Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - January 28, 2005
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January 28, 2005
AMSA Continues Broad Outreach Effort in Congress on Blending
As action in Congress on the issue of blending continues to heighten, AMSA is proceeding with its broad outreach effort to voice municipal support for EPA’s November 3, 2003 proposed blending guidance. Earlier this week, AMSA met with environmental staff in the offices of Representatives Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), E. Clay Shaw (R-FL) and Bart Stupak (D-MI) to address the Representatives’ Dear Colleague letter circulating in the House and opposing the policy. The hour-long meeting made it clear that these Representatives’ offices had heard from their municipalities on the blending issue but seemed likely to continue to oppose the guidance. A similar Dear Colleague letter last year gained over 50 House signatures. To counter these efforts, AMSA also distributed this week via email, to all members of Congress and their environmental staff, its blending Fact-Fiction document (http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/advocacy/co/2005-01-21Blendfandf.pdf) and coalition letter (http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/advocacy/co/2005-01-21Blendltr.pdf), signed by the National League of Cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and AMSA, among others, in support of the blending policy. Strategy discussions concerning the Association’s next steps on the blending issue will take place at AMSA’s Winter Conference in San Antonio, Texas, next week.AMSA Attends EPA Meeting to Address MDL/QL Issues
AMSA participated in a public meeting at EPA headquarters earlier this week where Agency officials reported on the results of their situation assessment of method detection level (MDL) and quantitation level (QL) issues, and outlined a process for reaching consensus among the various stakeholders. EPA is recommending that a Federal Advisory Committee Act group, or FACA, be formed to work on the issue and establish a consensus approach on how to develop MDLs and QLs and consider some broader policy issues. The Association had been participating in a broad stakeholder effort to develop a consensus approach, even before EPA decided to form the group. AMSA and other stakeholders will point to this externally developed consensus as a good basis for discussion in the FACA. The Association continues to contend that EPA's current method of determining the MDL does not adequately account for the variability inherent in measuring contaminants in water. FACA, which will hold its first meeting in the spring, will be comprised of approximately 20 people and AMSA will be nominating a representative.ISO Makes Progress Toward Draft Standard Report
Over 60 experts, representing sixteen countries, met in Valencia, Spain this week, to discuss several working papers that are to become the basis for draft International Organization of Standardization (ISO) standards for the management and assessment of drinking water and wastewater services. Experts, including representatives from AMSA's ISO working group, participated to ensure U.S. wastewater interests were represented. The group was able to agree to several definitions for terms that are used in the three separate standards – customer service, drinking water service and wastewater service. The group also made progress on bringing the working papers concerning drinking water and wastewater service standards closer together in style and in content – an effort in which the U.S. delegation and AMSA will play a central role. U.S. delegates also convened a subgroup of the ISO Committee to ensure that the draft standards will be ready for a formal comment period starting in April 2005. The Association expects to provide comments to the draft ISO standards during the formal comment period between April and July 2005. A final draft international standard (FDIS) is expected by April 2007.AMSA wishes those of you traveling to the 2005 Winter Conference a safe flight and we look forward to seeing you in San Antonio. If you are not attending and have not yet faxed your proxy for the Business Meeting, please do so without delay [see Special Edition Fax Alert, 1-25-05].