Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - April 22, 2005
Click Here
for the FaxAlert Archive
April 22, 2005
Members of Congress,
EPA Officials Headline 2005 National Clean Water Policy Forum
AMSA’s 35th Anniversary Annual Meeting and the 2005 National Clean Water Policy Forum are right around the corner. These landmark events will be held May 1-4, 2005 at the Marriott at Metro Center in Washington, DC. Key clean water issues and Association initiatives will be the focus of the Annual Meeting, May 1-2, through active AMSA committee meetings, the Annual Association Business Meeting and a Welcoming Reception where AMSA will unveil its new name – the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA). Recipients of this year’s National Environmental Achievement Awards (NEAA) will also be honored at this Reception. Also scheduled is the 2005 President’s Reception & 35th Anniversary Gala Celebration. Following these events, on May 3-4, will be the joint AMSA and Water Environment Federation (WEF) National Clean Water Policy Forum. The Forum will feature a host of EPA officials and members of Congress who will offer the regulatory and legislative outlook for federal clean water initiatives.EPA’s Benjamin Grumbles, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water, will provide the opening Keynote Address on May 3 and Jim Hanlon, Director of the Agency’s Office of Wastewater Management, will preside over the May 4 Technical Roundtable portion of the program which will provide attendees with technical discussions of clean water issues that will impact your utility. Members from the House of Representatives will also be on hand to provide the legislative outlook for 2005 and beyond. Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ), a senior member of the influential Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, will give the Luncheon Address on May 3. Rep. Pascrell, a 2005 NEAA award recipient, will discuss the need for an increased focus on clean water issues in Congress and the critical importance of NACWA members voicing these concerns on Capitol Hill. Reps. John J. Duncan, Jr. (R-TN), Chairman of the House Water Resources & Environment Subcommittee, and David Camp (R-MI), Chairman of the Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee, will be honored at the May 3 Capitol Hill Reception with their 2005 NEAA awards and will provide remarks at the Reception. AMSA looks forward to seeing you all in Washington, DC, May 1-4.
AMSA Files Brief
in NPDES Case, Addresses Water Quality and TMDL Issues
AMSA and the Virginia Association of Municipal Wastewater Agencies (VAMWA) filed an amicus curiae brief in Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) v. Town of Onancock (Onancock) this week. Recognizing that Virginia is in the process of revising nutrient water quality standards (WQS) and developing total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) for the Bay, Onancock’s national pollutant discharge elimination system (NPDES) permit requires the facility to monitor for nutrients, accelerate nutrient removal planning and maximize current nutrient removal capability. In its March 18 opening brief, CBF argues that Onancock’s permit was improperly issued because it did not include specific concentration based limits for nutrients. AMSA’s amicus curiae brief emphasizes that Onancock’s permit properly recognizes that nutrient permit limits should be pound-based and built upon proper WQS and the TMDL. The brief also shows that by allowing these pieces to fall into place first, subsequent facility upgrades will more likely result in measurable water quality improvements. Asserting that CBF’s suit seeks to trump years of focused effort by Bay stakeholders, AMSA’s brief notes that both the WQS and TMDL processes are nearly complete. The brief also references new Virginia legislation creating a Virginia General Permit and trading program for nutrients for the Bay watershed. A hearing before the state court is scheduled for April 27. Visit AMSA’s Litigation Tracker (http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/littrack/#cbf) for more information.
AMSA congratulates its members on this Earth Day for their dedication and commitment to the nation’s water quality progress. We look forward to celebrating these achievements at AMSA’s 35th Anniversary Annual Meeting.