Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - April 5, 2002
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April 5, 2002
In Key Dioxins in Land-Applied Biosolids Case,
AMSA, EPA, Environmental Groups Reach Agreement
On April 1, 2002, AMSA and other parties to a long-standing lawsuit, Gearhart v. Whitman, agreed to an important deadline extension for the Agency to finalize regulations for dioxins in land-applied biosolids. EPA originally was required to finalize the regulations by December 15, 2001 under a Consent Decree. Last summer, however, EPA notified AMSA, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and the citizen parties to the Consent Decree that a deadline extension was needed because significant new data were available. Under the April 1 agreement, EPA will now be able to consider AMSA's 2000/2001 Survey of Dioxin-like Compounds in Biosolids, which demonstrates a marked downward trend of dioxins in land-applied biosolids, and average levels of dioxin that are well below EPA's currently proposed limits. The agreement gives the Agency until October 17, 2003 to finalize the regulations. For more information on this important AMSA legal victory, see Legal Alert 02-06 at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/legalalerts/leg02-6.cfm.
Prominence of Security Issues Continues
In a March 27 letter, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft seeks municipal input on a new Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS). The HSAS provides a method to disseminate information to law enforcement authorities on the risk of terrorist attacks. The HSAS establishes five graduated "Threat Conditions" designed to communicate the nature and degree of terrorist threats and will provide "Protective Measures" to help government and citizens decide how to counter threats. Details about HSAS are available at www.whitehouse.gov/homeland and comments should be e-mailed to HSAScomments@fbi.gov or faxed to 202/514-2504 by April 26, 2002. Ashcroft's letter is available at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/faxalerts/040502a.pdf.AMSA has also been advocating for federal funding of wastewater security efforts. Recognizing the need for funding, the Senate Appropriations Committee will hold an April 11 hearing on the security needs of water and wastewater systems. John Griffin, General Manager of WSSC will be delivering testimony at this hearing on which AMSA and AMWA collaborated.
EPA this week unveiled its new Water Infrastructure Security — What is Being Done to Protect the Nation's Water Infrastructure web page. This site features information on a wide variety initiatives including the AMSA Vulnerability Self Assessment Tool (VSAT), due out in spring. The EPA web site can be viewed at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/security/index.html. AMSA also participated this week in an Advisory Committee on Water Information meeting and discussed in detail AMSA's wastewater security initiatives. Jim Hanlon, EPA's Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water, participated in a panel discussion with AMSA.
- As part of a planned rotation within the federal government's Senior Executive Service, Jim Hanlon will, on April 19, assume the position of Director of EPA's Office of Wastewater Management. Mike Cook, with whom AMSA has worked collaboratively for many years, will move to the Superfund Program.
- Only two AMSA Asset Management Workshops are left — so sign up today. The next workshop is in Atlanta, GA, April 25-26, and the final workshop will be in Kansas City, MO, June 6-7. Attendance is limited, so register today at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/meetings/02regwork/.