Browsing through the 2008 Senate Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill on the Taxpayers for Common Sense site, I noticed that one of the largest amounts ($11 million) was earmarked to the National Rural Water Association a non-profit organization that provides training and technical assistance and gives out sub-grants to water providers in rural areas. They receive grants from the USDA and the EPA.

Earlier in our search of the elusive SF-LLL forms, I had sent out a FOIA request to the Environmental Protection Agency asking for:

Any and all forms SF-LLL (as required by 31 U.S.C. 1352) filed by or on behalf of the National Rural Water Association in connection with any and all grants given by the Environmental Protection Agency since 2000 to present; Any declaration (as required by 31 U.S.C. 1352) filed by the National Rural Water Association.

I recently received a reply with copies of all the lobbying certifications but no SF-LLL’s that look more like this. These forms I received in response are signed statements saying that the organization has not used any federal money paid to them to lobby the government or in litigation against the government.

Also, a few of the EPA officials I talked to had no idea what SF-LLL’s were; where I could find them or even if they existed.