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To: Members & Affiliates
From: National Office
Date: September 29, 2000
Subject: HOUSE COMMITTEE UNANIMOUSLY APPROVES SHORT-TERM SSO-CSO FUNDING MEASURE
Reference: LA 00-07

The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee on September 28 unanimously approved a narrow wet weather bill that would provide short-term funding assistance to combined sewer overflow (CSO) and sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) communities. The Wet Weather Water Quality Act of 2000 (see attached bill, H.R. 828) incorporates many of the funding and watershed provisions contained in H.R. 3570, the AMSA-led wet weather bill. The bill also codifies the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) National CSO Policy, one of several key objectives of H.R. 3570. In the short weeks that remain in the 106th Congress, the Committee leadership will work on clearing the way for a House floor vote on this bill. The Senate has not yet indicated its plan or schedule for taking up similar legislation. Lead sponsors of H.R. 3570, Congressmen Steve LaTourette (R-OH) and William Pascrell (D-NJ) indicated that they were "pleased that several of the important components of our bill are married to this new bill."

In moving this bill, the Committee kept its promise from the opening days of this session to deliver a bipartisan package which would help communities with wet weather programs. Although significant Republican and Democratic support continues to exist for clarifying municipal responsibilities for SSO and urban stormwater control, a major objective of H.R. 3570, the Committee chose to avoid any amendments that could be perceived as controversial in any way. Though the bill does not address liability issues for SSO and urban stormwater control, Committee staff have indicated that these issues would be considered in the next Congress.

 

Summary of Legislation
As approved by the Committee, the bill’s major provisions achieve the following:

  • All NPDES permits for CSO discharges are to conform to the CSO Policy and must indicate that long-term control plans be developed and implemented "as expeditiously as possible" (Section 2(q)(1));
  • EPA is required to complete its CSO Water Quality Standards guidance by December 31, 2000 (Section 2(q)(2));
  • EPA is authorized with $45 million over three years to carry out demonstration projects on the management of wet weather discharges on an urban watershed basis and to conduct studies of the cost-effectiveness of stormwater best management practices. EPA is also directed to allow flexibility for municipalities participating in these demonstration projects to unify their wet weather programs (Section 3);
  • Providing that at least $1.2 billion is available for implementing the Clean Water SRF program, EPA is authorized with $1.5 billion over two years to make grants to communities to assist in the control of SSOs and CSOs (Section 4);
  • EPA is directed to report to Congress on: the environmental and human health impacts of CSO and SSO discharges; the resources spent by municipalities to address these impacts; and the technologies used to address CSOs and SSOs (Section 5(a)); and
  • EPA is required to maintain a clearinghouse of cost-effective and efficient technologies for addressing human health and environmental impacts due to CSOs and SSOs (Section 5(b)).

 

AMSA to Emphasize Need to Focus on Long-Term Clean Water Solutions in 107th Congress
Prior to the bill’s consideration on the House floor, AMSA will send a letter to the Committee leadership indicating the Association’s appreciation for legislation that will provide short-term assistance to CSO and SSO communities. The letter will also caution the Committee that severe obstacles still remain within the Clean Water Act statute that are hampering local efforts to control wet weather pollution. AMSA will ask that the Committee dedicate its full energy in the next Congress towards long-term solutions to remedy the inconsistencies that exist for SSO and urban stormwater implementation. In addition, the letter will reinforce the need to focus on the $23 billion shortfall in clean water funding, calling for a strong effort on Water-21 legislation.

If you have any questions about this bill, please contact Greg Schaner at 202/296-9836.

Attachments:

  • Amendment to H.R. 828 (PDF format ~ 618KB)
       
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