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July 25, 2003 AMSA Fax Alert

Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - July 25, 2003

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July 25, 2003

Congress Takes Positive Steps on Security, Funding Measures
AMSA continues to urge Congress to move forward with both security and wastewater infrastructure funding legislation and has learned that the report language for the Senate’s Wastewater Treatment Works Security Act of 2003, S. 1039, has been approved by the majority of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, and is now being reviewed by EPW’s minority. This constitutes a key step toward advancing the bill for a vote on the Senate floor and AMSA remains confident that the Senate will follow the House’s lead by agreeing on the report language and ultimately passing security legislation on a broad bipartisan basis. To ensure that this initiative succeeds, AMSA urges its public agency members to contact their Senators at their home offices during the August congressional recess and to urge them to put pressure on EPW Senators to move S. 1039 forward and for a floor vote immediately upon their return in September. Among other provisions, S. 1039 would provide $200 million for wastewater treatment works to conduct vulnerability assessments and pay for enhanced security at their respective facilities.

On a related note, AMSA reported in last week’s FaxAlert that H.R. 1560, a wastewater infrastructure funding bill that would provide $20 billion in state revolving loan funds over five years, was successfully marked up by the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee. H.R. 1560, however, continues to face a major hurdle to further progress due to Davis-Bacon Act prevailing wage concerns. AMSA has had successful meetings this week with key Republican congressional members, who oppose Davis-Bacon provisions but support H.R. 1560 generally, and is urging them to allow the bill to move to the House floor for a vote on the merits, with perhaps a separate, non-binding vote on the Davis-Bacon issue. Several key Republican Representatives have been receptive to this proposal and AMSA urges its public agency members to contact their Representatives during the August recess to garner further support for this approach and to secure a vote on this critical legislation. AMSA will post talking points next week on the Legislative Correspondence and Outreach section of its web site for member use in contacting their Senators and Representatives.

EPA Seeks to Incorporate Trading Provisions in Watershed Rule, Provide Guidance
AMSA demonstrated its support for EPA’s trading program this week by participating in the Agency’s Water Quality Trading Forum in Chicago, Ill. Among the attendees were Agency officials, environmental organizations, and local business practitioners who deliberated on the positive aspects of water quality trading practices. AMSA learned at this conference that the interagency review of the Watershed Rule continues to move forward and has also learned that EPA’s Office of Water is likely to add a trading component to the Watershed Rule before releasing it to the Office of Management and Budget for review and ultimately for public notice and comment. Whether this will further delay the rule’s release remains unclear at this time. At the meeting, Assistant Administrator in the Office of Water (OW), G. Tracy Mehan, ardently supported the trading program but cautioned attendees of the many challenges that lie ahead, saying “[t]rading is still an innovation” and “…a work in progress.” To expedite the implementation of a rule incorporating trading, Mehan said EPA would, in the meantime, issue guidance to help POTWs and other stakeholders who are interested in developing trading programs. The guidance is due out in August and AMSA will provide input into this effort as appropriate. AMSA will continue to monitor the progress of EPA’s trading program and will provide members with additional information via future Updates and Alerts.