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September 15, 2000
AMSA Grows to Meet 2001's Challenges
AMSA's leadership met this week in Washington, DC to assess and plan the Association's strategies for positively impacting national clean water policy in the midst of presidential and congressional transitions. The need for AMSA to increasingly represent the interests of publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) in a growing number of Clean Water Act lawsuits also received attention. In order to support further gains on priority government affairs and legal issues, AMSA's Board of Directors passed an aggressive budget that will allow for more staff resources — including an in-house General Counsel — to effectively respond to an ever-rising tide of legal, regulatory and legislative activity.Discussions with presidential campaign representatives, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials and state organizations only confirmed the need for AMSA to expand its advocacy role to provide further benefits to the nation's POTWs. AMSA's Board of Directors and committee leadership learned from representatives of the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates that changes to key elements of the Clean Water Act top the environmental priorities of both campaigns. They noted that Vice President Gore and Governor Bush would seek to address the funding gap outlined in the Water Infrastructure Network's report. Serious consideration had been given to the report, and specific plans would soon be released, they said.
In a critical permitting issue for POTWs, EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Chuck Fox assured AMSA's leadership that the Agency would seriously consider AMSA's forthcoming comments with suggested alternative approaches to EPA's badly flawed interim TMDL permitting guidance (FaxAlert, Sept. 1). Fox committed to slowing the guidance and was eager for further discussions with AMSA on improving EPA's approach. He also announced that — at AMSA's request — EPA would review alternate mercury test method 245.7. AMSA estimates that method 245.7's approval will save POTWs $17.6 million dollars per year in lab costs.
AMSA to Fight for POTWs in TMDL Rule Suit
AMSA's Board of Directors acted decisively this week to continue defending POTWs' interests in another high-profile TMDL lawsuit. The Board directed AMSA to seek intervention in the American Farm Bureau Federation's (AFBF) challenge of EPA's TMDL program revisions (FaxAlert, Sept.1) to ensure that POTWs' unique position is represented. AMSA members will be kept informed of developments in the case.Senate Funds SRF, NBP in 2001 EPA Appropriations
The Senate VA, HUD & Independent Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee approved its version of EPA's 2001 spending bill. Important features of the bill include $1.35 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund (SRF) — an increase of $550 million over the president's budget and $1 million for the National Biosolids Partnership. The report accompanying the bill contains strong language criticizing the administration for once again low-balling the SRF, and it cites figures from the WIN report to make the case for more water infrastructure funding. The report is also critical EPA Region IX=s TMDL interim guidance, upon which EPA headquarters has based its flawed guidance. No date has yet been set for a full-Senate vote on the bill, and it is unclear whether this bill will be lumped in with an Aomnibus@ spending package.