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March 21, 2005 AMSA Fax Alert

Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts SpecialEdition - March 21, 2005

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March 21, 2005

Clean Water Network
Seeks AMSA Member Input on Blending Survey
The Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies (AMSA) has learned that several of its member agencies have recently received a survey entitled “Clean Water Network Wastewater Treatment Survey,” which seeks information on the practice of wastewater blending. It is important that AMSA members are aware that the Clean Water Network is an alliance of environmental activist organizations run by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The Clean Water Network and NRDC have been outspoken opponents of EPA’s proposed blending policy. The information they are seeking via this current survey will likely be used to support their anti-blending efforts.

Specifically, the survey asks seven questions related to blending, including whether blended flows are disinfected, whether the public is notified when blending occurs, and whether the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2003 proposed blending policy would encourage wastewater treatment agencies to use blending to manage wet weather flows.

EPA’s policy clarifying that blending is an acceptable wet weather management technique continues to garner increased attention in Washington, D.C. In order to ensure that the voice of the publicly owned treatment works community is heard, AMSA, along with the Water Environment Research Foundation and the Water Environment Federation, held an informational Congressional briefing on March 16, 2005, to highlight the facts about blending and to correct the mis-information that blending opponents are using to support their position. AMSA will continue to work closely with EPA and the U.S. Congress to ensure the finalization of the Agency’s blending guidance. AMSA is also continuing to advocate on behalf of EPA’s proposed blending policy in the courtrooms, having filed a brief last week in a key blending lawsuit, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association v. EPA. For more information on this issue, please contact Adam Krantz, Managing Director of Government & Public Affairs, at 202/833-4657 or akrantz@amsa-cleanwater.org.