The following is a transcript of the May 7, 2012, edition of the WaterWorld Weekly Newscast.
Hi, I'm Angela Godwin, digital media editor for WaterWorld magazine, bringing you this week's water and wastewater news headlines. Coming up...
• Drought meets deluge in Britain
• Cities step up to Mayor's water challenge
• SFPUC recognized for managing 'one water'
• EPA official resigns over controversial comment
[story1]
An official in EPA's Region 6 has resigned amidst controversy over remarks made two years ago that ruffled some oil industry feathers.
During a speech in Dish, Texas, where hydraulic fracturing was being eyed for allegedly polluting water wells there, Al Armendariz compared his strategy for handling environmental polluters with how the Romans would conquer small villages -- crucifying "the first five guys they saw" to make examples of them.
Republicans, led by Oklahoma senator James Ihofe, called for Armendariz to be fired, saying his remarks characterized the Obama Administration's "war on domestic energy."
Armendariz said in his resignation letter to EPA Administrator Jackson that he regretted his words and said they did not reflect his work. Still, his continued service at EPA, he said, would detract the agency from its important work.
Sam Coleman, who led EPA's response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, has taken over as acting regional administrator.
[story2]
This week, we conclude our coverage of the winners of 2012 U.S. Water Prize, a program recognizing innovative, watershed-based approaches to water sustainability, with the San Francisco Public Utility Commission.
The SFPUC is taking the "one water" management theme to heart, using integration and cooperation to reduce urban stormwater problems, increase the linkages between energy and water conservation, and build public support for investments in the future.
SFPUC's Marla Jurosek explains.
[sound bite from Marla Jurosek]
On April 23, all of the U.S. Water Prize awardees were recognized at a special ceremony in Washington, DC.
To learn more about the U.S. Water Prize, visit the Clean Water America Alliance webpage at cwaa.us.
[story3]
As you may remember, cities across the nation were challenged to save water during the month of April with the Wyland Foundation's "National Mayor's Challenge for Water Conservation."
Mayors across the country asked their residents to make a free, online commitment to reduce water and energy use -- and in return residents in the cities with the most participation qualify to win a new Toyota Prius Hybrid, water saving fixtures and hundreds of other prizes.
The winning cities are Laguna Beach, CA; Victoria, MN; South Shore, KY; Charlestown, NH; Manhattan Beach, CA; Eden Prairie, MN; Fort Pierce, FL; Quakertown, PA; Greeley, CO; Madison, WI; Charlottesville, VA; and Toms River, NJ.
Over the next few weeks, the winning residents will be notified and we'll be sure to let you know who those prize winners are.
If you would like to learn more about the Mayor's Challenge, visit mywaterpledge.com.
[story4]
The past two years in Britain have been the driest on record, resulting in an official declaration of drought and restrictions on water usage: All of that, however, seems a tad ironic to British residents inundated by the wettest April in a hundred years.
Despite a very soggy spring, officials said the watering ban will stand. The past two years of drought have taken a toll on underground aquifers, Britain's main source of drinking water, and officials have said that a few weeks of rain -- while helpful -- is not enough to replenish those resources.
In April, 5 inches of rain fell across England -- that's just about double the monthly average and an all-time record.
For WaterWorld magazine, I'm Angela Godwin. Thanks for watching.
###
