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September 22, 2000

House Environmental Leaders Will Move 'WATER 21' Next Year
This week, key House committee leaders confirmed that federal water infrastructure funding legislation - "WATER 21" - tops their environmental priorities for the 107th Congress. At a September 19 press conference on Capitol Hill, the bipartisan co-chairs of the Water Infrastructure Caucus announced plans to address the $23 billion water infrastructure funding gap. The four caucus co-chairs are House Water Resources & Environment Subcommittee Chair and ranking Democrat Reps. Sherwood Boehlert (R-N.Y.) and Robert Borski (D-Pa.) and the House Health & Environment Subcommittee Chair and ranking Democrat Reps. Michael Bilirakis (R-Fla.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio). The Water Infrastructure Caucus is growing and now boasts over 70 members, ensuring broad support for WATER 21.

"The time for the federal government to step up to the plate on water infrastructure financing is rapidly approaching. The Clean Water Act has not been reauthorized since 1986. Through the Water Infrastructure Caucus . . . we are laying the groundwork for WATER 21. This time next year I plan to be discussing how we are going to move WATER 21 to the House floor." Boehlert said that WATER 21, as it is currently envisioned, would use the surplus to infuse $50 billion over five years for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.

Boehlert noted that the AMSA-led Water Infrastructure Network (WIN) would play a pivotal role in passing WATER 21. "Success in the environmental and infrastructure arenas has always been characterized by broad bipartisan support and the Water Infrastructure Caucus is the first step toward that end. In the coming weeks and months Mr. Borski, Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. Brown and I will be working with the Water Infrastructure Caucus and WIN to develop WATER 21 legislation. With [WIN] we will build the type of broad bipartisan support that has led to the passage of a $40 billion airport improvement bill (AIR - 21) and $215 billion highway bill (TEA - 21). WATER 21 will be a priority in the 107th Congress." Underscoring the bipartisan support for WATER 21, Borski, who would replace Boehlert as subcommittee chair if Democrats take the House in the November elections, pledged to seek passage of WATER 21 during the 107th Congress regardless of the election's outcome.

WIN Outlines Infrastructure Funding Options
This week, AMSA Board member William B. Schatz, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District General Counsel and AMSA Executive Director Ken Kirk joined in a series of three intensive discussions with the WIN coalition aimed at developing viable options for the 107th Congress to consider as it seeks to address the water infrastructure funding gap. The process will result in a consensus-based "white-paper" that will form the basis of WATER 21.

AMSA Seeks Consistent Implementation of EPA Blending Policy
This week, AMSA urged EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Chuck Fox to take any necessary steps to advise all EPA Regions that blending is an authorized treatment practice. In response to mistaken interpretations by EPA Regions and the EPA Office of Enforcement & Compliance Assurance that bypass regulations prohibit blending during wet weather, AMSA called for a meeting with Fox and his staff to settle the matter. An arbitrary regulatory and policy reversal on blending would severely impact publicly owned treatment works, rendering treatment costs unaffordable and unnecessarily prohibiting a practice that fully complies with secondary treatment regulations.

AMSA Assesses EPA Chlorine Proposal . . . This week, AMSA is reviewing a September 18 EPA proposal that would subject the use of free chlorine gas in water and sewage treatment to federal pesticide labeling and application requirements. This change would require POTW plant operators to receive additional training as "certified applicators" under an entirely different regulatory scheme. AMSA will provide further analysis of the proposal's impacts via Regulatory Alert next week.