Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - September 27, 2002
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September 27, 2002
Senate Environment Committee Close to Introducing Security Bill
The Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee is anticipated to introduce its version of a wastewater infrastructure security funding bill as early as Monday morning with the possibility of moving the bill for markup next week. This bill will serve as companion legislation to the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee's Wastewater Treatment Works Security Act of 2002, H.R. 5169 (See FaxAlert 9/20/02). AMSA has been meeting on a continuous basis with both House T&I and Senate EPW staff to ensure the security legislation takes into account the concerns of the treatment works community.The most recent iteration of the draft Senate bill gives EPA's Administrator authority to determine which treatment works are required to perform vulnerability assessments and emergency response plans. The draft bill requires that vulnerability assessments and emergency response plans be filed with EPA. There are extensive provisions in the draft bill which protect these assessments and plans from disclosure concerns, including Freedom of Information Act disclosure requirements. Authorizations in the draft bill total $185 million which breaks down as follows: $125 million for fiscal year 2003, and such sums as are necessary for fiscal years 2004-2007, to perform vulnerability assessments, emergency response plans and basic security enhancements; $25 million for fiscal years 2003 and 2004 to address immediate and urgent security needs as determined by the EPA Administrator; and $15 million for fiscal year 2003 and such sums as are necessary in fiscal years 2004-2007 for treatment works that serve a population of under 10,000 people; another $15 million annually for fiscal years 2003-2007 for EPA research on the vulnerabilities of wastewater treatment works to intentional acts; and $200,000 for fiscal years 2003-2007 for non-profit agencies to develop and upgrade vulnerability self-assessment software, which will help fund improvements to, and training on, AMSA's VSAT™ software tool.
AMSA has met and will continue to meet on a continuous basis with both Senate and House Committee staff to discuss its concerns with the security legislation. All indications are that both the House and Senate Committees are committed to expediting passage of this legislation before Congress adjourns in October. AMSA will update its membership as the wastewater security legislation progresses.
AMSA Testifies on Performance Track, EPA to Consider Alternatives
Guy Aydlett, Director of Water Quality for the Hampton Roads Sanitation District and Chair of AMSA's Pretreatment and Hazardous Waste Committee testified today on behalf of AMSA at an EPA hearing on proposed changes to the Agency's National Environmental Performance Track Program, which rewards public and private entities that voluntarily surpass environmental requirements, for example by setting up environmental management systems. AMSA voiced its opposition to the proposed use of elements of the 1999 Pretreatment Streamlining Proposal as incentives under the Performance Track Program, noting that while EPA originally proposed the streamlining measures for all POTWs, only Performance Track facilities would be able to benefit from them if the changes are finalized. In direct response to AMSA's testimony, EPA has asked AMSA to provide examples of incentives POTWs would like to see incorporated into the Performance Track Program as potential alternatives to what EPA has proposed. Contact Chris Hornback at 202/833-2672 or at chornback@amsa-cleanwater.org for more information.