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Action Please By: September 18, 1998

To:

Members & Affiliates

From:

National Office

Date:

August 25, 1998

Reference:

LA 98-5

Legislative Strategy Session - Wednesday, September 23, 1998

AMSA will hold a Legislative Strategy Session on Wednesday, September 23, 1998. The Strategy Session will take place from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm at the Marriott at Metro Center in Washington, DC (775 12th Street, NW, 1-800/228-9290 or 202/737-2200). All interested AMSA members are invited to attend.

In addition to wrapping up our work with the 105th Congress on a number of critical initiatives, AMSA is continues to position itself to engage actively in the reauthorization of the Clean Water Act, anticipated to begin during the 106th Congress. We reorganized our internal Association efforts in May, merging a number of ongoing initiatives and placing future detail work on our preparation for the Clean Water Act reauthorization in the capable hands of our Legislative Working Group.

In May our discussions focused on the status of ongoing initiatives, strategy options applicable to both AMSA's legislative and regulatory agendas, and the identification of a series of issues for potential legislative amendment. Included on the issues list were combined and sanitary sewer overflows, stormwater, nonpoint source controls, water quality standards, watersheds, funding, and total maximum daily loads. That list of issues was considered further at the July Legislative Policy Committee meeting in Colorado Springs, during AMSA's summer conference.

Member Comment on Positions & Priorities Sought
Currently we are in the process of developing potential AMSA positions, and desired outcomes, with regard to the issues identified thus far. Other issues may also be identified. Your participation, either in person -- or through your comments -- is critical to this continuing process.

The pages which follow identify issues and set forth preliminary Clean Water Act positions. We invite your comments on both the issues identified and the recommended AMSA positions. In addition, we are soliciting your input on other significant Clean Water Act issues your agency believes require amendment or new legislative language. Please respond in writing no later than Friday, September 18, 1998.

AMSA hopes to be in the position to craft legislative language relative to each issue following the September Strategy Session - all in preparation for the beginning of the 106th Congress in January of 1999. This early organizational effort will serve the Association well and maintain its position of leadership in the debate over reauthorization of the Clean Water Act.

If you will attend the September 23, 1998 Legislative Strategy Session, please confirm your plans by faxing the page which follows to the National Office no later than September 11, 1998. Should you require assistance in securing hotel accommodations at or near the Marriott at Metro Center, please do not hesitate to contact Linda Lohneis at the National Office (202/833-8418).

Thank you in advance for your review and comment on the attached legislative positions and priorities.



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