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AMSA Legislative Alert LA04-3

Member Pipeline - Legislative - Alert (LA04-3)

To: Members & Affiliates
From: National Office
Date: June 4, 2004
Subject: Support the Highway Stormwater Discharge Mitigation Program
Reference: LA04-3
Action Now: Schedule Visits with your Congressional Delegation

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Members of Congress on the House-Senate Conference Committee on the federal transportation bill have begun negotiations to resolve differences between the two highway bills. The Senate-passed Safe, Affordable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2003 (SAFETEA) (S. 1072) contains the AMSA-supported amendment (Section 1620) to set-aside 2 percent – approximately $958 million over six years – for states to mitigate stormwater runoff from highways. The House-passed legislation, a six-year, $284 billion highway and transit funding bill (H.R. 3550), does not contain the set-aside.

AMSA urges its members to send letters to the House and Senate Conferees (list attached) in support of Section 1620 as contained in the Senate transportation bill (S. 1072). This section of the Senate’s $318 billion highway construction and repair package received bipartisan support and would provide funds for projects such as stormwater retrofits, the recharge of groundwater, natural filters, stream restoration, minimization of stream bank erosion, and innovative technologies.

It’s easy to quickly contact the Conferees! We have developed a sample letter (attached) for you to personalize and email or fax to the Conferees. You can download it from Write Congress Now, which is located on the homepage of AMSA’s website at www.amsa-cleanwater.org. The list of the conferees is attached to this Legislative Alert for your convenience.

We also encourage you to send a copy of your letter to the District office of your Representative and the local offices of your Senators with a note that asks them to contact the Conferees in support of the inclusion of the stormwater funding provision.

Upon completion of your letters, please forward a copy to AMSA's Lee Garrigan by fax (202/833-4657) or email (lgarrigan@amsa-cleanwater.org). If you have any questions or would like further assistance, please contact Lee at 202/833-4655. Thank you for your time and attention to this very important issue.

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