Member Pipeline - Legislative - Update
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To: Members, Affiliates, Legislative Policy Committee, Legal Affairs Committee From: National Office Date: October 4, 2001 The National Office is pleased to provide you with the September AMSA Legislative Update. 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.
Stay informed between issues of AMSA's Legislative Update by visiting our website at www.amsa-cleanwater.org. The Legislative pages of the website highlight AMSA issues, recent actions, and other valuable information.
Environmental Issues Take a Back Seat to Homeland Security
Congress returned to work September 12 following the terrorist attacks in New York City and at the Pentagon with a new agenda to aid the victims of the attacks and support the relief efforts. Included in the many Congressional activities which were postponed or cancelled was a September 13 hearing on federal water infrastructure funding before the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Water at which AMSA was set to testify. Security issues, appropriations bills and supplemental budgets for disaster relief will occupy the rest of the Capitol Hill agenda until Congress adjourns, potentially as early as the end of October.
Congress Approves New Committee on Homeland Defense
As discussions got underway regarding the vulnerability of U.S. infrastructure systems, Congress decided to elevate a temporary congressional working group on terrorism to full subcommittee status. Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL) has appointed Rep. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) to be chairman of the House Select Intelligence Terrorism and Homeland Security Subcommittee. Chambliss says the subcommittee will be the focal point for members on terrorism issues. Minority Leader Richard Gephardt (D-MO) appointed Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) as the subcommittee's ranking member. Chambliss expects to call witnesses to future hearings to discuss agroterrorism, bioterrorism, and ecoterrorism as well as safety measures associated with water, food, and medicine. The Senate currently has four committees that have jurisdiction over terrorism and related issues. Although no action has been taken in the Senate, Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) is considering a number of ideas from Senators who are calling for the formation of a bipartisan special commission, select committee, or task force similar to the House panel.
AMSA Takes Lead on Wastewater Infrastructure Security
AMSA's Board of Directors took decisive action in September to underscore AMSA's critical role in ensuring the safety and security of the country's wastewater utilities. At their September 21 meeting the Board acted to establish a Wastewater Infrastructure Security Task Force and commit $50,000 in Technical Action Funds to this issue. As POTWs heightened and enhanced their readiness, AMSA staff began a dialogue with members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to seek additional funding to assist in the development of a state-of-the-art program to address security needs of member agencies. Publicly-owned treatment works are expected to need assistance in areas such as vulnerability assessments and emergency response and recovery plans. Federal funds would likely be made available to AMSA in the form of a grant from the EPA Office of Water, and would be used to assess AMSA member needs, develop an appropriate program, and possibly conduct educational sessions nationwide. AMSA's newly-formed Task Force is expected to provide oversight for this new initiative. In addition to collaborating with Congress and EPA, AMSA also has engaged in discussions with officials from the National Infrastructure Protection Center, Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the issue of wastewater infrastructure security. AMSA will also testify at a planned Subcommittee hearing on water and wastewater infrastructure security issues on October 10.
EPA Budget Expected to Pass In October
Lawmakers in the House and Senate have appointed Members as conferees to reconcile the differences in their separate spending bills for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for fiscal year (FY) 2002. This activity should occur before Congress recesses. The House approved $1.2 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), $850 million for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), and an additional set-aside of $200 million for a "targeted grant program to address community wastewater, drinking water and ground water infrastructure concerns." The Senate approved $1.35 billion for the CWSRF grants and $850 million for the DWSRF. Another $140 million was earmarked for special needs infrastructure grants that will fund 106 specific wastewater, water, storm- water, and sewer upgrade projects nationwide.AMSA member agencies also have sent messages to their Congressional delegations urging full funding of the combined sewer overflow and sanitary sewer overflow grant program created by the Wet Weather Water Quality Act of 2000 (WWWQA). Although language in both the House and Senate bills acknowledges the financial challenges being faced by communities that have combined and sanitary sewer overflow problems – and the House conducted a lengthy debate on the matter led by Congressman James Barcia (D-MI) – both the House and Senate declined to fund the WWWQA.
AMSA Members Urge Senators to Fund NBP in FY 2002 EPA Budget
AMSA members rallied support for the National Biosolids Partnership (NBP) by contacting their Senators and urging full funding for the NBP for FY 2002. Funding for the NBP was not included in the August 2 Senate version of the appropriations bill for VA, HUD and Independent Agencies, which includes funding for EPA-supported programs such as the NBP. The program was funded at $1 million in the EPA Appropriations bill passed by the House on July 18. The Congress, through EPA's budget, has funded the NBP at $1 million a year for the past three years. An additional three years of funding is necessary to implement the project nationwide.Senate staff now tell AMSA that there is a strong likelihood that Senators will support the $1 million in the House version for the biosolids program during the reconciliation process. It is hoped that a final bill will be sent to the White House for Presidential signature in October.
