Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - March 21, 2003
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March 21, 2003
AMSA Board Member Testifies on Infrastructure Funding Needs
William B. Schatz, General Counsel, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, Cleveland, Ohio and a Board Member of AMSA, testified March 19 on behalf of the Water Infrastructure Network (WIN) at a House Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee hearing on the topic of "Meeting the Nation's Wastewater Infrastructure Needs". Schatz discussed the broad consensus that now exists regarding the massive wastewater infrastructure funding shortfall and voiced WIN’s primary recommendation that Congress take a leading role in developing a long-term, sustainable funding solution for the nation’s core water and wastewater infrastructure. WIN’s testimony is available at www.win-water.org.On a related note, Sens. Paul S. Sarbanes (D-MD), James Jeffords (I-VT), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD), and Bob Graham (D-FL) were successful today in efforts to boost funding for water infrastructure programs as part of the budget resolution for fiscal year 2004. The Senate adopted a bi-partisan amendment by voice vote that would increase funding for the water infrastructure program by $3 billion, to $5.2 billion under the Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Funds. AMSA sent the Senators a letter of support for the measure yesterday, explaining that the funding boost would constitute an important first step toward the long-term goal shared by AMSA and WIN of obtaining congressional support for a long-term solution to the funding gap. AMSA’s letter is available at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/legreg/outreach/03-19-03SenateLetter.pdf.
AMSA, Coalition Urge Environment Council to Support Watershed Rule
Based on a meeting this week with a senior official in the President's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), AMSA believes that EPA will make a decision on the watershed rule's future by mid-May. AMSA, joined by an informal coalition of states, point, and nonpoint source groups, met with CEQ to urge that the draft watershed rule be submitted for formal interagency review as soon as possible, so that it may be published for public comment, and hopefully finalized in the near future. AMSA and the other stakeholders emphasized the need for the watershed rule — not guidance — to put the total maximum daily load (TMDL) program on solid scientific ground and provide much-needed consistency in TMDL implementation. The coalition also highlighted the significant consensus built around the new package resulting from over two years of extensive stakeholder input. The CEQ official indicated that if the Administration decides to move the package forward, it should move quickly given the lack of significant opposition. The official also acknowledged that the coalition's recent meeting with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) led to OMB renewing its requests to EPA to circulate the package informally to the federal agencies with a short-term opportunity for review and comment. We will keep the membership apprised of further watershed rule developments.Join AMSA in DC for the May National Environmental Policy Forum
AMSA’s 2003 National Environmental Policy Forum & 33rd Annual Meeting, Making Our Voices Heard . . . Mobilizing in Support of the National Clean Water Agenda, May 17-21, 2003, in Washington, DC, provides a unique opportunity to interact with Agency and congressional officials and garner momentum for national clean water policy. The Forum will also focus intensively on the use of grassroots methods to garner broad local, state and federal support for publicly owned treatment work (POTW) priorities. Reserve your rooms today for the Forum by calling the Hyatt Regency Washington, at 202/737-1234, to ensure the special room rate of $219 single/double. The deadline for the discounted hotel rate is Tuesday, April 22, 2003. Additional information on the conference will be sent to you via upcoming Member Updates and the Association’s web site.