Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - January 24, 2003
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January 24, 2003
AMSA Urges EPA Enforcement Chief to Support Blending
AMSA sent a strongly worded letter yesterday to John Suarez, EPA’s Assistant Administrator, Office of Enforcement & Compliance Assurance, urging him to support the Office of Water’s February release of a draft national policy for public comment on blending peak flows at publicly owned treatment works (POTWs). As the letter points out, “Blending has been an essential wastewater peak flow practice for decades . . . [and] allows a POTW to provide a minimum level of treatment to these heavy flows while still meeting the facility’s Clean Water Act effluent limitations.” In addition to the letter, AMSA is urging its members who blend peak flows to call or e-mail to their EPA Regional Administrators to emphasize the critical need for a draft policy recognizing blending as a viable wet weather practice. Among AMSA members who blend, over 80 percent received state or federal funds to install blending facilities and over 30 percent hold permits which authorize blending. AMSA’s letter is available at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/legreg/outreach/012303Suarez.pdf.
AMSA Holds Strategy Meeting on Next Steps for Funding
Representatives of AMSA’s Infrastructure Funding Task Force and other municipal organizations and involved groups held a two day Strategic Planning Workshop this week at the Association’s National Office to develop a legislative and grassroots strategy for a sustainable funding solution for wastewater infrastructure. The meeting showed that while AMSA and the Water Infrastructure Network have successfully demonstrated that a massive funding shortfall exists, much work remains to be done to obtain a legislative solution to the funding gap. Based on an analysis of the meeting’s discussions, AMSA’s consultant will provide the Association with a strategic plan next week that will contain recommendations for what steps must be taken next. AMSA’s Task Force and Board of Directors will then review the document at AMSA’s 2003 Winter Conference, Feb. 4-8 in Santa Fe, N.M., to determine the best course of action to ensure a long-term funding source for wastewater infrastructure. More information on this effort will be available in future Alerts and Updates.
AMSA Meets With EPA to Discuss Key Stormwater Case
AMSA met this week with EPA officials to discuss the implications of the Ninth Circuit Court’s recent decision in Environmental Defense Center v. EPA. The case made sweeping findings regarding the Agency’s Stormwater Phase II program, including that Phase II Notices of Intent (NOIs), due March 10, 2003, must undergo full public notice and comment. The case also erroneously described the “maximum extent practicable” standard for municipal stormwater (MS4) permits. AMSA is working with fellow municipal organizations and EPA to provide immediate guidance to the 16,000 Phase II cities that could be affected by the decision before the March 10 NOI deadline. EPA is still assessing the decision’s ramifications and the Agency’s response to it. AMSA will provide Association members with further information on the Environmental Defense decision in future Alerts and Updates.
- AMSA is calling for members to apply for the Association’s Peak Performance Awards Program by March 5, 2003. The Program recognizes member agency facilities for their excellence in wastewater treatment as measured by their compliance with permit requirements. The Program has honored growing numbers of AMSA member agencies since its inception in 1987 and continues this tradition in 2003 by recognizing member agency achievements for the 2002 calendar year. Application criteria for the three award categories — Platinum, Gold and Silver — are available via MU 03-01 at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/membcomm/memupdate/mu03-01.cfm.