Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - August 5, 2005
Click Here
for the FaxAlert ArchiveAugust 5, 2005
EPA 2006 Budget Reduces SRF, Increases Enforcement Funding
President Bush signed into law the $26.3 billion Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (the Act) earlier this week. NACWA’s advocacy efforts were successful in securing $1 million for the National Biosolids Partnership (NBP) and $2 million for the Water Information Sharing & Analysis Center (WaterISAC). The legislation also provides funding for EPA, whose budget was cut by approximately $200 million for fiscal year (FY) 2006 down to $7.73 billion. The vast majority of this reduction was achieved by reducing the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) from $1.09 billion in FY ’05 to $900 million in FY ‘06. NACWA, and a broad coalition of stakeholders groups, were successful in avoiding even deeper cuts to the program proposed by the Administration and the House through a strong advocacy effort. The continued decrease in funding for the CWSRF over the past three years, however, marks a significant trend toward phasing out additional federal funding for the program, which has been cut by 33 percent since fiscal year ‘03. Despite the cuts to the CWSRF, several other departments in EPA received increased funding. Most notably, over $25 million was added to the Agency’s enforcement and compliance assurance budget for which wet weather remains a top enforcement priority. This demonstrates the importance of NACWA’s continued effort to seek clear federal regulatory requirements and to develop innovative measures to ensure a federal recommitment to clean water funding.NACWA will continue to work with Congress to restore funding levels for the CWSRF to the FY’ 04 level of $1.35 billion in future years and will also work with lawmakers to move legislation forward that will establish a dedicated national trust fund for clean and safe water. Indeed, as the cuts to the CWSRF demonstrate, it is critical that we provide alternatives for sustainable federal funding to Congress. For this reason, NACWA’s Fall Strategic Leadership Session, September 19 – 20, 2005, in Washington, D.C., will feature a session focused on demystifying NACWA’s Clean Water Trust Fund initiative. There will also be a Regulatory Policy Strategy Session – that will look at a host of regulatory issues, including blending, sanitary sewer overflows and pretreatment streamlining – as well as a separate and confidential session on priority activities and concerns in the security arena. The Fall Strategic Leadership Session is open to all NACWA members and is free of charge. For more details refer to Member Update 05-13 (http://www.nacwa.org/private/membcomm/memupdate/mu05-13.cfm).
In an effort to broaden the support-base for long-term federal funding, the Association’s Clean Water Funding Task Force has continued to garner support for its grassroots Clean Water America (CWA) initiative (www.cleanwateramerica.org). CWA now has well over 60 organizational ‘Supporters’, with recent additions that include the American Public Power Association, the American Shore & Beach Preservation Association, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Clean Water Action, the Federation of Fly Fishers and the Republicans for Environmental Protection, along with dozens of NACWA members. To become a Clean Water America ‘Supporter’, contact NACWA’s Byron DeLuke, at bdeluke@nacwa.org or 202/533-1805.
Deadline for Excellence in Management Applications Approaching
NACWA will accept applications for the 2005 Excellence in Management Recognition Program until Friday, August 12. Honorees will be recognized with a Certificate of Recognition during NACWA’s management-focused 2006 Winter Conference January 31- February 3 in New Orleans, La. The Excellence in Management program was launched in 2003 to acknowledge the significant management efforts of NACWA member agencies. This program honors member agencies who have implemented successful programs (over a continuous three-year period) that address the range of management challenges faced by public wastewater utilities in today’s competitive environment. Member Update 05-10 (http://www.nacwa.org/membership/mu05-10.cfm) provides all the information that your agency needs to submit an application for the 2005 Excellence in Management Recognition Program, including program eligibility, criteria and pertinent application submission guidelines. For more information visit the Recognition Program’s icon on NACWA’s homepage (http://www.nacwa.org/) or contact Shawnita Dickens at 202/833-1449 or sdickens@nacwa.org.