Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - July 30, 2004
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July 30, 2004
AMSA Meets with Key EPA Officials on CSO Issues
AMSA and the CSO Partnership (CSOP) met this week with EPA’s Assistant Administrator for Water, Ben Grumbles, and Director of the Water Office of Science and Technology, Geoff Grubbs, to discuss several key topics of concern to combined sewer communities. AMSA and the CSOP requested that EPA develop and release a guidance document addressing existing uses in combined sewer overflow (CSO) receiving waters by the end of 2004. AMSA noted that CSO community long term control plan (LTCP) approvals are being held up in many cases where existing recreational/swimming uses have been identified. The Association agreed to work with EPA on possible approaches to existing recreational uses in the coming weeks. The discussion then turned to EPA's development of updated guidance allowing for LTCP implementation schedules of up to 30 years, where justified. Attendees noted that extended schedules would reflect the real world, on the ground time to actually implement many LTCPs, urging EPA to update its guidance on affordability.Additionally, AMSA and the CSOP also discussed plans to hold a joint use attainability analysis (UAA) workshop this fall, to which EPA committed to participating in. AMSA and the CSOP will continue to work on these various projects and issues, and to make practical CSO program and policy reforms.
Comments Deadline
on Bacteria Standards for Coastal States Approaches
AMSA is preparing to meet the August 9 deadline to file comments on EPA’s July 9 proposed rule (http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-WATER/2004/July/Day-09/w15614.pdf) to federally promulgate bacteria standards for 25 coastal states and territories that have yet to update their existing water quality criteria, as of April 10, 2004, required by the Beaches, Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act of 2000. AMSA members have expressed their concern that the proposed standards will not be attainable. The Association recommends that its members in the affected states (http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/regalerts/ra04-14a.pdf), who have not already done so, evaluate the implications for their plants and provide comments to the Association by Monday, August 2, 2004. The proposed rule comes after an April 20, 2004 announcement which outlined the Agency’s “Clean Beaches Plan,” designed to accelerate progress at the federal and state level to meet all of the requirements of the BEACH Act, and EPA’s intention to propose these bacteria standards. Additional details about the proposed rule and AMSA’s solicitation of member comment are found in AMSA’s Regulatory Alert 04-14 (http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/regalerts/ra04-14.cfm).Deadline Nears for
2004 Excellence in Management Recognition Program
The deadline to submit applications for AMSA’s 2004 Excellence in Management (EIM) program is Monday, August 2, 2004. Application materials, with program eligibility and criteria were distributed to AMSA’s membership in late June via Member Update 04-11 (http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/membership/eim/mu04-11.cfm). Member agencies that have implemented successful management programs over a continuous three-year period that address the range of management challenges faced by public wastewater utilities in today’s competitive environment are eligible for the program. EIM honorees will be recognized during AMSA’s 2005 Winter Conference, February 1-4 in San Antonia, Texas. Please submit your EIM application by the August 2, 2004 deadline.