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October 20, 2000
AMSA Legal Affairs Committee Meets with EPA on Major Issues
Meeting this week in Anaheim, Calif. in conjunction with the Water Environment Federation's Technical Exposition (WEFTEC), AMSA's Legal Affairs Committee conferred with top U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Water officials on a number of pressing issues impacting publicly owned treatment works (POTWs). Assistant Administrator for Water J. Charles Fox provided an update on the Agency's sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) proposal, which, he said, is still under review at the White House's Office of Management & Budget (OMB). Fox explained that OMB was concluding its assessment of EPA's economic analysis.
The Legal Affairs Committee also discussed EPA's review of the practice of "blending" at POTWs during peak flows with Fox and Charles Sutfin, EPA's permits division director in the Office of Water. They acknowledged that the Agency expects to take two to three months to review its historical policy on blending. AMSA members maintained that if the practice has been approved in the past and permit limits are being met, there can be no other option than for EPA headquarters, after its review, to direct EPA Regions to allow it.
The meeting also focused on EPA's draft interim total maximum daily loads permitting guidance. AMSA sent strong comments to EPA on its approach to the guidance, finding an August draft of it flawed because it excluded nonpoint sources of water quality impairment (see Regulatory Alert 00-18 and FaxAlert, Sept. 1). Sutfin noted that discussions continue within the Agency on a variety of issues including the interpretation of water quality standards and what constitutes "valid" data. He added that the Agency was looking at options related to background concentrations and how to account for loading from other sources. A first draft of the guidance is expected later this fall; at that time EPA officials will share it with interested stakeholders.
NBP Reaches Significant Milestone
In a significant step toward further enhancing the environmental performance of municipal biosolids programs, this week the National Biosolids Partnership's (NBP) Management Committee approved a series of projects that will add up to a comprehensive ‘blueprint' for surpassing minimum federal standards. Key among these projects is the third-party verification process, a groundbreaking voluntary program that will allow POTWs, by going beyond already tough federal criteria, to establish ever-greater levels of public accountability and trust. The NBP will unveil its biosolids environmental management system at AMSA's Winter Conference, Managing Utility Infrastructure, January 30 - February 2, 2001 in San Diego, Calif.
EPA Appropriations Bill Moves Rapidly
This week, the House and Senate passed the EPA's funding for fiscal year 2001 and sent it to the White House for the president's signature. AMSA was instrumental in ensuring $1 million for the NBP contained in the bill. The bill also provides $1.35 billion for the State Revolving Loan Fund.
Pretreatment Workshop Hotel Registration Deadline . . . The hotel registration deadline for the AMSA/EPA Pretreatment Coordinators Workshop is October 25. Please call the DoubleTree Hotel at Reid Park at 520/881-4200 to reserve your hotel room.