Funding will help small systems better serve local communities

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it will provide up to $15 million in funding for training and technical assistance to small drinking and wastewater systems, defined as systems that serve fewer than 10,000 people, and private well owners. The funding will help provide water system staff with training and tools to enhance system operations and management practices, and supports EPA's continuing efforts to protect public health, restore watersheds and promote sustainability in small communities.

Most of the funding, up to $14.5 million, will provide training and technical assistance to small public water systems to achieve and maintain compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act and to small publicly-owned wastewater systems, communities served by on-site systems, and private well owners to improve water quality.

More than 97 percent of the nation's 157,000 public water systems serve fewer than 10,000 people, and more than 80 percent of these systems serve fewer than 500 people. Many small systems face unique challenges in providing reliable drinking water and wastewater services that meet federal and state regulations. These challenges can include a lack of financial resources, aging infrastructure, management limitations and high staff turnover.

EPA expects to make available up to $500,000 to provide training and technical assistance to tribally-owned and operated public water systems.

Applications must be received by EPA by April 9, 2012. EPA expects to award these cooperative agreements by Summer 2012. For more information about these competitive announcements, visit:

http://water.epa.gov/grants_funding/sdwa/smallsystemsrfa.cfm

For more information on EPA's programs and tools to help small water systems, visit:

http://water.epa.gov/type/drink/pws/smallsystems/index.cfm

Quad Cities, USA (February 17, 2012) -March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month and staff from Digestive Disease Center, Gastroenterology Consultants, Digestive Disease Specialists and Trinity Medical Center have joined forces, once again, to form the Colon Cancer Free QCA Coalition.  This group consists of Gastroenterologists and other health care professionals who have come together to promote one simple message, Colonoscopies save lives.  The physicians will be meeting with various groups and family physicians this month to discuss the important role colonoscopies play in the early detection of colon cancer.

"Colon cancer is easily preventable by the removal of precancerous polyps during a screening colonoscopy.  If cancer is detected during a colonoscopy, it is easily curable in the early stages, as opposed to cancers that are detected at later stages which are often lethal.  These two facts make screening colonoscopy a no-brainier in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Please make sure you and all of your loved-ones get screened, since everyone is at risk of developing this common cancer," says Dr. Arvind Movva, Gastroenterology Consultants.

In addition to spreading general awareness, Colon Cancer Free QCA will be working with Good Samaritan Clinic in Moline to provide free colonoscopies to a number of uninsured patients. Doctors, nurses, and support staff, from each practice, have volunteered their services to make this free screening possible.  The exams will be performed free of charge for patients who have been previously identified as being at a high-risk for colon cancer by the Good Samaritan Clinic.

Each year, over 140,000 Americans are diagnosed with colon cancer making it the third most common cancer diagnosis in the United States. "Colorectal cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer death among men and women in the U.S.  However, if we can raise awareness of the role a colonoscopy can play in the prevention of colon cancer, we can decrease the mortality from colorectal cancer significantly in our area", says Dr. Linda Tong of Digestive Disease Specialists.

Dr. Sreenivas Chintalapani of The Center for Digestive Health states, "The need for colorectal cancer screening is obvious with 150,000 new cases a year and 50,000 deaths. The technology and skills to detect and prevent colon cancer are available to most of us. It's just that that we need to get ourselves to your gastroenterologist and get your colonoscopy."  Colon Cancer remains among the top three cancer killers, even though it is also the most preventable form of deadly cancer.

The most effective means of preventing colon cancer is a colonoscopy.  In this procedure, pre-cancerous polyps are removed before they turn to cancer and early cancers are seen and biopsied, often before they cause symptoms.  If this cancer is detected early, often before symptoms appear, a person's chance of survival is about 90 percent; however, if a person waits until symptoms develop, this percentage drops dramatically. People with an average risk for colon cancer should be tested at age 50.  However, screenings should begin at age 40 if you have a family history of colon cancer or other high risk factors.   Colon cancer affects men and women equally, crossing all socio-economic lines.

####

Winner will receive two round-trip air tickets to see their artwork displayed in US Capitol

Washington, DC - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) today invited high school students from across Iowa's First Congressional District to submit original artwork for the annual Congressional Art Competition, "An Artistic Discovery."

The Congressional Art Competition, first held in 1982, is a nationwide high school arts competition sponsored by the US House of Representatives.  One winning piece of artwork from each House district will be selected to be displayed in the Cannon Tunnel of the US Capitol Building in Washington for the next year.

"I encourage Iowa high school students to participate in this year's art competition," Braley said.  "There are many gifted young artists in eastern Iowa, and this is a great opportunity for their work to be displayed for thousands of people to see.  It's a great honor to feature the work of an outstanding young artist in the US Capitol."

Any high school student from the First Congressional District of Iowa is eligible to submit their artwork for consideration.  To enter, students must submit a digital image of their artwork via Braley's website.  The submissions will be compiled into an internet gallery for public voting.

The submission deadline is April 23^rd, 2012.  There is a limit of one submission per student.  Voting will close on May 1^st, 2012, and the winner will be announced.  He or she will receive two round-trip airline tickets to Washington, DC, to see their artwork displayed and attend a winners' reception.

For full details on the 2012 Art Competition, including information on how to enter, please visit Braley's website at http://braley.house.gov/art-competition.

List of Past Iowa First District Art Competition Winners:

2007    Jonathan Welser, Davenport

2008    Stephanie Tarnish, Davenport

2009    Mitch Doll, Davenport

2010    Emily Schroeder, Cedar Falls

2011    Krista Stork, Dubuque

# # #

Friday, March 2, 2012

During his weekly video address, Senator Chuck Grassley discusses the need to increase production of domestic energy to help lower gas prices and create jobs.  Along with other senators, he's urging President Obama to examine his policies that contribute to higher gas prices, including restricting access to federal lands and permitting delays, regulatory threats to refiners, and his Keystone XL pipeline decision.

Click here for audio.

Here is text of the address:

Along with other senators, I wrote to President Obama this week asking him to examine his policies that contribute to rising gas prices -- such as:

• restricting access to federal lands and permitting delays,
• regulatory threats to refiners,
• and his Keystone XL pipeline decision.

A lot of factors impact the price of oil - including OPEC decisions and Mideast turmoil -- but the Obama Administration has made things worse.  By limiting domestic energy production, we have less supply and higher prices.

Last year, consumers spent a greater percentage of household income on gasoline than any other year since 1981.

• Paying $4 or more for gas acts like a hidden tax on individuals and families.
• Rising energy prices also get in the way of job creation by raising costs of doing business for employers.

Americans need a comprehensive approach that:

• ramps up domestic production of traditional energy,
• allows the expansion of alternative and renewable energy sources,
• and encourages conservation.

Greater domestic energy production would increase supply and help to lower prices, and it would create American jobs.

-30-