Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - August 24, 2001
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August 24, 2001
AMSA Urges EarthJustice To Drop Sludge Incinerators from Suits
In an Aug. 23 letter from AMSA to the the EarthJustice Legal Defense Fund, the Association requests that the environmental group remove sewage sludge incinerators (SSIs) from two lawsuits seeking to require EPA to promulgate certain Clean Air Act (CAA) standards on a number of solid waste incinerators, including SSIs. AMSA's letter, however, makes the cogent argument that "EPA has studied sewage sludge incinerator emissions extensively, evaluated the applicability of CAA §129 and §112 to these sources, and made decisions not to regulate them under these specific provisions." Furthermore, says the letter, "sewage sludge incinerators are subject to significant air pollution limits, monitoring and recordkeeping requirements under both the CAA and the Clean Water Act." AMSA will continue its correspondence with EarthJustice and will update Members on its progress. The letter is available on AMSA's website at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/legreg/outreach/concerning.pdf.
Sign Your Letters, Make Water Infrastructure Funding Happen!
AMSA's efforts to demonstrate local support for water infrastructure funding are paying off, as our Letters-to-the-Editor Grassroots Campaign demonstrates its effectiveness. Already several of your letters have appeared in local newspapers, but until we achieve our goal of getting letters published in virtually each city we must continue to step up our efforts. Legislators have told AMSA that they are prepared to draft bipartisan legislation on water infrastructure funding this Congressional session, but have made it clear that their votes for increased water infrastructure funding hinge on local grassroots support. Many of you have helped the grassroots effort by signing an AMSA-drafted template Letter to the Editor, containing bracketed spaces for you to insert key local information, for placement in your local newspapers. For those of you who have as yet not done so, please send a copy of your letter to your local newspapers and to Adam Krantz at akrantz@amsa-cleanwater.org or call 202/833-4651. The letter is available at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/legreg/outreach/amsalettertotheeditor.doc.
AMSA Meets with EPA, Gives Input on Water Quality Standards
AMSA met with EPA's Office of Science and Technology (OST) this week to provide input into the Agency's development of its Long-Term Strategy for Water Quality Standards and Criteria. The purpose of the Strategy is to develop EPA's priorities for the water quality standards and criteria program. AMSA highlighted what it believes should be OST's priorities, including guidance for conducting use attainability analyses, and improved guidance and more time for states to develop nutrient criteria, among others. EPA plans to release the draft strategy for public comment in the fall. AMSA will provide EPA with additional information regarding the Strategy, will continue tracking the strategy's progress and updating Association members.
- AMSA will be drafting comments, due Sept. 10, on EPA's extension of the July 2000 Total Maximum Daily Load Rule. Please contact Greg Schaner at 202/296-9386 with any comments or questions you may have regarding this effort. More to come in future FaxAlerts and other AMSA publications!
- Mark your calendars! The AMSA/EPA Pretreatment Coordinators Workshop, Nov. 7-9, will be in Nashville, Tenn., and AMSA's 2001 Water & Wastewater Law Seminar, Nov. 14-16, will be in Savannah, Georgia. For more information, visit http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/meetings/ or contact AMSA at 202/833-2672.