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February 9, 2001

New Nutrient Criteria Released By EPA
This week, EPA made available recommended national nutrient criteria for 17 ecoregions across the country - criteria for eight ecoregions for lakes and reservoirs; eight ecoregions for rivers and streams; and one ecoregion for wetlands. EPA originally announced these criteria on January 9, but only this week have these criteria documents been made available to the public. EPA expects these recommended criteria will be used to support the development of waterbody specific state and tribal criteria. States and tribes are expected to adopt or revise these ecoregional nutrient criteria into water quality standards by 2004. EPA has provided for a 90-day public comment period on the criteria documents.

AMSA’s Nutrient Workgroup has begun a preliminary review of the documents and has determined that the criteria will have major impact on POTWs across the nation. Recommended total nitrogen criteria for rivers and streams range from 0.12 to 2.18 mg/l dependent upon ecoregion, and all but one ecoregion have aggregate nitrogen criteria less than 1 mg/l. Recommended total phosphorus criteria for rivers and streams ranges from 10 to 76 ug/l dependent upon ecoregion. EPA has also published recommended criteria for chlorophyl a and turbidity. In preparing a response to these documents, AMSA plans to continue urging EPA to modify its approach in the development of nutrient criteria, and will highlight the significant impact of nutrient criteria to the nation’s POTWs. For more information on the nutrient criteria, visit EPA’s nutrient criteria web site at: http://www.epa.gov/ost/standards/nutrient.cfml. Also listed on the web site is a map of the nutrient ecoregions and guidance manuals used to develop nutrient water quality criteria for lakes and reservoirs and rivers and streams.

House, Senate Assign Key Committee Leadership
The final leadership slots for the House and Senate committees were completed this week. The Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, which will be chaired by Robert Smith (R-NH) and Harry Reid (D-NV), approved its subcommittee assignments on February 7. Senator Michael Crapo (R-ID) will remain as Chairman of the Fisheries, Wildlife & Water Subcommittee, while Bob Graham (D-FL) will serve as Ranking Member. The Superfund, Waste Control & Risk Assessment Subcommittee will be chaired again by Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) and the Ranking Member will be Barbara Boxer (D-CA). On the House side, key posts for the leadership of the Water Resources & Environment Subcommittee were announced. John Duncan (R-TN) was named Chairman, replacing Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), and Peter DeFazio (D-OR) assumed the Ranking Member post, replacing Robert Borski (D-PA).

Senator Introduces Clean Water SRF Bill
Senator George Voinovich (R-OH) has proposed legislation to increase the amount of money available to communities in the clean water state revolving loan program (SRF). Voinovich's bill, S. 252, is entitled the "Clean Water Infrastructure Financing Act of 2001." It would increase the SRF authorization from its current level of $1.35 billion to $3 billion a year. Congressional appropriators would still have to approve and budget for the additional funds. The bill does not include a separate grants program. A similar bill is expected to be introduced in the House by Rep. Sue Kelly (R-NY).