Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - June 4, 2004
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June 4, 2004
Coalition Urges House, Senate
to Support Increased Funding for Clean Water
AMSA, along with over two dozen coalition members consisting of water industry and environmental activist groups, sent a letter (http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/leg_outreach.cfm) this week to the Chair and Ranking Members of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees and VA, HUD and Independent Agencies Subcommittee. The letter seeks increased funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF), to $3.2 billion, and the Drinking Water SRF, to $2 billion, for fiscal year 2005. In a recent Dear Colleague letter, a majority of the Senate supported the increased funding, stating it would help “states and local communities restore the health and safety of the nation’s waters, meet water quality standards, and create jobs.” (http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/advocacy/co/2004-05-11H2oapp.pdf) AMSA supports this substantial increase to the SRF program as a step toward a long-term solution for the nation’s water needs via a trust fund.In additional legislative news, House and Senate conferees have been named and will try to reach consensus on a final transportation package to be sent to the President. Among the various items to be discussed is the inclusion of a provision in the Senate bill, the Safe, Affordable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2003 (S 1072), which would provide $978 million in funding for stormwater mitigation projects. AMSA encourages members to contact their Senators and Representatives, especially if your utility is in a conferee’s district or state. For a list of conferees and for more information about the stormwater provision see Legislative Alert 04-3 (http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/legreg/legalrts/la04-3.cfm).
AMSA Meets with ISCORS
Subcommittee to Discuss Radiation Standards for POTWs
AMSA met with members of the Interagency Steering Committee on Radiation Standards’ (ISCORS) Sewage Sludge Subcommittee this week to discuss revisions to the ISCORS recommendations document for publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) (see Regulatory Alert 03-15 at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/regalerts/ra03-15.cfm). A draft of the recommendation document established a consultation level of exposure, above which POTWs would be encouraged to conduct more extensive investigations and/or contact their state nuclear regulatory agency. AMSA submitted comments on January 30, 2004 (http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/advocacy/comments/2004-01-30comments.pdf) highlighting a number of extremely conservative assumptions in the guidance and the underlying dose model documents that could potentially trigger additional follow-up activities unnecessarily. In response to comments received on the draft, the Subcommittee is considering revisions to their dose model that would result in more accurate predictions of actual exposure. The final guidance is expected later this year and AMSA will continue discussions with members of the Subcommittee. AMSA will also begin work on its Targeted Action Fund project to develop an easy-to-use document to help understand the ISCORS recommendations.AMSA Comments on
U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy’s Preliminary Report
AMSA submitted comments (http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/reg_outreach.cfm) today on the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy’s Preliminary Report, which provides EPA and other federal and state agencies with recommendations on managing coastal water quality. Although the report makes hundreds of recommendations, AMSA’s comments focused primarily on the Commission’s recommendation that EPA and states should require advanced nutrient removal for all wastewater treatment plant discharges into nutrient-impaired waters. AMSA has long advocated that nutrient issues are a multi-media problem that must be addressed at the watershed level in order to protect the use or uses of a particular waterbody. AMSA’s comments also addressed areas of mutual concern where there may be opportunities to work together, including the need for increased federal focus and coordination on nonpoint source control, water quality monitoring, and infrastructure funding. To view a copy of the report, visit the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy’s website (http://www.oceancommission.gov/).