Member Pipeline - Legislative - Update
To: Members, Affiliates & Legal Affairs Committee From: National Office Date: June 22, 2001 The National Office is pleased to provide you with the AMSA Legislative Update. This Update provides you with a summary of legislative events and activities current to June 22, 2001. A Bill Digest of legislation currently tracked by AMSA also is attached. If you have any questions or comments, please contact the National Office, 202/833-AMSA or info@amsa-cleanwater.org.AMSA launched a redesign of its web site this week. The new and improved Legislative side of the site has been updated to better highlight AMSA's issues and accomplishments as well as give easier-to-find coverage of key issues, action items, and legislative links. Visit today at www.amsa-cleanwater.org.
AMSA's upcoming Summer Conference - The Biosolids Challenge . . . Ensuring Success, July 17 - 20, 2001 in Milwaukee, Wis., is demonstrating its timeliness as Federal agencies are renewing their focus on biosolids issues, including dioxin, radioactivity, worker health and safety, environmental management systems, and others. In addition, AMSA's dynamic committees will meet during the conference, providing invaluable networking opportunities. Be sure to register for the Summer Conference today at www.amsa-cleanwater.org.
Environment Committee Leadership Changes As Democrats Regain Control of Senate
With Sen. Jim Jeffords' (I-VT) announcement May 24 of party defection to become an Independent, the Democrats gained control of the Senate for the first time since 1994. The move has left many open questions regarding who will take over for Sen. Robert Smith (R-NH) as chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee. According to Democratic staffers on the Committee, Jeffords is likely to take over the chairmanship with already appointed chair, Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV). Reid plans to focus on his new role as Senate Majority Whip. Staffers generally believe, however, that because of Reid's and Smith's continuing influence on the committee, water infrastructure will remain one of its top priorities. Reid recently introduced a drinking water infrastructure bill that would boost funding for small communities, and Smith - a 2001 AMSA award recipient - has been a longtime ally in making water infrastructure a national priority.AMSA Triumphs as Lawmakers Restore USGS Budget
The House Appropriations Interior Subcommittee decided June 8 to boost dramatically the United States Geological Survey's Fiscal Year 2002 program budget despite President Bush's decision to reduce USGS water quality programs in his budget request, handing AMSA a critical success. The Subcommittee's decision came on the heals of a June 5 letter AMSA sent to subcommittee Chairman Joe Skeen (R-NM) and Ranking Member Norman Dicks (D-WA) urging them to restore funds to a vital USGS water quality information program whose budget was cut $20 million. AMSA believes that the much-needed funding boost, if ultimately passed, will allow the USGS' National Water Quality Assessment program to continue providing information critical to developing sound water quality criteria needed to implement the Clean Water Act (CWA). See AMSA's letter at: http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/legreg/outreach/060601usgsletter.pdf.AMSA Responds To Pending New York Mercury Legislation
AMSA is taking the lead in ensuring that publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) are protected from unrealistic and inconsistent effluent limits for mercury set at the state level, and is continuing to highlight the critical importance of a consistent, national compliance strategy for mercury. In keeping with this policy, AMSA sent a letter on June 1 to key members of the New York State Senate and Assembly, where two bills are pending that would require POTWs to comply with mercury effluent levels of less than 1 part per trillion (ppt). AMSA's letter points out that the New York standard would be lower than the detection level in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) analytical test method for mercury. Critically, AMSA also says in the letter that there is currently no method available that can meet mercury levels of less than 1 ppt, and that such a level would automatically, and arbitrarily, force POTWs into non-compliance. The letter is available on AMSA's web site at: http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/legreg/outreach/6-1-01lettertony.pdf. On June 13 AMSA received a letter of thanks from the New York Legislature for our input on the legislation.AMSA's Members Support Senate Mercury Bill with Letter Writing Campaign
