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May 17, 2002 AMSA Fax Alert

Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - May 17, 2002

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May 17, 2002

Conference on Senate Infrastructure Bill Shows Partisan Split
What began as a bipartisan legislative effort to increase funding levels for the clean water state revolving loan fund (CWSRF), disintegrated over the past two days during the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee conference on the Water Investment Act of 2002, S. 1961. Debate centered over provisions in a manager’s amendment from EPW Chairman James Jeffords (I-VT) and Water Subcommittee Chairman Bob Graham (D-FL) submitted shortly before the start of Thursday’s markup, and which passed through committee today 13-6, with original sponsors Senators Robert Smith (R-NH) and Michael D. Crapo (R-ID) voting no as well as Senators Christopher Bond (R-MO), James Inhofe (R-OK), George Voinovich (R-OH), and John Warner (R-VA). The manager’s amendment included a new funding formula that ultimately divided the panel between large and small state members. Prevailing wage provisions (the Davis-Bacon Act) were also approved for inclusion in the bill with Sen. Smith saying, “I can tell you right now, this bill is dead, dead, dead.”

More than 50 amendments to S. 1961 were submitted, with several of AMSA’s recommended amendments being submitted by Senators Voinovich and Smith. AMSA has consistently gone on record opposing many of the unnecessary and burdensome hurdles S. 1961 places in the path of municipal access to SRF funding. Most votes on amendments that would streamline the SRF and keep authority for local decision-making in municipal hands where it belongs advanced along party lines. Some positive developments came out of the conference, however, including a successful amendment that provides $1.25 billion in grants over five years for combined and sanitary sewer overflow projects; an amendment that requires the EPA Administrator to consult with POTWs and states on streamlining the application and review for receipt of SRF funding; and an amendment giving states broader flexibility to prioritize projects for funding.

AMSA’s key strategic and legislative committees will be meeting during the Association’s National Environmental Policy Forum starting tomorrow to develop a strategy in the wake of the S. 1961 mark up. AMSA will update members on these initiatives via future Alerts and Updates.

 
AMSA Issues White Paper on Effluent Limitation Guidelines
AMSA released a White Paper today on EPA's Effluent Limitations Guidelines Program detailing a number of recommended actions the Agency should consider as it continues to think strategically about the future of the program. AMSA highlights a number of reforms to improve current implementation and to align the program with EPA's watershed priorities. The White Paper is at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/legreg/outreach/051702elg.pdf.


  • AMSA wishes all of you a safe trip to Washington, D.C. for the Association’s 2002 National Environmental Policy Forum & 32nd Annual Meeting!