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September 10, 2004 AMSA Fax Alert

Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - September 10, 2004

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September 10, 2004

AMSA Files Comments with EPA on Ammonia Criteria
AMSA provided the EPA with comments (www.amsa-cleanwater.org/advocacy/releases.cfm#cmt) earlier this week in response to the Agency’s notice (www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-WATER/2004/July/Day-08/w15532.htm) to review existing water quality criteria for ammonia. Recent studies evaluating the toxicity of ammonia to freshwater mussels suggest that a certain family of mussels (Family Unionidae) is more sensitive to ammonia than the aquatic life species EPA used to establish its existing water quality criteria. AMSA’s members would likely be affected by any modification to the existing criteria. The Association’s primary concern, however, is that EPA use only valid, peer-reviewed data for revising its water quality criteria. AMSA believes the use of these new studies by EPA in its revision process is premature as there is no standardized test protocol for the unique life stages of unionid mussels and the various studies highlight the lack of knowledge regarding these life stages in laboratory test environments.

However, if EPA decides to use the new unionid mussel data to revise the criteria, despite the known limitations, AMSA recommends that the Agency allow site-specific or region-specific modification of the criteria to adjust for the presence or absence of particular freshwater mussel species and other site-specific factors; or develop two criteria, unionids present and unionids absent, similar to the approach used for salmonids in the Agency’s 1999 criteria. AMSA will closely monitor EPA’s approach in reviewing the water quality criteria for ammonia and provide members with information via future Alerts and Updates.

AMSA Continues Coalition Building to Secure SRF Funding
AMSA continues to collaborate with a broad state, local and environmental coalition urging the Senate Appropriations Committees to restore full funding to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). The coalition is developing a white paper, to be released early next week, which provides state-by-state data on the economic impact of cutting $500 million from the CWSRF program, the current proposal on the table from the House VA-HUD Subcommittee’s EPA budget bill (H.R. 2861). H.R. 2861 would reduce fiscal year 2005 funding for the CWSRF from the current level of $1.35 billion to $850 million. The coalition is facing an uphill battle to restore the CWSRF funding. In response to a query regarding the prospects of restoring the appropriations, Senator James Jeffords, Ranking Minority Member of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, responded “Well, we’re going to try, but I would say [the prospect is] not very good. I think there are so many other demands for money.”

AMSA was successful in incorporating language into the House bill that would provide $980,000 in funding for the National Biosolids Partnership’s (NBP) continued work on biosolids management and in clarifying language on combined sewer overflow (CSO) long-term control plants (LTCPs). It is unclear if the Senate version will include similar language. The Association will work in a collaborative manner with the coalition to ensure the CWSRF is restored and that these other provisions are included in the final conferenced bill. For more information, visit AMSA’s Legislative Correspondence & Outreach site (www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/leg_outreach.cfm).

  • PLEASE NOTE: To maintain a free subscription to the Cleanwater Central database, all public utilities that are currently members of AMSA or subscribers to the Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) must update their facility information on the Cleanwater Central website (www.cleanwatercentral.org) by September 30, 2004.
  • Visit AMSA’s website (www.amsa-cleanwater.org/meetings/) for agenda, registration and hotel information regarding the Association’s 2004 Pretreatment Coordinators Workshop and 2004 Developments in Clean Water Law: A Seminar for Public Agency Attorneys and Managers.