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) is sponsoring S.351, the Mercury Reduction and Disposal Act of 2001, which would create an Interagency Task Force on Mercury in order to develop a national environmental mercury compliance strategy. AMSA sent our own letter of support for this legislation in early March. AMSA has encouraged each member to send letters to their Senators encouraging them to cosponsor S. 351 (see Legislative Alert 01-05). Members can access a convenient letter for customizing at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/legreg/legalrts/la01-5.htm. AMSA has received copies of over 20 AMSA member letters to Senators in response to Legislative Alert 01-05, and looks forward to continued activities by the membership in support of this bill. AMSA member efforts have already helped add two new cosponsors to the bill. As a result of Senator Collins' efforts, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hopes to schedule a hearing on mercury issues later this year.AMSA Urges Senate To Boost Water Infrastructure Funds
AMSA sent a June 12 letter to Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee's VA-HUD & Independent Agencies Subcommittee - responsible for EPA's Fiscal Year 2002 budget appropriations bill - urging the Senator to "restore full funding for America's clean and safe water infrastructure programs." Specifically, AMSA urged Mikulski to fully fund the Wet Weather Water Quality Act of 2000 (WWWQA), which authorizes a two-year, $1.5 billion grant program for sanitary sewer and combined sewer overflows, but only in a fiscal year in which at least $1.35 billion in wastewater grants to states is made available. Under Bush's proposed FY02 budget, only $1.3 billion in such grants would be capitalized, leaving a $500 million shortfall necessary to trigger the WWWQA's full funding. AMSA will continue its legislative efforts on behalf of full WWWQA funding and increased funding for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds. Several other key Water Infrastructure Network (WIN) members joined AMSA in signing the letter. See the letter at: http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/legreg/outreach/6-12-01vahudappropsletter.pdf.AMSA Participates in Senate Water Infrastructure Roundtable
On May 23, Paul Pinault, AMSA's Vice President and Executive Director of the Providence, RI's Narragansett Bay Commission, represented AMSA at a water infrastructure roundtable on water infrastructure held by the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee. Pinault highlighted the urgent need for increased water infrastructure funding and called on Congress to act swiftly and decisively to stem a looming water infrastructure funding crisis. Pinault noted that while the State Revolving Fund (SRF) is a useful starting point, it lacks sufficient loan and grant funds and the flexibility necessary to meet Rhode Island's and the nation's water infrastructure needs, totaling nearly $23 billion a year over the next twenty years. "Despite some past success . . . the SRF has become an outdated and underfunded solution to our massive national water infrastructure needs, both for large and small communities alike," said Pinault. A copy of Pinault's statement is available on AMSA's website at: http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/advocacy/testimony/52301testimony.pdf."Killer Bs" Receive AMSA Award for Water Infrastructure Leadership
On May 22, AMSA's President Gurnie Gunter presented Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), Robert Borski (D-PA), Michael Bilirakis (R-FL) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) with its prestigious 2001 National Environmental Achievement Award at a Rally on Capitol Hill on behalf of increased federal funding for water infrastructure. The Rally was a part of AMSA's 2001 National Environmental Policy Forum & 31st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. Known to many as the "Killer Bs," the Congressmen received the award for their work as Co-Chairs of the Water Infrastructure Caucus (WIC). WIC is the key driving force of over 80 Representatives committed to mobilizing Congress to address our nation's water infrastructure funding needs. The "Killer Bs" have pledged to educate fellow members of Congress on the urgent need to provide funding for the U.S.'s ailing water infrastructure, and AMSA congratulates them on receiving this much-deserved award.AMSA Asks Members to Share Infrastructure Needs with Congress
On April 20, AMSA asked each member POTW to document and share with Members of Congress the challenges they are facing in the repair and rehabilitation of their infrastructure (Legislative Alert 01-03). The documented needs of the cities and communities of AMSA members, sent to individual Congressional delegations, will educate lawmakers on the importance of the issue and advance the causes of both AMSA and the Water Infrastructure Network (WIN). AMSA has developed a sample letter for you to use to convey your statistics to your Congressional delegation, as well as several "Helpful Hints" in formatting the letter and reaching Congress. Please make every effort to prepare and send your letter as soon as possible. It is extremely important that as many AMSA members as possible document their local infrastructure needs and communicate this information to their Senators and Representatives. Please remember to provide a copy of your local needs to AMSA's Lee Garrigan by fax at 202/833-4657 or by e-mail at lgarrigan@amsa-cleanwater.org. The sample letter can be found on AMSA's website at: http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/legreg/legalerts/la01-3.htm.Attachment: