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May 16, 2003 AMSA Fax Alert

Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - May 16, 2003

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May 16, 2003

Security Funding Bill Enjoys Successful Committee Markup
AMSA’s efforts on behalf of wastewater security funding legislation enjoyed additional success this week, as the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee successfully marked up the Wastewater Treatment Works Security Act of 2003 (S. 1039). This significant development follows last week’s U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of a substantially similar bill, H.R. 866, by an overwhelming, bipartisan vote of 413 to 2. S. 1039, introduced by EPW Committee Chair, James Inhofe (R-OK), passed through committee markup on with only one successful amendment offered by Senator James Jeffords (I-VT). This amendment requires EPA to perform basic research, including, but not limited to, the means by which terrorists or other individuals or groups could carry out harmful intentional acts via treatment works as well as potential alternative processes of conveying, treating, and disposing of wastewater in the event of the destruction or disruption of treatment works. AMSA is working with key congressional staff to ensure that the Senate will pass S.1039 with the broad bipartisan support similar to that enjoyed by H.R. 866. The April Legislative Update contains more details on these bills and is at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/legreg/legupdate/april03/.

AMSA Urges EPA to Release Guidance that Allows Blending
AMSA sent a letter today to EPA’s Deputy Assistant Administrator, Linda Fisher, urging the Agency to release a draft blending policy that recognizes blending as a viable option to treat peak excess flows. AMSA’s letter points out that “ as EPA knows, most treatment plants were not built to store this peak excess flow for later treatment and processing the excess flow through the biological units would result in ‘wash out’ of the units and loss of functionality for days and even weeks, causing adverse environmental impacts.” The letter also states that blending provides an environmental safeguard by allowing treatment works to provide a minimum level of treatment to these heavy flows and still fully comply with the facility’s Clean Water Act effluent limitations contained in their permits. In addition to this letter, AMSA has scheduled a May 30 meeting with EPA’s Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement Compliance, J.P. Suarez, to discuss further the need for a consistent national blending policy. AMSA’s letter is available on the Association’s web site at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/legreg/outreach/05-16-03Fisher.pdf.

AMSA Files Opposition Brief in Key Nonpoint Source Case
AMSA filed an opposition brief today in the U.S. Supreme Court to farm groups’ requests that the High Court review and reverse Pronsolino v. Nastri (Pronsolino). AMSA was a party to Pronsolino before the California district court and the Ninth Circuit court of appeals, and supported these courts' eventual findings that even nonpoint source-only impaired waters are to be included in the total maximum daily load (TMDL) program. AMSA’s opposition emphasized that the TMDL program will be seriously undermined – and the Clean Water Act’s intent will be unfulfilled – without nonpoint inclusion. AMSA’s brief will be made available soon on its website at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/littrack/.


  • AMSA wishes all of you a safe trip to Washington, D.C. for the Association’s 2003 National Environmental Policy Forum & 33rd Annual Meeting!