Search

February 1, 2002 AMSA Fax Alert

Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - February 1, 2002

Click Here
to see previous Fax Alerts

February 1, 2002

AMSA Releases Two Key Security Publications,
Addresses Wastewater Utility Crisis Management Concerns

AMSA this week released two critical publications under the rubric Protecting Wastewater Infrastructure Assets which are likely to become indispensable tools for wastewater utilities assessing their vulnerabilities to a host of crisis events in the post-September 11th world. One publication, the Asset Based Vulnerability Checklist for Wastewater Utilities, provides a comprehensive list of potential vulnerabilities, helping wastewater agencies successfully plan for potential crisis situations. A complimentary copy of the Asset Based Checklist was sent to members this week with MU 02-04. The second publication, Legal Issues in a Time of Crisis Checklist, offers wastewater treatment agencies a wide-ranging discussion of legal issues that they are likely to encounter as they seek to implement security and crisis management plans. Complimentary copies of this publication were also sent to members this week along with LA 02-02. Additional copies of these Checklists can be purchased on AMSA's publication web site at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/pubs/publist.cfm.


AMSA Unveils Important Asset Management Handbook,
Offers Must-Attend Regional Asset Management Workshops

AMSA sent members this week its much-anticipated asset management handbook, Managing Public Infrastructure Assets to Minimize Cost and Maximize Performance to be officially released at the Association's 2002 Winter Conference next week. Our nation's critical wastewater infrastructure assets require careful assessment and solid, long-term planning — important needs that the Asset Management Handbook fulfills. To complement the publication, four regional Managing Public Infrastructure Assets workshops are being offered. As many water and wastewater utilities face rising infrastructure costs, additional security expenses and tightening budgets, these workshops come at just the right time. AMSA urges you to register early as space is limited to only 100 participants per workshop. The first workshop will be held Feb. 28 - March 1 in San Francisco, Calif., so be sure to register now! Workshop program information and registration materials were recently distributed to AMSA members, and the information is also available at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/meetings/02regwork/.

 
Court Gives AMSA Green Light in Air Biosolids Case
On January 23 the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia granted AMSA's motion to intervene in a Clean Air Act (CAA) lawsuit involving sewage sludge incinerators (SSIs). The Sierra Club initiated the suit last year to require EPA to develop maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards under the CAA for SSIs. AMSA's position is that SSI regulation under §112 is inappropriate because there are no SSI "major sources" of air toxics. Notably, EPA has planned to take SSIs off the CAA MACT list since 1997, and EPA's web site indicates the SSI category is "to be delisted." AMSA will attend a meeting with the Department of Justice and EPA later this month to begin settlement discussions in the case. AMSA still awaits the court's ruling on our motion to intervene in another CAA case in which Sierra Club seeks SSI standards under CAA §129, which covers solid waste incineration.


  • AMSA looks forward to seeing you next week at our Winter Conference in Orlando, Florida!