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May 10, 2002 AMSA Fax Alert

Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - May 10, 2002

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May 10, 2002

AMSA Urges Members to Seek Co-sponsors for H.R. 3930
AMSA sent a letter this week to key Republican Representatives urging them to immediately cosponsor H.R. 3930, the Water Quality Financing Act of 2002. A list of Representatives most likely to lend their support to H.R. 3930 is available at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/faxalerts/051002a.pdf, and AMSA requests that Association members contact their Representatives who appear on the list before Friday, May 17 and urge them to co-sponsor this bill. H.R. 3930 authorizes $20 billion over five years to help American communities meet the national environmental priorities of the Clean Water Act and to replace aging and failing infrastructure. The Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee unanimously passed this legislation out of committee on March 20, 2002, and the co-sponsors are needed as the bill moves to a floor vote in the House. Representatives who want to co-sponsor H.R. 3930 should contact Susan Bodine of the T& I Committee at 202/225-4360. AMSA’s letter is available at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/legreg/outreach/050902cosponsor.pdf.


Congress Takes Up Wastewater Security Legislation
As the House and Senate confer on H.R. 3448, The Bioterrorism Preparedness Act of 2001, the issue of wastewater security is generating significant discussion. The House version of the bill mandates vulnerability assessments for drinking water systems only, and it appears unlikely that the House Energy & Commerce Committee will wrap mandatory wastewater vulnerability assessments into H.R. 3448 due to jurisdictional concerns. On the other hand, Senate bills introduced by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman James Jeffords (I-VT) and Sen. Bob Smith (R-NH), which were not part of the conference initially, address both water and wastewater security issues. AMSA is pursuing alternative approaches to ensure that wastewater utilities’ security needs are addressed. Based on recent discussions, AMSA is optimistic such efforts will succeed.


AMSA Meets with EPA’s New Office of Wastewater Director
AMSA staff met this week with EPA’s new Director of Office of Wastewater Management, Jim Hanlon, Permits Division Director, Linda Boornazian, and the Director of the Municipal Supports Division, Richard Kuhlman, to discuss a suite of issues, including blending, sanitary sewer overflows, pretreatment streamlining, security, permitting issues, and others. The meeting proved a good opportunity to acquaint Hanlon with AMSA’s mission and priorities. AMSA also expressed the Association’s desire to continue to work collaboratively with EPA, and to build on the nation’s clean water progress via initiatives that take into account the wastewater treatment community’s concerns.

  • EPA this week released its Draft Strategy for Water Quality Standards and Criteria. An initial AMSA review indicates that many of the concerns the Association raised with EPA in prior meetings and written comments were incorporated into the document. A more detailed analysis of the document will be sent to members early next week via a Regulatory Alert. The Draft Strategy is available at http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/standards/strategy/draft5_7_2002.pdf.