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National
United States Regulations
40 CFR PART 105—RECOGNITION AWARDS UNDER THE CLEAN WATER ACT



Title 40: Protection of Environment



PART 105—RECOGNITION AWARDS UNDER THE CLEAN WATER ACT



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Authority: Section 501(a) and (e) of the Clean Water Act (CWA), 33 U.S.C. 1361(a) and (e).

Source: 67 FR 6142, Feb. 8, 2002, unless otherwise noted.

General
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§ 105.1 Background.
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The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Water Act (CWA) Recognition Awards Program is authorized by CWA section 501(e). The Administrator may provide official recognition to industrial organizations and political subdivisions of States which during the preceding year demonstrated an outstanding technological achievement or an innovative process, method or device in their waste treatment and pollution abatement programs. The wastewater management programs can generally be characterized as waste treatment and/or pollution abatement programs. Individual EPA Regional Administrators (and Regional officials they may designate) also may conduct Regional CWA Recognition Awards Programs according to and consistent with the provisions of this part.

§ 105.2 Definitions.
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Applicant means the person authorized to complete the application on behalf of an industrial organization or political subdivision of States.

Application means a completed questionnaire, nomination form, or other documentation submitted to or by the States, EPA Regions or headquarters for consideration of a national CWA Recognition Award.

I means the applicant for an award.

Industrial organization means any company, corporation, association, partnership, firm, university, not-for-profit organization, or wastewater treatment facility, as well as a Federal, State or Tribal government wastewater treatment facility, or U.S. military command to the extent such government and other organizations operate in an “industrial” capacity in the treatment of wastes or abatement of pollution.

Nominee means a candidate recommended by the State or Tribe or EPA for consideration for a CWA Recognition Award.

Political subdivision of State means a municipality, city, town, borough, county, parish, district, association, or other public body (including an intermunicipal agency of two or more of the foregoing entities) created by or pursuant to State law.

State means any of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands.

State water pollution control agency means the State agency designated by the Governing Authority having responsibility for enforcing State laws relating to the abatement of water pollution.

You means the applicant for an award.

§ 105.3 Title.
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The awards are known as the National Clean Water Act Recognition Awards (hereinafter, the Awards Program).

Eligibility Requirements
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§ 105.4 What are the requirements for the Awards Program?
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(a) EPA will administer the Awards Program, and should establish annual guidance as necessary to administer the Awards Program. EPA will request from the various offices, and States and Tribes as appropriate, nominations for the Awards Program.

(b) Nominees must be in total compliance with all applicable water quality requirements under the CWA in order to be eligible for an award, and otherwise have a satisfactory record with respect to environmental quality.

(c) Nominees must provide written documentation as evidence to support their outstanding technological achievement or innovative process, method or device in their waste treatment and/or pollution abatement programs.

(d) EPA may issue annual guidance memoranda to administer each year's awards programs. For information on the availability of additional guidance, contact the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Municipal Assistance Branch, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Mail Code 4204–M, Washington, DC 20460. You may also visit EPA's Web site at www.epa.gov/owm.

§ 105.5 Who is eligible to win an award?
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A municipality, city, town, borough, county, parish, district, association, government agency, or other public body, (including an intermunicipal agency of two or more of the foregoing entities) created by or pursuant to State law; a company, corporation, association, partnership, firm, university, not-for-profit organization, or wastewater treatment facility, as well as a Federal, State or Tribal government wastewater treatment facility, or U.S. military command to the extent such government and other organizations operate in an industrial capacity in the treatment of wastes or abatement of pollution may be considered for a recognition award.

§ 105.6 What are the Awards Program categories for which I may be eligible?
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EPA will publish from time to time, a notice in the Federal Register announcing the current Awards Program categories. EPA also may subsequently discontinue, combine, or rename categories by notice published in the Federal Register.

Application and Nomination Process
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§ 105.7 How do I apply for an award?
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You may contact your local EPA Regional office for information on the Awards Program guidance each year, or check the Web site at http://www.epa.gov/owm/intnet.htm. EPA may use an application or nomination process, as appropriate for the program or Region.

§ 105.8 When can I apply for an award?
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You can contact your local EPA Regional office for award submission deadline information which may vary for the award categories, or check the Web site at http://www.epa.gov/owm/intnet.htm.

§ 105.9 How can I get nominated for an award?
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You may apply to, or ask your State, Tribe or EPA Region to nominate you for an award. Only applications or nominations recommended by EPA Regions are considered for the national award. EPA personnel conduct compliance evaluations prior to presenting a national award.

Selection Criteria
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§ 105.10 What do I need to be considered for an award?
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Your facility or pollution abatement program must be in total compliance with all applicable water quality requirements, and otherwise have a satisfactory record with respect to environmental quality. Additionally, your facility or pollution abatement program must provide written documentation as evidence of an outstanding technological achievement or an innovative process, method or device demonstrated in the preceding year, which resulted in environmental benefits, cost savings and/or public acceptance.

§ 105.11 Who selects the award winners?
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After EPA receives the completed application, the application is evaluated by a review committee. After the review committee completes its evaluation of the programs that have been nominated, they make recommendations for the national awards. EPA then analyzes the results and selects the award winners.

§ 105.12 How is the awards review committee selected?
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EPA review committee members are selected by the EPA and in some cases, State or Tribal water pollution control agencies. The number of participants in a nominations review process is based on staff availability, and may be one person.

§ 105.13 How are the award winners selected?
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Nominees and applications are recommended by EPA regions. EPA personnel conduct compliance evaluations prior to presenting a national award. EPA selects national award winners based on demonstrated evidence of outstanding and/or innovative wastewater treatment and pollution abatement programs or projects which result in environmental benefits, cost savings and/or public acceptance. Based upon results of review committee evaluations, the Agency selects first place winners for a national award in the appropriate awards categories. A second place winner may or may not be selected. EPA may or may not select an award winner for every awards program category. Award decisions are not subject to administrative review.

Awards Recognition
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§ 105.14 How are award winners notified?
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EPA notifies national award winners by letter.

§ 105.15 How are award winners recognized?
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EPA presents national award winners with a certificate or plaque at an awards presentation ceremony as recognition for an outstanding technological achievement or an innovative process, method or device in wastewater treatment and/or pollution abatement programs. The President of the United States, the Governor of the State, or Tribal leader of the jurisdiction reservation in which the awardee is situated, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate are notified by the Administrator.

§ 105.16 How are award winners publicized?
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EPA announces the annual national recognition award winners through notice published in the Federal Register.