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March 23, 2001
EPA Delays Arsenic Rule Effective Date Pending Review
In today's Federal Register EPA temporarily delayed by sixty days the effective date of a controversial more stringent standard for arsenic in drinking water published January 22. The rule, which was to go into effect today, would lower the level of arsenic considered safe in drinking water from 50 ppb to 10 ppb for public water systems. EPA will conduct further review of the science behind the rule over the next two months. Should EPA decide to withdraw the final rule it will have to propose this action and accept public notice and comment. EPA's reevaluation of the Clinton Administration rule is viewed as anti-environmental by some groups. Democratic members of Congress are already stating they will use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn any future decision to withdraw the rule. Congress used the CRA for the first time March 7th to invalidate a controversial Clinton Administration ergonomics rule. AMSA will keep our members informed of developments on the arsenic rule, as the new Administration's actions show it is willing to take a hard look at past regulations and could set precedent for other rules impacting POTWs, such as the final TMDL rule and the proposed SSO rule.
AMSA Comments on the Iron & Steel Effluent Guidelines
AMSA will submit comments Monday on EPA's Effluent Guidelines, Pretreatment Standards, and New Source Performance Standards for the Iron & Steel Manufacturing Point Source Category. AMSA's comments point out that effluent guidelines for iron and steel are not needed due to existing effective controls for these industries; expresses concern with the use of 20 year old data to formulate the standards; and notes the lack of scientific basis to include thiocyanate as a pollutant. AMSA's final comments will be posted on AMSA's website on Monday.
AMSA Prepares to Testify at Infrastructure Funding Hearings
AMSA and Water Infrastructure Network (WIN) member organizations prepared testimony this week for two significant Congressional hearings on water infrastructure funding. Gloucester Mayor Bruce Tobey will testify on behalf of the National League of Cities and WIN on March 27 before the Senate Environment Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Water and March 28 before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment. Pat Karney, Director of the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati, will testify on behalf of AMSA at the March 28 hearing. The text of all three testimonies will be posted on AMSA's website. These hearings are the first in what will be an extensive series of hearings on one of AMSA's top issues.
> With AMSA's issues receiving heightened attention in the 107th Congress, our 2001 National Environmental Policy Forum & 31st Annual Meeting could not be more timely. Plan to attend the Policy Forum, The New Political Landscape...Moving the POTW Agenda Forward, May 19-23, 2001 in Washington, DC! To ensure a hotel room, contact the Marriott at Metro Center, 800/228-9290, and indicate that you are a registrant for AMSA's 2001 NEPF & 31st Annual Meeting by April 27.