
February 2021
E-News Quick Reference Compromise of U.S. Water Treatment Facility Ohio’s Section 401 Water Quality Certification for Nationwide Permits NE/SW On Demand Virtual Workshop Off to a Great Start Upcoming In Person GARA Workshop Safety Protocols Know a College Student Looking for a Summer Internship? WEF Offers Operator Scholarship E-Newsletter Announcement Calendar of Events Import 2021 Sponsors Contact Us Calendar of Events Import NE/SW Section on Demand Industrial Waste and Operations Virtual Workshop 02/10/2021- 02/24/2021 March Webinar 03/10/2021 One Water Government & Regulatory Affairs Workshop 03/02/2021 SWOWEA March Virtual Section Meeting 03/18/2021 NW Section Meeting - Carey, OH 03/24/2021 April Webinar 04/14/2021 Collection Systems Workshop 05/04/2021 Registration Coming Soon OWEA Plant Operations and Lab Workshop 06/02/2021- 06/03/2021 Registration Coming Soon One Water Technical Conference 07/26/2021- 07/29/2021 Exhibitor Registration Now Open Attendee Registration Opens March 5, 2021 2021 Sponsors Contact Us Ohio Water Environment Association info@ohiowea.org 614.488.5800 Twitter: @Ohio_wea LinkedIn: OWEA	Compromise of U.S. Water Treatment Facility As you may have heard on February 5 the SCADA system at a U.S. drinking water plant was compromised. Our partners at the Ohio EPA have shared details regarding this that were prepared by the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA), the US EPA and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC). To read about the event, threat and mitigations please click here. Also please feel free to share this advisory with others in your office who need to be aware. Ohio’s Section 401 Water Quality Certification for Nationwide Permits Due to the number of questions raised during the February 4^th public hearing regarding Ohio’s Section 401 Water Quality Certification for the Nationwide Permits, the Ohio EPA has decided to hold an additional meeting on Feb. 17, 2021, at 3:30 p.m. This meeting will include a presentation tailored to questions and concerns brought up during the February 4^th meeting. Ohio EPA will also have a Q&A session for participants. You can register here. Since the Ohio EPA is hosting a second informational meeting, the public comment period will be extended on the 401 certification to accept comments until Feb. 24, 2021. NE/SW On Demand Virtual Workshop Off to a Great Start The NE/SW Section on Demand Industrial Waste and Operations Virtual Workshop is off and running! More than 300 people have registered and are currently getting up to six contact hours whenever and wherever it is convenient for them. This event was made possible through a collaboration between the Northeast OWEA and the Southwest OWEA. Both sections typically have large events between November and February and due to COVID-19 that wasn’t possible. The solution was to join forces with the state and offer some great On-Demand education. If you are interested in attending this great virtual option that runs through February 24, please follow this link for more information or to register. Upcoming In Person GARA Workshop Safety Protocols We know you want to be together again, and we are excited to see you – SAFELY. The upcoming One Water Government and Regulatory Affairs (GARA) Workshop will have a variety of protocols in place to keep everyone as safe as possible. Some of those include: All attendees and staff wearing masks Meals taken at seats Hand sanitizer made regularly available Brief vendor presentations instead of booths Minimum of 6 ft of social distancing maintained at all times Limited attendance to less than 50% of capacity To read about all these precautions and register follow this link. Know a College Student Looking for a Summer Internship? The Ohio EPA is looking for some summer interns to aid in water sampling. This is a great opportunity for a college student interested in the water sector. There are positions available throughout the state of Ohio. To see opportunities, click here and chose EPA under the Agency tab. The water sector has amazing career options and this could help someone gain some much needed experience. WEF Offers Operator Scholarship We are excited to share that the Water Environment Association (WEF) has established a scholarship fund to provide water sector operators with financial support as they seek to grow within their careers. Scholarship grants will range from $2,500-$5,000 and can be used towards certification exams, training preparation for exams and learning materials. For more information and to apply click here. Applications are due April 1! E-Newsletter Announcement Our new offering, an E-Newsletter Announcement, will allow you to share an announcement with the membership including new services and equipment, staffing changes, or upcoming events. The possibilities are infinite! More Information
OWEA Member E-Newsletter - February 2021