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October 20, 1998
EPA Develops Action Plan to Promote Sector Based Environmental Protection ProgramsEPA's Common Sense Initiative (CSI) Council discussed plans this week to transition the CSI Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) effort into an integrated multi-media sector-based environmental program (SBEP). The transition would occur under the auspices of the National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy & Technology (NACEPT), which will take a comprehensive look at environmental problems and regulations instead of the traditional piecemeal approach. The CSI initiative has been part of the Agency's reinvention strategy to promote "cheaper, smarter, better"approaches to environmental improvements in various industry sectors. Pretreatment & Hazardous Waste Committee Chair Guy Aydlett, Director, Water Quality at the Hampton Roads Sanitation District, VA, has represented the POTW community on the Council since its inception. Over the past several years, AMSA has been actively involved in CSI-related activities including development of pretreatment program performance measures, streamlining/reinvention activities, Project XL, and metal finishing strategic goals initiative.
Over the next two years (FY1999 and FY2000) EPA will pursue accelerated sector-based activities and work to integrate these activities into the fabric of the Agency. Although specific decisions have not been made, one candidate area suggested by the program offices for action during FY1999 includes POTW biosolids issues. Biosolids are being considered because of their link to multi-media impacts relating to maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards activities in the Office of Air for POTWs under section 112 and section 129 for sewage sludge incinerators and Office of Water activities under the Part 503 sewage sludge regulation. The draft action plan will be finalized at the CSI's last meeting on December 17.
EPA Administrator Carol Browner also issued a memorandum on October 14 announcing plans to centralize all information resource management and technology functions. A structural framework for the new Office will be developed within the next 30 days, with Acting Deputy Administrator Peter Robertson providing oversight. The goals of the Office would be: to assure that the quality of data collected and used by EPA is known and is appropriate for its intended uses; to reduce information collection and reporting burdens; to fill significant data gaps; and, to provide integrated environmental and public health information and statistics to the public. Some of the key activities of this Office will include Y2K compliance, single facility identification, development and administration of data standards, one stop-reporting, Toxic Release Inventory, Surf Your Watershed and electronic reporting.
Ø AMSA's National Office is pleased to report two happy events. . .
- Mark Hoeke, AMSA's Manager, Regulatory Affairs & Technical Services was married on October 3 to Kirsten Vogelsong. Mark is due back in the National Office on Monday following a honeymoon in Greece.
- Claudine Bodin, AMSA's Manager, Public Affairs gave birth to Eva Catherine Bodin on October 11. Congratulations to all!