Member Pipeline - Clean Water Current - November 10, 2006
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for the Clean Water Currents ArchiveNovember 10, 2006
New Committee Chairs Expected to Alter Congressional Agenda
With the Democrats poised to take control of Congress and its two major environmental committees, significant changes can be expected in the congressional agenda, including closer scrutiny of U.S. EPA programs, regulations, and policies. In the House, Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), a leading advocate for clean water issues, will take over the powerful Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee, which may have an impact on issues of importance to NACWA members. Chief among these is federal funding for water and wastewater infrastructure. Oberstar is anticipated to address the decline in funding for wastewater infrastructure and tackle legislation to address the definition of wetlands to resolve the confusion created by a succession of conflicting court decisions. Also high on his anticipated agenda is stalled legislation to reauthorize the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).In the Senate, Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) will assume the chair of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee and is expected to focus on toxic chemicals and global climate change, among other issues. Democrats will pick up additional seats on the committees and likely will reorganize the subcommittees, bringing new leadership to the EPW Fisheries, Wildlife and Water Subcommittee. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) currently is in line to chair that subcommittee. In the past, both Boxer and Clinton have criticized cuts to the clean water state revolving fund. Oberstar may also shuffle subcommittee assignments in the T&I Committee, which could affect the leadership of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. Currently, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) is ranking member and could take over the helm from current chair Rep. John Duncan, Jr. (R-Tenn.), sponsor of the NACWA-supported Clean Water Trust Act of 2005.
NACWA Active in Effective Utility Management Meeting in Seattle
NACWA has been actively involved in an effort to refine a list of attributes describing effectively managed utilities and participated this week in the last major meeting of the Effective Utility Management Steering Committee charged with that project. The Steering Committee was created as a result of the Statement of Intent (http://www.nacwa.org/getfile.cfm?fn=2006-05-02UMGMTjs.pdf), Effective Water Sector Utility Management, entered into in May of 2006 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), NACWA, the Water Environment Federation (WEF), the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), the American Water Works Association (AWWA), the American Public Works Association (APWA), and the National Association of Water Companies (NAWC). The Steering Committee also has worked on a set of measures that utilities can use to evaluate their performance and is compiling all available resources that each of the groups will make available for utilities to use to make improvements in their management systems. The meeting this week is focused on finalizing the attributes, fine tuning the measures, and developing a report that pulls all the elements together. The final product is expected in March 2007, and NACWA will inform members of its release.Surveys Distributed to NACWA Members to Gather Information for 2006 Index
Data collection for the annual NACWA Index is now underway, with surveys forwarded to the membership this week via Member Update (http://www.nacwa.org/private/membcomm/memupdate/mu06-22.cfm). The Index tracks the average annual single-family residential service charges measured against the rate of inflation. The one-page questionnaire requests annual service charges and the service population of each responding member agency. NACWA members also have the option of completing the survey online through the “Enter private subscribers area” of CleanWater Central (http://www.cleanwatercentral.org). Please make sure to complete the survey by Dec. 15. Hard copies should be faxed to Mark Hoeke, NACWA’s contractor, at 202/318-1472.National Environmental Achievement Award Applications Now Available
Building on more than 20 years of recognizing excellence in the clean water community, NACWA is now accepting nominations for its 2007 National Environmental Achievement Awards (NEAA) program. The NEAA program offers the perfect opportunity to recognize local, state, and federal elected/appointed officials for their contributions to the clean water community – and agency and/or individual staff members for notable projects and accomplishments. Categories for the NEAA Individual Achievement Awards include: Public Service, Distinguished Performance, and Environment. The Agency NEAA categories include: Research & Technology, Operations, Public Service, and Public Information and Education. Member Update 06-23 (http://www.nacwa.org/membership/mu06-23.cfm) provides all the details for eligibility and submission criteria. Applications must be submitted to NACWA no later than Dec., 18, 2006.