NACWA - Member Pipeline

Home

April 6, 2001

AMSA Comments on EPA Draft Coastal Condition Report
AMSA expressed concern with a draft EPA report describing the condition of the Nation’s coastal waters. AMSA found that the draft "falls short of its goal to provide an objective assessment of our nation’s coastal waters". In the draft EPA assessed most coastal waters as fair to poor. AMSA noted that the draft "develops and uses indicators based on data sets inconsistent with state 305(b) and 303(d) reports, unilaterally develops new benchmarks while neglecting existing ones, and endorses the use of inappropriate national indicators". AMSA’s comments recommend EPA use 303(d) listings as the appropriate approach to provide a consistent picture of water quality to the public. AMSA’s comments can be found at: http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/legreg/outreach/3-30-01coastalletter.pdf.

AMSA Voices Support for Budget Resolution Amendment
On April 5 AMSA supported an amendment to the Senate’s budget resolution by Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and Gordon Smith (R-OR) to provide $800 million in additional funding for wastewater infrastructure, including $50 million more for the Clean Water SRF and $750 million for CSO and SSO grants. The President’s budget would fund the SRF at $1.3 billion, an amount inadequate to trigger the AMSA-supported sewer overflow grants and wet weather watershed pilot projects created by the Wet Weather Water Quality Act of 2000. These grants can be issued only in a fiscal year in which the SRF is at least $1.35 billion. AMSA’s letter highlights the grants as an "important first step toward revitalizing and rebuilding our nation’s aging water infrastructure" and included the WINow report. AMSA’s letter is available at: http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/legreg/outreach/4-5-01letters.pdf.

AMSA Asks For Our Own Brief in TMDL Rule Challenge
On April 5 AMSA asked the District of Columbia Circuit Court for its own opportunity to provide the POTW perspective on the controversial July 2000 TMDL final rule. "AMSA’s interests in this litigation are unique and require the filing of a separate brief," AMSA told the court in a request designed to overcome the typical court practice requiring intervenors to share briefs with other parties. AMSA emphasized that the TMDL program must encompass point and nonpoint sources of water quality impairment. AMSA explains that while we will file a brief on EPA’s side to defend the rule "this does not mean that AMSA fully supports all aspects of EPA's Final Rule, or that the interests of AMSA's members will be represented adequately by the Agency." AMSA’s motion is available at: http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/legreg/litigation/4-5-01separate.pdf.

EPA Extends Comment Deadlines On Two Proposed ELGs
An effort by AMSA and the MP&M coalition successfully secured an extension of the comment period from May 3 to July 2 on the proposed Metal Products & Machinery Effluent Guidelines (ELGs). EPA will notice the extension in next week’s Federal Register. The comment period has reopened for the proposed Iron & Steel ELGs. EPA now will accept comments through April 25. AMSA will submit comments on both ELGs by the deadlines.

> Business Services Workshop Cancelled — The AMSA AMWA Creating High Performance Business Services Workshop, scheduled for April 30 - May 1, in Denver, Colorado, has been cancelled. Registration fee refunds will be made to all registrants as soon as possible.