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February 18, 2000
AMSA Urges House Support for Nonpoint Source Controls
This week, AMSA underscored its support for stepped up control of nonpoint sources as the House Subcommittee on Water Resources & the Environment held its second and final hearing on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program revisions. The subcommittee heard testimony from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary Jim Lyons and representatives from environmental, forestry, agriculture, industry and municipal organizations who participated on EPA's TMDL federal advisory committee. Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-N.Y.) opened the hearing by noting both the controversy of EPA's TMDL program and the necessity of addressing nonpoint source pollution and impaired waters to make further water quality progress. Rep. Robert Borski (D- Pa.), ranking Democrat of the subcommittee, echoed Boehlert's position and added that “point source controls have only got us halfway in meeting the Clean Water Act's goals.” The most notable development at the hearing was the clarification of USDA's position on EPA's TMDL proposal. Lyons told the subcommittee that USDA had retracted comments filed on the proposal and is working with EPA on portions of the proposed rule. American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and the American Forest & Paper Association (AFPA) witnesses came down squarely against nonpoint sources' inclusion in TMDLs. Testifying on behalf of the California Association of Sanitation Agencies, David Williams, Director of Wastewater for East Bay Municipal Utility District, Oakland, Calif., countered the positions of AFBF and the AFPA by noting that without nonpoint source inclusion, TMDLs will cost municipal wastewater agencies millions of dollars while providing no discernable water quality improvements.lls Seek Nonpoint Source Clean Water Act Exemption
Last week, new bills — S. 2041 and H.R. 3625 — were introduced in the House & Senate by Rep. Jay Dickey (R-Ark.) and Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) to exempt agricultural stormwater discharges and silviculture operations from permits under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. The bills did not come up during either of the House TMDL hearings. Legislative Alert 00-01 encouraged AMSA members to voice support for fair share controls on all sources of pollution in the TMDL program, including nonpoint. These bills underscore the importance of AMSA members' input to Congress on this issue. The Association will track the progress of these bills and continue seek opportunities to inform lawmakers of POTWs' concerns regarding nonpoint source pollution.EPA to Extend Part II 503 Comment Period . . . EPA will extend the public comment period on its December 23, 1999 proposed revisions to Part 503 Standards for the Use or Disposal of Biosolids (Standards for Dioxins and Dioxin-like Compounds) for an additional 30 days to March 23, 2000. AMSA plans to submit comprehensive member comments on the proposal. Regulatory Alert 00-06, which was sent to the membership this week, contains further details on other biosolids issues and activities.
EPA's web site and e-mail services were shut down indefinitely on Wednesday this week due to security concerns. EPA staff's e-mail may be out of use for the next three weeks. It is recommended that members phone EPA to follow up on any form of electronic communication with the Agency in the past week.