Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - May 22, 2003
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May 22, 2003
Key Polling Data, Legal Publication Released at AMSA Forum
AMSA’s 2003 National Environmental Policy Forum and 33rd Annual Meeting, Making Our Voices Heard . . . Mobilizing in Support of the National Clean Water Agenda, concluded this week with attendees better equipped with critical information to help guarantee clean water policy progress. Among the many highlights of the Forum was the much-anticipated release of polling data on long-term wastewater and water infrastructure funding conducted and presented by renowned pollster and communications expert, Frank Luntz. AMSA also released its Wet Weather Consent Decrees … Protecting POTWs in Negotiations publication at the Forum to a packed Legal Affairs Committee meeting.Polling Data: Americans Believe Clean and Safe Water Is a Right and a Legislative Must
AMSA’s Wastewater Infrastructure Funding Task Force commissioned Frank Luntz to conduct a focus group and survey/poll to evaluate the American people’s support of federal funding for clean and safe water infrastructure and the results exceeded expectations. Despite the much publicized expanding federal deficit, an overwhelming majority of Americans — 84% — would support legislation in the U.S. Congress that would create a long-term, sustainable and reliable source of federal funding for clean and safe water infrastructure. A solid majority of Americans – 61% – believe that safe and clean water is a right, not a privilege. 70% said they believed clean and safe water infrastructure funding was a federal responsibility and only 30% believed funding for clean and safe water was solely a local responsibility. Additionally, 70% of Americans would support a 1% tax increase if they knew that every penny of that money would be dedicated to establishing and preserving a safe and clean water infrastructure in their area. As Luntz’s report stated, “Young and old, Democrat AND Republican, the demand for safe, clean water is universal – and the public is willing to pay for it.” AMSA and the Task Force will now determine how best to use the polling data in its continuing effort to achieve long-term funding legislation. Luntz’s survey results are available at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/leg_outreach.cfm.AMSA Releases its Wet Weather Consent Decrees Publication at the May Forum
AMSA’s consent decree publication release took place in a packed hotel conference room demonstrating the practical usefulness of the handbook to municipal lawyers and treatment plant managers alike. David Burchmore, partner of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, LLP, who helped write the publication, provided a chapter-by-chapter overview of the document, including analyses on tailoring wet weather consent decrees to your publicly owned treatment works’ (POTWs) unique needs and critical information culled from the direct experience of other AMSA member agencies that went through the consent decree process. Burchmore stated that the publication provided a unique resource for POTWs facing negotiations and litigation with the federal or state governments regarding combined and sanitary sewer overflow issues. Various AMSA members discussed the consent decrees they are currently conducting and touted the many benefits such a publication will provide them during this complicated process. Policy Forum attendees received complimentary copies at the conference and AMSA will be sending a complimentary copy to all members this week. Additional copies can be purchased by members for $50 and by non-members for $75 on AMSA’s web site at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/pubs/publist.cfm. Detailed information on the Forum will be made available in upcoming Updates and the next issue of Clean Water News.