Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - June 7, 2002
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June 7, 2002
AMSA Wins Pivotal Clean Water Act Case
Court Makes Clear Nonpoints Can Be Subject to TMDLs
On May 31 AMSA was victorious in a landmark Clean Water Act (CWA) decision — Pronsolino v. Nastri — that will help ensure the nation’s water quality. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld a federal district court decision and ruled that waters contaminated exclusively by nonpoint sources of pollution can be included in state lists of impaired waters that are subject to cleanup plans, clearly making nonpoint sources part of the TMDL program. AMSA played a key role as an intervenor in Pronsolino and the Association’s efforts significantly contributed to the favorable disposition of this pivotal CWA case. For more information on Pronsolino, see Legal Alert 02-08 at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/legalalerts/leg02-8.cfm.
AMSA Urges Members to Participate in New Task Force
In his first official act as AMSA President, Paul Pinault, Executive Director of the Narragansett Bay Commission in Providence, R.I., announced the formation of a Water Infrastructure Funding Task Force with the objectives of identifying funding sources for a trust fund dedicated to water infrastructure funding; developing a set of clearly identified infrastructure funding needs; and activating AMSA members and other stakeholders to participate in the infrastructure funding effort. Bill Schatz, AMSA Treasurer and General Counsel of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District in Cleveland, Ohio, will chair the Task Force. AMSA urges members to participate in this Task Force and will send out further information next week on the objectives of the Task Force via Member Update 02-05. To participate in or support the Task Force’s efforts, contact AMSA’s Legislative Director, Lee Garrigan, at 202/833-2672 or at lgarrigan@amsa-cleanwater.org.
AMSA’s Efforts Prove Effective in MP&M Proposed Rule
EPA this week published in the Federal Register its Notice of Data Availability (NODA) and Proposed Rule on Effluent Limitations Guidelines, Pretreatment Standards and New Source Performance Standards for the Metal Products and Machinery (MP&M) Point Source Category. In line with AMSA recommendations, the NODA and proposed rule recommends that there be either no regulations at all, or no further regulations, on indirect discharges to POTWs. Several members of AMSA’s Pretreatment and Hazardous Waste Committee are meeting today in Chicago to discuss the proposed MP&M rule with EPA and other stakeholders. A Regulatory Alert with details about the proposed rule will be circulated early next week and AMSA will submit comments on the proposal are due by the July 22 deadline. The NODA and proposed rule are available at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-WATER/2002/June/Day-05/w13808.pdf.
Register Today for AMSA’s July Conference on Wet Weather Issues
AMSA’s upcoming Summer Conference — Controlling Wet Weather Overflows . . . Challenges and Solutions — will be held at the Hilton Portland, in Portland Oregon, July 16 – 19, 2002. The agenda will explore wet weather issues affecting the nation’s clean water community, from CSOs and SSOs to TMDLs and use attainability analyses. Be sure to call the Hilton Portland at 503/226-1611 by the June 21st deadline to guarantee the special conference rate of $159 single/double. Also, visit www.amsa-cleanwater.org/meetings/02summer/ for up-to-date information on the 2002 Summer Conference.