Member Pipeline - Member Services & Information - Update (MU03-12)
| To: | Members & Affiliates |
| From: | National Office |
| Date: | July 10, 2003 |
| Subject: | AMSA REPORT PROVIDES ECONOMIC REPLY TO EPA’S FUNDING GAP SOLUTIONS |
| Reference: | MU 03-12 |
Printer friendly versionAMSA Urges Members to Distribute Economic Analysis to Elected Officials,
Business Leaders
The Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies (AMSA) urges all members to
read and distribute to elected officials and local business leaders the
Association’s most recent publication on the wastewater infrastructure funding
issue — EPA’s Solutions Leave Large Wastewater Funding Gap. This white paper
marks the most recent installment of AMSA’s Water Infrastructure Funding Task
Force’s ongoing initiative to develop a long-term funding source for clean water
infrastructure. The document provides an economic analysis and response to the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) strategies for closing the
wastewater funding gap as initially presented by EPA at its January 31, 2003
“Forum on Closing the Gap: Innovative Responses for Sustainable Water
Infrastructure”. AMSA’s report is available on the Association’s web site at
http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/legreg/outreach/2003-06fgap.pdf.
The White Paper’s Key Conclusions
The white paper reviews EPA’s contention that clean and safe water
infrastructure funding is primarily a local concern, despite the Agency’s own
estimate that the water infrastructure funding shortfall is in the hundreds of
billions of dollars. AMSA’s review takes a closer look at the potential
financial benefits to communities that could result from EPA’s proposals to
improve utility management, use water more efficiently, further increase sewer
fees and rates, and make local investment decisions on a watershed basis. As
expressed in AMSA’s report, EPA’s non-funding strategies can improve local
management practices and environmental outcomes but will neither pay down the
current, well-documented funding shortfall at local wastewater utilities nor
meet the funding challenges in the coming years. EPA’s suggestions do not take
into account the most fundamental solution to close the gap — a long-term,
reliable, and sustainable funding source.
AMSA has sent its report to EPA officials and encourages its members to disseminate this information to local officials, state legislators and Members of Congress. Additionally, the paper can be sent to trade publications, local news outlets and other stakeholder groups for further dissemination. This new report complements previous AMSA reports, including the Association’s recent Why Not Water publication, which advocates for a dedicated funding source similar to those that exist for the nation’s highways and airports.