Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - June 24, 2005
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for the FaxAlert ArchiveJune 24, 2005
NACWA Members Urge Congress
to Include Stormwater Provision in Final Highway Bill
NACWA and its members contacted key Representatives this week, urging them to voice their support for the Highway Stormwater Discharge Mitigation Program (Section 1620), included in the Senate’s transportation bill (S. 732). Representatives were asked to sign on to a Dear Colleague letter (http://www.nacwa.org/advocacy/co/2005-06-20demsdcdraft.pdf) in support of the provision that is only included in the Senate version of the bill. It is critical to obtain House support with the bill currently being debated in the House-Senate conference discussions. The provision would send approximately $900 million to states to mitigate stormwater runoff from existing federal-aid roads and facilities. These funds would be used to minimize stormwater volume that wastewater utilities would otherwise be responsible for. To assist in their advocacy efforts the Association also provided NACWA members with an informational packet (http://www.nacwa.org/advocacy/co/2005-06hpack.pdf) which included several letters from other stakeholder organizations and detailed information on the provision. At press time, over 30 Representatives had signed the Dear Colleague letter – a direct result of an effort from a broad coalition consisting of NACWA, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, National League of Cities, American Rivers, the Sierra Club and others. NACWA urges its members to continue to contact their Representatives to support the stormwater provision as debate on the bill will continue into next week.NACWA Provides
Municipal Perspective at FACA Meeting on CWA Programs
NACWA and the interests of the clean water community were well represented at the first meeting of the Federal Advisory Committee on Detection and Quantitation Approaches and Uses in Clean Water Act Programs in Alexandria, Va., this week. NACWA member agency representatives Jim Pletl, Environmental Scientist, Hampton Roads Sanitation District, Virginia Beach, Va., and Zonetta English, Laboratory Manager, Louisville and Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District, Louisville, Ky., represented the wastewater treatment community on the Committee, along with Chris Hornback, NACWA's Director of Regulatory Affairs. The Committee consists of an equal number of representatives from the industry and laboratory community, environmental activists and state regulators. EPA formed the Federal Advisory Committee at the urging of a broad range of stakeholders, including industry, municipalities, and environmental labs, to find better procedures for developing detection and quantitation limits for analytical test methods. The first meeting focused on the formation of a Technical Workgroup, which will be responsible for assessing the various options available for determining detection and quantitation limits and providing recommendations for the Committee's consideration. The development of evaluation criteria for comparing existing alternatives is also planned. The next Committee meeting will be September 29 and 30, during which the Committee will begin to consider the pros and cons of the different approaches.Summer Conference Dress = Business Casual
NACWA’s 2005 Summer Conference, Wastewater Conveyance & Treatment . . . Navigating an Uncertain Regulatory Environment, in Hilton Head, S.C., is just around the corner so make plans to attend now! The dress code for this conference will be business casual. For hotel accommodations, refer to the June 17 Special Edition FaxAlert (http://www.nacwa.org/private/faxalerts/061705se.cfm). A detailed conference agenda and online registration is also available on NACWA’s website (http://www.nacwa.org/meetings/05summer/).Financial Survey Deadline Extended
NACWA has extended the deadline for its 2005 Financial Survey to July 8, 2005. The Survey serves as a comprehensive ‘snapshot’ of financing and management trends. Refer to Member Update 05-06 (http://www.nacwa.org/private/membcomm/memupdate/mu05-06.cfm) for more information. The Survey can be completed on the CleanWater Central™ website (http://www.cleanwatercentral.org/) or by faxing the completed form to NACWA’s Chris Hornback at 202/530-7191.