater and wastewater regulations. Primarily, the Agency announced in memorandum to EPA regional offices that it is willing to embark on a new “integrated” approach to meeting obligations under these programs so that the most pressing water needs can be addressed first. While the memo does not explicitly state that certain deadlines will be made soft so that local funds can be used to address more serious water issues, that appears to be the implication.
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EPA’s memo, Achieving Water Quality Through Integrated Municipal Stormwater and Wastewater Plans, is at http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/memointegratedmunicipalplans.pdf.