Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - March 5, 2004
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March 5, 2004
Water Infrastructure Network
Takes Key Steps Toward Support of Trust Fund
At a February 27 meeting of the Water Infrastructure Network (WIN), AMSA made a proposal to members that WIN redirect its efforts, time, money and energy toward legislation that would create a national clean water trust fund. In a follow-up email to WIN members this week, AMSA Executive Director, Ken Kirk, proposed that WIN move forward immediately to work for such a trust fund that would provide America with sustainable, long-term funding for clean water. To meet this goal, WIN will hold a meeting on Friday, March 19, to discuss the development of clean water trust fund legislation and an accompanying strategy for its ultimate passage. AMSA will keep members apprised of the outcome of this meeting and the WIN initiative.AMSA Meets with EPA on Combined Sewer Overflow Issues
AMSA joined a coalition of Indiana combined sewer overflow (CSO) communities this week to discuss critical CSO issues with EPA's Offices of Science and Technology and Wastewater Management. The meeting focused on using permits rather than consent decrees to codify long-term control plan obligations, and on use attainability analyses in CSO receiving waters. AMSA will continue its discussions with the federal government and communities at the National Workshop to Address Key Long Term Control Plan Issues Facing CSO Program Managers, to be held April 19-20 in Chicago, Il. The Workshop is co-sponsored by AMSA and the CSO Partnership. Register for the conference on AMSA's home page at www.amsa-cleanwater.org.AMSA Submits Comments to EPA on Proposed Criteria for Copper
AMSA submitted comments (http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/advocacy/comments/2004-03-01Cu.pdf) this week to EPA on the Agency’s proposed revision of the aquatic life criteria for copper. The Association strongly supports EPA’s revision of the freshwater copper criteria to incorporate the biotic ligand model (BLM) into the criteria derivation process and believes the new approach will result in more realistic criteria values. The BLM allows users to predict the toxicity of copper in a given waterbody and establish a protective criterion with only a few pieces of data, without having to conduct the costly studies that were required in the past. EPA has acknowledged that the BLM approach will also work for saltwater, but that a lack of data is preventing them from applying the BLM to the saltwater criteria. Instead, EPA proposed to lower the existing saltwater criteria based on what AMSA believes is questionable data. AMSA’s comments recommend that the Agency address the criteria in separate rulemakings and finalize the freshwater criteria as soon as possible, while working to complete and promulgate a saltwater, BLM-based copper criterion. AMSA and will work with EPA to ensure that an adequate amount data is available for development of a saltwater BLM approach.Security Guide Released
The Center for Technology and National Security Policy (CTNSP) has developed a poster-sized guide (http://www.ndu.edu/ctnsp/wmd_tipsheet.htm) entitled “Coping with an Attack: A Quick Guide to Dealing with Biological, Chemical, and ‘Dirty Bomb’ Attacks”. Included in the guide are examples of several biological and chemical threats, immediate actions to take when faced with a specific threat, symptoms that may be experienced and treatment options for those exposed to such agents. Pre-attack safety measures are also included in the guide. The guide is designed for local, state, and federal agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations.