Strategic Communications, Outreach & Regulatory Advocacy
CRS was retained by a watershed-focused group of public entities and special districts located Southern California to help with the development and ultimate approval by a Regional Water Board of several TMDL plans for an impaired creek.
The watershed group was formed to assemble various technical data and information to support the development of TMDLs for multiple chemical stressors of the creek. These TMDLs were necessary to enable continued operation of the public agencies’ recycled water facilities. CRS was initially hired by the watershed group to provide regulatory consulting, outreach and advocacy services, specifically to position the TMDLs for Regional and State Water Board approvals.
CRS developed an outreach and advocacy plan that involved multiple and periodic briefings of State Board staff and State Board Members, as well as senior staff at US EPA Region IX, to avoid a possible confrontation in the future. The outreach and advocacy plan achieved remarkable success; not only did the Regional Board adopt several TMDLs by the association’s technical consultants, but almost all of these TMDLs were approved by the State Board on its consent calendar.
