Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - March 14, 2003
Click Here
to see previous Fax Alerts
March 14, 2003
AMSA Makes Progress with Capitol Hill on Security Legislation
AMSA met extensively this week with key U.S. House of Representatives and Senate staff to urge the passage of wastewater security funding legislation. Based on our meetings, AMSA expects the House to hold a full floor vote in the coming weeks on the Wastewater Treatment Works Security Act of 2003 (H.R. 866) – which sailed through Transportation and Infrastructure Committee markup on February 26. Details on H.R. 866’s content are included in the February 28 FaxAlert. AMSA believes H.R. 866 will face few obstacles given that it mirrors last year’s H.R. 5169, which was developed with AMSA input and support, and which passed unanimously in the House. On the Senate side, AMSA is urging staff to introduce legislation similar or even identical to H.R. 866 to expedite full Congressional passage of this important legislation. AMSA is pleased that Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman, James M. Inhofe (R-OK), opposes provisions that would require wastewater treatment agencies to submit their vulnerability assessments to EPA. AMSA will continue to press for wastewater security funding legislation, and will keep the membership informed of our efforts.AMSA, States, Others Urge OMB to “Free the Watershed Rule”
As EPA’s withdrawal of the July 2000 total maximum daily load (TMDL) rule became final this week, AMSA and an extensive group of state, industry, and nonpoint representatives met with key officials from the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) to voice support for moving EPA’s proposed new Watershed Rule through the informal interagency review quickly – allowing the package to proceed to formal review and ultimately, to public comment. Consistent with recent presentations to EPA and congressional staff, the group emphasized that operating the TMDL program under the existing 1992 rules, or supplementing the program with guidance, is an unworkable solution that will not improve water quality. The group highlighted the broad consensus surrounding the need for new TMDL rules to ensure the program is “certain, simple, and consistent” across the country. While OMB indicated that “no one is saying that this rule is not going out,” they could not provide an exact timetable for future action on the proposal. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials, who regulate nonpoint sources, assured OMB in the meeting that USDA supports the watershed rule package. AMSA and the group will meet Monday with Council on Environmental Quality officials to voice further support for the proposal. We will keep members apprised of these and other Watershed Rule developments.AMSA Comments on Air Emissions Proposal Affecting POTWs
AMSA submitted comments this week on EPA’s Proposed National Emission Standards for
Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Industrial/Commercial/Institutional Boilers and Process Heaters. AMSA’s comments support EPA’s decision to exempt existing liquid and gaseous fueled boilers from the new NESHAP requirements. AMSA expresses concern with EPA’s proposal that all new gas-fueled large boilers meet a 400 parts per million carbon-monoxide (CO) emissions limit, and with proposed continuous CO emissions monitoring. AMSA’s comments note that EPA has not established a direct relationship between CO and hazardous air pollutant concentrations, and thus can not support its proposed CO monitoring provisions. AMSA’s comments suggest that given this information, EPA also exempt new gas-fueled large boilers from the proposed NESHAP requirements. AMSA’s comments are available at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/legreg/outreach/03-13-03NESHA.pdf.