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January 14, 2000

AMSA Reviews EPA CSO, Standards Review Guidance
AMSA has received a draft outline of upcoming U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidance on coordinating the implementation, review and revision of water quality standards with combined sewer overflow (CSO) long-term control plans. According to the draft outline, “the first component of the guidance will . . . explain . . . the need for improved coordination among participating entities” and the second part of the guidance “will explain how to integrate the CSO control planning and implementation processes with the water quality standards processes.” AMSA has advocated designated use and water quality standards reviews as a way of ensuring that municipal long-term CSO plans are targeted to protect attainable uses, meet accurately set standards and reflect site-specific variables. EPA's draft outline says that “the guidance will provide specific examples of how the review and, if appropriate, revision processes would work in a CSO context.” AMSA's Wet Weather Committee will discuss the upcoming guidance when it meets during AMSA's 2000 Winter Conference in Albuquerque and consider whether to communicate any comments or concerns to the Agency. EPA expects to issue the guidance in April 2000. AMSA is distributing the draft outline via Regulatory Alert 00-2.

AMSA Meets with EPA, NRC, and DOE on Biosolids Guidance
This week, AMSA representatives met with officials from EPA, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and the Department of Energy (DOE) to discuss separate modeling efforts underway by both AMSA and the Interagency Steering Committee on Radiation Standards (ISCORS). These models are intended to evaluate the potential for radiological exposure from biosolids handling, disposal and reuse. The National Biosolids Partnership (NBP) is sponsoring the AMSA modeling effort which provides a comparative risk assessment of radiological exposure from biosolids with other sources. In Denver this week, the NBP approved additional funds to support technical contractor assistance to AMSA and its ISCORS representatives. The dose modeling report is expected to be distributed to the AMSA membership in early 2000. ISCORS is conducting similar modeling, in addition to a sampling effort at 300 POTWs. The sampling effort will provide national estimates of high probability occurrences of elevated levels of radioactive materials in biosolids and ash at POTWs; 2) estimate the extent to which radioactive contamination comes from either NRC/agreement state licensees or naturally occurring radioactivity; and, with the modeling effort, 3) support future rulemaking decisions by NRC and EPA. Participants in the meeting agreed that both modeling efforts should result in similar conclusions. Additional meetings between AMSA and other ISCORS representatives are planned as modeling efforts progress.

Committee Agendas for AMSA's 2000 Winter Conference were sent via e-mail to members of AMSA's special committees this week. To receive a copy of any agenda or to be placed on a committee's listserv, please contact Robin Davis at 202/833-3280 or rdavis@amsa-cleanwater.org.