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October 15, 1999
AMSA Prepares for SSO Discussions
This week, AMSA made final preparations for participating in three days of comprehensive discussions on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) draft proposed sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) regulations. Since the last round of SSO Federal Advisory Committee (FAC) negotiations, AMSA has worked intensively to ensure that municipal interests are more fairly considered at the next meeting, which will take place Oct. 18-20 in Williamsburg, Va. EPA's recent response to AMSA's concerns with the SSO FAC process and the Agency's position on key municipal issues have assured the Association that it is worthwhile to rejoin the discussions. The National Office will keep the membership informed of developments that arise from the next round of discussions. For additional information on recent SSO FAC developments see the August Clean Water News and the July 30 and October1 FaxAlerts.AMSA Asserts Standing in TMDL Lawsuit
This week, AMSA's counsel delivered oral arguments before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, Calif. on the matter of AMSA's intervention in an important total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) lawsuit — Pronsolino v EPA. The Farm Bureau and other agricultural interests, arguing on behalf of the plaintiffs, claim that EPA's TMDL program has no authority to control nonpoint sources of water pollution. Plaintiffs opposed AMSA's intervention in the case by arguing that the interests of POTWs are already represented by EPA. AMSA stressed, however, that municipal wastewater agencies could suffer severe negative impacts if nonpoint sources are excluded from TMDLs. The court's determination on AMSA's standing in the case is expected next week.AMSA Welcomes New Government Affairs Manager
Next week, AMSA's new Government Affairs Manager, Lee Garrigan, begins working for AMSA. Lee has extensive regulatory and legislative lobbying experience and has spent two years with the Associated General Contractors of America as a director of environmental programs and eight years as director of federal programs at the American Consulting Engineers Council. She also has worked for the Edison Electric Institute, and has a background in journalism. Lee has worked on a variety of issues associated with the Clean Water Act, drinking water and endangered species issues. Lee's first day with AMSA is October 18, and initially she will work on Superfund, infrastructure funding, air quality, and total maximum daily load issues for the Association. Lee's e-mail is lgarrigan@amsa-cleanwater.org and her phone is 202/833-4655.AMSA Secures CLE Credits for Legal Affairs Seminar . . .
Public agency attorneys who attend the AMSA and Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies legal seminar, Developments in Water & Wastewater Law, are eligible to receive 8.5 Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits. Several states including South Carolina, New York, California and Pennsylvania have already approved the seminar for CLE accreditation, and many others are expected to follow suit based on reciprocity agreements. Call or e-mail Greg Schaner, Manager, Government Affairs, at 202/296-9836 or gschaner@amsa-cleanwater.org for information on individual state accreditation. The seminar will be held November 18-19 at the Westin Francis Hotel in Charleston, S.C. The hotel registration deadline for the seminar is October 24. The advanced seminar registration deadline is November 5. See LA-99-4 for complete information.