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February 26, 1999
SRF Cut Prompts Support for Municipal Clean Water Efforts
The President's proposed reduction of the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund (SRF) continues to spark heightened interest in the future of the Clean Water Act and municipal clean water issues. This week, Congress held back-to-back hearings directly focusing on AMSA's clean water concerns. On February 23, the House Water Resources Subcommittee conducted a hearing on proposals from the National Governors Association for reauthorizing the Clean Water Act. Chairman Sherwood L. Boehlert (R-NY) began the hearing by affirming that the priorities of the Subcommittee are nonpoint source pollution and federal support for state and local clean water infrastructure. Both Boehlert and Ranking Member Robert A. Borski (D-PA) support increased funding opportunities for the SRF but acknowledge the potential problems with budget caps imposed by Congress on the budget process. Governors Parris N. Glendening (MD), Jim Geringer (WY) and George E. Pataki (NY) offered testimony on funding needs, watershed protection, nonpoint source pollution and total maximum daily loads (TMDLs). Each governor urged the subcommittee to provide increased funding for the SRF as a proven program, noting that without enough federal dollars the Clean Water Act's goals cannot be reached. The governors encouraged greater flexibility in nonpoint source control and TMDLs, specifically requesting that states be afforded a 15-year timeline to develop TMDLs for degraded waterbodies. Geringer said that the SRF should revolve at $2.4 billion, $400 million higher that EPA's $2 billion target. The governors support a narrow Clean Water Act reform effort which focuses on nonpoint source pollution and other wet weather issues. Chairman Boehlert stated that he supports moving forward with such reform and expects bipartisan legislation sometime this spring. At a meeting with key subcommittee staff this week, AMSA encouraged the subcommittee to hear from a municipal panel on Clean Water Act reform issues.The following day, the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee heard testimony on EPA's proposed FY 2000 budget. Overall, the Senators were concerned with the creation of new programs, such as $9.5 billion Better America Bonds program to help local communities purchase open spaces, when the existing programs such as the Land & Water Conservation Fund and the SRF are underfunded. Committee Chair John H. Chafee (R-RI) expressed concerns with EPA's decision to cut the SRF by 23 percent when the Agency is showing substantial portions of the nation's water bodies as degraded. Testifying before the Committee, EPA Administrator Carol Browner responded that the Agency has long targeted $2 billion as the revolving level. Browner also touted the authorization of a discretionary set-aside from the SRF for States that opt to use those funds for the control nonpoint source pollution. AMSA is preparing a letter for both committees in support of their efforts to restore funding to the SRF and to garner support for the Association's suggested creation of a new grants program for wet weather flows. In April, AMSA will testify at House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearings.
A WET Tale: Toxicity of Complex Effluents . . .
The March 25-26 AMSA/SETAC whole effluent toxicity (WET) workshop in Arlington, Va. will gather speakers who will provide attendees with the most up-to-date information on WET methods and policies. Featured on the program is one of the nation's foremost WET experts, Teresa Norberg-King, a research aquatic biologist with the U.S. EPA in Duluth, Minn., who is slated to discuss test methods, and toxicity related to dissolved solids and ammonia. Matt Matthews, supervisor of North Carolina's Aquatic Toxicology Unit will also be on hand to discuss quality assurance/quality control issues and toxicity reduction evaluations. Jim Pletl, an environmental scientist with the Hampton Roads Sanitation District, and SETAC's WET Training Expert Advisory Panel's chair, will be providing a permit holder's perspective on WET requirements in NPDES permits, and Tim Moore of Risk Sciences will be discussing contracts and evaluation of WET test results during an AMSA-sponsored luncheon. The March 5 hotel deadline is rapidly approaching. A flyer including the complete program was forwarded to members this week Further information and an online registration form can be found on AMSA's web site at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org.