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September 24, 1999
Fall Leadership Meeting Yields New Developments
During AMSA's Fall Leadership Retreat & Strategy Session, Chuck Fox, EPAs Assistant Administrator for Water indicated the Agency's willingness to revise its draft proposed standard permit conditions for sanitary sewer systems to be less prescriptive. Fox's comments were in response to concerns raised by AMSA and other municipal organizations that the Agency's May 1999 draft proposed regulations addressing capacity, management, operation, and management (CMOM) of sewer systems were too detailed to be implemented cost effectively and that it drastically expanded municipal liability. AMSA and other municipal representatives on EPA's Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) Federal Advisory Committee walked out of negotiations this summer over concerns that the Agency was ignoring municipal views on liability protection and the appropriate scope of the regulation. Fox's comments come at a time when AMSA and the other municipal organizations are considering whether to rejoin advisory committee talks scheduled for mid-October.EPA to Extend TMDL Comment Period By 60 Days
Fox also announced that the Agency will be providing a 60-day extension to the comment period on its August 23, 1999 proposed revisions to the total maximum daily load (TMDL) program regulations and accompanying guidance. Requests for the extension from Congress and several organizations, including AMSA, ultimately swayed the Agency to push back the deadline, despite its ambitious schedule to finalize the rule by April 2000. The new deadline for comments is expected to be December 21, 1999.In his summary of the August 23 proposal, Fox indicated that the Agency is intending to “get a handle on nonpoint source pollution” and that the “proposal can be a framework for pollutant trading.” The proposed regulation would require greater participation by nonpoint sources of pollution in attaining water quality standards and would require offsetting load reductions from new or expanded point sources.
Capitol Hill Staff Signal Probable Action on Clean Water Funding
Benjamin Grumbles, House Majority Counsel for the Water Resources & Environment Subcom-mittee, told AMSA's leadership today that discussions are underway on a “major infusion of Federal dollars” for municipal wet weather flows projects, which would have the support of the Clinton Administration and the Democrats. AMSA understands that the funding would most likely be directed towards the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF). Minority Counsel Kenneth Kopocis also emphasized the importance of expanding Federal assistance for clean water, noting that the projected budget surplus has provided Congress with the ideal time to invest in infrastructure. Kopocis warned, however, that although funding represents a fairly non-controversial, bipartisan issue, further negotiation is needed on the application of Department of Labor wages to Federal infrastructure assistance, an issue that has held up other clean water funding bills this year. In addition, Dean Kawamoto, Professional Staff of the Environment & Public Works Committee informed AMSA's leadership that Chair John H. Chafee (R-RI) is currently drafting legislation that would increase clean water funding in the SRF program. Additional information on AMSA's Fall Leadership Retreat & Strategy Session will appear in the October issue of the Clean Water News.Pretreatment Deadline Extended to October 11
The hotel reservation deadline for the 1999 AMSA/EPA Pretreatment Coordinators Workshop has been extended to October 11, 1999. Indivi-duals interested in attending, who have not yet made their hotel reservations, are encouraged to do so without delay. The Workshop will take place in Dallas, Texas on November 3-5. http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org is the place to view the Workshop agenda and register for this important meeting.