Document GmGO95vGjKVawY4kZdq7yYRov

DRAFT PRESIDENTIAL POLICY DIRECTIVE Introduction Water powers the U.S. economy. Clean, safe water ensures the health, productivity, and happiness of our citizens, provides more than 50 percent of the nation's total renewable energy, sustains our agricultural productivity, and is critical to our economic development. America's water security rests on its infrastructure. Water infrastructure that powers America, employs America, and drives American economic growth. Today, much of our water-related infrastructure is at risk. Many water supply systems are in desperate need of replacement. The physical and management infrastructure for water in the U.S. has major gaps, and the structure of the nation's public policy sometimes creates barriers to filling these gaps. The federal level of responsibility for water management is currently shared across approximately dozens of agencies, departments, and independent commissions, councils, and offices. Although several informal interagency coordination mechanisms have attempted to rationalize this tangled system, they have had limited success. This Presidential Policy Directive will establish reliability, safety and security of our nation's water infrastructure as national priorities, and will create a mechanism to drive the achievement of those objectives. Policy It is the policy of the United States to make water availability, safety, and security a domestic and international priority. People should have access to the water they need, when they need it, where they need it, from a reliable, safe and secure water and wastewater infrastructure. The delivery of water should also be free from conflict. This effort includes, but is not limited to, ensuring the delivery of water for drinking and domestic use, water for agriculture, water for energy, water for industry, water for navigation, and water for health. Key U.S. Water Principles This Presidential Policy Directive will follow certain key principles: Support for local communities - The federal government will be a source of reliable support to states and local communities. Federal water programs and regulations will be reorganized and [PAG E \* MERGEFORMAT ] Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 3/4 ED 002061 00111392-00001 revised to make them more coherent, coordinated, rational, effective, and economical, and better meet local needs. Invest in our water infrastructure - We must adequately fund and support our existing federal programs to ensure communities and utilities have the resources necessary to operate and maintain their systems. Leverage and promote access to private capital - Because public funds alone cannot solve these challenges, the nation's water policy should actively encourage more private sector investment in water infrastructure. Ensure safe, reliable, and affordable service - American water systems must be safe, reliable, and affordable so that no one is left without reliable water services simply because they cannot afford it. Support for American workers and manufacturing - As we build and rebuild our water infrastructure, we should ensure that American tax dollars support American jobs and industry by Buying and Hiring American. Catalyze technology innovation - Federal agencies will support the accelerated deployment of the best innovative technologies and support small community access to the most appropriate technologies to meet their needs. Data collection and dissemination for sound water management - Collect, strengthen, and ensure access to timely forecasting data and information on the state of the nation's water resources. Utilize global water security to drive U.S. economic growth and national security Make water security a foreign policy and foreign assistance priority that increases the export of American technologies and approaches and promotes peace in the world. Immediate Actions, Roles, and Responsibilities I. Within 90 days of the date hereof each department and agency shall submit to the White House Director of National Economic Policy ("NEC") a plan for the near and long-term implementation of the principles outlined herein. All executive branch departments and agencies shall thereafter implement the policy set forth herein as soon as practicable. In addition, within 30 days of the end of each fiscal year all departments and agencies shall report to the NEC the progress achieved toward such implementation. II. To ensure that such plans are coordinated and consistent across the executive branch, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency is hereby directed to forthwith create, convene and coordinate an interagency task force on water infrastructure policy coordination and security (the "Water Infrastructure Task Force"). [PAG E \* MERGEFORMAT ] Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 3/4 ED 002061 00111392-00002 a. This Water Infrastructure Task Force will convene leading public and private sector experts to develop an immediate plan to improve and enhance water infrastructure and security. In addition to the ERA, this Water Task Force shall include as members the following federal government organization leaders or their designees: Secretary of Agriculture Secretary of Commerce Secretary of Defense Secretary of Energy Secretary of Homeland Security Secretary of Interior Secretary of State Secretary of Transportation Secretary of Treasury Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers These agencies are directed to fully cooperate with the Administrator in the establishment of the Task Force and in its subsequent proceedings and activities. b. The Task Force shall also include non-federal government members drawn from among distinguished individuals with experience in the scientific, engineering, environmental, financial, safety, security construction and manufacturing issues related to water infrastructure or any other area determined by the Administrator to be of value to the Task Force in carrying out its duties. Membership must meet the balance membership plan specified under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). c. The mission of the Task Force shall include: i. Developing a national strategic plan for water infrastructure investment and water security to include key economic, public health and safety, and national security considerations that will mobilize and align U.S. government agencies, the private sector, and civil society organizations and ensure efficient coordination and implementation across the water sector. ii. Developing a set of national objectives to ensure that all agency approaches to protecting water resources, maintaining our water infrastructure, and providing safe, reliable, and affordable drinking water are fully coordinated. [PAG E \* MERGEFORMAT ] Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 3/4 ED 002061 00111392-00003 iii. Establishing a formal interagency coordination process across all federal domestic and international agencies with jurisdiction over water management and water security to meet the above principles. iv. Reorganizing and streamlining the diverse federal water responsibilities, laws, and regulations, including better coordination among energy, water, and food policies. v. Improving and modernizing federal laws, regulations, and industry practices to promote more effective coordination of federal policy and financial support for state and local agencies with primary responsibilities in the water sector. This shall include aligning all the activities of federal agencies around a sound, scientifically sound riskbased approach to ensure focus on the priority threats and risks and rather than unnecessary activities or those that do not work. vi. Incentivizing regional planning processes (i.e., integrated water resources management), local management autonomy, and full cost accounting to encourage more integrated long-term strategic approaches, innovation, and engagement with local stakeholders. vii. Identifying ways to more effectively deploy private sector business and private capital in water projects and needed water investments, and develop policies to eliminate barriers to such deployment. Propose long-term approaches to encouraging more private investment and public-private partnerships. viii. Establishing a peer-to-peer network among local water utilities to share information and best practices to improve performance. ix. Recommending the best ways to make U.S. expertise and technology available to international citizens and markets and to encourage foreign investment in U.S. infrastructure, technologies, products, and services, including public-private partnerships and cognitive learning platforms. x. Providing recommendations on water security and infrastructure to be included in the annual National Security Strategy process. xi. Assisting the U.S. State Department, working with the U.S. Agency for International Development and other agencies and stakeholders as appropriate, to develop and implement the Global Water Security Strategy examining water policy through the lens of U.S. national and economic security. xii. Identifying organizational or other reforms of federal agencies or processes to ensure potential improvements are identified, implemented, and maintained. d. Task Force should report its recommendations to the White House within 270 days of formation. [PAG E \* MERGEFORMAT ] Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 3/4 ED 002061 00111392-00004