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January 3, 2003 AMSA Fax Alert

Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - January 3, 2003

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January 3, 2003

Clean Water Funding Remains Priority in 108th Congress
As Congress readies for its return to work next week, Representatives Sue Kelly (R-NY) and Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee are poised to introduce clean water infrastructure funding legislation in the opening days of the 108th Congress, perhaps as early as Tuesday of next week. The early activity surrounding this bill demonstrates that Congress continues to view clean water funding as a top environmental priority. AMSA has been asked to provide comments on the draft bill and is reviewing the bill with members of the Association’s Infrastructure Funding Task Force and national office staff. The bill would significantly boost funding for the clean water state revolving fund (CWSRF) along the same lines as a similar bill (H.R. 668) introduced last year by Reps. Kelly and Tauscher. AMSA will continue to work with key House staff to ensure that the funding bill fully reflects the concerns of publicly owned treatment works and will provide members with a detailed analysis of the bill upon its introduction via future Alerts and Updates.


EPA Proposes Withdrawal of Clinton-Era TMDL Rule
On December 27, 2002, EPA published in the Federal Register its proposal to withdraw the July 13, 2000 Clinton administration rule that would have revised the total maximum daily load (TMDL) program. The proposal to withdraw the TMDL rule must become final before April 2003 or the 2000 regulation will become effective. EPA officials have been working on a replacement for the TMDL rule, called the “Watershed Rule”, which emphasizes watershed planning as a way to address impaired waters. Although AMSA was supportive of the 2000 rule because of its emphasis on controlling nonpoint sources, the Association believes that EPA’s current Watershed Rule will be a positive development for publicly owned treatment works and will help bring nonpoints to the table. Although the Watershed Rule has recently come under fire from several agriculture groups, AMSA has been actively working with a broad array of stakeholder groups to help prevent the proposal from being shelved. AMSA will provide EPA with comments by the January 27, 2003 deadline in support of the 2000 rule’s withdrawal and to continue to urge EPA to move forward with its Watershed Rule. The Federal Register’s notice to withdraw the 2000 rule is available at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-WATER/2002/December/Day-27/w32582.htm.


Mehan Says Separate Blending Guidance Likely by March
AMSA has learned that G. Tracy Mehan III, EPA’s Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water stated this week that the Agency will likely issue a separate blending guidance as a stand-alone document by March of 2003. Mehan’s statement comes as welcome news to AMSA, which has consistently voiced its preference for stand-alone blending guidance and has opposed making blending part of the proposed sanitary sewer overflow rule. As part of its overall wet weather initiative, AMSA also intervened in August 2002 in the D.C. District Court case, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association et al. v. Whitman, which, among other key wet weather issues, argues that EPA Headquarters and Regions III, IV, and VI have illegally taken, and continue to take, essentially “final” actions opposing blending. AMSA believes this lawsuit will help ensure EPA’s acceptance of blending as a viable and necessary POTW activity. AMSA will continue its advocacy in the regulatory and legal arenas to ensure that blending continues to be an EPA-approved, POTW practice.


Register Today for AMSA’s 2003 Winter Conference

AMSA’s 2003 Winter Conference, The Evolving Public Utility . . . Leading the Workforce of Today, February 4-7, 2003, at the Eldorado Hotel in Santa Fe, N.M., will explore issues related to what often seem to be daily changes and challenges utility managers face in dealing with the modern workforce. The workshop will explore key issues facing all utility managers such as succession planning, implementing a pay-for-performance program, and dealing with the subtleties of the gender and ethnic shifts taking place in the modern workforce. Due to the broad applicability and interest in these issues, AMSA urges you to call the Eldorado Hotel today at 800/955-4455 to get AMSA’s discounted room rate before the January 10 deadline. More information on the 2003 Winter Conference is posted on AMSA’s Conferences and Meetings web site at www.amsa-cleanwater.org/meetings/ where members can register online for the 2003 Winter Conference. We look forward to seeing you in Santa Fe!


Join Fellow Water Sector Leaders at the Leadership Center

Leadership has become a topic of great interest for public water and wastewater utility managers. To meet this need, AMSA, the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, the American Water Works Association, and the Water Environment Federation have joined together in the development of a joint-venture Water and Wastewater Leadership Center for public utility leaders at the Kenan-Flagler Business School, UNC Chapel Hill, March 30 —April 11, 2003. The Leadership Center, whose curriculum was designed for public water and wastewater utility CEOs, General Managers, Senior Managers and upper-level management, offers a unique opportunity to learn a wide variety of leadership and management skills throughout this intensive professional training program. Early application is strongly recommended due to limited space and the high-level of interest in the Leadership Center. The deadline to apply for the program is January 31, 2003, so make sure to apply soon. Additional information on, and online applications for, the Leadership Center are available online at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/meetings/03leader/register.pdf or by calling Lisa Headley at 202-833-2672.