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July 26, 2002 AMSA Fax Alert

Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - July 26, 2002

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July 26, 2002

Wastewater Security Bill Sails Through House T&I Committee
Spearheaded by the work of AMSA’s Wastewater Infrastructure Security Task Force, the Association’s efforts to obtain federal funding for security related activities at wastewater treatment agencies took a giant step forward this week. On July 24, the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee unanimously agreed to favorably report H.R. 5169, the Wastewater Treatment Works Security Act of 2002, to the full U.S. House of Representatives for a floor vote. H.R. 5169 authorizes $200 million for POTWs to conduct vulnerability assessments and to pay for enhanced security at their facilities. An additional $15 million is authorized for providing technical assistance to small POTWs. The bill also authorizes $1 million for each of the fiscal years 2003 through 2007 to EPA for grants to a nonprofit organization for the improvement of vulnerability self-assessment methodologies and tools for POTWs This could potentially help AMSA’s effort to continue to upgrade its Vulnerability Self Assessment Tool (VSAT™) software over the coming years (see article below). Significantly, H.R. 5169 directly states that EPA “may not” ask applicants for a copy of their vulnerability assessments as a condition of funding, allowing utilities to perform the assessments without unnecessary regulatory and federal Freedom of Information Act concerns.

H.R. 5169 was introduced on July 22 by T&I Committee Chair Don Young (R-AK), Ranking Member James Oberstar (D-MN), Water Resources Subcommittee Chair John J. Duncan (R-TN), and the Subcommittee’s Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (D-OR). AMSA has already sent H.R. 5169 to Rep. James T. Walsh (R-NY), Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on VA, HUD and Independent Agencies, in an effort to secure funds for the new authorization in the fiscal year 2003 EPA budget. A copy of H.R. 5169 is available for printing or downloading on AMSA’s web site at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/legreg/legupdate/leg_tracker.cfm#9.


AMSA Releases Security Software for POTWs
AMSA released its Vulnerability Self Assessment Tool for wastewater (VSAT™wastewater) utilities this week and has mailed copies of the software to all public agency members — so please check your mail! Also, the web site devoted to VSAT™ is now up and running at www.vsatusers.net, where you can register online for AMSA’s VSAT™ Web Conference Training Workshops, scheduled for Aug. 14 from 12:30 - 4:30 pm (Eastern) and Aug. 20 from 9:00 - 1:00 pm (Eastern). Additional information on VSAT™wastewater is available via AMSA’s Member Update 02-11, which was mailed this week to AMSA public agency members along with the VSAT™ software.

At the same time, AMSA is working hard to ensure that wastewater utilities’ vulnerability assessments remain free from disclosure requirements, including from the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). To meet this goal, AMSA joined with fellow water sector organizations in sending a letter to the Senate Government Relations Committee seeking to exempt from FOIA any information voluntarily shared with the Department of Homeland Security. As the letter states, “The water sector has significant concerns about sharing sensitive information with agencies or departments that do not have the necessary tools to ensure that it would be protected. This is a risk that cannot be taken.” The letter is available on AMSA’s web site at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/legreg/outreach/07-23-02WICC_FOIA_letter.pdf.