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January 21, 2000
AMSA Sparks Interest in House Clean Water Trust Fund Hearing
The national water infrastructure funding dialogue that AMSA set in motion last year is prompting lawmakers to seek permanent solutions to the funding needs documented in The Cost of Clean. This week, Rep. James McGovern (D-Mass.) requested House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bud Shuster (R-Pa.) to hold a Water Resources & Environment Subcommittee hearing “regarding the establishment of a Clean Water Infrastructure Trust Fund.” In the letter to Shuster, McGovern recommended the establishment of a trust fund to “provide a permanent, self-sustaining funding mechanism for . . . water infrastructure projects.” The letter also suggested that a trust fund could serve as the chief vehicle for further improvements to the nation's waters. McGovern lists AMSA as a chief supporter of a Clean Water Trust Fund. Along with the request for a hearing, McGovern submitted a research memorandum outlining past and present Clean Water Trust Fund proposals. The memorandum identifies a $5 to $6 billion annual gap in wastewater infrastructure funding, lists a number of bills — including the Urban Wet Weather Priorities Act — that address clean water infrastructure funding in some way and sketches the criteria and revenue sources for a viable Clean Water Infrastructure Trust Fund. McGovern's research memorandum concludes with a recommendation to “explore the idea of introducing Clean Water Trust Fund grant program legislation.” AMSA and other members of the Water Infrastructure Network will send a letter of support for increased federal funding for water infrastructure to Shuster next week.AMSA Comments on Sweeping EPA TMDL Proposal
This week, AMSA submitted comments on a set of far-reaching U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposals to revise the national program for addressing impaired waters. Due to the scope and potential impacts of the total maximum daily load program (TMDL) revisions, EPA is expecting a huge number of comments from individuals, environmentalists, industry, agriculture, private individuals and state and local governments. AMSA supports EPA's overall vision that a revised TMDL program should encompass both point and nonpoint sources of impairments to the nation's waterbodies. AMSA also supports the requirements for implementation plans and an open public participation process, as they are essential components of a successful TMDL program. However, AMSA believes that the TMDL program should not go forward until EPA makes a clear linkage between the TMDL rule changes and water quality standard use reviews and revisions. AMSA points out that, throughout the proposed rule, EPA has assumed a variety of authorities and functions that AMSA believes exceeds its statutory authority or reinterprets the Clean Water Act's clear direction that TMDLs are a state-run program. AMSA members will receive copies of AMSA's comments via Regulatory Alert 00-4, which will also be available online at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org.AMSA Urges Congress to Support Nonpoint Source Controls
This week, AMSA urged all Representatives and Senators to inform the House and Senate committees with jurisdiction over water resources and agriculture that EPA's plan to expand the regulation of nonpoint sources through the TMDL program is absolutely critical to the success of the Clean Water Act. AMSA presented its position on nonpoint source controls in an effort to balance the highly vocal opposition to TMDLs from agricultural interests on Capitol Hill.AMSA Member Agencies Encouraged to Contact Congress . . .
Legislative Alerts 99-16 and 00-1 encourage AMSA member agencies to contact their congressional delegation in support of the Urban Wet Weather Priorities Act and the inclusion of nonpoint sources in TMDLs. Both LAs contain sample letters and information on contacting lawmakers and accessing sample letters via AMSA's web site http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org.