Bush Administration Calls for Indefinite Postponement of House Debate on Farm Bill
Last addressed in 1996, reauthorization of the Farm Bill is expected to be taken up on the House floor in early October. The Farm Security Act of 2001 (H.R. 2646), offered by Congressman Larry Combest (R-TX) and approved by the Agriculture Committee on August 2, contains funding for a variety of programs but does not include robust conservation or water quality provisions. Although supported by many of the traditional agricultural lobbies, the Bush administration announced in an October 3 Statement of Administration Policy that it will not support H.R. 2646. The administration emphasizes the belief that a different bill can be crafted which is "better for rural America, better for the environment, and better for expanding our markets for our producers than H.R. 2646", and calls for the House to postpone action on the Farm Bill at this time. This announcement coming immediately prior to House floor discussion on the Farm Bill is certain to severely impact the scope and magnitude of the debate and the ultimate package.
Despite the uncertainty over the House debate on the Farm Bill, AMSA has actively supported an alternative bill which would significantly increase conservation spending and benefit water quality. Offered by Congressmen Ron Kind (D-WI), Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD), Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), and John Dingell (D-MI), the amendment would set aside $1.7 billion in new funding to encourage farms, animal feeding operations, livestock managers, and others to implement nonpoint source controls and to protect water quality. In total, the Boehlert-Dingell-Kind-Gilchrest amendment increases annual conservation spending over H.R. 2646 by 54 percent – the amendment recommends $5.4 billion per year, while the Combest bill would spend $3.5 billion per year. Additionally, the amendment establishes a new "Watershed Quality Incentive Program" which, among other things, establishes two pilot programs directed at improving water quality. One of the programs would earmark $100 million per year for up to five impaired watersheds to provide incentives for agriculture producers to reduce nitrogen and phosphorous applications based on actual performance. Thus far, the amendment has garnered the support of over 150 House members.
The National Office has written numerous letters of support encouraging uncommitted House members to vote for the amendment, and on September 27 signed onto an endorsement of the amendment led by a group of environmental and recreational groups. AMSA and several other municipal organizations, including the National League of Cities, U.S. Conference of Mayors, National Association of Towns & Townships, American Water Works Association, Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, and Water Environment Federation, sent a letter to 60 potential House supporters urging them to vote in favor of the amendment. The letter in support of the amendment can be seen at
http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/legreg/outreach/10-1-01supportamendment.pdf. A Word Perfect version can be downloaded at:
http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/legreg/outreach/10-1-01supportforamendment.wpd.
Write Your Letter-to-the-Editor
AMSA's Letters-to-the-Editor Grassroots Campaign in support of a significantly enhanced federal role in water infrastructure funding is demonstrating its effectiveness through published letters in local newspapers in Dallas, Anchorage, Lowell, Mass., Washington, D.C. and elsewhere. Legislators have told AMSA that while they plan to draft legislation on infrastructure security this session, they are prepared to move forward with bipartisan legislation on water infrastructure funding during the second session of the 107th Congress. House Members have made it clear that votes for increased water infrastructure funding will hinge on local grassroots support. Many Association members have helped the grassroots effort by signing an AMSA-drafted template Letter to the Editor, containing bracketed spaces for you to insert key local information, for placement in your local newspapers. For those who have not done so, please send this letter on your Agency letterhead to your local newspapers and forward a copy to Adam Krantz at the National Office via e-mail at akrantz@amsa-cleanwater.org. The letter is available at
http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/legreg/outreach/amsalettertotheeditor.doc.
House Committee Considers Elevating EPA to Cabinet Level
Discussions continue in the House to elevate EPA to Cabinet level status. Some Members of Congress such as Rep. Steve Horn (R-CA) assert that overall EPA reform should accompany any elevation of the Agency to Cabinet status. Other Members, such as Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), believe a "clean elevation" that saves Agency reform matters for another time would be advisable. While President Bush has given EPA Administrator Christie Whitman seat at the table in Cabinet meetings, the distinction and status do not transfer to her visits overseas. The U.S. is one of only ten nations that do not include its environmental department within the cabinet. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has introduced a similar bill in the Senate. AMSA attended a September 21 hearing on the matter held by the House Government Reform Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Natural Resources, and Regulatory Affairs, and will keep the membership informed of future activity on this topic.
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